two of the fairest flowers in the English Crown in lieu wherof it may be sayd ther is set in an ear of barly with a Chimney Wallflower ther is froth and fume given in exchange which doth so much sully the luster of it for as I intimated before the state and plenty of the Court was accounted the greatest glory of the Crown of England as Forren Authors of most Nations do acknowledg in their public Writings Now wheras some do affirm that the yeerly benefit of the Excise doth make a full compensation for the Court of Wards and tenures in Capite out of which ther was also computed fifty thousand pounds yeerly towards the Diet at Court It is too well known that the said Excise doth not make the King any Equivalent satisfaction for his Tenures alone if well managd much less for his Pourvoyances Preemptions and Carriages For ther was an exact account made by his Majesties special command of the last yeers expence that ther were Seventy three thousand six hundred and seven pounds fourteen shillings and seven pence spent more in the Court-diet and provision of the Stables then were in the time of Pourvoyance besides the extraordinary charge of Carriages for his Removes and Navy Royal. Now in expending those provisions that were servd into the Court by way of Pourvoyance and Composition ther was the greatest care and Oeconomical good husbandry usd that possibly could be for when ther were more Beefs and Muttons with other provisions servd in then the Court wanted The faithful Officers of the Green-cloth caused them to be Sould and with the moneys arising thence they were commonly usd to buy Napery and other Houshold-things for the service of the Kings House as also in paying the arrears of som of his Servants wages with the surplusages But now that we dance after the French Fiddle so fast as we always did so for the back and now begin to follow him also in things relating to the Belly by Board-wages c. I wish the time may not come that we do not follow him too farr As that one cannot put a grain of Salt in his pot unless he buy it of the King wherby in making Salt his own Commodity the French King raiseth by the meer Gabel which ariseth thence above 20 millions of Livres evry yeer which is two millions Sterling which sum is twice more then the King of Great Britain hath from all Incoms whatsoever as Crown-lands Customes and Imposts Excise and Chimney-money with other perquisits and casualities And as the French thus cannot put a grain of Salt in his pot so the Spaniard cannot put a corn of Peper into his Olla unless he hath it from the King Nor can he buy a pair of Cards or Dice to pass away the time withal unless he hath them of the King Nay he cannot buy half a sheet of Paper to write either Bond or Bill Acquittance or Receit or other legal Instrument but he must buy all of the King Which adds millions to his yeerly Revenues yet the peeple of Spain are cryed up for a free peeple But touching the Imposition of Excise which is given the King for his Royal Tenures and House-keeping I well remember the time that Excise was held such an abominable word that my Lord Carleton but only for naming it once in the Parlement-House yet to no ill meaning at all was violently cryed to the Bar and though a person of that eminence as being then a Privie Counsellor and principal Secretary of State he hardly escapd being committed to the Tower The Excise was then calld the Dutch Devil because it came first from Holland with other fine words as plunder storming c. which were all made free Denizons of England by that so longd-for Long Parlement And observable it is that the first imposing and use of Excise in England was to enable Rebels to make War against their King and Country Having thus briefly run over the Sumptuary part of the English Court we will now proceed to the Servants and Officers to the Attendance and State thereof which comes not behind any other Court whatsoever And this might be the ground of that ancient Proverb in England and nowhere els There is no Fishing to the Sea nor Service to the Kings The Court is the randevous of Vertu of Cadets and persons well qualified It is the Scale by which they rise the King being the fountain of Honour as well as of Bounty But before we come to speak of the Officers at Court and of their Diet and Bouche which by a pitiful corruption is vulgarly calld budg wheras it is bouche a mouth therfore it is a French phrase Il a bouche à la Cour He hath a mouth at Court viz. he hath a Diet I say before we come to speak of the Dishes and Diet at Court let the Reader take this small Advertisement in the way that evry Dish at Court was computed to cost the King viis modis at the years end 100 l. a dish But now since the Preemption and Pourvoyance is taken away evry dish doth stand in four times as much at least The Kings Court or Houshold The Lord Great Chamberlain and Earl Marshal are rather Officers of State and as it were extraneous in relation to the Houshold so in a manner are the four Officers of the Crown who use to have Houses abroad viz. The Lord Chancellor or Keeper of the Great Seal of England The Lord high Tresurer The Lord Privie Seal The Lord high Admiral But the properst Domestick Officers are as follow viz. The Lord Steward of the Houshold who hath allowed him evry day besides his Fee 32 dishes The Tresurer of the Houshold 32 dishes and besides his table he hath a Fee of 123 l. 14 s. 4 d. The Controuler besides thirty two dishes a day hath a Fee of 167 l. 17 s. 4 d. The Cofferer besides his Table hath 100 l. The principal Secretary of State hath besides his Table 100 l. The Secretary for the Latin Toung Fee 40 l. The Secretary for the French Toung Fee 66 l. 13 s. 4 d. The Clerks of the Signet Fee every one 40 l. Four Clerks of the Privie Council Fee evry one 50 l. Clerk of the Council in the Star-chamber Fee 26 l. 13 s. 4 d. Two Clerks of the Parlement Fee The first 40 l. Two Clerks of the Parlement Fee The second 10 l. Clerk of the Market Fee 20 l. Post-master Fee 20 l. Thirty standing Posts appointed by the Post-master evry one Fee 18 l. 5 s. Two Carriers To one 24 l. 3 s. 4 d. Two Carriers To the other 12 l. Officers above Stayrs Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold besides his Table of thirty two dishes a day hath a Fee 100 l. The Groom of the Stole who is always a Gentleman of the Bed-chamber hath evry day 32 dishes Vice-chamberlain Fee 100 Marks Knight-Marshal Fee 100 Marks The Gentlemen of the Privie Chamber whose
Great Britain having intimation that ther might be some clash between the Coaches of the foresaid Ambassadors if they sent them according to custome to bring in the said new Ambassador He sent unto them that they wold forbear to send their Coaches because some inconvenience might arise Batteville answerd That he wold conform to his Majesties plesure provided l' Estrade did likewise do so But l' Estrade gave answer to the Kings Message That his Predecessor the French Ambassador immediatly before him had receavd a check at his return to France for omitting this ceremony and so was he like to do if he did not perform it So both of them sending their rich Coaches and Laquays to Tower-wharf where the new Ambassador was to land Batteville it seems had taken such a survey of the place that his Coach stood in such a posture that none could get before it and the Kings Coach besides he had causd the Rains and Harness of his Coach to be lin'd with Wire making them therby poof against the strokes of Swords so ther happend a hot and fierce Scirmige ther being Pistols on both sides besides Swords and the French had some horsmen also so the poor Horses were slashd and some Laquays killd on both sides and one Spanish Gentleman was killd in the Coach but Batteville stood firm to his ground and so his Coach went next to the Kings all the way News being sent herof to Paris it was much resented and the Spanish Ambassador there being confind to his House he presently dispatchd an Expresse to Madrid who being returnd He sent to the Louvre that he had receavd such Orders that wold give his Majesty satisfaction touching the late Traverses in England and so desired Audience which was appointed him the next day In the interim command was sent that the Princes of the Blood and chief Officers of the Crown shold be there The Spanish Ambassador being come and expecting a privat audience but finding such a solemn meeting was a little stunnd at first yet he went on and deliverd his Message to the King which was that touching the late Contest in England it was done without his Catholique Majesties direction and knowledge therfore he wold take a cours that no occasion shold be offerd for such differences herafter Besides these he pronouncd other Explanatory words that were equivalent to an acknowledgment of Precedence to his most Christian Majesty which were suddenly commanded to be registred in the Council for an Act of State and so to stand upon Record to Posterity Hereupon ther was a most prudent Act of State passd in the Privy Council of the King of Great Britain That in regard of the inconvenience and disturbances which did thence arise his Majesty commanded that no Forren Ambassadors Coaches shall for the future go to accompany and introduce any new Ambassador whatsoever because his Majesties Coaches are sufficient to accompany them in a fitting Equippage which Act I believe will be a leading case to all the Courts of Christendome Before we conclude this Section touching the Right of Precedence which the French King claims of other Princes we will adde what Mr. de Breves says in his Appendix of the Negotiations in the East where he says That in the Raign of Henry the Great he took Precedence of the Ambassadors of Rodulphus the Emperour in Constantinople at the Port of the Turks Court who values Christian Princes according to the merit of their Might WE will now proceed to weigh and winnow the Arguments of Spain in order to a Precedence which we will extract also and distil out of their own Authors as Valdesius Francisco Vasquez Camillo Borrello Besoldus Morales Augusto Cavaisll Caranato with divers others And let this be a Close to the second Section The third Section CONTAINING The Reasons wherby the King of Spain pretends and claims Priority of Place and Proximity of Session next the Emperour at all solemn Meetings and in all Publik Transactions of State c. Which Reasons We will reduce also to Ten Heads or Arguments The first Argument Proving That the Catholik King may challenge Precedence because Spain is the Noblest Kingdome of Europe as being always accounted the Head therof The second Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence by the Authority of General Councils and the Learned Doctors of the Church The third Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because Spain first receavd and professd the Catholik Faith That the first Christian Church was built there The first Council celebrated The first Bishop was elected out of Her The first Emperour created c. The fourth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because He is the Catholick King which is a more ancient Title then Christianissimus The fifth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because that in magnitude of Kingdomes in Power and Tresure he excels all other The sixth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence for Nobleness of Family and that the Kingdome of France did justly belong to Philip 3. The seventh Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because he is King of Ierusalem The eighth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because of free and absolut Dominion and that he hath Empires under Him The ninth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because he hath done such great Offices to the Christian Church The tenth and last Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because the Catholick Church receaves greater Protection and Emoluments from Him then from any other Prince whatsoever OF all these Arguments we shall treat distinctly in several divisions according to the former method and distil out of the chiefest Spanish Authors that write of this subject the Elixir and strength of their Reasons But let the Reader take this Advertisement That he must not expect here the particular Quotations and Marginals wherwith the Spanish Writers use to abound and which indeed belong to Civilians and Iurists No the Author here goes on in a freer and generous way and the Reader without abusing his Faith may believe what he delivers being extracted with much fidelity and care out of the forementiond Authors who write for the Crown of Spain and in their own expressions and so we begin with the first Argument viz. That Spain is calld the Head of Europe and consequently the Noblest Kingdome I. THe beginning of evry thing as it is the hardest so it is always accounted the worthiest and most Noble part as being the head and source whence the rest are derivd so our blessed Saviour is calld Principium Caput the beginning and Head wherof all the Faithful are Members He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And his Vicar-general upon earth the Pope is calld Caput Ecclesiae Militantis The
going out Among Artificers and Men of Trade the Civilians say that each one is to precede according to the Dignity of the Stuff wheron they work Moreover when Publik Instruments are made that Kingdom in whose Right t is made hath the Precedence so somtimes Scotland is namd before England c. General Precedences do differ according to the Genius of some Nations as among the Turks to go on the left hand is more honorable sedendo incedendo in sitting and going then on the right and the reson is good because he may seaze upon his Companions Sword at plesure In Spain the Pages and Laquays go before and the Lords follow And in some cases t is so in France as in going over a Bridg a Plank or a River the Man goes before the Master according to the old Proverb En Pont en Planche en Riviere Valet devant Maitre derriere Concerning Ambassadors ther is a way that they shall never clash which is to make them Parallels viz. that the Ambassadors of those Kings who stand in competition for Precedence do never meet unless it be in visiting one another And the Mathematician tells us That Parallelae etiamsi ducantur in infinitum nunquam concurrent Parallels although they be drawn in infinitum they will never meet and if Ambassadors never meet they will never jussle or jarr J. H. THE Civilians Antiquaries and Historians BOTH Latin English British Italians Spanish and French That were Consulted and Cited in the Compilement of this WORK GOldastus Cassanaeus Besoldus Valdesius Francisco Vasquez Volaterranus Bodin Boterus Albericus Gentilis Lansius Augustin Caranato Thesaurus Politicus Ant. Corsetus Camillo Borrello Boccolini Sleidon Dr. Gaspar Bragaccia Paschalius Don Ant. de Zuniga Mariana Garibai Fredericus de Marselaer Carolus de Grassaliis Du Haillan Comines Pierre Matthieu The Bishop of Rhodes Du Serres Versâ—…egan Il Conte Losco The Lord Coke Bishop Usher Sir Thomas More Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Robert Cotton Sir Henry Spelman Sir Richard Baker Sir Iohn Finet Sir Iohn Price Iudg Doddridge Humphry Lloyd Iudg Ienkins Mr. Campden Mr. Selden Mr. Fabian Philipps Barclays Argenis Matthew Paris Polydore Virgile Sir Henry Wotten Sir Isaak Wake Mr. Minshew Besides these Authors many Ancient Records and Manuscripts have bin consulted and the perusing of old Parchment-Records is a hard and harsh Work it may be said to be like the peeling of old Walnuts ANALYSIS Totius Operis TOuching the Matter and Method in framing this Work it is by dividing it into four Compartments viz. into four Sections The first three treat of the Precedence of Kings The fourth of Ambassadors Evry one of the Sections is subdivided into ten heads or Paragraphs containing still new matter The first Section consists of the Resons of the King of Great Britain c. First That He had to his Predecessors as ancient Kings as France and Spain and as famous among others Mulmutius Dunwallo who raignd here many hundred yeers before the Romans came in and he was so great a Legislator that his Laws are calld Leges Mulmuntinae and stand upon record to this day Moreover his Majesty now Regnant is the hundred thirty ninth King of Britain and the hundred and ninth of Scotland wheras neither Spain or France can shew a Catalog of half the number 2. The King of Great Britain had to his Predecessor the first Christian King that ever was upon earth viz. King Lucius according to the concurrent Opinion of all Antiquaries for St. Peters Church in Cornhil was built by him as a Record yet extant shews and this was many hundred yeers before France or Spain had any Christian King which made England to be entitled in all dispatches from Rome Primogenita Ecclesiae the first-born Daughter of the Church Now it is a Canon among the Civilians Summa Ratio quae ducitur à Religione and Grotius hath also a Principle Qui primò Christianismum professi sunt Praecedant c. 3. The King of Great Britain hath a Merum immixum Imperium he hath as absolut Possession and Authority and more Independent then France or Spain take Spiritual and Temporal together 4. The King of Great Britain for Eminence of Royal Dignity for State and Titles hath as fair Flowers He hath as rich Jewels in his Crowns as any other He hath as Noble Arms the Cross and the Lyon who is King of Animals 5. The King of Great Britain had to his Predecessor the first Christian Emperour Constantin and the first Christian Worthy Arthur the first Founder of Martial Knighthood whom ther is Truth enough to make Famous without that which is thought Fabulous 6. The King of Great Britains Predecessors were the first who freed themselfs from the Roman yoke long before France or Spain and this is one of the greatest Arguments that those Kings do produce for a Precedence one of another 7. The Kings of Great Britain had Precedence adjudgd Them both of France and Spain in General Councils as also by the Decrees of Popes as it will appeer in the following Discours 8. The King of Great Britain is Souverain of as Noble an Order of Knighthood as any in Christendome wherof eight Emperours and well neer eight times as many Kings have bin and is more ancient then the Royal Orders of France or Spain 9. The King of Great Britain hath had as Martial and Magnanimous Progenitors as any of the other two who performd great Acts both far and neer and touching Exploits in the Holy Land the Kings of Spain had little share in them 10. The King of Great Britain hath as free-born and strong sturdy Peeple of four several Nations to make Soldiers of as either France or Spain He hath the best Mariners the stoutest Men of War the Noblest Haven for so Milford is accounted by all Geographers He hath the Inaccessiblest Coasts with the greatest Command and Power at Sea both Defensive and Offensive of any King whatsoever The second Section Consists of Reasons and Arguments why France doth pretend and challenge Priority of Place which Reasons under favor may be appliable also to the King of Great Britain and the world knows why But for to make the King of Great Britain come after the King of France is to make him come behind himself which is no less then an absurdity The third Section Consists of the Reasons and Arguments which Spain alledgeth for Precedence at least of an Equality with the two forementiond Kings extracted with as much fidelity as carefulness out of her own Authors as Don Diego de Valdez D. Francisco Vasquez with others The fourth Section Consists of a Discours of Ambassadors T is tru ther are some who have written of this subject already yet not any under this Meridian But those Forreners who have discoursd therof do amuse the Reader with such general Notions that the Breeding and Qualities which they require as also the Monitions Precepts and Instructions which they prescribe may fit any
at Mahomet the thirds Circumcision which lasted 40 days there being then in Constantinople the Ambassadors of the greatest Monarchs upon Earth yet the Ambassador of Rodulphus the Emperour had the Precedence of them all All this is but Collateral to the main Designe of the intended Discourse which aims chiefly at Kings whereunto we now hasten but we will first give a few Hints or Prolegomenas of the Original of Kingly Government Of Royalty or Kingly Government THere is a Saying in France Pape par voix Empereur par Force Roy par Nature Pope by Choice Emperour by Might King by Nature viz. Successive and Hereditary Kings who ought to have the Precedence of Elective Whence may be inferred That Kingly Government is most agreeable to Nature Now 't is a tru and elegant Principle That Naturam sequi est Deo obsequi To follow Nature is to obey God Concerning the Character or Title of King it is of a more ancient date then that of Emperour For they who grope at Government before the Floud speak of Kings in Chaldee and Egypt Rome began with Kings and it may be said that it was more the Peeples Wantonness then Tarquin's which put them down Afterwards the Name of Emperour was given to that person who was Commander in chief of the Army or Praetorian Bands and Legionary Soldiers it was not a Title of that Sublimity and Transcendence as it proved afterward Among the Greek Authors the Names of Monarchs Kings and Emperours are taken promiscuously But all Writers that pretend to Policy acknowledge that Kingly Government of all other as it is the most ancient and may be said to begin with Adam so it hath most conformity with that of Heaven whence the best patterns for all Humane Actions are to be fetch'd and 't is no presumption to do it Moreover of all kinde of Ruling Powers Royalty is the prime for in it as the Civilians say there is formalis completa gubernandi ratio the most formal and compleat Essence of Government Royalty also hath the easiest the fewest and certainst Principles if any certain can be found for there is no Knowledge so subject to confusion and incertitudes as the Art for Man to govern Men It could never yet be brought to a Science which consists of general and tru Apodictical Demonstrations The Reason may be the various Inclinations Caprichio's and Humours of Peeple proceeding from the diversity of Climes and Coelestial Influences as also from that World of Contingencies which attend Human Negotiations likewise from the diffring Positions of Earth for those Laws and kinds of Government which may be proper for the Continent will not fit an Insulary Peeple nor those Laws of a Maritime Country can sute with meer Inland or Mediterranean Territories Therefore that Gran Senior of all Knowledge the Stagirite whereas he useth to be constant to himself while he gives Maximes for other Sciences when in his Politiques he comes to Human Government and beats his Brain how to prescribe certain Rules conducing thereunto He is not found onely at a loss and wavering to himself but he wraps his Scholars here and there in Clouds of Ambiguities Nor can we blame him and others to rove up and down in that manner upon this subject it being beyond the compass of Human Brain to enact such Laws may fit all times prevent all accidents and quadrat with the Genius of all Nations Some Peeple are so fiery-mouth'd that they must be rid with a Bit Curb and Martingale but a snafâ—…le and gentle hand will serve to manage others Now 't is observ'd that they who inhabit hard and barren Countries are more easily govern'd then those who live in fat and luxurious Soyls where being pamper'd with Plenty and Wealth they are apt to grow wanton and kick at or overthrow their Riders Yet it may be said that there is one certain and Universal Rule for Government and to keep a Peeple in a constant and exact Obedience and that Rule is For the Soveraign Prince to have always a standing and visible actual Power in motion as well to conserve as to curb a Peeple in case of any Commotion And 't is consentaneous to good Reason that the Subject shold contribut for this general Protection according to the saying Defend me and spend me that so evry one may rest under his own Roofs and sit at his own Fires in quietness and safety In sum All Statists concur in this That there is an Awe due to a King as well as Affection He must be a Dread Soverain as well as a Gracious and that Govermentâ—…s best temper'd where a few Drams of Fear are blended with the Peeples Love But now to our main Work Touching The Precedence of Kings And particularly of the great TRIUMVIRS OR The Three most Potent KINGS in Europe IN discussing this high Point we will first look Westward For there is a Story tells us That once when there were divers who stood in competition for the Kingdome of Persia it was agreed between them that the next morning they shold all meet in a great Plain and he who did first see the Sun rising and that his Horse did neigh shold be the King Being met on Horse-back at break of day as the rest stood gazing towards the East Darius one of the Competitors look'd always towards the West and at last finding a glance of the Solar Beams his Horse neighed whereat he suddenly turned back and so claim'd the Kingdome So to finde the truth of what is here sought after we will first look Westward towards Great Britain whose King may compare with any other whatsoever for these Reasons First for Antiquity of Predecessors and particularly of Christian Kings Secondly for an Independent absolute and unhomageable Possession and Authority both Spiritual and Temporal Thirdly for Eminence of Royal Dignity State and Titles Fourthly for Martial Exploits and Atchievments abroad Fifthly for a stout and strong sturdy freeborn Peeple with a plentiful Masculine Country and generality of Wealth Sixthly for a Royal long-lind Extraction and Blood Seventhly for Hospitality and a plentiful Kingly Court with number of Officers and stately Attendance Eighthly for diversity of Nations and diffring Maternal Languages As also that no Kings Face shines upon his Coyn in purer Metal Ninthly for Prudential Laws and Constitutions Tenthly for Greatness of Power by Sea and Land Defensive and Offensive With other Prerogatives I say that the King of Great Britain may hereby not onely claim an Equality with the other two but stand fair for a Precedence Now for proof of all the fore-pointed Particulars we will put evry one by it self and treat thereof in several Paragraphs and first Of the Antiquity of the King and particularly of the Christian Kings in Great Britain whereby we take A Jove Principium IT is observed by most Annalists who write of Countries and Nations that the Britains who were the Aborigenes the Primitive Inhabitants and may be said to be
community and free use of the Sea challenging no Dominion at all Ther are divers States in Italy that claim a particular command and propriety in some Seas as the Duke of Tuscany challengeth a Dominion of the Tyrrhene Sea the State of Genoa of the Ligustique Venice claims a right to the Adriatic as symbolically to a Husband for she marries him upon Ascention-day evry yeer the Duke going in procession with great solemnity in the Buantoro to that purpose and throwing a Ring into the water and She hath power to do in that part of the Sea which she calls her Gulph as much as she can do in Venice it self in point of laying Impositions and Gabels and to cause what Mercantile ships she please to unlade their Cargazons at the City of Venice it self God and Nature hath much favoured the King of Denmark with the command of a Neck of Sea I mean the Sound for it is the strongest Sinew of his Crown by the Tolls he receaves of those who pass and repass into the Baltik He commands also at large the Norwegian or Hyperborean Sea But among all if we observe his Title the King of Portugal hath a greater Maritime command then all these which Title runs thus Dom Manuel por Graca de Deos Rey c. Senhor de Guinee da Conquista Navigacaon Comercio d' Etiopia Arabia Persia da India à Todos c. Don Emanuel by the Grace of God King c. Lord of Guiney and of the Conquest Navigation and Commerce of Ethiopia Arabia Persia c. These are the Princes who have most command of Sea but they command only the Strands and Ports or Maritime Tract They cannot be said to command the Sea it self as the King of Great Britain doth for he commands no less then four Seas which are circumfluent about his Territories and the Law says The Sea is of the Ligeance of the King as any other thing He is Protector as well as Lord of them He takes both the Dominion and Defence of them also he scowres and secures them from Pyrats and Praedatory Rovers He makes all ships whether Merchants or Men of War Forreners or Subjects to dash their Colours and strike their Topsayls not onely to his Castles but to any of his ships Royal as they pass and repass Which mark of Dominion the Republic of Venice hath not though she also hath her Gallies always in cours to scowre and secure the Gulph from Cursaries and Robbers which is one of the chief Regalia's St. Mark hath though the Sea she thus commands be scarce 30 Leagues in extent for it is but fourscore Italian Miles Nor doth the King of Great Britains Dominion terminat in his own Seas but as most Civilians hold it extends as far as the shoares of his Transmarin Neighbours and as far North as the Artic Circle which Grotius did once acknowledg and publish to the world though another Caprichio came into his head afterwards in the Panegyrike he sent King Iames at his Inauguration when he says Rerum Natura Creatrix Divisit populos metas ipsa notavit Sic juga Pyrenae sic olim Rhenus Aspes Imperii mensura fuit Te flumine nullo Detinuit nulla nimbosi verticis arce Sedtotum complexa Parens hic terminus ipsa Substitit atque uno voluit sub limite claudi Te sibi seposuit supremo in gurgite Nereus Finis hic est qui fine caret Quae meta Britannis Littora sunt aliis Regnique accessio tanti est Quod ventis velisque patet We will put a period to this Paragraph with a Request to the Reader That having well weighed the Power of the King of Great Britain and joyn'd that of the Sea with the Land as also the Reasons of the preceding Paragraph with this to judge whether it be fit that He shold go or come in the Arriere to any King whatsoever We will now to the third Paragraph Touching the Eminence and Royal Dignity the State Grandeur and Titles of the King of Great Britain Corsetus a known and well-accounted Author divides Kings into Illustres and Super-Illustres He gives the King of England the second place among the Super-Illustres and one of the Reasons are that he is an Anointed King whereas the King of Spain and others are not unless the King of Spain may claim it as he entitles himself King of Ierusalem and Sicily for besides the Kings of England and France they two are onely capable of being Anointed The King of England hath a Gift also to cure the Strumatical Disease call'd therefore in England The Kings Evil ab effectu sanationis whereas in French 't is call'd Les Ecrouelles and Los Lamperones in Spanish c. Some have written that the King of England hath a Vertu to cure this Disease as he is King of France but that 's a vulgar Error for King Edward the Confessor was us'd to heal that way which was 300 years before Platina makes the King of England Filium Adoptivum Ecclesiae the Emperour Filium Primogenitum and the French King Filium natu minorem One the Adopted Son the other the First-born the third the Cadet or younger Son Volaterranus is related by Philippus Honorius in a well-known Work of his call'd Praxis Politicae prudentiae anno 1610. that Iulius 2. gave the Precedence to the English Ambassador before him of Spain Hen. 2. was King of Ierusalem and Edward 3. was made Perpetuus Vicarius Imperâ—…i which is no mean Title The Spanish Ambassador never questioned the Precedence of the English Ambassador till in the Council of Basile and touching the Contest twixt them in the Council of Constance ther was at Lovain Anno 1517. a Book entituled Nobilissima disputatio super dignitate magnitudine Regnorum Britannici Gallici habita ab utriusque Oratoribus in Concilio Constantiensi where you see he puts Britains King before the French in the very Frontispice and the chiefest Reasons asserted therein are found in this Discours Hen. 6. employed Thomas Polden Bishop of Chichester with others in quality of Ambassadors to the Council held at Siena to claim his session otherwise he would protest and poursue the Protestation In the Raign of Hen. 6. ther was a Public Instrument put forth by Ericus King of Sweden and Denmark wherein he puts England before France which Instrument â—…uns thus Caveant omninò Mercatores alii quicunque homines subditi Reg. Angliae Franciae ne de caetero sub poena amissionis vitae Bonorum visitare praesumant Terras Islandiae Finmarchiae Halghalandiae seu alias quascunque Terras prohibitas aut Portus illegales in Regnis Daniae Sueciae Norwegiae An authentic Copy of this Instrument was brought by the Danish Ambassador to Breme 1562. and shew'd to the English Delegates there at that time from Queen Elizabeth about the great business of the Hans Towns In the Capitulations of Peace twixt Hen. 7.
of England and Iohn 2. of Denmark and Norway 1490. England is put before France as for example Sancitum est quod Mercatores Homines Ligii Piscatores quicunque alii Reg. Angliae Franciae subditi liberè possint temporibus futuris in perpetuum ad Insulam Tyle i. e. Islandiam c. Augustus de Cavallis who is no obscure Author infers the Queen of England from her Ancestors both in respect of Inheritance Conquest and Gift to be Queen of France de Iure In the Treaty twixt Hen. the 7. and Philip of Castile 1506. the English Commissioners subsign'd first As also in the Treaty of Marriage with Queen Mary Anno 1533. the first Signature is given to the English Ambassadors When Queen Elizabeth employed the Earl of Derby the Lord Cobham Sir Iames Crofts Doctor Dale and Doctor Rogers in quality of Ambassadors with their Assistants to Ostend anno 1588. Dignitatis Praerogativa incedendo sedendo The Prerogative of going and sitting was given her Ambassadors In the Treaty at Bullen twixt England and Spain for renewing the Burgundian League Queen Elizabeth sent Sir Hen. Nevil Sir Iohn Herbert Robert Beale and Tho. Edmunds who in their Instructions had command in no case to give Precedence to the Spanish Ambassadors but being met ther was a Contest happend The English produc'd a Certificat procur'd privatly from Rome out of the Book of Ceremonies there which according to the Canon giveth the Rule in such cases That the King of England is to have place before the King of Castile That the English quietly held this Right in the Councils of Basil Constance and others They alledg'd also that the Kingdom of Castile which is the Spaniards first Title is but an upstart-in regard of England for it had no Kings but Earls till the year 1017. Moreover Pope Iulius 3. gave sentence for Hen. 7. of England against Ferdinand of Spain in this particular c. Furthermore for Eminency of Title Great Britain is oftentimes calld an Empire by Forren Authors nay Pope Urban terms it a World of it self at the Council of Clermont almost a thousand years since wherin the Archbishop of Canterbury is call'd Alteterius Orbis Papa The Pope of another World What wold he say now that Ireland and Scotland are added Some of the Saxon Kings stil'd themselfs Emperours as Ego Ethelredus Ego Edgarus Anglorum Induperator c. William the Conqueror writ Ego Willielmus Rex Anglorum ab incarnatione Domini 1089. 2 Anno mei Imperii This is found upon record in his Charter to the Monastery of Shaftsbury In Hen. 8. Raign the eighth year thereof England was declar'd an Empire in Parlement where he had also these Epithets Metuendissimus Praepotentissimus and London was call'd the Imperial Chamber But most memorable is that of King Edgar in the Charter that he gave the Church of Worcester Which Charter is yet extant and runs thus Altitonantis Dei largifluâ clementiâ qui est Rex Regum Ego Edgarus Anglorum Basileus omniumque Regum Insularum Oceanique Britanniam circumjacentis cunctarúmque Nationum quae infra Eam includuntur Imperator Dominus Gratias ago ipsi Deo omnipotenti Regi meo qui meum Imperium sic ampliavit exaltavit super Regnum Patrum meorum Qui licet Monarchiam totius Angliae adepti sunt à tempore Athelstani qui primus Regnum Anglorum omnes Nationes quae Britanniam incolunt sibi Armis subegit nullus tamen Illorum ultra ejus fines Imperium suum dilatare aggressus est Mihi autem concessit propitia Divinitas cum Anglorum Imperio omnia Regna Insularum Oceani cum suis ferocissimis Regibus usque Norwegiam Maximamque Partem Hiberniae cum sua nobilissima Civitate Dublinia Anglorum Regno subjugare Quos etiam omnes meis Imperiis colla subdere Dei favente gratia Coegi Quapropter ut Ego Christi Gloriam laudem in Regno meo exaltare ejus servitutem amplificare devotus disposui per meos Fideles Fautores Dunstanum Archiepiscopum Ayeliolanum ac Oswaldum Archiepiscopos quos mihi Patres Spirituales Consiliarios elegi magna ex parte disposui c. Facta haec sunt anno Dom. 964. Indictione 8 Regni Ego Alfrye Regina consensi signo Crucis confirmavi ✚ This being so ancient a Record and of so high a Tenure I thought good to render it into English for the satisfaction of the Common Reader By the clemency of the high-thundring God who is King of Kings I Edgar King of the English and of all Kings of Ilands and of the Ocean circumjacent to Britain and of all Nations which are included within her Emperour and Lord I give thanks only to Almighty God my King that he hath amplified and exalted my Empire above the Kingdome of my Fathers who although they had obtain'd the Monarchy of all England from the time of Athelstan who was the first that subdued the Kingdom of the English and all Nations who inhabit Britain yet none of them attempted to dilate his Empire beyond its bounds But propitious Divinity hath granted unto me to subjugat together with the Empire of the English all the Kingdomes in the Iles of the Ocean with their most ferocious Kings as far as Norway and most part of Ireland with her most Noble City of Dublin All whom I compell'd to bow their Necks to my Commands the Grace of God so favouring me c. This King Edgar though very little of stature was so magnanimous and successful that he was Row'd upon the River of Dee by four subjugated Kings whereof Kennad King of Scots was one Ther is also a very remarkable and authentic story of King Canutus afterwards who being upon Southampton-Strand at the flowing of the Sea he sate in a Chair of State which was brought him upon the sands and the Billows tossing and tumbling towards him he gave the Sea this command Thou art my Subject and the Earth wheron I sit is mine and ther was none yet that ever resisted my Command who went unpunish'd Therefore I command Thee that Thou come not up upon my Earth nor presume to wet the Garment or the Body of thy Lord. But the Sea continuing his cours dash'd and wetted his feet and thighs illfavouredly without any reverence or fear whereupon the King stepping back declar'd That none is worthy of the Name of a King but only He whose Nod both Sea and Earth observd And as the story hath it he never wore the Crown of Gold again but being fix'd to a Cross did consecrat it to the Image of our Saviour Ther have been also Titles of Dignity given to our Kings in the Abstract which hath more of State and Substance in it then the Concret as Celsitudo Tua Magnitudo Tua given by the Pope in his Letters to Ed. 2. And Edward the 4. was us'd to write Nostra Regia Majestas though indeed that word
Christ. Catholicae Ecclesiae Episcopus ss Then his Seal or Signet engraven within Sanctus Petrus †Sanctus Paulus and this Motto about Ad Dominum cùm tribularer clamavi Exaudivit Me. Then the subscription of 27 Cardinals on both sides of the Signet the Cardinal Bishops on the right-hand of the Signet and close to it then on their right-hand the Priests-Cardinals and on the left side of the Signet as it is accustomed in all Bulls and other Public Instruments the Deacon-Cardinals have their place and precedence King Henry's Book against Luther was presented to the Pope in full Consistory by Sir Iohn Clerk then Ambassador at Rome for the King with a long solemn Oration the Original of which Book is yet to be seen in the Vatican at Rome with this Inscription written with King Henries own hand Anglorum Rex Henricus Leoni XÌ„ mittit Hoc Opus Fidei testem Amicitiae Henry King of the English sends this Work to Leo the Tenth as a Witness both of Faith and Friendship And as the Kings of England themselfs have such super-eminent Titles so their First-born Sons have a Title not inferior to any Royal Heir apparent in Christendome which is Prince of Wales and this Title is many years more ancient then that of Dauphin in France Moreover whereas other Kings Sons come so naked to the world that they have not of their own wherewith to buy them Clouts or pay their Nurses but what they have from their Parents The First-born of the King of England ipsissimo instante the very same instant that he is born is Duke of Cornwal and is presuppos'd by the Law to have Livâ—…ry and Seisin then given him of the said Duchy with all the Lands Rents and Honors therunto annex'd T is tru that the conferring of the Title of Prince of Wales depends meerly upon the Kings Plesure which was done out of a Political consideration to keep the Kings first Sons still in awe and within the bounds of a greater Obedience Nor is there any Queen also lives in a greater State and Dignity or hath more Prerogatives and greater Joyntures then the Queen of England For though Aliens at first and still under Couvert Baron yet they may pourchase Lands by Fee-simple They may make Leases and Grants without the King They also must be petitiond unto first before any can implead them in point of right We will proceed now to the fourth Paragraph Touching the Martial Exploits and Achievments which the Kings of Great Britain have performed from time to time c. TO proceed in this Paragraph we must make Retrosvects a far off we will begin with Brennus that bold Britain who in the Government of Consuls took and sack'd Rome 364 yeers before Christ and did notable feats afterwards in Greece and Asia insomuch that the Welch in honour of that Heroe their Country-man call a King from his Name Brenin to this day Cataracus overthrew a mighty Army of the Romanes and Boadicia slew 70 thousand of them in one Battel as their own stories declare King Arthur is rank'd among the Nine Worthies for he discomfited the Saxons in twelve several Battails and erected the first Order of Knighthood There was one English King and three Kings Sons went to the Wars of the Holy Land What Exploits did Richard coeur de Lion perform there so much to the envy of the King of France who therfore returnd before him He conquerd the Iland of Cyprus where Marrying Berengaria he transferrd the Kingdome to Guy Lusignan who had right to the Crown of Ierusalem which in exchange he resignd to King Richard But the French are they whom the English did so often rout subdue and subjugat with the Grey-goose Wing wherwith they did so often penetrat the very heart of France in so many glorious Victories that can be hardly paralleld take all circumstances We will instance in some of the most famous and begin with that of Cressy the first great Battel The Battail of Crâ—…ssy in France That Heroyk King Edward the third having been provoked by divers Affronts that Philip of Valois the French King had offeâ—…'d him goes over in person to France with an Army of 80000 men at Arms and 10000 Archers as Froissard hath it He takes with him his Son the Prince of Wales and Duke of Guyenne being but 15 years of Age calld afterwards the Black Prince to train him up in feats of Arms. Landing in Normandy he carries all the Country before him as far as Poissy within ten miles of Paris and after divers Skirmiges a Battail was appointed King Edward had incamp'd neer a Village calld Cressy where he divided his Army to three Battalions the first was led by the Prince of Wales the second by the Earls of Arundel and Northampton in the third was the King himself The Battail thus orderd being mounted upon a White Hobby he rides from Rank to Rank encouraging evry man to the performance of his duty and to have a regard to the Honor of his King and Country The French Kings Army was at least twice the number consisting of above 60000 Combatants with all the flower of the French Chivalry whereof the chief were the Duke of Alanson the Kings Brother the King of Bohemia the Duke of Lorrain the Earl of Flanders and Savoy with other great Princes The Vangard was led by the Kings Brother the Reer by the Earl of Savoy the main Battail by the King himself The French King was so fierce in assurance of Victory that he wold scarce admit of any counsel The old King of Boheme advis'd that the Army shold receive some refreshment before and that the Infantry of Genowais whereof ther were 15000 Crossbows shold make the first Front and the Cavalry to follow which being agreed on the Duke of Alanson did stomack that the Genowais shold have the honor of the first Rank so in a kind of fury he caus'd them to change place which bred such a discontent that they were more incensd against their Leader then against the Enemy but in the interim ther fell such a showre of Rain that wetted their Bowstrings which they had not the wit to cover all the while as the English did that for the limmerness therof when they came to action they grew useless At the ceasing of the showre the Sun did shine full in the face of the French therby dazzling their eyes but on the back of the English King Edward being got into a Windmil all the while whence as from a Sentinel he might explore and behold the face of the Enemy and discovering the disturbance that was made because the Genowais were put to change their place instantly gave order to charge that part which made the discontented Genoway to recoyl Alenson perceiving this rides on in a rage crying out Sa sa on on let 's make way ore the Bellies of these Genowais for they do but hinder us So riding through them he came
and cleer Waters London may be said to have as good Blood running through her Veins as any other by those Aqueducts Conduits and conveyances of fresh Waters round about to serve for all Uses What an Herculean work was that of Sir Hugh Middletons to bring the River of Ware threescore miles by Compasses to run through her streets and refresh her houses as also to preserve them from firing for which ther are divers ingenious useful Engines besides Concerning Universality of Trade ther is no City upon the surface of the earth goes beyond Her For ther are no Seas that any of the two and thirty winds blow upon from the Artik to the Antartik Pole from the Orient to the setting Sun but London by her Navigations findes them out and makes rich returns by way of Barter or Emption Touching solid and useful Wares that she hath of her own what a substantial Commodity and of what high esteem all the world over is her Cloth her Kersies and divers kinds of Woollen Manufactures Adde herunto her Lead and Tin which she transmutes to Forren Gold and Silver For Healthful Corporal Recreations and harmless Pastimes London may go in the Van to any place that ever I saw Go and walk in her Fields you shall see some shooting at long Marks some at short some bowling upon cheerful pleasant Greens some upon Bares and Alleys some wrastling some throwing the Bar some the Stone some Jumping some Running some with their Dogs in Duck-ponds some at a Bear-baiting some at the Bull some Riding upon Naggs some in Coaches to take the fresh Air some at Stool-ball others at Kittle-pins with variety of other For a stately Cathedral Temple and general Dome of Devotion the time was and I hope will be yet within a few years that London did not yeild to any City in this particular Saint Pauls Church being esteemd by all Nations to be one of the eminentst visiblest Temples one of the most glorious piles of stones that ever was reard taking all the Dimensions together with the conspicuous site thereof being about the centre of the City and upon a rising Ground She hath also this singular property to be founded upon Faith by having a large Parish-Church of that name supporting her and directly under her Chancel Touching a rare huge Bridge and Navigable River London is not inferiour to any other City whatsoever Concerning the first what a rich Rent hath it to preserve it self yearly what a vast Magazin of Corn is ther always in the Bridge-house against a Dearth as well as in many other places What a number of Officers look to the reparations therof and are hansomly maintaind therby Touching the second viz. The River of Thames she hath not her peer if regard be had to the length and straightness of her cours running from West to East without so many Meanders as other Rivers have Her convenient distance from the Sea to prevent all Surprisals The Amoenity of the Soyle on both Banks The wholsomness of her water which makes the best Beer in the world being so much transported by other Nations and sold as dear as Wine The diversity of her Fish the fatness of her Mudd c. For number of Humane Souls in City and Suburbs London is nothing inferior to Paris whose last Cense as is said before came to about a Million But in the year 1636. command being sent to the Lord Mayor to make a scrutiny what number of strangers were in the City he took occasion therby to make a general Cense And ther were of Men Women and Children neer upon seven hundred thousand that livd within the Bars of his Jurisdiction And this being 27 years ago t is thought that London hath since more by the third part in all probable conjecture Now for Westminster the Strand Bedford Berry St. Martins-lane Long-acre Drury-lane St. Giles of the Field High Holborn with divers other thick-peepled places which are so contiguous and make one entire peece with London it self I say take all these Buildings together the forenamed number of Seven hundred thousand may well be thought to be double so many Touching the shape of London I find nothing to assimilat it unto more properly then to a Lawrel Leaf that is far more long then t is broad which may be a cause she doth not appeer so populous as Paris her passengers not encountring so often as they wold if she were of a round Figure Touching her length take all Buildings that are adjoyning one to another from the utmost point of Westminster to the utmost point beyond the Tower she may be well thought to be five Miles long about half so much in latitude and in Circuit about twelve Italian miles To conclude touching the Defensive and Offensive Power of the City of London in point of Arms of all sorts of Artillery Ammunition Arsenals and Docks on both sides the River Her Traind Citizens and expert Firelocks neither France or Spain hath her equal It is recorded that in King Stephens Raign the City of London raisd 60000 Foot and 20000 Horse how many more were she able to do now in case of necessity For to compare her in statu quo nunc to what she was then were to compare a Giant to a Dwarf in point of proportion and strength The Record hath it also that Anno 1293. London was able to put out a Fleet of 95 Ships to scowre and secure the Seas from Depredations and Pyrates c. which she was often usd to do Such an Imperial Chamber such such a potent and well appointed City hath the King of Great Britain always at his command And if some of the Roman Emperours about Fifteen hundred years ago in their Diplomata's or Edicts stild her Augusta which was always a name of Magnificence and State how much more may she deserve that name in the condition she now is arrivd unto Thus have we discoursd though in weak imperfect Expressions of the Power and Military Might of the King of Great Britain not including all this while his two Kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland which being cast into the Balance may make his Power so much more Touching his Maritime Power t is spoken of in another Paragraph going before wherunto we will add that the King of Great Britain hath such a Haven that neither France or Spain or indeed any part of the world can parallel which is Milford Haven wherof the most famous ancient Authors not only Latin but Greek make most honourable mention calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thousand foorded Haven One other passage we will adde which is but fresh that besides the reducing of the Hollander the very last year a few of the King of Great Britains Frigats did beat those desperat Pyrats of Barbary into a Peace wheras neither France or the Dutch could do it And this year those few English that are in Tanger did also force Guyland the great Morocco Rebel to Articles
we think that Right to appertain still to the Crown of England notwithstanding that the Territories and Dominions of the Kingdome of Spain be propagated and amplified which in the right estimation of things prevails not or ought to prevail twixt Christian Princes touching this question For then other Kings and Princes would assume a right of Precedence above others to whom now they grant it ever and anon if their Dominions increase Moreover touching this present controversie about Precedence ther is another thing which doth not unworthily offer it self to be examined by your Judgements which is That one of Us which the most serene Queen our Mistress hath chosen her Ambassador to conclude this Treaty of Peace is one who daily resides in that quality in the Court of the most Christian King which Dignity with all Prerogatives he retains as long as he sojourns in France But the first of you although he be Ambassador to the Catholick King with the most serene Archduke and being out of the Dominions therof he puts off that quality and dignity We think also that our Ambassador in whom this Dignity is multiplyed and shines more ought by right to be preferred before any that is appointed by a single and bare title onely for this great Treaty Therfore if you please let this Question be pretermitted with deep silence and let this Prerogative remain and dwell in the most serene Queen our Mistress to whom it justly belongs and appertains so we shall more cheerfully apyly our selfs to the business for which we are come All this we desire may be candidly and frendly accepted according to the prudence and moderation of your illustrious and magnificent Lordships as proceeding from the Observances and Religion of our Office not with any dessein to consume time or raise contentions Bullen 26 Maii 1600. Henry Nevil Iohn Harbert c. The Spanish Ambassadors made an answer herunto which we reserve for the third Section wherin the Arguments of Spain for Precedence are set down wherof one of the strongest he urgeth is the Multiplication and encrease of Dominions which according to Besoldus and Cassaneus with other great Civilian Jurists is no Argument at all in regard it doth not hold among ordinary Nobility As for example He of Arundel is first Earl in England He of Angus in Scotland And He of Kildare in Ireland by the Laws of Heraldry and Hereditary Right Put case that some other of their fellow Earls in either Kingdome shold grow richer and have more Mannors Possessions and Lordships yet they will not offer to take place or precedence so the Argument may hold A minori ad majus For if it be so among Noble-men much more shold this Rule have validity among Souvrain Princes I will go on with a passage that happend in Paris a little above twenty years since Hugo Grotius residing at Paris in quality of Ambassador for the Crown of Sweden attempted to make his Coaches go before those of the Earl of Leicester pretending a right of Precedence because the King of Sweden whom he represented was King of the ancient Goths and Vandals c. which was under favor but a feeble Argument For ther were Kings of Great Britain thousands of years before the Goths or Vandals were scarce known to the Christian world nor do any stories make mention of them until a little after the declinings of the Roman Empire about the year 350 from the Incarnation nor came they to be Christians till a long time after And it is the Position of Grotius himself in his Book de Iure Belli Inter Reges quâ—… primo Christianismum professi sunt praecedunt Who first professd Christianity ought to precede Moreover the King of Denmark entitles himself King of the Goths and Vandals as well But my Lord of Leicester carried himself so like himself that our Swedish Ambassador was put behind with a Disgrace somewhat answerable to his Presumption and to the explosion of the Spectators Now Let the prudent and unpassionat Reader weigh with leasure the foregoing Particulars and reserve his Judgement till he hath run through the Reasons and Arguments of the other two Kings in order to a Precedency T is time now to cross over to France and produce the Arguments of that King faithfully extracted out of the most receavd and celebrated Authors who assert his Right to sit next the Emperour upon all occasions As Cassanaeus Ferhaut Besoldus Carolus de Grasseliis Hierome Bignon Pierre Matthieu c. And let this be a close to the First Section The second Section Consisting of the Reasons wherby the French King pretends and claims Priority of Place and Proximity of Session next the Emperour at all Solemn Meetings and in all publik Transactions of State c. Which Reasons In regard they lie confusd and scatterd in other Authors we will reduce to Ten Heads or Arguments wherof the first shall be drawn 1. A Nobilitate Regni from the Nobleness of the Kingdome 2. The second A Nobilitate Regionis from the Nobleness of the Country 3. The third A Noblitate Regiminis from the Nobleness of the Government 4. The fourth A Religione Nobilitate Ecclesiae from Religion and the Nobleness of the Church 5. The fifth A Nobilitate Gentis multitudine Subditorum from the Nobleness of the Nation and multitude of Subjects 6. The sixth A plenitudine Regiae Potestatis from the absolutness of Regal Authority 7. The seventh A Potentia ipsius Regni from the Power of the Kingdome it self 8. The eighth Ab opulentia ipsius Regni from the Riches thereof 9. The ninth A Fortitudine Rebus in Bello gestis from Valour and Exploits done in the War 10. The tenth and last Argument shall be drawn ab Exemplo Antiquitate from Examples and Antiquities Of the first Argument A Nobilitate Regni from the Nobleness of the Kingdome THer is a speech drawing neer to the nature of a Proverb Great Britain for an Iland France for a Kingdome Milan for a Duchy and Flanders for a County or Earldome are preferrable before all other They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their kind this shews the supereminence of the Kingdome of France Ther is also a signal saying of the Emperour Maximilian the first who being in some Critical Discourses with his Lords about the Dominions of Europe broke out into this high Encomium of France That if it could stand with the Order of Nature and the Plesure of the Almighty that any mortal Man were capable to be a God of the Elementary world and that I were He I would so make my last Will and Testament in the disposing of my Estate That my eldest Son shold be God after me but my second shold be King of France This saying or excess of speech must be interpreted with a sane sense for the Emperour meant nothing els hereby but to intimate his opinion touching that potent and noble Kingdom which Kingdom hath continued an Heredetary
Barrels and t is worth the observation what a world of variety of Wines grow up and down for one can scarce go twenty miles but ther is still a differing sort of Grape In some places in Burgundy and Champagne ther are Wine-vessels as big as some houses in height not inferior to those vast Vessels of Heidelberg Tubinga and Groninghen as the ingenious Lansius hath it Touching Hemp and Flax the third Staple Commodity of France what mighty rich Procedes come thereof For though it be a despicable Vegetal in sight and unsavory in the handling yet it is of such virtue that it can remove Rome to Hercules Pillars Egypt to Italy the East and West Indies into England a Vegetal that can controul Eolus and overmaster Neptune himself I mean the impetuous Whirlwinds of the one and the tumbling Waves of the other Now where doth this most useful Commodity grow more plentiful then in France Nor doth she hereby furnish her Neighbors far and neer only with Sayls for their ships but with shirts for their backs sheets for their beds and napery for their tables Touching the last great Staple Commodity of France which is Salt t is so savoury in the Kings Coffers that he draws twenty Millions of Livres evry year from the Gabel of it besides that incredible proportion which is spent in France it self what Millions of Mesures are laden out for other Countries Spain also hath this Commodity to a superfluity but her Salt is more corroding and acrimonious then the French Therfore when the Emperour Charles the fifth as Lansius relates had put out a Placart prohibiting that no French Salt shold be brought into the Netherlands the Country was like to mutiny for that tart Proclamation because the Spanish Salt which was permitted only to be imported was not so sweet and vigorous as the French specially as that of Rochel wherwith if Flesh be salted and a Ship victualld with it to the furthest part of the East-Indies it will eat as sweet at the return of the Ship as it did at first as t is found by the frequent experience of our Navigators Concerning the Air and Clime of France it is the most cheerful and temperat of any other under the Canopy of Heven which makes the inhabitants therof so spritful and debonnaire T is rare to find a French-Woman melancholy which was the ground of the Proverb To make a compleat Wife let her be English to the Neck From the Navil to the Knee Dutch From the Knee downward Spanish But from the Neck to the Navil French which relates to the Heart and to the merry disposition therof Nor are the French-women spriteful and merry most of any but they are also wise and judicious for Cassanaeus relates in his Catalogo Gloriae Mundi that in the famous old League which was struck twixt Hannibal and the Gaules it was capitulated that if any Gaule was wrongd by a Carthaginian a Carthaginian Magistrat shold be his Judge but if any Carthaginian shold be wrong'd by a Gaule Gallic Women shold be Judges therof I will conclude this Argument with the quaint Verses of Baptista Mantuanus an Italian Ignea Mens Gallis Lactea corpora nomen A candore datum populis Muliebra tingit Ora color Tyrius Paphium meditata colorem Ex geminis fecit Natura coloribus unum Laeti alacres lusu choreis carmine gaudent In Venerem proni proni in Convivia proni Ante Dapes adsacra Deum servire jâ—…gumque Ferre negant fugiunt figmenta hypocrisin Ore Liberi ingenuus mos est Tetricosque perosi c. The third Argument A Nobilitate Regiminis from the Nobleness of Goverment THe form of Goverment in the Kingdome of France is partly Civil partly Polemical It is a mixt Goverment between Peace and War composd of Military Discipline as well as of Civil Justice in regard that France having so many open Frontires and powerful Neighbours by Land they cannot as other Countries joyn Peace and Security together Touching their Martial Goverment t is very exact ther are divers Regiments of Horse and Foot in perpetual pay being inrolld and always ready for any occasion of Service Moreover in all the Provinces and places of strength ther are Governors and Garisons dispersd up and down which is very advantagious for the preferment of the Gentry Now the Governors are so cautiously disposd of by the King that not any of them hath means to betray or deliver up a Province into the Enemies hands the commands therof being so divided For though the Governor commands the Country in general and commonly the chief Town yet ther is a Lieutenant that holds also by Patent immediatly from the King and not from the Governor and betwixt these two ther are some emulations and umbrages ever and anon Then most part of their Towns Castles and Fortresses have particular Governors not subordinat to the Governor of the Province but deriving their power expresly from the King so that in many places the Town hath one Governor and the Castle another Indeed the Country of Provence only was usd to have a Privilege that Her Governor held it without a Lieutenant The Noblesse or Gentry in France are the sole body which participat in some fort with the Prerogatives of the Crown for from it they receave Privileges above other men and a kind of limited Regality upon their Tenants besides real Supplies to their Estates by divers Employments Pensions and exemption from Tallies upon their own Demeans and Lands as long as they manure them by their own servants but what Lands they let out to Tenants is presently Talliable which causeth proportionable abatements in the Rent and in compensation for this They onely owe the King the service of the Ban and Arriereban which is to serve him or his General three months within the Land at their own cost Now as in time of War the Noblesse undergo most part of the danger so is their power then more peremptory above the rest of their fellow-subjects wheras in time of Peace the King is ready to countenance inferiour persons against them and is contented to see them wast one another by contention in Law or otherwise for fear they grow too rich Because it is a principle of State in France That as the Noblesse use to do him the best service so They only misapplyed can do him most harm Now the ancient French Gentry was much diminished in the Croisades or Wars of the Holy Land because that to enable them for the service divers of them did hipotheque or morgage their Fiefs and Lands to the Church which are not redeemd to this day Insomuch that it is thought by sundry Computations which have bin made that the Gallican Church possesseth the third part of the fattest Fiefs in France Now upon the foresaid diminution the French Gentry have been repaird and made up since from time to time of Advocats Financiers and Merchants wherof a
first after the person of the Emperour who hath still preference given him before all secular Princes whatsoever Now the Question was never Sur le tapis was never controverted about Priority twixt France and Spain till the house of Austria started up to that enormous greatness And although before Charles the fifth ther were Six Emperours of that House and that the quality of Emperour gives precedence to any who legally possesseth the title be he of what Family soever yet that Prerogative is not given to any of their posterity being not calld to the Empire In regard in Electif States the Election adhering only to the person of the Elected gives the Eminence only to his person excluding all other yea his own Sons unless they be formally elected although in Successif hereditary patrimonial Estates t is otherwise Insomuch that the house of Austria hath no more right to the Empire then the house of Saxe Luxemburg or Brandenburg with other Families who were Caesars before them Another House which much strengthend that of Austria was that of Burgundy which yet was feudetary to France as also the Counties of Flanders and Artois though the rest of the seventeen Provinces which came to Spain by this alliance with Burgundy are Fiefs of the Empire The other Houses who did aggrandize Charles the fifth were Castile and Aragon Castile came to be a Kingdome but after the yeer 1000. And the Kings of England took always precedence of them Arragon was but a small State feodary to the Church of Rome until the Kingdome of Naples which is also a Fief of the Church was annexd unto it Hereunto as Fortune wold have it were added the West-Indies discoverd first by an Italian and offerd to the King of England Then by alliance with Portugal the East-Indies came also to the Crown of Castile This increase of Countries raisd the Spirits of the Spaniard to claim Precedence of France and England two of the most ancient Christian Kings And to go more methodically to work we will divide the State of the house of Austria to three times First to that which preceded the year 1519. when Charles was establishd in the Empire The second during his Raign until he retird to a Claustral Life Anno 1555 The third to his Progeny since Touching the first t is certain that notwithstanding the promotion of this Family to the Empire yet it continued still homageable to the Empire For Philip the Father of Charles the Emperour rendred solemn homage to the Chancellor du Rochefort and Charles after him for the Counties of Flanders and Artois Anno 1507. so that the said Charles being born in Gant was born a Vassal to the King of France That in the Interview of Lewis the twelfth and Ferdinand of Aragon Anno 1507. at Savona although King Lewis usd great civilities to Ferdinand coming to visit him upon his own Territories and so gave him Precedence yet the world knows that it was but by way of Complement But before Charles mounted the Empire this Dispute of Precedence never entred into the Spirit of Spain In the year 1519. Charles was created Emperour which Anno 1555. he resignd to his Brother Ferdinand and at the same time he made a voluntary and absolut Cession of all the rest of his Dominions to his Son Philip the second except the Archduchy of Austria and the dependences therof in Germany Philip though he succeeded in the Empire to which the Precedence only belongs yet he endevourd to keep it still under pretext that he succeeded the Emperour his Father in all his large her hereditary Dominions who always took place in all Assemblies Enterviews and Tretises specially in the great Council of Trent though it was confusedly because two qualities were in him of Emperour and King which could not be distinguished or separated But in the yeer 1555. when meditating upon a retirement he resignd the Empire to his Brother and all his Kingdomes to his Son Philip perceaving that his Son could not take precedence of the King of France because he was not Emperour He made use of another artifice for conserving this pre-eminence for his Son as well as for his Brother Before his retirement he revokd Don Francisco de Vargas his Ambassador in Venice who had always taken precedence of the French Ambassador without scruple Now after his resignation of the Empire he sends again the said Vargas to Venice as his and also his Sons Ambassador joyntly though indeed he was but Ambassador only to the King of Spain But he thought to over-reach the Venetian because he employd still the same man qualified in apparance as formerly Vargas demanded of the Senat the same precedence as formerly which the Bishop of Lodeve Ambassador at the same time to Hen. 2. of France opposd remonstrating to the Senat that Charles was no more considerable to the world being a reclusd person And if the Ambassador of Ferdinand to whom he had transferrd the Empire were present he wold yeild place unto Him but he wold not come after the Ambassador of King Philip. The Senat apprehending some ill issue from this Dispute orderd that neither of the Ambassadors shold be present at the Feast of St. Mark and so the business remaind at a stand by the irresolution of the Senat and the simplicity of the French Ambassador who at last was contented to give way to the Ordinance of the Republique in favor of Vargas But Anno 1558. Francis de Novailles Bishop of Acs succeeding him of Lodeve renewd the Dispute and the Ambassador of Ferdinand arriving about the same time Novailles demanded of the Senat to be maintaind in his Rights and to have the first place next the Imperial Ambassadors and so took it couragiously before Vargas who observing the cunning of the Emperour Charles who died in this conjuncture of time was discoverd and that he passd for no more then for the Ambassador of King Philip Vargas began to speak high of the Grandeur of his Master and to display the large Dominions and States he lorded over far more in numbee then those of the French King alledging that these Customs of Honor and Antecedences ought to be alterd according to the times That his Master was the greatest King of the world That he was able to assist the Republique with Arms Men and Mony more then the King of the French c. But the Bishop of Acs though much heat intervend obtaind of the Senat a Deerâ—…e wherby the precedence was adjudgd him before the Spanish Ambassador who loudly complaining therof the Senat made answer That the Republik did not trouble her self to examine the greatness of their Majesties but she found within her Registers that in all Acts both publik and privat in all Ceremonies Visits and Audiences the Ambassadors of France preceded those of Spain wherin she wold acquiesce This answer offended King Philip who therupon revokd his Ambassador But Michael Surianus Ambassador for the Republick in
the Spanish Court defended the Decree of the Senat very vigorously and in some mesure appeasd the spirit of King Philip who notwithstanding advancd this question upon all occasions The greatest endevours he usd was four years after in the Council of Trent which was the greatest Theatre of Religion and Honor that had been seen above a hundred years before wherof we shall give an exact Relation as followeth Of the Council of Trent A General Council after the Revolt of Luther Anno 1517. was desird by all Christians and often proposd by Charles the fifth and Francis the first of France to Pope Leo the Tenth Clement the seventh and Paul the third who at last convokd an Oecumenical Free Council to be held at Trent which was also kept at Bolonia some part of the time and ther were ten Sessions made in eighteen months Then it ceasd until the death of Paul the third 1549. The Cardinal Iohn Maria de Monte who had bin first President of the Council under Paul 3. succeeded by the the name of Iulius 3. who presently made an Indiction of the Council again which recommencd at Trent Anno 1550. and lasted also under this Pope above 18 months during which time ther were six Sessions but being summond again by the same Iulius it ceasd under Marcellus 2. who held the Pontificat but 22 days Then it continued under Paul 4. Anno 1559. Pius 4. succeeding him made a new Indiction of the Council again which began 1561. under whom it lasted two years during which time the nine last Sessions were made Insomuch that the whole Council by intermissions lasted about eighteen yeers from the year 1545. to 1563. but the Council sate together in deliberation but five years take all the Adjournments together Now to understand the Right of the Precedences of Ambassadors we must know that in the said Council three kinds of Assemblies were made viz. Congregations General Particular Congregations and Sessions In the particular Congregations the Doctors assisted by some Bishops examined Questions of Faith and Reformation according to the distribution that was made them and in this ther was no consideration had of Precedence or Ceremony They were Actions intra privatos parietes within privat Walls In the General Congregation all the Prelats assembled and the Legats presided who proposed what ought to be treated in the particular Congregations There the Theologians were heard and Ambassadors of Princes had audience after their Commissions had been examined In brief all things were concluded there which were to be promulgated in the following Session and Ambassadors had their places there according to their Rank At last the Session was the solemn day at which after the Mass of the Holy Spirit and a Sermon preachd by some Prelat or great Theologian the Prelat Officiating pronounced aloud the Decrees already resolvd upon which had been approvd by the Fathers by this Canonical word Placet Now all Ambassadors had their seats of honor in those Sessions and at Mass and this Honor appeerd by the places where they sate as also by the Censer and Pax which were given them to kiss during the celebration of the Mass. In the Council held by Paul 3. and Iulius 3. Charles the Fifth was Emperour and without any the least contradiction his Ambassadors preceded all others though the French scarce appeerd there and in the 16 first Sessions ther was hardly any Prelat of France so there was no dispute of any precedence at all the Emperour having the first rank and ther was no occasion at all for any Ambassador from the King of Spain because it was involvd then in the Empire yet ther intervend some things which declard the Prerogatives of the King of France First in the Bull of indicting the Council by Paul 3. the King of France is namd expresly after the Emperour and all other Princes spoken of in general terms without any name in these terms Charissimos in Christa Filios nostros Carolum Romanorum Imperatorem semper Augustum Et Christianissimum Regem Franciscum duo praecipua Christiani Nominis firmamenta atque fulchra or are atque obsecrare instituimus Then a little after Supra autem dictos Imperatorem Regemque Christianissimum nec non caeteros Reges Duces Principes quorum praesentia si alias usquam hoc quidem tempore maxime Sanctissimae Christi Fidei Christianorum omnium futura est salutaris rogantes atque obsecrantes per viscera misericordiae Dei c. We have appointed to desire and pray our most dear Sons in Christ Charles Emperour of the Romans always August and Francis the most Christian King the two chiefest Supporters and Props of Christianity c. So that ther is no other Prince particularly namd in the Bull but the Emperour and the King of France the other Kings and Princes go under one general notion which is a great advantage of Honour to the Kings of France Secondly From the entry of the Council 1545. Francis the first of France had appointed for his Ambassadors Claude d' Urfé Seneshal of the Forests Iacques de Ligneres President of the third Chamber of Enquests and Dean Peter Danes afterwards Bishop of Vaur but being advertisd by some Bishops which were at Trent how ther were but little hopes that the said Council was like to have good success he revokd the said Ambassadors who appeerd not at all in the Council But Anthony Filiolo Archbishop of Aix being there and demanding that in the publik Prayers which were made for all Christian Princes the King of France shold be expresly nominated as he was in the Bull of Indiction the Legats eluded this demand insomuch that the Pope and the Emperour were only namd in the Prayers and all other Princes conceavd in General terms In the yeer 1546. King Francis 1. sent Peter Danes Bishop of Vaur for his Ambassador to the Council where making an eloquent Oration he represented the sad state of Christendome and the disorders which were crept into the Church yea into the Roman Court wherupon one Bishop laughd saying Gallus cantat The Cock crows Danes replied suddenly Utinam illo Gallocinio Petrus ad resipiscentiam fletum excitetur I wold to God that by this crowing of the Cock Peter wold be raisd up to repentance and tears And this saying was afterwards in evry ones mouth In the yeer 1547. Paul 3. in regard of the Plague and Wars then in Germany transferrd the Council from Trent to Bolonia but this he did Communicato etiam Consilio cum Imperatore Christianissimo Rege aliis Regibus ac Principibus Christianis where the King of France is particularly namd In the yeer 1551. when Iulius 3. had re-established the Council again at Trent although Hen. 2. the King of France had entred into a hot War against Pope Iulius for the Affairs of Parma yet he employd Iaques Amyot Abbot of Belosana and afterwards Bishop of Auxerre with a Letter bearing this
Subject who resembleth a Mediator of Love Concerning the word Legat Resoldus tells us in brief that He is one who is sent to deliver the Commands of another but none of these can be calld properly Definitions according to the Rules of Logik but Descriptions They are calld sometimes Orators from Oracion or the fluency of the Toung which is the chiefest tool of an Ambassador They are calld also Nuncii because they come to declare and tell Now Nuncii and Legats are of late Ages they whom the Popa sends whose Ministers of this kind have a mixt employment twixt Spiritual and Secular Legats are of three sorts ther is Legatus Natus Legatus Missus and Legatus à Latere The first hath a perpetual successif Legantine Power as the Archbishop of Canterbury in England is endowed with that Prerogative as a Dignity annexd to the Archbishoprik above 1000 years since therfore ther can no other Legats come to England without the Kings special consent wherupon one of the Articles against Cardinal Wolsey was That he exercised a Legantine Power in England without the Kings privity Then ther is Legatus Missus and he signifieth as much as an ordinary Nuncio Then ther is Legatus à Latere or Apostolical Nuncio who is desumd out of the number of Cardinals only and they are sometimes Gâ—…vernors of Provinces or calld Pro-consuls and they are calld Legati de Latere because they are neerest the side and the greatest Confidents of the Pope We may read in Iustine that Ambassadors by some are calld Lenones Bawds but taken in a chast sense because by smooth and alluring Language they move the affections of the Prince to whom they are sent The Greeks call their Ambassadors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they ought to be of yeers and well salted in the world Ther are also Deputies and Commissaries who have the same Office as Ambassadors but the Civilians make this difference betwixt them that Ambassadors are sent to Equals Deputies to Superiors and Commissaries to Inferiors Ther is also a publik Minister of State calld Agent and he is sent when ther is a suspition that the Ambassador will not be honord as he shold be Therfore the French Kings of late yeers have no Ambassadors in the Emperors Court but Agents because of the Competition for Precedence twixt him and Spain Agents are likewise employd sometimes to save charges or that the Business may be done without noise Ahd of late yeers ther is a new Minister of State invented which is a Resident who is superiour to an Agent and inferiour to an Ambassador Both Agent and Resident have the Security though not the Session and state or such a latitude of power as Ambassadors have Now Agents may dispatch Businesses of as great consequence as Ambassadors though they do it more secretly and with lesse stir Therfore Hottoman saith That the Queen of England and the Princes of Germany had des Agens Secrets in Venice because that in regard of diversity of Religion the Senat wold not seem to make too strict a frendship with them and for these secret Employments Merchants have bin thought to be the fittest Instruments because under the cloak of Trading they may also hide Affairs of State Ther are also Heralds which are a sort of Ambassadors and they are very ancient They are calld Caduceatores whose Office is to denounce War for such was the open honesty of our Ancestors that they would not commence a War until they had sent notice of it in a convenient time beforehand and these had also the security of Ambassadors for the time but they were strictly tied to the very same words that were dictated unto them Their persons also are to be as free from any outrage as Ambassadors are which made the Earl of Essex check his soldiers in Keinton-field when the late King sent Sir William le Neve King of Arms the next morning after the Battail was sought who wold have outragd Him Ther are also other Ministers of State that draw neer to the nature of Ambassadors which are calld Consuls wherof some have Royal Commission though the nature of their Office be to protect and assist the Merchant being practisd in the Custome and Language of the Country in their Law-suits and ther is as much esteem had of these as of Agents Of these England hath more then any and they are allowd very noble allowance as he of Aleppo hath 4000 Dollars yeerly and they of Smyrna and Mosco little less but if ther be an Ambassador in that Dominion where they serve they are subordinat to his commands in divers things We will conclude this Paragraph with this distinction of Ambassadors That some are extraordinary or pro tempore employd upon some particular great Affairs or Condolements or Congratulations or for Overtures of Marriage c. and they use to go with greater lustre and magnificence and may return without sending for leave unless ther be a restraining clause in their Commission The other are Ordinary or Lidger Ambassadors commanded to reside in the place until they receave Letters of Revocation and as their time of return is indefinit so their business is incertain arising out of emergent occasions and commonly the protection and affairs of the Merchants is their greatest care But Albericus Gentilis with all the great Civilians alledge that these kinde of Ambassadors were not known but of late yeers and Paschalius calls them no better then Emissaries Explorators or Spyes which made Hen. 7. of England as he saith admit of none The second Paragraph Of the absolut and indispensable necessity of Ambassadors and that Mankind cannot subsist without them IF it were not for Ambassadors Wars wold be endless and Enmities everlasting Ther wold be no knowledg no frendship among Princes nor commerce among Nations Brunus says That among all Functions all Offices and Employments of a Commonwealth ther is none more necessary more difficult more honorable and that requires greater discretion sagacity and caution then that of an Ambassador but as it is accompanied with honor and profit so it is with danger and hazard Ambassadors are the emissititious Eyes of a Prince they are his ears and hands they are his very understanding and reason they are his breath and voice in contemplation wherof the Poet sings that an Ambassador is Vox Regum lingua salutis Foederis Orator pacis via Terminus irae Semen Amicitiae Belli fuga litibus hostis It is observd in all stories and confirmd by multitude of examples that the Interview and encounter of Kings hath bin rather a disadvantage then an advance to any great business specially in treating of Capitulations of Peace Therfore in the Politiks t is a Principle that in Colloquies for Pacification Princes shold not appeer in person but be represented by their Ambassadors and Commissaries A Journey to be performd by Kings requires much trouble and charges much ado ther is in fitting their train that they may
appeer in a fitting equippage all which consumes time as also what high ceremonies are to be usd in so solemn an action Philip Comines who always dismisseth his Readers wiser then they came gives special Cautions for this Affirming that the congress of Souverain Princes in regard of the various circumstances that attend it is a meer folly it is exposd to emulation jelousies and envy as also to delays and retarding of things by needless solemnities He makes an instance in the personal Encounter which the Kings of England and France had where it is observable that he puts England before France adding further that Lewis the eleventh though a politik wise King was much afraid before-hand that some word might slip from him which might give offence or some advantage to the King of England or his Ministers Herunto he adds an infortunat Journey that the King of Portugal made to the said King Lewis for assistance against the Castilians which perhaps he might have procurd by a discreet Ambassador which makes him give a caution touching this point Bien tard â—…n Prince se doit mettre soubs la main d'un autre ni aller cercher son secours en personne A Prince shold hardly put himself under the hands of another or go seek aid of him in person Paulus Emilius also describing the personal meeting that was between King Richard of England and Philip Augustus of France who also in the relation puts him of England before France saith that their often Conversation and Colloquies did much retard and disadvantage the great business of an Expedition to the Holy Land We will adde herunto the memorable example twixt Matthias King of Hungary and Uladislaus King of Bohemia who after a long War were to meet for concluding a peace in Olmutts in Moravia where Matthias meerly out of state made Uladislaus stay for him 15 days Moreover Matthias came with a green Garland about his temples in policy that he might not uncover his head Uladislaus therupon causd his Cap to be so girded and knotted about that it could not be taken off Sic Ars dâ—…luditur arte But ther is a Modern Example far more pregnant then any of these of Charles the first King of England whose Journey to the Court of Spain though the designe was Princely and Noble in it self for it was to endear himself the more to the Lady Infanta yet it provd very disadvantagious for it distracted and retarded the whole business both of Match and restitution of the Palatinat when by the negotiation of Ambassadors it had bin brought to such a passe of perfection that it had taken effect had not the Prince come thither which gave occasion for the two great Favorits Buckingham and Olivares to clash one with another which broke the neck of so great a Business that had bin a moulding above ten yeers which had it bin left to the sole management of Ambassadors had in all probability bin consummated Thus we see how absolutly requisit and necessary how advantagious and essential Ambassadors are to a Kingdom or Common-wealth which made the Roman Orator say Sentio Legatorum munus tum Hominum Praesidio munitum esse tum etiam Divino Iure circumvallatum I â—…old the function of Ambassadors to be fencd by mens power and fortified by Divine right We will conclude with a Cannon of the Civilians Legatorum munus perquam utile est ac perquam necessarium The Office of Ambassadors is most 〈◊〉 and most necessary which makes the Spaniards call it Santo Officio y Ministerio de los Angeles The holy Office and Ministry oâ—… Angells The third Paragraph Of the Antiquity the first Rise and Pedigree of Ambassadors as also of their Dignity high Honor and Pre-eminence and who are capable to qualifie and employ Ambassadors FRom the Necessity of Ambassadors we will proceed to their Antiquity and surely they must needs be very ancient if they are so necessary Some draw their antiquity from Belus the Father of Ninus but Iosephus makes them more ancient and refers their Original to God Himself who was pleasd to create the Angels for this Ministry Therfore Embassy in Greek is calld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being derivd by imitation from the Hierarchy of Angels who are made the Ambassadors of the great King of Heven upon extraordinary occasions either for revelation of the successe of Kingdoms as the Archangel Gabriel was to Daniel Or for the declaring of some rare and signal thing as He was sent also to the Blessed Virgin of the Conception of our Saviour c. Now ther is no Order or Government in this lower World as well Ecclesiastical as Secular but it is had from the Pattern of the higher in regard that God Almighty created the Elementary World and appointed the Government therof to conform with the Architype and chief Pattern or Ideal Form of the same conceavd at first in the Divine mind and prescribd to the Hevenly Kingdome Herunto alludes the Fiction of the ancient Pagans For Aristides tels us that in the first Age of the World wheras Mankind was infected by Brute Animals wherof some were far stronger others swifter others were Venemous which made Mankind become often a prey to Birds to Beasts and Serpents Prometheus being sollicitous and studious for the safety of the humane Creture became Ambassador or Orator to Iupiter for declaring the misery of Mankinde Herupon Iupiter resolvd to send his son Mercury to teach Man Rhetorik that is to speak well and movingly but with this restriction that he shold not communicat this Art to all but to the excellentst the wisest and valiantst sort of men By means herof they came down from the mountains and forth out of Caves and places of fastness and by means of that Art of Rhetorik or Eloquence they united themselfs to civil Societies and coalitions Hence it may be inferrd that Mercury the God of Eloquence was the first Ambassador and he is painted with wings on his heels to denote expedition Besides he carrieth a white Wand calld Caduceus in his hand encircled with two Dragons greeting one another which signifieth that his Office is to make Peace Alliances and Legues as also to de nounce VVar which is intimated by the immanity of the Dragon Having thus displayed the Antiquity we come now to the Honor of Ambassadors and questionless they must needs be very honorable being so ancient Royalty may be said without prophaness to be a Ray of Divinity and Honor is a Ray of Royalty The first is derivd immediatly from Heven the other from Earthly Kings who are calld the Fountains of Honor. Now the reflections of this second Ray falls no where so directly as upon Ambassadors who represent and personat Souverain Princes which makes their Houses Sanctuaries and their Persons so sacred inviolable and excellent and they have this high honor given them not only for their own sakes and their Masters but as they are Instruments of
so universal good as suppressing of Wars by making Peace Frendship and Concord or for the advancement of Commerce and Frendship Now it adds much to the Honor of Ambassadors that none can send any under that Title unless he be a Souverain Prince Ther is no subject capable to send or receave any Ambassador be he never so great a Viceroy if he do it is no less then High Treson Therfore before the beginning of the last Civil Wars in England it was Treson in the highest degree for the Scots Inconsulto Principe to send Lowden and others in quality of privat Clancular Commissioners to treat with the French King in the name of the whole Nation for assistance And though the King himself made a semblance not to admit or hear them yet his fiery Cardinal huggd them whence it may be well said the first flames of the said VVars broke out It is recorded in the Life of Eliz. Queen of England that the Duke of Alva when he was Governor of Flanders sent Christopher Assonville in quality of a Minister of State but the Queen wold not admit him because he could produce neither Commission or Credential Letter from the King of Spain whose Vassal Alva was In the year 1604. the King of Spain motiond that the publik Minister who was here for the Hollanders shold not be stild Ambassador because they are subject to the Empire and have a Superior having bin incorporated in the Empire by Charles the fifth 1548. at the Diet of Auspurg as Meteranus relates and says besides that Rodolphus 2. writ Letters unto them 1607. as to Vassals of the Empire and consequently they had no power to make Peace or War without the consent of Caesar which they then acknowledgd by their Letters sent to Colen The Electors and Princes of Germany have got a privilege to send and receave Ambassadors touching matters that concern their own Territories but not the state of the Empire The like the Hans Town may do But Rebels have no capacity to employ any in quality of Ministers of State no not so much as an Herald Therfore Charles the fifth was censurd for admitting a Herald with Letters denouncing a War from the Lutheran party in Germany and dismissing him unpunishd though he told him that if he came again in steed of a Gold Chain he shold have a Halter for his reward Touching the Electors or Princes of Germany and the Hans Towns or Cities of the Hansa it hath bin much controverted whether they had Ius Legationis whether they had a capacity to make a Mission of Ministers of State that might bear the quality and privilege of Ambassadors Concerning the first Kirknerus a great Civilian holds That the German Princes may have such a Prerogative but it is secundario tantum Iure Et qui Ius mittendorum Legatorum secundario tantùm Iure habent mittuntur Legati non de Rebus universum concernentibus Imperium sed tantùm sui Territorii ratione eo enim Ipsis intuitu tantùm datum ultra igitur terminos non est procedendum fieret enim altàs prejudicium Imperatori c. The German Princes may employ Ambassadors to Forren Princes by a secondary Right not to treat of Affairs concerning the Universal Empire but of things only appertaining to their own particular Territories and beyond those bounds they must not proceed And ther are some Princes in Italy also that are no less under the Majesty of the Empire in this kind but c. As for the Hans Towns and Corporations they claim the same privilege as the Princes do for they are free Imperial Cities and communicat of the same Regalias yet all by the indulgence of the Emperour wherunto his necessities from time to time enforcd him The Provinces of Belgia or the Netherlands under pretext of such a Right sent the Baron of Montigni as Ambassador to Spain at the beginning of the tumults but Philip the second choppd off his head saying That Vassals much less Rebels have no power to employ Ambassadors Yet this King his Grandchild admitted Ascham who came from as notorious Rebels though not in reference to him which he excusd in regard that Queen Elizabeth had receavd Ambassadors from Holland at their first revolt before they were acknowledgd a State and that she was the chiefest supportress of them VVe will conclude this Paragraph with this Ticklish Point VVhether a Protestant Prince may not send an Ambassador to the Pope and by way of civil correspondence receave another from Him though Iustice Ashton was of a contrary opinion yet Sir Edward Coke was for the Affirmatif and his reason is because that besides his Spiritual Jurisdiction the Pope is a Temporal Prince and ther may be Ambassadors sent to him as well as to the Turk or Mogor The fourth Paragraph Of the Privileges Security Reception and the honorable sacred esteem which hath bin always had of the Persons of Ambassadors AMong many other Privileges which Ambassadors enjoy and are endowd withal Iure Gentium by the Law of Nations not only their Persons have bin always esteemd sacred and inviolable but their Houses have bin held and allowd as Sanctuaries all their Servants from the Stuard to the Scullion-Boy are free from all kind of outrages violence or arrests And they have this security not only in Courts and Cities but in the midst of Armies in the Field twixt Swords Muskets and Guns for though Ambassadors come from an Enemy yet they are accounted none VVhensoever they take footing upon the shore or confines of any Prince to whom they are sent they use to be attended by Harbingers and other Officers all the way till they arrive at the Court. If they be robbd the King makes good their losses If an extraordinary Ambassador he is attended at his first entrance with a more splendid equippage he is Lodgd and Dieted at the Kings charge for so many days with his whole train At his Audience the King riseth to him pulls off his Hat and bows his Body c. Besoldus produceth the King of England anno 1527. for an example how he observd the French Ambassador as if he had bin the King himself His words are Angliae Rex Gallicum Legatum planè ut Regem observavit eique supremum locum concessit adeoque honoravit ut in Comoediis ipsius Regis filiae sustineret personam The King of England observd the French Ambassador plainly as the King and gave him the upper place and he so honord him that he held by the arm the Kings Daughter to a Comedy But the Princes Electors carry themselfs high in this particular for they take place of Ambassadors and the reason which Guetta and other Civilians give is In praesente Principe vera Majestas in Legato tantùm dignitas aliena In Principe reiveritas in Legato effigiata adumbrata est ut autem umbra Luci ita Principi Legatus quamvis enim Fictio tantùm operetur quantùm rei veritas
after they desird new audience which was suspended to be given them and in the interim the King sent Sir Edward Conway his principal Secretary of State and Sir Francis Cottington Secretary to the Prince both Lords afterwards to signifie unto the said Ambassadors that he desird nothing more then a continuance of frendship twixt the two Crowns therfore if they had any thing to say they shold communicat it to the said Secretaries as persons of trust which he employd expresly for that purpose and if they made any difficulty of this also then they might choose among his Council of State those whom they likd best and he wold command that they shold presently repair unto them and if this also shold seem inconvenient they might send him what they had to say in a Letter by whom they thought fittest and he wold receave it with his own hands But they gave no answer to all this therupon the said Secretaries told them according to their Instructions which they had receavd from his Majesty That they being the Authors of an Information so dangerous and seditious had made themselfs incapable to treat further with the King their Master and were it not for the respect he bore to the Catholik King his dear and beloved Brother their Master and that they were in quality of Ambassadors to such a Majesty he wold and could by the Law of Nations and the right of his own Royal Justice proceed against them with such severity as their offence deservd but for the reasons before said he wold leave the reparation to the Justice of their own King of whom he wold demand and require it Herupon Sir Walter Ashton Ambassador then in Spain for the Crown of England had audience of that King wherin he said That the King of Great Britain his Master had commanded him to demand refaction and satisfaction of his Majesty against the Marquiss of Inojosa and Don Carlos Coloma for scandalizing the Duke of Buckingham with other of his best subjects and through his sides aiming at the Prince himself for it is unlikely the Duke wold have cast himself upon such a designe without the communication of it to him and to know his plesure so he remonstrated the whole circumstance of the business c. And in conclusion he said That he humbly beseechd his Majesty to observe and weigh well the care and tenderness wherwith the King his Master had proceeded towards his Majesties Ambassadors not obliging them to any precipitat resolutions but giving them time and opening a way how they might have cleerd themselfs c. It was expected that the said Ambassadors at their return to Spain wold have bin punishd or at least checkd but matters growing daily worse and worse twixt England and Spain the said Ambassadors were rather rewarded then reprehended at their return Inojosa being made afterwards Governor of Milan and Coloma receavd addition of command and honors in Flanders But the high civilities of England at that time towards the said Ambassadors was much cryed up abroad that notwithstanding so pernicious a machination to demolish Buckingham and to discompose the whole English Court yet they were permitted to depart peaceably and Sir Lewis Leukner was commanded to conduct them to the Sea-side for prevention of any outrage upon their persons We have dwelt the longer upon this business in regard ther are extraordinary traverses of State in it being a Plot of an unusual reach of policy which will be found more amply related in the addition the Author made to Finets Ambassador but in regard it is so pertinent to this Paragraph he thought it fit to insert the substance of it here We will now resume things touching the Office of an Ambassador It is very necessary he shold have his Credential Letters exact and plain His Commission plenary and fortified with as much authority as he can The Spanish Ministers when the Prince of Wales was there objected against the Duke of Buchingham that his Commission for he came also in quality of Ambassador was not so compleat and authentik as that of the Earl of Bristols for he had his Commission under the Broad Seal of England wheras the Duke had his by the King only The Civilians make a question Si à Legato Mandata poscantur is adigi possit ad ea exhibenda Their opinion is That besides his Credential or Fiduciary Letters and his General Commission he is not bound to shew any more Touching his privat Instructions Paschalius saith Mala eum agitat res qui in Legati Secreta irreligiose irrumpit It is questiond further Whether it may stand with the Office and Honor of an Ambassador to receave Gifts and Presents from the Prince he is sent unto which the Civilians call Lautia a word peculiar only to Ambassadors some are for the Negative which the Hollanders do follow for their Ambassadors use to receave none not so much as a Bottle of Wine But most are for the Affirmatif But the Venetians who are reputed to have the best Rules touching Ambassadors though they allow it yet their Ambassadors are bound to exhibit their Presents to the Senat and t is thought much of St. Marks tresure consists of it They are also bound in a large Oration to give an account besides that of their Embassy what they observd most remarkable in the Government State and Quality of the Country of which Oration they bring also a Manuscript which is put up in their Archives Iohn Earl of Bristol at his departure from Madrid notwithstanding that the weather had grown foul twixt us and Spain receavd a Cupboard of huge massie Plate valued at 20000 Crowns of this King of Spain who also gave him a Diamond Ring off his Finger rated at 1500 l. sterling and the reason was because he had found him so wise faithful and industrious a servant to his King The Civilians make likewise a doubt whether it may not interrupt the Office of an Ambassador to have his Wife and Children along with him but they who hold the contrary are rather exploded then approved For to leave his Wife is for one to leave half himself behind him besides Conjugal society is counted the prime of comforts moreover it saves trouble of Writing and charges for Letters and Packets which come to no small sum at the yeers end c. We will conclude this Paragraph with two special things which the Civilians require further for the performance of the Office of an Ambassador viz. That he be reservd and secret in an intense degree he must not be Plenus Rimarum full of chinks and herin the Italian and Spaniard are eminently imitable for all the Drugs in Egypt cannot draw away a secret from them wheras a small Purge or Vomit will make others cast it up Furthermore that an Ambassador may facilitat the discharge of his Office the better it is requisit that he have a previous knowledg of the Court and Country wherunto he is
Crown and Alliance but also for neerness in Blood Your Message in the first part is a Ceremony sutable to the affections and obligations of Princes to express the sense they have of the mortality of their Frends which Office is best performd by a person of noble rank capable of the impression wrought in noble hearts But the substance of your Ambassage is for the publik Peace and the interest of our Brother the Palsgrave and our dear Sister depending therupon To advance this great work you must with convenient speed fit your self for your journey and pass the Seas in a ship appointed to transport you to the Sound or the River of Elve as by the way you shall learn where our Uncle the King doth now reside When you are landed you shall forthwith give notice of your coming that your Reception may be with honor due to our Ambassador of your rank Then after your coming to Court you shall in our name demand Audience and then attend the Kings plesure for your access but you shall not visit any other until you have had the honor of his presence to whom you are employd At your first audience you shall deliver our Letter of Credence to our Uncle and then with a significant expression of our entire and cordial affection proceeding from the obligations of frendship you shall tell him what great sorrow we have conceavd together with him for the death of our dear Granmother the late Queen his Mother whose memory you must adorn with her stile and due Praises enlargd as the information of her Life and Death and your own Judgment will best direct This Office being performd with the King without any mention of other business at that time you shall address your self to the Prince if he be present or otherwise by special audience and deliver with our Letter of Credence our like condoleance with expression of our hearty affection as to a Kinsman whose prosperity and inward frendship we very much desire Our Letters to our Aunts the Kings Sisters you shall deliver afterwards with signification of our condoleance and of our love to either of them and if more of our Cosens be there you shall pass like Offices with them all Whilst you attend this Ceremony you are to inform your self by Avery who hath the charge of our affairs at Hamborough and is also chosen Commissioner for our sister what is done concerning that Portion of our Granmothers personal Estate which is due unto Us as by our Uncles own Letters now to be deliverd unto you may appeer Which Portion we have given entirely to our said Sister with order to her Commissioners to sollicit for the same at the appointed time and in case you find performance to our Sisters satisfaction according to our former Letters sent on her behalf you shall take notice of it and give our Uncle hearty thanks for his just favor and expedition But if you find refusal or delay for the discounting of such debt as upon former Treties and by his last Letters our Uncle doth demand you shall assure him that before the receit of those Letters which mention the compensation of such Debts We had conveyd by Deed of Gift to our Sister all our interest in the Goods and given warrant to her Commissioners to attend the division and we hope our good Uncle in his Royal justice and favor to our Sister his Neece and her many distressed children will not add affliction to affliction but rather give them help by his forwardness in this our gift which we can no more revoke If this prevail not you shall modestly demand what those Debts are wherof he expecteth compensation and therin to clear all misunderstanding you are thus to distinguish The Debts to which our Uncle pretendeth are of two kinds all contracted by our Father of blessed memory and not by us First our Father after that our Uncle had undertaken the German War sent Sir Robert Anstruther with an advance of forty six thousand pounds present moneys and promised to pay thirty thousand pounds monthly so our Uncle wold maintain one thousand horse and four thousand foot for restoring our Brother and Sister to all their Patrimonial Dignities and Estates If then our Uncle shall declare that this is the debt he pretendeth to defalque out of the divided Goods you shall with due respects and as it were unwillingly call unto his mind what manner of performance was found on his part and how little those designes have bin advanced for which our Father expressed his Royal affection by so large an offer which caused us at our coming to the Crown to send the Duke of Buckingham and Earl of Holland to meet our Uncles Ambassadors at the Hague to qualifie those indigested assumptions made de bene esse for the present without debate of Articles indifferent for both parts And then as our Uncle well knoweth we setled the accompt upon a new foot and therfore ought no more to be called back to those exorbitant demands which notwithstanding upon due calculation of all our disbursements in money and in charges of our Auxiliary aids and diversions we have so much exceeded That laying a side all exception for not performing conditions we have just cause to claim retribution or at least acknowledgment of well-deserved thanks and not to be now strained for compensation of those Debts Of our â—…ast expences ther hath bin a List transmitted to Avery from Sir Henry Vane wherof you may make use by a Copy to be now delivered unto you to acquit Us of those debts But ther is another debt for money borrowed by our Father which we do acknowledg both principal and interest and for liquidation therof have given former directions to our Ambassador Sir Henry Vane who is to meet the Kings Ministers at the Hague in his return out of Germany and to consider of a cours for our Uncles satisfaction according to his expectation and our desire Upon this meeting if otherwise you cannot you must discharge your self and having setled the division of the Portion and put off the accompts in this manner you shall afterwards proceed as you find time and opportunity to your more weighty negotiation concerning the common cause representing to that King our Uncle the present state of Christendome specially of Germany the seat of the War that upon a mature consideration therof both he and we may best advise how to govern our Proceedings as well for our safety as for our interests with others and chiefly for the obtaining of a sure peace which is to be desired for the common good To this purpose you shall move him to cast his eyes upon that progress the King of Sweden his Neighbour hath already made by his sword almost through the Empire beyond all mens expectation and to foresee in his great wisdome what the consequence will be if by victorious Arms he shall obtain power to give the Princes and States on both
sides what Law shall please himself which may reasonably be feared if no cours be timely taken for preservation of their rights by treaty or otherwise On the other side you may lay before him the power yet remaining in the puissant house of Austria with the dependance of Bavaria and other German Princes and how both sides are supported by forren assistants those with the money and countenance of Spain these with the actual arms of France besides the diversions of the Low Countries and Italy so as in all probability the War is like to last long and the balance may be swayd as other Princes put to their hands And the King of Swede having lately moved both the Princes and States of his alliance and others to joyn league for the liberty of Germany and for peace and inviting us to joyn therin and the Emperour also discovering on his side an inclination to treaty and to peace you must entreat for our better information our Uncles sound advice and how he stands affected and whether he be engaged in any such treaty with whom and how far and whether our conjunction with the rest will be desired To which we may by him be perswaded to apply our selves so as by the treaty the full restitution of our Brother and Sister to their Patrimonial Dignities and Estates being the only interest of our engagement may be effectually provided for If upon these intimations the King shall reveal unto you any overtures of a treaty already in hand and that therin our conjunction will be desired you shall with speed give us account of the particulars and of the grounds therof with all the circumstances of persons times and places that therupon we may send you such further powers and instructions for your proceedings with our Uncle and other Princes as with the advice of our Council we shall think meet Besides this main business other occasions may be apprehended there by you for the advantage of our service for iâ—… by conference with Avery you shall understand of any impediment or obstruction of the trade of our Merchants residing in Hamborough caused by any difference betwixt that King and the Town or by his pretence of commanding the River of Elve you shall do Offices in our name betwixt our Uncle and the Town to remove offences and to settle good agreement upon honorable terms for the King and so as an Innovation may not be made which may prejudice the intended treaty or which may restrain our Merchants from that freedome of trade there which they have enjoyed so many yeers And wheras by occasion of the War betwixt Poland and Sweden new Impositions are raised in the Pellow and elsewhere with other restraints of trade which in the end will force our Merchants and the Low Country-men also to seek the Commodities of Eastland in America to the great detriment of the Kings Customes at Elsenore you shall in this regard advise with our Uncle how the ancient freedom in like manner may be restored in that trade For Island you shall signifie to our Uncle that in conformity to his late Letters we have prohibited our subjects that Fish in those Seas or fetch Hawks from those parts either to export or import any Merchandise to hinder his Farmers not doubting of his gracious reciprocal favor to our said subjects in their lawful proceedings Concerning our Coller of Rubies which hath formerly bin engagd to raise moneys you shall inform your self by Avery how the case now stands and shall proceed as upon further advice therof we shall direct You shall keep good correspondence with our Ambassadors and Agents in all parts as occasion shall be offered but especially with Sir Henry Vane who is employed with the King of Sweden and with Sir Robert Anstruther at the Emperours Court. IOHN COKE By these two Presidents of Commission and Instructions we may see how exact and curious the English Court is in this point how quaintly such Publik Dispatches are couchd not so plain and flat with such superfluity of speech as I have seen the Instructions of other Princes stuffd withal We will to the Reception Attendance Treatments Gifts Lautia composing of Differences with other high civilities usd towards Forren Ambassadors in the English Court. Touching the first Ther are no Ambassadors whatsoever receavd more splendidly and with greater state both by water and land then in England For first he is brought in Royal Barges a good way upon a Noble Navigable River through a Forest of main Masts on both sides and landed at the stairs of a huge Tower in sight of a stupendious Bridg such as I may well say the world hath not the like Then is he conducted in the Kings Coach with a great number besides through the centre of the City of London to a house expresly provided for him if he comes extraordinary where he is magnificently treated for divers days upon the Kings charge Now the Rule of the Court is That the Ambassador of a King is to be brought in by an Earl at least an Ambassador from Dukes and Republiks to be brought in by a Baron T is a Rule also that no Ambassadors be allowd this honor at privat Audiences but only at the first and last publik or when any are invited to Dine with the King Moreover that no Ambassador except a Kings is to be met with the Kings Coach further off then the Tower-wharf And wheras the Coaches of other Ambassadors residing upon the place were usd to go to accompany the new-landed Ambassador from Tower-wharf which gave occasion of clashing for Precedeâ—…ce of Coaches as happened the last yeer twixt the Spanish Ambassador the Baron of Batteville and Monsieur Lestrade the French which flew so high that it went to effusion of blood and killing as it is mentiond before in the last Paragraph of the first Section more particularly Ther is an Act of State passd that all Forren Ambassadors shall forbear for the future from that complement of sending their Coaches to that purpose Well the new Ambassador being so housd is visited by persons of Quality as also by other Ambassadors Now it is a Maxime among Ambassadors That the first come is to visit the last come Touching Presents ther 's no Court goes beyond that of England It was a Rule that the French and Spanish Ordinaries were to have 4000 Ounces of Gilt Plate at their departure The Venetian Ambassador 2000 The Archdukes 1600 c. But by the Examples of other Courts ther was a retrenchment herof and it began first with Monsieur Buisseaux in King Iames his Raign who had but 2000 Ounces sent Him the Venetian 1600 and the Archdukes 1000 c. Touching divers sorts of Clashes Contestations Differences and Punctilios betwixt Ambassadors ther have bin as prudent and preventing courses taken in the English Court from time to time as in any other as will appeer in the printed Observations of that worthy Knight Sir Iohn Finets to