propounded unto him from the King of Great Brittain he would most heartily and affectionately receive it but this was with such a fashion of Courtesie as shewed that he desired cause to have said more and I am fully satisfied not onely from him but the Queens and most of all of Madam her self who shewes all the sweetnesse and contentment that may be and likewise from all the Officers of the Crown and State that they can desire nothing equal with this alliance A better and more large preparation then this my instructions cannot make and I wonder to see it thus fair considering the hinderances and defacings the Spanish Embassadour desires to cast upon it who besides the Rodomontado's and threatenings of the preparations of his Master doth here take a contrary but cunning way letting them know that the Prince cannot have two Wives for their Infanta is surely his onely to create a jealousie and shienesse in them towards me that he suspects labours to do offices that are not to his liking You will therefore I hope speedily put this State out of these doubts and clearly and freely proceed with them Upon my credit and reputation they are all of that disposition that we can wish them to be and it appears by their tender care of the States and their resolution to ayd them And likewise in sending Captain Coborn that came from the Duke of Brunswick to demand a supplie of men who is returned with answer unto him that he shall have double what he required and great satisfaction to the Count Mansfelt that sent a Gentleman hither to let the King know he was not yet in such disorder but that he could assemble his Troops to such a number as might do his Majestie good service if he would be pleased to take him into his protection and favour And the King hath sent a Gentleman of the Religion a Sedanois to Leige to give information to this State of the proceedings of the Spaniards there and to be ready to receive if the Town shall seek it the protection of them But these passages I am sure you continually understand from our Embassadour the which makes me omit many particularities in this kind that I could inform you of I have sent this Bearer of purpose the which I beseech your Grace return with some speed and with him the resolutions of our dear and Sacred Master whom God ever blesse and keep to our glorie and comfort My Lord I am The humblest and most obliged of all your Graces servants Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Secretary the Lord Conway Right Honourable ACcording to his Majesties order which your last of April the 14. derived unto me I have represented such reasons to the King and his ministers of State here against the sending of any person in what quality soever to the Duke of Baviers as they acquiesce in them speciallie for that they come commanded under his Majesties desire which they professe to be very willing to comply with not only in this but in any other occasion wherein his Majestie may directly or indirectly be any way interessed I took the same opportunity of preparing the way a little farther to a formal treaty of alliance by feeling once again their pulse in matters of religion and find that it beats so temperately as promises a very good Crisis of any thing that may concern that particular I dealt plainely with the Marquesse de la Veiville touching the course that his Majestie may be driven to hold against Jesuites and Priests of banishing them the Kingdom and of quickning the lawes against the other Catholiques as well out of necessity of reducing them within the bounds of sobriety and obedience as of keeping good intelligence with his Parliament without which he could not possibly go thorough with such a weighty work as he is now to undertake He approved of the course for the ends sake under hope notwithstanding that his Majestie would not tie his own hands from some moderate favour hereafter which is all they pretend unto and desire it may flow from the mediation of this State upon an alliance here for the saving of their honour who otherwise will be hardly reputed Catholiques In representing a facility in these things I leave no other difficulties to be imagined Their good inclination to the match in general they are willing to demonstrate as by many other evidences so by the care they are now under of lodging and defraying my Lord of Carlile and my self in a more splendid and Magnifique manner then ever yet they did any Embassadour whatsoever for such is the language that Ville-aux Cleres holds to me upon that subject The Count of Soissons sees it and stormes and manifests his discontent towards me who am the instrument more fellie then discreetly I encountred him the other day and gave him the due that belonged to his rank but instead of returning me my salute he disdainfullie turned back his head I was somewhat sensible thereof and I told Mounsieur de Grandmont of it and as he and I were discoursing of it the day following Soissons offered himself full butt upon us a second time I again repeated my courtesie and he is childish in civility Grandmont found it strange and intimated to the Marquesse de la Valette a familiar and confident of the Counts both my observation and his own distaste of such an uncivil kind of proceeding Valette conveyes the same to Soissons himself who answered that he could not afford me a better countenance not for any ill will he bore unto my person but to my errand and negotiation which were it not in the behalf of so great a Prince went so near his heart as he professed he would cut my throat if he could Nay were any Prince of Savoy Mantova or Germany here in person to sollicit for themselves in the like nature he would hazard his life in the cause Such is the language that despaire brings forth which put me into an expectation of no lesse then a challenge to decide the quarrel And I once verily believed it sent for the Count de Lude came very soberly to me and told me he had a message to deliver me from a great Personage which he intreated he might do without offence I desired him to speak freely what it was and from whom He told me he was sent by the Count of Soissons and I presently replyed that nothing should come amisse from him In conclusion the errand was to signifie an extream liking that the Count took to one of my Horses which he was desirous to buy of me upon any rate I answered that if the Count would expresse to me his desire himself and receive him of guift he should be at his service otherwise he should remain still as he was Since that I have met him been prevented with a very courteous salute from him I have been thus ample in these particular passages betwixt the Count and
him too unsufferably God from Heaven blesse you Remember your Deanerie and Dean of Westminster c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning the Earl Marshals place 1. Septemb. 1621. My most Noble Lord I Beseech your Lordship to interpret this Letter well and fairly which no malice though never so provoked but my duty to his Majestie and love to your Lordship hath drawn from me both which respects as long as I keep inviolably I will not omit for the fear of any man or the losse of any thing in this world to do any act which my Conscience shall inform me to belong unto that place wherein the King by your favour hath intrusted me I received this morning two Commands from his Majestie the one about a Pension of 2000 l. yearly and the other concerning the office of the Earle Marshal both conferred on the Right Honourable the Earle of Arundel For the former although this is a very unseasonable time to receive such large Pensions from so bountiful a King and that the Parliament so soon approaching is very like to take notice thereof and that this pension might under the correction of your better judgment have been conveniently deferred until that Assembly had been over Yet who am I that should question the wisedom and bounty of my Master I have therefore sealed the same praying secretly unto God to make his Majestie as abounding in wealth as he is in goodnesse But the latter I dare not seale my good Lord until I heare your Lordships resolution to these few Questions Whether his Majestie by expressing himself in the delivery of the staffe to my Lord of Arundel that he was moved thereunto for the easing of the rest of the Comissioners who had before the execution of that office did not imply that his Majestie intended to impart unto my Lord no greater power then was formerly granted to the Lords Comissioners If it were so this Pattent should not have exceeded their Pattent whereas it doth inlarge it self beyond that by many dimensions Whether it is his Majesties meaning that the Pattent leaping over the powers of the three last Earles Essex Shrewsbery and Sommerset should refer onely to my Lords own Ancestors Howards and Mowbrayes Dukes of Norfolk who clamed this place by a way of inheritance The usual reference of Pattents being unto the last and immediate predecessour and not unto the remote whose powers in those unsettled and troublesome times are vage uncertain and unpossible to be limited Whether it is his Majesties meaning that this great Lord should bestow those offices settled of a long time in the Crown Sir Edward Zouch his in the Court Sir George Reinel's in the Kings Bench and divers others All which this new Pattent doth sweep away being places of great worth and dignity Whether that his Majesties meaning and your Lordships that my Lord Stewards place shall be for all his power of Judicature in the Verge either altogether extinguished or at leastwise subordinated unto this new Office A point considerable because of the greatnesse of that person and his neernesse in bloud to his Majestie and the Prince his Highnesse Lastly Whether it be intended that the offices of the Earl Marshal of England and the Marshal of the Kings house which seem in former times to have been distinct offices shall be now united in this great Lord A power limited by no Law or Record but to be searcht out from Chronicles Antiquaries Heralds and such obsolete Monuments and thereupon held these 60 years for my Lord of Essex his power was clearly bounded and limited unfit to be revived by the policy of this State These Questions if his Majestie intended onely the renewing of this Commission of the Earl Marshals in my Lord of Arundel are material and to the purpose But if his Majestie aymed withal at the reviving of this old office A la ventura whose face is unknown to the people of this age upon the least intimation from your Lordship I will seal the Patent And I beseech your Lordship to pardon my discretion in this doubt and irresolution It is my place to be wary what innovation passeth the Seal I may offend that great Lord in this small stay but your Lordship cannot but know how little I lose when I lose but him whom without the least cause in the world I have irreconcileably lost already All that I desire is that you may know what is done and I will ever do what your Lordship being once informed shall direct as becometh c. That there is a difference betwixt the Earl Marshal and the Marshall of the Kings house See Lamberts Archiron or of the High Courts of Justice in England Circa Medium The Marshal of England and the Constable are united in a Court which handleth onely Duels out of the Realm matters within the Realm as Combats Blazon Armorie c. but it may meddle with nothing tryable by the Lawes of the Land The Marshal of the Kings Houshold is united in a Court with the Seneschal or Steward which holds plea of Trespasses Contracts and Covenants made within the Verge and that according to the Lawes of the Land Vid. Artic. Super Cart. C. 3. 4. 5. We do all of us conceive the King intended the first place only for this great Lord and the second to remain in the Lord Stewards managing But this new Patent hath comprehended them both This was fit to be presented to your Lordship The Lord Keeper to the Duke 16. Decemb. 1621. Most Noble Lord I Have seen many expressions of your love in other mens Letters where it doth most naturally and purely declare it self since I received any of mine own It is much your Lordship should spare me those thoughts which pour out themselves in my occasions But to have me and my affaires in a kind of affectionate remembrance when your Lordship is saluting of other Noble men is more then ever I shall be able otherwaies to requite then with true prayers and best wishes I received this afternoon by Sir John Brook a most loving Letter from your Lordship but dated the 26th of Novemb. imparting your care over me for the committing of one Beeston for breach of a Decree My Noble Lord Decrees once made must be put in execution or else I will confesse this Court to be the greatest imposture and Grievance in this Kingdom The damned in Hell do never cease repining at the Justice of God nor the prisoners in the Fleet at the Decrees in Chancery of the which hell of prisoners this one for antiquity and obstinacy may passe for a Lucifer I neither know him nor his cause but as long as he stands in Contempt he is not like to have any more liberty His Majesties last Letter though never so full of honey as I find by passages reported out of the same being as yet not so happy as to have a sight thereof hath notwithstanding afforded those Spiders which infest that noble
pocket until I shall have the honour to wait upon your Grace when you have made use of the same 2. If your Grace shall hear him complain of the Judges in their charges and of their receiving of Indictments your Grace may answer That those charges are but orations of Course opening all the penal Lawes and the Indictments being presented by the Country cannot be refused by the Judges But the Judges are ordered to execute nothing actually against the Recusants nor will they do it during the negotiation 3. Your Grace may put him in mind that my Lord Keeper doth every day when his the Lord Embassadours Secretary calls upon him grant forth Writs to remove all the persons indicted in the Country into the Kings Bench out of the power and reaches of the Justices of the Peace And that being there the King may and doth release them at his pleasure 4. That the Spanish Embassadour never had nor desired more then these favours 5. That you are informed that Copies of Letters written from the King to both the Archbishops are spread abroad in Staffordshire to his Majesties disadvantage for so it is and that thereby my Lord Embassadour may perceive the bent of the English Catholiques which is not to procure ease and quietnesse to themselves but Scandals to their neighbouring Protestants and discontentments against the King and State I humbly crave your Graces pardon for this boldnesse and tediousnesse and with my hearty prayers for your health do rest yours c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 22. March 1624. May it please your Grace I Send your Grace here inclosed the Kings Commission and the Prince's Proxie not fairly written which the Embassadours upon the place may procure in a frech hand but yet legibly and passably The Prince's Proxie refers the manner unto the articles and particularly to the second third and fourth Section of those Articles which gives me occasion to begg of your Grace pardon to desire your Grace to think seriously upon the third Section to advise with the Prince and to give Mr. Packer charge to inform your Grace punctually what he knoweth and may inform himself concerning those particulars That is How the Queen Margaret of France was married to Henry the fourth and how Madam his sister was married to the Prince of Lorrain For although they are both made alike in the article yet surely they were not married after the same fashion For the Dutchesse of Barr was married in a closet without a Masse by words onely of the Present tense as I believe I have read in the Historie of Thuanus A favour which will hardly be granted to your Grace And how Queen Margaret was married my Lords the Embassadours will soon learn if your Grace will be pleased to write unto them I hold it in a manner necessary that your Grace do carrie over with you in your company one Civilian to put your Grace in mind of the formalities required and if your Grace be of that mind your own Doctor Dr. Reeves is as fit as any man else who is a good Scholar and speaks that language Your Grace hath revived my Lord of Clare sithence I spake with your Grace And I beseech your Grace to follow that resolution and to let Mr. Packer draw up a warrant of 3. or 4. lines signed by the King to me to place him with the rest of the Councel of War It will be an occasion to take up more of that time which he now spends with the Lady Hatton For now I am resolved that I was of the right in my conjecture to your Grace that his Lordship had utterly refused my Lady Purbecks cause of the which the very common peopple begin to be ashamed but is deeply ingaged against my Lady of Richmond Dutchesse of Richmond in the businesse of that famous or rather notorious foeminine Contract and bargain of sixteen hundred pounds by the year for a house to sleep in When your Grace shall draw up your Instructions you will be pleased to use the words To Contract Espouse and marrie Our Welbeloved Son c. because they do in those parts contract alwaies before marriage And your Grace will be pleased to expresse his Majesties pleasure that this is to be done by your self and no other Because although the two Earls upon the place have some such general words in their Commission yet your Grace only is named in the Prince's Proxie and now solely imployed by the King to that purpose Although I conceived this restraint to be fitter a great deal for the instructions then the Commission I am extream sorry to hear what a grievous fit his Majestie had this last night But I hope it is a farewel of the Agues and I pray God it be the last fit And now am an humble suitor again that I may come and look upon his Majestie resolved to say nothing but that which I will never cease to say God blesse him If your Grace holds it inconvenient I beseech your Grace to excuse me and to account me as I will ever be found Yours c. The Bishop of Lincoln to the Duke 7th of January 1625. Most Gratious Lord BEing come hither according unto the dutie of my place to do my best service for the preparation to the Coronation and to wait upon his Majestie for his Royal pleasure and direction therein I do most humbly beseech your Grace to crown so many of your Grace's former favours and to revive a Creature of your own struck dead onely with your displeasure but no other discontentment in the universal world by bringing of me to kisse his Majesties hand with whom I took leave in no disfavour at all I was never hitherto brought into the presence of a King by any Saint besides your self Turn me not over most noble Lord to offer my prayers at new Altars If I were guiltie of any unworthy unfaithfulnesse for the time past or not guiltie of a resolution to do your Grace all service for the time to come all considerations under Heaven could not force me to beg it so earnestly or to professe my self as I do before God and you Your Grace's most humble affectionate and devoted servant Jo. Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln to his Majestie Most Mighty and dread Soveraign I Have now these four moneths by the strength of those gracious speeches your Majestie used when I took my leave of your Majestie at Salisbury and the conscience of mine own innocencie from having ever wilfully or malitiously offended your Majestie comforted my self in these great afflictions to be thus injoyned from your Majesties presence the onely heaven wherein my soul delighted having submitted my self I hope dutifully and patiently to the discharge from that great Office for the execution whereof I was altogether unworthy My required absence from the Councel Table my sequestration from attending your Majesties Coronation And your Majesties favourable pleasure for so I do esteem that to spare my
prosperously succeed as all men would desire it If it please his Majestie to remove and set aside all these disadvantages He shall find the Charge laid against the Duke will prove very empty and of small moment And for them if his Majestie and the Duke's Grace think it no impeachment to their Honors all that the Parliament hath objected against the Duke is pardoned at the Kings Coronation which benefit every poor Subject enjoyeth Three things onely excepted which may most easily be answered Mr. Ch. Th. to the Duke of Buckingham My Lord IT is intimated to your Lordship first that you would procure his Majestie to desire the Lords to choose six or so many as you shall think fit of whom they have most confidence to attend him to morrow morning to whom his Majestie may be pleased to declare That he hath endeavoured to divert the charges against your Lordship because his Majestie hath had sound knowledge and experience of the service and fidelity though in outward shew the contrarie might justly appear and because also he saw it was urged with a great deal of private spleen and perhaps not without some Papisticall device of troubling his Majesties businesse in Parliament but seeing no suite or perswasion could prevail to appease the distempered course his Majestie is now forced and so pleased to reveal some secrets and Arcana of State which otherwise in the wisedom of Kings were unfit to be opened Here his Majestie may let them know that the King his Father finding the Palatinate more then in danger to be lost and after his Majestie being in Spain and there deluded and his abode and return both unsafe It was a necessity of State to sweeten and content the Spaniards with a hope of any thing that might satisfie and redeem those ingagements and therefore willed your Lordship to yield discreetlie to what you should find they most desired and this was chiefly the point of religion so as in this and all of the like kind your Lordship upon his Majesties knowledge was commanded and but the instrument trusted by your Master in this exigent or if you will extremitie And this with other more Potent overtures such as your Lordship best understands may Cancel all those objections of that nature Upon this same ground though not in so high a degree the sending of the ships to Rochel may be excused and this is not the least fault objected in the opinion of the wisest Touching the vast creation of Nobility his Majestie may ask those six Lords whereof perchance some of them may be concerned in this article whether they conceive any reason of King James his doing herein to which I suppose they will stand mute Then his Majestie may say I will tell you and therein discover a truth and a secret of State My Father who was born a King and had long experience of that Regiment especiallie more traversed in this point then perhaps ever any King found that this State inclined much to Popularitie a thing apparent universallie in all the Courts viz. in that of Star-chamber which was at first erected to restrain the insolence of Great men in great outrages but now for every pettie offence the meanest Tennant may be bold to call thither his Lord. A thing also appearing in the sawcie approaches of the Puritans upon the Bishops and plainely in the boldnesse of the house of Commons against the Kings pattents and edicts which in all good times out of their necessity have been powerful And especiallie this humour hath been comforted by the sturdie example of the Neighbour States of the Low-countries as in their insolencies in the East-Indies c. From this place an inticing voice hath sounded in our eares of libertie and freedom though indeed a feigned voyce and but in sound unsound I say when the king my Father had well beheld these things he could not foresee a remedie more proper or easier as being unserviceable and in his own gripe then to inlarge the number of his Nobles that these being dispersed into several Counties might as lambs of Soveraigntie in protection of their own degrees and at their own charge inure the people with respect and obedience to greatnesse and yet not to amate and discourage them he thought good to raise some neer or of their own rank whereby they might see themselves in possibility of the like honour if either by virtue wealth or honestie they make themselves worthie This I protest was a child of my Fathers best judgment in this poynt and the Duke but the instrument thereof And if you say that there was mony many times given for these Honours nay if you say that mony hath been given for places of Clergie and Judicature I pray take this of me that this is so in all other Countries as in France and Spain And those Councels seem a little to smile at our dulnesse that we have so lately apprehended their soundnesse herein for say they when men pay well for such places it is the best kind of security for their honesties especially when fayling in their dutie they shall be sure to be as much punished as they were advanced Howbeit I am not satisfied in this opinion And if it be said that the King should have had the mony which the Duke took to his own use I believe this last is more then any can prove neither will I deliver what I know therein Howsoever it matters not much being no popular disbursment Only this I will say that I know the Dukes particular service and affection to me and that he and his will lay down themselves and all they have at my Feet Neither is this bare opinion since the Duke alone hath dibursed and stands engaged more for my affaires and the States then any Number of Noblemen of England whatsoever and therefore there is reason that from a King he would receive his own and more And now my Lords since I have thus far opened a Kings Cabinet unto you at least by the measure of this foot of answer you may discover what may be said concerning that great bodie and bulk of accusations of the Highest kind made against the Duke I desire you would take it to heart remembring that it is your King that speaketh this who therefore expects your service and love herein and who will requite the same assuredly hoping you will believe me indeed and do accordingly indeed and that you will also rest assured that my spirit is not so young though a young King as that I would bring this testimony in mine own wrong were not that I say true in my own knowledge And being so you also will grant that it is not for a King to use his Servant and Instrument as he doth his Horses which being by hard riding in his service foundred and lamed to turn them off to grasse or to the Cart. I must therefore in right of the King my Fathers Honour and my own protect a
and Kinsman Middlesex The Earl of Middlesex to his Majestie 26. April 1624. Sacred Majestie and my most gracious Master YOur goodnesse is such to me your oppressed servant in this my time of persecution as I know not how to expresse my thankfulnesse otherwise then by pouring forth my humble and heartie prayers to the great God of heaven and earth to grant your Majestie all happinesse here and everlasting happinesse hereafter Between 5. and 6. of the clock upon Saturday in the evening I received my Charge from the Lords assembled in Parliament with an Order by which I am commanded to make my appearance at the Bar upon Thursday next by 9. of the clock in the morning with my answer And in the mean time to examine my witnesses This Charge of mine hath been in preparing by examining of witnesses upon oath and otherwise 23. daies And hath been weighed by the Wisdom of both Houses and doth concern me so neerly in point of honour and faith to your Majestie to answer well as I value my life at nothing in comparison of it I may grieve though I will not complain of any thing my Lords shall be pleased to Command but do hope that upon a second consideration they will not think three daies a fitting time for me to make my Answer and to examine witnesses in a cause of such importance and so neerly concerning me when twenty three daies hath been spent almost from morning until night in preparing my Charge I know the House whose Judgment I shall never desire to wave is the proper place for me to move to be resolved herein and therefore shall upon Wednesday morning make my humble motion there to have 7. daies longer time as well to make my answer and apparance as to examine my witnesses which are many and upon several heads But because the Prince his Highnesse and many of the Principal Lords are now with your Majestie at VVindsor my most humble suit to your Majestie is That you would be pleased to move them on my behalf to yield me so much further time that my Cause may not suffer prejudice for want of time to make my just defence that which I have propounded being as moderate as is possible With my most humble and heartie prayer to Almightie God for continuance of your health with all happinesse I humbly kisse your Royal hands and will ever rest Your Majesties most humble c. Middelsex The Earl of Carlile to his Majestie 14. February 1623. My it please your most Excellent Majestie THough my present indisposition deprives me of the Honour to attend your Majestie with the rest of the Commissioners with whom your Majesty was pleased to associate me yet I most humbly beseech your Majestie to give me leave in all humility to represent unto your Majestie what my heart conceiveth to be most for your Majesties service in the present conjuncture of your affaires During this time of my distemper I have been visited by divers Gentlemen of quality who are Parliament-men none of those popular and plausible Oratours but solid and judicious good patriots who fear God and honour the King Out of their discourses I collect That there are three things which do chiefly trouble your people The first that for the subsidies granted the two last Parliaments they have received no retribution by any bills of Grace The second that some of their Burgesses were proceeded against after the Parliament were dissolved And the third that they misdoubt that when they shall have satisfied your Majesties demands and desires you will neverthelesse proceed to the conclusion of the Spanish match It would be too much importunity to trouble your Majestie with the several answers which I made to their objections and would be too great presumption in mee to advise your Majesties incomparable wisdome what should be fittest to be done for your Majesties honour and the contentment of the people yet if it would please my Lord the King to give his humblest Creature leave to give vent to the loyal fervour of his heart restlesse and indefatigable in continual meditation of his Gracious Masters honour and service I would thus with all humble submission explain my self That there is nothing which either the enemies of this State or the perverse industry of false-hearted servants could invent more mischievous then the misunderstandings which have grown between your Majestie and your people nothing that will more dishearten the envious Maligners of your Majesties felicity and incourage your true hearted friends and Servants then the removing of those false feares and jealousies which are meer imaginarie Phantasmes and bodies of ayr easily dissipated whensoever it shall please the sun of your Majestie to shew it self clearly in its native brightnesse lustre and goodnesse God and the World do know the scope and the end of all your Majesties pious affections and endeavours to have been no other then the setling of an universal peace in Christendom a felicity only proper for your Majesties time and only possible to be procured by your incomparable goodnesse and wisdom but since the malice of the Divel and deceitful men have crossed those fair wayes wherein your Majestie was proceeding abusing your trust and goodnesse as Innocencie and goodnesse are alwayes more easily betrayed then wilinesse and malice you must now cast about again and sail by another point of the compasse and I am confident your Majestie will more securely and easily attain your Noble and pious end though the way be different The meanes are briefly these three First let your Majesties enemies see that the Lion hath teeth and clawes 2. Next imbrace and invite a strict and sincere friendship and association with those whom neighbourhood and alliance and common interest of state and religion have joyned unto you 3. And last of all cast off and remove jealousies which are between your Majestie and your people Your Majestie must begin with the last for upon that foundation you may afterwards set what frame of building you please And when should you begin Sir but at this overture of your Parliament by a gracious clear and confident discovery of your intentions to your People Fear them not Sir never was there a better King that had better subjects if your Majestie would trust them Let them but see that you love them and constantly rely upon their humble advice and readie assistance and your Majestie will see how they will tear open their breasts to give you their hearts and having them your Majestie is sure of their hands and purses Cast but away some crums of your Crown amongst them and your Majestie will see those crums will make a miracle they will satisfie many thousands Give them assurance that your heart was alwayes at home though your eyes were abroad invite them to looke forward and not backward and constantly maintain that with confidence you undertake and your majestie will find admirable effects of this harmonious concord Your Majestie as
redresse thereof if need be of all which points we shall expect to have your Reports with what diligence and expedition you may Dated at Theobalds Octob. 3d. 1621. The Archbishop of York to King James May it please your Majestie I Have been too long silent and am afraid that by silence I have neglected the duty of the place it hath pleased God to call me unto and your Majestie to place me in But now I humbly beseech that I may discharge my Conscience towards God and my dutie towards your Majestie And therefore I beseech you Sir to give me leave freely to deliver my self and then let it please your Majestie to do with me as you please Your Majestie hath propounded a Toleration of Religion I beseech you to take into your Consideration what your Act is and what the Consequence may be By your act you labour to set up that most damnable and heretical doctrine of the Church of Rome the Whore of Babylon How hateful will it be to God and grievous to your Subjects the true professours of the Gospel that your Majestie who hath often defended and learnedly written against those wicked heresies should now shew your self a Patron of those doctrines which your Pen hath told the world and your Conscience tells your self are superstitious idolatrous and detestable Also what you have done in sending the Prince without Consent of your Councel and the privitie and approbation of your People For although Sir you have a large interest in the Prince as the Son of your flesh yet have your People a greater as the Son of the Kingdom upon whom next after your Majestie are their eyes fixed and their Welfare defends And so slenderly is his going apprehended that believe Sir how ever his return may be safe yet the drawers of him unto that action so dangerous to himself so desperate to the Kingdome will not passe away unquestioned and unpunished Besides this Tolleration you endeavour to set up by your Proclamation it cannot be done without a Parliament unlesse your Majestie will let your Subjects see that you now take unto your self a libertie to throw down the Lawes of the Land at your pleasure What dreadful Consequence these things may draw after I beseech your Majestie to Consider And above all lest by this Tolleration and discountenance of the true profession of the Gospel wherewith God hath blessed us and under which this Kingdome hath flourished these many years your Majestie doth draw upon the Kingdom in general and your self in particular Gods heavy wrath and indignation Thus in discharge of my dutie to your Majestie and the place of my Calling I have taken the humble boldnesse to deliver my Conscience And now Sir Do with me what you please Next of all in order follow the Letters that passed between the King and his Agents about the Spanish Transactions The first Letter written per anonymum brings newes of the Princes arrival The Copy of a Letter sent from Spain concerning the Princes arrival there c. I Presume his Highnesse being now returned you may by Conference have such choice and free relations of his proceedings in Spain that I may well hold my Pen it being not priviledged with that freedom that the tongue is yet to comply with that constant obligation I purpose still to owe you I will write something and point at some passages where others perhaps may not so punctually inform you The Prince's coming hither seemed not so strange as acceptable and pleasing unto all The Common sort expressed it by extraordinary shouts and acclamations of joy offering and marrying the Infanta as it were presently by publique voice as having wonne and truly deserved her by so brave an adventure The King and State studied how to do him all the honour that might be The first decree that the Councel of State made was that at all occasions of meetings he should have the precedencie of the King That he should make entrie into the Palace in the form of State as the Kings of Spain do in the first day of their Coronation That he should have one of the chief Quarters of the Kings House for his lodgings one hundred of the Guard to attend him all the Councel to obey him as the Kings own person All prisoners were released the new Proclamation against excesse in apparel revoked and sundry other arguments of joy But a wonder lasteth not but for nine daies This universal joy was grounded upon hopes that the Prince came not onely to fetch a wife but also to make himself a Catholique Say you so The Pope incited him hereunto by Letters which his Nuntio delivered He sent a charge to the inquisitor general to use all possible diligence herein Many processions and shewes were made to stirre him But they soon saw how improbable it was to win him For which God be thanked how amongst all his servants there was not one Catholique about him what slight esteem they made of the Churches and Religion here some committing irreverent and scandalous actions in the Kings own Chappel so that they began to behold the English with an ill aspect to inveigh against the Conde de Gundomar that he should inform the King and State that the Prince had a disposition easie to be wrought upon to be made a Catholique Adde hereunto the ill offices that the Irish do who to preserve themselves in the Spanish pension did prejudice the businesse by casting aspersions upon the English the mis-information of the persecution in their Country and in England notwithstanding being here and the abuse of the Ambassadours servants in London When the Prince came there wanted nothing for the final consummation of all things but the dispensation which came two moneths after And whereas it was expected to come absolute and full it came infringed with Cautions and limitations viz. That the Infanta should not be married till matters in England were in perfect execution that in case the King of England could not give sufficient security the King of Spain himself should swear and undertake the oath for him Hereupon a Junto of Divines was appointed to determine hereof Whether the King might do this with a safe Conscience or no. These Divines went gravely and tediously to work which put the Prince upon that impatiency that he was upon point of departure When at last the businesse came to a resolution and so the Match was publiquely declared The Prince had then often though publiquely accesse to the Infanta the King being still himself present and in hearing After this a Ratification was sent for from Rome but the Pope dying in the interim and the new Pope falling suddenly sick it could not be speedily procured For want of this Ratification there was no Contract made and the Prince himself seemed not to desire it A little before his departure the King and the Councel of State with the Patriarch of the Indies the Prince-Prelate after the Bishop of
late Majestie and of his which now is who have been pleased not to question my actions c. Hereunto I have laboured exactly to obey but find that a plain and clear answer cannot possibly be made untill there be a cleer understanding of the thing propounded so that I may crave pardon if my answer be not so cleer as I could wish it for I must freely acknowledge that I no way understand what is meant by the security I am now in whether it be by the present estate I am now in or not If it be so I conceive a man cannot be under a harder Condition for your Lordship knoweth that by order my person is restrained and you were pleased lately to send me word that you would not advise me to make use of the liberty which his late Majestie had given me of coming to London although that were onely to follow my private affairs and for the recovery of my decayed health I stand likewise prohibited to come to the Court or to the Kings presence I passe by my being removed from all my places and offices and wholly depending upon his Majesties royal pleasure But being a Peer of this Realm I have not onely by Commandment been formerly stayed from the Parliament but of late my writ hath been detained as though my honour were forfeited And this is truly the Condition I am now in but I cannot imagine that this is the security intended I should rest in but am in hope that the security intended is that I may for the future enjoy the liberty of a free Subject and the priviledges of a Peer of the Kingdom Which being so I shall with all humility acknowledge his Majesties grace and favour and be ready to serve him with all fidelity even to the laying down of my life not thinking it to stand with the duty of a Subject to presse his being questioned since such being the pleasure of his Soveraign it were not in the power of any subject to avoid it But in case his Majestie shall be pleased to bring me to any legal tryal I shall most willingly and dutifully submit my self thereunto and doubt not but my innocency in the end will be my best Mediatour for his Majesties future favour And in that Case I am a suitor that my Writ of Parliament as a Peer of this Realm may be sent unto me and that my present repair to London may not displease his Majestie As for the pardon of the 21. Reg. Jacobi which you mention I should renounce but that I know that the justest and most cautious man living may through ignorance or omission offend the Lawes so that as a Subject I shall not disclaim any benefit which cometh in the general as it doth usually to all other Subjects in the Kingdom But as for any Crime in particular that may trench upon my imployments in point of Loyalty fidelity or want of affection to the King or State I know my innocency to be such that I am confident I shall not need that pardon I shall conclude with a most humble suit unto your Lordship that out of your noblenesse and that friendship that hath been betwixt us you will use your best endeavours both with his Majestie and the Duke that this unfortunate businesse may be past over by the renewing whereof I can see little use that can be made but the adding to a mans misfortunes already sufficiently humbled For I am ready to do all that a man of honour and honestie may do but rather then to do any thing that may be prejudicial to me in that kind to suffer whatsoever it shall please God to send And so with the remembrance of my humble service unto your Lordship I recommend you unto Gods holy protection And rest Sherborn Lodge c. Your Lordships humble servant Bristol Here next follow the Letters of my Lord of Bristol concerning the businesse of the Match The E. of Bristol to the Lord Bishop of Lincoln Aug. 20 1623. My very worthy Lord I Give you many thanks for your Letter of the 23d. of July by which I understand your great care of me by seconding a former motion it pleased your Lordship to make of having me reconciled to my Lord Dukes favour A thing which I have infinitely desired and have esteemed the good offices you have been pleased to do therein as a very high obligation your Lordship puts upon me But I conâ—eive your Lordship will find that any motion you have made in that kind unto his Grace hath been despised rather then received with any thankfulnesse or that he hath returned you any answer of his inclination thereunto For the truth is my Lord doth look down upon my poor Condition with that scorn and contempt that I conjecture the very moving of any such thing especially under the term of reconciliation hath not been pleasing unto his Lordship But thereof your Lordship can make the best judgment by the answer you received from him I do but guesse thereat by what I have heard he hath been pleased to say and the manner wherewith he hath used me Which hath been such that the Spaniards themselves which most afflicted me have out of compassion pitied me Yet I may with much truth assure your Lordship that I have not omitted towards him either any respect or service that was fit for me to perform either towards his person or the high place he holdeth in my Masters favour or unto his present imployment well knowing how undecent and scandalous a thing it is for the Ministers of a Prince to run different wayes in a strange Court but have attended him in all his publique audience and used in all kinds that respect and observance towards him that I think malice her self cannot charge me with an omission And my Lord this is the truth whatsoever may be said or written to the contrary It is true that some four moneths since in a businesse that no lesse concerned his Majestie and the Prince's service then abruptly to have broken off all our Treaty I was far differing from my Lords opinion And thereupon happened betwixt us some dispute in debate of the businesse but without any thing that was personal and there was no creature living at it but the Prince to whose Censure I shall willingly refer my self In me I protest it unto your Lordship it made no alteration but within half an hour I came to him with the same reverence and respect that I was wont to do the which I have continued ever since so that I have much wondered how it cometh to be so much spoken of in England that my Lord Duke and my self should live here at too much distance And I cannot find any other reason for it but that every body hath taken so much notice of my ill and contemptible usage that they think it unpossible for any Gentleman but to be sensible of it But if any one disrespect or omission from me towards
reason I think it will appear how well grounded their complaints be Upon those two former Anchors I will therefore rest and that so far from Cowardlinesse that I will either challenge them before his Majestie to make good their suggestions or else which I hold the greater valour of all and which I confesse I wanted before this check of your Lordships go on in my Course and scorn all these base and unworthy scandals as your Lordship shall direct me I have sent a Copy of a Letter of mine to my Lord Anan which his Majestie hath seen and given his assent it should not be kept private yet I would humbly crave your Lordships opinion thereof by Mr. Packer before any Copy goeth from me I am ever c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 12th Octob. 1622. My most Noble Lord I Will speak with the Jesuit to morrow and deliver him his admonition from the King but do send your Lordship here inclosed a Copie of the Conference which I procured from him without his privity onely to make his Majestie and your Lordship merrie I have also received a Letter concerning the French Embassador which I will be ready to put in execution as your Lordships servant and Deputy but not otherwise Yet your Lordship will give me out of that freedom which was wont to be well interpreted by your Lordship to let your Lordship understand that I find all businesses of restitution of ships and goods thus taken to have been handled before the Councel in Star-chamber all the reigns of Henry 7th and H. 8th without any contradiction of the Lord Admiral for the time being But this to your Lordship in secret I will be very careful of the Earl of Desmond that neither his cause nor your Lordships reputation shall suffer thereby And this is the account I can yet give of your Lordships Letter save that I humbly expect that answer which your Lordships own Luckie hand hath promised in the postscript of one of them I would ease your Lordship in this place but to prevent complaint that peradventure may be first invented and then presented Your Lordship shall heare of a long narrative of our Councel Table dispatches That passage of our letter which as it now goeth doth hope that his Majestie will spare to confer any suites of moment in Ireland until the return of the Irish Committee was a blunt request to the King to grant no suites there without our advice Against this concluded in my absence the first day of the Tearm I spake first to the Prince privately who allowed of my reasons then when the President would not mend it at the Table openly that I did utterly dislike we should tutour his Majesty how to grant suits especially in Letters that are to remain upon record My Lord of Cantuar and the Earle Marshal said they had many Presidents in that kind I answered I knew they had none but in the Kings time and that I wished them as I do all torn out of the book and cast into the fire I concealed my reasons which now I will reveal unto your Lordship because this is the third time I have expressed unto your Lordship under my hand my dislike of this kind of Limiting his Majestie otherwise then by word of mouth First if his Majestie which we see so often done shall dispose of these suites otherwise here are so many records remaining to malitious men to observe his Majesties aversenesse from following the advice of the Councel board Secondly if your Lordship shall procure any suit in this kind here are records also in time to come that you crosse and thwart the government of the Kingdom And I pray God this be but mine own jealousie The passage in the Letter with my Prating and his Highnesse help was altered and for fear of misreporting I make bold to relate the truth hereof to your Lordship My Lords proceeded very resolutely in those reformations which concerned other men The Commission of fees enables the Committees to call before them all the Judges as well as their under Officers which was more then the King exprest at Hampton Court amongst whom the Lord Keeper is one who from the Conquest to this day was never subjected to the call of any power in the Kingdom but the King and the Parliament And although I have not one Pennie of Fee which hath not continued above one hundred years yet for the honour of the Prime place in the state though now disgraced by the contemptiblenesse of the Officer I am an humble suiter unto your Lordship that my Person may be exempted from the command of Sr. Edwin Sandys or indeed any man els besides the King my Master Otherwise I shall very patiently endure it but the King hereafter may dislike it The Justices of the Peace are also appointed but if the Judges and my self be not utterly deceived to no purpose in the world nor service to his Majestie But when their Lordships came to surrender the under Leivtenantships to his Majesties hands whom the Lord President and I held fit to be created henceforward by several Commissions under the Great Seal it was stiffly opposed and stood upon that the King should name them in their Lordships Commissions onely according to a President in the late Queens time that is the King shall have the naming but they still the appointing of them And now it was pressed that his Majestie intended not to disgrace his Lords c and your Lordship is to have a Letter from Mr. Secretarie to know his Majesties mind herein If his Majestie shall not ordain them to be created by several Pattents it were better a great deal they should continue as they do I am very tedious in the manner and peradventure in the matter of this Letter I humbly crave pardon c. Passages between the Lord Keeper and Don Francisco HE was very inquisitive if I had already or intended to impart what he had told me the night before in secret to any man to the which he did adde a desire of secresie Because 1. The King had charged him and the Frier to be very secret 2. The Embassadours did not know that he had imparted these things unto me 3. The Popes were secret instructions which they gave to the Fryer to urge and presse the same points which himself had done to the King He confessed that the greatest part of the Friers instructions were to do all the worst offices he could against the Duke and to lay the breach of the marriage and disturbance of the peace upon him He excused the bringing the Copy of that paper unto me because the Marquesse had it yet in his custody but said he would procure it with all speed I desired him to do it the rather because besides my approbation of the form and manner of the writing I might be by it instructed how to apply my self to do his Majestie service therein as I found by that Conference
little and little by reason of favours done to particular Catholiques The former course might breed a general impression if not a mutinie This Letter will but loosen the tongues but of some few particulars who understand of their neighbours pardon and having vented their dislikes when they have not many to Sympathise with them they grow coole again so as his majestie afterwards may enlarge these favours without any danger at all Secondly to forbid Iudges against their oaths and Justices of the Peace sworn likewise to execute the law of the Land is a thing unpresidented in this Kingdom et Durus Sermo a very harsh and bitter pill to be digested upon a suddain and without some preparation But to grant a pardon even for a thing that is Malum in se and a dispensation with Penal Lawes in the profit whereof the King onely is interested is usual and full of presidents and examples And yet is this Letter onely tending to the safety the former but to the glory and insolencie of the Papists and the magnifying the service of the Embassadors ends too dearly purchased with the indangering of a tumult in three Kingdomes Thirdly and Lastly his Maiestie useth to speak to his Bishops Judges and Justices of the peace by his Chancelour or Keeper as your Grace well knoweth and by his Great Seal and I can signify his Majesties pleasure unto them with lesse noise and danger which I mean to do hereafter if the Embassadors shall presse it to this effect unlesse your Grace shall from his Highnesse or your own judgment direct otherwise That whereas his Majestie being at this time to mediate for favour to many Protestants in forraign parts with Princes of another religion and to sweeten the entertainment of the Princess into this Kingdom who is as yet a Roman Catholique doth hold a mitigation of the rigour of those lawes made against Recusants to be a necessary inducement to both those purposes and hath therefore issued forth some pardons of Grace and favour to such Roman Catholiques of whose faithfulnesse and fidelity to the state he rests assured That therefore you the Lords Bishops Judges and Justices each of those to be written unto by themselves do take notice of this his Majesties pardon and dispensation with all such penal Lawes and demean your selves accordingly c. Thus have I been too tedious and troublesome unto your Grace and Crave your pardon therefore and some directions which you may cause Sir Francis Cottington or some other to write without your Graces trouble if there shall apeare any cause of alteration Doctor Bishop the new Bishop of Calcedon is come to London privately and I am much troubled thereabouts not knowing what to advise his Majestie in this posture as things stand at this present If you were shipped with the Infanta the onely Councel were to let the Judges proceed with them presently hang him out of the way and the King to Blame my Lord of Cantuar or my self for it But before you be shipped in such form and manner I dare not assent or Connive at such a course It is my gracious Lord a most insolent Part and an offence as I take it Against our common Law and not the statutes onely which are dispensed withall for an English man to take such a consecration without the Kings consent and especially to use any Episcopal Jurisdiction in this Kingdom without the royal assent and Bishops have been in this State put to their fine and ransom for doing so three hundred years ago I will cease to to be further troublesome and pray to Almighty God to blesse your Grace and in all humblenesse take my leave and rest c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 14th of October 1621. My most Noble Lord I Humbly thank your Lordship for your most sweet and loving Letter which as Sir George Goring could not but observe hath much revived me drooping under the unusual weight of so many businesses Let God suffer me no longer to be then I shall be true plain faithful and affectionately respectful of your Lordship as being most bound unto your Lordship for these so many fruits but far more for the tree that bore them your love and affection If your Lordship shall not think it inconvenient I do beseech your Lordship to present this Petition inclosed either by word or writing unto his Majestie and to procure a speedy dispatch thereof because we are to meet on Thursday next Also to acquaint his Majestie that I stumble at the Proclamation now coming to the Seal against any that shall draw or present any bill for his Majesties signature besides those Clarks which usually draw them up by virtue of their places It is most prejudicial to my place the Lord Treasurer and the Judges itinerant who are often occasioned to draw up and present to his Majestie divers matters and especially pardons of Course It is also too strong a tie upon your Lordships hands being intended by his Majestie against Projectors and Scriveners only If it shall please his Majestie therefore to make an exception of the Lords of his Councel and Judges of Assize it may passe to the contentment of all men Mr. Attourney saith he meant this exception but I find it not sufficiently expressed in the Proclamation Also I humbly beseech your Lordship to meddle with no pardon for the Lord of St. Albons until I shall have the happinesse to confer with your Lordship the pardoning of his fine is much spoken against not for the matter for no man objects to that but for the manner which is full of knavery and a wicked president For by this assignation of his fine he is protected from all his Creditors which I dare say was neither his Majesties nor your Lordships meaning I have presumed to send your Lordship a true Copy of that speech which I made at VVestminster Hall at my entrance upon this office because somewhat was to be spoken at so great a change and alteration in so high a Court And I was never so much troubled in my life not how but what to speak I humbly crave pardon if I have failed in points of discretion which a wiser man in such a case might easily do With my heartiest prayers unto God to continue all his blessings upon your Lordship I rest deservedly c. Postscript MY Lord I find my Lord Treasurer affectionately touched with removing from the Court of Wards and do wish with all my heart he may have contentment in that or any thing else but orderly and in a right method Let him hold it but by your Lordships favour not his own power or wilfulnesse And this must be apparent and visible Let all our greatnesse depend as it ought upon yours the true original Let the King be Pharaoh your self Joseph and let us come after as your half-brethren God blesse you c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke concerning Sir John Michel 8. Aug. 1622. My most noble
to put all those statutes in execution against the Protestants in those parts which are here enacted and as they falsely informed severally executed upon the Papists I would therefore see the most subtile State-monger in the world chalk out a way for his Majestie to mediate for Grace and favour for the Protestants by executing at this time the severity of the Lawes upon the Papists And that this favour should mount to a Toleration is a most dull and yet a most divelish misconstruction A Toleration looks forward to the time to come This favour backward onely to the offences past If any Papist now set at liberty shall offend the lawes again the Justices may nay must recommit him and leave favour and mercy to the King to whom onely it properly belongeth Nay let those 2. writs directed to the Judges be as diligently perused by those rash Censures as they were by those grave and learned to whom his Majestie referred the penning of the same and they shall find that these Papists are no other-otherwise out of prison then with their shackles about their heels sufficient sureties and good recognisances to present themselves again at the next assises As therefore that Lacedemonian posed the Oracle of Apollo by asking his opinion of the bird which he grasped in his hand whether he were alive or dead so it is a matter yet controversed and undecided whether those Papists closed up and grasped in the hands of the law be still in prison or at libertie Their own demeanours and the successe of his Majesties negotiations are Oracles that must deside the same If the Lay-papists do wax insolent with this mercy insulting upon the Protestants and translating this favour from the person to the cause I am verily of opinion his Majestie will reman d them to their former state and condition and renew his writ no more But if they shall use these graces modestly by admitting Conference with learned Preachers demeaning themselves neighbourly and peaceably praying for his Majestie and the prosperous successe of his pious endeavours and relieving him bountifully which they are as well able to do as any of his Subjects if he shall be forced and constrained to take his sword in hand then it cannot be denied but our Master is a Prince that hath as one said plus humanitatis penè quam hominis and will at that time leave to be merciful when he leaves to be himself In the mean while this argument fetcht from the Devils topicks which concludes a Concreto ad abstractum from a favour done to the English Papists that the King favoureth the Romish Religion is such a composition of follie and malice as is little deserved by that gracious Prince who by word writing exercise of Religion acts of Parliament late directions for catechizing and preaching and all professions and endeavours in the world hath demonstrated himself so resolved a Protestant God by his holy Spirit open the eyes of the people that these aierie representations of ungrounded fancies set aside they may clearly discern and see how by the goodnesse of God and the wisdom of their King this Island of all the Countries in Europe is the sole nest of peace and true Religion and the inhabitants thereof unhappie onely in this one thing that they never look up to heaven to give God thanks for so great a happinesse Lastly for mine own Letter to the Judges which did onely declare not operate the favour it was either much mis-penned or much misconstrued It recited four kinds of recusancies onely capable of his Majesties clemencie not so much to include these as to exclude many other crimes bearing amongst the Papists the name of Recusancies as using the function of a Romish Priest seducing the Kings liege people from the Religion established scandalizing and aspersing our King Church State or present Government All which offences being outward practises and no secret motions of the conscience are adjudged by the Lawes of England to be merely civil and political and excluded by my Letter from the benefit of those Writs which the bearer was imployed to deliver unto the Judges And thus I have given your Lordship a plain account of the carriage of this businesse and that the more suddenly that your Lordship might perceive it is not Aurea Fabula or prepared tale but a bare Narration which I have sent unto your Lordship I beseech your Lordship to let his Majestie know that the Letters to the Justices of Peace concerning those four heads recommended by his Majestie shall be sent away as fast as they can be exscribed I will trouble your Lordship no more at this time but shall rest ever Your Lordships servant and true friend Jo. Lincoln C. S. The Bishop of Menevensis to the Duke Dr. Laud. My most Gratious Lord I May not be absent and not write And since your Grace is pleased with the trouble I must professe my self much content with the performance of the dutie I am not unmindful of the last businesse your Grace committed to me but I have as yet done the lesse in it because I fell into a relaps of my infirmitie but I thank God I am once more free if I can look better to my self as I hope I shall My Lord I must become an humble suitor to your Grace I hear by good hand that my Lord of Canterbury intends shortly to renew the High Commission Now I am to acquaint your Grace that there is never a Bishop that lives about London left out of the Commission but my self and many that live quite absent are in and many inferiours to Bishops The Commission is a place of great experience for any man that is a Governour in the Church And since by his Majesties gratious goodnesse and your Grace's sole procurement I am made a Governour I would be loath to be excluded from that which might give me experience and so enable me to perform my dutie I am sure my Lord of Canterbury will leave me out as hitherto he hath done if his Majestie be not pleased to Command that I shall be in This I submit to your Grace but humbly desire even against my own ease and quiet that I may not be deprived of that experience which is necessary for my place I most humbly beseech your Grace to pardon this boldnesse and to know that in my daily prayers for your Grace's happinesse I shall ever rest Your Grace's most devoted and affectionate servant Guil. Menevensis Novemb. 18. 1624. The Bishop of Menevensis to the Duke Dr. Laud. My most Gracious Lord I Am heartily glad to hear your Lordship is so well returned and so happily as to meet so great joy God hath among many others his great blessings and I know your Grace so esteems them sent you now this extraordinarie one a son to inherit his fathers honours and the rest of Gods blessings upon both So soon as I came to any end of my journey I met the happie
wholly upon Spain so that this King will protect him in his Electoral dignity and what he hath lately possessed himself of in those parts This offer of the Dukes hath been several dayes debated in Councel where the Marquesse Ynoiosa hath been busie in the behalf of the Duke but the wiser part of this Councel seeing how prejudicial the increase of the Dukes greatnesse may prove to the Empire do no way favour his pretentions They likewise hold fit to continue the state of things in a possibility of an accommodation without our Master The Arch-Duke Don Carlos hath brought power from the Emperour to proceed to the consummation of a marriage betwixt the Emperours son and the Infanta Donna Maria wherein he sayes he hath nothing to Capitulate but brings them a blanck paper and hath power and order to confirm what conditions they shall here set down The Emperour's Embassadour doth much presse to proceed to the Capitulations but there is yet nothing done The Infanta of Brussels hath lately written hither importing this King to admit of a treaty of marriage betwixt the Prince of Polonia and the Infanta his Sister extolling with many expressions the worth and parts of that Prince There hath been some moneths a general stop of their proceedings here in all suites of English Merchants depending in this Court but I have at last procured a Junto to be assigned for the hearing of all English Causes wherein I am promised there shall be a speedy Resolution taken of whatsoever is at present in Question The Duke of Feria hath lately advertised hither from Millain that the French King and the Duke of Savoy do minister much occasion of jealousie that they intend to attempt some novelty in those parts and doth therefore desire that his Troops may be augmented whereupon above the ordinary charge there was instantly remitted unto him 2000. Duckets The great annual Assiento which this King makes with the Genoueses is newly concluded it is for 7. millions whereof 4. are remitted for Flanders to be paid by monethly portions In a late meeting of the Councel of State upon a discourse that passed amongst them taking into consideration this Kings wants and the present distemper of his affairs the Inquisidor General expressing how necessary a time it was for his Majesties Subjects to assist his present occasions made offer of 100 Duckets for his part which the Conde of Olivares followed with a tender of 300 the Conde of Monterrey of 100 all the rest of the Councel of State following their example gave according to their quality Notice being taken of this abroad the Condestable wrote a Letter unto this King wherein he made tender of 200 Duckets the Marquesse of Castel Rodrigo of 100 the Marquesse of Carpio of the like summe Divers others have likewise declared themselves in this donative and it is hoped that it will go over the whole Kingdome and bring in an extraordinary Treasure into the Kings purse Thus with the remembrance of my duty I rest Your Graces c. W A. Archbishop Abbots to Secretarie Nanton 12. Septemb. 1619. Good Mr. Secretarie I Have never more desired to be present at any Consultation then that which is this day to be handled for my heart and all my heart goeth with it But my Foot is worse then it was on Friday so that by advice of my Physitian I have sweat this whole night past and am directed to keep my bed this day But for the matter my humble advice is That there is no going back but a countenancing of it against all the world yea so far as with ringing of Bells and making of Bon-fires in London so soon as it shall be certainly understood that the Coronation is past I am satisfied in my Conscience that the Cause is just wherefore they have rejected that proud and bloody man and so much the rather because he hath taken a course to make that Kingdom not elective but to take it from the donation of another man And when God hath set up the Prince that is chosen to be a mark of honor through all Christendom to propagate his Gospel and to protect the oppressed I dare not for my part give advice but to follow where God leads It is a great honour to the King our Master that he hath such a Son whose virtues have made him thought sit to be made a King And me thinks I do in this and that of Hungary foresee the work of God that by piece and piece the Kings of the earth that gave their power unto the beast all the Word of God must be fulfilled shall now tear the Whore and make her desolate as St. John in his Revelation hath foretold I pray you therefore with all the spirits you have to put life into this businesse and let a return be made into Germany with speed and with comfort and let it really be prosecuted that it may appear to the World that we are awake when God in this sort calleth us If I had time to expresse it I could be very angry at the shuffling which was used toward my Lord of Doncaster and the slighting of his Embassage so which cannot but touch upon our Great Master who did send him and therefore I would never have a Noble Sonne forsaken for respect of them who truly aym at nothing but their own purposes Our striking in will comfort the Bohemians will honour the Palsgrave will strengthen the Union will bring on the States of the Low Countries will stirre up the King of Denmark and will move his two uncles the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Bovillon to-together with Tremoville a rich Prince in France to cast in their shares And Hungarie as I hope being in that same cause will run the same fortune for the meanes to support the war I hope Providebit Deus The Parliament is the old and honourable way but how assured at this time I know not yet I will hope the best certainly if countenance be given to the action many brave spirits will voluntarily go Our great Master in sufficient want of mony gave some ayde to the Duke Savoy and furnished out a prettie army in the cause of Cleve We must trie once again what we can be done in this businesse of a higher nature and all the mony that may be spared is to be turned that way And perhaps God provided the Jewels that were layd up in the Tower to be gathered by the Mother for the preservation of her Daughter who like a noble Princesse hath professed to her Husband not to leave her self one Jewel rather then not to maintain so religious and righteous a cause You see that lying on my bed I have gone too far but if I were with you this should be my language which I pray you humbly and heartily to represent to the King my Master telling him that when I can stand I hope to do his Majestie some service herein So commending me unto you I
This motion did trouble the President not a little who hath all the Provincials at his beck and some of the forraign Divines too but especially the Palatines Yet there was a publique Synode called for this purpose where the President of the Delegates did make a speech desiring the Synode to depute some who joyned with the President and the Assessours might take pains for moulding of the Canons In the delivering of the voices most testified their dislike of this course and their singular respect to the Presidents Credit but Scultetus did by many reasons approve the course which the President had begun and disprove this new course which was suggested yet he taxed no man personally But Sibrandus when he came to deliver his voice like a mad-man did inveigh against those who were the suggesters of this change and said That strangers should not take upon them to prescribe what was good for the estate of their Church and that some others who had joyned in that were worthy to be noted Censurâ Ecclesiasticâ therein he aymed at the South Holland who did likewise much dislike the President his Course Sibrandus spake so furiously that both the Praeses Politicus and the Praeses Ecclesiasticus desired him either to hold his peace or else speak that which might not disturb the peace of the Synode Yet since it was the Delegates pleasure the whole Synode added to the President and the Assessours three forraign Divines viz. my Lord of Landaff Scultetus and Deodatus 3. Provincials viz. Poliander Vallaeus and Triglandius who should mould and conceive the Canons upon every Article and then send a Copie of what they have done to every Colledge that they may adde power and change what they will the Colledges observations being considered by them and the Canons according to them amended they are to be returned to the Colledges and the Colledges to return them again and so to keep the course ever till there be no exceptions against them When they are thus agreed upon by all several Colledges they shall publiquely be concluded and approved by the Synode We are now hard at polishing the Canons which these Deputies send us All our trouble is in the second Article The most part of the Synode would cry us down with voices for the restriction of the general propositions in Scripture and the Confessions of the Reformed Churches concerning Christs death ad Solos Electos We stand for leaving them unexpounded and unrestricted as we found them and rejoyce exceedingly that the Directions which my Lord Embassadour sent us from his Majestie concerning this point agreeth so fully with our judgment subscribed with our hands given in to the Synode upon the second Article By this doing we first leave a found and sufficient ground for preaching of the Gospel to all men Next we shun a great deal of offence which otherwise we must needs have given to the Lutheran Churches Thirdly we retain the same phrases and forms of speaking which those Fathers did who wrestled with the Pelagians in the same point If this Article be well looked into I hope there shall moderation enough be observed in all the rest If it were not for the moderation of the forraign Divines we should have such Canons as I think have not been heard of for there is never a Provincial Minister here who hath delivered any rigid Proposition and hath been taxed by the Remonstrants for it but he would have that Proposition thrust into one Canon or another that so he may have something to shew for that which he hath said As soon as the Canons are agreed upon I shall by Gods grace with all expedition send them unto your Honour Our next work will be Vorstius whose book they would censure without citation of himself The President wrote to our Colledge in the Delegates name to know whether we thought it fit to have him personally cited but especially to know what we thought would be most agreeing to his Majesties mind To the latter concerning his Majesties mind we answered That we thought my Lord Embassadour could give them the best resolution for that point For the former we thought it would be evil taken If any man should be condemned not being first heard But because they that Vorstius would keep them as long as the Remonstrants had done We told them That we desired they would not suffer him to make any defences or explications of his blasphemous propositions but simply to answer per ita vel non whether he would plainly abjure them or not And so accordingly proceed against him and so we should make no great losse of time so I think he shall be personally cited This is all for we have had no Synodical meetings these 12. daies I can see no end of the Synode before Whitsontide With my best prayers for your Honours and the remembrance of all my faithful respects I take my leave And am Your Honours In all true observance and service Walter Balcanquel Sir William Beecher to his Majestie 4th of February Most Gracious Soveraign BEsides the relation of the apparance of change in the affairs of the Court wherewith my Dispatch to Mr. Secretarie Lake will acquaint your Majestie I thought it my duty to give you particular account that being yesterday with the Prince of Jain ville after some earnest protestations made to me of his desire to do your Majestie service falling into discourse of those occurrences he grew into these terms That the complaints of the Queen Mother were founded upon good reason that if she had offended the King or the State why did they not make her processe if she had not offended why should she not see the King and her children that when the Queen fell upon these Complaints they thought to fright her by Pretending to bring forth the Prince of Conde but that the Queen had astonished them by telling them That she was so far from opposing as she desired the liberty of the Prince That the Queens friends would be glad of his liberty for that it could not be prejudicial but rather advantagious at the least it would be honourable for them if his liberty were wrought if not by their intercession at least by their occasion further he told me That he was confident that the Queen would not be gained by their fair words but would persist in her resolution Which discourse of his with some other advertisements doth perswade me that this matter hath a farther root and is likely to bring forth some great alteration here in no long time And I doubt not but that Monsieur de Luine will find with repentance how much better it had been for him to have furthered your Majesties advice for the delivery of the Prince whereby he might have acquired to the King a reputation of Justice and to himself an obligation of a powerful friend in the Prince rather then to leave him to the adventure of the changes that time may produce But if
your Counsel did prove fruitlesse to them by their misconceit of it yet it doth and will every day prove more honourable to your Majestie who by your wisdom have foreseen and by your goodnesse have premonished all your neighbours of the mischiefs that threatned them Peradventure they may overcome this effort of the Queenes by fair words to her Person and threats signified afar off and continue the state of affairs in the same condition that now it is which is in few words extreamly Romish Jesuitish and by consequence Spanish Mounsieur de Luine seemeth to me a man in himself capable of reason and by the death of the Marshal d'Anchre eternally bound to be a good Patriot but that he applyes himself wholly to the Kings person and that distrusting his own judgment relies upon the judgment of the Ministers of the State and principally * Du Ageu Du Augen the Chancellour and the Gardeseaux They utterly neglect all the Alliances of our Religion abroad and care not how inconsiderately they oppresse it at home Onely they seem desirous to entertain themselves well with the King of Spain by the intervention of the Nunce and do think that no advantage which they can give the Spaniard by this proceeding in other parts can equal that which they pretend to receive at home by suppressing the State and doctrine of those of the Religion If they proceed long in this train it will undoubtedly breed mischievous designes which there is no so ready way to prevent as to let them generally perceive that they are discovered whereby the proceedings of the Ministers of State will grow so detestable to all those here that have any sense of the love of their Countrey that it will produce either a change of their persons or of their Councels But I do humbly submit the Censure hereof to your Majesties most exquisite judgment whom I do beseech the Almighty long to preserve in health and all perfect happinesse Your Majesties Most humble Subject and Loyal Servant Will. Beecher To King James ab ignoto Most wise and Glorious Prince BEcause the departure of your Majestie doth not permit me to hope for the honour of seeing you and that the advertisements and orders which I have to communicate unto you do merit your speedy review and magnanimous resolution I have presumed to trust them unto this paper which I do humbly desire may rest in the hands of your Majestie alone The treaty of restoring all that had been taken by Sea which by a motion from Spain was put into the hands of some Ministers in Rome is accompanied with so little hope of obtaining the end that was pretended that by reason of their continuing at Naples to dissipate and waste such goods as they had taken in our ships and the Cardinal Borgias reservednesse to promise any thing that negotiation may be held as vain and as an insidious invention to gain time Neverthelesse my Masters marching still with a constant desire of purchasing the publique tranquillity have been content to render all such vessels as they had taken within their Gulph in hope that having gotten the advantage of the cause by this honest proceeding they might prevail in which they had made at Naples for the restitution of their Galeasses and of the ship called Rosse But the actions and operations of the Spaniards do not answer unto what is desired and hoped For in the Kingdome of Sicilie Naples and Calabria they do muster new Souldiers and they make great preparations for a war by the Sea The subjects of those Kingdomes are taxed with extraordinary Contributions of mony and in daily councels held by the duke of Ossuna the Marquesse Santa Croce and other ministers they do consult of the meanes of making war and doing hurt But that which is most important is that in the conjuncture there is likewise in divers parts of Spain a terrible concourse of great provisions For they have put in a readinesse armour for 30000. men they have ingrossed all the ammunition that could be purchased and have put in good equipage 60. tall ships which being added unto those they have already in the Streights make 80. at Naples they have 20 ships more besides all their own Gallies and an order they have obtained for the Gallies of Malta Florence and the Pope to joyn with them All the Italian Souldiers are quartered along the Coast of Apulia which is opposite to our Gulphe and they have 14000. foot of Walloons French and Spaniards lodged within the Kingdom of Naples In Flanders at this present they make a new Leavie of 6000. foot and a 1000. horse And in the state of Millan they do retain still 3000. horse supernumeraries All which forces and provisions as they do deserve for their greatnesse to be regarded and looked upon with a jealous eye of every one so those who do suffer at the present many jnjuries and acts of hostility at the hands of the Spaniards and in particular the State of Venice which is betrayed by their fraudulent treaties cannot chuse but fear and doubt more then any other Neither can any pretences of enterprises or designs against the Turk secure those who set the sword bended against their breasts and the fire kindled in their own houses Whereupon your Majestie is humbly desired that you will be pleased to consider seriously of what hath been remonstrated and to take such a resolution as may best befit your wisdom and Greatnesse and the safety and indemnity of a State so observant of your Majesty as ours is and of a member so important of the liberty of Italie and of Europe There is not at this day Invincible Sir any Prince in the whole world upon whom the Conservation of the publique tranquillity doth more rely then upon your Majestie For there being none that doth equal your Majestie in wisdom and experience possessing your Kingdomes in perfect peace quietnesse and plenty to the infinite praise of your name and being free from the molestation of all stormes and tempests it seemeth that the eyes of all men are turned towards your Majestie as towards a Sun that ought to clear the Skie and that they expect deliverance onely from your hand These resolutions oh most wise King will be the strongest walls upon which your eternity can be reared These will be the Jewels and the crown which will adorn you in earth and in Heaven These will be the immortal Glorie of your powerful name The resolutions in cases of such weight and danger ought to be magnanimous quick and powerful The very noise of your putting in order your royal Navie the sending a person of quality to the place from whence the danger is feared and the declaring your self in favour of those whom you shall find to have the right on their side may perhaps prove sufficient to procure a peace If words will not prevail deeds must follow and such a resolution will prove the true Antidote to
all their poysons For the better effecting whereof the world doth attend with great devotion to see a good correspondencie renewed betwixt your Majestie and the French King and for the disposing your Majesties heart thereunto the State of Venice doth joyn her humble prayers unto the earnest intreaty of many others In the mean time I am to request your Majestie that you will be pleased to forbid the exportation of Artillerie ships and Marriners out of our Kingdomes for the service of the Spaniards it being neither just nor agreeable to your Majesties Piety that your Arms should be stayned with the blood of a State and Prince that hath no equal in love to your Royal Crown and that will ever testifie to all the world by effects of their observance the pure and sincere devotion that they have to your Glorious name For my own particular I humbly crave leave to kisse your royal hands Sir Isaac Wake to the Secretarie Right Honourable I Have safely received the Letter wherewith your Honour hath been pleased to favour me dated at Theobalds the 19th of July Stil Vet. and have to my singular comfort understood that you have been pleased not onely to give favourable acceptance unto such weak dispatches as I have made bold to addresse unto you but done me the honour likewise to acquaint his Majestie with the contents of them and to direct my proceedings in in this intricate businesse which instructions dictated by his Majesties wisedom this light will be sufficient to direct my steps in the middest of an Egyptian darknesse which doth not only obscure the Horizon of this Province where I reside but almost the whole face of Europe by reason of the great mists which are cast artificially in all mens eyes to cover the designs of those who do presume that they have in all places arbitrium Belli et Pacis I most humbly crave pardon of your Honour if you do not receive my answer so soon as perhaps you might expect For yours having stayed upon the way a month and a day did not come to my hands until the 20th of August Stil Vet. At which time it was brought unto me by Mr. Rowlandson whom I had dispatched into Germany to advertize those Princes of the motion made to the Duke of Savoy for the passage of Spanish forces through his State My Lord of Doncaster under whose Cover I received that Letter did not think fit to send it to me by an expresse messenger for fear of increasing the suspition of some in those parts who are jealous that his Majesty doth favour the Duke of Savoy more then they could wish And I must confesse that the same reason induced me likewise to send that Gentleman of the Duke of Savoy's into Germany rather then any servant of mine own for fear least allees and vennes of messagers betwixt my Lord of Doncaster and me in these doubtful times might so far injealous the contrary party as might prejudice the service of his Majestie in that Negotiation The instructions that your Honour hath been pleased to give me from his Majestie concerning my treating with 52. 52. c. the Duke of Savoy 93. a. the Bohemians 95 a. the Emperour Ferdinand 51. a. the King of England 97. a. Germany 99. a. the King of the Romans 71. c. the Agent of England 51. b. the Prince Palatine 52. b. the Marquesse Brandenbergh 54. b. the Marquesse Auspach 50. b. the Princes of the Union 56 b. Count Ernest Mansfelt c. in favour of 93. a. having reference unto the inclination of 95. a. to peace or the probability of defence to be made by 93. a. I held it more safe for me to govern my self by such informations of the state of those affairs as I have received from the favour of the 1. 32. 7. 5. 47. 48. 2. 10. 40. 45. of 51. a. in 97. a. And for the better justification of my proceedings I send your Honour here inclosed the Copie of his Letter unto me wherein you will see that I have no reason as yet to spend the name of 51. a. in favour of 93. a. nor to imbargue 52. c. in a businesse which may draw a great charge and envie upon himself and not much advantage the 93. a. I must confesse that the 50. b. in general and particularly the 54. b. and the 41. 45. 23. 34. 9. 12. of 5. 35. 22. 4. 30. 50. have represented the state of those affairs at this present unto 52. b. in a manner not onely different from the advertisements sent me but almost contrary and they do seem not only to be confident of the prevailing of 93. c. but likewise they continue to give hope that the 10. 51. 29. 15. of 48. 3. 59. 15. will concur with 51. b. and 52. b. in the 12. 30. 13. 9. 50. 27. 40. 35. of 99. a. But because I have reason to suspect that they make relation of those affairs rather as they wish they were then as they be indeed and that their intention to draw somewhat from 52. c. towards the succours of 93. a. I will forbear to joyn with them therein until I can have some better ground then their advertisements which may be thought to savour of partiality and I have reason to be backward therein because I know that 5â— c. would presently take me eu mot and put to the account of 51. a. that which he is most willing to do of himself I do not affirm this out of conjecture but upon good ground for besides that he did signifie so much unto me at my return out of England I do know that within this fortnight he hath sent unto 56. b. 3000. 41. 24. 48. 49. 40. 30. 47. in part of 42. 2. 60. 32. 15. 35. 50. and in the conveyance of this 33. 39. 34. 35. 61. there was extraordinary diligence used to conceal it from the knowledge of the 71. c. whereof no other construction can be made but that 52. c. would fain be intreated by 71. c. to do that which he hath already a mind to do If upon more fresh Letters which I expect from my Lord of Doncaster I shall find that the affairs there have changed face since the writing of his last unto me I will govern my self accordingly as I shall receive warrant from him We are here at a stand expecting with devotion the issue of the affairs of Germanie The Army in the Kingdom of Naples is still retained and no order given either for the dismissing of those Troops or the employing them in any service Prince Philibert is at Messina with the Gallies and hath with him 10. or 12000 men The Ships and Gallions remain at Naples and the Walloons Lombardes and Neapolitanes which should have come to Vado are since their dis-imbarquing again quartered round the City of Naples It is impossible to guesse what they mean to do but the most probable conjecture is that under the colour of suspecting the Duke of Ossuna the
of his Majesties Person in all happinesse and prosperity in all humility I take leave And rest Your Honours Most faithfully to command Isaac Wake Turin 5 15 of Octob. 1619. Sir Isaac Wake to the Duke Right Honourable and my very singular good Lord IN these parts we have nothing of moment worthy the relating the storms which do vex our neighbours round about us keeping us here in calme and quiet as it were per antiperistasin Howsoever I am of opinion that we shall enter into the Dance either actively or passively before the next summer passe over All over Italy there doth raign a great dearth which did lately cause in Naples a dangerous Cullevation of the people against the Cardinal Zappata Vice-Roy who had somewhat to do to save himself from the fury of the Popolarzo In the State of Millan likewise some insurrections were beginning to be made in Novarra Allessandria and Cremona both for want of bread and for the insolencie of the Garrison Souldiers who having had no pay for many moneths did commit many violent excesses upon the people which did drive them into despair but those Commotions were appeased betimes and no great matter of Consideration hath ensued although there are some neighbour Princes who did stand aux Escoutes and would be ready to have acted a troublesome part if the scene had been ready The Duke of Parma hath imprisoned his natural son Don Octavio the mysterie whereof is not well known but it must needs be for some great matter because he did make shew to love him passionately The Infanta Isabella of Modena hath been in danger of her life by being surprized with a violent feaver neer the time of her child-birth from hence the Duke of Savoy sent his Physitians to help her and we hear now that she hath escaped that danger and is safely delivered of a daughter Count Mansfelt is grown formidable and doth daily increase in strength and reputation Although he hath hitherto intitled his armes unto the service of the King of Bohemia yet I believe he will neither disarm nor suspend his arms when he shall be commanded so to do by that King For being now intertained by the State of Venice with an honourable provision of 12000 Crowns per annum in peace during his life and the pay of 10000 Foot and 2000 horse in the time of War he will try what he can do for the infranchising of the Grisons when the affairs of the Palatinate shall be accommodated And if the Austriaci do not bend all their forces against him very speedily and break his Armie before it grow more strong he is like to give them a greater blow then they have had these many yeares That which he hath gotten already in Alsatia is much more worth then the lower Palatinate and although he hath hitherto made those people to swear Allegiance unto the King of Bohemia yet when the said King shall make his peace with the Emperour it may be doubted whether Count Mansfelt will resign up what he hath conquered and it is thought that he will either keep it for himself or intitle some other Prince thereunto The Austriaci were never so matched as with Count Mansfelt for he is a perpetual motion and doth not stand upon the defensive as others have done hitherto and lost by the bargain hut he is alwaies setting upon them and doth make War at their cost let them take heed how they proceed with him for he who hath nothing to lose is ready to hazard the Paquet upon all occasions And if he do chance to overthrow them once in battel they will run danger or lose all that they have in Germany Let me in all humility beseech your Lordship to continue me in the honor of your good opinion and to favour me with your honourable protection especially with a good word to my Lord Treasurer for the sending me some relief without which I cannot possibly subsist having for want of my pay consumed all that I had in the world God Almighty increase upon your Lordship all happinesse and prosperity as is unfainedly wished unto you by him that is Your Lordships most humble obliged Creature and Servant Isaac Wake Turin 13 23. of Febr. 1621. Sir Isaac VVakes Proposition for the King of Denmark IT seemeth that the Glorie of this State which at all times was great doth shine brighter now adayes since that besides so many Neighbouring Kings and Princes whereof some are in a made league with us and some do keep a good correspondence and all a good intelligence with us Now the friendship of your Highnesse is sought by the mighty King of Denmark a monarch of those nations that in time past have left their remembrance of their prowesse in Italie France Spain and in whole Europe behind them This Great King of the North who like a Second Atlas holds up the Artick-pole rich in treasure numerous in men dreadful for his invincible generosity and Courage doth here offer himself unto your Highnesse And acquainting you of his actions doth confidently promise you to stand firm and stout in the defence of the common cause if so be that he receive that assistance as he hath reason to expect from those that are interested in the same cause His Majestie of Denmark hath had from the King my Master as much as can be given and it is no small matter that his Majestie of great Brittain doth still continue the same assistance having withall still those great expences that are required for the surety of his Realmes and for the offence of the common enemie His Majestie of France hath also contributed to this good work somewhat and there is great hope that he will bring forth in a short time some fit remedie against this evill The Lords States do as much as they are able And the Princes of Low Saxonie do not want in their duties There remaineth now that your Highnesse put also your powerful hand to this work and with a vigorous succour worthie of your great heart do incourage all the rest to continue their Emprese The two Kings are not ignorant of the great sincerity wherewith this most Excellent State doth observe the capitulations made with Allies of the league and that rather then to be wanting in things agreed upon you have surpassed in necessarie provisions for the advancement of the designs and that you have not been partakers nor agreers of the treaty made at Moncon But that you do continue to keep some forces in your Dominions and likewise some troops in the Valtoline for the effecting as much as is in you of what was first thought fit and of the agreement of the League And as that generous resolution and constancie of this State is never enough praised so there is great hope that you will not bring this same in the reckoning of the two Kings who never will misse to praise the wisdome and generositie of this State though not obliged for
the increase of Gods Worship and by not only defending but propagating the jurisdiction of the Pontifical authority There have been many and shall be hereafter whom the bountie of Kings hath enriched with fading riches and advanced to envied titles and yet mindful posterity will not celebrate your name with eternal Prayses for having attayned these but if your Councels should reduce those most powerful Kings and people unto the bosom of the Romane Church the name of your Noblenesse would be written in the book of the living whom the torment of Death toucheth not and the Monuments of Histories shall place you amongst those wise men in whose splendor Kings walked but with what comforts in this life and what rewards in the life to come God who is rich in mercy would reward you they easily see who know the art and force by which the Kingdom of heaven is conquered It is not only our Pontifical charity to whose care the salvation of mankind pertaineth but also the piety of your Mother who as she brought you into the world so she desireth to bear you again to the Romane Church which she acknowledgeth for her mother that moved us to desire that you were made Partakers of so great felicity Therefore when our beloved son the religious man Didacus de la Fuente who hath wisely administred the affaires of your Princes in this City prepared his journie for Spain we commanded him to come unto your Noblenesse and present these our Apostolical Letters by which the Greatnesse of our Pontifical charity and the desire of your salvation may be declared Your Noblenesse may therefore heare him as the interpreter of our mind and as one indued with these virtues which have won him the love of forraign nations being a Catholique and religious priest He certainely hath reported those things of you in these parts of the world that he is worthie to be imbraced of you with singular affection and defended by your authority being a servant to the Glorie and salvation of the Brittish Kings and people This thing truly will we pray for to the father of mercies that he will open to your Noblenesse the gates of his Coelestial kingdom and afford you frequent Documents of his Clemency Given at Rome at St. Marie the Greater under the Ring of the Fisherman the 19. of May. 1623. and of our Popedom the third John Champolus To his Sacred Majestie ab ignoto My most Gratious King THese things which your Majestie did lately command to be spoken unto you and now to be repeated in writing are not such as they can be made by legal and Judicial proofes both because they by whose testimony they may be confirmed do for fear of a most potent adversarie withdraw themselves And also because they think it a crime to come into the Embassadours house yea even they are afraid to do it who have commandement from your Majestie but neither was it lawful for the Embassadours themselves to speak these things especially not to such as they directed when the order of the affaires required it because they had never the freedom to speak unto your Majestie and no audience was given or granted them in the absence of tht Duke of Buckingham An example certainly unusual with other Kings and never to be taken in good part unlesse it be perhaps when the King himself wanting experience and being of weak judgment and no wisedom some one that is familiar and inward with the King a man wise and circumspect of great judgment and no lesse experience supplies the Kings place But here when all things go preposterously and the King himself being a most prudent and experienced Prince he that is familiar or favorite doth in all things shew himself a rash headie young man a Novice in managing of businesse and to the Crown of Spain most offensive Certainly by all just right this man was to be kept away from the audience of the Embassadour of the State We may also be bold to say that his presence so earnestly desired of him doth argue a great fear in him and a great distrust in him as well of his own upright conscience as also the Kings wisdom Hence therefore it is come to passe that your Majesties most faithful Vassals dare not so much as indirectly disclose their minds to the King though they take it in very ill part that a very good King should be driven into such streights And that a man pleasing himself in his own designs should use the favours of Princes so sinisterly that he doth of set purpose stir up breach of friendship and enmity between most Mighty Kings Besides who can without a discontented mind endure that the greatest affaires and of greatest moment if any in the Christian world can be so tearmed shall be ordered or concluded at the pleasure of your Parliament and from thence all things carried on with a headlong violence at his will and pleasure and a most deadly war to be preferred before a most happie Peace When as neverthelesse I am not ignorant that not so much the restitution of the Palatinate as the very claime to it will very difficultly be obtained or recovered by force of armes Let your Majestie exactly consider as it useth to do whether this be not an evident argument of that I have said that the conference or treatie about the Palatinate was taken from the Councel of State a society of most prudent men only for this cause that almost everie one of them had with one consent approved the proposition of the most Catholique King and did not find in it any cause of dissolving that treaty Hereupon the Parliament of this Kingdom was procured by the Duke because he thought his plots would be most acceptable to the Puritans not without great injury to your Councel of State from which he fled and disclaimed by way of an appeale and with such successe that we may be bold to say that the Parliament is now above the King Nay which is more that this daring Duke propounded many things to the Parliament in the Kings name your Majestie being neither acquainted with them nor willing to them Yea and that he propounded many things contrary to your Majesties service Who is there that doth not see and commend the royal disposition of the Prince adorned with so great endowments of his mind that he doth not in them all shew and approve himself to be a very good son of a very good King And yet neverthelesse that the Duke doth so much presume upon his favour that he contemneth all men as knowing that those who are obedient to his Highnesse will also subject themselves to his will I would to God he did direct those his actions to the good of the Prince But that is a thing so far from the opinion of good men that they rather believe that he who hath overthrown the marriage with Spain will be of no lesse power to the breaking of any other marriage
man though I have said justly seeming guiltie yet in mine own knowledge innocent and free as I have delivered it will you then deny the King to savour whom he please which the King hath never denyed you that are his subjects will you controle me your Head and Governor in things wherein your selves have taken liberty uncontroled would you that I should require accompt of your liberalitie nay of all your failings which are liable to my authority well commend me to my Lords and tell them that if any thing had been formerly done amisse by others I have power and will to redresse it and to prevent the like I speak it in the word of a King neither Lords nor Commons can desire of me any thing that is honest which I am not ready to give them Let not therefore the world by these mistakings make Table-talk any longer of your King and his negotiations nay of his secrets and necessities for alas what great wrong or indignity can the Glorie of the State receive then that the private grudges of subjects accusing to the ignorant when in their consciences they could excuse should be the businesse of our Parliament and that the King himself should be forced to appear us a partie No doubt this is a Cocatrice egge that craftie heads of our enemies seek to hatch whilest the weightie affaires that in present concern the Honour and welfare of the King and State and the peace of all Christendome are by us utterly neglected I end hoping your Lordship now privy to these things will be tender of your Soveraigns honour and will so satisfie and treat with the rest that those particular janglings may be by some other course and in some other place and time discussed and determined that so our minds and time may be employed in the care of better things which earnestly invoke our ayd at this instant Thus much spoken or written or the like for I seek but to awaken your Lordships higher spirit and invention I conceive it may get this effect That these 6. Lords won by these reasons and by other the Kings invitations may deliver to the House that for their parts they have received unexpected satisfaction in those greatest points of the accusation against your Lordship and of such secret nature as are not fit to be published without further deliberation Wherefore since it pleased their Lordships to have made choyce of them to be trusted in this imployment they have faithfully served accordingly and do upon their Honours freely and without any ingagement or respect protest the same And therefore humbly desire their Lordships that they would intreat his Majestie to be President in advice with their Lordships What further were to be done in this private Contention betwixt your Lordship and the Lord Digbie which obtained something may then follow for your Lordships good by yeelding up that Cause into the Kings hands And his Majestie hath great reason to bend it that way because it is conceived that the Lords will be loath to admit the King to be supream Judge and Accuser which point will much touch his Majestie And his Majestie were better give some ease to the Lord Digbie then permit that dispute And now for my self I beseech your Lordship to pardon my strange boldnesse I know I am a mere stranger to you and if ever you have heard of me it must be as of a friend of such you then did not love I know it shewes me a medler in businesse or an insinuator which are suspitions that may distast you and make you suspect my pretences though they were not altogether witlesse I know this disadvantage and am in my own nature offended for putting my self thus into your notions But yet I resolved to undergo all this First because you made my Brother a Captain in Ireland who had otherwise perished Next for the favour you did to my Lord of Northumberland and the retiring of disfavour from my Lord of Sommerset And lastly for your firm hand that advanced the now Lord Treasurer To all which Lords I am familiarly known and bound But neerest to you your Lordship may hear of me from the Lord Treasurer I am confident of your Lordships noble interpretation since I seek no ends no acquaintance no other thanks being one that have no Court-suits to your Lordship but being one that loves not ruines which my friends have tasted nor that the publique should wrestle with a private Inturn of Spleen And I offer it but as a simplicity yet with good will enough for what can a man that is not privy to the Elements of State demonstrate any conclusion thereof yet I hear sometimes how the world goes as other men do I conceive I have said something to your Lordship and though perhaps short yet enough to occasion and stir up your deeper thoughts I also may have deeper but also I know that little pinnes of wood do sustain the whole building More I could have said touching the other points but these greatest elided the fall of the others may be easily directed What I have said against those objections I touched doth arise from grounds of truth and they must win and prevail and my conceit is fitted to the Kings part and to the occasions now on foot I humbly cease your Lordship further trouble and with you all good desiring your Lordship also to pardon my tedious and hasty scribled hand Your Lordships unknown servant Ch. Th. Postscript YOur Lordship shall be pleased to take off some part of my boldnesse and impute it to the obligation and service I owe this worthy Lady the Bearer To Count Gondomar My Lord I Thought my hands bound that I could no sooner have occasion to write unto you being forced against my will to delay my writing from day to day in expectation of the news of your arrival at that Court assuring my self that I should then receive from you some ground whereupon to write But after a long expence of time before that I could hear of your arrival and in the Pacquet that his Majesties Embassadour sent thereafter receiving no Letters nor word from you as I expected I do now by these break my long silence unto you As for news from hence I can in a word assure you that they are in all points as your heart could wish for here is a King a a Prince and a faithful friend and servant unto you besides a number of your other good friends that long so much for the happy accomplishment of this match as every day seems a year unto us and I can assure you in the word of your honest friend that we have a Prince here that is so sharp set upon the businesse as it would much comfort you to see it and her there to hear it Here are all things prepared upon our parts Priests and Recusants all at liberty all the Roman Catholiques well satisfied and which will seem a wonder unto you our Prisons are
for the Palatinate might continue I did demand of them how these two things did agree both to threaten and intreat whereupon they passed upon me with odd complaints I went once more of late to give them a farwel I said they proved themselves good Servants to their Master in pressing to raise jealousies in this State but they were now too well known to do harm The Marquesse swore that by this time the Infanta had been here the Palatinate restored if the blame had not been on our Part. I did intreat I might be excused not to believe that I did ask whether they did not condemn their own judgments in accusing the Duke of Buckingham of that whereof he was cleared both by the King and State Their answer was He was cleared by those who were his confiderates all as guiltie as himself I demanded why they should still expresse their malice against the Duke of Buckingham Did they not think but our Prince was a man sensible of what injuries he had received their answer was if the Duke were out of the way the Prince would be well disposed They said farther his Highnesse was an obedient son before the Duke guided him but since he was not So that when we speak of his Majestie they speak with much respect but for the Prince did not use them kindly they did make the lesse accompt of him So after I took my leave and parted Nithisdail MUch I have omitted for brevitie wherein they did expresse much respect to his Majestie much of their threatning to the Duke of Buckingham The Lord Nithisdail to the Duke 22 June 1624. My most Noble Lord FInding matters at great uncertainty when I came hither I resolved to make farther tryal before I should part from hence What thanks is due to the Embassadours for their paineful and discreet Carriage can hardly be expressed Matters now being drawn to such a conformity which I confesse I thought impossibilities though withall I found much respect alwayes to the Prince with a sensible desire of the Match expressed both by the King and those I spake withal our Embassadours seem still to be discontent that all things are not remitted to our Masters verbal promise which though it may be assurance sufficient to all Catholiques who have the sence to consider that it must be our Masters and the Princes gracious disposition must be our safety more then either word or writ yet the writ being desired privately as they pretend merely to draw the Popes consent without the which nothing is to be finished the difference is not so great their Princely promise being given already What cause of jealousie the refusing hereof should procure you may consider besides my judgment failes me if a more easie way shall be assented unto upon this side If the Embassadours have bestirred themselves to get this out of the publique Articles I can bear witnesse Thus much I dare avow that neither time nor place have been omitted by them to do good though I must confesse what intelligence I had in the proceeding hath rather been from the French then from them Their Reasons as I conceive was their doubts that did bring me hither having neither Letters from the King the Prince nor your Grace Whereupon to remove these conceits I shewed them that I did onely take this in my way intending to go see the Jubilees wherewith though his Majestie nor the Prince neither yet your Grace were acquainted with at my parting you will be pleased to make my excuse I am infinitely beholding to the Embassadours noble Courtesie which I know hath proceeded from that relation which they know I have to you My Lord let the happinesse which shall come to the Prince by matching with such a Lady as I protest before God hath those perfections to my thinking can hardly be equalled be a means to hasten a happy Conclusion And let not matter of Ceremonie draw delayes where the substance is agreed upon So shall all that belong to our Master be made happy in general and you in particular for that love which thex expresse here to your self Once more I humbly begg you will consider particularly upon each one of the Articles and I hope you shall not find such unreconcileable difference as an affected Puritan may pretend Whereupon if I have looked more with eyes of a Papist then was fitting it is my lack of judgment and not of zeal to my Masters Honour which of all earthly things shall be preferred Beseeching God to give a happy successe hereunto with a sound recovery of your own health I humbly take my leave Your Graces Faithful servant Nithisdail Dated at Compion Sir Tobie Mathew to the King of Spain DOn Tobea Mathei Cavallero Yngles y Catholico Romano beseecheth your Catholique Majestie with all humility and reverence to give him leave to speak these few words unto you He understandeth that the Theologos have persisted precisely upon the Voto which they gave before and he findeth clearly that the Prince conceiveth that he can by no means submit himself thereunto with his Honour And besides my Lord the King hath expresly required him to return with all possible speed in case that Voto should not be qualified And it is certain that he will depart for England within very few daies And whosoever shall inform your Majestie that the Treatie of this marriage may be really kept on foot after the departure of the Prince upon these terms doth deceive your Majestie through the ignorance wherein he is of the State of England So that the Prince departing thus the Catholique Subjects of all my Lord the Kings Dominions are to be in lamentable case For although the Prince did yesterday vouchsafe to have Compassion of me in respect of the grief wherein he saw I had upon these occasions and to say That although the marriage were broken yet he would procure that his Catholique Subjects should not fare the worse for that yet I know that it is morally impossible for that honourable design of his to take place in respect of the People and the importunitie and malice of the Puritans and especially because it will now be a case of meer necessitie for my Lord the King to run in a course of very straight Conjunction with them of his Parliament that he may be able the better to serve himself of them in other occasions from which Parliament as now the case will stand what Catholique can expect any other then the extreamitie of rigour In consideration whereof I cast my self with a sad heart at the feet of your Majestie beseeching you that you will take into your royal remembrance the love which you owe and procure to paie to our holy Mother the Church and that some course may be taken and with speed for otherwise it will be too late to give the Prince some foot of ground upon which he may be able to stand in such sort as that without losse of honour and
Souldiers and garrisons and still the Low-countries strongly assisted and war made upon the enemie there or at home at his own doores which was more Noble gainful and safe for us for we still had peace and plenty at home though war abroad I know not how the ease stands now between us and the Spaniards but me thinks it should not be very well when nothing will satisfie him but the head of him that spake the truth for the good of the King and kingdom Certainly if we break with him as they which sit at the Helm know what is best to do he is readie to strike and will peradventure strike quickly before we be fully prepared therefore our preparations had need to be more speedie thorough lost we fall into the snare While they were treating of peace in 88. they did even then invade us I pray God they have not used this treatie of marriage to as bad a purpose for it seemes they never did intend it but for delayes and to make it serve their turn they have plainly abused us in the Palatinate therereby But I can say nothing for the present yet what is to be done it is proper to an higher judgment onely I tell what was then when we were enemies I remember in 88. waiting upon the Earl of Leicester at Tilbury Camp and in 89. going into Portugal with my Noble Master the Earl of Essex I learned somewhat fit to be imparted to your Grace The Queen lying in the Campe one night guarded with her armie the old Lord Treasurer Burleigh came thither and delivered to the Earl the examination of Don Pedro who was taken and brought in by Sir Francis Drake which examination the Earl of Leicester delivered unto me to publish to the armie in my next sermon The sum of it was this Don Pedro being asked what was the intent of their coming Don Pedro's Confession stoutly answered the Lords What But to subdue your Nation and root it out Good said the Lords and what meant you then to do with the Catholiques He answered We meant to send them good men directly unto Heaven as all you that are Heretiques to hell Yea but said the Lords what meant you to do with your whips of cord and wyer whereof they had great store in their ships What said he We meant to whip you Heretiques to death that have assisted my Masters Rebels and done such dishonours to our Catholique King and people Yea but what would you have done said they with their young Children They said he which were above seven yeares old should have gone the way their fathers went the rest should have lived branded in the forehead with the Letter L. for Lutheran to perpetual bondage This I take God to witnesse I received of those great Lords upon examination taken by the Councel and by commandement delivered it to the armie The Queen the next morning rode through all the Squadrons of her armie as Armed Pallas attended by Noble Footmen Leicester Essex and Norris then Lord Marshal and divers other great Lords Where she made an excellent Oration to her armie which the next day after her departure I was commanded to redeliver to all the Armie together to keep a Publique Fast Her words were these MY loving people we have been perswaded by some that are careful of our safety to take heed how we commit our self to armed multitudes for fear of treachery but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people Let Tyrants fear I have alwayes so behaved my self that under God I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subiects And therefore I am come amongst you as you see at this time not for my recreation and disport but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battaile to live or die amongst you all to lay down for my God and for my kingdom and for my people my Honour and my blood even in the dust I know I have the bodie but of a weak and feeble woman but I have the heart and Stomach of a King and of a King of England too and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain or any Prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my Realm to which rather then any dishonour shall grow by me I my self will take up arms I my self will be your General Judge and Rewarder of everie one of your virtues in the field I know alreadie for your forwardnesse you have deserved rewards and crownes and we do assure you in the word of a Prince they shall be duly paid you In the mean time my Lievetenant General shall be in my stead then whom never Prince commanded a more Noble or worthie subject not doubting but by your obedience to my General by your Concord in the Camp and your valour in the field we shall shortly have a famous victorie over those enemies of my God of my Kingdomes and of my People This I thought would delight your Grace and no man hath it but my self and such as I have given it to and therefore I made bold to send it unto you if you have it not already I would I could perswade your Grace either to read your self or to command your Secretarie to gather out of the Historie of Spain translated into English towards the end five or six leaves which hath matter of great importance fit for the Parliament especiallie for two points the one concerning the setled intention of the State of Spain against England whensoever they can get an opportunity the other concerning the main reasons of state which moved the Queen and Councel then to take upon her the protection of the Low-countries They were of two sorts the first inherent in the Person of the Prince then being which died with her as some think the Quarrel being then between the Queen and King of Spain Philip the second which are said to be buried in their graves the other inherent in their estates which live with them and remain in the heart of the State of Spain against us whosoever is their King And this appeareth by a large Disputation of State had before the King of Spain and blab'd out by their Chronicler in many words wherein pro et contra two do argue The one who proves that the Netherlands their Rebels are first to be conquered that it may serve them as a rise to the Conquest of England and the reasons for that project The other who proves that the English are first to be conquered the supporters of those their Rebels and for a rise to the Empire of Christendome and the reasons for the project and specially for that it is more easie now for the disuse of armes in England for that England is not now that England which it hath been c. And the mean how they may win themselves into us by a Treatie of Marriage as Mariana blabs it
honour to entertain the Queen Mother She was willing to know upon what terms stood our Spanish alliance I told her that their delayes had been so tedious that they had somewhat discouraged the King and had so wearied the Prince and State which the dilatorie proceedings in it as that Treatie I thought would soon have an end She streight said of marriage taking it that way I told her I believed the contrarie and I did so the rather because the Spanish Embassadour hath given it out since my comming that the Alliance is fully concluded and that my journey had no other end then to hasten his Master unto it only to give them Jealousies of me because he at this time feares their dispositions stand too well prepared to desire and affect a conjunction with us And truly his report and instruments have given some jealousies to the persons of power in this State especially since they find I can say nothing directly unto them yet thus much I have directly from them Mounsieur de Vievielle and others but he is the chief guider of all affaires here That never was the affection of any State so prepared to accept all offers of amitie and alliance so we will cleerly and as disingaged persons seek it as is this but as a wise minister he saies that until we have whollie and truly abandoned the treatie with Spain they may lose the friendship of a brother in law that is alreadie so in hope of gaining another that they may fail of But when we shall see it reallie by a publique Commission that may declare all dissolved that touches upon the way of Spain we shall then understand their hearts not to be capable of more joy then that will bring them And the Queen Mother told me she had not lost those inclinations that she hath heretofore expressed to desire her Daughter may be given to the Prince with many words of value unto the King and person of the Prince and more then this she could not she thought well say it being most natural for the woman to be demanded and sought It is most certain that under-hand Spain hath done all that is possible to procure this State to listen to a crosse-marriage but here they are now so well understood as this baite will not be swallowed by them This I have from a grave and honest man that would not be brought to justifie it therefore he must not hear of it It is the Savoy Embassadour that is resident here a wise and a Gallant Gentleman who vowes this to be most true So general a desire was never expressed as is here for alliance with us and if the King and Prince have as many reasons of State at this time besides their infinite affection here to have it so continued let it be roundly and clearly pursued and then I dare promise as respective and satisfactorie a reception as can be imagined or desired And if it were not too much saucinesse for me to advise I could wish that the propositions of a league and marriage may not come together but may be treated a part For I doubt whether it may not be thought a little dishonourable for this King to give his sister conditionallie that if he will make war upon the King of Spain his brother we will make the alliance with him on the other part if the league should be propounded here with all those reasons of State that are now pressing for them to make it they have causes to doubt and so have we too that we may both be interrupted in that for certainly the King of Spain will if he can possibly please one side the which they think here may be us with the restitution of the Palatinate and we may likewise fear may be them with the rendring of the Valtoline these being the only open quarrels we must ground upon Now as long as these doubts may possesse us both this will prove a tedious and jealous work of both sides But if we fall speedily upon a treatie and conclusion of a marriage the which will find I am perswaded no long delayes here neither will they strain us to any unreasonablenesse in conditions for our Catholiques as far as I can find then will it be a fit time for to couclude a league the which they will then for certain do when all doubts and feares of fallings off are by this conjunction taken away and the necessity of their own affaires and safety will then make them more desire it then we and so would they now if they could think it so sure and so honourable for them For the King of Spain hath so imbraced them of all sides as they fear and justly that he will one day crush them to their destruction My Lord I do not presume to say any thing immediately to the King thorough your hands this I know will passe unto him and if he should find any weaknesse in this that I have presumed to say let the strength of your favour exercise those accustomed Noblenesses that you have alwayes expressed unto Your Graces most humble and obliged Servant Kensington Postscript VVIthin these few dayes your Grace shall hear again from me for as yet I have not seen the King no otherwise then the first night I arrived here This night he is come unto the Town again The Lord Kensington to the Prince 26. February 1624. May it please your Highnesse I Find here so infinite a value of your Person and virtue as what Instrument so ever my self the very weakest having some commands as they imagine from you shall receive excesse of honours from them They will not conceive me scarce receive me but as a publique Instrument for the service of an Alliance that above all the things in this world they do so earnestly desire The Queen Mother hath expressed as far as she thinks is fit for the honour of her Daughter great favour and good will in it I took the boldnesse to tell her the which she took extreamly well that if such a proposition should be made your Highnesse could not believe that she had lost her former inclinations and desires in it She said your trust of her should find great respect there is no preparation I find towards this businesse but by her and all perswasions of amitie made light that look not towards this end And Sir if your intentions proceed this way as by many reasons of State and wisdom there is cause now rather to presse it then slacken it you will find a Ladie of as much Lovelinesse and Sweetnesse to deserve your affection as any creature under Heaven can do And Sir by all her fashions since my being here and by what I hear from the Ladies it is most visible to me her infinite value and respect unto you Sir I say not this to betray your belief but from a true observation and knowledge of this to be so I tell you this and must somewhat more in
my self that by the trouble you find in his disconsolate breast you may judge of the constancie of Madams heart towards our Prince upon whom assuredly it is most strongly set as she continually expresses upon all occasions Yesterday I had the honour to entertain her two hours together and received so many testimonies of respect as witnessed very warm affections towards the Personage I did represent Amongst other discourse She fell to speak of Ladies riding on horseback which she said was rare here but frequent in England and then expressed her delight in that exercise There is lately arrived here a French Genleman Duport by name with commission from the King of Bohemia to sollicit this Kings favour in consequence of his Majesties generous and Gracious declaration in his behalf for the recovering of his rightful inheritance to intreat that Baviers may no wayes be countenanced in his unjust pretensions and to crave in this his extreamity a reimbursement of the remainder of that sum which his father lent to Henry the fourth in the times of his necessities which may arise to the sum of 30000 Crownes the facilitating of this negotiation is recommended unto me who contribute what I can to the good successe thereof There hath happened here this last Munday a dispute between the Marquis de Courtenvant one of the first Gentlemen of the Kings Chamber and the Colonel de Ornano Mounseiurs Governour about a lodging which this pretended unto as most convenient for him in regard that it adjoyned to that of Mounseiurs but the other claimed a right unto it by a former assignation and possession Ornano at the first prevailed till the other complained to the King who commanded the Colonel to quit the lodging to him which his people refusing out of a presumption perhaps that the commandement was rather formal then real the King sent 3. or 4. of his guard to reiterate the commandement and in case of refusal to obey to cast out all the stuff and to kill all such as should oppose Thus Courtenvant got the day perhaps by Vievilles recommendation in opposition of Toirax between whom there hath been lately a little contestation upon this occasion Vieville being desirous to strengthen himself and to stand upon the surest bottom he could endeavoured to joyn a confident of his in equal commission with the Garde des Seaux that so he might in time work it out and prevail himself of that office at his devotion The Garde des Seaux finding feeble resistance in himself addressed his course to Toirax to seek under his Covert shelter from that disgrace and injurie Toirax undertakes his defence Vieville expostulates the matter with him and alleadges many reasons to justifie his intentions which the other gainesaying with some little warmnesse hath occasioned by that heat a coldnesse of affection between them ever since and that so far forth as it hath grown to be notorious To the same original I reduce the Cardinal de Richlieus introduction into the Councel of the Cabinet by the favour of Vieville being made also an Instrument thereunto by the Queen that by making his own partie strong in Councel he may the more easily crush any adversarie that shall grapple with him Yesterday he was admitted so that now that Councel is composed of the Queen Mother the Cardinal de la Rouch-foulcant Richlieu the Constable Vieville and the Garde des Seaux Before I had finished this Letter I had occasion to visit the Constable to whom I used the same language that formerly I had done to la Vieville and with the like approbation And when I touched upon the point of dispensation how it might be passed over he assured me in general that such was the disposition of this King and State to give the Prince content as he might be in a manner his own Carver how he pleased This is the account I can give you of the publique but how shall I expresse the deep sense I have of my obligations to your favour in particular shall I multiply in thanks It is too ordinary a payment for so many Noble expressions of your love I will rather endeavour by my deeds constantly and continually to witnesse unto you that I intirely rest Your most faithful and most Humble Servant Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Duke My most dear and Noble Lord BEsides that joynt Letter to your Lordship from my Colleague and my self I think fit to add this particular account of what passed yesterday at Ruel betwixt Queen Mother and me whither going to give her double thanks as for the libertie she had given me of accesse at all times to Madam to entertain her henceforth with a more free and amorous kind of language from the Prince so for having so readily condescended to an humble suit of mine in the behalf of my Lord of Carlile for a favourable Letter for him to your Lordship she was pleased to oblige me farther in telling me she did it meerly for my sake I redoubled my thanks and added that I knew your Lordship would esteeme it one of the greatest happinesses that could befal you to have an occasion offered whereby you might witnesse how much you adored her Majesties royal virtues and how infinitely you were her Servant readie to receive law from her whensoever by the least syllable of her blessed Lips or Penn she should please to impose it And this I did as on the one side to gratifie my Colleague who would be infinitely sensible of the disgrace he apprehends in the misse of the Ribbon being thus brought upon the Stage for it as also to help to mesnage that your Gratious favour which Mounsieur de Fiatts to my Lord represents unto him by giving you meanes withal to oblige this sweet blessed Queen who hath your Lordship in a very high account and would be glad to find occasions how she may witnesse it The mention of my Lord of Carlile upon this occasion refreshed her remembrance of the late falling out betwixt the Cardinal and him and though she were sufficiently informed of the particulars by the Cardinal himself yet she would needs have a relation from me who in a merrie kind of fashion obeyed her command and salved every thing the best I could She would needs know my opinion of the Cardinal who so magnified to her his wisdom his courage his courtesie his fidelity to her service his affection to our businesse as pleased her not a little Neither did my heart and my tongue differ for I esteem him such This discourse she left to fall upon a better subject the Prince concerning whose voyage into Spain the censure of Italie she said was that two Kings had therein committed two great errours The one in adventuring so precious a pledge to so hazardous an enterprise the other in badly using so brave a guest The first Madam answered I may be excused from the end the common good of all Christendom which then standing upon
desperate tearmes had need of a desperate remedie The second had need of a better advocate then I to put any colour of defence upon it But his Highnesse had observed as great a weaknesse and follie as that in that after they had used him so ill they would suffer him to depart which was one of the first speeches he uttered after he was entred into the ship But did he say so said the Queen Yes Madam I will assure you quoth I from the witnesse of my own eares She smiled and replyed Indeed I heard he was used ill So he was answered I but not in his entertainement for that was as splendid as that countrie could afford it but in their frivolous delayes and in the unreasonable conditions which they propounded and pressed upon the advantage they had of his Princely Person And yet smilingly added I you here Madam use him far worse And how so presently demanded she In that you presse quoth I upon that most worthie and Noble Prince who hath with so much affection to your Majesties service so much passion to Madam sought this Alliance The same nay more unreasonable conditions then the other and what they traced out for the breaking of the match you follow pretending to conclude it very unseasonablely in this Conjuncture of time especiallie when the jealousies that such great changes in state are apt to beget are cunningly fomented by the Spanish Embassadour in England who vaunts it forth that there is not so great a change in La Vievilles particular person as there is in the general affections which did but follow before the stream of his Greatnesse and credit Thus casting in the Kings mind the seed of doubts whereunto the Conde de Olivares in Spain hath been willing to contribute by this braving speech to our Royal Masters Embassadour there That if the Pope ever granted a dispensation for the match with France the King of Spain would march with an armie towards Rome and sack it Vrayement nous l'en empescherous bien promptly answered She Car nous lui taglierous assez de besongne ailleurs Mais qu'est-ce qui vous presse le plus I represented unto her the unfitnesse of the seventh Article even qualified by that interpretationt hat it is and the impossibility of the last which requires and prescribes an oath And desired that the honour of the Prince with whom she pretended a will to match her Daughter might be dearer to her then to be ballanced with that which could add nothing to their assurance I also humbly besought her to imploy her Credit with the King her son her authority to the Ministers for a reformation of those two Articles especially and a friendly and speedy dispatch of all And if we must come to that extreamitie that more could not be altered then already was yet at least she would procure the allowance of this protestation by the King our Master when he should swear them that he intended no further to oblige himself by that oath then might well stand with the safety peace tranquility and conveniency of his State This shee thought reasonable and promised to speak with the King and Cardinal about it And if you speak as you can replied I I know it will be done Though when all is done I know not whether the King my Master will condescend so far yea or no. Here I intreated I might weary her Majestie no further but take the libertie she had pleased to give me in entertaining Madam with such Commandments as the Prince had charged me withall to her She would needs know what I would say Nay then smiling quoth I your Majestie will impose upon me the like Law that they in Spain did upon his Highnesse But the case is now different said she for there the Prince was in person here is but his Deputie But a Deputie answered I that represents his person Mais pour tout cela dit elle qu' est ce que vous direz Rien dis-re qui ne Soit digne des oreilles d'vne si vertueuse Princesse Mais qu' est ce redoubled she Why then Madam quoth I if you will needs know it shall be much to this effect That your Majestie having given me the libertie of some freer Language then heretofore I obey the Prince his Command in presenting to her his service not by way of Complement any longer but out of passion and affection which both her outward and her inward beauties the vertues of her mind so kindled in him as he was resolved to contribute the uttermost he could to the Alliance in question and would think it the greatest happinesse in the world if the successe thereof might minister occasion of expressing in a better and more effectual manner his devotion to her service with some little other such like amorous Language Allez Allez Il n'y a point de danger en tout cela smilingly answered she je me fie en vous je me fie en vous Neither did I abuse her trust for I varied not much from it in delivering it to Madam save that I amplified it to her a little more who drank it down with joy and with a low Curtesie acknowledged it to the Prince adding that she was extreamly obliged to his Highnesse and would think her self happie in the occasion that should be presented of meriting the place shee had in his good Graces After that I turned my speech to the old Ladies that attended and told them That sith the Queen was pleased to give me this liberty it would be henceforth fit for them to speak a suitable Language I let them know that his Highnesse had her Picture which he kept in his Cabinet and fed his eyes many times with the sight and contemplation of it sith he could not have the happinesse to behold her person All which and other such like speeches she standing by took up without letting any one fall to the ground But I fear your Lordship will think I gather together too much to enlarge my Letter thus far but it is that by these Circumstances your Lordship may make a perfect judgment of the issue of our negotiation which I doubt not but will succeed to his Majesties his Highnesse and your Lordships contentment And so yeeld matter of triumph to you and infinite joy to me Your Lordships Most most humble most obliged and most obedient servant Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Duke My most dear Lord THis Bearer your Cousen's going is in such haste as what you receive from me must be in very few words I was yesterday with the Marquesse de Vieville whom I find cordial to do good offices between ours and this Kingdome and he assures me by all the promises and protestations that may be he will ever use his credit and power to do so knowing these Kingdoms can as the King of Spain's power and ambition increases have no true safetie and good unlesse we joyn in
one day be your self and be governed by your own noble thoughts and then I am assured to obtain what I desire since my desires be so reasonable and but for mine own Which whether you grant or no the affliction my poor husband is in if it continue will keep my mind in a continual purgatorie for him and will suffer me to sign my self no other but Your unfortunate Sister F. Purbeck Dr. Donne to the Marquesse of Buckingham 13th Septemb. 1621. My most honoured Lord I Most humbly beseech your Lordship to afford this ragg of paper a room amongst your evidences It is your evidence not for a Mannour but for a man As I am a Priest it is my sacrifice of prayer to God for your Lordship and as I am a Priest made able to subsist and appear in Gods service by your Lordship it is a sacrifice of my self to you I deliver this paper as my Image and I assist the power of any Conjurer with this imprecation upon my self that as he shall tear this paper this picture of mine so I may be torn in my fortune and in my fame if ever I have any corner in my heart dispossessed of a zeal to your Lordships service His Majestie hath given me a royal Key into your Chamber leave to stand in your presence and your Lordship hath already such a fortune as that you shall not need to be afraid of a suitor when I appear there So that I protest to your Lordship I know not what I want since I cannot suspect nor fear my self for ever doing or leaving undone any thing by which I might forfeit that title of being alwaies Your Lordships c. J. D. Dr. Donne to the Duke My Honoured Lord ONce I adventured to say to the Prince his Highnesse That I was sure he would receive a book from me the more gratiously because it was dedicated to your Grace I proceed justlie upon the same confidence that your Grace will accept this because it is his by the same title If I had not overcome that reluctation which I had in my self of representing devotions and mortifications to a young and active Prince I should not have put them into your presence who have done so much and have so much to do in this world as that it might seem enough to think seriously of that No man in the bodie of storie is a full president to you nor may any future man promise himself and adaequation to his precedent if he make you his Kings have discerned the seeds of high virtues in many men and upon that Gold they have put their stamp their favours upon those persons But then those persons have laboured under the jealousie of the future Heire And some few have had the love of Prince and King but not of the Kingdom and some of that too and not of the Church God hath united your Grace so to them all that as you have received obligations from the King and Prince so you have laid obligations upon the Church and state They above love you out of their judgement because they have loved you and we below love you out of our thankfulnesse because you have loved us Gods privie Seal is the testimonie of a good conscience and his broad-Seal is the outward bessings of this life But since his Pillar of fire was seconded with a Pillar of Cloud and that all his temporal blessings have some partial Eclipses and the purest consciences some remorses so though he have made your way to Glorie Glorie and brought you in the armes and bosome of his Vicegerent into his own arms and bosome yet there must come a minute of twilight in a natural death And as the reading of the actions of great men may assist you for great actions so for this one necessarie descent of dying which I hope shall be the onely step of Lownes that ever you shall passe by and by that late you may receive some Remembrances from the Meditations and Devotions of Your Graces Devoutest Servant J. Donne Sir John Hipsley to the Duke My Noble Lord I Find that all my Lord of Bristols actions are so much extolled that what you command me to say is hardly believed I will say no more in it but leave the rest to Mr Greihams only this that you have written much to the King in some mans behalf and Mr. Gresley hath a 100. a year given him during his life all which I think is without your knowledge And Mr. Killegrew hath the like that came for your sake after the other was granted Mr. Greihams can tell you how that came My Lord of Southampton hath offered his son to marrie with my Lord Treasurers Daughter and tells him this reason that now is the time he may have need of friends but it is refused as yet the event I know not what that will be I have spoken to the King of all that you gave me in command and he doth protest that what he hath done was meerly for your sake and indeed he is very careful of all your businesse as if you were here your self but yet for Gods sake make what haste you may home for fear of the worst For the carriage of Captain Hall I will not trouble you till you come home only this by the way that my Lord Treasurer hath it but upon what tearms I know not nor indeed desire you should be troubled with it Sir George Goring came home but this last night and is gone to the Court and desires to be excused for writing to you My Ladie Hatton and my Ladie Purbeck came home with him from the Hague My Lord of Arundel hath not been at Court since the death of his son I fear the newes that Charles Gleman did shew you was true For I can assure you Marquesse Hamilton was much troubled till I had spoken with him There be some have done no good offices betwixt you Pray have a care of the Letter I mean the man Mr. Gleman did shew you and keep as many friends as you may I have spoken with no man but my Lord Keeper who is yours or not his own as he sweares And Mr. secretarie Conway is yours bodie and soul I never heard of the like of him for he flies at all men that be not yours Here is much admiration that they hear not from you but I thank God the King is not troubled at it for I do assure him that it is the better that he heares not from you for now he may be confident that you keep your day in comming away which doth much please him I will write nothing of my own businesse though there be nothing done in it but do hope that you will not see your Servant perish If I be too tedious I pray pardon mee it is my love that makes me so and yet I have an humble suite unto you which is to begg at your hands for patience for now is the time to shew it or
never for all the eyes of the world are upon you and this is the time to win Honour and fame and for Gods-sake carrie the businesse with patience betwixt my Lord of Bristol and you for here be those that do laugh in their sleeves at you both I beseech you let me hear from you what you will command me for I will do nothing as near as I can but what will give content For you have that power in me that you need but say and it is done if it lie in my power so shall you ever command Your faithful and obedient Servant till death Jo. Hipsley London 1. Septemb. 1623. Sir Dudley Carleton to the Marquesse of Buckingham Right Honourable BY the dispatch of the fourteenth of this present which I sent by Jonson the Post I advertised your Honour at large in the two several Letters of the occurrents of these parts and therewith sent a copie of my second proposition which I made the day before in the Assemblie of the States General touching the businesse of Cleves and Juliers in conformitie to your Honours Letters of the 30th of the last The answer thereunto was deferred until yesterday and then brought me only by word of mouth from the States by Mounsieur Magnus of Zealand and Mounsieur Zulestein of Vtrecht and was to this effect That the States having sent my former proposition of the third of December to their several provinces from which this latter did differ in substance save onely in respect of the time for the restitution of the Townes which was prolonged for the space of a month all they could do according to the constitution of their government was to send this my second proposition likewise unto their provinces which they had done the day after I made the same and until they receive more expresse order from their principals they were to rest upon their former answer Wherein they declared their good intentions to accommodate this businesse so it might be with safetie to themselves and satisfaction of their neighbours And herein they were to expect the resolution of the Elector of Brandenbergh from whom the time did not yet serve to know his mind Mean while they humbly beseech his Majestie to make a gracious construction of their proceedings I was the day before with Mounsieur Barnevelt who is President this week to sollicite their answer who excused himself upon the smalnesse of their number many of the States being absent and of two Provinces all the Deputies So as to give a determinate resolution according as was required they could not And to make answer in general terms since his Majestie rested not satisfied with the former he doubted another of the same kind would not please him So as it seems this Message in place of an answer in writing proceeded of his Councel By discourse both with him and those which came unto me upon this subject I find their diffidence of the purpose of the Spaniard rather increased then otherwise upon the news of Leavies intended on the Arch-Dukes side to the number of 9000 foot and 1000 or 1200 horse and their delay in taking a determinate resolution no way disswaded but rather counselled by all other Princes who have interest in this businesse Their Embassadour at Paris having advertised them by reiterated Letters That Don Pedro di Sarmientos his offer to his Majestie touching the execution of the Treatie of Zanten is absolutely disavowed by both the Kings of France and Spain And this French Embassadour Mounsieur du Maurier having made it appear unto them that at Brussels they have the same conceit of it as a thing done without authoritie Besides the Princes of the Union have written lately expresse Letters to the States wherein they perswade them to extraordinarie vigilance upon the Spaniards and particularly in this businesse of Cleves and Juliers the translated Copies of which Letters I send your Honour herewith And the Prince of Brandenbergh being young himself and having his Councel divided in opinion doth nothing absolutely without reference to this State and he when I put them in mind how they themselves were the authors and framers of the Treatie of Zanten they stick not to say plainly Tempora mutantur et nos so as I am daily more and more confirmed in my former opinion That there is no way left to accommodate this businesse but by a private agreement between the Princes Pretendents But Strickius the Agent of Brandenbergh being absent at Cleves I do not hear how this Negotiation proceeds Amongst the particularities which passed in discourse between Mounsieur Magnus and my self I insisting upon restitution of the Townes as the meanes to prevent an imminent war upon the quarrel He asked to whom they should restore them unlesse the Princes were agreed and that they might know which of the Princes should receive him and whom they should have for their neighbour Whereby it appeares this course will on this side remove all difficulties It is advertised hither by Mounsieur Langrack the States Embassadour at Paris that the apprehension they had in the Court to have this businesse ended without the French Kings intervention caused Mounsieur de Refuges to be summoned to make an other journey expressely hither in regard he had formerly the managing thereof Notwithstanding thta Mounsieur de la Nove was already named for this extraordinarie Embassage But Refuges excusing himself upon his indisposition sent all his memorial of what passed when he was here in the treatie of Zanten with his private opinion upon the whole matter to serve as an instruction to la Nove. By the other Letters of the 28. of this present Stil No. Mounsieur Langrack hath given this State many important advertisements as first that he hath obtained of the French Kng a continuance of the succours of the 3. Regiments of foot and 2. Troops of horse of that Nation for one year longer notwithstanding the opposition of the Spanish and Arch-Dukes Embassadours who advised the recalling of them upon occasion of the present troubles in France That there is order given and assignation for 120000 Crownes towards the arrearages of their pay That a resolution is taken in that Court by the advice of the new Councellours contrarie to the opinion of the old to prosecute the Princes by war and maintain the Kings authority henceforward by force That to this effect the King desires the State should perform their promises of sending towards the river of Burdeaux 5. men of war That he likewise requires of them in conformitie of the last treaties betwixt the Crown and this Star an assistance of men to the number of the French which are here in service under some good Commander But the French themselves the King will not have for fear when they shall come into France of their revolting to the Princes That he demands free passage through these Countries down the Mause and the Rhene of 3000. Souldiers with their armes which are
leaived by the Count John Giacomo Belioyosa in Luke-Land and thereabouts and shipping to transport them into France All these particulars were moved unto him as he writes by the Marshal de Anchre to which he adds That the King is so much incensed against the Duke of Bovillon for seeking to this State for protection by these Letters whereof I advertised your Honour in my last that there is a resolution taken to declare him Criminel de lese Majestate These Grauntes are so scantie the continuance of the French Troops in the service of the State being but for a year only and the payment of them arriving only to the tenth part of what is alreadie due that they here interpret them to proceed from the Marshal de Ancre Pour tenir as they say le bee en Leau and the demands are so large and extravagant that they are thought iniquum petere ut aequum ferant Whereby on the one side to keep this State in devotion to the French King and on the other to prevent the like requests of the Princes for there is small appearance they will give passage to so many men through their Countries armed and commanded by an Italian who hath born armes against them and is married into the Arch Dukes Countrie And when it comes to question of sending forces of their own thither it is like they will find as good excuses for that point as they have hitherto done for the sending of the ships now three months since promised and still solicited For howsoever the chief Persons here have been long particularly interested and ingaged as your Honour knowes by neer dependance on this Crown I find them of late very much alienated in consideration that it is so much governed by Spain which in the end they apprehended will turn to the ruine of this State In France they are jealous of this coldnesse and have of late expostulated the matter with Mounsieur Langrack as if they here did incline to the Princes there being a bruite raised in Paris that Count Maurice would go in Person to their assistance whereof the Queen Regent was very sensible but I do not find here that there was any ground for that report Here hath been lately a fame spread and nourished by such as desire to weaken the correspondence betwixt his Majestie and this State that his Majestie is in neer terms of matching our Prince with Spain Which report is now the more credited by an adviso out of Spain from a secret Minister this State entertaines under colour of solliciting Merchants causes That this match hath been there by order of the King of Spain debated in the inquisition and judged necessarie in regard it would serve for introduction of Poperie into England This I find to be the Remora of my chief affaires with this State my pressing the restitution of the Townes in Cleves and Juliers being thought by many of these jealous people to hang on this thread as a thing very acceptable and agreeable at this time to the King of Spain and much advantagious in this present conjuncture to his affaires and my insisting upon sending of Commissioners to his Majestie in the businesse of our Merchants they applie the same way as if the opinion which would be conceived of this Embassage howsoever Merchants affaires were pretended the chief intent was to play Davus in Comaedia should according to the use of Nitimur in Vetitum rather kindle then quench the desire of the Spaniard and draw the match to a more speedie conclusion At my last being with Mounsieur Barnevelt I did expostulate the States delay of sending Commissioners to his Majestie upon this occasion as neither answereth to Sir Noel Caron's word and promise to his Majestie nor to that which from his mouth I did advertise your Lordship of the States inclination in general and the resolution in particular of those of Holland To which he answered me That with much difficultie and opposition he had obtained the assent of Holland and that now the matter rested with Zealand but he doubted that his Majesties restoring the old Company of Merchants would make a stay of any farther proceeding as now lesse requisite howsoever that Sir Noel Carone had advertised that notwithstanding this change he thought the sending of Commissioners very necessary The Questions here about Religion rest in the same state as I advertised your Lordship in my last the Assembly of Holland being separated untill the end of February stil no. when they are to meet again Mean while a provisional order is taken that the Contra-Remonstrants shall continue their preaching in our English Church which they have accommodated with Scaffolds to make it more capable of their number There was much question in this Assemblie whether his Excellencie should be present or no but in the end he was called by the major part of voices contrary to Mounsieur Barnevelt's opinion and his authoritie over-swayed the matter in favour of the Contra-Remonstrants for the continuance of their preaching which it was proposed to hinder by some violent Courses By example of this place there is the like provisional order taken for preaching at the Brill and Rotterdam and certain of the Burghers are established in Tergow who were put from their Trade and Commerce for their expostulating with the Magistrate upon this quarrel I have been spoken unto by divers particular persons well affected in this cause to procure a Letter from his Majestie to his Excellencie whereby to comfort and encourage him in his Zeal for the maintenance of the true doctrine and the professours thereof against these Novellists and their opinions Which I most humbly refer to his Majesties wisdom in case he judge this office necessarie whether it be sit to be done by Letter or Message the former of which will be of greater vertue but the latter lesse subject to crosse construction of the Arminian faction which your Honour knowes how potent it is here amongst those who have chief rule in this State Thus I humbly take leave ever resting Your Lordships most faithfully to be commanded Dudley Carleton Hague this 24. Febr. 1616. Stil Vet. Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke of Buckingham My most honourable Lord IMmediately upon receipt of your Lordships Letter concerning Sir John Ogle I moved the Prince of Orange not onely for his leave for Sir John to go into England but likewise for his Letters of recommendation whereby to give your Lordship subject upon some such testimonies of his Excellencies good satisfaction to set him upright in his Majesties favour both which he granted unto me though against the first he alledged the absence of all the English Colonels and touching the latter he called to mind old matters which notwithstanding upon what I undertook for Sir John's future intentions he was content to forget I did once again upon Sir John's instance put his Excellencie in mind of his dispatch wherein I found no difficultie Since I find Sir
nourished betwixt his Majestie and this State sprang originally from them First by Barnevelt and his faction of Arminians carrying the State to new Alliances with the Hans-Townes and otherwise by themselves refusing so much as the knowledge of them to my Predecessour in this place Sir Ralph Wynwood with much scorn and contempt Next by a harsh and peremptorie stile used in all we had then to do with them savouring rather of Pride and presumption then any due respect or desire of friendship Lastly by a precipitate course taken at Sea by their ships of war and Merchants against his Majesties Subjects making prize of some shouldering others out of their places of trade and entring in the East-Indies into open hostilitie avowed by a publique Act of the States General This ill course begun and pursued for some yeares continuance breeding a deserved distaste in his Majestie on this side and on the Spanish part fair overtures of friendship being continuallie made and confirmed by the tender of a Match of a potent Prince None can marvel that his Majestie did imbrace the same unlesse it should be expected of him that for love of this State how ill soever deserving he should lend a deaf eare to all other friendships that did not concurre with the interest of this State And the remembrance of these things not being so old as to be worn out they might here very well conceive that the suspition of Alienation and disaffection is as strong on our side for their giving the cause of our leaning another way as on theirs for the effect which hath since followed And now the cause is removed the effect may possibly cease in like manner if we may have good assurance that breaking with our new friends upon the occasions now presented we might fasten after the wonted manner with an old and the King be satisfied in such doubts he may upon good reason cast and know certainly what to trust to To this conclusion he answered confessing first their many obligations to his Majestie both for his favour and sufferance that nothing could be more certain then the affection of this State to a Prince embracing their cause of opposition to Spain And if his Majestie could take that resolution he might dispose of them their lives and their fortunes I told him that more in a case of this importance when there was question of alteration of the whole course of a great Princes affaires would be required then bare professions and protestations and the rather because he knew I was not ignorant how many Billets and Papers have been heretofore brought hither by * An old Popish Gentlewoman of this towne who by passeport on both sides trots so often to and fro betwixt this and Bruxells where she hath private accesse to the Infanta that she is known by the title of la Maquerelle de la Tresur Madam Serclaus and others tending to Truce or peace and how much such a matter was thirsted after by their Frontier Provinces which being free for them to take or leave after their own humours it was not likely his Majestie would discharge them of their burthen to pull it upon his own Shoulders But to enter into the common cause of defence and add a powerful hand in supporting them might be faisable in the present conjuncture upon good assurance he should never be left single in the quarrel Whereunto he answered that true it was the woman I named and divers others had been tampering heretofore about such Treaties that he had continually put their Papers into his Pocket and so suppressed them with consent of some of the States of whom he was most confident lest such propositions being brought into their publique Assemblies might have driven them into distraction and dispute one with another according to their several affections either to Peace or War and thereby slacken their Contributions wherewith they pay their Army and by consequence expose them to the mercie of the enemy And that this course of his being finally discovered by the Merquesse Spinola and Peckius their purpose now was as he is privately advertized from Bruxels to steal over some person hither by the usual meanes of Passe-ports for Merchants and Travailers to make some such like Proposition at the several Assemblies of the States of these united Provinces which it should be his studie to prevent because of the mischief may be bred thereby amongst them And this he assured me for conclusion That as their affections and affairs now stand nothing but despair can bring these Provinces to Peace or Truce with Spain To this I yielded but said That was not enough because of such changes to which the world was daily subject Neither did Queen Elizabeth undertake their protection upon such bare presumptions wherefore some further assurance must be thought on which he consented unto as a thing requisite on both sides and joyned issue with me in this point That when the King would be to this State as Queen Elizabeth was this State would be to him as it was to Queen Elizabeth This being opus unius diei not unlike the first day of the Creation of the world in distinguishing light and darknesse I will give your Grace this further light of what belongs to negotiation with this State The present opportunitie of the Prince of Orange's good affection and strength of these Provinces both by Sea and Land as it yet stands but not possible so long to continue being seasonably laid hold of his Majestie may have with this State a firm and fruitful alliance But if the Prince of Orange should die as he is much broken and the last year at this time we did not think he could live till May or the enemy break into the borders of this State as this last Summer if the Imperialists had joyned with the Spaniards they had undoubtedly done and unlesse some Change or Alteration happen as is feared will do this next year the best link we have for a bond of friendship would fail and as much difference be betwixt this State as it now is and what it is like to be upon any such ill accident as was now feared and still hangs over them as betwixt a strong Staffe and a broken Reed So I cease to give your Grace any further trouble Your Graces Most humble and most faithful servant Dudley Carleton Hague 9. Decemb. 1623. Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke May it please your Grace WHat Comfort and Contentment the Queen of Bohemia receives in your Graces Message and Letter by my Nephew I leave to her own expression which never failes her when her heart goeth with her hand as I can assure your Grace it doth in this subject And this I will say more who can say nothing but truth I never knew your Grace ill with this good and gracious Princesse but now you are so well settled in her good opinion and favour that I know none hath more interest therein
former Letter to your Grace which caused his Excellencie to take three of the States such of whom he is most confident one of Guelderland another of Holland the third of Zealand unto him to strengthen himself by their concurrence in that which is his own inclination of carrying this State to a strict alliance with his Majestie in which he told them That first their minds must be known and next such assurance thought of as not onely must give his Majestie present Contentment but likewise free him from all misdoubt for the future that either upon offers from Spain to these Provinces or any sinister accidents of War they should be induced to make Peace or Truce without his Majesties consent Whereunto they answered him as I have it from himself this day That nothing could be more agreeable to their affections and Interests in all respects then to be under his Majesties protection And for assurance of their remaining constant to that course they doubted not but when the matter should be treated of the Provinces would willingly condescend to what should be necessary to that purpose His Excellencie in relation hereof unto me went so much further as to instance in their new resolution here now finally put in practice of making Voyages into the West-Indies after the same form as they have done into the East both which joyned together make them irreconcileable with Spain Yet if his Majestie will have a further tye on them they will not refuse it but he saith The States will expect that such obligation be mutual and that they in like manner may rest assured when they put themselves wholly under his Majesties wings his Majestie will not flie from them and make his peace without them I told him the case was not equal betwixt his Majestie and them they being actually in War his Majestie in Peace so as to come to a conjunction his Majestie must change condition not they and therefore hath the more reason to look before he leap out of Peace into War And so did Queen Elizabeth who had raigned 27 years before she openly took upon her the protection of these Countries but after continued her War in their Cause to her dying day This he confessed but remembred withal That there was a Treatie of Burburck with which the States were much startled and he thought that when this businesse should be more particularly scanned amongst them as they would willingly give so they would expect to receive good assurance In this point of declaration of their affection and willingnesse to warrant his Majestie sufficiently I asked him How far I might go not to be disavowed so as if his Majestie should take any suddain resolution according as affaires require he might confidently build upon the concurrence of this State He answered me That a resolution in this kind would require a further proceeding then was fit untill his Majestie would be content to make his mind known by such private means as might seem best to his own wisdom and then according to his own liking they would inlarge this matter here to more mens knowledge then the small circle in which it hitherto walked and guide it in that manner as may be fit for the form of it to his Majesties honour and for the substance to his full contentment Which he offered to do now if I would presse him to it but withal told me his opinion that it would raise nothing but bruit and noise without effect when we had here no better ground to work upon and therefore wished the businesse might expect a return from his Majestie if he could be content it should be proceeded in In these terms remains this businesse not free from many Cautions and nice Circumstances and yet on this side I can assure your Grace full of good affection but these are the true reasons of their coming on no faster They hold it for a maxime That Spain will never match with his Majestie for love but either for hope or fear If Spain can entertain hope of reducing these Provinces to obedience by the Match or fear that unlesse the Match proceed his Majestie will joyn with these Provinces in opposition to Spain They hold in either of these Cases the Match as made And therefore lest some use should be made of their presentations of themselves to their own prejudice they are thus shie and circumspect Besides as they have had some help of money out of France this last year so they are entertained with hopes of more against the next which they fear would be excused upon any offer they should make of themselves towards his Majestie and therefore are loath to adventure the exchange of a substance for that which appears unto them hitherto no better then a shadow And they are indeed very umbragious for they suspect that Tentatives of this kind of which some have been made heretofore amongst them tend to no other end then to endear our Merchandize with Spain and let the Ministers of that Crown know that we refuse in their Contemplation But when his Majestie shall resolve in his own heart and be pleased to make himself so understood it will be no hard matter by his Excellencies means who is a Prince full of good intentions and real affections to his Majestie and his royal Family to make these men lay by their Jealousies and be as true to his Majestie and the support of his Crowns as his own Kingdomes Which is no more then they owe for the protection which these that are now in Government had of his Majestie when they were lately sinking under the burthen of a contrary faction and no more then upon a good knowledge of their Interests and affections I can undertake for them they will really and readily pay if the matter be well managed In which the confidence and freedom I have used with this Noble Gentleman Sir George Goring may give your Grace some further light as any doubts shall arise concerning the businesse So I most humbly take leave Your Graces Most humble and most faithful servant Dudley Carleton Hague 18. Decemb. 1623. Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke May it please your Grace THe businesse of strict conjunction betwixt his Majestie and this State touching which the Queen of Bohemia hath received his Highnesse and your Graces Letters and I your Graces of the 9th of this present goeth on the right foot according as your Grace will see more particularly by my Letters to Mr. Secretarie Conway and as the matter is here imbraced with much affection so for the manner I doubt not but it will be well ordered in that sort as will be for his Majesties honour and contentment But in regard of jealousies towards us and emulations amongst these men in matters of imployment to which all men are subject especially in good and advantagious businesses some time will be required to set all in the right way yet no illimited time for I hope within a week
the honour to be his Majesties servant I imploy him the more willingly as able to give Account of such particularities either of this Negotiation or otherwise of which his Majestie and your Grace may require knowledge And I humbly beseech your Grace to give him encouragement by your accustomed noble favour So rests Your Graces Most humble and most devoted servant Dudley Carleton Hague 16. February 1625. Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke May it please your Grace IT were a sin against the publique service in which your Grace doth imploy your self so much to the common good and your own honour to molest you with Letters in this busie time which must serve me for excuse of silence since the beginning of the Parliament What I write now is by Commandment of the Queen of Bohemia concerning this Bearer Captain Gifford an old Seaman of our Nation who having a private suite to the States hath made a journey over hither with recommendation to me from our two Secretaries for advancement thereof but with a further purpose to be imployed by the Queen against the Spaniard in a matter of no lesse moment then taking of a Gallion which usually bringeth the treasure over the Gulph of Mexico from Nova Spagna to the Havana Which he designs after this manner To go out with two Ships and a Pinnace onely fitted for fight without more in number because of the Alarum would be taken at a greater Fleet and to lie under Covert of a small Island in the entrie of the Gulph of Mexico where the Gallion coming usually alone unlesse it be accompanied with some Merchants ships which he sets light by and which incumbred with goods and Passengers he thinks may be mastered and taken building upon the securitie in which that Gallion with the rest of that Nova Spagna Fleet do sayl scattering in the Gulph till they meet with the Fleet of Terra Firma at the Havana where he having been heretofore a prisoner made this observation and doth now offer himself to put the design in execution with a demand of betwixt 10000 and a 11000 l. for the whole equipage The Queen in recompence of his good will returns him with this addresse to your Grace as a man fit for imployment for so he is generally reputed but for the particularitie of the Exploit she doth not entertain any thought thereof but refers it wholly to your Graces Consideration and to the opportunitie according as affaires shall succeed betwixt his Majestie and Spain Here are come Letters from some of the King and Queens servants on that side and one to my self from a private friend advertizing That there is a readinesse in divers of his Majesties Subjects of good abilities to put to Sea with Letters of Mart in the name of this King and Queen against the Spaniard and of a likelihood that if such Commissions were given by these Princes they would not be ill understood by his Majestie Mounsieur Aertsens hath likewise written hither in a private Letter to the Prince of Orange that he hath been spoken with to move the States to increase the number he and his Colleague have mentioned of 10 or 12 Ships to joyn in any good occasion with his Majesties Fleet to 20 And that the purpose is to set out 50 sayl on that side and that both shall go under the name of the King and Queen of Bohemia Wherein though the motion be not directly made yet the Prince of Orange hath discoursed enough that when it shall come to issue they will stretch themselves to furnish to the full what is required on this side In both these businesses as well the granting Letters of Mart by these Princes as their lending their names to any greater Action they intend to govern themselves onely as they shall understand to concur with his Majesties pleasure and therefore hope they shall receive advice from his Highnesse and your Grace what is fit for them to contribute to such occasions as they see much to their Comforts you advance with so great care and vigilance Thus I most humbly take leave Hague 16. April 1624. Your Graces most humble and most devoted Servant Dudley Carleton Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke May it please your Grace SUch Commandments as I received from your Grace by double Dispatches of the 4th of the last by way of provision whilest Sir William Saintleiger lay sick were prevented by his own presence He bringing the first of those Packets with him and thereby had Commoditie to assist at the breaking of the businesse to the States by virtue of his Majesties Credence given him and my Lord General Cecil which since he hath sollicited both at the Camp and in this place with all possible care and industrie and I have not failed of my utmost endeavours But the unsettlednesse of this Government which still continueth since the late change of Governours hath bred delay to some and direct impediments to other points we had in charge which we have endeavoured to supply by other means And now in what state he leaves the whole businesse he will relate to your Grace Such Patents as your Grace required from the King and Queen of Bohemia I have committed to his delivery in divers forms with a Blank signed and sealed wherein to frame such an one as may be better to your minds But if your Grace make no use of it you may please to return it to me again to the end I may restore it What concerns my self I absolutely remit and submit to your Grace onely I will renew the request I made to your Grace by my Nephew That your Grace will not prefer any before me in your formerly intended favour out of belief that any can be more then I resolve to rest whilest I live a touttes Espreves Humbly and faithfully devoted to your Graces person and service Dudley Carleton Hague 20. June 1625. Sir Dudley Carleton to the Duke May it please your Grace AFter long attendance the wind is come good for Plymouth which I hope will carry thither speedily and safely the States whole Fleet though in 3. parts 12 Ships with the Admiral de Nassau who hath long waited in the Tessel 4 but newly ready provided by those of Zealand at Amsterdam and 4 which have layen sometimes before the Brill whereof one is to land the Marshal Chatillion in passing by Calice the other three to Convoy the English men And Armes I send in 10. other Ships I have hired at Rotterdam before which place they have layen 20 daies a Shipboard by reason of contrary winds with some impatiencie but no disorder which what course I took to prevent as likewise what may happen in their Voyage my Lord Conway to whom I give a particular account of all will inform your Grace I have obtained leave for Sir John Proud to go the Voyage according to his Majesties Letter though it was somewhat stood upon by the States and he hath taken his passage by
Zealand When I call to mind what Patents I procured of the King of Bohemia and sent your Grace by Sir William Saint Lieger amongst which was one of submission to any accommodation his Majestie shall at any time like well of for the King of Bohemia I think it necessary to advertize your Grace that knowledge being come hither of the Infanta's sending the Count Shomburgh to the King of Denmark with a fair Message and the Count Gondomar's overtures to Mr. Trumbal tending to reconcilement and restitution of the Palatinate it is so willingly hearkned unto by the King of Bohemia that there is no doubt of his Consent but withal he well considers that if Treatie alone be trusted unto and thereupon Armes now leavied by his Majestie and his Friends be laid aside all will prove as fruitlesse as formerly For howsoever the King of Spain for more free prosecution of other quarrels or designs may be induced to quit what he possesseth in the Palatinate the shares the Emperour the Duke of Bavier and the two Electours Majenct and Trevers with a great rabble of Popish Priests and Jesuites have therein will require more then bare negotiation to wring it out of their hands and nothing but Victorie or at least a well armed Treatie can serve that turn The time seems long both to the King and Queen and growes very irksome every day more then other of their abode here in this place which indeed doth prove in all respects very uncomfortable and that your Grace will gather out of Mr. Secretarie Morton's report and my Letters to my Lord Conway In this very Consideration I beseech your Grace be the more mindful of Your Graces Most humble and most devoted servant Dudley Carleton Hague 20th of August 1625. FINIS The Table of things most remarkable A. ADmiral of England his Office p. 102 of Castile takes place of the Imperial Embassadour 165 Aerscus 342 Algier Voyage 143 144 Allegiance Puritanes will not swear it 121 Alpes when passable 186 Anchre Marshal of France 320 Archbishop of Canterbury shoots a Keeper by mischance 12. see tit James King c. for the Palsgraves accepting the Bohemian Crown 169 170 Archbishop of York against Toleration of Popery blames the Voyage into Spain 13 Argile Earl 291 Arminians chief in the Dutch State 322 Arundel Earl Marshal no friend to the Bishop of Lincoln 62 63 74 302 307 316. Ashley Sir Anthony gives the Duke of Buckingham intelligence of Plots against him 308 Aston Sir Walter will not consent that the Prince Palsgrave should be brought up in the Emperours Court 17 see Bristol Earl Concurs with the Earl of Bristol in prefixing a day for the Deposorio's without making certain the restitution of the Palatinate which is heynously taken by the Prince 35. in danger for it to be called off there 36 37. His Care to discover Plots against his Masters Crownes 49 51 53. of the Merchants 168. see Merchants Prosecutes the Marquesse of Ynoiosa in defence of the honour of England 52. sues to return home 52 54. will not see the Arch-Duke in Spain and why 166 AustrianVsurpation 191. See tit Spain B. BAcon Viscount St. Albans Lord Chancellour declines all Justification of himself 5 6. Casts himself upon the Lords 6 Discontents the Marquesse of Buckingham 8. his wayes to make the Kingdom happy 9 advises King James concerning his revenues devises a book of his estate there-how he carried himself when a Councellour and otherwise how esteemed 10. Never took bribe to pervert Justice 11. his pardon 60 82 Barnevelt 318 factious no friend to the English an Arminian 331 Bavaria Duke offers to depend wholly on Spain 167. see Palatinate Beamont Lord fined in the Star-Chamber 16. E. 2. 58 Bergen besieged 328 Bergstrate given the Archbishop of Mentz 335 Blanvile the French Embassadour an enemy to the Duke of Buckingham holds intelligence with the Dukes English enemies 295. his Character by the French 300. See 274 296 197 302. Blundel Sir George 129 Book of Common Prayer translated into Spanish and why 73. See Spaniards Borgia Cardinal 178 Bovillon Duke 165. seeks the protection from the States united 320. weary of the Palsgrave 327 Brandenburgh Elector 317 336 Bret a Peusioner in disgrace 204 Bristol Earl first mover in the Spanish Match negotiates in it 16. Earnest to conclude it 24 25 26 306 ohidden by the King Charles for giving the Spaniards hopes of his inclination to a change in Religion for his manage of things concerning the Match and undervaluing the Kingdome of England 16 17. Consents that the Prince Palsgrave shall be bred in the Emperors Court which the King Charles takes ill 17. Proffered by the King the favour of the general pardon or to put himself upon his tryal 18. under restraint for his errours in Spain 19. removed from his offices forbidden the Court denyed his Parliament Writ there Justifies himself 19 20. to King James 30. Differs in opinion from the Duke of Buckingham concerning the Match 21. Seeks the Duke of Buckingham his savour 28. charged to be his enemy his wisdome and power at Court 161 162. Conde of Olivarez offers him a blank paper signed by the King bids him choose what was in his Masters power he refuses 42 Brule Peter his practises 302 Buckingham Duke his carriage and esteem in Spain 16 22. See Olivarez contemns the Earl of Bristol 22. See Bristol an enemy to him 231 The Spaniards will not put the Infanta into his hands 22 thought an enemy to the Match with Spain 32 92 159 218 219 222 237 243 248 Censured 159 160 218 219 221 222 263 210. Forgives wrongs 58 Steward of VVestminster 69 Haughty to the Prince of VVales 78 Used to sit when the Prince stood c. 221 falls from his affection to VVilliams Lord Keeper 87. See Don Francisco his power 91 King James his words of him on Don Francisco's relation 92 Mediates for the Earl of Suffolk 125 No audience of Embassadours without him 216. taxed to King James freely 218 219 220 221 223. defended 224 225 226 227. a faithful servant 229 Charge against him in Parliament 228 229 230 Procures graces for the Nobility and Gentry 231 Breaks the Spanish Designes and Party 265 for the Match with France 291 A Consederacy by Oath against him 307 308 The Queen of England had need of his friendship 303 Dares submit the judgment of his Actions to any tryal 87 Buckingham Countesse 254 302 Buckleugh Lord 327 329 Button Sir Thomas in the Voyage of Algier 143 144. C. CAlcedon a titulary Roman Bishop in England 81 Calvert Sir George 202. See 304. Carlile Earl Viscount Doncaster loves not the Bishop of Lincoln 74 89. See 180 182. perswades King James to feed his Parliament so he with some crums of the Crown 270. refuses See 288. Count Mansfelts Commission for Colonel to his son 273 Carlos Arch-Duke in Spain 165 Calderon Don Rodrigo Marquesse de las Siete Iglesias his Riches confined 208
Carleton Sir Dudley Embassadour in the Low-Countries 317. writes to reconcile Sir Horatio Vere and Sir Edward Cecyl 323. his prudence to reunite England and the States 331 332 Carone Sir Noel Embassador in England from the Low-Dutch 321-325 Cavendish 97 Cecyl Sir Edward General 128 345. sues for Command will save the King in Expences 128. a loser by his service 129. see 345. See Vere Sir Horatio Viscount Wimbledon commands in chief at Sea neglected malitiously accused examined 135 137 138 Charles Prince of Wales King of England after how entertained and honoured in Spain 14 15 16. Not to be shaken in Religion contrary to Conde Gondomar's Information to his Master 15. got the love of all men in Spain 16 22 159 Will not proceed in the Match without restitution of the Palatinate and Electoral dignity 17 35 36 Displeased with the Earl of Bristol for raising an opinion among the Spaniards of his willingnesse to become Roman Catholique and his offers of seducing that way 17 will not be bargained with for future favours 18. will not be drawn to things but freely 18 His affability patience constancy 22 his civil and wise Reply to the Popes Letter 215 No lover of women 237 Defends the Duke of Buckinghams actions as done out of politick Compliance for the Palatinate cause 228 229 230 will favour as he pleases will grant the Lords and Commons all things fair and honest 230 Ill used by delayes in Spain his Voyage thither censured 288 289 3â—4 Chevereux Duke a servant of the Prince of Wales 277 278 230. See 300 301. Chichester Sir Arthur distrusted by the Duke 243 his conference with the Embassadours of Spain 244 245 Chidley a Sea Captain 141 Churchman an homicide 12 55 56 Church of England Reformed 116 Church differences Judges of them 117 Clerk Edward 306 307 Cleves and Juliers the succession of them pretended to 317 Coborn a Captain of the Duke of Brunswick 283 Contracts ever before Marriage where 106 107 Coke Sir Edward 104 122 Conde imprisoned 176 Conference betwixt Don Francisco and the Lord Keeper 86 87. betwixt Sir Arthur Chichester and the Spanish Embassadours 244. the Earl of Nithisdail and them 247 Confession of Don Pedro concerning the Armada of 88. 259 Conway Lord Secretary advises the Earl of Bristol 19 estranged from the Lord Keeper Lincoln 89 a Martial Secretary 198 enough the Dukes servant 316 Cordova Don Gonzales 328 329 Corona Regia See Libel Cottington Sir Francis 23 81 Councel Table of King James somewhat too much pressing upon the King 75 Courtenvant Marquesse 286 Coxe King Edward the sixt his School-master Master of Requests and Privie Councillour enters Orders 68 Cromwel Lord Counsels the Duke 263. D. DEnbigh Countesse 302 Denmark King his offers 190 191. Dispensation with a Lay-man to hold cure of soules cannot be 66 67 Dominican Fryer turns to the English Church 79 Don Francisco's Discourse to the Lord Keeper 86 87 90 91 92 93 His cunning to speak with King James 90. Accuses the Duke of Buckingham 90 91 Donato a Venetian Embassadour gives the lye to the Duke of Savoy an enemy to Paul the Father of Venice 187 banished once at Venice twice in England 192 Don Doctour 314. presents the Duke with a book of devotions ibid. E. ELiot Sir John imprisoned 311 Elvis Sir Gervas his posterity restored in blood and estate 3 Most guilty of the death of Sir Thomas Overbury 3 Emperour Ferdinand the third deales unworthily with King James 166. and against his own Letter 234 changes the German Customes 171 his proceeding against the Palsgrave protested against 336 Elizabeth Queen of England her Speech to her Army at Tilbury 260 Restrains the Papists and why 258 protects the Low-Countries and upon what termes 333 338 England alone happy in its Religion 112 inclined to popularity 228 229 not what it hath been 261 Episcopacy gone what will follow 117 Essex Earl commanded to fight the Spanish Ships le ts them escape 135 F. FEria Duke 168 Fiat Marquesse 293 302 288 Finch Lady created Viscountesse of Maidstone 79 Fleet of Spain 43 53 Plate Fleet 48 49. part cast away 208 of Portugal 53. for Brasil 167 Of the Spaniard's Venetians and Turks 186 207. of the Low-Countries for the West-Indies 341 346 Frenchman burnt in Spain for contempt to the host 51 Frenchmen use the English basely 149 their Contract for the English Ships 150 French King falls upon those of the Religion 164 177 France governed by the Queen Mother at the proposals of the Match with Madam which she is earnest for but will do nothing till the Treaty with Spain be broke 274 to 277. The French not much sollicitous for the English Recusants 275 284 285 Richnesse of their habits at a Masque in honour of the English 278 279 fear the Spanish greatnesse 281 desirous of the English alliance 282 283 287 articles of the Match disliked by the English 289 endeavour to break the Spanish Treaty 305 Give precedency to the English 254 G. GAbor Bethlem 335 Gage imployed about the Dispensation 233 238 Geere Sir Michael 135 Gerard Sir Thomas seized upon suspition of designes against the King 272 Gifford a Sea Captain his design upon a Gallion in the Gulph of Mexico 343 Gondomar his false relations of the Prince of Wales 15 Commanded again for England 54 Goodnesse ever most easily betrayed 270 Goring Sir George 96 200 330 316 339 Grandees of Spain severally present their King with summes of monies to relieve his wants 168 Grandmont French Mounsieur 285 Gregorie the 15. tempts the Prince of Wales to change Religion 212 213 tries to make the Duke of Buckingham 216 Greiham 316 Gresley ibid. Gelderland States have the leading voyce in the united Netherlands 323 Goring Sir George 200 Guicciardines Judgment of Venice 8 H. HAlberstat Christian Duke of Brunswick 240 Hamilton Marquesse 316 Hartford Earl's Petition 89 Harton Sir Christopher 226 Haughton Sir Gilbert complains of the Lord Keeper Williams his servants 74 Henderson Colonel slain at Bergen 328 Henderson Sir Francis 329 Henrietta Maria of France after Queen of England 253. beautiful discreet and full of respect to the Prince of Wales 276 277. See 278 290 sends privately for his picture 280 Herbert Lord of no faction his Informations to King James from France 304 305 Holland Earl Lord Kensington in France when the Treaty for the Match there was beginning for it 274 275 276 277 278 279. received by the French King 278. speaks to him concerning the Match 282. with the Queen Mother 289. with Madam 290. allowed at all times free entrance into the Louure 294 Howard Sir Robert 103 104. I. JAniville Prince for the Queen Mother 176. forwards the alliance with France 279 James King of England famous for wisedome mercy c. 7 Appoints Commissioners to inquire of the Archbishop of Canterburies Case 12. See Archbishop of Canterbury his promises to Williams Lord Keeper 56. Never breaks his word 77 Protectour of the Protestants
110 111 sought to to be declared Head and Protectour of that faith as the Spaniard would be taken to be of the Roman 305 Protectour of the Venetians owned so by them conservation of the publique tranquillity relyes upon him 179 280 Ayds the Savoyard joyns in the cause of Cleve 170 Promises not to draw his severity to Donato the Venetian Embassadour into example 192 sought to by the Spaniards to joyn against the Pyrates 207 writes to the Pope 211 aymes at the universal peace of Christendome 270 what a friend to the Low-Countries sleighted and ingratefully dealt with by them 331 The Germane Princes relye upon him 336 Infanta of Spain 15 16 21 22. her vertues and beauty she loved the Prince of Wales 26 her portion 27 Ingram 226 Inquisitor General presents a consulta to the Spanish King to procure a Jubile 51. See Jubile is the first who offers toward the Kings necessities 168 Joachim of Zealand 342 Irish raise aspersions in Spain of persecutions in England 15 practises of their Priests there 49 Isabella Clara Eugenia her Complement to the Bavarian 240. See 167 335 Jubilee from Rome to expiate for the Contempt done to the Host 51 Junto of Divines to consider of the Spanish King's Oath by which he would undertake for the King of Englands performance of Articles 15 Jurisdiction Episcopal used in England without the Kings consent against Common Law 81 K. KEeper of the Seal where questionable 76 Killegrew 316 Kings Gods shadowes 12 yeelding to demands must deny nothing 227 L. LAken Nicholas his discoveries concerning Corona Regia 151 152 Lamb Dr. of Law favoured by the Bishop of Lincoln 56 62 Langrack Dutch Embassadour at Paris his advertisements of affaires 318 319 Landaffe Bishop sues for preferment troubled 119 120 Laud Bishop of St. Davids sues to be a Commissioner and why 113 Lawyers mischievous in Parliaments 226 Le grand professes service to the Prince of Wales 277 Leicester the Favourite 226. refuses to be Admiral for the Lord Stewards place 102. no man in Parliaments durst touch him 226 Letters of Mart against the Spaniard 344 Libel against King James by the Papists called Corona Regis 151 152 Liberty of a free Subject 19 a pretence 229 Of Kings invaded by the Spaniard 191 Of Westminster impeached by the Lord Steward and Earl Marshal 68 69 where Liberties are to be impleaded 69 Liege King of Spain raises a Fort there 279 Offered protection by the French King 283 Lieutenants of Counties chosen 76 Londoners deceive the King in his Customes undo all other Townes transport silver enemies to the Duke 226 Low-Countries offers of those States to Sir Edward Cecyl 130 their proceedings in affairs 317 to 320 how much bound to England 339 Jealous of the English their courses for Religion 321. carry themselves strangely to the English 331 apt to fall into faction 324 desire the King of England's protection 337 why they haste not to conclude 339 Send Embassadours into England to treat 342 Lude Count 285 Luines the great French Favourite 176 177. M. MAconel Sir James a fugitive Scot seeks to be entertained in Spain 209 Magnus of Zealand 317 Malecontents of King James and King Charles their Reigns 225 Mansel Sir Robert b fore Argier Commands against the Turks 140 141 142. Mansfelt Earl hates the house of Austria entertained by the Venetians how obedient to the Palsgrave 189. In the Low Countries 328 329 Maqueda Duke a Pyrate 166 Marriages of Princes of different Faiths in what manner 106 Marshal of England his office power c. once hereditary Marshal of the Kings house 63 64 Masques in France 278 279 Master of the Horse to the King 102 Mathewes Sir Tobie 251 252 253. Match with the Infanta of Spain the proceedings 15. See Infanta Many things yeelded to for it 236 The Portion and all the temporal Articles were settled 23 25 Difficulties in it from Rome and Spain 233 234 236 238 239. The Proxie 106 107 Betwixt the Prince of Wales and Madam of France 275-279 Concluded 292 53 agitated betwixt the Emperours Son and the Infanta Donna Maria 167 Isabella Clara Eugenia moves for the Prince of Poland 167 Betwixt the Emperours Daughter and Palsgraves Son 170 171 Maurice of Nassaw Prince of Orange a blunt Prince 324 331 against the Novellists 321 322 would reconcile Sir Horatio Vere and Sir Edward Cecyl 323 he and the Prince Conde differ ibid. gives away Colonel Hyndersons Regiment contrary to an act of the States 329 desires the protection and friendship of King James 331 332 337 338 Melon seeds sent out of Italie to King James by Sir Henry Wotton 195 Merchants of England denyed the free entrance of their Commodities in Spain 46 47. the order of prohibition staid 52 168 ill used there 48 Michel Sir John sues injustly in Chancery 83 84 Middlesex Earl sues to the King for grace 203 fined 204 will not consent to any diminution of the Crown revenues 266 begs time for his defence 268 Medena Dutchesse 188 Mole an Englishman in the Inquisition concerning King James his Book for Allegiance 194 Montague after Bishop of Chichester imprisoned by the House of Commons who so he had nothing to do with him 115 Requires the Papists to prove certain questions 115 116 Three Bishops defend him 116 117 118. and his Book Appello Caesarem so much disliked by the Puritanes 116. 118 Montgomery Earl taxed 27. See 302. Murray Schoolmaster to the Prince of Wales a Puritane preferred to be Provost of Eaton 66 67 68. N. NEcessity onely drives men to Sea 102 Newburgh Duke in Spain 165 166 shares in the Palatinate 335 Nithisdail Earl his Conference with the Spanish Embassadours 247 Nove Mounsieur 319 O. OFfice of the Originals 70 Ogle Sir John gives Extracts of the Duke and Embassadours Letters 137. See 322. Olivarez Conde the Favourite of Spain his and the Duke of Buckinghams farewell 16 his protestation to the Earl of Bristol 40 saves the Marquesse of Ynoiosa from the prosecution of Sir Walter Aston 52 his Rodomontade 289 The Condessa of Olivarez prayes for the Duke of Buckingham 33 Opinions of some in the Church dangerous 117 Ornano Colonel Monsieur of Orleans his Governour 286 Ossuna Duke Vice Roy of Naples counterfeits madnesse to cover his disloyalty 182 Threatens the Venetians because they would not be robbed by him 183 Confirmed in his Government avoids the Spanish trap 184 Oxford Earl 22 imprisoned 209 seeks to the Duke of Buckingam but gallantly 312 P. PAlatinate of the Rhine cause of breach in the Spanish Match 17 35 38 234 235 307. mangled by the Emperour by guists 335 difficulties in the restitution of it 171 172 346 Ever beaten upon 245. 248 the upper settled on the Bavarian 335 Pardon of the Lord of St. Albans 60 Parma Duke 186. imprisons his bastard son 188 Parliament of England House of Commons no where before Henry the 1. thwart the King their priviledges graces of Kings 65 grown in the late
Reigns tumultuous and licentious 224 private grudges made publick businesse 230 what men dangerous in Parliaments 215 See 226. Of Spain grant their King 60. Millions of Duckets which the Guies will not ratifie 45 Palsgrave a dâ—sperate enemy to the Emperour 172. promised restitution conditionally 241. content to submit 337 Passages betwixt the Keeper Lincoln and Don Francisco a Spaniard concerning Peace or war betwixt England and Spain upon breach of the Match 77 Paul the Father of Venice 187 Peckius 333 Peeres Judges in Parliament 6 Bennington Sir John 141. will not deliver up the Kings Ship for the French service 147 148 his advice concerning the Contract of the French for the use of some English Vessels 150 Persian Embassadour his suit to King James 12 Philibert of Savoy Viceroy of Sicily his good affection to King James 158 at Messina 182 dares not fight the Turkish Fleet which he finds too strong for him 186 Philips Sir Robert 264 mediates with the Duke for the Earl of Bristol 265 Pirates of Algier 142 Of the Levant seek for pardon 156 formidable 158 infest the Coasts of Spain 206 207 Popes their arts 172 Porcheres 301 303 Portland Earl See Weston Sir Richard Presents given on both sides in Spain 16 Prisoners in the Fleet and the damned in Hell compared by the Keeper Lincoln 65 Priviledges of Parliament 65 made a colour 227 Procession upon the Jubile in Spain by the King Queen c. 51 Proclamation concerning the signature of Bills 82 Protestants of all parts beholding to King James 110 111 Provost of Eaton hath cure of soules must be in Orders 66 67 Purbeck Lady so she much affects her husband 313 Complains highly of the Duke and his Family 313 314. Puritanes see Allegiance haters of the Government begun in Parliaments fall upon the Councellours of State willing to clip the King 225 Putcan had a hand in Corona Regia the Libel 152 Q. Queen of Bohemia her virtues 329 337 Queen Mother of France 176. for the Match with England 290 296 young Queen shewes great respect to the English Prince and is earnest for the Match with Madam 277 not Spanish though a sister of Spain 278 R. RAwleigh S'r Walter insolent 226 his Western Voyage had described those Countries makes the Duke of Buckingham his Intercessour 308 309 Records of the Order of the Garter 221 Reformation of Justice rules for it 6 7. Refuges Monsieur 319 Religious life entring into it after betrothing 24 Richlieu Cardinal when first of the Cabinet Councel 287 Richmond Duke Lord Steward 100 101. See 336. Richmond Dutchesse gives 1600 l. the year for a house to sleep in 106 Rochel so streightly blocked up in November 1625. no intelligence could be had from thence 272 Rochfort Viscount his generosity 209 suâ—s for the Earl of Oxfords Liberty 210. See 310. Rochfoulcaut Cardinal 282 Roâ— Sir Thomas frees 13. English from the Spanish Gallies by the favour of Philibert of Savoy 158 Roman Catholicks favoured in England because of the Spanish Match and to comply with the Articles 80 81 Bishop of Lincoln his advice concerning it ibid. titular Bishop of Calcedon in England see tit Williams Complain of persecution in England 95 238 to the Spanish Embassadour turbulent 105 King James his Clemency to them disliked what that was 110 111 112. and why 233 236 242 Jesuites stir up the French King against the Calvinists because King James executes his Lawes against the Papists 111. their practises in Parliament against the King 225 229 Imprisoned in the time of the Queen and why 258 Contrive tumults disarmed by the King their insolency 271 272 S. ST George Madam 296 302 Saint-Leger Sir William 334 335 Sandys Sir Edwin 76 Santa Croce Marquesse 178 Sarmientos Don 318 Savil Sir Henry Provost of Eaton 67 Savoyard Embassadour 275 299 300 301 303. Savoy Duke 168 a friend to the Palsgrave distrusted by the Spaniards 185 defeats them 208 Say Viscount a Malecontent 225 307 Saxonie Duke a friend to King James and the Palatine Family 167 Scor Doctour described by the Bishop of Lincoln 99 100 101 Scotch Masters confiscated in Spain and sentenced to the Gallies 50 Scultetus at the Synod of Dort 173 Serclaus a Dutch Gentlewoman trotting on both sides betwixt the Dutch and SpaÌ„nish 332 Shipwrack of the Plate Fleet 48 49 Ships attempted to be fired 135 Sibrandus a furious Calvinist at the Synod of Dort 174 Soissons Count a Prince of the Blood of France would marry Madam of France 282 his incivility to the Earl of Holland 285 altered 286 Sommerset Earl sues to the King for his life and estate rise upon his Fathers Merits 1 2 3 4 South-hampton Earl confined to his own house 57 hardly dealt with but without the Kings Order 61. See 316. Spanish King gives precedencie to the Prince of Wales 14 Much sought to by the English Papists 252 aymes at the universal Monarchie 274 281 Spaniards committed many errours in the Match 23 forward to give any security to the accomplishing it 24 25 Cautelous in their proceeding 243 247 arm the Grandees summoned and the Battalon 51. for the Sea 166 Sleight and wrong the English 54 Seise the Venetian Vessels in the Ports of Naples arm in all their Dominions 178 179 182 their subleties they rob the Venetians 183. their plots upon the States united 333. Complain they cannot obtain free audience 246 Spanish Rodomontades 289 248 Intended with their Armada to have rooted out the English Nation 259 by the Match to have formed a party here 305. See 338 339. Get more by their policies then Swords 261. no peace can be with them there would make peace with the Dutch 327 will not believe the English had either Faith Church or Liturgie 79. See Book of Common-Prayer burn the Princesse Palatines Joynture in sight of the English Embassadour 329 Spinola 328 333 Star-Chamber an ancient Court 58 held Pleas of restitution of Ships and goods 75 State when the word came first over hither 226 Steward of the house 63 Office of Lord Steward what 101 102 Successe things not to be judged by it 304 Suffolk Earl his Staffe of Treasurer taken away 126 sentenced in the Star-chamber 122 will not perswade his sons to leave the Court delivered from the Tower 123 124 125 Synod of England 117 of Dort passages of it 173 174 175 of no authority with us 117 T. TIlley count besieges Heidelbergh 234 329 Tilliers Count 305 Toirax 286 287 Treasurer of England accuses the Lord Keeper of Lincoln 72 73 Treasure ill managed 122 Tresham of the Powder Treason preserved his estate 3 Truger Madamoiselle 301 Trumbal an Agent at Brussels for King James his care to find out the Authour of Corona Regia 152 153 Turkish kindnesse to the Venetians 186 Tyrconnel Page to the Queen of Spain 49 V. VAlette Marquesse 285 Vandenbergh grave Henric 328 Vaux Lord committed to the Fleet for resisting the Kings commands 271 Venetians in danger of the Spaniard
Modern in Duodecimo The Office of Sheriffe◠and Coroner by J. Wilkinson of Bernards Inne with Kitchins return of VVrits newly translated into English in Octavo Synopsis or an exact Abridgment of the Lord Cook 's Commentary upon Littleton being a brief Explanation of the Grounds of the Common Law Compos'd by that learned Lawyer Sir Humphrey Davenport Knight Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer in Octavo Miscellania Spiritualia or devout Essay 's by the Honourable Walter Mountague Esquire the first Part in Quarto The History of the Civil warrs of France written in Italian by Henrico Catarino D'Avila translated into English by Sir Charles Cotterel Knight and William Aylsbury Esquire in folio Books Printed for or to be sold by M.M.G. Bedell and T. 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Howe 's Gent. in folio A Chronicle of the Kings of England from the Romans Government unto the Raign of King Charles Containing all passages of Church and State with all other observations proper for a Historie The second Edition enlarged with Marginal notes and large Tables by Sir Richard Baker Knight in Folio The History and Lives of the Kings of England from Wil. the Conqueror to the end of the Reign of K. Henry the eighth by Wil. Martyn Esq to which is added the Historie of K. Edward the fixt Q. Mary and Queen Elizabeth in Folio The History of the Reign of K. Henry the seventh written by the right Honourable Francis Lord Verulam Viscount St. Alban with a very useful and necessary Table annexed to it in folio The Life and Reign of K. Henry the Eight written by the Right Honourable Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury in folio Orlando Furioso in English Heroical verse by Sir John Harrington Knight now the third time revised and amended with the Addition of the Authors Epigrams in folio The Marrow of the French tongue containing rules for pronunciation an exact Grammer of the nine parts of speech and dialogues for Courtiers Citizens and Countrymen with varieties of Phrases Letters missive Proverbs c. So compiled that a mean capacity may in short time without help attain to the perfection of the Language by Mr. John Woodroephe in folio Pyrotechina or a discourse of artificial fire-works laying down the true grounds of that Art to which is annexed a treatise of Geometrie by John Babington student in the Mathematicks in folio A French-English Dictionary with another in English and French Compiled by Mr. Randal Cotgrave Whereunto are added the Animadversions and supplement of James Howel Esquire in Folio Annales veteris Testimenti à prima Mundi Origine deductis una cum Rerum Asiaticarium et Aegyptiacarum Chronico Jacobo Vsserio Armachana digestore in folio With the second Part now in presse in Latine in folio Devotionis Augustinianae Flammae or certain devout and learned Meditations upon several Festivals in the year written by the excellently accomplisht Gentleman VVilliam Austin of Lincolnes Inne Esquire in folio The Christian man or the Reparation of nature by grace written in French by John Francis Sennault and now Englished by H. Gresly Master of Arts and student of Christ Church in Oxford in quarto An Interpretation of the number 666 wherein not onely the manner how this number ought to be interpreted but it is also shewed that this number doth exactly describe that state of goverment to which all other Notes of Antichrist do agree by Francis Potter B.D. with Mr. Medes Judgment of this Treatise in quarto John Barclay his Argenis translated out of Latine into English the prose upon his Majesties command by Sir Robert le Gry's Knight and the verses by Thomas May Esquire with a Clavis annexed to it for the satisfaction of the Reader in Quarto The History of the Imperial state of the Grand Seigneurs their Habitations Lives Favourites Power Government and Tyranny to which is annexed the History of the Court of the King of China written in French and translated by Edward Grimston in quarto The state of France as it stood in the ninth year of this present Monarch Lewis the 14th written to a friend by J.E. in Duodecimo The Pourtract of the Politick Christian Favourite drawn from some of the Actions of the Lord Duke of St. Lucar by the Marquesse Virgillio Malvezzi to which is annexed Maximes of State and political observations on the same story of Count Olivarez D. of St. Lucar in Duodecimo The Prince written in French by Mounsiour Du Balzac now translated into English by Henry Gresly Master of Arts and Student of Christ Church in Oxford in Duodecimo The Life and Reign of King Edward the sixth with the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth both written by Sir John Hayward Knight Doctor of Law in Duodecimo Of Liberty and Servitude translated out of the French into the English tongue and dedicated to George Evelyn Esquire in duodecimo The new Planet no Planet or the earth no wandring Star Here out out of the principles of Divinity Philosophy c. the earths Immobility is asserted and Copernicus his opinion as erroneous c. fully refuted by Alexander Rosse in Quarto The Picture of Conscience consisting in the truths to be believed the vertues to be practised the vices to be avoided and the Heresies to be rejected by Alexander Ross in Duodecimo An humble Apology for Learning and Learned Men by Edward Waterhous Esquire in Octavo Selected parts of Horace Prince of Lyricks concluding with a piece out of Ausonius and another out of Virgil done into English by Richard Fanshaw Esquire in Octavo Palmer in D'Oliva both parts in quarto The true History of the Tragick Loves of Hypollito and Isabella Neapolitans in Octavo The Nuptial Lover in Octavo The Jesuite the chief if not the onely State-heretick in the world or the Venetian Quarrel in Quarto Brinsley's small Coppy-Book in Octavo Synopsis or a Compendium of the Fathers in Octavo Supplementum Lucani Thomae May Anglo in Duodecimo Jackson's Evangelical temper in duodecimo Maran-Atha the second advent or Christ coming to Judgment A Sermon preached before the Honourable Judges of Assize at Warwick July 25. 1651. by VVil. Durham B. D. late Preacher at the Rolls now Pastor of the Church of Tredington in Worcester shire in Quarto Steps of Ascention unto God or a ladder to heaven
exceeding sorrow that it could not be sooner and with as much care by all his best means to effect it I much thank your Lordship for your favour to Sir Charls Blunt of whom if he be not thankfull I shall not onely be deceived but also revenged I will pray continually for your Lordships prosperity and that it shall be impossible to make me otherwise then Your Lordships most honest and faithfull servant MOUNTJOY Sir Robert Cecil after Earl of Salisbury to the Lord Burleigh his Father from France Febr. 26. 1597. MY duty humbly remembred to your Lordship Having lately made dispatches from Diep and having made little way in France by reason of Sir Thomas Wilks indisposition your Lordship can expect little from me especially having joyned with my associates in a letter to your Lordship Nevertheless because love and duty will find easily occasion to express themselves I am bold to yeild your Lordship some more trouble by my private Letter I have met here with the primier President of Roan a man of great credit and reputation one that untill meer necessity did force him kept much hold here for this King he afterward retired and kept the Parliament at Caen he is learned grave of good person good discourse well affectionate to England his name is Claude Grollart he is now next the Duke Monpencier the stay of all those quarters insomuch that when the King will be merry with him he calls him one of the petty Dukes in Normandy he did visit me with great respect and fell into familiar discourse with me of your Lordship whom he had known in England many years since and hath had correspondency with your Lordship by letters in Mr. Secretary Walsinghams time And being talking thereof he desired me to tell your Lordship by occasion that when these troubles were like to grow by the League you writ him a letter of advice to stick fast to the King and not to be doubtfull though he saw difficulties for you did hold it for a true Oracle That the Kings on earth are like the Sun and that such as do seek to usurp are like falling Starres For the Sun although it be ecclipsed and obsuscated with mists and clouds at length they are dispersed where the other are but figures of stars in the eyes view and prove no more but exhalations which suddenly dissolve and fall to the earth where they are consumed Because I have little else to fill my paper I presume to trouble your Lordship thus far to whom I think it cannot be offensive to hear that for your sake I am by many the better used and that by your own wisdom you are by men of place and gravity both honored and remembred The marriage of the Duke of Tremouille to the Count Maurice his sister hath drawn the Duke of Bovillon towards Britany where I am informed by this President that he meaneth to stay and to attend the King to whom he will clear himself if he take any knowledge of any jealousie and the rather because he is there well fortified in a Countrey full of those that are of the religion It shall behove me being there to cary my self tenderly towards him The Kings prosperity in Britany hath already made his Catholikes begin to quarrel with the Accord which hath been made at the Assembly For the persons that were appointed to frame the Articles into an Edict have varied upon some principall points onely to trifle out the time thereby to discover whether the King may need their assistance or no. But the Duke of Bovillon hearing inckling of it made more haste and hath been with the King and doth return forthwith to him as soon as he hath been at the marriage of the Lady Tremoville Your Lordship knows the circumstances of my journey are not such as can afford me any means to judge but this your Lordship may assure that by that time I have spoken to the King things will break out one way other so far as it will appear whether it be worth the tarrying to treat or no after once the King has been dealt with to which I will address my self with all speed and not tarry for the States who may be come to Paris by that time I do return for I believe they will be content to treat any where I shall have a miss of Sir Thomas Wilks were it not we were well instructed and surely he was grown very heavy of late and dull If I should stay here to attend his recovery it would comsume me to no purpose I have written a Letter to the Queen of some such gathering as I have gotten and of the speeches between me and the President because her Majesty may not be offended that I write not particulatly to her selfe of something Although the Spaniards from Callis have spoyled Base-Bologne yet it is not holden here that the Cardinall will sit down before any Town speedily for he will not be able Neverthelesse the Constable is come into Picardy to give stay to the Province if that be the fruit of the Treaty we shall have less need to disswade the King I much fear Sir Tho. Wilks to be in a Lethargie Since your Lordships Letter of Feb. 15. which found me at Dover a little before my imbarking the wind hath not served to bring me any Letter out of England The Lord of heaven send me tidings of your Lordships health for whom I will daily pray I received also a Letter from the Earl of Essex of the 16. and did imbark the 17. I humbly take my leave and rest Feb. 26. 1597. Your Lordships humble and obedient Son RO. CECIL Sir Francis Walsingham Secretary to Monsieur Critoy Secretary of France SIR WHereas you desire to be advertised touching the proceedings here in Ecclesiastical causes because you seem to note in them some inconstancie and variation as if we somtimes inclined to one side somtimes to another and as if that clemencie and lenity were not used of late that was used in the beginning all which you impute to your own superficial understanding of the affairs of this State having notwithstanding her Majesties doing in singular reverence as the real pledges which she hath given unto the world of her sincerity in Religion and of her wisdom in Government well meriteth I am glad of this occasion to impart that little I know in that matter to you both for your own satisfaction and to the end you may make use thereof towards any that shall not be so modestly and so reasonably minded as you are I find therefore her Majesties proceedings to have been grounded upon two principles 1. The one That consciences are not to be forced but to be won and reduced by the force of truth with the aid of time and the use of all good means of instruction and perswasion 2. The other That the Causes of Conscience wherein they exceed their bounds and grow to be matter of faction lose their nature
a Proclamation upon the Kings entry It may please your Lordship I Do hold it a thing formal and necessary for the King to forerun his coming be it never so speedy with some gracious Declaration for the cherishing entertaining and preparing of mens affections For which purpose I have conceived a draught it being a thing to me familiar in my Mistress her times to have my pen used in politique writings of satisfaction The use of this may be in two sorts First properly if your Lordship think convenient to shew the King any such draught because the veins and pulses of this State cannot but be known here which if your Lordship should then I would desire your Lordship to withdraw my name and only signifie that you gave some heads of direction of such a matter to one of whose stile and pen you had some opinion The other collateral that though your Lordship make no other use of it yet it is a kind of pourtraicture of that which I think worthy to be advised to the King to express himself according to those points which are therein conceived and perhaps more compendious and significant then if I had set them down in Articles I would have attended your Lordship but for some little Physick I took To morrow morning I will wait on you So I ever continue c. FR. BACON To the Earl of Southampton It may please your Lordship I Would have been very glad to have presented my humble service to your Lordship by my attendance if I could have foreseen that it should not have been unpleasing unto you And therefore because I would commit no error I chose to write assuring your Lordship how credible soever yet it is as true as a thing that God knoweth that this great change in me hath wrought no other change towards your Lordship then this that I may safely be now that which I was truly before And so craving no other pardon then for troubling you with this letter I do not now begin to be but continue to be Your Lordships most humble and devoted FR. BACON To the Earl of Northumberland It may please your Lordship I Would not have lost this journey and yet I have not that I went for For I have had no private conference to purpose with the King no more hath almost any other English for the speech his Majesty admitteth with some Noblemen is rather matter of grace then matter of businesse with the Attorney he spake urged by the Treasurer of Scotland but no more then needs must After I had received his Majesties first welcome and was promised private accesse yet not knowing what matter of service your Lordship carried for I saw it not and knowing that priviness in advertisement is much I chose rather to deliver it to Sir Thomas Hoskins then to let it cool in my hands upon expectation of accesse Your Lordship shall find a Prince the furthest from vain-glory that may be and rather like a Prince of the ancient form then of the latter time his speeches swift an cursory and in the full Dialect of his Nation and in speeeh of businesse short in speech of discourse large he affecteth popularity by gracing them that are popular and not by any fashions of his own he is thought somewhat generall in his favours and his vertue of accesse is rather because he is much abroad and in presse then that he giveth easie audience he hasteneth to a mixture of both kingdoms and nations faster perhaps then policy will well bear I told your Lordship once before my opinion that methought his Majesty rather asked counsell of the time past then of the time to come But it is yet early to be found in any setled opinion For other particularities I refer to conference having in these generals gone further in these tender arguments then I would have done were not the bearer hereof so assured So I continue your c. FR. BACON To Sir Edward Coke expostulatory Mr. Attorney I Thought best once for all to let you know in plainness what I find of you and what you shal find of me To take to your self a liberty to disgrace and disable my Law experience discretion what it pleases you I pray think of me I am one that know both mine own wants and other mens and it may be perchance that mine may mend when others stand at a stay And surely I may not in publike place endure to be wronged without repelling the same to my best advantage to right myself You are great and therefore have the more enviers which would be glad to have you paid at anothers cost Since the time I missed the Sollicitors place the rather I think by your means I cannot expect that you and I shall ever serve as Attorney and Sollicitor but either to serve with another upon your remove or to step into some other course So as I am more free then ever I was from any occasion of unworthy conforming my self to you more then generall good manners or your particular good usage shall provoke And if you had not been short-sighted in your own fortune as I think you might have had more use of me but that tide is past I write not this to shew any friends what a brave Letter I have writ to Mr. Attorney I have none of those humours but that I have written is to a good end that is to the more decent carriage of my Masters service and to our particular better understanding one another This Letter if it shall be answered by you in deed and not in word I suppose it will not be worse for us both else it is but a few lines lost which for a much smaller matter I would adventure So this being to your self I for my part rest Your c. FR. BACON To the same after L. Chief Justice and in disgrace My very good Lord THough it be true that who considereth the wind and the rain shall neither sow nor reap Eccles 9.15 yet there is a season for every action And so there is a time to speak and a time to keep silence there is a time when the words of a poor simple man may profit and that poor man in the Preacher which delivered the City by his wisdom found that without this opportunity the power both of wisdom and eloquence lose but their labour and cannot charm the deaf Adder God therefore before his Son that bringeth mercy sent his servant the Trumpeter of repentance to level a very high hill to prepare the way before him making it smooth and streight And as it is in spiritual things where Christ never comes before his Way-maker hath laid even the heart with sorrow and repentance since self-conceited and proud persons think themselves too good and too wise to learn of their inferior and therefore need not the Physitian so in the rules of earthly wisdom it is not possible for nature to attain any mediocrity of perfection before she
salvisque Imperii legibus libenter tribuamus qui pro innata nobis benignitate aequisque conditionibus Arma poni optatam afflictissimae Germaniae pacem restitui quam legitime executiones insisti per caedes sanguinem Christianum gloriosa nomini nostro trophaea figi nunquam non maluimus In gratiam itaque Serenitatis vestrae ut res ipsa deprehendat quanti nobis sit perpetuum cum eadem amicitia cultum novo fomite subinde revocari licet hactenus prosperos militiae nostrae successus divina benignitas tribuit acquiescimus ut benevolo tractatu almae pacis redintigrandae rationes opportunae incantur eumque in finem ad evitandum viarum temporumque dispendia nunc in eo sumus ut serenissimae Principi Dominae Elizabethae Clarae Eugeniae natae Infanti Hispaniarum Archiducissae Austriae Ducissae Burgundiae Stiriae Carinthiae Carniolae Wirtinburgiae Provinciarum Belgii Burgundiarumque Dominae Consobrinae ac sorori nostrae charissimae ut istic in aula sua quorsum vestra quoque Serenitas si ita libuerit suos cum plena facultate ablegare poterit primum eumque proximum assequendae pacis gradum cessationem ab armis aequis conditionibus nomine nostro Caesari stabiliendum permittemus prope diem expedituri Legatum nostrum virum nobilem qui diligentissime in gravissimo hoc negotio mentem nostram plenius aperiet atque inde ad Serenitatem vestram animum nostrum ad redintegrandae pacis studia proclivem qui non aliter quam quibuscunque benevolentiae officiis cum Serenitate vestra certare studet magis magisque testificetur cujus interim consilia generosa praepotens Deus publico orbis commodo in faelicissimos eventus disponat Dat. Viennae 14 Jan. 1621. Earl of Bristol to King James MOst gracious Soveraign it may please your Majesty to remember that at my coming out of Spain I signified unto your Majesty how far the Duke of Lerma had upon severall occasions intimated unto me an extraordinary desire of this King and State not onely to maintain peace and amity with your Majesty but to lay hold of all things that may be offered for the nearer uniting of your Majesty and your Crowns and that from this generality he had descended often to have discourse with me of a match for the Princes Highness with the second daughter of Spain assuring me that in this King and his Ministers there was a forward disposition thereunto But from me he received no other answer but to this effect That I in the treaty of the former match for the late Prince had received so strange and unexpected answer firom them that their demands seemed so improper and unworthy that I conceived that your Majesty had little reason to be induced again to give eate to any such overture or that I should again enter into any such treaty much less to be the motioner thereof Although I would confess that if I were fully perswaded of the sincerity of their intentions and of a possibility of having the said match effected I know not any thing wherein I would more willingly imploy my endeavours but as the case now stood I was certain that if I should but make any such motion in England I should but draw imputation of much weakness upon me there and no whit advance the cause for that your Majesty and your Ministers would make no other construction of the motion but as construed to divert the Match of France which was treated of for that your Majesty who but the year before had received so unpleasing and unequal an answer should now be perswaded that there was here so great a change as that a match was really desired there would now need more then ordinary assurance But the Duke of Lerma continuing severall times the same profession and telling me besides that the greatest Cases might be altered by circumstances and that the Age of this Prince was much more proper then that of his brother I freely let the Duke know that in case I might see that it was really desired here and that I might be able to propound unto my Master conditions of so much advantage and certainty â—s might put him and his ministers out of doubt that this overture was not again revived from hence either for diversion or winning of time I would then willingly intimate unto your Majesty the inclination and desire I found here of having a proposition for this match once again set on foot The Duke told me he would have a further conference with me and that he then no ways doubted to give such satisfaction as might well assure your Majesty and your Ministers that they sincerly desired the match in generall and would omit nothing on their side for the accomodating of particulars that might give furtherance unto it But the very night before the Duke had appointed a meeting with me there came a Post dispatcht out of England from the Spanish Ambassador upon the arrivall of Sir Thomas Edmonds into England who brought word that the match with France was absolutely concluded and that within few days it was to be published Whereupon the Duke at our meeting the next morning told me that it would be needless now to descend to any particulars in the business whereof we are to treat since that they had newly received advertisement that the match with France was fully concluded And thus for the present the matter rested untill some five or six weeks after about which time my self was to go into England and so taking leave of the Duke he asked me whether I had not received advertisement that the match with France was published I told him no but I had certainly heard that it was not as yet fully concluded Whreupon he intreated me that in case I found not the French match in such forwardness as it could not be stayed I would let him know of it and that if I should see any kind of possibility that the business we had spoken of might be set on foot I would advertise him and that thereupon he would proceed to those particulars which he formerly intended for my satisfaction Herewith I acquainted your Majesty and finding the Spanish Ambassador in England had notice from the Duke of our former proceedings and order to further them by all possible means he could especially if he should understand that your Majesty were not fully resolved of the French match I thought it fit by this means to let the Duke understand in what estate I found those businesses in England and thereupon with your Majesties permission I wrote a letter unto him to this effect That although it were true that the Match with France had been treated of with much earnestness on both sides and with great likelihood of being concluded yet there daily arose so many difficulties and new cases of delay that I judged it far from any perfect conclusion neither did I see cause absolutely to despair of the businesses
with France The second for entertaining your Majesty with fair hopes and promises thereby to keep you from declaring your self opposite unto them in the present business of Juliers and Cleves which remaineth still uncompounded But this being so your Majesty may be pleased to understand that they serve themselves with this occasion not that there could be any such thing primarily in their intention for that the expression of their desire to the match was the last year long before these differences happened Further the Duke of Lerma should be the most fals and dishonorable man living without Christianity or soul if he should voluntarily damn himself with oathes and protestations of a thing that he sincerely meant not and truly he should deal contrarily to the wisdom of his other proceedings wherein he layeth all occasions of distaste or discourtesie upon other inferior Ministers labouring still to clear himself of the imputation of them if in this he should make himself the author and instrument of so unjust and indirect proceeding between Princes But the course of most security and caution is that your Majesty suffer none of your other resolutions to be interrupted by this overture onely if your Majesty be pleased for a while to entertain and suspend the conclusion of the match with France I conceive it can be little to your Majesties disadvantage It lastly now remaineth that I become an humble suiter unto your Majesty for your clear and full directions in this business desiring if your Majesty will have it further entertained that I may have ample instructions from your Majesty both that I may intimate what may be expected in point of Dowry and in all other things to be required by your Majesty as likewise how far I may proceed in satisfying in point of Religion For it is not to be supposed that they wil proceed with that freeness and directness which is to be wished unless in a fitting measure they shall see me likewise able and willing to declare my self in such points wherein they may expect satisfaction I intend not hereby to move for a formall Commission to treat but onely a private instruction for my direction and warrant how to behave my self as may be most advantagious to the cause and your Majesties ends So humbly desiring your Majesty to command this Bearer to be dispatched back with all convenient speed I commend your Majesty to the holy protection of God Your Majesties faithfull subject and servant BRISTOL Abignoto to Conde Gondomar concerning the death of Philip the third VPon the last day of February being Sunday 1620. his Catholique Majesty after he had heard Mass and the Sermon in the Chappel was taken with a Feaver which continued with him eight dayes with a ruddiness and pimples which appeared plainly in his face which afterwards began to diminish but he was suddenly taken with a vomiting and a great feaver which continued with him till the 21. day and the Physitians were of opinion to have him rise out of his bed which was accordingly done both that day and the next but about dinner-time happened unto him a great swouning which much astonisht him and the 23. day in the night his feaver did redouble upon him with a vomiting and a flux in the belly and a great melancholy and an opinion that he should die which feaver continued with divers reduplications the Physitians having an ill opinion of him till on Saturday night the 27. when his reduplications were more violent his water bad and the King persevered in saying how he saw well that he should die he commanded that the Image of our Lady of Antiochia should be carried about which was performed on Sunday the 28. in a solemn Procession wherein the Councellors of Spain assisted In the evening commandment was given to the Churches that the blessed Sacrament should be set upon the Altar and the body of S. Isidore should be placed in the Court. On Munday the 29. about four of the clock in the evening his disease then grew violent and some ulcers appeared on his belly on his reins and on his thighs and the King still assuring himself that he should die the Physitians then feeling his pulse affirmed that undoubtedly they assented unto the King in the opinion he conceived of his infirmity At the same time the President of Castile was sent for and the Confessor who having had some speech with the King and the Duke of Ossuna they went and fetcht the Councellors before whom and the Grandees of Spain who were present the King sealed his Testament which John de Serita Secretary of State had set down in writing in his presence Afterwards they caused him to eat somewhat and being advised how it would be good for him to sleep he made this answer in Spanish En jornada tan longa y tiempe tan bréve ne conviéue reposar Upon so long a journey and so short a time to perform it I must not rest Then he sent for the Prince and the young Child Don Carlo to whom having spoken for a good while at length in particular to the Prince he said aloud how he recommended unto him the Child and that he grieved that he should have been unprovided but he hoped he left him in the hands of a good loving brother Then said he to the Prince that he requested him that he would not do as he did at his coming to the Crown in removing his Fathers old Officers and Servants but that he would imploy those who were experienced in affairs of the Commonwealth he then commended unto him particularly John de Luenza Secretary of the Memorials and his Confessor and afterwards the Duke of Ossuna Then was presently brought in the Infanta Maria and the Infante-Cardinal He cryed out when he saw the Infanta and said Maria I am full sorry that I must die before I have married thee but this thy brother shall have care of He then turned towards her brother and said unto him Prince do not forsake her till you have made her an Empress Then he spake unto the Cardinal Infant whom he appointed to be a Priest so soon as he should come to be of fit age and said that he should be much grieved if he thought he would not undertake this profession He had sent for Madam the Princess but she swouned upon her entry at the chamber-door which was the cause that she was conducted back again unto her own chamber fearing lest it might be prejudicial unto her being great with child Which being reported to the King he shewed great compassion thereat and said that he ever constantly believed that Madam the Princess loved him as well as any of his own children After that he began to speak of the Queen saying how she should lose a good Husband and that he had always loved her dearly Afterwards he distributed between the Prince and the Infanta the Reliques and other memorials he had except one Crucifix which hung at the
persons of what estate soever they be that they and every of them as much as in them is shal uphold and maintain those Articles granted by our Soveraign Lord the King in all points and all those that in any point do resist or break those Ordinances or in any manner hereafter procure counsel or in any ways assent to resist or break those Ordinances or go about it by word or deed openly or privatly by any maner of pretence or colour We therefore the said Archbishop by our authority in this Writing expressed do excommunicate and accurse and from the body of our Lord Jesus Christ and from all the company of Heaven and from all the Sacraments of the holy Church do sequester and exclude Sir hearing that to morrow the Justices will be here about this busie work of Benevolence wherein you have both sent unto and talked with me and thinking that it may be you would deliver up the names of the not-givers Forasmuch as I think I shal scarcely be at home to make my further answer if I should be called for I pray you both hereby to understand my mind your self and if cause so require to let the Justices perceive as much So leaving others to their own consciences whereby in that last and dreadfull day they shal stand or fall before him who will reward every man according to his deeds I commend you to the grace of the Almighty and rest Your loving Neighbour and Friend OLIVER St. JOHN The Justices of Peace in the County of Devon to the Lords of the Councell THe Letters from his sacred Majesty unto the Justices of Peace in this County together with your Lordships have been opened and read according to the directions in your Locdships Letter to our high Sheriff expressed and the weighty business therein contained hath been maturely and speedily debated according to our most bounden duties to his excellent Majesty and the many concurring necessities which press the expedition of such a service and in those respects we can do no less then give your Lordships a timely knowledge of the vote and opinion of us all which was this day almost in the same words delivered by every of us That the sum enjoyned to be levied by the first of March is not to be so suddenly raised out of this County by any means much less by way of perswasion and hereof we had lately a certain experience in the business of the loans which notwithstanding the fear apprehended by the presence of the Pursivant hath come at least 6000. l. short of the expected sum and without him we suppose would have been much less and we are confident that nothing but extremities which had need also be back't by Law will raise his Majesty a sufficient quantity of treasure for his occasions For our selves at the time of the proposition of the forementioned Loans we did according to his Majesties proclamation and instruction then sent us engage our faithfull promise to our Countreymen that if they willingly yeilded to his Majesties necessities at this time we would never more be Instruments in the levy of aids of that kind his Majesties intentions so clearly manifested not to make that a president was the cause of that engagement and we conceive it cannot be for his honor or service for us to be the means of such a breach That his Majesties affairs and of his Allies do all want an instant supply of Royall provisions his provident and Princely Letter hath fully taught us but we have much more cauâ—â— to wish then hope that these parts so lately and so many ways impoverished can yeild it Your Lordships may vouchsafe to remember how much this County hath been charged since the beginning of the war though sometimes refreshed with payment which we acknowledge with humble thanks By our own late loan of 35000. l. and 6000. l. more sent by Sir Thomas Wise and Mr. Stroad and yet there remains due to it for the Coat and Conduct of their own imprest Soldiers for divers voyages for the Recruits intended for the Isle of Ree for the conduct of the whole Army hence besides three Companies stand yet here for Silly and no small number of scattered sick whose mortall infection hath more discouraged the people then the charge That many and almost unaccountable are our ways of expence few or none have we of in-come for the want of Trade how then can there be any quantity of money to disburse their bodies and goods are left which we are assured will be ever ready for his Majesties defence and to be imployed in his Majesties service as far forth as ever our forefathers have yeilded them to his Majesties Royall Progenitors Particular proofs we would have made of the peoples disability to have satisfied his Majesties demands but we had rather adventure our selves and this humble advertisement upon your Lordships private and favourable instructions then to expose his Majesties honor to publique deniall and misspend his pretious time which applied to more certain courses may attain his Princely and religious ends wherein to be his Majesties Instruments will be our earthly happiness and singular comfort to be your Lordships obedient servants The Archbishop of Canterbury to the Bishops concerning King James his Directions for Preachers with the Directions Aug. 14. 1622. RIght Reverend Father in God and my very good Lord and Brother I have received from the Kings most excellent Majesty a Letter the tenor whereof here ensueth Most reverend Father in God right trusty and right entirely beloved Councellor we greet you well Forasmuch as the abuses and extravagancies of Preachers in the Pulpit have been in all times repressed in this Realm by some Act of Councell or State with the advice or resolution of grave and learned Prelates insomuch as the very licencing of Preachers had beginning by an Order of Star-Chamber the 8. day of July in the 19. year of King Henry 8. our Noble Predecessor and whereas at this present divers young Students by reading of late Writers and ungrounded Divines do broach many times unprofitable unsound seditious and dangerous Doctrine to the scandall of the Church and disquieting of the State and present Government We upon humble representation to us of these inconveniences by your self and sundry other grave and reverend Prelats of this Church as also of our Princely care and zeal for the extirpation of schisme and dissention growing from these seeds and for the setling of a religious and peaceable government both of the Church and State do by these our speciall Letters straitly charge and command you to use all possible care and diligence that these limitations and cautions herewith sent unto you concerning Preachers be duly and straitly henceforth observed and put in practice by the severall Bishops in their severall Diocesses within your jurisdictions And to this end our pleasure is that you send them forthwith severall Copies of these Directions to be by them speedily sent
Church-yards others in the streets some in their houses some on the floore others in their beds besides them that died without the Gates under hedges and in ditches round about the Towne which I saw my selfe when I was there halfe devoured with Ravens and other beasts and fowls of the aire In fine the like misery hath not been seene nor heard of The King on All-Saints day which was the day of his entry with a wax Candle in his hand together with the Cardinall and all the Nobility in like manner went all over the Town in procession with the B. Sacrament The chiefe Temple of the Hugonots shall be converted into a Church Cathedral and Rochel to be a Bishoprick All the fortifications and walls to Landwards to be razed and the Fosses filled so that a plough may passe as in arable Land The Maior with some of the chiefest are banish'd for ever others for a certaine time limited though quietly to possesse their goods moveable and immoveable and a general remission of all crimes past and all others that were in the Towne before the descent of the English into Rhee and when the Town was rendred shall likewise enjoy the same priviledge though no child or heir absent is or shall be capable to inherit the goods or lands of his parents or friends deceased but all is at the Kings disposing The King hath granted them free liberty of their Religion in the Town of Rochel which in short time will all be rooted out for no Forrainer though naturalized shall be admitted to repair and inhabit in Rochel nor French but Roman Catholicks The King hath added to the revenues of his Crown 20000 Franks per annum which was a rent belonging to the Town-house for the maintenance of the fortifications and State of Rochel The Town-house is to be razed and a pillar or pyramids with an ample inscription of the particulars of the siege and rebellion there to be erected The forts of the Isle of Rhee and Oleron to be razed as it is said most of all the chief forts of France except on the frontiers Four Regiments are yet in Rochel the rest of the Army at least the most part are gon to winter in those parts of France towards the coasts of Italy to be ready on all occasions to succor the Duke of Mantua as it is thought The Fathers of the society have very faire buildings given them for their establishing there and 1000 Franks to begin to build to which is added a revenue which I know not the place is said to be where the Hereticks kept their schools of Divinity and Councel of warre or rebellion And where the English had their Church the Oratorians are likewise established with large augmentations The Capuchins are where was the chiefest Fort called Le Bastion de Levangile The Minors are where the Dike was and divers other elsewhere There are at least 8000 houses in Rochel which are faine to fall to the King to dispose of for want of heirs The Parisians are preparing a most sumptuous and magnificent receipt for the King which is the cause he hath not been at Paris since his return from Rochel but is at St. Germins and thereabouts till all things are ready for his entry which is thought will exceede in bravery and magnificence all the presidents of many years The Jesuits are by the body of Paris imployed to make the speeches and inscriptions for that purpose which the body of the Sorbon take ill The Prince of Conde doth daily get ground of Rohan and hath lately taken prisoners as it is said thirty Captaines and eight hundred souldiers Those of Montauban boast as it is said that they have provision for three or four years and will stand out til the last though some of the best esteeme think it is only to draw the King to the best composition they can The Protestants of France to Charles King of Great Britain SIR the knowledg and resentment which it hath pleased your Majesty to take of the misery of the afflicted Churches of France hath given us the boldnesse to awaken your Compassion in such measure as our calamities are aggravated by the unmercifull rigour of our persecutors and as the present storme doth threaten neer at hand the total ruine and lamentable destruction of that which the mercy of God had yet kept intire unto us since the desolation of Rochel and as we have adored with humility the judgment of God in this bad successe which we impute only to his wrath justly kindled against us for our sins so our silence could be thought no lesse then ingratitude if we had not at the beginning of our Assembly resolved the most humble and most affectionate acknowledgment which wee now render to your Majesty for the great succour which you have sent us interessing your self so far in the grief of our oppression and in the means of our deliverance The most humble supplication which we do offer to your Majesty next after this our thansgiving is that your Majesty according to the sweet inclination of your goodnesse would permit us stil to present our complaints and discover our wounds before the eyes of your royall charity protesting unto your Majesty that we see none other hand under heaven by which we may be healed but your Majesties in case your Majesty will still vouchsafe to lift it up on the behalfe of oppressed innocents and of the Church of our Lord outragiously persecuted by the most invenom'd passion that our age or any age preceedent hath seen we most humbly beseech your Majesty to read this letter which is written with our tears and with our blood and according to your exquisite judgement your incomparable wisdome and the devotion of your zeale to the glory of God to consider our estate which is such that our persecutors upon the losse of Rochel supposing we had been put to utter discomfiture and into a weaknesse without recovery or resistance and boasting themselves that now there remained no more any eyes unto us but to bewaile our selves nor any sense but to feel the smart thereof without further imploying our hands or our arms for our defence have made use of this advantage with so much fiercenesse insultation and cruelty that they have not only sacked the houses and with an unheard of rudenesse and barbarisme rifled the goods of our poore brethren of this Province of Languedock relying themselves upon publick faith and the benefits of the edicts of pacification especially of the last which your Majesty had favourably procured and confirmed unto us dissipating whole families and exiling them with perfidious inhumanity but also they have laid wast and destroyed almost all the Churches of the sâ—me whâ—ch are at their command and discretion under the liberty of edicts imploying Monkes the Pâ—pes Emâ—ssaries assisted with force of souldiers and of the tyrannicall Authâ—rity of Governours to ravish mens souls and to draw the most constant with violence to
growing of such evils for where such people be permitted to swarm they wil soon grow licentious and endure no government but their own which cannot otherwise be restored then by a due and seasonable execution of the Law and of such directions as from time to time have been sent from his Majesty and this Board Now it redoundeth much to the honour of his Majesty that the world shall take notice of the ability and good service of his Ministers there which in person he hath been pleased openly in Councel and in most gracious manner to approve and commend whereby you may be sufficiently encouraged to go on with like resolution and moderation til the work be solely done as well in City as in other places of your Kingdome the carriage whereof we must leave to your good discretions whose particular knowledge of the present state of things can guide you better when and where to carry a soft or harder hand only this we hold necessary to put you in mind that you continue in that good agreement amongst your selves for this and other services which your Letrers do expresse and for which we commend you much that the good servants of the King and state may find encouragement equally from you all and the ill affected may find no support or countenance from any nor any other connivances used but by general advice for avoiding of further evils shall be allowed and such Magistrates and Officers if any shal be discovered that openly or underhand favour such disorders or do not their duties in suppressing them and committing the offenders you shall doe well to take all fit and safe advantages by the punishment or displacing of a few to make the rest more cautious This we write not as misliking the faire course you have taken but to expresse the concurrency of our Judgments with yours and to assure you of our assistance in all such occasions wherein for your further proceedings we have advised And his Majesty requireth you accordingly to take order first that the house wherein Seminary Friars appeared in their habits and wherein the Reverend Arch-Bishop and the Maior of Dublin received the first affront be spedily demolished and be the mark of terror to the resisters of Authority and that the rest of the houses erected or imployed there or elsewhere to the use of suspicious societies be converted to houses of correction and to set the people on work or to other publick uses for the advancement of Justice good Arts or Trades and further that you use all fit meanes to discover the Founders Benefactors and Maintainers of such Societies and Colledges and certifie their names and that you find out the Lands Leases or Revenues applyed to their uses and dispose thereof according to the Law and that you certifie also the places and institutions of all such Monasteries Priories Nunneries and other Religious houses and the names of all such persons as have put themselves to be brothers and sisters therein especially such as are of note to the end such evil plants be not permitted to take root any where in that Kingdome which we require you take care of For the supply of Munition which you have reason to desire we have taken effectuall order that you shall receive it with all convenient speed And so c. Lord Keeper Lord Treasurer Lord President Lord Privy Seale L. high Chamberlain Earl of Suffolk Earl of Dorset Earl of Salisbury Earl of Kelly Lord Viscount Dorchester Lord Newbergh Mr. Vice Chamberlaine Mr. Secretary Cooke Sir William Alexander The Lord Faulkland's Petition to the King MOst humbly shewing that I had a Sonne until I lost him in your Highnesse displeasure where I cannot seeke him because I have not will to find him there Men say there is a wilde young man now prisoner in the Fleete for measuring his actions by his own private sense But now that for the same your Majesties hand hath appeared in his punishment he bowes and humbles himselfe before and to it whether he be mine or not I can discern by no light but that of your Royal Clemency for only in your forgivenesse can I owne him for mine Forgivennesse is the glory of the supremest powers and this the operation that when it is extended in the greatest measure it converts the greatest offenders into the greatest lovers and so makes purchase of the heart an especial priviledg peculiar and due to Soveraigne Princes If now your Majesty will vouchsafe out of your owne benignity to become a second nature and restore that unto me which the first gave me and vanity deprived me of I shall keep my reckoning of the full number of my sons with comfort and render the tribute of my most humble thankfulnesse else my weake old memory must forget one The Duke of Modena to the Duke of Savoy July 30. 1629. WHen I was deprived of my Mistriss the Infanta Izabella so intimately beloved of me I was suddenly possessed with a most ardent desire of finding the meanes how to follow her into Paradise and distrusting in regard of my weaknesse and life past that I was not able to stand in those dangers wherein that holy soule knew how to finde security and tranquillity I resolved to retire my selfe out of the tempestuous sea of Government and to shelter my selfe in the harbour of Religion rejoycing to sacrifice that unto God which useth to be so highly esteemed in the world and knowing that truely to raigne is to serve his Divine Majesty hitherto I deferred the execution of my purpose because being bound in this to depend upon the Counsel of him that governed my soule it seemed not expedient to him that I should retire my selfe while there was need of my assistance both in respect of the age of the Duke my father which was Caesar d'Este who dyed 1628 and of the nonage of the Prince my son which is Don Francisco who now governeth Now that these impediments are removed I goe most contentedly whither the Lord doth call me namely to take upon me the Capuchin Religion out of Italy and I doe promise to find for my self in one little Cel that repose which all the greatnesse of the world cannot give me True it is if I should look back upon my life past I should find motives rather of terrour then of comfort But the mercy of God doth make me confident and my having for his love and to performe his wil renounced all that I could or had I departed also most comforted because I leave the Prince my son so well qualified that I may confidently expect an excellent issue of his Government especially if your Highness shall vouchsafe to direct him with your most prudent Counsels and to shrowd him under your benigne protection whereunto with reverent affection I doe recommend him together with the rest of my sonnes especially Carlo Alexandro who is now living in your Highnesse his Court since that as a man may say they