Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A35160
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Truth brought to light, or, The corrupt practices of some persons at court laid open whereby Their Majesties and the kingdom have been prejudiced near one hundred and fifty thousand pounds this year; besides other evils that have and do attend it.
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Crosfeild, Robert.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing C7247; ESTC R29667
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14,344
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32
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draw back the said Tunnage and be paid upon demand or by Debenter And all inward-bound Ships from the foresaid Countries shall pay four Shillings per Tun and not be clear'd till the said Monies paid Proposition IV. That all Western Barges and all other Barges whatever all Fish-Smacks Hoys Lighters except such who constantly carry Dung or Soil shall pay twenty Shillings per Quarter and pay the Money every Quarter to the Collector of each respective Port within six Weeks after it becomes due and upon default thereof to pay double And that they come and make Entry of them with the Names of the Owners at the Custom-House of that Port or Harbour they use but this shall be done without Fee within six Weeks after the Act takes place This foregoing Matter I did present to several Ministers of State a Month before it was published and they were pleased to acknowledg it the first of that Nature that had been offer'd to the Government And Shipping before was ever look'd upon to be as Sacred as Church-Lands It 's not to be denied but that 't is greatly improv'd beyond what I propos'd I always thought it might be so and am very glad to see it brought to that Perfection it is There is a worthy Gentleman who upon the Exchange was pleased to say he was the first Man that propos'd the Tunnage Act to the King And not unlike but he cannot forget that I presented him with a Book wherein it was propos'd four Months before ever it was mov'd and his Majesty has no ways been wanting to him but has put him into an Honourable Station And indeed his Goodness is such that he never fails to recompence those that do him Service if the Matter comes to his Knowledg And if others would but imitate his Vertue and follow his Example his Majesty would be better serv'd And whoever those Worthy Gentlemen are that first mov'd and occasion'd the Royal Bank ought to have their Statues set in Brass to perpetuate their Memory to future Ages for it will appear every Day more and more to be of great Importance to the Kingdom besides the Advantage that accrues to them who are concern'd in it it being that which this Nation hath long wanted and no Foreign Bank whatever can compare with it or appear to be built upon so solid a Foundation And the Tunnage is the most insensibly felt of any Tax that hath yet been levied for altho the Merchants and Owners of Shipping disburse the Money yet it cannot be said to be any thing out of their Pockets for it doth consequently advance the Goods proportionable to what 's paid it being general so it doth as it were diffuse it self into all parts of the Kingdom And by what has been before related certainly there 's no Man but will grant that I laid the first Foundation of the Tunnage Act or that I had the Gift of Prophecy having propos'd it six Months before it was past into an Act but the Matter 's too plain to be question'd and there are some Persons at Court by the Station they are in who are oblig'd in Honour and Justice to give Incouragement to Men that do any thing that contributes to the Publick Service who notwithstanding make but Tools of them to the Prejudice of their Majesties and the Kingdom and Dishonour of the Nation For Rewards and Punishment are the Support and Axis upon which all Governments move Therefore these things are not writ as St. Paul says in another Case for his sake that did the Wrong or his that receiv'd the Wrong but that the Nation may see What is it the French King at this day owes all his vast Improvements by Sea and Conquest by Land too but the Faithfulness of his Ministers and the great Rewards he never fails to give them that do him Service Honos alit Artes. It 's that which makes Men bold and daring and even out-brave Death it self and knits the Minds of Men fast to a Prince For all Men naturally are well pleas'd to see Persons rewarded for Service done it 's that which begets a steady Loyalty and puts Hope in every Man and it 's no other than what hath ever been the Practice of all the civilized Nations and Ages in the World And our Fore-fathers were always careful to see it executed and 't is the Method that even God himself takes with sinful Man that so he may wean his Affections from these transient Things below and have an Eye unto the Recompence of Reward And so thus while we neglect our Duty we tempt Providence Therefore until better Measures are taken I cannot see with what Confidence we can think to prosper for Miracles are ceased and God expects we use such Methods as conduce and have a Tendency to Peace and Happiness otherwise if we miscarry it may truly be said we have been the Authors of our own Ruin But it 's the Parliament and only they that are able to cope with and engage this Hydra this many-headed Monster for they are the great Council and Physicians of the Nation and have never been wanting to redress National Grievances I shall conclude with that excellent Form of Prayer compos'd by our Church Most gracious God We humbly beseech thee as for this Kingdom in general so especially for the High Court of Parliament under our most religious and gracious King and Queen at this time assembled That thou wouldest be pleased to direct and prosper all their Consultations to the advancement of thy Glory the good of thy Church the safety honour and welfare of their Majesties and their Kingdoms that all things may be so ordered and settled by their Endeavours upon the best and surest Foundations that Peace and Happiness Truth and Justice Religion and Piety may be established among us for all Generations These and all other Necessaries for them for us and thy whole Church we humbly beg in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ our most blessed Lord and Saviour Amen FINIS
Truth brought to Light OR THE Corrupt Practices OF SOME PERSONS at COURT Laid Open. Whereby Their MAJESTIES and the Kingdom have been prejudiced near One hundred and fifty Thousand Pounds this Year besides other Evils that have and do attend it LONDON Printed in the Year MDCXCIV TO THE Right Honourable THE LORDS Spiritual and Temporal AND COMMONS In Parliament Assembled THE Happiness and Well-being of Man does no ways consist in being possess'd of much Wealth but in a Mediocrity and in the Enjoyment of the Purity of the Gospel and of good and wholesome Laws And of all Governments now extant in the World the English Monarchy is the Noblest and comes nearest to that Native Liberty which Man first enjoy'd and God and Nature have laid an indispensable Duty upon every Man to endeavour the Preservation of the Municipal Laws of his Country But notwithstanding Humane Frailty is such that we have many Instances of Persons otherways prudent and wise either through Pride Ambition or Covetousness that have had almost overthrown this Noble Fabrick but it was never in such eminent Peril as before the late Revolution when our Religion Laws and Liberty were near being swallow'd up and then God was pleas'd to make his Majesty the happy Instrument of our Deliverance But notwithstanding the Danger 's not over-past for we have ever since been engag'd in a great and dangerous War upon the Success whereof under God depends our future Happiness therefore Men would think that all Persons in Publick Trust should with great Zeal and Affection pursue such Ways and Methods as tend to the putting a Period to the same and no ways obstruct their Majesties and the Publick Interest but scorn and slight all those little mean Thoughts of enriching themselves at a time the Safety and Honour of their Native Country lies at stake But through Covetousness the Understandings of Men are darkned and so see not the Evils they draw upon themselves and others And those who are in the highest Orb many times discern not having sublimer Thoughts those things others do who act in a lower Sphear And as all Governments are incident and liable to Corruptions so it cannot seem strange if they have crept in among us But ours will be found to be like some Distempers hard to be remov'd for there are so many link'd together by Interest that they will not fail to support each other and crush if not ruin him that opposes them So it 's not for any single Person whatever to engage with them and therefore for that Reason I have here collected such of them as have come to my Knowledg Which with all Humility I lay before this most August Assembly whose peculiar Care has always been to root out Corruptions when they have appear'd formidable and inconsistent with the Safety of the Government and that not the Greatness or Power of any that have abus'd their Prince's Favour have been able to protect them from the just Resentments of the Nation And 't is that which hath continued this Government so long upon its Basis There hath been a Notion industriously spread abroad by some through the Kingdom and which the Nation hath too long imbib'd which is That to make Attempts upon the Maritime Coast of France were altogether impracticable Which seemeth strange it being directly contrary to the received Opinion of the rest of Mankind and the Practice of all Ages for the Romans Carthaginians and many other Nations that have been strong at Sea and even the Venetians at this day have ship'd potent Armies both Horse and Foot and made Descents upon their Enemies which have been attended with good Success And although the Circumstance of Affairs may alter and change yet the Nature of things never will But if Men shall land in the midst of Smoak and Fire and where their Enemies lie intrench'd it 's no Wonder if they are beaten off even at that rate may the best-laid Designs be frustrated And France hath so strong a Barrier on every Side that notwithstanding the utmost Endeavours of the Allies for several Years past yet we see they have not been able to break into it and therefore with all due Submission I humbly conceive Humanely speaking it 's impossible of making any Impression on the Enemy otherways than by making a Descent upon their Maritime Coast with a Royal Army Certainly there 's nothing can embarrass them like it the Vicinity of their Country makes it so much the more practicable and England has been the Ballance of Europe and may yet if not wanting to it self My Design is not to embroil but further their Majesties Affairs and that all things may work together for the Publick Good which hath been the only Scope and End of this my Undertaking So doubt not but I shall meet with a favourable Construction and if a Publick and National Interest be preferable before all others then I cannot be much out in what I have done only must acknowledg to have handled the Matter but weakly Yet the Sincerity of my Intentions will plead for me and excuse the many Defects therein and so hope I shall not only find Protection but a Reward of my Labours and Danger I undergo for the Honour and Safety of my Country I am My Lords and Gentlemen Your Honours most humble faithful and obedient Servant ROBERT CROSFEILD Truth brought to Light c. IT 's recorded in Holy Writ that the Children of Israel serv'd the Lord all the Days of Joshua and of those Elders that surviv'd him having a thankful Remembrance of his Mercy and Goodness in giving them Victory and delivering them from the Hands of their Enemies And we the People of this Kingdom have received as eminent and great Mercies from the Hand of God as ever did the Jews and such as are hardly to be parallel'd in any Age for we were brought to the very brink of Ruine and even ready to be devour'd by our Enemies and had no Prospect or Hope of Deliverance Then did God raise up a Prince unthought or unforeseen by us to rescue and deliver us and gave our Enemies a Spirit of Fear and Trembling and they fled when no Man pursu'd These things have we seen with our Eyes and to the Astonishment of the World were deliver'd without Blood-shed But we are an unthankful Nation and People and so it 's no wonder that the Hand of God hath lain heavy upon us in afflicting us with a long and tedious War Therefore let us repent then and not till then may we expect a Blessing and a perfect Deliverance for whatever some Persons may think there yet hangs a dark Cloud over our Heads Do we not see plotting against the Government and that by no mean Persons and how far that Poison 's spread we know not being back'd by a Potent and Great Monarch And not only so but it will appear that some of our Brethren who probably in some Cases may have been serviceable to