Selected quad for the lemma: war_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A43488
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Observations vpon historie by W.H., Esq.
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Habington, William, 1605-1654.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing H166; ESTC R20802
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24,559
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176
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if not innocent The least traine of wicked pollicie undermining the firmest edifice of empire That hereafter when the Fathers death shall prepare the passage to the sons government the entry not being violent might bee happie and carrying with it no cloud of sinister practises might shine glorious For the present he intreated that patience which the Divine Law commanded and all humane customes had still observed Withall he perswaded him to tame his wild ambition ambition which if naturall is a sickenesse destroyes the body it possesses if infusive a venome ministered by the most malicious against which there is no antidote but ruine That his association into the Kingdome was not prejudice the present authority of the Father but to confirme the greatnesse of the sonne in future That it was high ingratitude to retribute disobedience for so unexampled a favour But reason forc't by strongest arguments was to weak to prevaile against those many Castles built high in the ayre of his vaine thoughts And seeing his desires batter'd by his fathers just resolutions when he expected no resistance pride perswaded him to seeke remedie abroade and to force what he could not intreate Suddenly therefore hee conveyes himselfe and all his passions to King Lewis of France whose daughter he had married but never bedded King Henry the Father carefully providing against the consummation of those Nuptialls least his Sonne might by the alliance increase in power and dependencies But this pollitick barre which divided the young Princes mature for love created rage in the young King disdaine in the Ladie in Lewis discontent but in Queene Aeleanor Henry the fathers wife an impious jealousie For she who in her youth had made forfeite of her honour and in her lust repugnant to Christian Lawes chose a Sarazen for her Lover interpreted this restraint of the young Kings wife to a vicious designe in the old King and that all the cautions pretended were onely with the more artifice and secrecie to secure the fruition of his injurious pleasures And shee seem'd to have ground for her suspitions in the much liberty of his former life which seldome had in his restraint condemn'd that action dishonest which his blood prompted was delightfull This calumnie wrought the old King into the peoples hard censure and brought compassion to the young King whose injuries seem'd of that qualitie as might authorize disobedience So that not onely Lewis of France who as being a Neighbour King was concernd to foment that discord but even many of the subjects to the Crowne of England prepared their Armes for an unnaturall warre The chiefe heads of which Rebellion at home were the Earles of Chester and Leicester who to give their King despaire of any suddaine quiet fortified their Castles and other strong holds with so much Art as if they design'd to perpetuate mischiefe And what encouraged them to danger was beside hopes of greatnes in the change of government confederacie with the King of Scotland by whose power joyn'd to that of France they doubted not either to advance their fortunes by warre or make an honorable retreate by peace For when did unquiet subjects presume to arme without promise of ayde from forraigne Princes And when bad attempts with them proved unsuccessefull what stranger but disavowed all under-hand darke intelligence But the wonder of this mischiefe was that Richard and Geoffrey brothers to the young King entred into this conspiracie as if the blood of Princes had not flowed according to the course of Nature and the eminencie of birth had elevated them above the Lawes of filiall Dutie To wrest justice to either quarrell both betrayd themselves for infamie and rage shot no arrow to wound the others honour but repercussively flew backe Even he who most apparently proved himselfe injured being guilty and no man safe to fame who had best title to defame his enemie So unhappily had nature cimented them that their fortunes and honours could admit no disunion and none could triumph but when part of him was ruin'd The Father amaz'd at the irreligious quarrell forgot not neverthelesse that he was to maime himselfe if he destroy'd his enemie and therefore by most loving addresses courted his Sonnes to more peacefull thoughts He urged them to returne to dutie with confidence that he retain'd a mercie greater than their errour That their demand should end in no deniall provided that Reason gave it moderation and that they would not chide with time which yet enlarged their father life That from their best confederates they could expect nothing but the breach of faith and who could bee more interessed to advance their businesse than a father All other allies onely dissembling friendship to entrap their youth and nourishing this discord to dissolve all the Ligaments of our Empire and purchase safety at the cost of our ruine But no perswasion could humble the young Kings desires his cause now justified by a generall sentence and his Armie increast by an universall confluence of his confederates For into conspiracie of mischiefe how easily are men drawne who value the justice of the quarrell at the rate of their owne profit All the territories belonging to the Crowne of England were now on fire the King of France with the unnaturall sons wasting Normandie and Aquitain the King of Scotland with the disloyall Lords destroying England In the meanetime the innocent people were offer'd a victim to both their furies and the honest labourer forc't to the sweate of warre to obey the passions of those Lords whose quarrell hee understood not So cruell is the fortune of the vulgar that they can make no just account of their owne lives or states when Princes are pleas'd to follow the disorder of their rage For at the expence of the common blood highest discords are maintain'd and at their losse chiefely the ambition of the Mighty is purchast Victory at length brought the old King to the Majestie of a Father and the young King inclin'd to obedience when by overthrow of the King of Scots and the English rebells he found his faction weakned For adversitie hath a more powerfull Oratory than all the wit of Pietie to perswade the proud from their usurped height And seldome can we stoope to confesse our frailty till compel'd by some accidentall weakenesse But the Father had his armes open when ever the Sonne would throw himselfe into his embraces never wanting affection to entertaine humility And concord was thus restored when the Sonne perceiv'd his inabilitie longer to continue impious and the father found that his revenge would be most cruell to his owne Nature The young King was to consummate his marriage with the Daughter of France for in all tragedies the amorous businesse acts a part with an allowance great as the dignity he wore but no Soveraign power For the Father gain'd by this treatie from his Sonne the liberty to live a King All discor'd by this agreement appear'd rooted up when indeede nothing but the branches were
to so low a slavery honour became a contumely former wealth serv'd onely to aggravate future poverty and beautie farre more cruell than wrinckles betray'd it selfe to the most loathed deformitie Of the Warre call'd the Common-weale in opposition to Lewys the eleventh of France SEverall designes drew diverse Princes who had relation to the Crowne of France into league against Lewys the eleventh and though no man endeavor'd but his owne interest the Common weale was pretended For no hypocrisie disguiseth with more cunning since rebellion is so monstrous to the eye of conscience that it blusheth to appeare it selfe and therefore weares a vizard which oftentimes betrayes the ignorant Every man in taking Armes protested this warre contrived to worke a more honest peace as if sinne could smooth the way to vertue and the conspiracie of many tempests calm the Ocean But the plot of every Prince was at the publicke cost to purchase to his broken or unquiet fortunes more profitable conditions and the good natured vulgar with little trouble gave themselves liberty to be deceiv'd Charles the Kings brother Charles Earle of Charolois Francis Duke of Brittaine and Iohn Duke of Burbon were the heads of this monster for what other title can wee give Rebellion The Kings brother disdain'd the narrow revenue of Berry Charolois the forc't delivery of many townes in Picardie heretofore morgaged to the house of Burgundie Brittaine was commanded to desert those ancient priviledges bequeath'd him by his Ancestors and Burbon in vaine had solicited payment of that portion Lewys design'd him with his sister Every inferiour Lord likewise had discontent enough to warrant to his passions the most unjust attempt For Lewys of France had beene so ill a husband of opinion that the world gave small reputation to his carriage and having at his entrance to the government supplanted all the Officers of the Crown and in their places planted those whom his favour had selected the better part of France envied or contemn'd his choyce For the ancient dependancies by this remove were weakned and they who subsisted high in Authoritie imagin'd no death so wretched as this privation Disgrace therefore made them resolve on honour which since no other way they design'd to buy with danger For the Royall favour could smile on no man but whom the whole world beside disdain'd as unworthy the least regard What misled the people to tumult was a pretence to releeve the many impositions which lay heavie on the merchants trade and the labourers sweat But when the silly vulgar by mutanie endeavour'd release of payments how neere resembled they the Asse which to ease her burthen cast it downe into the water Forgetting that the loade was wooll which taking wet contracted weight and that shee was a beast created to labour King Lewys perceiving this storme with so much violence brought upon the very morning of his government contrived at first to oppose it and in some small encounters shewed himselfe no way defective in courage however his much wit with so much caution over-ruled the motions of his spirit that posterity hath brought his valour into question But being to make head against so united a power he found his people as slow to their Soveraignes defence as they were rash to unlawfull Armes Every man beleeving his interest concern'd to subvert that edifice of power which hee suspected to bee built on tyrannie Which perswaded all degrees of men to runne into this warre though the hazard was of the whole estate for supporting the immunitie of the least part of every mans particular Lewys finding this defection so universall enter'd into distrust of his owne forces fearing them who had the strongest tye of Dutie to have the weakest tye of Love And where affection Armes not the Souldier how unsafe is the greatest Generall in the best order'd Armie For dis-affection to the Commander disorders suddenly the highest actions and how poorely he betrayes himselfe who hopes to advance his designes by terrour Lewys therefore flies from his Native subjects to Auxiliaries and to teach France obedience brings in Forces from Italy The Duke of Millain liberally concurres to this Service sending five hundred men at Armes and three thousand foote under the command of Galeas his sonne And with this power he presents his advice That he should yeeld to any conditions to divide his enemies and be carefull still to preserve his men This Councell was of more service to Lewys his affaires than all the Armies he could have levied in his Dutchy For by this hee kept his Majestie entire and refer'd nothing to the uncertainetie of fortune He spared the effusion of his subjects blood whereby his people were not in danger by their losses to hate that Soveraigne power had chastised them But the former part of his advice was a stronger battery against the enemies designe than all the Artilery of that age could make For to divide their Forces was to destroy them and to bring them into jealousie of each other was to make each the others executioner By which hee was secure at the enemies cost and danger to worke his owne triumph Then for yeelding to conditions it was safer in Lewys to descend one steppe beneath Soveraigne command than to be enforc't to fall downe all the staires And having both wit and courage hee could not doubt but occasion would present him with a meane to recover if not to transcend his former height Varietie of chances brings soone both Armies to desire to remit nothing to chance and the warre having made both losers peace was equally sought And though want of victualls extreamely afflicted the Burgonion Armie yet did Lewys not dare to take the advantage the rage of hunger being sometime an animation though for the most it discourages Lewys therefore having had no great fortune at the hazard of war desired to change his game and try how he could play his cards in peace where the cunning gamester is secure at a long sitting to be the winner And therefore upon the first overture entertaines the treatie which suddainely tooke effect No demand of the Princes receiving the least deniall But at the conclusion of this peace what was at first pretended was never mention'd the people whom hope of ease of taxes had engaged to this warre being no way regarded For they were the same wretched vessell still whom every tempest moves to danger but no calme ever secures from wracke To his brother he grants the Dutchy of Normandie a proportion beyond his very hopes To Charles Earle of Charolois hee restores all the Townes upon the Some To the Duke of Brittaine hee confirmes the Countie of Mountfort with promise of money to defray the charges of his enmitie On the Count S. Pol for having beene the great engine in moving these disorders hee bestowes the Office of Constable To the Duke of Calabria he promiseth men and mony for the recovery of his Kingdome of Naples so desirous he was at any rate