Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A61878
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A further iustification of the present war against the United Netherlands illustrated with several sculptures / by Henry Stubbe.
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Stubbe, Henry, 1632-1676.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing S6046; ESTC R30154
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187,457
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192
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If it be true that the Sea is free according as some Civilians have written this can no otherwise be understood then as it is commonly said The High-wayes are common and free by which is meant that they cannot be usurped by private persons for their sole proper service but remain to the use of every one Not therefore that they are so free as that they should not be under the Protection and Government of some Prince and that every one might do licentiously all which it pleased Him either by Right or Wrong forasmuch as such licentiousness or Anarchy is abhorred both by God and Nature both by Sea and Land The true Liberty of the Sea excludes it not from the Protection and Superiority of such as maintain it in Liberty nor from the Subjection to the Laws of such as have command over it rather necessarily it includes it The Sea no less then the Land is subject to be divided amongst men and appropriated to Cities and Potentates which long since was ordained of God as a thing most natural and this was well understood by Aristotle when He said That unto Maritime Cities the Sea is the Territory because from thence They take their sustenance and defence a thing which cannot possibly be unless part of it might be appropriated in the like manner as the Land is which is divided betwixt Cities and Governments not by equal parts nor according to their greatness but as They have been or are able to rule govern and defend them Berne is not the greatest City of Switzerland and yet it hath as large a Territory as all the rest of the Twelve Cantons put together And the City of Noremberg is very great and yet the Territories thereof hardly exceed the Walls And the City of Venice for many years was known to be without any possession at all upon the firm land Upon the Sea likewise certain Cities of great force and valour have possessed a large quantity thereof others of little force have been contented with the next waters Neither are there wanting examples of such who notwithstanding they are Maritime yet having fertile Lands lying on the back of them have been contented therewith without ever attempting to gain any Sea-dominion Others who being awed by their more mighty Neighbours have been constrained to forbear any such attempt for which two Causes a City notwithstanding it be Maritime may happen to remain without any possession of the Sea God hath instituted Principalities for the maintenance of Justice to the benefit of Mankind which is necessary to be executed as well by Sea as by Land S. Paul saith That for this cause there were due to Princes Customs and Contributions It would be a great absurdity to praise the well-governing regulating and defence of the Land and to condemn that of the Sea and if the Sea in some parts for the ampleness and extream distance thereof from the Land was not possible to be governed and protected that proceeded from a disability and defect in Mankind as also there are Deserts so great upon the Land as it is impossible to protect them witness the many Sandy parts of Africa and the immense vastities of the New World As it is a gift of God that a Land by the Laws and publick power be ruled protected and governed so the same happens to the Sea And those are deceived by a gross equivocation who aver that the Land by reason of its stabilîty might be subjected but not the Sea for being an unconstant Element no more then the Air forasmuch as if They intend by the Sea and the Air all the parts of those fluid Elements it is a most certain thing that They cannot be brought under Subjection and Government because whilest a man serves himself with any one part of them the other escapes out of his power but this chanceth also to Rivers which cannot be detained But when one is said to rule over a Sea or River it is not understood of the Element but of the site where they are placed The water of the Adriatick and Brittish Seas continually runs out thereof and yet is the same Sea as well as the Tiber Po Rhine Thames or Severne are the same Rivers now which they were one thousand years ago And this is that which is subject to Princes by way of Protection and Government If any man should be demanded the Question Whether the Sea should be left without any Protection so that any one might do therein well or ill robbing spoiling and making it un-navigable This would appear so ridiculous and uncouth a demand that all intelligent men would peremptorily deny it From whence it is easie to collect that the Sea ought to be governed by those to whom it most properly appertains by the Divine Disposition And if so is it fitting They should do it with the expence of their own Treasures and Blood or rather that such should contribute to it who do equally enjoy the benefit To this any man may form a ready answer and say that the doctrine of S. Paul is clear in the point not to alledge matter of Law that such as are under government and protection are thereby bound to pay customs and contributions Wherefore if the Republick be that Prince to whom it appertains to protect and govern the Adriatick Sea it follows necessarily that whosoever navigates it ought to be subject to their Laws in the same manner as such are who travail through a Countrey upon the Land Thus the case is argued by the Venetian Lawyers and that Republick is so jealous of the Dominion of the Adriatick that they would adventure their totall subversion rather then abandon that which our Discourser doth so slight It is thereby that Venice doth principally subsist 't is thence that she derives both strength and riches and the loss whereof would immediately ruine all her possessions on the Terra firma whereas that being preserved the Terra firma being lost was easily regained If the Dominion of the Sea be such a trifle as this Politician of Lincoln's Inne doth imagine What Fooles have been the Emperours and Kings of the world to insist so much thereon How strange is it that in such a Foppery even Old Rome and Greece Christendome and Turky should agree Is it possible that They should all conspire to make this a State-secret even the Hollanders themselves in the East-Indies which is not worth the regarding If it be an errour 't is almost authenticated by the consent of Nations and it seemes incredible that so many ages amidst such a variety and dissonanâ—…y in Ministers of State should never discover the vanity thereof whereby They have obliged their Land-Territories to a defense of the Sea and made it a slave thereunto as by the Dane-gilt each Hyde of Land was charged for Sea-service with so much imprudence What Feminine Humour hath possessed the English for so many Centuries of yeares that they should so rigorously insist
the ignominy of this Age that a VVoman should dare to attempt greater things then Men dare to imagine now We are not to build ships the care vigilance and indefatigable industry of His Majesty hath prevented us in that important point Our Coyne is not imbased as in those dayes nor our City so poor that Six thousand pounds should be the greatest sum with the Loan whereof the necessities of our Prince may be supplyed England hath been oftentimes in a lower condition then it is at present as in the end of the Reign of King Henry VIII In the days of K. Edward VI. the Commons were constrained to supply the Kings wants by a Taxe of Sheep Cloaths Goods Debts c. for three years We are not so weak as we conceit our selves we are troubled with the Spleen and therefore phansy our selves so crazy that we are continually dying or Metamorphosed into Glass We delude our selves into timerousness and think it to be caution and Sagacity We quit the most pleasant passion for the most vexatious Hope for fear this last is the worst of Councillors and therefore 't is not to be wondered if so many at this time do form unto themselves a wrong Idea of things whilst the Advice hath its original hence Calamities are Calamities when they doe befall us why do we anticipate them and make our selves reaâ—…ly unhappy under imaginary evils The timorous Languisheth already under all the evils that He apprehends a thousand whereof in course of nature will never ensue But Hope is the great condiment of humane life the great support of the distressed the great Spurr unto the generous and valiant Hope though irrational and ill-grounded or erected upon weak foundations hath gâ—…ined Victories subdued Empires avoided dangers and distresses which were impossible unto Men excessively cautious I tell you O most couragious English that distress and poverty are not the way to ruine but universal Empire and the miserable have atchieved greater things then the Rich and Luxurious Are you so wretchedly poor and weak who have a greater stock left then Rome had to erect its Empire upon Enquire into the conquests of Sparta Athens Venice and those others your predecessors who claim of a Dominion over the Seas consider the progress of the Macedonians Goths Saracens or more modern Swedes You are in a better condition and yet despair then they when they began But that the declination of antient Learning hath bereaved us of the knowledge of former times Old Rome and old England afford us no Examples of despondency Those Annals suggest unto us nothing but what is Great and Brave and fit for our Imitation But we are degenerated from the School of Aristotle to that of Epicurus from all Moral Gallantry and Virtue to a most impertinent and effeminate Virtuosity Renowned Pericles told the Athenians that if they were â—…slanders and had a potent Fleet they would be invincible We are possessed of both these qualifications by the Goodness of God and Prudence of our King and yet abandon our selves unto Despair and even that passion which usually produceth the greatest efforts of Valour hath not that operation on our minds which were to be desired To imbolden us a little more Let us consider that the most difficult part of our work is overcome the puissance of the Dutch and the opinion thereof is in a manner extinct It cannot require above one years provision to compleat and ensure the happiness and prosperity of England Their own wants and necessities will enforce their Fishermen to settle here for a subsistance and that one Trade is more to be valued than ten East-India Fleets This year They are deprived of it by the wisdom and prudence of His Royal Highness whose courage not the most dreadful battails nor more terrible Storms and Tempests can deject or intimidate This together with the domestick distresses of Their States must distract and break the Trade and Correspondences of Holland in all parts of Europe and transfer them to the English if we do not neglect the opportunity A potent Fleet is the least charge and the best security of these Realms It carries an universal awe and terrour with it I read it in the Instructions of Pius V. to his Nuncio who negotiated in Spain for a League against the Turks In somma un ' armata potente allegerisce le spese assicura d'ogni periculo casa sua porta gran speranza d'acquisto in casa d'â—… congiunge le Provincie lontane le loro forze quasi come un ponte l'historie antiche moderne demostrano la prova A powerful Navy doth diminish the expence of a Realm secures the Territories at home carries terror every where and gives hopes unto Foreign Conquests it unites the strength and force of distant Provinces as it were by a Brâ—…dge as Ancient and Modern Histories testifie This is the old policy of England and Edward IIII. armed out 400 ships Henry V. provided above 200 great ships against France in 1418. Henry VII Henry VIII never kept fewer than 100 able Men of War with Men and Munition even in times of Peace The same courses were pursued by Q Elizabeth at the instigation of Dr. Dee whose Proposals for a facile maintenance thereof 't would be too long to insert here But I dare say If we duly assert our Dominion of the Sea a constant and potent Fleet will be no charge to the Nation whereas to maintain 40 or 50 onely will in time undo us The Sea-men are our Legionaries our Janizaries and Mammelucks There is not any Fund or Bank for the English to adventure their Money in but a good Navy well supplied Security and Riches are the natural result of these Councils and all other projects for the advancement of Trade or improvement of Lands are in a manner inutile This is the true Treasury of S. Marc whereby Venice subsists All the Glory and Riches which England did enjoy during this last Century were but a consequent of these Advises There are two flourishing Cities in Italy Venice and Genoa yet betwixt them there is this disparity that Venice far surpasseth the other and the reason thereof is this The Venetians have alwayes had an especial regard unto the Publick Honour and Naval Strength each private person esteeming of his Welfare and Riches by the Greatness and Puissance of the Common-wealth but in Genoa each man minds his particular interest and advantage without any regard to the dignity or opulency of the State whereby the Publick Revenues are small their strength inconsiderable and the Seigniory liable to the invasion of every Neighbour It is indeed manifest that there will happen some times when a regard to the State may prove inconsistent with the immediate profit of private persons such cases we read of in all Governments especially of Rome Athens and Constantinople but if we examine the events of affairs the former preserved themselves by