Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A26263
|
Awake Sampson, the Philistines are upon thee! or, A caution to England to take heed to her locks, least they being cut off by intrigues, she be made to grind at the mill of France ... by a lover of the true interest of his country.
|
Lover of the true interest of his country.
|
1696
(1696)
|
Wing A4275A; ESTC R14204
|
24,557
|
26
|
of Tuscany that had so long stood out come to acknowledge our King's Authority let us not now lose Ground again for if we will but observe the particular Providences of God to this Nation we must needs own it hath been still kept almost by Miracles Let us consider some of our late Deliverances and particularly that in the year 1692 compar'd with that lately discoverd and a little reflect thereon and call to mind how near we were then to destruction and knew it not and what the Providence of God was at that time it may cause us to stand amazed for I had some private hints at that time and wrote them to a Friend of mine attending the King in Flanders which Person had been just then preserved from being drowned An Abstract of which Letter I shall Transcribe London 25th April 1692. Sir I am glad to hear of your great Deliverance since you Landed on that side but sorry I have occasion to tell you what my fears are viz. that if the Lord be not as wonderful at this time in the preservation of that Liberty he was pleased to work for us at His Majesties first arrival from Holland in 1688 we are very like to go back again to that Bondage we were then delivered from for the daily Collections furnisheth me with fresh occasions of mourning and but yesterday I was caution'd not to expose my self in that Post I have stood so long in viz by opposing the French Interest for that the late King James would be here in a Month and little opposition be made against him having a security of a quiet reception and many reasons were then given to induce me to believe it which I shall for other reasons no â—omit naming them and if the Wind continue long as it is and that the French Fleet are joined they may come and do what they please because our Fleet are in no condition to oppose them they being kept so long to Rendevouz in the Nore when it was urged long before to Rendevouz at Spithead I was in hopes that the King was ready to come back but tho dispairing of that am now informed that he will be in the Fleet to animate the Descent c. Postscript Before Sealing the Wind shifting hath blowed away some of my fears It was a great and wonderful Providence it was not effected that had not the Wind shifted at that time and prevented the French Fleet from coming upon us they might have soon destroyed that Squadron then off the Isle of Wight and have Landed there and at Portsmouth but as before hinted the Wind shifting the French Preparations proved not only abortive but very destructive to them at that time And it must be owned to be a Divine Hand at that time in the very Wind as now lately upon this last Design of France for as the Thoulon Squadron being stopt from coming as was design'd into the Channel and when we were inform'd of their Design to Invade us that then the Wind served just so long as to carry our Fleet from the Nore to the Downs and then immediately in having it shift till the Dutch joined us so that England may say of the Wind as Deborah of old did of the Stars who in their order fought for Israel Let it be remembred that the Wind at that time held West and South-West about 5 Weeks was an apparent Providence to this Nation and if we will observe any thing of that Nature we may conclude by the same Providence what a Noble Peer of this Nation said some years ago upon a Defeat of some Rebels in Scotland and discovery of a Plot in Lancashire That God would deliver us whether we would or no. So that the Enemies Preparations proved then not only abortive but an opportunity was offered to gain a great Victory upon them and had it been pursued France to speak humanely had in a great measure been ruined for I was credibly inform'd by a Relation of mine who was in the Engagement and after the Fight did burn two great Ships of War at La Hogue who observed that had there been a few Men Landed the French had fled when none pursued their temerity of the one hand and oppression on the other would have render'd them uncapable or unwilling to defend their Country the two powerful Motives that render'd the Revolution among us in 1688 so feasible and easie I speak not at random but on good Grounds from the Information I then received a little before the said Victory by a person that had been in France about that time who inform'd me that altho the Policy of the French King were such as that his Maritime and Frontier Towns were not so much oppress'd yet most of the Inland Provinces were so depopulated and impoverished that there were not Men left to Till the Ground nor Dress the Vines as afterwards was more plainly demonstrated and were we once unanimous we might strike Terrour into the mind of that haughty Monarch of France I am not ignorant what sly Insinuations have been used to undermine our present Government by telling us by way of objection viz. How the Authors of the Hungarian and Piedmont Persecution and the Spanish Inquisition should establish the Protestant Belief amongst us I would answer That the present War in which we are engaged with the Emperor the King of Spain and the Duke of Savoy is not upon the account of Religion but upon Property and Civil Rights in those Princes who opposed the French King's Ambition and the War with the Emperor c. was long before our Revolution And therefore it was a very great Providence to us in England as well as other Protestant Countrys that there is that agreement in all those Princes united against France And should not England assist the rest of the Allies they would soon be over-run by France and should Holland be under that Government England could not hold out very long for when the Marine Forces in Holland is united to France we may then rationally conclude that not only England but the two Neutral Northern Crowns and Portugal must at length receive Laws from France I will not undertake that his Holiness at Rome shall be exempt from his Jurisdiction I might enlarge upon such reasons as may be convincing if it were necessary but it would be superfluous matters of fact having been so much before-hand of that nature how the French Monarch hath treated all persons that endeavour to thwart his Ambition c. So that it is our real Interest to assist the rest of the Confederates notwithstanding all the present inconveniences and evil consequents that do attend us which in a little time may be avoided It is not now a thing Disputable for we have too evident Experience and the Nation has been convinced that the Growth of France would be the Ruine of England as witness those many Parliamentary Addresses made to King Charles the Second as well as
by the many Bills brought in and Acts past in the Reign of His present Majesty and he exposing his Royal Person in order to bring down that lofty Prince and shall we now by a few false friends and their sly insinuations be prevail'd upon to alter our minds and take those methods that most directly ruine us As for Example should I pretend to go for Exon or Berwick we know Ware is the Rode to one and Hounslow to the other and should be met at Gravesend Rochester c. and pursue that direct Rode by Land and Water any body that knows the Rode must conclude I design'd for France let my pretences be never so much to the contrary It 's grievous to think that when England is honoured with the greatest Priviledges of any Nation under Heaven and that it will be allowed its Laws as to the main of them exceeding other Nations but most backward as to execution that which is wanting is one general Law to put others in execution I am sorry I have the occasion to mention a particular case that past in my own sight the last Year viz. When some Overtures were made to settle a Trade betwixt us and the Duke of Savoy and Piedmont and discoursing with a great Gentleman concern'd in that Affair gave me the sight of the Agent who was then to go on this Affair being a Frenchman I asked him whether since the Trade to be promoted was for England it would not be more proper to send an Englishman To which he answered No for we were too sluggish to promote even our own real good had I not too much experience of the truth of his Answer I should have argued with him for I have generally observed the disposition of too too many guilty of this fault and more particularly noted by another Pen viz. We have been more careful to receive the Law from France in all their Modes both in Eating and Wearing than from the great Creator for our Conversation and so prevalent is the humour of that Country with us and so powerful the Ascendant it hath over us that we seem to be Frenchmen only we live in England so that they have sufficiently revenged themselves upon us by the loose Manners they have brought among us but I must needs say to their Credit they keep their Wits in their Debaucheries whilst we by over-doing them in the imitation of them lose both What is become of that Antient Education of the Kingdom our Integrity Gravity and Manhood which gave our Nation so great Reputation in the World is it not turned into Swearing and Drinking a Duel and a Wench their Prophaneness is their Wit and their base Crafts must be called Policy and as this we have learned from France as to our Men so let us consider as to our Women but where is that retired Breeding which made our Women so famous for Virtue as they were always for their Beauty Alas there hath been a sort of industry used to subdue their native Modesty as if it were an indecent thing to have it and Arts practised to make them hardy against their own blushes and master their shy and bashful disposition so peculiar to Chastity into an unconcerned Confidence as if it were their Perfection to be insensible of any ill and to be tam'd at all things Strange that sobriety should be turned into levity and lust call'd love and wantonness good humour this have been the effect of the French Modes given us And the same Author proceeds in the Description of a well-constitued Monarchy in ancient Times with the Mischiefs that befel them when they grew slotful and gave themselves to Pride Luxury c. which I crave leave to mention only for a Warning for us to consider of his words are these The first Empire had Nimrod's strength and the Wisdom of the Chaldeans to establish it and whilst prudence and sobriety lasted they prospered no sooner came Voluptuousness than the Empire decayed and was at last by the base Effeminacies of Sardanapalus in whom that Race ended transfer'd to another family It was the Policy of an Assyrian King to subdue the strength of Babylon then under good Discipline not to Invade it with Force but to Debauch it Wherefore he sent in Players Musitians Cooks Harlots c. and by those means introducing Corruption of Manners there was little more to do than to take it Nebuchadnezzar by his Virtue and Industry seen in the Siege of Tyre and of many great Enterprizes recovered and enlarged it to a mighty Empire and his Discipline was so excellent those times considered that it was praised in Scripture but when he grew Proud and Foolish for getting that Providence that had shewn it self so kind to him he became a Beast and grazed among the Beasts till God whom he had forgotten had restored him the heart of a Man and his Throne together I wish we may take up in time and observe how it was brought in amongst us for when the two late Kings to whom not only England but great part of Europe may attribute the present War that during their abode in France a foundation was laid for the ruine of England which was gradually put in execution as it would bear and it had certainly been effected had not the Revolution prevented It is very pertinent what is written by another hand on the observation of the 29th of May the Birth-day and Restoration of Ch. 2d viz. Now let us see how great cause we had to fall into so high and exceeding demonstration of joy let the event shew how great a Blessing this Restoration proved to the Nation We know sometimes God gives Kings in his Anger and takes them away in his Wrath. Plague War and Fire came in with King Charles but all little enough in comparison of that Floud of Vice and Corruption in the way of Prophaneness Impiety Debauchery c. which being encouraged by Example and Impunity followed him and like a mighty stream have so overflowed the Nation that in all likelihood it will require more Judgments and many years to come to purge the Land of it 't is overspread almost from the Child in the Cradle to the Old Man going to his Grave Whoredom and Wine take away the heart and our Understanding too which make us grow an Effeminate Nation contemptible to our Neighbours and made us cast away the Honour and Interest of the Country and become Tools of the Ambition and Greatness of those whose growing Power we ought to have opposed and which since made Europe groan and labour to be delivered from that Bondage or Danger we helped to bring it under We slighted the suits and offers of many Princes and States and Addresses of Parliament who offered their Lives and Fortunes to stop the growing Power of France which had her Emissaries of both Sexes in our Bosom by whose counsels Parliaments were Adjourned Prorogued and Dissolved whilst in less than 2 Years time