vvas a braue Embleme for Kings vvhich Cyrus had of putting his foote vpon the midst of a hard and dry hyde vvhere-by he kept it close at earth for if he had set his foot vpoÌ„ the borders or extremities thereof the vvhole should haue revolted to note the Golden Rule of the Mid-way in Governament forbearing of Extremities and to shovv that Kingdoms are never sure to Princes vntill they be in the middest of the Hearts of their People and guarded round about vvith their Affections Your Majestie seeth hovv the example of David is a perspicuous Mirrour for Kings to looke vnto of vvhom vve reade 2. Sam. 7. When the king sate in his house and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies he said vnto Nathan the Prophet Beholde Idwell in a house of Cedar trees the Arke of God remaineth within the Curtaines Hee resolved to provide for building of the Lord's House Therefore can vvee not deny Sir that the Orient of Your Majesties Reigne doeth breake vp in just holy Actions in favours of the House of GOD by setting out a Navie against the mightie Enemies of Christian Peace and true Religion and by vvhom the over-throvv there-of hath bene so directly sought in these Your Majesties Kingdomes that numbers of vs yet liue vvho did see their proude Armada put even to the parts of our Countrey for that ende Your Majesties Intentions at Home to restore the Mayntaynance and Splendor of God's Worship doe argue the like zeale and vvho doubteth but God vvill grant to Your Majestie the same spirit of wisdome vvith David rightly to choose your tymes for offices of Peace offices of warres The prudence and happie successes of Actions doe consist in discret sure application of Circumstances With a little Tyme Patience your M. vvill get your good Subjects not only to contribute after your desires to the House of the Lord to the CoÌ„mon-wealth vvorks of Pietie but to doe it vvillingly as those Israelits did vnto David 1. Chron. 29. Then the people rejoyced for that they offered willingly because with a perfect heart they offered willinglie to the Lord. And David the king also rejoyced with great joye And then Sir their Sacrifices shall bee savorie vnto God vvhen they come not from Hearts dyed into Murmuration Grudge or Blacknesse like vnto the Swan vvhich for the same cause vvas anciently forbidden to bee sacrificed to the gods I doe most humbly recoÌ„mend these my Christian Endevours to your M. patronage protection If they be acceptable to your M. I hope they shall displease none of your faithful Subjects If they doe not fully correspond the judicious quicknesse of your M. great spirit it is not my fault my smal Vessell could hold no more The Lord vvho is the giver of all good thinges and vvho hath sovven into your M. Heart these Seedes of Royall Pietie and Vertue Hee may be pleased to nourish them vvith the daylie influence of His Grace vntill they grovv to that glorious and fruitfull Harvest vvhich they doe novv prognosticate and promise in their Spring That God vvho hath set your M. over a great and mightie People Hee may blesse your M. vvith the true vvisdome of Governament the trustinesse of faythfull Counsellers the vpright loue of your Subjects and a prosperous fortunate Reigne vnto the ende Your M. most humble faythfull and affectionate Subject and Serviture PETER HAY. TO THE READER COurteous Reader I speake to as manie as bee vpright Subjects of this Kingdome of which number I am sure there is not one to whome the principall scope of this Discourse will not bee gracious and plausible If some Passages doe perhaps displease it is for too narrow compting in your Particulars And if I haue toutched these points moderatelie and haue in them also my interesse equall with yours it doeth absolue mee from anie meaning to wrong you and sheweth that the acting hereof hath not beene intended for you or mee or for another but for the Common-wealth Wee haue spent our whole Yeares gone to our Private Studies Pleasures or Emolument without the meanest distraction by anie sort of Tyrannie or State-Calamitie Our dayes haue beene like vnto that jubilant age of the Romane Empyre vnder Augustus of whom sayeth the Poâ—t Ille meos errare boves ut cernis ipsum Ludere quae vellem calamo permisit agresti Ille erit ille mihi semper DEVS But now this Tyme doeth require vs to carrie publicke and not private Mynds which is the reason why I doe finde my selfe in this action pene thâ—m quam antea There is sayeth SALOMON a tyme for Peace and a tyme for Warre a tyme to gather and keepe and a tyme to cast away and GOD doeth these things that men should feare before Him The golden tyme of Peace and collection that wee haue enjoyed vnder our late King of blessed memorie hath so besotted our Myndes with Securitie that wee are even Ignorants of the ordinarie vicissitude of the World so farre that the verie first threatnings of change doe confound vs where as by the contrarie they should make vs turne to our GOD and feare before Him resolving to accept at His Hands patientlie and thankfullie after so long Prosperitie the Corrections for our sinnes proper to vs and in the nature of thinges common with vs to all People I haue presented before you in this Treatise as vpon a Board a summarie Portract of the estate of this tyme and of the dangers where-of wee are so much affrayde which if yee shall diligentlie contemplate it will helpe both your knowledge and your resolution As for some few particulars that for the first face may bee some-what disagreeable with you yee shall finde here also conjoyned with them their soveraigne remeadies and solaces If yee will but ascende a while with mee vpon this Stage to agitate the cause of your Prince your Countrey your Common-wealth and Religion when wee shall looke backe vpon the invincible couerage of our Predecessours against so manie mightie Nations for the standing of this Kingdome before they were Christians and that more than humane magnanimitie of the Heathen Codrus of Athens and others lyke to him the Bruti of Rome deciosque caput fatale voventes and these heroicke Decij how in sacred extasies of resolution they did devote and sacrifice their lyues for safetie of the States where-of they were members such speculations shall make vs ashamed of some of our discontentments and languishing amidst so great exigence and appearance of publicke distresses I know there is no generose spirit but will bee much delighted with this subject nor anie wise-hearted man who will not esteeme it a vertuous and laudable part to bee fore-seeing of so capitall dangers With-in these three or foure Yeares the Palatinate did lesse dread the Spanyard than wee doe now Tum tua res agitur paries dum proximus ardet If wee doe feare the LORD obey our
into Africke they did sende Hanniball with strong Forces into Italie to keepe them at home where-of sayeth the same Scipio in the same place and to the same purpose Sed quid veteribus externisque exemplis opus est majus praesentiusque â—llum esse exemplum quant Hanniball potest From the same ground yet the Romanes by sending of Scipio to make VVarre in Africke made Hanniball constrainedlie to bee called out of Italie Quasi eodem telo saepius retorto sayeth one as by a naturall necessarie and ordinarie meane for keeping of anie State peaceable and free from Enemie-Invasion namelie of the weaker from the more mightie For even in lyke manner when the great Persian Monarchs did often afflict the weake and dismembered Estates of Greece gaping at length after the conquest of all Agesilaus King of Lacedemon pitying his Countreys Calamitâ—e and to divert those mightie Kinges from Greece he did put him-selfe with a maine Armie into the midst of Persia where hee did so daunt the pryde of Xerxes that it behooved him to practise the same Policie for Liberation of his Kingdomes from Forraigne Powers hee sent 10000 great pieces of Golde bearing the Image of an Archer on the one side the current Stampe then of his Coyne to corrupt as it did the Orators of Athens and Thebes and concitate the People to make Warre to Lacedemon in absence of their King and Countreyes Forces where-vpon the Ephorie were compelled to recall Agesilaus who in his returning saide that 10000 Persian Arcbers had chased him out of Asia Againe of the lyke practise to this of Xerxes with Athens and Thebes for mooving and keeping of Warres in Enemie-Countreyes that wee may remaine within our selues free from their Invasion wee reade in the Histories of Scotland that the renowned Prince Charles Magne having an holie and Christian Resolution to prosecure as hee did Warres against the Barbarians and finding the English begun in their prosperitie to crosse the Seas and to molest the Borders of his Kingdome of France hee sent Ambassadours to Aebains King of Scotland to negotiate with him a perpetuall League in these Termes that when-so-ever the English should molest either of their Countreyes the other should moue Warre to England and so constraine them to call home their Armies Which after great Controversies of Opinions amongst the Scottish Nobilitie and frequent Orations of the French Ambassadours was finallie concluded and stood to by their Successours in all tyme following with often mutuall Advantages against their Common Enemie For late Examples I haue alreadie tolde you how King Philip made Warres in France and intended against England and that to the ende they should retire their Forces from Portugall Hanniball did ever affirme namelie to King Antiochus that it was impossible to vanquish the Romanes but at home in Italie as the same Livius doeth testifie Now I thinke yee will come to the Hypothesis and put mee to prooue that the Spanyard is that mightie Enemie who intendeth to trouble this Kingdome That hee is mightie a great deale aboue that which wee would wish I haue alreadie showed and that hee is our Enemie not onelie by actions intended or projected but diverslie alreadie attempted these are the Circumstances which doe qualifie it First he is Enemie to all Christian States by the vniversalitie of his Ambition Ergo also to vs Secondlie his Grandsire Philip the second did once obtaine a matrimoniall right to the Crowne of England by his marriage with Queene Marie Thirdlie a Papall right by excommunication of Queene Elizabeth Fourthlie hee did set foorth a great Armada to haue reconquered it as is before rehearsed Fyftlie hee hath ever since and as I thinke doeth yet maintaine with-in it a claudestine Traffique of Iesuites and Seminarie Priests to alienate the Hearts of Subjects from their naturall King or to keepe them vmbragious and suspended in myndes vntill his better occasion And I doe thinke that besides Ambition puissing him there-vnto there bee no Neighbour-States that hee so much feareth by reason of their strong and skilfull Navigation as yee will heare heere-after more particularlie But this King that nowe is in Spayne hath proceeded farther hee hath reft and taken away the whole estate of the Palatine who is Brother-in-law to His Majestie our Soveraigne and by that deede hath made this Warre to bee defensiue to vs Non enim nobis solum nati c. Wee are not onelie borne to our selues but our Prince our Parents our Children our Friendes Common-wealth and Religion everie of these haue their owne part and interesse in vs and all these together doe concurre to move vs to so just a Warre so far that if that Prince Palatine were not linked to vs by so near Allyance and by communion of one Fayth yet Tum tua res agitur paries dum proximus ardet the propulsion of a fearfull Enemie approaching nearer to our Coastes and seeking to do mineire over all is sufficient enough to make all the braue Heartes of Christendome to boyle Besides these hee hath put vpon vs intollerable Indignities in a verie high degree hee hath made vs by false and persidious Promises to bee as indifferent beholders of his conquest of the Palâ—tinate yea more to facilitate his engresse there-to hee hath made vs to seeke Peace perhaps to haue beene accepted vpon disadvantagious Conditions and hath refused the same And hee who refuseth Peace by necessarie consequence doeth intende Warre The marriage of our King hath beene agitated by him and illuded and hee who doeth containe so neare friendship of Neighbours appearinglie intendeth to bee their Superiour And so hee hath left vs no hope of Peace but in Armes therefore wee may conclude with that Captaine of the Volsques of whom I spake before Iustum est Bellum quibus est necessarium pia Arma quibus nulla nis◠〈◊〉 Armiâ— relinquitur spes Their Warre is just whose Warre is necessarie and their Armes bolie to whom there is no hope relinquished but in Armes Since then I holde it granted that of necessitie there must bee Warres it followeth to consider the Forces to bee employed there-to and those must either bee properlie our owne or of conjoyned Confederates Wee are bred into and doe inhabite a Northerne Region naturallie generatiue of great Multitudes of more bellicole kynde and of more robust Bodies than those of the Southerne Climates And al-be-it wee haue for the first face but small opinion of our vulgar sort because an hard condition of living hath some-what dejected their Hearts during these late vnfruitfull Yeares yet there bee manie strong Persons of Men amongst them who pressed for the Milice and once made acquainted there-with and being fred from the Povertie and Basenesse of their carriage they will more gladlie follow the Warres than the Plough Wee haue numbers of braue Gentle-men wanting vertuous Employments and for the most part necessarie Meanes Wee reade in our Countrey Annals how our auncient
great Consequence with Candor and Sinceritie I finde that Men of great experience for Warre doe holde opinion contrarie to this beeing of the mynde of King Francis the first who saide that longsome VVarres and small Armies served rather to exercise Men in the Artes Militarie than to daunt the Enemie and that without grosse Armies and quicke dispatch it was not possible to compasse great Enterpryses saying with-all that the Maintainance of small Armies and longsome VVarres was much more chargeable than the other They tell vs that the Empyre of the Turke beginneth to decline for his Pretermission of two thinges which his Predecessours did obserue and follow One that hee goeth not in person to bee over his Armies as they did another that they are not so numerous and grosse as they had them and that light exploits and often leading of small Armies to and froe doeth but teach the Milice to his Enemies and spoyle his owne Countreyes thorow vvhich his Souldiours so frequentlie doe passe Where-of they giue vs this Example Amurat the third kept vnder the commandement of his Bussaes a lingering VVarre of more than twelue Yeares employing not verie great Armies against the Persian vvhere-by al-be-it hee conquered great partes of his Countreyes yet vvere his Losses knowne to bee greater because hee spended the Flowre of his Forces of young Souldiours and lustie Horses 200000 Horses and more than 500000 Men from the beginning to the ende and made desolate the Countreyes that hee tooke in so farre that Osman Bassa alone besides what vvas done by others did cast to the ground and burne 100000 Houses besides that the Persians their Enemies during that great length of tyme did become more skilfull Warriours than themselues The Spanish Warres against Holland Zealand and Friezland haue vvrought the same Effects Agesilaus King of Lacedemonia in his longsome Warres against the Thebaus having one day received a dangerous Blow in his Person was tolde by one of his Friends that hee deserved vvell to haue it because hee had taught his Enemies to bee good Souldiours I confesse indeede that in this point of teaching the Arte Militarie to Enemies vvee can lose nothing beeing rather to learne from them but whether the employing of small or grosie Armies against them shall bee most hurtfull to them before vvee say to that wee must consider vvhat parts of his Dominions doe lye most open for our Invasion and most easilie and profitablie brooked for I take it also as granted that as there must bee Warres so they must bee with-out our Countrey and into that of the Enemie Never an actiue Prince was knowne to looke on vntill the Enemie should bee seene with-in his Bowels There be thousands of Examples of Ignorants who by so doing haue cast away their Kingdome from them-selues Antiochus Persius Iuba Ptolome the last of Aegypt Darius some of the French Kings as King Iohn taken vvith-in his owne Countreyes by Edward the Blacke Prince of England And for this cause Philip of France called the Conquerer vnderstanding that the Emperour Otho the second and the King of England were to assault his Kingdome hee fortified sundrie strong places and led his Armie without the Frontiers vvhere hee did combate and defeat them Wee reade in our Scottish Histories how frequentlie Armies haue bene convoyed beyond our Marches to find the Enemie before he should enter amongst vs. So long as a Countrey is free from open Hostilitie as long it doeth not feele extreame Calamitie sayeth Scipiâ— Afric for putting of Armies into Africke Plus animi est inferenti periculum quam propulsanti ad hoc major ignotarum rerum est terror c. The Assaulters of anie Countrey must haue greater cowrage than the Defendants who having moâ— things and more deare in perill their Houses their Ritâ—â—es VVyues and Children are more taken with feare besides being with-in the Enemies Countrey yee doe discover all his weaknesses whylst your strength and possibilities the more they bee vnknowne to him they doe the more encrease his terrour But to speake of places in generall most proper for this VVarre there is none more honourable than the Palatinate al-be-it most difficill to come vnto by reason of remotenesse from the Sea without the restitution where-of there can remaine no credite with the parties and Princes of the League I heard a Scottish Captaine of good experience in those Countreyes latelie say to mee that it was impossible to recover the Palatinate but by Sea Advantages over the Spanyard because it was so farre remooved from Friends and I did aske him how the late Prince of Parma did leade 10000 Men to Paris in the Teeth of a mightie King amidst his Armies hee answered mee that those were carried as in Trenches and the way was easie without impediment of Mountaines or Rivers Againe I demanded how did the Christian Kings ancientlie of England Scotland and France convoy their Armies to the holie VVarres of Hierusalem and most part over Land or how Alexander the Great an Armie of with-in 40000 from Macedon to the Easterne Occean and did subjugate all the Nations by the way or how Iulius Caesar a smaller by the one halfe from the occident of France to Pharsalia in Greece or Hanniball from Carthage by the way of Spaine and France thorow so manie alpestiere and precipitious Mountaines even to Naples and brooked Italie fifteene Yeares Although themselues were excellent and incomparable Captaines and of extravagant Fortunes yet their Souldiours appearinglie haue beene but such Men as doe yet liue in the VVorld the difference and ods of Tymes excepted for softnesse and Delicacie in some and contemplation and loue of Letters in others haue so daunted and as it were emasculate the cowrage of Men who now are that none is able to endure that austeritie and hardnesse of living with Hanniball him-selfe let bee his Souldiours The next Fielde fitting for this VVarre is that which were most easie to come vnto and likelie to bring the Businesse to a short and prosperous Ende and this is the Countrey of VVest Flanders if this fatall Iealousie of Neighbour-Princes which hath beene so manie tymes contrarious to the best Designes and Enterpryses of Christendome did not heere with-stand that is to say if the French King did not call to mynde how that was the Port where-at ancientlie the English did so often enter to trouble his Predecessours It is a wonderfull thing if Kings so nearelie allyed and so nearelie touched by one Common Danger cannot bee assured from mutuall Iealousies in the meane tyme Nulla fides regni sociis Therefore leaving that to the Event which GOD shall grant I will speake of putting Armies into Spayne by Sea wherevnto it may bee yee will object the small Successes now of a second Navigation of the English to Portugall and that His Majestie had better kept his Navie at home Careat successibus opto quisquis ab eventu facta not and a putet
everie Man doeth fill his own Spheare and everie Man's estate is a Kingdome to him-selfe Perseus that mightie King having beside him infinite Treasures and refusing to bestow some of them to Gentius a Neighbour-prince and others who offered to combate the Romanes in Italie he suffered them to over-throw him-selfe in his owne Countrey Darius cōmitted the lyke Errour with Alexander and Stephanus King of Bosna the lyke with Mabomet the second as I haue remembered before wee may prayse GOD that wee haue not such avaricious Kings What is it that good and naturall Subjects will not doe for the safetie of the Sacred Persons of their Kings Let bee of their Kingdomes vvhere-in wee haue our Portion and common Interesse with them We may reade in the Histories of France what domage that Countrey did sustaine for the liberation of their King Iohn taken by Edward the Blacke Prince of England at the Battell of Poiteou and of King Francis the first taken at the Battell of Pavie and in our owne Histories what our Predecessours did for the redemption of King David Bruce led Captiue in England and there detained eleven yeares Liberatus sayeth the Historie undecimo ex qu◠captus est anno numeratis quingentis millibus Mercarum Sterlingarum in presenti moneta Hee was redeemed vpon payment of fiue hundreth thousand Marks Sterling in argent contant A thing most admirable the scarcitie of Moneyes in those dayes considered If a Physition should cōmand vs in time of a dangerous Sicknesse to take a little Blood for preservation of the whole Bodie wee should bee glad to obey him why not by the like reason when our King who cureth and careth for the Bodie of the Common-wealth doeth command vs to bestow some of our Goods for safetie of our whole Estate ought wee not to obey if wee were versed in the French Annals to know what innumerable spoile of Goods was there before the Spanyards could bee pyked out of the Nests which they did build vpon their Coasts and with-in their Bowels wee would bee content to spende to our Shirt as it is saide before they should plant their Tents amongst vs. I haue alreadie told you how they are of Melancholious and fixed Mindes not easilie raysed or remooved where once they are set downe where-of wee see the present experience into the Palatinate To take and then to giue backe againe is not the way of their Designe to vniversall Empyre over their Neighbours If anie would object that the Palatinate is detayned for Reparation of the Wrongs and Injuries done in Bohemia hee hath little skill in the Effaires of the VVorld for why these might haue bene long since composed or redressed but it is done to facilitate their Conquest in Germanie to enclose the Nether-Landes from Succourse of their Friendes there and to open a Gate into England by length of Tyme vvhen they shall finde the Occasion fitting So that if the Kings of Great Britane and France together with their Confederates of Germanie the Netber-Lands doe not joyne their Forces to banish them tymouslie from the Palatinate as the Romanes did the Carthagenians from Sicilia vvhich I did note in the beginning here-of doubtlesse they vvill bee vpon their owne Neckes at the length There vvas a great Intervale of Tyme betwixt the first and second Warres of the Romanes against the Carthagenians and yet the last did come to passe and there-with the vtter over-throw of the Carthagenian State And here I must recount a thing vvhich I haue often called to mynde since His Majesties comming from Spayne and that the Treatie of his Marriage did there expyre how I my selfe the yeare of their Pacification vvith Holland beeing in the Towne of Brussels in familiar discourse touching our late Soveraigne his cōming to the Crowne of England vvith a Scottish Gentle-man of a fine Wit Experience In-sight in the Spanish Designes and vvho had beene long tyme a Coronell and Counsellor of Warre amongst them Coronell Semple hee sayd to me That al-be-it King Iames vvas an aged wise Prince vvho had providently practized his peaceable Entrie to England that yet he vvas much beholden to that Tyme so fortunate as it vvas for him vvhen Spayne being so broken vvith longsome VVarres had al-most begged their Peace frō Holland And how-so-ever sayd he your King may be free of vs during his lyfe yet if ye shall surviue him ye shall see no more Peace betwixt England and Spayne adding vvith-all this Speach Laus non solum hominum est sed etiam temporum Where-vnto I did answere that by these it seemed that the Spanyard intended to conquer England Then he rehearsed to me the manie notable Injuries done to them by the English Nation by their prowde and fascuous ejection of King Philip before the death of Marie by their fostering of their Rebels in Flanders by their protection of Don Antonio King of Portugall and ayding of him vvith Sea Armies but namelie by their ordinarie Sea Rapines and insolent Navigation vvithout the controlling and coercing vvhere-of Spayne could not be in so good Case as vvas hoped for to be in progresse of Tyme And in the ende hee did subjoyne thus farre If your Catholicke Noble-men of Scotland with whom my selfe sayd he did negotiate from Spayne had bene wyse and constant your Countrey might haue bene long before now in a twentie-folde more happie Condition vnder the Dominion of Spayne than ever it can be vnder the Crowne of England the Yoake of whose Servitude and Tyrannie shall questionlesse become intollerable to you so soone as that King shall be gone who doeth so well know you for why by reason of their Vicinitie and nearnesse vnto you they shall be ever preassing to draw great Rents from you into England which cannot fayle to impoverish your Countrey where-as by the contrarie the Spanyard should not only spend it amongst your selues but should also yearlie send in great summes of Money to you according as he doeth here in Flanders in his other Provinces This Storie did I after my returning to London relate to His Majestie who is nowe with GOD and who having heard it did answere me That Semple was an olde Traytor and dangerous companie for his Subjects which went beyond the Seas Thus the Spanyardes know not when the Fish will swimme but they doe keepe their Tydes diligentlie and haue their Nets hung in all Mens Waters so that if anie of vs would thinke that the present Quarrell against Spayne is more sibbe to the King our Soveraigne than to vs by reason of the Palatinate it were absurd ignorance also For first granting it vvere so yet there can bee no Separation betwixt the Head and the Members whome GOD and Nature haue knit together there is none can loose Next agayne it is well knowne that our late King of blessed memorie could haue gotten to marrie his onlie Daughter greater and the greatest of Christian Princes if it
opportune and commodious for great Navies the People manie and malicious against their Conquerers and having their Sores yet open and quicke To come to their other Subjects wee heare that the Arragonees haue their Myndes in like sort wounded with the remembrance of the late Conquest made of them and to speake generallie of all the Nobilitie of Spayne yea even of those of Castile it selfe It hath beene ever so that as Thieues haue beene studious to provide Backe-Doores so great Noble-men vnder Kings in all Ages haue wished that some adjacent Prince might bee in Tearmes of Emulation with their Master to whose protection they might haue recourse in Case at anie time they should happen to fall vnder their Masters wrath by their Ambitious and insolent carriage things familiar eneugh to potent Subjects in everie Countrey Now Spaine being as it is at this day conjoyned vnder one Crowne in manner of an Yland where-fra the Princes and Lords there-of cannot easilie with-draw them-selues in such a Case they are by that meanes brought vnder greater Feare Slaverie and Subjection When there were severall Kingdomes in Navarre Arrogone and Portugall the Castilian Nobles vpon anie distraction or variance with their King did finde easie retract and protection with some of these Neighbour-Princes perhaps with more Honour and Preferments than at home by reason of Neighbour Iealousies and Contention the examples where-of are most frequent in anie Historie as in our owne wee finde that before the vnion of Great Britane it was more easie and secure for Scottish Noble-men to offende their Princes and leape out from their obedience having so neare a Sanctuarie in the Hospitalitie and Armes of England by reason of Neighbour Distractions than it is now when their nearest refuge should bee Spaine or Flanders And as ancientlie that advantage did often a-wake the Pryde of our great Men and giue way to Rebellion against their Kings So the solide Incorporation that now is hath put a Brydle into the Teeth of that kinde of Ambition that no stirre can bee heere to trouble a King vnlesse it were by generall revolt of the whole Countrey or receiving of Forraigne Armes with-in our Bowels and joyning with them And as the supposed prowde and tyrannous Governament of Spaine is thought to enstrange the Hearts of their Nobilitie from their King and to make them more practizable to rebellions if they should see the occasion faire so there is no doubt but dure and rigorous Governament should even in this Kingdome or anie other else produce the like Consequences Al-wayes the Nobilitie of Spaine at this day doeth want this Sanctuarie of Refuge that the skurviest Marshall is able to arrest the greatest of them and now with much griefe they doe resent the effectes of that which was prognosticated vnto them when King Charles the fift began to extende the Wings of his Domination for the which cause they did show them-selues notablie displeased with the conjunction of Portugall as Don Francisco de Ivara a noble man of Castile being Ambassadour at Paris during the League Anno 1579 hearing by a French Gentle-man newlie come from Africke that the Moores were in feare having intelligence that King Philip did put together great Forces for to conquer them vnder pretext to revenge the slaughter of Don Sebastian King of Portugall for so did Philip make the World belieue when hee did conveane his Armies against Portugall But the saide Francis did answere this Gentle-man saying It is well that the Moores bee in feare but it is better that your Master the King of France vnderstand the intention of that Armie to bee against Portugall which if hee doe conquere your Master and the Pope and all the Princes of Europe may lay compt by length of time to bee his Tributaries Which speach doeth well enough demonstrate the aversnesse of the Spanish Nobilitie from the fearfull Greatnesse of his Empyre The State Ecclesiasticke indeede doeth more affect him yet I haue tolde you that hee doeth skumme the Fat of their Pâ—t but of this Weaknesse which wee gather of discontented humours of their Nobilitie there is no advantage to bee gayned by secret Practises because of the terrour of the Inquisition His Iesuites and perfidious Ambassadours get libertie with other Princes to traffique to traytor at their pleasure whereof wee haue late experiences to our owne Coastes but none dare adventure that kynde of doing in Spayne Al-wayes out of those it may bee surelie enough presumed of the Nobilitie namelie of their late Conquests of Spaine that when they should see a puissant Enemie amongst them the Fyre of their indignation should breake foorth so much more violentlie by how much it hath bene long masterfullie suppressed amongst the Ashes of their Servitude sayeth Scip. African in that Oration to the Senate for sending of Forces in Africke during Hanniballes being in Italie Non speraverat Hanniball fore ut tot populi in Italia ad se deficerent post Cannensem dedem quanto minus quicquam in Africa firmum aâ— stabile sit Carthaginensibus infidis sotiis gravibus dominis Hanniball did not looke for so great revolting of People with-in Italie from the honest and generous Romanes after his victorie at Cannas how much lesse can things bee firme and sure in Africke to the Carthagenians a Nation treacherous and vntrustie to their Associates and tyrannous to their Subjects which Saying howe properlie it may bee applyed to the present Purpose anie man doeth see it Next it is thought that there bee small store of Armes in Spaine the numbers of Cities and People considered partlie because they goe for the furnishing of his Warres abroade and partlie because it is not thought expedient by his Counsell that Multitudes but latelie conquered whose Myndes are yet suspected should bee armed at their pleasure remembering well vvhat had almoste befallen KING PHILIP the third if the Moores called Nâ—vos Christianos vvho then had a neare Designe agaynst him had not beene suddenlie disarmed and cast foorth of the Countrey Moreover the prowde and tyrannous nature of the Spanyard is no small point of Weaknesse for why the LORD GOD doeth humble the Prowde and punish the Oppressour Tolluntur in altum ut lapsum graviora cadâ—nt I doe not onelie speake of that dominant and Monarchicall Pryde mayntayned by so manie Cruelties Perfidies and Impieties bore-saide but vniversallie of the verie vulgar pryde chiefelie of the Castilians Even as the fumes of strong Wyne doe inebtiate and make giddâ—e the Braines of Man transporting them from the centre of their place so doeth Pryde blynde and confuse the Vnderstanding and as seldome Prudence doeth accompanie Youth-head Even so is Wisdome rarelie conjoyned with too much Prosperitie Neither shall it bee out of purpose to speake a few wordes of the Spanish Nature in generall They are extreamelie melancholious which everie â—ot of their carriage doeth verifie their graue Apparell their sober Dyet their Dauncing their Musicke
following Ages The first whereof and first in the Actions of his Lyfe was his incredible Diligence in the Oppressing Extinction of Intestine Enemies For finding that the Clemencie of his Predecessor Iul. Caes. in pardoning his Capitall Foes in Dismission of his Personall Guards his Carelesse Carriage and Contempt of diverse Advertisements given him from his Friends of Treasons complotted agaynst his Lyfe having nothing more frequent in Mouth than this Non tam mea interest quam Rep. ut quam diuttssime vivam I say that Augustus finding that by these Errours his Predecessor had prepared an easie Way of his own Destruction he did with all Expedition make away the whole Enemies of Caesar without Mercy not so much out of Splene Vindication as for Establishment of thâ— State Safetie of his own Lyfe He kept 40 Legions vpon his Bâ—â—deâ—ing Provinces vnder the CoÌ„mandement of his most trustie Friends strong Guards about himself I know the Ods are great betwixt Your Majestie him because that was a New Conquest a Change of a Repub. into a Monarchie where the Doer could not be secure without Violence and Severitie of Governament But withall everie one doeth remember of the dangerous Stratagems and pernicious Attempts against the Sacred Person of Your Majestie 's Father often tymes intercepted We know that there be within the Bowels of Your Majestie 's Dominions Enemies to Your Governament even of Men who I thinke doe tender Your Lyfe as their owne I meane of Papists and Puritanes whereof the first is avowedlie opposed to Your Majestie 's Lawes and that the seconde is a perillous Enemie to Monarchall Governament yea most perillous it is knowne to all the Worlde by the Recordes of the Geneva Discipline vented over all manie yeares agoe and by our owne Histories of the Church of SCOTLAND written by our Proto-Reformtors and by our Iure Regni apud Scotos of Master George Buchanan and most clearlie of all by a certayne Treatise printed in LONDON Anno 1593 intituled Dangerous Positions published and practized within the Yle of BRITANE vnder Pretence of Reformation and for Presbyteriall Discipline Which I am perswaded if Your Majestie should take leasure to cast over yee would thinke it expedient to haue it current and publicke to the View of all Your Good Subjectes for the better Information of manie who bee ignorantlie affected therevnto Neyther doe I heere suggest anie thing that may irritate your Majestie to Rigour agaynst such And if it were asked me What then doe I meane This is it Sir Wee vnderstand that your Majestie hath many and mortall Enemies even of your Lyfe and Crowne and those of the greatest Potentates abroad and their insidious Instrumentes vvho lye in wayte to slyde into your Majestie 's Kingdomes vnperceiveablie vvhen they shall finde the Waters troubled In which Case the Vnanimitie of Subiectes especiallie in Matters of Religion and Ecclesiasticke Governament is the onelie BaÌ„d of our Securitie For even where Subiectes are naturallie loyall to their Princes destracted Myndes in such Poyntes are moste perillous And as whâ—n a great Disease or Evill doeth enter vpon the Bodie it invadeth first that parte or Member vvhich had anie Weaknesse or Contusion of before Even so vvhen Forraigne Treacheries or Intestine Seditions come to bee practized in a State they doe first assault those of vnstayed and divyded Myndes and namelie from the Pryde of Puritanisme haue sprung the Seedes of the most badde and bolde things that haue bene committed agaynst our Princes in these last Ages And I must say it out of the Sinceritie and Simplicitie of a most humble Affection to the Stabilitie of your Maiestie's Reigne there is not a more malignant Gangrena latent within your Bowels than that nor more able to quarrell the Credite of Royall Authoritie if thinges were never so little turned loose Your Majestie hath neede againe to set over the Ports of your Kingdome the Eyes of Argos to see that no Enemie doe enter The Iesuit is a Proteus vvho can transforme himselfe in anie Shape Hee can passe by your Majestie vnder Covert and Silence Hee is lyke to the Skeilling Goose vvho when shee flyeth alongst the Mount Taurus carrieth a Stone in her Bill to stoppe her Crye that shee should not be heard of the Eagles vvhich continuallie doe keepe the Toppe there-of Chiefelie your Majestie hath neede to be â—urious of your owne Court For as never Heresie did come into the Church vvhich began not amongst the Clergie Even so seldome are Treasons contryved agaynst Princes vvherevnto some of their Court are not conscious When Augustus had caused great numbers to die and thought himselfe free from Domesticke Fears he found Cinna a lurking Serpent in his Bosome therefore we say that Kings should bee vigilant lyke to the Lyon who is King of Beasts and sayd to be of such Sollicitude that he sleepeth vvith open Eyes And if Your Majestie should at any time discover Disloyall Practises then indeede the Example of Augustus were well to bee followed to punish such Persons vvithout anie Mercie at all As for Puritanes this I holde that Your Majesties doe admit none to Episcopall Governament vvho hunteth after it for loue of Ritches or Preferment and then doth nothing differ from the Puritane in all his Carriage thereafter and that no Bishop be bold to ordayne a Preacher vvho doeth not in his owne person obey and make his Flocke obey the present Discipline and authorized Ordinances of the Church Your Majestie of Clemencie may suffer to expyre in peace such olde Puritanes as had Tollerance and Conniâ—ence vnder Your Father provyded they be modest and reserved but that eyther Poperie should be endured or in anie Corner of the Countrey an Arch-Puritane to bring foorth Seminaries of his Sect for the Ministerie certaynlie that were to keep a Backe-Doore open for Anarchie and Confusion sometyme to re-enter both into Church and State For the present Your Majestie hath Watch-men over our Church approved enough by Your Blessed Father vvho did preferre them The second SIR notablie remarked in the Gubernatiue Wisdome of Augustus vvas the great Honour done by him to the Senators of his Counsell and his Confidence in them The principall thing that did comfort those Conspirators agaynst the Lyfe of his Predecessour being his Misregards to the Senate that he would not deigne himselfe to ryse from his Chayre when they came in and that by the Perswasion and Flattery of Cornelius Balbus puissing him too much to vndertake Emperial Dignitie Augustus by the contrarie did dispatch no matter of Importance but by the Advyce of the Senators vvhome hee did so greattie respect that after a perfect Setling of all his Difficulties hee did beare in his owne person the Office of a Consull another tyme of the Censor which both he did discharge faythfullie and paynfullie beyond anie that had exercised those Functions before him Your Majestie knoweth howe there haue not
let them see the right Addresses of their Effaires this doeth import a necessarie Over-watching of their Treasures and Receivers vvhich maketh them Frugallie and Thriftilie to conferre their Necessarie Debursements with their Present Means and to make Tymous Provision for what is wanting it teacheth them wherefore Pensions and Donatiues are bestowed and to measure them according to the Proportion of Mens Services that some haue not too much whylst others get nothing Your Maiestie may reade of Philip of Valoys that he did revoke all Pensions which did not beare Speciall Mention of the Service done for them to him or his Predecessors And of Charls the eight who did annull all Pensions exceeding a very smal sum wherof I do not in particular remember This kynd of Diligence will teach your Maiestie to avoyde Great and Greedie Numbers of the Receivers of your Rents who doe devour so much of them before they can come to your Maiesties Coffers even as burnt and sandie Groundes drinke in the Waters that passe through them To Charls the fift of France were presented Complaints in Publicke ParliameÌ„t by the whole Estates because he had fiue Treasurers wheras before there were but two and a World of Receivers whereas before there was but one resident in Paris And by Francis the first it was ordayned that there should be foure Keyes of the Treasure House whereof the King should haue one himselfe without the which no other should enter nor no Summes given foorth but in his Personall Presence The fourth and last thing Sir which I finde most speciallie observed in the Politicke Wisdome of Augustus was his Indulgence towardes that People and his Fatherlie Care of them in procuring Dispatch of their Actions without Longsome Processes of Law the Censurall Inquisition over the Magistrates his Personall Audidnce of their Causes and Frequent Going Abroad for that Effects the Exemplar Practize of his Personall Equitie wherinto he did so much delight that having once by sound of TruÌ„pet made Offer of 25000 Crowns to any who would bring to him Crocatas a Captayne of certayne Voleurs in Spayne who did greatlie molest that Countrey whereof Crocatas being advertized he came willinglie presented himselfe before the Emperour demaunding Payment of the Crownes which hee caused to bee given him in Argeht Content together with his Pardon lest hee should bee thought to take his Lyfe for the sake of the Money These Sir made him to bee loved as a Father and feared as a Prince whilst hee lived and adored as a God after hee died In ende of all Sir I will conclude with a most Humble Supplication to your Majestie in Favours of vs who bee your Subjects of Scotland where-vnto I am the more encowraged because this Paraneticall Discourse hath beene intended by mee for no other vse but to comfort them to your M. Service and Obedience in everie thing which I haue preassed to doe by the pitthiest Perswasions that I could bring from the best Wits of the best Wryters Wee reade Sir of Alexander the Great that when hee was readie to lift his Armie from Macedone to goe into the Levant his Master Aristotle did counsell him to rule over the Greekes as a Father but over the Nations whom hee should happen to conquer as a Lord and Emperoar Where-vnto hee answered That not so but that hee would bee over all People who should bee his in common as a Father because it was his Purpose to reduce the whole World vnto the Vnitie of one Citie as Plutarch doeth report his Speach Vnaut sit vita perinde ut mundus unus veluti unius Armenti compascuo in agro compascentis Sir we are not onlie no new Conquest of your Ms but we are your First most Natiue Subjects There is no thing which is Vnnaturall or Extravagant in Nature that doth long endure therfore amongst States Kingdomes that which is most Ancient must be most Naturall that is the Reason why we are your Ms most Naturall People Here are to be seene vpon the Ports of your Ms Towns vpon the Frontespieces of your Pallaces that Scepter Crowne where-of your Blessed Father said Nobis haec invicta miserunt centum sex Proavi The like to which no King that we know vnder Heaven may brag of Here standeth that Noble Order of the Thistle whose Honour hath hitherto remained Vnviolable and Vnstained with Disgrace witnessed by that Cowragious Superscription Nemo me impune lacessâ—i Here standeth that Generous red Lyon whoÌ„ the Mightie Bellicose Romans were never sufficient to daunt Here were founded the Sober Beginninges of that Crowne which hath by Progresse of so many Ages risen into this Height of a Monarchicall Diademe Here is the Ground wherin was sown that small Seed that hath shot vp to this Strong Staselie Tree whose Boughes doe over-shadowthis whole Yle whose Branches extend themselues beyond Seas whervnto Forraigne Nations haue Recourse in time of Tempests to be refreshed vnder the Vmbrage therof Here Sir is the Ground which your Majestie should haue in a Sacred Account that doeth conserue the Royall-Bodies of so many of your Predecessours and keepeth about them the Ashes of so manie thousands of Noble Gentle-men as haue froÌ„ the beginning of your M. Race so valourouslie laid down their Lyues in fierce Battels presence of their Kings for Propagation of the same And here Sir is your Mother Ground which gaue to your M. the first Light and did nowrish your tender Infancie The Fowls of the Aire Fishes of the Seas by a Naturall Instinct do affect the Places wherin they were hatched so farre that some of them wil come froÌ„ the most Longinque Regions to make yearlie Visits of their Natiue Soyle Therefore Sir although we be most remote from the Seat of your M. Court yet let it please your M. that we enjoy our Priviledges to be your M. most naturall Subjects and to haue your M. our King not by Conquest but by Nature Remember Sir how wel it was sayde by him who spake so that The Kingdome was happie where the Subjects did obey the Law of the Prince and the Prince obey the Law of Nature If your M. will looke vpon the Historie of your Predecessors ye will find that it is Naturall to vs most of anie Nation to sacrifice our Lyues Goods for the Preservation of our Prince and Countrie when there is Necessitie to doe so Consider Sir a little our Decayes since the Transportation of the Royall Court to London partlie by Introduction of Prodigalitie and Forraigne Manners vvhich commonlie doeth accompanie the Dilation of Empyre partlie by too much reparing of our Countrey-men of best sorte there and spending of Moneyes in England vvhich were wont to entertain our Merchand Traffick at Home now by that Means so farre decayed partlie by the great Malheure of these last bad and vnfruitfull Years And when your M. hath pondered these then doe lay vpon vs