great many by the Kings favor are daily ennobled Such a gallant Goverment France hath for the common Incolumity and publik defence of the Country and for the employment of the Gentry who are more numerous there then in any Kingdome els wherby the tru Rules of Policy are observd that shold be in a Monarchy which are For the King to command The Nobles to execut and The Peeple to obey and indeed the Peeple shold know nothing els but how to obey Now one of the prime Principles in France is to keep the common Peeple under a perfect subjection so that they may not be able to do any hurt And if they are kept poor hereby let them thank themselfs for if they were pamperd with wealth They wold be ever and anon kicking at Goverment for we know ther is not a more instable hair-braind Monster in the world then the Common Peeple as England of late yeers hath had such woful experience Touching the Civil Goverment of France and administration of Justice it is of that high esteem that divers Forren Princes have referrd their Causes to be determind to the Court of Parlement in Paris as a Consistory of high Reason and Integrity It stands upon record how the Emperour Frederik the second referrd the controversies betwixt him and Pope Innocent the fourth touching the Kingdome of Naples to the decision of this Court En dernier ressort to pass a Definitif unappealable Judgement The Count Namurs in a Difference twixt him and Charles de Valois did cast himself upon the verdict of this Court Philip Prince of Tarentum overcame the Duke of Burgundy in this Court touching the Expences he was at in recovering the Greek Empire The Dukes of Lorain have in divers things stood to the Arbitrament and Justice of this Court They of Cambray when they were a Free Peeple have been willing to be tryed by this Court The Confederacy also of the Kingdome of Castile and Portugal was confirmd by this Court. Now the reason why this Court gains such a high Repute is That none are admitted to sit in that Tribunal but persons of known Integrity Erudition and Gallantry which made Henry the second as Lansius hath it when by the importunity of a great Princess he had recommended one to sit there and being a person but of shallow parts and so rejected the King said merrily Ie pensois que parmy tant de Ginets un Asâ—…e pourroit bien passer I thought that among so many Ginets one Ass might have passd well enough Besides this of Paris ther are divers other Courts of Parlement and Praesidial Seats dispersd up and down the Country in such a convenient distance that the Client may not be put to make long Journies for Justice and that the Poor be not oppressd by the Rich for want of means to make such long Journies wherby they suffer the suit to fall as many use to do in England in the remotest places from London for want of such Courts I will conclude also this third Argument with some choice Verses of Ludovicus Bologninus a celebrated Civilian Francorum Reges sacro sub nomine nati Consilio semper valuerunt semper Armis Sanctaque fautores Bonitatis Iura tenentes Appellat Romana suos Ecclesia gnatos Et Primogenitos tali sunt nomine digni His Deus Imperium dedit sua Iura tuetur Unguntur sancti fiunt quicunque creantur The fourth Argument A Religione Nobilitate Ecclesiae from Religion and Nobleness of the Church SOme Authors affirm that when our Saviour sufferd upon the Cross He lookd towards France whence they infer that it was a blessed Omen that Christian Religion shold florish most in that Kingdome Moreover it is a rare and indeed an unparallelld thing that ther was in France before the passion of our Saviour a Church viz. Ecclesia Carnotensis as it remains upon good record which was dedicated Virgini Pariturae to the Virgin that shold bear as we read ther was in Greece an Altar erected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the unknown God This made the Emperour Iulius Caesar who had felt the pulse of that peeple more then any other to give this Encomium of them in his Commentaries Natura est omnium Gallorum admodum dedita Religioni T is the nature of all the Gauls to be much addicted to Religion As in the dark times of Paganism they were observd to be so devout so since the glorious Light of Christianity did shine upon the Flower de Luces the French Nation hath bin found to be transported with an extraordinary zeal to Religion And this Heavenly Light began to shine and shoot its Rays betimes for we read that Iraeneus one of the first Primitive Fathers was Bishop of Lions and he was Disciple to Polycarpus and Polycarpus was Disciple to St. Iohn the Evangelist by whom he was sent from Asia among the Gaules for the plantation and propagation of Christian Faith as St. Hierome relates St. Hilarius who was another Father of the Primitive Church was also Bishop of the Picts in France where he composd his excellent Works which are partly Expository partly Controversial though ther occur often some African barbarous Latin words in them as disfrocite for degenerate Zabulus for diabolus c. What a multitude of Hevenly Martyrs hath France had for in all the ten Persecutions ther were some of them signd still their Faith with their bloud In the Emperour Valerians time ther were famons French Martyrs as Florentius Bishop of Vienna Pontius Cassius Victorinus Liminius Anatolianus with others whom Gregory Turonensis mentions and whose names are enrolld in the Catalog of Saints to all posterity And this was a little before the unluckly Novatian Heresie crept into France and infected divers other Countries Nay to go higher up and to the very source of Christianity ther are some Authors who avouch that St. Paul was in France and that the chief Church in Vienna was built by him as this ancient Verse there engraven shews Paulus praeco Crucis tibi dat primordia Lucis Ther be other Authors who affirm that St. Peter also was in France And that ther landed at one time in Marseilles Lazarus Mary Magdalen Martha and Marcella as it is recorded in a Manuscript of the English History in the Vatican wherof Baronius makes mention And about that time Ioseph of Arimathea that Noble Decurion passd through France into Britain with the foresaid Marcella who was she that is mentiond in the Gospel who being divinely inspird cryed out with a loud voice when Christ was preaching Happy is the womb that brought Thee forth and the paps that gave Thee suck Spencaeus also makes mention that St. Luke was in France As also Savinianus one of the 72 Disciples and Martialis another of them who some do affirm to be He who sold the five Barly Loaves and the two Fishes wherwith our Saviour fed five thousand And if the Holy Reliques of
first after the person of the Emperour who hath still preference given him before all secular Princes whatsoever Now the Question was never Sur le tapis was never controverted about Priority twixt France and Spain till the house of Austria started up to that enormous greatness And although before Charles the fifth ther were Six Emperours of that House and that the quality of Emperour gives precedence to any who legally possesseth the title be he of what Family soever yet that Prerogative is not given to any of their posterity being not calld to the Empire In regard in Electif States the Election adhering only to the person of the Elected gives the Eminence only to his person excluding all other yea his own Sons unless they be formally elected although in Successif hereditary patrimonial Estates t is otherwise Insomuch that the house of Austria hath no more right to the Empire then the house of Saxe Luxemburg or Brandenburg with other Families who were Caesars before them Another House which much strengthend that of Austria was that of Burgundy which yet was feudetary to France as also the Counties of Flanders and Artois though the rest of the seventeen Provinces which came to Spain by this alliance with Burgundy are Fiefs of the Empire The other Houses who did aggrandize Charles the fifth were Castile and Aragon Castile came to be a Kingdome but after the yeer 1000. And the Kings of England took always precedence of them Arragon was but a small State feodary to the Church of Rome until the Kingdome of Naples which is also a Fief of the Church was annexd unto it Hereunto as Fortune wold have it were added the West-Indies discoverd first by an Italian and offerd to the King of England Then by alliance with Portugal the East-Indies came also to the Crown of Castile This increase of Countries raisd the Spirits of the Spaniard to claim Precedence of France and England two of the most ancient Christian Kings And to go more methodically to work we will divide the State of the house of Austria to three times First to that which preceded the year 1519. when Charles was establishd in the Empire The second during his Raign until he retird to a Claustral Life Anno 1555 The third to his Progeny since Touching the first t is certain that notwithstanding the promotion of this Family to the Empire yet it continued still homageable to the Empire For Philip the Father of Charles the Emperour rendred solemn homage to the Chancellor du Rochefort and Charles after him for the Counties of Flanders and Artois Anno 1507. so that the said Charles being born in Gant was born a Vassal to the King of France That in the Interview of Lewis the twelfth and Ferdinand of Aragon Anno 1507. at Savona although King Lewis usd great civilities to Ferdinand coming to visit him upon his own Territories and so gave him Precedence yet the world knows that it was but by way of Complement But before Charles mounted the Empire this Dispute of Precedence never entred into the Spirit of Spain In the year 1519. Charles was created Emperour which Anno 1555. he resignd to his Brother Ferdinand and at the same time he made a voluntary and absolut Cession of all the rest of his Dominions to his Son Philip the second except the Archduchy of Austria and the dependences therof in Germany Philip though he succeeded in the Empire to which the Precedence only belongs yet he endevourd to keep it still under pretext that he succeeded the Emperour his Father in all his large her hereditary Dominions who always took place in all Assemblies Enterviews and Tretises specially in the great Council of Trent though it was confusedly because two qualities were in him of Emperour and King which could not be distinguished or separated But in the yeer 1555. when meditating upon a retirement he resignd the Empire to his Brother and all his Kingdomes to his Son Philip perceaving that his Son could not take precedence of the King of France because he was not Emperour He made use of another artifice for conserving this pre-eminence for his Son as well as for his Brother Before his retirement he revokd Don Francisco de Vargas his Ambassador in Venice who had always taken precedence of the French Ambassador without scruple Now after his resignation of the Empire he sends again the said Vargas to Venice as his and also his Sons Ambassador joyntly though indeed he was but Ambassador only to the King of Spain But he thought to over-reach the Venetian because he employd still the same man qualified in apparance as formerly Vargas demanded of the Senat the same precedence as formerly which the Bishop of Lodeve Ambassador at the same time to Hen. 2. of France opposd remonstrating to the Senat that Charles was no more considerable to the world being a reclusd person And if the Ambassador of Ferdinand to whom he had transferrd the Empire were present he wold yeild place unto Him but he wold not come after the Ambassador of King Philip. The Senat apprehending some ill issue from this Dispute orderd that neither of the Ambassadors shold be present at the Feast of St. Mark and so the business remaind at a stand by the irresolution of the Senat and the simplicity of the French Ambassador who at last was contented to give way to the Ordinance of the Republique in favor of Vargas But Anno 1558. Francis de Novailles Bishop of Acs succeeding him of Lodeve renewd the Dispute and the Ambassador of Ferdinand arriving about the same time Novailles demanded of the Senat to be maintaind in his Rights and to have the first place next the Imperial Ambassadors and so took it couragiously before Vargas who observing the cunning of the Emperour Charles who died in this conjuncture of time was discoverd and that he passd for no more then for the Ambassador of King Philip Vargas began to speak high of the Grandeur of his Master and to display the large Dominions and States he lorded over far more in numbee then those of the French King alledging that these Customs of Honor and Antecedences ought to be alterd according to the times That his Master was the greatest King of the world That he was able to assist the Republique with Arms Men and Mony more then the King of the French c. But the Bishop of Acs though much heat intervend obtaind of the Senat a Deerâ—…e wherby the precedence was adjudgd him before the Spanish Ambassador who loudly complaining therof the Senat made answer That the Republik did not trouble her self to examine the greatness of their Majesties but she found within her Registers that in all Acts both publik and privat in all Ceremonies Visits and Audiences the Ambassadors of France preceded those of Spain wherin she wold acquiesce This answer offended King Philip who therupon revokd his Ambassador But Michael Surianus Ambassador for the Republick in
by the Laws of the Land though as a dutiful Son to the Church out of pure Ideas of Devotion he is contented to be obedient unto his Mother in spiritual things Yet ther are divers Tramontan Writers both Italian and Germans who being devoted to the Emperour wold make the Kings of Spain England and France to acknowledg the Emperour and they who do it not remain in no less then mortal sin And one of the main Arguments which they urge is That the Emperour Sigismund before the Council of Constance assembled sent his summons among other to Ferdinand King of Aragon to be there for the universal good of Christendome But herunto t is answerd That the glorious Emperour Charles the fifth made a solemn Protestation that he decreed nothing in Spain under the notion of Emperour For though he had a double quality yet whatsoever he acted in Spain was singly as he was King therof This signal Diploma or publick Protestation is yet to be seen in the Archives of Spain and is mentiond in the History of Pedro Mexia which runs thus Don Carlos por la gracia de Dios Rey de Romanos futuro Emperador semper Augusto Rey de Castilla y de Leon c. En uno con la muy alta y muy Poderosa Reyna Donna Iuana mi Sennora Madre Por quanto despues que plugo a la Divina Clementia por la qual los Reyes reynan que fuessemos Eligidos Rey de Romanos futuro Emperador y que de Rey Catholico de Espanna con que eramos bien contentos fuessemos promovido al Imperio convino que nuestros Titulos se ordenassen dando a cada uno su devido lugar Fue necessario conformando nos con razon segun la qual el Imperio precede a las otras dignidades seglares por ser la mas alta y sublime dignidad que Dios instituyò en la Iâ—…ierra de preferir la dignidad Imperial a la Real y de nombrarnos y intitularnos primero como Rey de Romanos y futuro Emperador que la dicha Reyna mi sennora lo qual hizimos mas apremiado de necessiâ—…d que de razon que por voluntad que dello tenemos porque con toda reverencia y acatamiento la honramos y desseamos honrar y acatar Pues que demas cumplir el mandamiento de Dios a que somos obligados por Ella tenemos y esperamos tener tan gran sucession de Reynos y senorios como tenemos Y porque de la dicha prelacion no se pueda Seguir ni causar perjuizio ni confusion adelante a los nuestros Reynos de Espanna ni a los Reyes nuestros Successores ni a los naturales sus subditos que por tiempo fueren Por ende queremos que sepan todos los que agora son ò seran de aqui adelante que nuestra intencion y voluntad es que la libertad y exempcion que los dichos Reynos de Espanna y Reyes dellos han tenido y tienen de que han gozado y gozan de no reconocer Superior les sea agora y de aqui adelante observada y guardada inviolablemente y que gozen de aquel estado c. Yo el Rey. Thus rendred into English Don Carlos by the grace of God King of the Romans and future Emperour always August King of Castile and Leon c. together with the most high and most mighty Dame Ioan my Lady Mother Wheras since it pleasd the Divine Clemency by which Kings raign that we were elected King of the Romans future Emperour and from a Catholik King of Spain wherwith we were well contented we were promoted to the Empire it was convenient that our Titles shold be orderd giving evry one his due place It was necessary conforming our selfs to Reason wherby the Empire precedes to other secular Dignities it being the highest and most sublime Dignity which God hath instituted on earth to prefer the Imperial Dignity before the Kingly and to name and intitle our selfs as Kings of the Romans and future Emperour before the said Queen my Lady which we did being pressd more by necessity then by any willingness we have therunto because we honor and respect and desire to honor and respect Her with all reverence and duty in regard that besides the accomplishing of Gods Commandment wherunto we are obligd we hold by Her and hope to hold so great a succession to Kingdomes and Dominions which we hold And because no prejudice or confusion may ensue to our said Kingdoms of Spain nor to the Kings our â—…uccessors nor to the Native Subjects that shall be for the time Therfore our desire is That all those who now are and shall be herafter may know That our intention and will that the Liberty and exemption which the said Kingdoms of Spain and their Kings have held and do hold that they have enjoyd or do enjoy Not to acknowledge a Superior be observd unto Them now and herafter and be inviolably kept And that they enjoy the same liberty and ingenuity which at the time of our promotion and before they had and enjoyd c. And our will is that this Declaration have the force and vigor of a Pragmatical Sanction c. Given in the City of Barcelona 5. 7bris 1519. I the King This Royal Manifesto or Pragmatical Sanction you see doth assert the absolut and independent Authority of the Kings of Spain and that they do not only renounce all subordinations but are free from the least acknowledgment to any Forren Power insomuch that it is enacted by the Laws of Spain that to avoid the least suspition of any obedience to the Empire the Civil Roman Law is not to be kept or alledgd as Law Nor indeed for driving out the Saracens and other Infidels was Spain ever obligd to the Empire or any other Extrinsik Power but she did it by the effusion of her own blood by the strength and valour of her own Natives Moreover the Kings of Spain are so far from any recognition of subjection to the Empire or any outward power that they themselfs in former Ages have bin frequently called Emperours in publik Instruments as Decretals Acts of Councils and Apostolical Epistles from Rome Now if they did merit to be calld Emperours then how much more is that Title adaequat to the Kings of Spain in these latter times wherin they are grown to be Lords of above half of the whole Terrestrial Globe Nor is the King of Spain thus exempt from all Forren extraneous Authority but in point of intrinsecal and domestik Power he is as absolut as any other for it hath not bin found this hundred yeers that his Subjects did refuse the payment of any Impositions which have bin many in regard he wars with all the world who repine at his Greatness Yet is he still Reâ—… Hominum a King of Men viz. of Free Subjects and not a King of Asinigos as his
at Mahomet the thirds Circumcision which lasted 40 days there being then in Constantinople the Ambassadors of the greatest Monarchs upon Earth yet the Ambassador of Rodulphus the Emperour had the Precedence of them all All this is but Collateral to the main Designe of the intended Discourse which aims chiefly at Kings whereunto we now hasten but we will first give a few Hints or Prolegomenas of the Original of Kingly Government Of Royalty or Kingly Government THere is a Saying in France Pape par voix Empereur par Force Roy par Nature Pope by Choice Emperour by Might King by Nature viz. Successive and Hereditary Kings who ought to have the Precedence of Elective Whence may be inferred That Kingly Government is most agreeable to Nature Now 't is a tru and elegant Principle That Naturam sequi est Deo obsequi To follow Nature is to obey God Concerning the Character or Title of King it is of a more ancient date then that of Emperour For they who grope at Government before the Floud speak of Kings in Chaldee and Egypt Rome began with Kings and it may be said that it was more the Peeples Wantonness then Tarquin's which put them down Afterwards the Name of Emperour was given to that person who was Commander in chief of the Army or Praetorian Bands and Legionary Soldiers it was not a Title of that Sublimity and Transcendence as it proved afterward Among the Greek Authors the Names of Monarchs Kings and Emperours are taken promiscuously But all Writers that pretend to Policy acknowledge that Kingly Government of all other as it is the most ancient and may be said to begin with Adam so it hath most conformity with that of Heaven whence the best patterns for all Humane Actions are to be fetch'd and 't is no presumption to do it Moreover of all kinde of Ruling Powers Royalty is the prime for in it as the Civilians say there is formalis completa gubernandi ratio the most formal and compleat Essence of Government Royalty also hath the easiest the fewest and certainst Principles if any certain can be found for there is no Knowledge so subject to confusion and incertitudes as the Art for Man to govern Men It could never yet be brought to a Science which consists of general and tru Apodictical Demonstrations The Reason may be the various Inclinations Caprichio's and Humours of Peeple proceeding from the diversity of Climes and Coelestial Influences as also from that World of Contingencies which attend Human Negotiations likewise from the diffring Positions of Earth for those Laws and kinds of Government which may be proper for the Continent will not fit an Insulary Peeple nor those Laws of a Maritime Country can sute with meer Inland or Mediterranean Territories Therefore that Gran Senior of all Knowledge the Stagirite whereas he useth to be constant to himself while he gives Maximes for other Sciences when in his Politiques he comes to Human Government and beats his Brain how to prescribe certain Rules conducing thereunto He is not found onely at a loss and wavering to himself but he wraps his Scholars here and there in Clouds of Ambiguities Nor can we blame him and others to rove up and down in that manner upon this subject it being beyond the compass of Human Brain to enact such Laws may fit all times prevent all accidents and quadrat with the Genius of all Nations Some Peeple are so fiery-mouth'd that they must be rid with a Bit Curb and Martingale but a snafâ—…le and gentle hand will serve to manage others Now 't is observ'd that they who inhabit hard and barren Countries are more easily govern'd then those who live in fat and luxurious Soyls where being pamper'd with Plenty and Wealth they are apt to grow wanton and kick at or overthrow their Riders Yet it may be said that there is one certain and Universal Rule for Government and to keep a Peeple in a constant and exact Obedience and that Rule is For the Soveraign Prince to have always a standing and visible actual Power in motion as well to conserve as to curb a Peeple in case of any Commotion And 't is consentaneous to good Reason that the Subject shold contribut for this general Protection according to the saying Defend me and spend me that so evry one may rest under his own Roofs and sit at his own Fires in quietness and safety In sum All Statists concur in this That there is an Awe due to a King as well as Affection He must be a Dread Soverain as well as a Gracious and that Govermentâ—…s best temper'd where a few Drams of Fear are blended with the Peeples Love But now to our main Work Touching The Precedence of Kings And particularly of the great TRIUMVIRS OR The Three most Potent KINGS in Europe IN discussing this high Point we will first look Westward For there is a Story tells us That once when there were divers who stood in competition for the Kingdome of Persia it was agreed between them that the next morning they shold all meet in a great Plain and he who did first see the Sun rising and that his Horse did neigh shold be the King Being met on Horse-back at break of day as the rest stood gazing towards the East Darius one of the Competitors look'd always towards the West and at last finding a glance of the Solar Beams his Horse neighed whereat he suddenly turned back and so claim'd the Kingdome So to finde the truth of what is here sought after we will first look Westward towards Great Britain whose King may compare with any other whatsoever for these Reasons First for Antiquity of Predecessors and particularly of Christian Kings Secondly for an Independent absolute and unhomageable Possession and Authority both Spiritual and Temporal Thirdly for Eminence of Royal Dignity State and Titles Fourthly for Martial Exploits and Atchievments abroad Fifthly for a stout and strong sturdy freeborn Peeple with a plentiful Masculine Country and generality of Wealth Sixthly for a Royal long-lind Extraction and Blood Seventhly for Hospitality and a plentiful Kingly Court with number of Officers and stately Attendance Eighthly for diversity of Nations and diffring Maternal Languages As also that no Kings Face shines upon his Coyn in purer Metal Ninthly for Prudential Laws and Constitutions Tenthly for Greatness of Power by Sea and Land Defensive and Offensive With other Prerogatives I say that the King of Great Britain may hereby not onely claim an Equality with the other two but stand fair for a Precedence Now for proof of all the fore-pointed Particulars we will put evry one by it self and treat thereof in several Paragraphs and first Of the Antiquity of the King and particularly of the Christian Kings in Great Britain whereby we take A Jove Principium IT is observed by most Annalists who write of Countries and Nations that the Britains who were the Aborigenes the Primitive Inhabitants and may be said to be
a Dialect of the Bascuence and Gascon That of Britany or Armorica is but a dialect of the ancient British continued so wonderfully in Wales after so many revolutions and changes of diffring Nations to this day Indeed the King of Spain hath an old Maternal Toung under his Dominions which is the Cantabrian or Bascuence all the rest are but several Idiomes or Dialects derived from the Latin and inlayd with a multitude of Morisco words The Castilian the Portugues the Catalan the Valenciano are Dialects of the Latin But the King of Great Britain hath two pure ancient Mother-Toungs within his Dominions which is the British or old Comraecan Toung And the Irish or Hibernian Toung which are subsistent of themselfs and have no derivation or affinity at all with any other Toung Ther are six Dialects also spoken in his Kingdomes The English which is a dialect of the Saxon or high Dutch Ther is the Scotish which is a sub-dialect of the English Ther is the Mankmen or they of the I le of Man which is also a sub-dialect of the Welsh Ther is the Highlander or Redshank which is a dialect of the British and Irish Ther is the Cornish which is a dialect of the Welsh And the Language of Iersey and Gernsey the only remains that are left us of Normandy which is a dialect of the French Now It cannot be soberly denied but that it is an addition of Honour to the King of Great Britain to have more Mother-Toungs reservd yet in his Dominions and as it were unconquerd then his two Neighbour-Kings Touching variety of Palaces and change of Royal Mansions he may compare if not out-go any of the other Kings For within half a days journey of London he hath eight several Houses and divers elswhere wheras the French King hath but the Louvre Fountainbleau Bois de Vincennes St. Germain de Laye and Madrid a small ruinous pile of stones which Francis the first causd to be erected in commemoration of his captivity so many yeers in Madrid in Spain in a small Brick House wherinto ther was a low little dore built by the command of the Emperour Charles the fifth of purpose to make the King stoop when he entred which he observing because he should not bow his head went in backward putting in his bum first The King of Spain hath but his Palace and La Casa de buen retiro in Madrid he hath Aranjuez with the Pardo between Madrid and the Escurial where he hath a Royal House yet it is but a Cantle of a Monastery t is but the handle of a Gridiron which that great structure resembles in memory of the Martyr St Laurence Philip the second having bin forced for the advantage of avenues to batter down a Convent dedicated to that Saint a little before the battail of St Quinten where he provd Victorious against the French and to perform a Vow he then made he built the Monastery of Saint Laurence at the Escurial Now touching all the foresaid Palaces in France and Spain Winsore-Castle may compare with any for Magnitude Majesty and State As Sir Thomas Roe who had bin Ambassador at the great Mogors Court at the Seraglio of the Gran Senior at the German Emperours at the French Polonian Danish and Swedish Courts I say Sir Thomae Roe did confidently and knowingly affirm that Winsor-Castle may not only compare but have the precedence of all the rest in point of Grandeur Majesty Situation and Stateliness Moreover the King of Great Britain hath Lodges and other places of plesure without number In regard of so many Forests â—…haces and Parks that are annexd to the Crown Touching Forests ther is no Potentat on Earth hath so many I may truly avouch Now a Forest is a Franchise of so Princely a tenure that according to the Laws of England none but the King himself can have a Forest if he chance to pass one over to a subject t is no more Forest but a Frank Chase. A Forest hath peculiar Laws of her own to take cognizance of and punish all Trespasses A Forest hath her Court of Attachments or Swainmote-Court where matters are as legally pleadable as at Westminster-Hall The Hart the Hind the Hare the Bore and the Wolf are Forest-beasts The Buck the Doe the Fox the Matron the Roe belong to a Chace and Park And all these kind of Recreations the King of Great Britain hath in so many Forests wherof ther are in England besides thirteen Chaces and seven hundred eighty one Parks these whose names follow alphabetically Forests name County 1. Applegarth Ebor. N. Rid. 2. Arundel Sussex 3. Ashdown Susses 4. Bear-Forest Hamp 5. Birnwood Buck. 6. Blackmore Wilt. 7. Blethvay Radnor 8. Bowland Lanc. 9. Braden Wilt. 10. Buckholt Hamp 11. Cantselly  12. Cardith Caermar 13. Chur. Hamp 14. Charnwood Leicester 15. Chul Wilt. 16. Coidrath Pembr 17. Copland Cumb. 18. Dallington Suff. 19. Dartmore Devon 20. Delamere Chesh. 21. Dene Gloc. 22. Dereford Salop. 23. Waterdown Suss. 24. Exmere Devon 25. Feckenham Wigorn. 26. The Forest. Cardig 27. Fromselwood Somers 28. Gaiternack Wilt. 29. Gautry Ebor. 30. Gillingham Dors. 31. Hatfield Essex 32. Harwood Salop. 33. Haye Heref. 34. Holt. Dors. 35. Huckstow  36. Inglewood Cumb. 37. Knaresburg Ebor. 38. Kings wood Gloc. 39. Knuckles Radnor 40. Leicester Leicest 41. St. Leonards Suss. 42. Lounsdale  43. Lowes Northumb. 44. Lune Ebor. 45. Leyfield Rutl. 46. Mallerstang Westm. 47. Mocktry Salop. 48. Narborth Pemb. 49. Neroch Som. 50. New Forest. Hamp 51. New Forest. Ebor. 52. Peak Derb. 53. Pewsham Wilt. 54. Pickring Ebor. 55. Radnor Radnor 56. Roscob Card. 57. Rockingham Northam 58. Sapler  59. Savernack Wilt. 60. Sherwood Notingh 61. Selwood Som. 62. Saucy North. 63. Wabridg Hunt 64. Waltham Essex 65. West Forest. Hamp 66. Westward Cumb. 67. Whichwood Oxf. 68. Winfield Westm. 69. Whitehart  70. Whittlewood Northam 71. Whitway  72. Wyersdale Lanc. 73. Winsore Bark 74. Wolmer  75. Wood. Ebor. 76. Worth Suss. 77. Wutmer Hamp This is the old number of Forests in England wherof a few as Blackmore in Wiltshire with others are deforested which Forests cannot by the Laws be in any ones hands but the Kings and the reason is because none hath power to grant a Commission for Justice in Eire but the King which Iustice is to keep a Court evry three yeers once but the Swainmoot-Court evry one yeer thrice Forests were at first for the Kings Princely delight Venery and plesure meerd with unremoveable marks and boundaries And the old Law is Omnis homo abstinent a Venariis meis super poenam vitae It was capital to hunt in any of the Kings Forests without leave Now if one shold make the Perambulation of all France and Spain he will not find half the number of Forests in both Kingdoms And whether this be not a notable advantage to the King of Great Britain in point of Honour let any unpassionat and sober-minded man determine
small and great It reacheth to all the Military strengths both by Land and Sea to all tenable places as Castles Forts Bulwarks within and about the whole Iland The Kings of England have had the sole power of this Sword and the Law gives it them by vertue of their Royal Signory from all times The very Law doth gird it to their sides They employ it for repelling all Forren force For vindicating all Forren wrongs and affronts For suppressing all intestine Tumults and Rebellions And to protect and secure the weal of the whole Body politick The peeple of England represented in Parlement were never capable to manage this Sword the Fundamental Constitutions of the Country flatly denieth it them This Sword is fit only to hang at the Kings side as the Great Seal hangs at his girdle being as it were the key of the whole Kingdom and it is recorded of the Emperour Charlemain that he carried his Great Seal always embossd upon the pommel of his Sword which signified that he was ready to make good and maintain what he had Seald Now to let the Peeple have the Sword is to put it into a Mad-mans hand And one of the pregnantst Forren examples to prove this is that notorious Popular insurrection in France calld La Iaquerie de Beauvoisin when the Peasans and Mechanicks had a designe to wrest it out of the Kings hand for to depress all the Peers and Noblesse of the Kingdom and the Rebellion had grown to such a strength that it was like to take effect had not the Prelats and Churchmen stuck close to the King and the Nobility but afterwards poor hare-braind things they desired the King upon bended knee to take the Sword again The Civilians who in all points are not so great frends to Royalty as the Common Law is assert That ther are six Praerogatives which belong to a Souvrain Prince 1. Armamenta Army 2. Potestas Iudicatoria power of Judicature 3. Potestas vitae necis power of life and death 4. Bona adespota masterless goods 5. Census the numbring of the people 6. Monetarum valor the raising or abating the value of the publick Coyn. Among these Regalias we finde that Arming which in effect is nothing els but the Kings Sword is one and as I said before t is as proper and peculiar to his Person and to be soly on his side as the Crown on his Head or the Scepter in his hand and of greater importance then either For by those two he draws only a voluntary love and an opinion from his Subjects but by the Sword as threed thorow a Needles eye he draws a Reverential Fear and aw Now these two mixd with the other are the best Ingredients of Government With the Sword he confers Honors as dubbing of Knights c. From this Sword all the chiefest Magistrates have their authority The Lord Deputy of Ireland the Lords Mayors of London and York have their Swords by deputation from Him and when he entreth any place Corporat the first thing which is presented unto him is the Sword Nor doth the point of this Sword pass thorow the diameter and reach only to evry corner of his own Dominions but it extends beyond the Seas as well to preserve his Subjects from oppression and denial of Justice as to vindicat publike wrongs and affronts to make good the Interests of his Crown as also to assist his Confederats and friends And this publick Sword is so inseparable from him that by the Law of the Land he cannot ungird himself of it or transfer it to any other for that were to desert the protection of his peeple which is point blank against his Coronation-Oath and Office Therfore the very Proposition it self that the Long Parlement made to his late Majesty to have the Militia passd over unto them was no less then High Treason for nothing could be more derogatory to his Kingly Honor which they had protested so solemnly to maintain by their so many publick Instruments and Oaths We proceed now from the Rural Power or Country-campane of the King of Great Britain to his Oppidan Strength And first of his Court at Westminster where ther are 200 goodly tall men of his Gard Then he hath a Band of Pensioners who are Gentlemen of quality and wealth Moreover he hath 3000 Foot and 1000 Horse for his Life-Gard besides divers Garisons in sundry Towns And now we make our entrance into the City of London that huge Magazin of Men and Might A City that may well compare with any in France or Spain not only for Power but for any thing els and in some particulars may haply go beyond them and deserve a Precedence as shall be shewd Nor doth this Power extend only to her own Self-protection but it may be made use of for any part of the Kingdome upon any Civil Insurrection or otherwise as it shall please the Sovrain Prince and no other whatsoever to employ it The City of London is like a fair Quiver of keen strong Arrows for the King to draw forth upon all occasions for his own and his peeples preservation For besides twelve thousand choice gallant Citizens in London and Westminster with the Hamlets of the Tower who are enrolld and always ready and have their Arms fixd for Honor and Defence ther may be as appears by divers Censes and Computations which have bin made about two hundred thousand choice able men raisd for service if necessity requires and the City will scarce sensibly miss them nor are Seamen Mariners and Water-men meant to be of this number The Kings of France and Spain I may well avouch have not any such Town or City That which is most capable of comparison with London is Paris for which she hath many advantages for she is a Cité Ville and Université she is a City a Town and an University as also the chiefest Residence of the French King But le ts go a little to particulars and first to the Populousness of both Cities They say that the Parishes of St. Eustace and St. Innocent which lie about the centre of Paris have above one hundred thousand Communicants in them alone and that by the last Cense which was made ther were neer upon a million of humane Souls in City and Suburbs wherof the sixth part are made up of Strangers and Church-men which the King cannot make use of upon Military occasions But look a little forward it will appeer that London hath above a Million of souls For largeness and magnitude t is tru that Paris hath the advantage of an Orbicular Figure which is most capacious of any But by the judgment of those Mathematicians who have taken a survay of both Cities if London were cast into a Circle she wold be altogether as big as Paris Touching publick Buildings t is tru that the Louvre is a vast Fabrick and the like is not found in London but t is the only Court the French King hath in
and cleer Waters London may be said to have as good Blood running through her Veins as any other by those Aqueducts Conduits and conveyances of fresh Waters round about to serve for all Uses What an Herculean work was that of Sir Hugh Middletons to bring the River of Ware threescore miles by Compasses to run through her streets and refresh her houses as also to preserve them from firing for which ther are divers ingenious useful Engines besides Concerning Universality of Trade ther is no City upon the surface of the earth goes beyond Her For ther are no Seas that any of the two and thirty winds blow upon from the Artik to the Antartik Pole from the Orient to the setting Sun but London by her Navigations findes them out and makes rich returns by way of Barter or Emption Touching solid and useful Wares that she hath of her own what a substantial Commodity and of what high esteem all the world over is her Cloth her Kersies and divers kinds of Woollen Manufactures Adde herunto her Lead and Tin which she transmutes to Forren Gold and Silver For Healthful Corporal Recreations and harmless Pastimes London may go in the Van to any place that ever I saw Go and walk in her Fields you shall see some shooting at long Marks some at short some bowling upon cheerful pleasant Greens some upon Bares and Alleys some wrastling some throwing the Bar some the Stone some Jumping some Running some with their Dogs in Duck-ponds some at a Bear-baiting some at the Bull some Riding upon Naggs some in Coaches to take the fresh Air some at Stool-ball others at Kittle-pins with variety of other For a stately Cathedral Temple and general Dome of Devotion the time was and I hope will be yet within a few years that London did not yeild to any City in this particular Saint Pauls Church being esteemd by all Nations to be one of the eminentst visiblest Temples one of the most glorious piles of stones that ever was reard taking all the Dimensions together with the conspicuous site thereof being about the centre of the City and upon a rising Ground She hath also this singular property to be founded upon Faith by having a large Parish-Church of that name supporting her and directly under her Chancel Touching a rare huge Bridge and Navigable River London is not inferiour to any other City whatsoever Concerning the first what a rich Rent hath it to preserve it self yearly what a vast Magazin of Corn is ther always in the Bridge-house against a Dearth as well as in many other places What a number of Officers look to the reparations therof and are hansomly maintaind therby Touching the second viz. The River of Thames she hath not her peer if regard be had to the length and straightness of her cours running from West to East without so many Meanders as other Rivers have Her convenient distance from the Sea to prevent all Surprisals The Amoenity of the Soyle on both Banks The wholsomness of her water which makes the best Beer in the world being so much transported by other Nations and sold as dear as Wine The diversity of her Fish the fatness of her Mudd c. For number of Humane Souls in City and Suburbs London is nothing inferior to Paris whose last Cense as is said before came to about a Million But in the year 1636. command being sent to the Lord Mayor to make a scrutiny what number of strangers were in the City he took occasion therby to make a general Cense And ther were of Men Women and Children neer upon seven hundred thousand that livd within the Bars of his Jurisdiction And this being 27 years ago t is thought that London hath since more by the third part in all probable conjecture Now for Westminster the Strand Bedford Berry St. Martins-lane Long-acre Drury-lane St. Giles of the Field High Holborn with divers other thick-peepled places which are so contiguous and make one entire peece with London it self I say take all these Buildings together the forenamed number of Seven hundred thousand may well be thought to be double so many Touching the shape of London I find nothing to assimilat it unto more properly then to a Lawrel Leaf that is far more long then t is broad which may be a cause she doth not appeer so populous as Paris her passengers not encountring so often as they wold if she were of a round Figure Touching her length take all Buildings that are adjoyning one to another from the utmost point of Westminster to the utmost point beyond the Tower she may be well thought to be five Miles long about half so much in latitude and in Circuit about twelve Italian miles To conclude touching the Defensive and Offensive Power of the City of London in point of Arms of all sorts of Artillery Ammunition Arsenals and Docks on both sides the River Her Traind Citizens and expert Firelocks neither France or Spain hath her equal It is recorded that in King Stephens Raign the City of London raisd 60000 Foot and 20000 Horse how many more were she able to do now in case of necessity For to compare her in statu quo nunc to what she was then were to compare a Giant to a Dwarf in point of proportion and strength The Record hath it also that Anno 1293. London was able to put out a Fleet of 95 Ships to scowre and secure the Seas from Depredations and Pyrates c. which she was often usd to do Such an Imperial Chamber such such a potent and well appointed City hath the King of Great Britain always at his command And if some of the Roman Emperours about Fifteen hundred years ago in their Diplomata's or Edicts stild her Augusta which was always a name of Magnificence and State how much more may she deserve that name in the condition she now is arrivd unto Thus have we discoursd though in weak imperfect Expressions of the Power and Military Might of the King of Great Britain not including all this while his two Kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland which being cast into the Balance may make his Power so much more Touching his Maritime Power t is spoken of in another Paragraph going before wherunto we will add that the King of Great Britain hath such a Haven that neither France or Spain or indeed any part of the world can parallel which is Milford Haven wherof the most famous ancient Authors not only Latin but Greek make most honourable mention calling it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thousand foorded Haven One other passage we will adde which is but fresh that besides the reducing of the Hollander the very last year a few of the King of Great Britains Frigats did beat those desperat Pyrats of Barbary into a Peace wheras neither France or the Dutch could do it And this year those few English that are in Tanger did also force Guyland the great Morocco Rebel to Articles
we think that Right to appertain still to the Crown of England notwithstanding that the Territories and Dominions of the Kingdome of Spain be propagated and amplified which in the right estimation of things prevails not or ought to prevail twixt Christian Princes touching this question For then other Kings and Princes would assume a right of Precedence above others to whom now they grant it ever and anon if their Dominions increase Moreover touching this present controversie about Precedence ther is another thing which doth not unworthily offer it self to be examined by your Judgements which is That one of Us which the most serene Queen our Mistress hath chosen her Ambassador to conclude this Treaty of Peace is one who daily resides in that quality in the Court of the most Christian King which Dignity with all Prerogatives he retains as long as he sojourns in France But the first of you although he be Ambassador to the Catholick King with the most serene Archduke and being out of the Dominions therof he puts off that quality and dignity We think also that our Ambassador in whom this Dignity is multiplyed and shines more ought by right to be preferred before any that is appointed by a single and bare title onely for this great Treaty Therfore if you please let this Question be pretermitted with deep silence and let this Prerogative remain and dwell in the most serene Queen our Mistress to whom it justly belongs and appertains so we shall more cheerfully apyly our selfs to the business for which we are come All this we desire may be candidly and frendly accepted according to the prudence and moderation of your illustrious and magnificent Lordships as proceeding from the Observances and Religion of our Office not with any dessein to consume time or raise contentions Bullen 26 Maii 1600. Henry Nevil Iohn Harbert c. The Spanish Ambassadors made an answer herunto which we reserve for the third Section wherin the Arguments of Spain for Precedence are set down wherof one of the strongest he urgeth is the Multiplication and encrease of Dominions which according to Besoldus and Cassaneus with other great Civilian Jurists is no Argument at all in regard it doth not hold among ordinary Nobility As for example He of Arundel is first Earl in England He of Angus in Scotland And He of Kildare in Ireland by the Laws of Heraldry and Hereditary Right Put case that some other of their fellow Earls in either Kingdome shold grow richer and have more Mannors Possessions and Lordships yet they will not offer to take place or precedence so the Argument may hold A minori ad majus For if it be so among Noble-men much more shold this Rule have validity among Souvrain Princes I will go on with a passage that happend in Paris a little above twenty years since Hugo Grotius residing at Paris in quality of Ambassador for the Crown of Sweden attempted to make his Coaches go before those of the Earl of Leicester pretending a right of Precedence because the King of Sweden whom he represented was King of the ancient Goths and Vandals c. which was under favor but a feeble Argument For ther were Kings of Great Britain thousands of years before the Goths or Vandals were scarce known to the Christian world nor do any stories make mention of them until a little after the declinings of the Roman Empire about the year 350 from the Incarnation nor came they to be Christians till a long time after And it is the Position of Grotius himself in his Book de Iure Belli Inter Reges quâ—… primo Christianismum professi sunt praecedunt Who first professd Christianity ought to precede Moreover the King of Denmark entitles himself King of the Goths and Vandals as well But my Lord of Leicester carried himself so like himself that our Swedish Ambassador was put behind with a Disgrace somewhat answerable to his Presumption and to the explosion of the Spectators Now Let the prudent and unpassionat Reader weigh with leasure the foregoing Particulars and reserve his Judgement till he hath run through the Reasons and Arguments of the other two Kings in order to a Precedency T is time now to cross over to France and produce the Arguments of that King faithfully extracted out of the most receavd and celebrated Authors who assert his Right to sit next the Emperour upon all occasions As Cassanaeus Ferhaut Besoldus Carolus de Grasseliis Hierome Bignon Pierre Matthieu c. And let this be a close to the First Section The second Section Consisting of the Reasons wherby the French King pretends and claims Priority of Place and Proximity of Session next the Emperour at all Solemn Meetings and in all publik Transactions of State c. Which Reasons In regard they lie confusd and scatterd in other Authors we will reduce to Ten Heads or Arguments wherof the first shall be drawn 1. A Nobilitate Regni from the Nobleness of the Kingdome 2. The second A Nobilitate Regionis from the Nobleness of the Country 3. The third A Noblitate Regiminis from the Nobleness of the Government 4. The fourth A Religione Nobilitate Ecclesiae from Religion and the Nobleness of the Church 5. The fifth A Nobilitate Gentis multitudine Subditorum from the Nobleness of the Nation and multitude of Subjects 6. The sixth A plenitudine Regiae Potestatis from the absolutness of Regal Authority 7. The seventh A Potentia ipsius Regni from the Power of the Kingdome it self 8. The eighth Ab opulentia ipsius Regni from the Riches thereof 9. The ninth A Fortitudine Rebus in Bello gestis from Valour and Exploits done in the War 10. The tenth and last Argument shall be drawn ab Exemplo Antiquitate from Examples and Antiquities Of the first Argument A Nobilitate Regni from the Nobleness of the Kingdome THer is a speech drawing neer to the nature of a Proverb Great Britain for an Iland France for a Kingdome Milan for a Duchy and Flanders for a County or Earldome are preferrable before all other They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their kind this shews the supereminence of the Kingdome of France Ther is also a signal saying of the Emperour Maximilian the first who being in some Critical Discourses with his Lords about the Dominions of Europe broke out into this high Encomium of France That if it could stand with the Order of Nature and the Plesure of the Almighty that any mortal Man were capable to be a God of the Elementary world and that I were He I would so make my last Will and Testament in the disposing of my Estate That my eldest Son shold be God after me but my second shold be King of France This saying or excess of speech must be interpreted with a sane sense for the Emperour meant nothing els hereby but to intimate his opinion touching that potent and noble Kingdom which Kingdom hath continued an Heredetary
successive Monarchy neer upon twelve hundred yeers by three Races of Kings wherof Lewis the fourteenth now regnant is the sixty fifth Monark Now whosoever will behold that noble Kingdome will finde that no other stands so commodious and strong by the position of Nature her self It is situated in the centre of Europe having Westward the Island of Great Britain Eastward Italy and Swisserland with other Regions it hath Southward the Kingdome of Spain and Northward the great Continent of Germany high and low And it is notably fenced against all these by a special Providence Against the First it hath a huge Salt Ditch the Sea it self against the Second it hath the stupendious Alpian Hills against the Third it hath the Pyrenean Mountains cast up as Trenches by Nature her self for the defence of France against the Fourth she hath strong fortified Towns Castles and Rivers The Ocean on the one side and the Mediterranean on the other do wash her Skirts and mightily invite Trade And that which adds also much to the advantage of her situation is that she lieth accessible and open to all Mankind for Commerce and Negotiation by Sea and Land Moreover being seated so in the midst she is fittest to be Arbitratrix and to give Law to the rest of Christendome as being properly seated to divide or unite to admit or hinder the Forces of Europe She stands also in an advantagious posture to reach her hand to her Frends in point of Auxiliary Assistance or heave her hand against the Enemy She hath divers Provinces the Governors wherof are equal to Viceroys And for her Nobles they are without number for she can horse about 50000 Gentlemen for the Wars Adde herunto that she hath a mighty advantage to be of a round Orbicular shape which makes all parts lie neerer for the assisting each other in case of necessity Ther is one other quality that makes for the Nobleness of France which is though he be Turk or Tartar Moore or Egyptian or of any Nation if he be in quality of a Captif or Slave as soon as he treads upon French ground he is eo instante frank and free and as it were manumitted of the tie of slavery for as Bodin hath it it is a Principle in France Servi peregrini ut primum Galliae fines penetraverint liberi sunto Let stranger-slaves as soon as they come within the borders of France be free Among other let this example serve A Merchant came to Tholouse and brought with him a Slave whom he had bought in Spain The Slave being told of the Laws and Privileges of France came and told his Master Sir I have had relation to you hitherto as a Slave and Bondman but now by the Laws of this Noble Country I am a Freeman yet I am contented to serve you still but as a Free Attendant The like happend at the Siege of Mets where a Slave had played the Fugitive and ran away with his Master Don Luysd ' Avila's horse Don Luys sent a Trumpeter to the Duke of Guyse for his Man and his Horse The Duke understanding that his Horse was sold causd the Money to be sent the Spaniard but for the Man he sent him word That he was upon French ground therfore was Free by the custome of the Country In fine France is so Noble a Region that as the Sun shines among the Stars in the Firmament so France shines among the rest of Kingdomes The second Argument A Nobilitate Regionis from the Nobleness of the Country VVE proceed now from the Nobleness of the Kingdome to the Fertility and Riches of the Country of France as also to the temperature and healthfulness of the Clime or Climes thereof for France participats of the nature of divers Climes Normandy specially la Basse Normandy partakes of the Clime of her next Transmarin Neighbour Great Britain Picardy and Champagne of that of Germany Provence and the Countries towards the Alps partakes of the Climat of Italy Aquitania and Languedoc being walld Southward by the Pyrenean Hills have much of the Climat of Spain And the I le of France wherin Paris is built and the Country therabouts hath a particular Clime of its own These varieties of Climes make the Country the more fruitful for universality of Wealth and Plenty Nor is France onely a fat Country and full of marrow but she hath as much Delightfulness as Fecundity as much real Plesure as outward Bewty Ther is no Soyl under the Sun where ther is more Agriculture for Bread which is the staff of Mans Life Insomuch that she may be calld the Granary of Ceres and she may be calld as well one of Bacchus his chief Cellars for a world of Vineyards wherwith the Country is coverd with innumerable sorts of fruits insomuch that the character which Salvianus gives of Aquitania may extend to the whole Country when he elegantly saith Illic omnis admodum Regio aut intertexta est Vine is aut florulenta pratis aut irrigata fontibus aut interfusa fluminibus aut distincta culturis aut consita pomis aut amoenata lucis aut crinita messibus ut verè possessores Illius Terrae non tam soli istius portionem quà m Paradisi imaginem possidere videantur There evry place is either interwoven with Vines or flowrd with Medows or set with Orchards or meerd by Corn-fields or peepled with Trees and Woods or refreshd with Fountains or enchanell'd with Rivers or periwiggd with all sorts of Grain Insomuch that the Inhabitants may be said to possess a part of Paradise rather then a portion of the common earth Now among all these the four Staple Commodities of France may be said to be Corn Wine Hemp and Salt which Boterus calls the four Loadstones of France For as the Loadstone wherof the Blew Ethiopian is the best hath an attractive Virtue to draw unto them Iron and Steel in a mysterious manner so the foresaid four Commodities have a Magnetical Virtue to draw into France the Gold and Silver of all Nations Concerning the French Corn it is reputed the best of all other Pliny one of Natures principal Secretaries hath left upon record that the Gallic Corn is nitidissimi grani plus panis reddere quà m far aliud It is of a neat grain and yeelds more bread then other wheat The Spaniard and others might starve were they not sustaind by French Corn yet she vents but her superfluities and transmutes them to Indian Gold for such is the scarcity of Spain that having not bread enough of her own for the hundredth Child she produceth whosoever brings thither a Cargazon of Corn may make his return for it in Gold or Silver and carry it openly in the palm of his hand without fear of seizure Touching the French Wines it may be said they need no Bush what vast proportions are carried away by all the Northwest Nations Bodin speaks of one Merchant in Cambray which bought at one Vintage 33000
Hispaniae Galliae Germaniae c. principibus qui communem Christianae Reiqublicae causam in arbitrio Concilii disponebant And because the Council at Basil begun before by the Decree of Marlin was seen to increase daily some Princes of Spain France and Germany c concurring thither for disposing of the common cause of the Christian Republik according to the arbitrement of the Council c. where you find that Spain is nominated before all other Countries In the Council of Florence begun at Ferrara under Eugenius 4. where Iohannes Paleologus the Greek Emperour and the Patriark of Constantinople and a great confluence of Greek and Latin Prelats were assembled ther is no superior place mentiond in the Acts of that Council nor among the Writers of the History therof We come now to the Council of Trent where the Marquiss of Pescara and the Count of Luna were Ambassadors for Philip the second the mighty King of Spain you may finde that in the Acts of that long Concil they never came behind the Emperour but sate between the Secretary of the Council and the Popes Nuncio on the right hand wheras the French Ambassador fate upon the left hand both of the Legat and the Imperial Ambassador Now to go from Oecumenical Councils to National whersoever the Bishops of Spain and France met Spain had the first Session Voice and Nomination as the Nobler Kingdome As appeers in the third Council at Toledo in the raign of King Ricaredus as may be plainly read in the Works of Garsia Loaisa Preceptor to the glorious and Catholik King Philip 2. and afterwards Archbishop of Toledo whose sublime Erudition joynd with integrity and signal sanctity of Life and Manners do so contend for precedence that it is hard to judge which of them excels most they all are so perfectly resplendent In the fourth Toledo Council ther is frequent mention made in Morales de Hispaniae Galliae praesulibus de Hispaniae Galliae sacerdotibus Go to the ancient Doctors of the Church where ther is mention made of Spain and France Spain most commonly is namd first we will first instance in Tertullian in his Book Adversus Iudaeos where speaking of the multitude of Nations that were converted to Christianity He speaks Hispaniarum omnes termini Galliarum diversae Nationes Britannorum inaccessa locâ—… Romanis Christo vero subdita c. Ther is a remarkable thing in Irenaeus Et si in mundo loquelae dissimiles sint Virtus tamen Traditionis una eadem est neque hae quae sunt in Germania fundatae Ecclesiae aliter credunt aâ—…t aliter tradunt Neque hae quae in Iberis sunt neque hae quae sunt in Celtis neque hae quae sunt in Oriente neque hae quae sunt in Egypto Neque hae quae sunt in Lybia neque hae quae in medio Mundi sunt constitutae sed sicut Sol creatura Dei in universo mundo unus idem est sic lumen ac praedicatio Veritatis ubique lucet illuminat omnes homines qui volunt ad Veritatis cognitionem venire Although the Languages of the world be differing yet the Vertu of Tradition is one and the same For neither those Churches that are founded in Germany do believe or deliver otherwise nor those which are in Spain nor those which are in France c. VVe will conclude with Saint Hierome Hoc in Ecclesiis suis faciant quod Romae sive quod in Italia c. quod in Hispania quod in Britannia quod etiam ex parte per Gallias c. This precedence for Spain is also confirmd in the Imperial Laws of Iustinian where he saith Quae cunque in partibus Hispaniarum Galliae sive Francorum aguntur c. And ther was great care and caution usd to give evry Country and Nation its Right touching this particular in the Iustinian Laws whose principal aim was suum Cuique tribuere to give evry Country and Kingdome its due in point of Dignity as well as of Possession and common Right Argum. 3. That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because Spain first receavd and professd the Catholik Faith That the first Christian Church was built there The first Council was celebrated there The first Bishop and the first Emperour was out of Her c. THey who write of the Glory of Nations shold in the first place look upon their antiquity and origine Ther is a Topik Axiome That Bonum quò antiquius eò melius Therfore Antiquity conduceth much to the Honour and Dignity of a Peeple As Pliny doth elegantly express Reverere gloriam Veterum nam hanc ipsam senectutem quae in Homine venerabilis in Urbibus sacra est Reverence the Glory of the Ancients for that Old Age which is venerable in Man is sacred in Cities Touching the Originals of Spain and of Her Inhabitants with the propagation and succession of them ther are four things to be considered in the enquiry therof first of what Peeple they first descended what transmigrations they made at what time and by what Right or Title These may be calld the principles of a Country The Arcadians did vaunt that they were synchronical or contemporary with the Gods that they were before the Sun and the Stars Other Nations do labour much to derive themselfs from before the Floud Now concerning Spain all Annalists concur that Tubal Cain was her first Populator being allurd by the amoenity and fruitfulness of the Country and Clime and this was 2173 years before the Nativity of our Saviour and 1179 from the Creation and 143 years after the general Deluge Berosus affirms that Tubal raignd in Spain 151 yeers and Strabo concurs with him some call him Iobel and Iosephus calls the Spaniards Iobeles from him Setubal in Portugal receaves her denomination thence as also Tudela in the Kingdome of Navarre Some are of opinion that Noe came also to Spain for in Asturia ther is a Town calld Noega and Noela in Galicia Spain was calld Iberia from King Iberus and ther 's a great River also of his name vulgarly calld Ebro wherin many other Rivers do disburden themselfs which was the occasion of the Proverb Me Llamo Ebro porque de todas aguas bevo It is also calld Hesperia from the Occidental Star At last it came to be calld Hispania from King Hispanus We will now proceed to prove that Spain receavd and professd the Christian Religion first of any And as this Inferiour World is governd by the motion and circumgyrations of the Heavens so Christian Kingdoms are governd by Religion and Faith and by the holy Professors therof Now Spain had the advantage and honor to have the first Martyr among the Apostles for her Father and Founder which was St. Iames who though he was beheaded in Ierusalem yet his Body was transported to Spain by a wonderful Providence where a stately Dome or Church is built for him frequented by
be kept in safe custody and in a decent place according to the plesure and appointment of the most Reverend Archbishop that shall be then of this Church And we further declare the said Valparayso and the Caverns wherin those blessed Saints sufferd Martyrdom to be holy places which ought to be reverencd and honord and have prerogatives accordingly as the holy Canons do allow to such places And so we pronounce this our sentence and firm it with our Names sealing it also with our Seals Petrus de Castro Archiep. Granatensu Iohannes Episcopus Guadix S. Episcopus Gallipoli Alfonsus Abbas Besides these ther was after due process made a sentence passd also for seven more great Saints viz. St. Secundus Episcopus Abulensis where his body is had in great reverence to this day St. Indalecius Episcopus Urcetanus in the Kingdome of Aragon upon the confines of Navarre St. Cthesiphon Bishop of Almeria St. Hesichius St. Euphrasius Episcopus Illurgitanus of Iaen in Andaluzia who as Baronius affirms was Auditor and Disciple to St. Iames the Apostle and was ordained Bishop anno Christi 43. in the raign of Claudius Caesar. Besides these seven ther is Athanasius and Theodorus neer the body of the holy Apostle the one on the right the other on the left hand of the Apostle preserved with great vigilance to this day Now all these Martyrs and Patrons of Spain are mentioned by Cardinal Baronius and Galesinus in their Martyrologies as also by Vaseus Morales and Mariana c. Now that St. Paul was in Spain hear what Pope Gregory the seventh saith in his Epistle Gregorius Episcopus Servus servorum Dei Alfonso Sanctio Regibus Hispaniae Abbatibus Episcopis in ditione sua constitutis salutem Apostolicam Benedictionem Cum B. Apostolus Paulus Hispaniam se acti isse significet ac postea 7 Episcopos ab Urbe Roma ad instituendos Hispaniae populos à Petro Paulo Apostolis directos fuisse qui destructa Idololatria Christianitatem fundaverunt Religionem plantaverunt ordinem officium in Divinis cultibus agendis ostenderunt sanguine suo Ecclesias seminârunt vestra diligentia non ignoret quantam concordiam cum Romana Urbe Hispania in Religione ordine Divini Officii habuisset satis patet It appeers herby as by a world of testimonies besides what a sweet harmony and concordance ther hath bin always twixt Spain and Rome And how that the predication of Christian Faith with the institution therof begun by the Apostle St. Iames was increasd by Peter and Paul and confirmd by the seven forementioned Martyrs who were Auditors and Disciples of St. Iames besides many others whose names are found in the Book of Martyrologies In the second persecution under Domitian after the cruelties of Nero Eugenius Bishop of Toledo was Disciple of Dionysius Areopagita This Eugenius being a man excellent for wisdome and Doctrine made choice of the City of Toledo for his fear as being situated in the centre of the Kingdome that the Spirit of Christ might be diffusd thence as from the heart into the whole body of the Country The Body of which Eugenius was removd from France into the great Church of Toledo and carried upon the sholders of the most religious King Philip 2 part of the way Anno 1565. Moreover it stands upon good record according to Mariana how Pope Clement St. Peters immediat Successor sent Philip and Marcellus into Spain as Legats and with Letters and commission accordingly And it is agreed by all that they were the first Legats and they carried the first Letters that ever were sent from Rome by any Nuncios which are to be found to this day in the Church of Compostella In the third persecution of Trajan Sanctus Mancius florishd in Spain who was one of the seventy two Disciples of our Saviour and servd him at administration of the Holy Sacrament and spread his vestment when he entred into Ierusalem upon Palm-Sunday who afterwards was made a glorious Martyr Vaceus relates an Epitaph which runs thus Belila Hispana seâ—…va Iesu Christi requievit in Domino Obiit aera 115. hoc est anno Dom 77. Belila a Spaniard servant of Jesus Christ did rest in the Lord she died in the yeer 77 after the passion Venerus writes that this Epitaph was found in Biscay Ther is another Epistle of Pope Clement written to the Bishops of Spain which is also conservd in Compostella-Church to this day And this was the state of the Spanish Church the first century of yeers after the Nativity of Christ wherin Iohn the Evangelist livd during which time thirteen Bishopricks are registred in Spain and a great number of the Faithful for in the City of Pampelona 40000 were converted and Biscay or Cantabria was most inhabited by Martyrs as Iraeneus relates an Author who was neer the time of the Apostles Furthermore ther was a most signal and notable rare thing happend in Spain for the same night that our blessed Saviour was born ther were three Suns appeerd visibly in the Spanish Region which by gentle degrees came to concentre into one Out of these premises it is apparent that the first Martyr-Apostle preachd in Spain That he erected there the first Church dedicated to the blessed Virgin That she appeerd there being conducted by Angels That the body of St. Iames lieth there inhumd wiâ—…h so much state And this was before ther was any predication of Christian Doctrine in France so that the first Faithful the first Apostle the first Church the first Apostolical Nuncio and first Epistle was sent by Pope Clement the first into Spain St. Paul did second what St. Iames had begun and all this is confirmd by St. Irenaeus one of the first among the Primitive Fathers Argum. 4. Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because he is the Catholik King which is a more ancient Title then Christianissimus ONe of the greatest Foundations wheron France doth build her right to a Precedence is that she wold perswade the world that her Kings are more Ancient both in the reception and profession of Christianity which assertion being well examind and discussd it will appeer that both generally and privatly ther were Catholik Kings in Spain before any in France and to proceed more methodically we will deduce the business from the beginning We know that the blessed Apostle St. Iames was put to death with the sword by Herod as appeers in the Epistle of Pope Leo touching his Martyrdome and the translation of his Body into Spain which Epistle he destinated for the Spaniards wherin He relates that when the Iews had hurld his whole body without the City to be devourd by Beasts and Birds his Disciples having notice therof in his life-time they recoverd the whole body head and all in the night-time and carried it to Ioppa for transportation of it to Spain where being careful for the embarcation therof they found a ship ready in the
Connatural with this Iland it self were by a special instinct much devoted to the contemplation of heavenly things For the ancient Druydes that were the first Divines or Professors of Religion who in lieu of Monasteries or Colleges were used to retire themselfs to Woods and solitary places to speculat the Works of God and Nature were renowned far and near beyond the Seas and the Emperour Iulius Caesar writes that the Gaules now French were wont to come over to be instructed by the British Druydes who as he saith elsewhere and is seconded by Cornelius Tacitus which spent part of his life here had more pregnant capacities then the Gaules Now in those times ther were divers Martial Kings here whereas they scarce make mention of any in Gallia To avoid prolixity we will instance onely in Boadicia that admired Virago and Cataractus who having maintain'd for many years this Kingdom from the Romanes more by the Bodies of Men and pure Natural Valour then by Arms was at last carried Prisoner to Rome where being not a whit daunted he reproach'd the Romanes yet with a kind of complement That he wondred how they having such stately Palaces at Rome wold take such long hazardous Journeys to dwell in homely Houses of Clay as those of Britain were in those days Before the Romans raigned here there had been very many Kings of this Iland for Cassibelan whom Caesar speaks of was the sixty third British King thereof when it pleased the Father of Light to display the early Beams of Christianity in this Iland which was very betimes for as Gregory the 15th says in his Letter to his late Majesty at that time in Spain which he was to receive in common civility as the Pope is also a Temporal Prince No sooner did the Roman Eagle fly over hither but the Standard of the Cross was inarborated and set up I say that then which may be said to be in the nonage of the Church Lucius Surius call'd in British Llei vab Coel Lucius the Son of Coel who was King before him sent to Eleutherius for his Laws to govern the Church by who returned him this answer Vicarius Dei estis in Regno vestro Gentes vestri Regni pulli vestri sunt c. Habetis penes vos legem Fidem Christi Habetis utramque paginam c. You are Gods Vicar in your Kingdome your Peeple are your Chickins you have the Law and Faith of Christ you have both the Testaments c. This King Lucius afterwards having frequent symptomes and fits of extraordinary Devotion forsook all earthly Pomp and Plesure and went on Pilgrimage to Rome where he employed the remnant of his life in the Theory of holy things and to study the Art of Mortification as Venerable Bede and Baronius with all Authors both Old and New do affirm Now this was a long tract of time before ther was any Christian King in France or Spain or indeed any where else 'T is true that St. Iames the Apostle was in Spain but as the Story says there were but nine persons that were converted but in Great Britain it may be said that as the Sun when he begins to appear and culminat in the East doth as it were in a moment enlighten the whole Hemisphere so the Rays of the Son of Righteousnes did with marvellous celerity and success leaping over as it were many other Countries illuminat this Western Iland first insomuch that when Austin whom many call The Apostle of the Saxons or English arrived here some Ages after ther were then in Bangor and elsewhere above 2000 Monks He found the Pentateuch of Moses the New Testament translated into British as also a Form of Divine Service which stand yet upon record The huge Continent of Germany with Norway and Denmark with divers other Countries acknowledg to have receiv'd the first light of Learning and of the Gospel from hence by Winfrid and Willebrod as an ingenious German-Poet confesseth in these Numbers Haec tamen Arctois laus est aeterna Britannis Quòd post Pannonicis vastatum incursibus Orbem Illa bonas Artes Graiae munera Linguae Stellarumque vias magni sydera Coeli Observans iterum turbatis intulit oris Quin se Religio multùm debere Britannis Servata latè circum dispersa fatetur Quis nomen Winfride tuum quis munera nescit Te Duce Germanis pietas se vera Fidesque Insinuans coepit ritus abolere prophanos Quid non Alcuino facunda Lutetia debet c. And as it is the consentient Opinion of all Antiquaries That the first Christian King who ever raign'd in Europe was of this I le so the first Christian Emperour Constantin the Great came from her Bowels being Son to Helena that renowned British Lady who bears one of the first places in the Catalogue of Saints and is called Elen luyddiog the Warlike Helen in Welcâ—… to this day These Premises being well weigh'd this Conclusion may be deduc'd That the King of Great Britain may well claim de Iure the title of The first Son of the Church Therefore under favor it may be justly question'd why the next King Eastward shold assume it for Clouis the first Christian King in France was neer upon 400 years after King Lucius as all Historians do assert Moreover t is well known that besides the title of Defendor of the Faith whereof we will speak hereafter the title of Christianissimus was sent to Hen. 8. with much solemnity by Pope Iulius the second accompanied with a Cap of Maintenance and a Sword which title was confirmed by Authority of the Lateran Council which great transaction was solemnly publish'd in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul and seconded with Justs and Tournements yet this was but the renewing of an old Title for among the Saxon Kings some were call'd so and ther are Records yet extant that King Oswald and Edward the third were stil'd so We will conclude this Paragraph with this Observation That Great Britain was the first Country in Europe who shook off the Roman Yoak and rais'd some of the former old British Blood to be Kings again for many Descents insomuch that the Romans here made but an Interregnum And this was before any absolut King was elsewhere in Europe upon the declinings of the Empire specially in France and Spain who continued but Roman Provinces many years after We will now to the second Paragraph Of the Independent Absolut and Unhomageable Possessions and Authority both Ecclesiastical and Temporal of the King of Great Britain FRom the precedent Paragraph it appears That Albion or Great Britain was a Royal I le from the beginning since there was any coalition or aggregations of mankind within her to govern For in the body of the British Laws made by Mulmutius Dunwallo which are yet to be read in fair British-Manuscripts ther are these words Un Goron arbennig y sydd y ynis Bridian One Monarchical Crown is held
of England and Iohn 2. of Denmark and Norway 1490. England is put before France as for example Sancitum est quod Mercatores Homines Ligii Piscatores quicunque alii Reg. Angliae Franciae subditi liberè possint temporibus futuris in perpetuum ad Insulam Tyle i. e. Islandiam c. Augustus de Cavallis who is no obscure Author infers the Queen of England from her Ancestors both in respect of Inheritance Conquest and Gift to be Queen of France de Iure In the Treaty twixt Hen. the 7. and Philip of Castile 1506. the English Commissioners subsign'd first As also in the Treaty of Marriage with Queen Mary Anno 1533. the first Signature is given to the English Ambassadors When Queen Elizabeth employed the Earl of Derby the Lord Cobham Sir Iames Crofts Doctor Dale and Doctor Rogers in quality of Ambassadors with their Assistants to Ostend anno 1588. Dignitatis Praerogativa incedendo sedendo The Prerogative of going and sitting was given her Ambassadors In the Treaty at Bullen twixt England and Spain for renewing the Burgundian League Queen Elizabeth sent Sir Hen. Nevil Sir Iohn Herbert Robert Beale and Tho. Edmunds who in their Instructions had command in no case to give Precedence to the Spanish Ambassadors but being met ther was a Contest happend The English produc'd a Certificat procur'd privatly from Rome out of the Book of Ceremonies there which according to the Canon giveth the Rule in such cases That the King of England is to have place before the King of Castile That the English quietly held this Right in the Councils of Basil Constance and others They alledg'd also that the Kingdom of Castile which is the Spaniards first Title is but an upstart-in regard of England for it had no Kings but Earls till the year 1017. Moreover Pope Iulius 3. gave sentence for Hen. 7. of England against Ferdinand of Spain in this particular c. Furthermore for Eminency of Title Great Britain is oftentimes calld an Empire by Forren Authors nay Pope Urban terms it a World of it self at the Council of Clermont almost a thousand years since wherin the Archbishop of Canterbury is call'd Alteterius Orbis Papa The Pope of another World What wold he say now that Ireland and Scotland are added Some of the Saxon Kings stil'd themselfs Emperours as Ego Ethelredus Ego Edgarus Anglorum Induperator c. William the Conqueror writ Ego Willielmus Rex Anglorum ab incarnatione Domini 1089. 2 Anno mei Imperii This is found upon record in his Charter to the Monastery of Shaftsbury In Hen. 8. Raign the eighth year thereof England was declar'd an Empire in Parlement where he had also these Epithets Metuendissimus Praepotentissimus and London was call'd the Imperial Chamber But most memorable is that of King Edgar in the Charter that he gave the Church of Worcester Which Charter is yet extant and runs thus Altitonantis Dei largifluâ clementiâ qui est Rex Regum Ego Edgarus Anglorum Basileus omniumque Regum Insularum Oceanique Britanniam circumjacentis cunctarúmque Nationum quae infra Eam includuntur Imperator Dominus Gratias ago ipsi Deo omnipotenti Regi meo qui meum Imperium sic ampliavit exaltavit super Regnum Patrum meorum Qui licet Monarchiam totius Angliae adepti sunt à tempore Athelstani qui primus Regnum Anglorum omnes Nationes quae Britanniam incolunt sibi Armis subegit nullus tamen Illorum ultra ejus fines Imperium suum dilatare aggressus est Mihi autem concessit propitia Divinitas cum Anglorum Imperio omnia Regna Insularum Oceani cum suis ferocissimis Regibus usque Norwegiam Maximamque Partem Hiberniae cum sua nobilissima Civitate Dublinia Anglorum Regno subjugare Quos etiam omnes meis Imperiis colla subdere Dei favente gratia Coegi Quapropter ut Ego Christi Gloriam laudem in Regno meo exaltare ejus servitutem amplificare devotus disposui per meos Fideles Fautores Dunstanum Archiepiscopum Ayeliolanum ac Oswaldum Archiepiscopos quos mihi Patres Spirituales Consiliarios elegi magna ex parte disposui c. Facta haec sunt anno Dom. 964. Indictione 8 Regni Ego Alfrye Regina consensi signo Crucis confirmavi ✚ This being so ancient a Record and of so high a Tenure I thought good to render it into English for the satisfaction of the Common Reader By the clemency of the high-thundring God who is King of Kings I Edgar King of the English and of all Kings of Ilands and of the Ocean circumjacent to Britain and of all Nations which are included within her Emperour and Lord I give thanks only to Almighty God my King that he hath amplified and exalted my Empire above the Kingdome of my Fathers who although they had obtain'd the Monarchy of all England from the time of Athelstan who was the first that subdued the Kingdom of the English and all Nations who inhabit Britain yet none of them attempted to dilate his Empire beyond its bounds But propitious Divinity hath granted unto me to subjugat together with the Empire of the English all the Kingdomes in the Iles of the Ocean with their most ferocious Kings as far as Norway and most part of Ireland with her most Noble City of Dublin All whom I compell'd to bow their Necks to my Commands the Grace of God so favouring me c. This King Edgar though very little of stature was so magnanimous and successful that he was Row'd upon the River of Dee by four subjugated Kings whereof Kennad King of Scots was one Ther is also a very remarkable and authentic story of King Canutus afterwards who being upon Southampton-Strand at the flowing of the Sea he sate in a Chair of State which was brought him upon the sands and the Billows tossing and tumbling towards him he gave the Sea this command Thou art my Subject and the Earth wheron I sit is mine and ther was none yet that ever resisted my Command who went unpunish'd Therefore I command Thee that Thou come not up upon my Earth nor presume to wet the Garment or the Body of thy Lord. But the Sea continuing his cours dash'd and wetted his feet and thighs illfavouredly without any reverence or fear whereupon the King stepping back declar'd That none is worthy of the Name of a King but only He whose Nod both Sea and Earth observd And as the story hath it he never wore the Crown of Gold again but being fix'd to a Cross did consecrat it to the Image of our Saviour Ther have been also Titles of Dignity given to our Kings in the Abstract which hath more of State and Substance in it then the Concret as Celsitudo Tua Magnitudo Tua given by the Pope in his Letters to Ed. 2. And Edward the 4. was us'd to write Nostra Regia Majestas though indeed that word
Christ. Catholicae Ecclesiae Episcopus ss Then his Seal or Signet engraven within Sanctus Petrus †Sanctus Paulus and this Motto about Ad Dominum cùm tribularer clamavi Exaudivit Me. Then the subscription of 27 Cardinals on both sides of the Signet the Cardinal Bishops on the right-hand of the Signet and close to it then on their right-hand the Priests-Cardinals and on the left side of the Signet as it is accustomed in all Bulls and other Public Instruments the Deacon-Cardinals have their place and precedence King Henry's Book against Luther was presented to the Pope in full Consistory by Sir Iohn Clerk then Ambassador at Rome for the King with a long solemn Oration the Original of which Book is yet to be seen in the Vatican at Rome with this Inscription written with King Henries own hand Anglorum Rex Henricus Leoni XÌ„ mittit Hoc Opus Fidei testem Amicitiae Henry King of the English sends this Work to Leo the Tenth as a Witness both of Faith and Friendship And as the Kings of England themselfs have such super-eminent Titles so their First-born Sons have a Title not inferior to any Royal Heir apparent in Christendome which is Prince of Wales and this Title is many years more ancient then that of Dauphin in France Moreover whereas other Kings Sons come so naked to the world that they have not of their own wherewith to buy them Clouts or pay their Nurses but what they have from their Parents The First-born of the King of England ipsissimo instante the very same instant that he is born is Duke of Cornwal and is presuppos'd by the Law to have Livâ—…ry and Seisin then given him of the said Duchy with all the Lands Rents and Honors therunto annex'd T is tru that the conferring of the Title of Prince of Wales depends meerly upon the Kings Plesure which was done out of a Political consideration to keep the Kings first Sons still in awe and within the bounds of a greater Obedience Nor is there any Queen also lives in a greater State and Dignity or hath more Prerogatives and greater Joyntures then the Queen of England For though Aliens at first and still under Couvert Baron yet they may pourchase Lands by Fee-simple They may make Leases and Grants without the King They also must be petitiond unto first before any can implead them in point of right We will proceed now to the fourth Paragraph Touching the Martial Exploits and Achievments which the Kings of Great Britain have performed from time to time c. TO proceed in this Paragraph we must make Retrosvects a far off we will begin with Brennus that bold Britain who in the Government of Consuls took and sack'd Rome 364 yeers before Christ and did notable feats afterwards in Greece and Asia insomuch that the Welch in honour of that Heroe their Country-man call a King from his Name Brenin to this day Cataracus overthrew a mighty Army of the Romanes and Boadicia slew 70 thousand of them in one Battel as their own stories declare King Arthur is rank'd among the Nine Worthies for he discomfited the Saxons in twelve several Battails and erected the first Order of Knighthood There was one English King and three Kings Sons went to the Wars of the Holy Land What Exploits did Richard coeur de Lion perform there so much to the envy of the King of France who therfore returnd before him He conquerd the Iland of Cyprus where Marrying Berengaria he transferrd the Kingdome to Guy Lusignan who had right to the Crown of Ierusalem which in exchange he resignd to King Richard But the French are they whom the English did so often rout subdue and subjugat with the Grey-goose Wing wherwith they did so often penetrat the very heart of France in so many glorious Victories that can be hardly paralleld take all circumstances We will instance in some of the most famous and begin with that of Cressy the first great Battel The Battail of Crâ—…ssy in France That Heroyk King Edward the third having been provoked by divers Affronts that Philip of Valois the French King had offeâ—…'d him goes over in person to France with an Army of 80000 men at Arms and 10000 Archers as Froissard hath it He takes with him his Son the Prince of Wales and Duke of Guyenne being but 15 years of Age calld afterwards the Black Prince to train him up in feats of Arms. Landing in Normandy he carries all the Country before him as far as Poissy within ten miles of Paris and after divers Skirmiges a Battail was appointed King Edward had incamp'd neer a Village calld Cressy where he divided his Army to three Battalions the first was led by the Prince of Wales the second by the Earls of Arundel and Northampton in the third was the King himself The Battail thus orderd being mounted upon a White Hobby he rides from Rank to Rank encouraging evry man to the performance of his duty and to have a regard to the Honor of his King and Country The French Kings Army was at least twice the number consisting of above 60000 Combatants with all the flower of the French Chivalry whereof the chief were the Duke of Alanson the Kings Brother the King of Bohemia the Duke of Lorrain the Earl of Flanders and Savoy with other great Princes The Vangard was led by the Kings Brother the Reer by the Earl of Savoy the main Battail by the King himself The French King was so fierce in assurance of Victory that he wold scarce admit of any counsel The old King of Boheme advis'd that the Army shold receive some refreshment before and that the Infantry of Genowais whereof ther were 15000 Crossbows shold make the first Front and the Cavalry to follow which being agreed on the Duke of Alanson did stomack that the Genowais shold have the honor of the first Rank so in a kind of fury he caus'd them to change place which bred such a discontent that they were more incensd against their Leader then against the Enemy but in the interim ther fell such a showre of Rain that wetted their Bowstrings which they had not the wit to cover all the while as the English did that for the limmerness therof when they came to action they grew useless At the ceasing of the showre the Sun did shine full in the face of the French therby dazzling their eyes but on the back of the English King Edward being got into a Windmil all the while whence as from a Sentinel he might explore and behold the face of the Enemy and discovering the disturbance that was made because the Genowais were put to change their place instantly gave order to charge that part which made the discontented Genoway to recoyl Alenson perceiving this rides on in a rage crying out Sa sa on on let 's make way ore the Bellies of these Genowais for they do but hinder us So riding through them he came
up to the English Battail where the young Prince was The fight grew hot and doubtful insomuch that the Commanders sent to the King to come up with more power The King asking the Messengers Whether his Son was hurt or slain and being answerd No he replies Then tell them who sent you that so long as my Son is alive they send no more to me for my Will is that he have the honor of the day So the Fight on both sides growing very furious the French King having his Horse kill'd under him withdrew which being known by the English it added so to their courage that they soon after won the Field This was the first considerable Battail the English had of the French which was so sanguinary that ther were none made Prisoners but all put to the Sword and the number of the slain French surmounted the whole Army of the English for the number of the slain were about 30000. the chief whereof was Alenson the Kings Brother the Dukes of Bourbon and Lorain the Earl of Flanders the Dauphin de Viennois Son to Imbert who after gave Dauphine to the King of France provided his First Son shold still be calld the Dauphin which hath continued ever since This signal Victory was seconded the same yeer about six weeks after with another the Queen of England got against the Scots then confederat with the French where David the Scots King was taken Prisoner but this is reserv'd for another place because for a more methodical order we will hasten to the second great Victory in France the Battail of Poitiers The Battail of Poitiers The Black Prince being taperd up now to a good growth was sent by advice of Parlement to Gascony whence the Truce being expird he oreran and ravagd all the Country as far as Tourayne Iohn the French King raiseth a potent Army more numerous then that at Cressy and going to find out the Prince of Wales found him about Poitiers having not much above 10000 effect if men in his Army wheras the French had six times as many whereupon being advisd to make for Bourdeaux he was prevented by the French Army on all sides so a Battail being intended two Cardinals came from the Pope to mediat a Peace but the French King wold hearken to none unless that he wold as a Vanquish'd Man send him four Hostages and give up himself and his Army to discretion The Prince answerd That he was willing to restore what places he had taken of His in good War but without prejudice to his Honor wherof he was accountable to the King his Father c. Iohn not hearkning to this but being resolvd to fight the Prince also resolvd to part with his Life upon as high a rate as he could being reducd to this streight therfore he providently makes use of the Position of ground and finding that the main Army of the French consisted in Horse he entrenchd among the Vineyards where when the French Cavalry entred being wrapd and encomberd among the Vines the English Archers did so ply and gall them that being therby disorderd and put to rout the whole Army was soon totally defeated But it seems this Battail was not so fierce as that of Cressy where no quarter was given for in this Prisoners were made among whom was King Iohn himself whom the Prince brought to England and as the French Historians themselfs confess he was so civil to him all the while that he knew not whether he was a Free King or a Captif Besides Lords ther were slain 2000 of the French Nobless as Froissard hath it in this Battail and as at Cressy more French slain then the whole English Army was in number We will now to Agencourt Agencourt Battail Henry the Fifth that Man of men and mirror of Princes being come to the Crown he did cast his Eyes presently towards France for claiming of his Title In order wherunto he alterd in his Arms the bearing of Semy de Luces and quarters the three full Flower de Luces as the King of France himself did bear them He sends the Duke of Exceter with the Archbishop of Dublin and sundry other Noblemen in a magnificent Ambassy attended by 500 Horse to Paris to demand the Crown but receiving no satisfactory answer but rather a kind of jeer the Dauphin sending him a Sack full of Racket-court-Balls to pass away his time He replyed That for evry one of those Balls he had so many fiery Bullets to shoot at the proudest Turrets in France as he shold shortly find And he was as good as his word for he presently got over and encountring the French Army at Agencourt he gave it an utter overthrow and took more prisoners then his own Army had Soldiers which was upon a Sunday-morning about Ten of the Clock whereof having sent notice to England before and that extraordinary Masses shold be sung then in all Churches he stood upon the defensive part till that hour but then making a Speech of encouragement to his Army and among other strains telling how all England was praying for them at that time he carried away a compleat Victory he himself leading the main Battail with the Duke of Glocester his Brother c. But besides the foresaid Piety ther was Policy also usd for the King to prevent the fury of the French Cavalry appointed divers Stakes studded with Iron at both ends of six foot long to be pitch'd behind the Archers and ordred that Pioners shold attend to remove them as they shold be directed which invention conduc'd much to the success of the Action The King himself charg'd the Duke of Alenson and beat him off his Horse who therupon was slain so ther was a compleat and glorious Victory obtain'd We come now to the Battail of Spurs so calld because the French-men trusted more to their Spurs in fleeing away then to their Swords and Lances It was before Terwin in Hen. 8. Raign when Maximilian the Emperour servd under his Banner and receavd pay Ther came 8000 French Horse to relieve the place and a hot Dispute happend but they were all routed and put shamefully to flight so the Town was taken by the English Ther were a world of other Warlike Encounters and Skirmiges twixt the English and French whereof the stories are full and t is observd that the English at most were but half in number to the French in all Engagements insomuch that by pure prowess and point of the Sword they possessd two parts in three of that great Kingdome We read that when the English were at the height of their power in France the Pope came then to keep his Court at Avignon and ther was a common saying among the Peeple which since is grown to be a kind of Proverb Ores le Pape est devenu Francois Iesus Christ est devenu Anglois The Pope is turnd French-man and Jesus Christ is become an English-man which was spoken in regard we had such prodigious
meum apponerem consuetum Testes qui fuerunt praesentes ad ista unà mecum sunt Dom. frater Martinus Lupi Magister Militiae Domus de Alcantara Ordinis Cistern Rogerus Dom. de la Wara Gomeicus dicti Dom. Regis Magister Paulus Gabrielis Civis Ispalensis Iohannes Guttern Decanus Ecclesiae Segobien Magister Robertus Fregand Notarius Cancellarius Domini Principis Aquitaniae Walliae supradicti Then the Great Seal of Castile and Leon was affixd By vertue of this Charter legally made to King Edward and the Prince his Son and to their Heirs and Successors Kings and Princes of England for ever it is therby granted that whensoever it shold please them to be in person in the Wars with any King of Castile against the King of Granada or any other Enemy of the Christian Faith They shold have the First place in the Vangard above all other Princes of Christendom and although neither of them were present yet ther shold be always provided by the Kings of Castile and their Successors a Standard of the Arms of England to be born in the same place This Instrument was made after that the Black Prince had done the Work and restord Don Pedro to his Kingdom therfore he passd it as a Monument of eternal Gratitude unto him But before the Prince uudertook the business ther was also a Bond from the King to pay so much money for defraying the Princes Army and in consideration also of this undertaking it was legally agreed that the Prince shold have the Castle of Vermeo de la Quet Bilbo Biscay and the Castle of Ordials A tenir perpetuellement à li ses Heirs Successeurs pour doner là où luy plerrà to be held perpetually by Him and his Heirs and Successors and to give to whom he pleasd All which was ratified under the Great Seal of Castile and confirmd by Oath upon the holy Sacrament in the great Church of Burgos The Original of which Instrument remains yet in Thes. Regio apud Westm. We will pass over the Exploits done in Armorica or Little Britany and cross over to a tougher Peeple the Scot who though Conterranean and our neer Neighbours yet they did always confederat with the French against England and England still boar up single and victoriously against both of them For when Scotland was at the highest pitch of power when she had active and boysterous Kings to her Generals and the French for her Coadjutors and Auxiliaries as also the Danes in Ages past yet the English carried away many fair Victories with divers of their Kings Prisoners As will appear by a short Survay we shall take of such Battails and Warlike Encounters which intervend from time to time twixt the two Nations We will begin with that famous Battail twixt King Athelstan and them when they had a great Army of Danes joynd with them and being twice in number more then the English yet King Athelstan obtaind a signal Victory both by Prowess and Policy for the two Armies being ready to joyn the English made semblance to flee away leaving their Bagage behind which as the Scot and Dane were a sharing the English did suddenly wheele about by the advantage of a Woody Hill and finding them in disarray and laden with Booty they rushd upon them with such a Resolution that above 40 thousand of them and as Buchanan their chief Chronologer hath it the flower of their Nobility perishd there at that time The first Fire-ball of War which was thrown twixt both the Nations since the Norman Invasion was in William Rufus his Raign when the Scot having made divers Incursions into the English Borders Moubray Earl of Northumberland was sent against them who incountring their King Malcolm with his eldest Son in the Field they were both slain and the whole Army overthrown In King Stephens days Thurston then Archbishop of York was sent with an Army against the Scot who meeting the King himself in the head of his Forces utterly routed him with the death of above 10000 of his Men. Henry the second employd only the Knights of Yorkshire as Humphry-vile Scuttvil and Vescy to make head against the Scot which they did with such Valour and Success that they took the King in the Field and as a Trophy of their good Service and Victory they presented him Prisoner to the King at Northampton whence he carried him along to attend him in his French VVars William the Scots King attended Richard the Lion-hearted at his second Coronation when he returned from the Holy Land and carried the Sword before him bare-headed Edward the first calld in story and as his Tomb in Westminster tells us Scotorum Malleus the Hammer of the Scots summond King Baliol to Newcastle to swear Fealty unto him but fleeing afterwards to the French King at his return King Edward summons him again to Berwick where he re-submitted himself with all his Nobles in open Parlement which King Edward held there and for Caution brought Baliol along with him leaving the Earl of Surrey Warden of Scotland Then started up a notable Blade one Wallis who notwithstanding that King Baliol was Prisoner in England gatherd such a strength that causd King Edward to go again in person and at Fonkirk Battail killd outright 200 of their Nobles and Gentry with about forty thousand Common soldiers Then he summons a Parlement at Edinburgh where all the Scots Nobles swore Fealty to him and then he carried away thence their Great Charter calld the Ragman-Roll the Black-Cross and the Stone wherein they believe the Fate of Scotland is fixd Then ther was a third Provocation offer'd for le Bruce was crownd King of Scotland wherupon the Earl of Pembrook was sent against him who utterly defeated him at Iohnston yet all was not quiet but King Edward was forcd to make a fourth expedition thither in person when he constraind le Bruce to flee away to Norway where he blew on his Nayls while King Edward liv'd But Bruce being come back and Usurping during Edward the seconds time who we read was so infirm and infortunat a King his Father Edward the third restord Baliol by force of Arms and made him swear Fealty to England again But some yeers after King Edward being deeply engagd in the French Wars David the next Scots King rush'd into England with about sixty thousand men being confederat with the French King to divert the War there But Queen Philippa with the Archbishop of York and the Lords and Knights of the North encounterd this huge Army and utterly defeated it one Copland taking the Scots King Prisoner whom he he reservd for a present to give King Edward when he came from France and to keep company with Iohn the French King who also was taken Prisoner by the Black Prince And there were but six weeks difference of time twixt both Victories In Richard the seconds Raign the French King sent his High Admiral with a thousand
that notable Virago bestir her self how suddenly was there a great Fleet in a readiness and an Army by Land how magnanimously did she view her Musters and encouragd the soldiers riding up and down with a Plume of Feathers in her Hat like another Boadicia So that mighty Armada passing through the narrow Seas as far as the Downs her great Galeons were so plyed and pelted by the English ships that they were utterly overthrown only some few fetching a compass about Scotland got safe to Spain to bring news what became of the rest I have been somwhat overlong in this Paragraph but ther shall be a compensation made for the Prolixity thereof by the Brevity of those that follow The Fifth Paragraph That the King of Great Britain hath as stout and strenuous sturdy Free-born Peeple to his Subjects as any other King with as generous a Country and Generality of Wealth I Will begin this Paragraph with a late eloquent Character that an Italian Nobleman the Count Alfonso Loschi of Vicenza gives both of the Peeple and the plenty of England in his late printed Volume calld Compendi Historici La popolatione d' Inghilterra è innumerabile gli huonimi sono disposti ben organizati grandi di corpo di faccia serena bianca rubicunda nella guerra terribili audaci nelle risolutioni precipitosi crudeli Qe Donne riescono à Maraviglia belle gratiose can la Leggiadria del vestito rapiscono I cuori Inghilterra vanta non immeritamente titolo di Monarchia in expressione gieroglifico di che tiene il Re di sotto allo scettro la palla per figura della dominatione del mondo Non cie Potentato che con armata maritima possa approdare à liti à quali servendo per mura l' Oceano per isbarco sicurissimi arenosi recessi non vimprontano l'orme piedi stranieri se ben spesso con Intestine seditioni non havesse contro le proprie viscere rivolto le seditioni l'armi riuscirebbe indomabile ne cisarebbe potenza sopra l'Inglese L'aere salubre ricchezze grandissime li terreni fecondi minerali li pascoli abondanti delicati onde le lane d'Inghilterra tengono il primo luogo c. Which Character coming from so indifferent a Judge and so fresh an Author and a Personage of so high a Wit and Quality I thought worthy the rendring into English The Peeple of England are innumerable the Men welldisposd and organizd or limmd tallish of stature of comely Countenances white and reddish they are terrible in the Wars and bold headlong and cruel in their resolutions The Women are marvellously beutiful and handsome and by the quaintness of their Dresses do ravish hearts England not undeservedly glorieth of the Title of Monarchy by the Expression and Hierogliphic that the King bears under his Scepter which is a Globe or Ball that represents the Government of the world Ther is no Potentat whatsoever that with any Naval power can approach his shores wherunto the Ocean serving for a Wall with most secure and sandy Recesses for disimbarking the stranger cannot plant his foot And if England did not use so often to turn the sword into her own Bowels by intestine seditions she wold prove invincible and ther wold be no power above the English The Air is healthful mighty Riches the Soyl is plentiful and abounding with Minerals the Pasture luxurious and delicat whence it proceeds that the English Wool is incomparable This new noble Author when he comes to deliver his Opinion of France and Spain doth not speak half so much of either nor of any Country els for he treats of all the Kingdomes of Europe and of other besides Now it is taken pro concesso t is a truth granted by all that ther is no King hath more choice of lusty and stout Bodies to make soldiers of then the King of Great Britain hath in his Dominions ther is the English Welch Scots and Irish Nations that keep still entire their innated spirits and stoutness uncowd And this may be imputed to the Policy and Moderation of Government to the equal distribution of the VVealth and Plenty of the Country For the Yeoman and Franklin goes well clad hath wholsome Nutriment and as a return of his Labor from the grateful Earth hath wherwith to provide for his children that they may not encrease the number of Beggers It is not so in some Countries which made one say though ther may be some excess in the expression That the Yeomen and Freeholders of Kent are able to buy half the Peasants of France Such Subjects and such a Country the King of Great Britain commands which made Eumenius in his famous and elegant Panegyric to Constantin the Great to melt thus into her praises O fortunata omnibus beatior Terris Britannia quae Constantinum Caesarem prima vidisti Meritò Te omnibus Coeli ac Soli dotibus Natura donavit in qua nec hyemis est nimius rigor nec aestatis ardor In qua segetum est tanta foecunditas ut muneribus utriusque sufficiat Cereris Liberi In qua nemora sine immanibus bestiis Terra sine serpentibus noxiis Pecorum mitium innumerabilis multitudo lacte distenta onusta velleribus Certè quidem quod propter vitam diligitur longissimae dies nullae sine aliqua luce noctes dum illa littorum extrema planities non attollit umbras noctisque metam Coeli ac Syderum transit aspectus ut Sol ipse qui nobis occidere videtur ibi appareat solummodo praeterire O most fortunat Britain saith Eumenius more blessd then any other Country which didst first see Constantin Caesar Nature hath deservedly endowed thee with all Gifts both of Heaven and Earth In thee neither the excessive cold of VVinter nor the ardent heat of Summer doth offend the Inhabitant Thou swell'st with such a secundity of all kind of Corn that thou mayst be calld the Favorit of Ceres and Bacchus Thy Groves are without savage rapacious Beasts and thy Heaths without any poysonous Serpents Thy Fields are covered with innumerable multitudes of mild Cretures labouring with exuberance of Milk and laden with rich Fleeces For delightfulness of Life thy days are very long and no night but hath some glimpses of light the glorious Sun which sets and goes down in other Regions seems only to pass by thy Horizon From this temperatness of Clime and Fertility may proceed the Well-favouredness the Procerity as also the Health and Longaevity of the Inhabitants in regard Nature doth not finish her cours in the bodies of Males and Females so soon here as she doth in France and Spain For t is observd by all strangers that an English woman looks as fresh and beutiful at forty as a French or Spanish at five and twenty it being very ordinary for them to continue still teeming and
de Luce was that of Charles the first of England with the Lady Henrietta Maria of Bourbon youngest Daughter to Henry the great of France In which Matches England hath had six Daughters of France and France two of England By the fourth Match twixt Ed. 2. and Isabel eldest Daughter to Philip le Bell Edward the third of England being her eldest son was Heir to the Crown of France and demanding his Right therunto he was answered La Couronne de France n'est pas lièe à la quenouille That the Crown of France was not tied to a Distaff wherunto he replyed That he would then tie it to his Sword and he was as good as his word But Henry the fifth some fourscore years after tied it faster for he reducd Charles the sixth to such terms that after his death he shold immediately possess the Crown and Kingdome of France and that in the interim the Dauphin his son afterwards Charles the seventh shold be disinherited That in the interim King Henry shold be Regent of France in regard the present King was sometimes crazd in his Intellectuals That he shold take to Wife the Lady Isabel Daughter to the said Charles All which Capitulations not onely the King but the chiefest Peers and Nobility of France did consent unto and ratifie by solemn Oath obliging themselfs further to uphold and assist Henry of England with his lawful Heirs and Successors against Charles the Dauphin whom his Father had legally disinherited Hereupon Henry the fifth dying in France a Death much too soon and immature for so brave a man his son Hen. 6. was proclaimd King of England and France in Paris In which publick Proclamation t is very observable how England had the precedence and therupon the chiefest of the Officers of the Crown and Nobles swore Fealty and Alleageance unto him divers of which Nobles grew afterwards Apostats and joynd with the Dauphin Against Edward the thirds Right the Salique Law was alledgd which they wold force and pin upon a Text of Scripture Lilia neque nent c. The Lilies neither spin c. But though King Edward had cut the Labels of that Law with a victorious sword yet it was not quite cancelld Nor indeed could it be possibly done for it was but a kind of Chymera a meer imaginary Law and one of the Authentiqust French Historians Du Haillan hath no better opinion of it They who are the greatest Champions of that Law acknowledg that it was at first a particular Topical Law made at Salem a place upon the Rhine but they have stretchd it since to all France As if the Law of Gavelkind which is peculiar to Kent and other distinct places shold be made to extend it self and be in force all England over But some ther are that will not allow any Essence at all to the Salique Law no not to be a Local restraining Law to the foresaid place neer the Rhine Therfore the same answer may be fit to be given un to the Assertors of It as was given by the Venetians to the Pope when ther happening a clash between them touching the Sea about Ancona which they alledgd belongd to the Venetian Gulf wherof they had the Dominion And the Pope demanding what warrant they had for it t was answered by a kinde of Sarcasine If your Holines please to produce the Instrument wherby the Emperour Constantine the Great passd over the City of Rome to your predecessors upon the back of that Grant your Holines will find Saint Marks Charter to the Souverainty of the Adriatique Gulph whence an Intimation was made that neither of the Charters had ever any being which may be justly applied to the Salique Law And besides that du Haillan though a French-man in the first Volume of his History confutes that Law It is confirmd also that ther never was any such Law in France by the testimony of the Duke of Burgundy who when Philippe le long was created King he openly cryed out against his Creation alledging that the Kingdom of France belonged then to Iane daughter unto Hutin King of France formerly but to stop his mouth Philip was forcd to make a Gift unto him of the Dukedom of Burgundy in dower with his eldest daughter But touching the Title of Henry the Fifth which was confirmed by Solemne Agreement and Sacramental Oaths the French found out another Evasion For it was avouchd That the Kingdom of France goeth not by Descent or Inheritance but by Succession which is grounded not upon a Law but upon Custom by vertu wherof the next of the Bloud Royal be He of the furthest degree that may be to the kindred succeedeth not as lawful Heir but as a Successor by Custom not newly invented but of long continuance even from the time of Pharamond But this new-devised Objection is refuted also by the foresaid Du Haillan one of the prime French Historiographers and a French-man born who reckons up a long Catalog of French Kings which did not succeed one another but were chosen one after another Another Objection was also suggested that Charles the sixth who made the foresaid Contract with Henry of England was no better then a Lunatique though he had somtimes Lucida Intervalla Wherunto it is answerd that at the time when that Agreement passd He had a lucid interval and was in his right wits and memory Besides the chiefest Nobility of the Realm were parties in ir and did not only consent but obligd themselfs by Oath to the performance of it Ther was a third Objection which kept a higher noise viz. That the King of France cannot alienate the Demeanes Rights Titles and Interests of the Crown without the consent and suffrage of the Assembly of Three Estates which was not had then because a great part of the Peers Nobles and others were then absent Whereunto t is answerd That in claims which go by plurality of voices it is not always necessary that all shold be present if the greater and better part of them be there specially if after Citation the rest absent themselfs For although the point that concerneth All shold be approvd by All yet as Civilians hold when some or all may approve or disallow the things which concern Them and They will not be present to shew their consent or dislike their Absence shall not prejudice the stipulation of the Contract And in this great business twixt two Kings those who were away were Traytors to Charles the sixth for they were in arms against him by taking part with the Dauphin who was in Rebellion against his Father at that time Therfore their absence could not in any respect prejudice the validity of so solemn a Contract wherupon depended Peace or War The fourth Objection carried more of pusillanimity with it then strength of proof viz. That when the foresaid Contract was made the English had almost over-run all France and that the King was coopd up in a corner of the country Therfore
plentiful Court upon earth Now the riches and fatness of a Country shold be principally seen in the Kings house and indeed the greatest glory of England appeers there as all observing Forreners confess and nothing conducd more to the continuance increase and support of his power and honour and which drew more awe and reverence from all peeple all which are so requisit and essential to the prosperity of King and Peeple as they cannot be wanting but are and shold be perpetual attendants of the Soverain Prince Now this cannot be without the concurrence and service of the Peeple Now from all times the English were observd to be industrious and make it their chief care to provide the best things for the Kings Court according to that ancient and no less eloquent speech of a great Lawyer Domus Regis vigilia defendit omnium Otium Illius labor omnium Deliciae Illius industria omnium Vacatio Illius occupatio omnium Salus Illius periculum omnium Honor Illius periculum omnium The Kings House shold be the watchfulness of All His recreations shold be the labor of All His plesures shold be the inventions of All His safety shold be the danger of All His honor the object of All. Now the greatest cause of the honour and plenty of the Royal Court in England were the Preemption Pourvoyances and Compositions he had from evry County which were so moderat That they who have cryed them down thinking it to be a great advantage and ease unto them will find in time that they were no wiser then the Ass in the Fable as a very judicious Gentleman observes who thought to make his burden of Sponges the lighter by lying down with them in the water For those Compositions considering the smalness of them and how many went to bear the burden were scarce any weight at all as will appeer by those Shires I shall produce for instances All the thirteen Shires of Wales were chargd but at one hundred and fourscore Sturks which stood that whole Dominion but in three hundred and threescore pounds wherof Anglesey which hath 83 Parishes payd but 5l which amounts not to 15 pence evry Parish The County of Derby which hath one hundred and six Parishes payd but 254l per an Worcestershire which hath one hundred and two Parishes was assessd at 495l which is about three pounds seven shillings upon evry Parish Yorkshire which hath 459 Parishes besides many large Chapelries was charged but with 495l which was not two and twenty shillings upon evry Parish one with another Bedfordshire which hath one hundred and sixteen Parishes payed four hundred ninety seven pounds eight shillings four pence Cheshire having sixty eight Parishes was to furnish but 25 lean Oxen at the Kings price viz. four marks a piece c. with other things which came not to one pound nine shillings upon evry Parish Cornwal having an hundred and sixty Parishes did not bear so great a contribution as eight shillings upon evry Parish The County of Devon which hath three hundred ninety four Parishes paid no greater sum for evry yearly composition then ten shillings upon every Parish Herefordshire having one hundred seventy six Parishes made evry one to contribut no more then about twelve shillings six pence upon every Parish The huge County of Norfolk which hath 660 Parishes payd but one thousand ninety three pounds two shillings and eight pence which in proportion comes not to one pound eleven shillings upon evry Parish Somersetshire which hath 385 Parishes payd seven hundred fifty five pounds fourteen shillings eight pence which amounts to about 40 s. a Parish The County of Northampton which contains 326 Parishes payd towards Pourvoyance and Composition nine hundred ninety three pounds eighteen shillings four pence which was for evry Parish little more then three pounds Lincolnshire which hath 630 Parishes payd one thousand one hundred seventy five pounds thirteen shillings and eight pence which amounted to less then forty shillings a Parish Glocestershire which hath 280 Parishes payd four hundred twenty two pounds seven shillings and eight pence which was not one pound eleven shillings per Parish Ther be other Counties by reason of their vicinity to the Court and being very great gainers for the vent of their commodities by the Kings constant Residence with his Tribunals of Justice in his Imperial Chamber of London were chargd deeper as The County of Kent which hath 398 Parishes And is the common road of Ambassadors passing to and fro as also where his Arsenals Docks and Navie Royal lies with four of his Cinq Ports c. payd three thousand three hundred thirty four pounds and six shillings The County of Sussex which hath 112 Parishes payd one thousand and sixteen pounds two shillings and six pence The County of Surrey having 140 Parishes payd one thousand seventy nine pounds and three pence Hertfordshire which hath one hundred and twenty Parishes payd one thousand two hundred fifty nine pounds nineteen shillings four pence The County of Essex having 415 Parishes for her neighbourhood to London and the Court payd two thousand nine hundred thirty one pounds two shillings and two pence The County of Buckingham which hath 185 Parishes payd two thousand and forty pounds sixteen shillings and six pence Berkshire having 140 Parishes payd one thousand two hundred and fifty five pounds seventeen shillings and eight pence The County of Middlesex which hath 73 Parishes besides what are in the Suburbs of London and Westminster paid nine hundred seventeen pounds nineteen shillings per an which was no great matter in point of proportion to the rest of the Counties In regard of the great advantages this Shire hath by the propinquity and residence of the Kings Court And so by letting and setting of Lands Pasturages Houses Lodgings at highet rates with the improving the prices of all other commodities The City of London which hath such mighty benefits by the constant sojourn of the King and of his principal Courts of Justice at Westminster-Hall by the Records in the Tower by the Inns of Court and Chancery with variety of other advantages as the Kings Custom-House wherby she is swoln up to be so vast in Building and to such infinit Richâ—…s that she swallows up the Trade of all the three Kingdoms yet for all these advantages she with the out-parts did contribut in Grocery ware for the service of the Kings House but about 2000 l. per annum Nor did the Kings Brewers in London and four miles compass about pay but one half peny in every Bushel of Mault which is now remitted And what an inconsiderable small ease it is to so many Brewers let any man judge Out of the Premises touching Compositions for Pourvoyances this inference may be drawn what a care and love our provident and prudent Progenitors bore to the honor of their King his Court and Houshould And under favor I may say that these Royal Pourvoyances and his tenures in Capite were
The Ninth Paragraph Touching the Prudential Laws and Constitutions of Great Britain relating to Prince and Peeple As also The Eminence and Variety of Honours which the King can confer c. VVHat the Arteries Nerfs and Cartilages are to the Body Natural the same are Laws to the Political they are the Ligaments of a Kingdom which connect and tie all sorts of peeple though of so many different humors in one Goverment and under one Souverain head The Common Law of England though in some things it differs from the Civil by which most parts of Europe are governd yet it hath the rationability and justness the general notions and aym of the Civil Law which is to preserve evry one in the possession of his own and the Souverain Prince in honour power and Safety The main quarrel against it is that it wants Method and that it is not reducible to any or capable to be digested into such a Pandect as the Civil Law is Wherunto it may be answered That the Common Law of England hath for its grounds 1. Custome 2. Iudicial Records And 3. Acts of Parlement or Statuts The two later being declarations of the Common or Customary Law of the Land are methodizd and digested to order as the book of Statuts c. whence the Sheriffs the Justices of peace and Constables with other Officers may learn their duties and how to execut their places and any subject els may know how to keep himself within the bounds of his obedience But the Common Law of the Land consisting of Cases Precedents and Judgments as also of Immemorial and Uninterrupted Municipal Customs which being no Written Things Therfore it is no wonder that the professors therof have not bin so curious to attempt hitherto the Methodizing of that Art which consists most of Custom and Usage yet fair Essays are made daily for better retaining the same in memory by putting particular Cases under general Rules wherof ther are divers Volums frequently publishd of late yeers Now the Laws of England look two ways either upon the Souverain Prince or upon the peeple Touching the later ther is no Law upon earth so careful and tender of a mans life or livelihood be he the meanest subject under the Crown as the Common Law of England is For wheras in other Countries a single Judge and Witness may take away ones life or estate wherof the one may be subornd the other corrupted t is not so in England but besides Witnesses and Judges ther be two sorts of Iuries one the Grand Inquest which consists of twenty four Gentlemen or able Freeholders to consider by a previous consultation of all Bills of Inditement to be preferd to the Judicial Court which upon strict examination they either approve and transfer to the Court by writing upon the Bill Billa vera or they disallow it by writing Ignoramus Such causes as they approve if they concern Life and Death are further referrd to another Iury to consider of because the case is of such importance but others of lighter moment are upon their allowance fined by the Bench without more ado Except the party traverse the Inditement or chalenge it for insufficiencie or remove the Cause to a higher Court by a Certiorari in which two former cases it is referrd to another Jury and in the later transmitted to a higher and presently upon the allowance of this Bill by the Grand Inquest the party is said to be Indited but such as they disallow are deliverd to the Bench by whom they are forthwith cancelld or torn The Indited party being to stand afterwards at the Bar and desiring to be tryed by God and his Country ther is a Petty Jury empannelld of Twelve who bear the publick repute of honest men and the Law of England is so indulgent of life that the prisoner may challenge or except against any to such a number and withal a Butcher who is inurd to bloud and slaughter is incapable by the Law to be a Jury-man for life So the said Jury after a strict and painful examination of the Fact with all the least circumstances therof deliver their Verdict according to their consciences wherby the Judg doth acquit or condemn the party according to the quality of the offence nor can any pecuniary Mulct satisfie for the life of any as it is in other Countries And as the Common Law of England is thus so tender of humane life so it is as cautious indulgent and careful of the livelihood and propriety of the meanest subject in the Land which in case of controversie is done also by Jury and put home to the Consciences of twelve indifferent good men and not left only to the breast and opinion of any one Judge be he never so learned and incorrupt The English Law likewise favors Widows and Orphans and the poor have Counsel appointed them gratis c. It appeers out of the premisses what a great regard the Common Law of England the Lex Terrae hath to the lifes and properties of the peeple in point of Justice Now in point of Reverence and Loyalty to the Souverain Prince which is more pertinent to this disourse ther is no Law hath higher regards likewise that way nor also to his honour and dignity to his welfare and safety to his Royal Prerogatives and glory which Prerogatives intrinsecally stick and are inherent in the Crown yet are they and the Liberties of the Subject determined and bound by the Law The Laws of England make the King their Protector and reason good for they are his own Productions t is he that puts life into them They bear such reverence to his person that in his Presence none can be seizd or violently layd hands on or arrested his very presence being a Protection for the time He who giveth but a blow to any in his Court the Law adjudgeth him to loose his Right hand The Law sayth that the King hath his Title to the Imperial Crown of Great Britain and to his Kingly Office and power not as a fiduciary thing conveyed from the peeple but by inherent birthright and inalienable heritage immediatly from God from Nature and from the fundamental Constitutions of the Land He hath not only Ius paternum a paternal power over his subjects but Ius despoticum herile he hath dominion over them which Dominion is devolvd upon him gratiâ Dei by Divine dispensation and favour Ther is no Alleageance or Fealty due to any other power but to the King The Law is so careful of the sacred person of the King that it reacheth unto the very thoughts and restrains them from machination of any evil against him For the Law says it is Treson to Imagine mischief against the King much more to attempt act and execute it The Common Law of England makes the King the Supreme and independent Governour And all other persons derive their power and authority from him either by his Royal Writ Patent or Commission
kinred Nemo debet his puniri pro uno delicto No man is to be punishd twice for one offence Nemo potest plus juris in alium conferre quà m Ipse habet No man can transfer a greater power to any other then he hath himself Nemo tenetur prodere seipsum No man is bound to betray himself Omnia quae movent ad mortem sunt Deo danda All things which cause death are forfeit to God Qui non habet in aere luat in corpore Where the purse cannot let the body suffer Qui peccat ebrius luat sobrius Who offends when he is drunk let him be punishd when he is sober Qui sentit commodum sentire debet onus Who receive the benefit ought to feel the burden Quod semel meum est ampliùs meum non est That which was mine is none of mine Stat praesumptio donec probetur in contrarium A presumption stands till the contrary be provd Ubi non est principal is ibi non potest esse accessarius Where ther 's no principal ther can be no Accessary Unumquodque dissolvitur eo ligamine quo ligatur Evry thing is untyed as it is bound Par in parem non habet Imperium Equals cannot command one another Nemo dat quod non habet No man can give that which he hath not And this doth hold also in Heraldry therfore the Knighthoods with other Honors that Cromwel was so free to confer are void in Law because he was never Knight himself By these few Principles with multitudes more it appeers that the Common Law hath much affinity with the Civil wherof ther are as learned Professors in England as any where els Whence it may be inferrd that the King of Great Britain is supplied with more helps for the administration of Justice then any Nation in the world besides For in regard that England is an Iland having such a great Trade at Sea and so great dealing with divers other Nations Having also besides Land-matters both Temporal Ecclesiastical and Maritime which are not so proper for the Common Law He allows of the Civil Law answerable to the quality of the Case which hath bin practised in England beyond the memory of man or the reach of any Record And though ther happen oft some Emulations and high Contests betwixt these two Professions yet such hath bin the prudence of the Souvrain Prince to keep them both in as equal a Balance as could be and not to suffer the one to insult or encroach upon the other but to have the same freedom of study and practice to the universal good of Forreners as well as of his own Subjects And so much concerning the National Law and Prudential Constitutions of England The Tenth and last Paragraph Touching the greatness of Power of Military Might and Puissance by Land and Sea as well Defensive as Offensive c. of the King of Great Britain THe Duke of Rohan in his Book calld Les Interests des Princes The Interests of Princes saith that England is like a great Animal that cannot die unless he kill himself He acknowledgeth Her also to be Latroiseâ—…e Puissance the third Power of Christendom But by the Arguments that shall be producd in this Paragraph I believe it will appeer to any discerning and unbiassd Reader that England taking her Kingdoms annexd along with her strength at Sea as well as shore will be inferior to none Ther was a Comparison made long since That Gallia Hispania sunt quasi lances in Europae libra Anglia est lingula sive libripendens That France and Spain were as the Scales of the great Balance of Europe and that England was the Toung or Beam of the Balance which keeps it in aequilibrio in an even counterpoise that neither side shold be trabâ—…ccant This hath bin often verified specially in the Raign of Henry the eighth whose Motto was Cui adhaereo praeest He to whom I adhere prevails He wold somtimes make Francis the first to weigh down somtimes Charles the fifth And touching the former He acknowledgd King Henry under God to be the chiefest Deliverer of Him and his Children from his captivity in Spain And so likewise did Pope Clement when he was freed from the Castle of St. Angelo where Charles the Emperour had coopd him up Therfore was Henry of England calld Liberator Orbis by the whole Confistory at Rome as he was before Protector of the great Clementine League And indeed the Arbiter of all Christendom in his time Touching the Martial Might of the King of Great Britain we will first examine that of England which we must distinguish into Intrinsecal or Terrene And into Extrinsecal or Maritime Concerning the first ther are five Counties alone can put into the Field fourty thousand men all armd for so many are listed in the Muster-makers Book as Traind-Band-men viz. the County of York 12000 Kent 8000 Norfolk 〈◊〉 and Devonshire above 6000 apiece And the rest of the Counties whereof ther are fourty seven may have twice as many at least which come to a hundred and twenty thousand Soldiers eâ—…olld and ready upon all occasions either for general service or privat in the Counties where they are for assisting the Sheriff and other Officers in the execution of the Law in case of any resistance therfore are they calld Posse Comitatuâ—… The power of the County So that in time of peace England alone hath an hundred and twenty thousand Soldiers enrolld besides those in Ireland and Scotland And in time of War the late bloudy Rebellion bleeding yet in the purses and estates of many thousand poor Cavaliers hath sufficiently tryed the strength and wealth of England For ther was a computation made at one time of those that were in actual Arms for King and Parlement and they came to neer upon two hundred thousand fighting men under Commission wherof ther were about fifty thousand Horse and Dragoons And I do not remember to have read that in the time of the famous Ligue in France ther were so many take in strangers and all Hence we see that the King of Great Britain may be said to have a constant standing Army in time of peace of which he hath the sole disposing For the Sword is his as much as the Scepter and the Crown which are inalienable from his power and incommunicable to any other but by his Royal Commissions And indeed t is the Sword that makes all Kings powerful The Crown and the Scepter are but impotent and poor unweildy things they are but naked Indefensible badges without it Ther 's none so filly as to think ther 's meant hereby an ordinary single sword such as evry one carrieth by his side Or some Imaginary thing or Chymera of a sword No t is the publik Polemical Sword of the whole Nation It may be calld an Aggregative or compound Sword made up of all the Ammunition the Artillery Pikes Muskets Helmets Headpeeces with all kind of armes
quam in serenissimi Archiducis Commissione omissam esse superiùs demonstravimus quà m primùm commodumque videbitur quod polltcitae sunt vestrae illustres magnificae personae petimus inserendum Quod verò illustres magnificae vestrae personae asserunt insolitum novum videri quod proposuimus de Praerogativa Praecedentiae dignitate serenissimae Reginae Dominae nostrae semper debita non possumus dissimulare nos valde mirari illud viris vestrae conditionis eruditionis judicii novum esse insolitum quod universo orbi terrarum notum est celebratissimum Res enim est exploratissima quod Regio Hispanica cum distributa fuerit in diversa Regna devoluta in manus Regis Ferdinandi Reginae Isabellae Regumque Granatae insuper ei adjunctum unà cum caeteris partibus Indiarum Occidentalium orta est contentio speciosè magis quà m solidè recteque fundata de Praecedendi dignitate cum Regno Anglorum tempore quo Papatum occupavit Alexander ejus nomini sextus natione Hispanus quae perducta ad tempora Iulii secundi Volatarranus Author imprimis bonus Historiographus Italus nullo privato beneficio Angliae obstrictus quique eodem tempore Romae vixit ea de causa quemadmodum Res actae gestaeque fuerunt probè potuit intelligere de hac Re ita refert Inter Oratores Henrici septimi Regis Angliae Hispaniae Regis inter sacra sedendo orta est contentio quae etiam sub Alexandrio caeperat Iulius Locum honoratissimum Anglis pro tempore adjudicavit quod quidem Ius praerogativam Regis Angliae possidentes tenuerunt usque ad tempora Caroli quinti Imperatoris qui licet ratione Caesareae Majestatis supremam sedem dignitatis inter Principes 〈◊〉 Illud tamen privilegium ad posteros suos in praejudicium aliorum Principum transmittere non potuit Ideóque post obitum ejus quaestio illa Praecedentiae ad eosdem terminos unde ante digresserat reversa est Cum igitur Reges Angliae semper tenuerunt priorem augustiorem sedem prae singulis illis Regibus priusquà m Regna eorum in unum reducta fuerint reductisque in unum indeque ea de requaestione motâ jus suum ex sententia Papae retinuerint de quo nullo unquam tempore aut occasione cesserunt Extra controversiam igitur putamus illud de Iure pertinere ad Coronam Angliae utcunque propagata amplifica sunt Territoria Dominia Regni Hispaniae quod recta rerum aestimatione nihil valet aut valere debet inter Christianos Principes ad hanc Praecedentiae quaestionem Alioqui plurimi Reges Principes assumerent sibi Praecedentiam in multos alios Principes quibus jam liberè libenter concedunt Amplius de haec praesenti controversia de Praecedentiae dignitate hoc ipso tempore aliud est quod se non indignè offert judici is vestris examinandum nempe quodunus è nobis quem serenissima Regina Domina nostra ad hunc tractatum pacis concludendum elegit Legatus ejus est qui quotidie residet apud Christianissimum quam dignitatem unà cum omnibus Praerogativis quae eam comitantur retinet quoad in Regno Galliae commoratur Primus vero è vobis licet sit Legatus Catholici Regis apud serenissimum Archiducem cùm jam sit extra territorium Archiducis qualitatem eam dignitatemque exui censemus quoque nostrum in quo multiplicata ista dignitas elucet dominatur Iure praeferendum unicuique qui singulari nudo titulo deputati scilicet ad tractatum pacis inductus prodit Vobis igitur si placeat quaestio ista alto silentio praetermittatur haecque praerogativa de qua agitur maneat habitetque in serenissima Regina Domina nostra ad quam Iure spectat pertinetque Ita alacrioribus animis ad conventum colloquiumque cujus causà huc accessimus feremur Ista omnia pro prudentia moderatione vestrarum illustrium magnificarum dominationum petimus amicè candidè accipi ut quae profecta sunt ab observantiis religione officii nostri non à studio tempus consumendi aut contentionis excitandae Datum Boloniae 26 Maii stylo veteri 1600. Renderd thus in English Illustrious and Magnificent Lords We have read through the Writing which your illustrious and magnificent Persons sent us yesterday and touching those heads which appertain to the power of your substitutition and the vigor of the Seal we have resolvd not to prosecut further confiding in the sincerity of the most serene the Lord Archduke and acquiescing in the integrity of your illustrious and magnificent Persons which doth promise us a good faith in the business we are to agitat with the greatest candor and humanity that may be And touching the Clause we demonstrated before we desire it may be inserted as soon and as conveniently it may be as your illustrious and magnificent Persons have promised And wheras your illustrious and magnificent Persons assert that it is unusuall and new what we proposd concerning the Prerogative and dignity of Precedence due always to the most serene Queen our Mistress we cannot dissemble but we much wonder that that shold seem new and unusal to men of your condition learning and judgment which is so well known and most celebrous to all the world For it is a most explored truth That the Region of Spain distributed to divers Kingdoms when it was devolvd to the hands of King Ferdinand and Isabella wherunto the Kingdome of Granada was adjoyned and the West-Indies a Contention did arise more speciously then solidly and rightly grounded touching the dignity of Precedence with the King of England at that time when Alexander the sixth who was a Spaniard born held the Papacy which continued to the time of Iulius the second and Volaterranus a special good Author and an Italian Historiographer being not engagd to England for any privat benefit and one that was well capable to know how matters passd and were transacted doth relate that betwixt the Ambassadors of Henry the seventh King of England and the Ambassador of Spain a contention did arise about Precedence of session in the Church and Iulius adjudgd the most honourable place to the English which Right and Prerogative the Kings of England possessd until the time of the Emperour Charles the fifth who in regard of Caesarean Majesty had the supreme place among all Princes But he could not transmit that privilege to his posterity to the prejudice of other Princes Therfore after his decease that question of Precedence returnd to those terms whence it had formerly digressd Since therfore the Kings of England always held priority of place and session of those several Kings before their Kingdomes were reducd to one a question being movd therabouts they have retaind their Right by the Popes sentence and never yeilded it upon occasion Therfore without controversie
the first Valour and Fortune may be said to contend which shold entitle him Henry the Great They both strivd for mastery in Him and which shold overcome He was Conqueror in four signal Battails In thirty five hot Skirmiges In above a hundred personal Encounters with the siege of about three hundred several places wherin He provd always Victorious which makes his memory to continue still fresh in France and makes new impressions from Fathers to Sons to render it eternal Ther is scarce any considerable Town but hath his Statue in Brass or Marble and Pictures innumerable insomuch that one said Una Henrici Oblivio erit occasus Humani generis The Oblivion of Henry alone will be the end of Mankind But for a tru Character of him I will insert here that which is engraven on the Cheval de bronze the Brasen Horse on the Pont-Neuf in sight of the Louvre his most Royal Castle in Paris which character runs thus Ie suis Henry grand Honneur de la Terre Astre de Paix Foudre de la Guerre L'Amour de Bons la Crainte de Pervers Dont les Vertus meritoient l'Univers Henry I am the Glory of Mankind The Star of Peace and Thunderbolt of War The spur of Vertu scourge of Vice A Mind That merited to sway more Scepters far Touching his Son and immediat Successor Lewis the Thirteenth he also did mighty things He began to bear Arms and wear Buff almost when he was no higher then a Sword at which height they say the Kings of France are out of their Minority but before he came out of His he repressd two ill-favourd Commotions in Poitou and Britany He continued Conqueror all his life-time nor did He know what it was to be beaten He bangd all his Neighbours round about him He clammerd twice with his Armies ore the Alps and came back again having done the business he went for He climd likewise with his Troops up the Pyreney Hills and establishd a Viceroy in the Kingdome of Catalonia He crossd ore the Meuse and made many deep Hacks in the Ragged Staff His Horses foorded ore the Rhine and helpd to cuff the Eagle ilfavouredly in the German Air. And lastly He foyld the English at the I le of Rhe. These were Exploits abroad At home also within his Kingdome He did marvailous things by suppressing so many Civil Insurrections and lastly by debelling the Hugonots which his five immediat Predecessors could not effect though they attempted it many ways Then which Action nothing could conduce more to the security and improvement of the power of the French Crown and the tranquillity of the Country The tenth and last Argument Ab Exemplo Authoritate Historicâ from Examples and Historical Authority THe Arguments which went before may be said to be Embroderies and Florishes of Reason yet those Florishes were wrought upon good Substantial stuff but this last Argument hath more of solidness legality and weight in it for it consists of Examples and Historical Authentik Proofs of Antiquity which the Logitian tells us is one of the strongest way of Argumentation We will not make such over-curious Retrospects as to look on the times before Charlemain though ther be divers examples that ever since the time of Clouis who was the first Christian King of France which was above 300 years before which prove that the Kings of France had Prerogatives of Session and Precedence both of Place and Person next to the Emperour But since Charlemain had the title of Christianissimus given him ther be divers cleer and convincing proofs how after the Empire was devolvd from Charlemains Race to the houses of Saxony Suevia and Austria nay since Austria came to the highest cumble of greatness and multitude of new Dominions the Kings of France have still had the Antecedence both in General Councils in assisting the holy Offices of the Church and in attending the Popes Person Now t is known that the Court of Rome with the Rules and practice therof is fittest to determine this Question of Precedence Mausonius and others have it upon good record how Anno 1564. Pope Pius the fourth passd a solemn Decree That the Kings of France ought to have the Precedence of any other King Nor indeed in former Ages did any King contend with him herabouts but the King of England The Spaniard did but of late years stand for it it is but since the Raign of Charles the fifth And as the Kings of France before claimd it as succeeding Charlemain so the Kings of Spain wold challenge it as succeeding Charles the Fifth Yet in the famous Treaty at Vervins 1598. after long Concertations and canvassing of the point Pro Con the Spanish Ambassadors made a Cession of Precedence to the French And Baldus the great Civilian as Purpuratus relates affirmeth categorically Nemo praesumat Honorem super vexilla Invictissimi Franciae Regis It is tru that some Writers rank Kings thus The King of Hierusalem the King of France the King of Sicily and the King of England which four are the only Anointed Kings And for this they shew an old Manuscript of the Church of Rome calld Provincialis Saint Gregory writes to Childebert Quanto caeteroâ—… homines Regia Dignitas antecellit tanto caeterarum gentium Regna Regni vestri culmen excellit As far as Royal Dignity excels all other men so far doth the glory of your Kingdome excel others Hâ—…norius the third says Reges Gallorum opposuerum se tanquam marus inexpugnabilis pro populo Christiano The Kings of France opposd themselfs as an inexpugnable Wall for the Christian People Gregory the ninth saith Regnum Galliae est quasi Phaâ—…etra quam Christus sibi circa femur accinxit ex qua sagittas electaâ—… extrâ—…hens 〈◊〉 â—…t sibi gentes Regna subjiciat in arcum brachii potentis emâ—… France is a Quiver which Christ tied to his thigh whence he draws Arrows for the subduing of Nations and Kingdomes c. Now touching the point of Precedence the notablest Contests that France hath had have been with Spain in the Council of Trent which lasted so many long years by intermissions the relations wherof lie scatterd up and down in divers Histories but we shall endeavour to give here a distinct and uninterrupted Narration thereof but first we will speak of a signal Contest in Venice The famous Contest twixt the most Christian and Catholique Kings in Venice as also in the Council of Trent IT is well known how that before the rearing up of that huge Colosse of the House of Austria which was Anno 1516. when Ferdinand of Aragon died Charles rendred himself very potent both in Italy as well as in Spain But he encreasd more strength after the death of Maximilian being chosen Emperour in his place at which time he was mounted to the highest pitch of sublimity and power I say t is well known how till that time the Kings of France were acknowledged the
Great Britain having intimation that ther might be some clash between the Coaches of the foresaid Ambassadors if they sent them according to custome to bring in the said new Ambassador He sent unto them that they wold forbear to send their Coaches because some inconvenience might arise Batteville answerd That he wold conform to his Majesties plesure provided l' Estrade did likewise do so But l' Estrade gave answer to the Kings Message That his Predecessor the French Ambassador immediatly before him had receavd a check at his return to France for omitting this ceremony and so was he like to do if he did not perform it So both of them sending their rich Coaches and Laquays to Tower-wharf where the new Ambassador was to land Batteville it seems had taken such a survey of the place that his Coach stood in such a posture that none could get before it and the Kings Coach besides he had causd the Rains and Harness of his Coach to be lin'd with Wire making them therby poof against the strokes of Swords so ther happend a hot and fierce Scirmige ther being Pistols on both sides besides Swords and the French had some horsmen also so the poor Horses were slashd and some Laquays killd on both sides and one Spanish Gentleman was killd in the Coach but Batteville stood firm to his ground and so his Coach went next to the Kings all the way News being sent herof to Paris it was much resented and the Spanish Ambassador there being confind to his House he presently dispatchd an Expresse to Madrid who being returnd He sent to the Louvre that he had receavd such Orders that wold give his Majesty satisfaction touching the late Traverses in England and so desired Audience which was appointed him the next day In the interim command was sent that the Princes of the Blood and chief Officers of the Crown shold be there The Spanish Ambassador being come and expecting a privat audience but finding such a solemn meeting was a little stunnd at first yet he went on and deliverd his Message to the King which was that touching the late Contest in England it was done without his Catholique Majesties direction and knowledge therfore he wold take a cours that no occasion shold be offerd for such differences herafter Besides these he pronouncd other Explanatory words that were equivalent to an acknowledgment of Precedence to his most Christian Majesty which were suddenly commanded to be registred in the Council for an Act of State and so to stand upon Record to Posterity Hereupon ther was a most prudent Act of State passd in the Privy Council of the King of Great Britain That in regard of the inconvenience and disturbances which did thence arise his Majesty commanded that no Forren Ambassadors Coaches shall for the future go to accompany and introduce any new Ambassador whatsoever because his Majesties Coaches are sufficient to accompany them in a fitting Equippage which Act I believe will be a leading case to all the Courts of Christendome Before we conclude this Section touching the Right of Precedence which the French King claims of other Princes we will adde what Mr. de Breves says in his Appendix of the Negotiations in the East where he says That in the Raign of Henry the Great he took Precedence of the Ambassadors of Rodulphus the Emperour in Constantinople at the Port of the Turks Court who values Christian Princes according to the merit of their Might WE will now proceed to weigh and winnow the Arguments of Spain in order to a Precedence which we will extract also and distil out of their own Authors as Valdesius Francisco Vasquez Camillo Borrello Besoldus Morales Augusto Cavaisll Caranato with divers others And let this be a Close to the second Section The third Section CONTAINING The Reasons wherby the King of Spain pretends and claims Priority of Place and Proximity of Session next the Emperour at all solemn Meetings and in all Publik Transactions of State c. Which Reasons We will reduce also to Ten Heads or Arguments The first Argument Proving That the Catholik King may challenge Precedence because Spain is the Noblest Kingdome of Europe as being always accounted the Head therof The second Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence by the Authority of General Councils and the Learned Doctors of the Church The third Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because Spain first receavd and professd the Catholik Faith That the first Christian Church was built there The first Council celebrated The first Bishop was elected out of Her The first Emperour created c. The fourth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because He is the Catholick King which is a more ancient Title then Christianissimus The fifth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because that in magnitude of Kingdomes in Power and Tresure he excels all other The sixth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence for Nobleness of Family and that the Kingdome of France did justly belong to Philip 3. The seventh Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because he is King of Ierusalem The eighth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because of free and absolut Dominion and that he hath Empires under Him The ninth Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because he hath done such great Offices to the Christian Church The tenth and last Argument Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because the Catholick Church receaves greater Protection and Emoluments from Him then from any other Prince whatsoever OF all these Arguments we shall treat distinctly in several divisions according to the former method and distil out of the chiefest Spanish Authors that write of this subject the Elixir and strength of their Reasons But let the Reader take this Advertisement That he must not expect here the particular Quotations and Marginals wherwith the Spanish Writers use to abound and which indeed belong to Civilians and Iurists No the Author here goes on in a freer and generous way and the Reader without abusing his Faith may believe what he delivers being extracted with much fidelity and care out of the forementiond Authors who write for the Crown of Spain and in their own expressions and so we begin with the first Argument viz. That Spain is calld the Head of Europe and consequently the Noblest Kingdome I. THe beginning of evry thing as it is the hardest so it is always accounted the worthiest and most Noble part as being the head and source whence the rest are derivd so our blessed Saviour is calld Principium Caput the beginning and Head wherof all the Faithful are Members He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And his Vicar-general upon earth the Pope is calld Caput Ecclesiae Militantis The
Port and some say it was of stone where after thanks being given to God they placd the body of the most holy Apostle and after many dangers they arrivd at Iria Flaria now calld Padron thence they carried it to Liberum Donum now calld Compostella where they entombd it in a Marble Monument But as the Disciples were seeking for a place fit for so great an Apostle they made their address to Queen Luparia or Lupa who sent them to King Philotrus who casting them into an obscure prison they were freed by an Angel and while the soldiers were in pursute of them they were all drownd in a River the Bridg and all falling down with them by which miracle King Philotrus was converted But Luparia continuing obstinat she threw their Bodies to Bulls and Dragons wherof some they slew and some grew mild Then Luparia being orecome by these miracles causd a Temple to be erected there for the holy Apostle as Faber out of Sophorinus doth affirm And although Morales makes a doubt herof in regard that Spain was then subject to the Romans and so could have no Kings yet ther might be some Kings there though subject and tributary to Rome as Herodes Agrippa was in Hierusalem and as Queen Candacis was But because these passages are so overgrown with yeers let us hasten to later times The second signal time that Spain receavd extraordinary influence of Christian Faith was in the raign of Constantine the great who was so glorious an Instrument to the Church his Mother a British Lady being a Christian and Osius a Spanish Bishop having taken so much pains for his conversion Then Theodosius who did propagat the Faith more openly and did destroy the Pagan Churches which were stuffd with Idols was by Nation a Spaniard and his sons who succeeded him in the Empire The third time was when the seat of the Roman Empire being translated to Constantinople divers rough Northern Nations broke in and seazd upon most parts of the Western Territories therof so that the Goths invaded Spain and came to possess it and then by the special benediction of God ther was a Catholik King in Spain before any in France For an 554. Athanagildus King of the Goths according to the currant consent of all Historiographers professd the Christian Faith as Lucas Tudensis hath it Then succeeded him Leonegiâ—…dus Then a little after came Richaredus and in his raign the whole Kingdome of Spain became Catholik and florishd exceedingly But the French object that Anno 496. Clodovaeus was baptizd by St. Rhemigius and so had the start of Richaredus in Christianity but to that t is answerd That the whole Kingdome of France was not then converted Nor was He King of all the Kingdome as Richaredus was of Spain For Gregorius Turonensis relates that Clodovaeus with his two sisters were baptizd and three thousand French more the whole Kingdome came not to be Christian a good while after wheras all Spain was reducd entirely to the Faith a good while before and did make open profession therof in the Council of Toledo Moreover a good part of France was then subject to Theodoricus King of the Ostrogoths who then raignd in Italy who were of the Arrian Heresie But Spain was then totally under Richaredus whence may be inferrd that Spain generally had a Christian King before France But if we divide Spain into Provinces ther were divers of them had Christianity planted and publiquely preferrd before Clovis for Rechiarius King of the Suevians was Christian Anno 440. Furthermore t is very observable that from Richaredus no King in Spain fell from the true Catholick Church wheras divers in France did after Clodoveus as Chilperik and others witness what Gaguinus writes Nec multò post Chilpericus cujus malitia ut in Homines multis fraudibus perspicua esset in Deum quoque impietatem meditatus est de divina quidem Trinitate ita credi noluit ut tres in Illa Personas sed unam confiteretur c. Not long after Chilperik whose malice was so evident against men did meditat malice also against God for he wold not confess three but one Person in the Trinity And Mausonius saith Chilpericus cùm multis rebus impiè gestis Deum sibi iratum reddidisset mense quarto à Natali Clodovaei successoris sui apud Callam vicum Parisiorum occididitur Chilperik when for many things impiously committed he had made God angry with him was killd in Calla a small Village of the Parisians And in this last Age the last King of France before Hen. 4. having done some acts of Impiety as imprisoning of Cardinals and other things it induced a Brother of the Dominican Order to dispatch him violently out of the world Besides a King of Spain Rechiarius was the first who out of a Zeal to protect the tru Religion made the first War against the Enemies therof which were the Arrian Goths and ever since the Kings of Spain have bin the greatest Champions and Propugnators of the Catholik Church upon all occasions But now we will take in hand the Titles of Christianissimus and Catholik and make it appeer that the Kings of Spain had the one before the French Kings had the other and because that Names are the Images of Things we will give you their primitive derivations The first Propagators of Christianity we all know were the holy Apostles and their Disciples but some of the latter falling into errors the Orthodoxal Disciples to distinguish themselfs from the false calld themselfs Christians which name they first assumd at Antioch and then it grew general being derivd from Christ and Christ a Crismate or Unction It was afterwards raisd to a superlatif to Christianissimus which was first given to the Emperors and to this day as Castaldus observes they are solemnly prayed for in Oratione Parasceue in Good-Friday-Prayer evry yeer Oremus pro Christianissimo Imperatore nostro wherin Ferrault is deceavd by attributing it onely to the French King Moreover divers Kings of Spain had that Title given them upon oceasion as all the Spanish Annalists do aver For Richaredus was calld Christianissimus Anno 589. and after him Sisebutus Anno 616. when he expelld the Iews out of the Territories of Spain and Cinthillanus is calld so in the sixth Council of Toledo and Pope Leo writing to Quirico calls Flavium Ervigium then King of Spain Christianissimum in the fourth Council of Toledo and this was before Charlemain who first bore that Title in France Ramirus King of Aragon and Sancho 3. as also Alphonsus Magnus was entitled so Now let us examine when this Title Christianissimus was given to the French Kings Most do affirm that it began in Charlemain but observe it was given him and to some of his Successors as they were Emperours for the ordinary Title which was usd to be given the Kings of France before was Illustris Ther is another opinion that Pope Pius 2. gave Lewis 11.
of France the Title of Christianissimus and that his Father Charles had it in the Council of Mantua Anno 1459. But grant that the French Kings had the Title Christianissimus given them since Charlemain yet the Title Catholicus was given before to the Kings of Spain For Alfonso Son-in-law to Pelagius had it Anno 734. as Garabai and Morales do affirm and the Epitaph upon his Tomb doth justifie it which is Alfonsus Catholicus Others are of opinion that Richaredus who quelld the Arrian Heresie was first intitled Catholicus But now that we have spoken of the Antiquity of these two Titles in relation to the two Kings we will examine which is the superior and more excellent Christianissimus or Catholicus not but that both of them are sublime and glorious Touching the Title Catholik it is so complete a word that nothing can be added to it therfore it admits no superlatif it is of that comprehensif latitude that it is Universal which is the tru Etymologie of the Greek word now it is an Axiome in all Sciences Qui totum dicit nihil excludit Who says All excludes nothing therfore we say Ecclesiam Catholicam not Catholicissimam as we say Concilium oecumenicum or Universale not Universalissimum And certainly this word Catholicum must be of extraordinary value and ancient extraction since it was an Epithet given the Church of Christ in the Apostolical Creed in that first Symbole of Faith Credo in Spiritum sanctum sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam Now as we pointed at before wheras any Beleever was calld Christian at first and that by erroneous interpretations some Heresies began to creep in the name of Catholik was given him who was a constant embracer of the tru Doctrine of the Church wheras the simple name Christian might comprehend also a Heretik as Pacianus observes against the Novatians Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus vero cognomen Illud me nuncupat Istud ostendit Hoc probat Illud significat My name is Christian my firname Catholik the one calls me the other shews me this proves the other signifies Insomuch that the word Catholik did distinguish a tru Beleever from a Heretik Whence the excellencie of this word appeers being a primitive attribut given both to Church and Faith for they were both calld Catholik Nor doth it follow though evry Catholik be a Christian that evry Christian is a Catholik For when one is calld Catholik t is understood that he is an Elect that he is saithful pure constant and obedient to the Doctrine of the holy Church without mixture or taint Therfore most meritoriously is this high Epitheâ—… peculiar to the King of Spain because he permits no Apostaâ—…s no Schismaticks to be in his Dominions as the French and other Kings do But by an humble filial obedience he adheres to the Catholik Mother-church which is the Roman For the Roman and Catholik Church are Synonimas according to Saint Cyprian in these words Dividi à Romano Pontifice idem quod ab universa Ecclesia scismate separari Rursum illam communicare id ipsum esse quod Catholicae Ecclesiae unitati conjungi To be divided from the Roman Bishop is to be separated by Schism from the universal Church and to hold communion with him is the same as to be joynd in unity with the Catholik Church Argum. 5. Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence because that in Magnitude of Kingdoms in Power Territories and Tresure He excels all other MUltitude of Regions Affluence of Wealth and Magnitude of Power is so considerable in Kings that this one Reason of it self were sufficient by Divine Laws as well as Humane to yeeld unto Him who excels in these Particulars superiority of session and precedence Now in all things by the very constitution of the Creator ther is a superiority and excellence Eternity is above Time The Intellect is beyond Reason and Reason above Sense Go to the Fabrick of Coelestial Cretures and the pulchritude of the Stars We see the Sun is as their Prince and one Star exceeds another in glory so in this Elementary and the lower world specially among Mankind some are more Illustrious some more Potent then others Nature will tell you that all the Fingers of the hand are not equal and this inequality conduceth to the bewty of the Univers and Manilius tells us Est aequale nihil Terrenos aspice tractus By which Ratiocination he is most sublime and may claim superiority who exceeds in multitude of Peeple in extent of Regions in Wealth and Dominions and since the Catholik King excels in all these as the French Authors themselfs confess out of Cassanaeus certainly the higher seat is to be assignd Him The wisest of Kings tells us that In multitudine Populi dignitas Reg is in paucitate Plebis ignominia Principis In the multitude consists the dignity of a King and in the paucity of peeple his shame Therfore at the meeting of Councils an Universal Council which is made up of most Bishops is more illustrious and carrieth a greater stamp of authority then a Provincial which consisteth of fewer As the Emperour and Pope have three Crowns apeece denoting Asia Afrik and Europe where the first exerciseth Souvrain Power in Temporals and the other in all Spiritual Affairs Now to prove that the Catholik King is more potent then any other in spacious Dominions it is no hard task For go to Spain it self it cannot be denied but it is a large Empire T is tru that Spain in former times was divided into many Kingdoms as Castile Aragon Navarre Leon c. but now they are all concentred in one Crown Adde herunto the Kingdoms of Naples and Calabria with the Duchy of Milan which make up about the one moity of Italy He is Lord of Belgium or the Netherland He hath Sicilie Sardinia with other Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the Canaries with divers other in the Atlantik He hath sundry places up and down the Coasts of Afrik He hath the Moluccas and Philipiâ—…a Islands which are without number in the Indies It was the Spanish Navigation that refelld the Paradox for which we read that a Bishop was once imprisond for a Heretik because he held ther were Antipodes O Immortal God! what an heroik and incomparable exploit was that of discovering and conquering the West-Indies which counterbalanceth all the old world were they cast into a pair of scales which mighty benediction was reservd by a special Providence for Spain But what a world of dangers doubts and difficulties did precede the work On the one side the incertitude of the Thing and the perils of the angry-tumbling Ocean did offer themsells On the other side the vast expences of the Viage with despair of new provision when the old was spent And in case they shold take sooting on a new earth the Clime might perhaps not agree with their bodies and the Savages might prove stronger then they as they were in
number above a thousand for one T is tru that such imaginations as these did much distract them a while but at last their courage and constancy was such that they broke through all these dissi culties And touching that huge mass of peeple in America as a wild boistrous Boar taken within the toyls doth foam struggle and turn about to try all ways how he may get out at last when all will not serve and having wasted his spirits he lies down with quietness and despair putting himself upon the mercy of the Huntsmen so the wild American having tryed all ways of opposition lay down at last succumbent and prostrat at the Spaniards feet and for a reward of their indefatigable pains and prowess the Divine Providence gave them afterwards Mines and Mountains of Tresure yea Rivers running with Gold Seas full of Perl with all sorts of Gems and precious stones all kind of Aromatik Spices sweet Woods with a world of new Species of Birds Beasts Plants and Fishes which Europe never knew But what Exchanges and recompence did Spain make to America for all this Marry she affoorded her a far more precious Jewel which was Christian Religion Praequa quisquiliae caetera In comparison wherof all other things are but Bables And what a world of pious pains did the Spaniards take to plant that Tree of Life among them It is recorded by Boterus that one Franciscan Fryar did baptise about 400000 Savages in the sacred Laver of Regeneration insomuch that one may now travel thousands of miles in America and very frequently meet with Christian Churches Chappels Monasteries Convents Nunneries Towns Villages Castles Forts or Bulwarks as he goes along What a coyle do the Historians keep about the Achievements of Alexander the Great We well know that he subdued but part of Asia But here a new world is conquerd about thrice as big as whole Asia Therfore the Kings of Spain may be only said to have done Miracles in steed of Exploits And as God Al mighty when He builds creates no less then a World when He is angry sends no less then an Universal Deluge when He confers Grace doth sacrifice no less then the prime Son when He rewards gives no less then Paradis when He wars sends no less then Legions of Angels making also the Elements to fight the Sea to open and the Sun to stand So if Finite things may bear any proportion with Infinit the Kings of Spain have bin desigud to do mighty things if not miracles when They build they build no less then an Escurial if They are angry they drive forth whole Nations as the Iews and Moors if they provide for the publick good they sacrifice no less then their own Sons if they take Arms they conquer not only whole Kingdoms but new Worlds insomuch that the King of Spain may be according to the Proverb truly called Rex Hominum the King of Men wheras those of England and France are calld the first King of Devils the other King of Asses It is the King of Spain alone to whom the Gran Mogor and Sophy use to send this superscription To the King who hath the Sun for his Helmet alluding to his vast Dominions in all parts of the world and that the Sun doth always shine on some of them besides it is no mean preeminence to the Catholik King That God Almighty is servd evry hour of the Natural Day in some of his Territories Therfore it can be no derogation from any other Monark if for Glory and Amplitude of Dominions for Men and Mines for fulgor of Majesty and Power for Islands and Continents for a long Arm and Sword the Catholik King be preferred before any other Prince or Potentat upon the Terrestrial Globe take both the Hemispheres together Argum. 6. Proving That the King of Spain may challenge Precedence for Nobleness of Family as also for Royal Arms and Ensignes c. NObility among the Heralds is of two sorts the one is of Parental Extraction and Blood and this is rather our Progenitors then our own being ingrafted or traducd unto us from them Ther is another Nobility which is accidental underivd or personal and this comes either from abundance of Riches or from excellency of Parts or from the Merit and Glory of some great Exploit The first proceeds from Descent the other from Desert Now among other Prerogatives of Kings one of the highest is that they are the source and fountain of Nobility and Honor Therfore no Vassal whatsoever be he of never so ancient and illustrious extraction is capable to compare with the King though I am not ignorant that some of your French Monsieurs will vapor somtimes that way Now it contributs much to the honor of any Country to have a King of a long-lind Royal Race There is a good Text which tells us That Beata Terra cujus Rex nobilis est with another Quà m puchra est generatio cum claritate Immortalis enim est memoria illius quoniam apud Deum nota est apud Homines The Land is blessd whose King is Noble How beutiful is a Generation with brightness the memory therof is Immortal because t is known with God and Men. The Kingdome of Spain may glory to have had Kings of both the foresaid Nobilities both Progenial derivd from their Predecessors and Personal from their own Merit and heroik perfections of Vertue as Magnanimity and Fortitude as Prudence and high Wisdome as extraordinary Devotion and Sanctitie Touching the Royal Tree of the Genealogie of the Kings of Spain we can fetch it from the Families of the Amalis and Baltheis whence the Kings of the Visigoths and Ostrogoths descended above a thousand yeers since Then from the glorious house of Austria which may be calld a tru Imperial Tree by having producd so many Emperours that have continued in that stem above these two hundred years without interruption which House began with Theobarto who came from Sigebart Duke of Germany Anno 604. Touching the Shield-Ensignes and the Royal Arms of the King of Spain they are as noble as any and it adds much to the Nobleness of a Kingdome to have noble Arms which hath bin accounted no small blemish to the Crown of France whose ancient Arms were three Toads in a black field though the signification of the Hieroglyphik makes some amends for it which relates to the fruitfulness of France for Toads choose always the fattest soyle yet is he an ugly slow poysonous creature and abhorred by humane Nature But upon the conversion of King Clouis to Christianity the French do vaunt that a Shield with three Flower de Luces of a Caerulean color fell down miraculously from Heven as Numas Shield did in Rome and the Palladium did in Troye which Arms France gives ever since But the truth of that miracle is much questiond for the greatest Authors as Emilius Gillius Reginon and Gregorius Turonensis in the Life of King Clou is makes no
mention of any such thing But grant that France hath reason to give the Lilies or Flower de Luces for her Royal Arms yet Spain hath a nobler for Spain gives the Crosse in her Shield For we know that many ancient and Authentik Writers affirm how the Cantabrians or Biscayners who were left unconquerd by the Romans carried a Crosse in their Banner long before the Nativity of our Saviour which King Pelagius carried when issuing forth of the great Cave calld Cobadonga to this day with not much above 1000 Christians he utterly routed 60000 Saracens to the memory wherof t is thought the great Church Cangas calld St. Crosses Church was erected where he lieth buried with a Crosse ingraven upon his Tomb. And after King Pelagius who is calld the Instaurator of Spain with other Kings had the Crosse in their Banner And San Isodorus who after St. Iames the Apostle is the Patron of Spain always usd it who was a Bishop and a Knight so that wheresoever he is represented either in shadow or stone he is painted in a Pontifical vest having the Crosse in one hand and the Sword in the other and as the Oriflambe is the chiefest Banner of France which is kept in the great Church of St. Denis so in the great Church of Leon in Spain Saint Isodorus Banner is devoutly kept up which upon occasion of urgent necessity was usd by divers Kings to be brought to the Field against the Saracens and afterwards against the Moores wherby many glorious and wonderful Victories were obtaind Nor is the Crosse the Ensigne onely of Biscay and Castile but also of Arragon and of Navarre and the ground of it is related in Beuter Illescas and Turapha to be that when King Garcia Ximenez was ready to fight a Battail against the Saracens and that the Christians under his command grew to be dejected and faint-hearted ther appeerd in a green Tree a red Crosse very resplendent which struck such a comfort and courage and made such impressions in the heart of the fainty Soldiers that they fell upon the Infidel-enemy with so great a resolution that they did utterly discomfit him wherupon he was called Rey de Sobrarbe because that the holy Crosse appeerd above a Tree Argum. 7. Proving That the Catholik King may claim Precedence because he is King of Jerusalem and that the Right of Unction belongs also to Him c. ALl Authors concede that in all solemn Pomps and publik Places the first seat in the Church after the Emperour belongs to the King of Ierusalem as Corsetus Grasalius and others do observe And the Reasons are many Because our Saviour preachd and sufferd there Because he made choice of his Apostles and Disciples there Because he wrought most Miracles there Because he conversd and had conference with Men there Because he instituted his last Supper there Because he did consummat the Eternal Salvation of Mankind there and because he was buried there with multitude of other Reasons Now that the King of Spain is right King of Ierusalem I beleeve ther are but few will deny it for the Holy Father in all his Bulls in his Apostolical Letters and all publik spiritual Dispatches doth stile him King of Ierusalem and so doth the Conclave the College of Cardinals the Rota or Judges of the Apostolik Chancery And it is as cleer as the Meridian that this Title is due to him as he is King of both the Sicilies viz. of Sicily Calabria and Naples which appeers evident in all Annals and Chronicles Although the French do cavil with him for a Right to those Kingdomes which Valdesius and Vasquez do sufficiently answer and refute Nor can it be denied but a double Unction belongs to him as he is King of both those Kingdomes wheras the Kings of England and France have but one Unction apeece relating to single Kingdomes Now that Kings are to be anointed with holy Oyl the sacred Code tells us plainly for it was the warrant which God Almighty himself the King of Heven and Earth gave unto the Prophet Elias Unges Asachel Regem super Syriam Iehu silium Namasi unges Regem super Israel Thou shalt 〈◊〉 â—…sachel King over Syria and thou shalt anoint Iehu King over Israel In another place he speaks himself Inveni David servum meum oleo sancto meo unxi eum I have found David my servant and with my holy Oyl have I anointed him Therfore Kings are called Christs upon earth because they are anointed by God Nay Cyrus is calld Christ in this sense as the Text saith Haec dicit Dominus Cyro Christo ejus Thus says God to Cyrus his Christ or his anointed One of the Prerogatives of the Emperour is that he is to be anointed by the Pope himself But Kings are anointed by their own Prelats Augustin de Ancona gives the reason for this Ceremony because Oyl signifieth gladness and promptitude to debel the Enemies of the Church to fight for the Orthodoxal Faith and carry away Victories Therupon at the celebration of the Olympik Games the Wrastlers were usd to be anointed as the Poet sings Exercent Patrias Oleo labente Palestras Nudati Socii The holy King saith Dilexisti justitiam odisti iniquitatem propterea unxit te Deus Oleo laetitiae prae consortibus tuis Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity wherfore God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy fellows By Oyl also is understood cleerness of Conscience as we read Prudentes Virgines acceperunt oleum in vasibus suis The wise Virgins took oyl in their lamps Now they are Hevenly wide of the truth who hold that these two Kings viz. of Ierusalem and Sicily with those of England and France are only capable of holy Unction For it belongs to all Kings especially to the Catholik King who is a mixt Person twixt Temporal and Spiritual for he is Canon of Burgos as the French King is of a Church in Poitou But the Kings of Spain have bin from all times anointed from the time of King Vuamba and after him Ervigius for the Text of the Council of Toledo saith plainly Serenissimus Ervigius Princeps Regni conscenderit Regni culmen Regnandique per sacram Unctionem susceperit potestatem Most serene Ervigius Prince of the Kingdome shall ascend the top of the Kingdome and by the holy Oyl take a power to raign After these the Gothik Kings were also anointed from Pelagius downward Therfore t is a pure Paradox or rather a vulgar Error that none but the four mentiond Kings are capable of holy Unction Argum. 8. Proving That the Catholik King may challenge Precedence because of the free and absolut Power he hath over his Dominions and that he hath Empires under Him c. IT mightily concerns Royal Dignity to have a whole Plenary Dominion and Rule and not to be subordinat to any other Temporal Power whatsoever Such an absolut Dominion the Catholik King enjoys and is entaild upon him
first though t was not concocted to good blood until Osius did it What great favours and indulgence did the poor persecuted Christians receave from â—…rajan from Elius Hadrianus from Antoninus Pius from Theodosius all Spanish Emperours in the time of the ten Persecutions How strongly did Spain tug with the Arrian Heresie till she was quite put upon her back and at last converted The Albigenses in France who had such nefarious and indeed nefandous Principles As that it was lawful to destroy Churches To pull down Crosses To have Wives in common That the Humane Soul was of Gods making but the Body of the Devils c. I say that these ugly Heretiks were principally converted by St. Dominik and by Didacus Episcopus Oximensis both of them being Spaniards and sent by Pope Innocent 3. expresly for that service in the raign of Lewis 7. of France wherin also Blanche Queen of Spain took much pains with great success How much did Charles the fifth labour to quell Luther and to crush the Cocatrice in the shell which causd this Distik to be made in those times of him and Henry the Eighth of England Carolus Henricus Christi Defensor Uterque Henricus Fidei Carolus Ecclesiae Charles and Henry both Defendors of Christ Charles of his Church Henry of his Faith And Spain is so zelous a Christian that t is not only sufficient for her to abstain from Heresie but from the very suspition therof which made her to erect and raise up that wall of brass against it I mean the Tribunal of the Inquisition By which sacred Office the Vineyard of the Lord in the Spanish Dominions is kept free from brambles and thorns with all noisome weeds T is preservd and hedgd therby from all wild ravenous Beasts that so much annoy her in other Kingdomes and set fire on her skirts so often which Spain by the most prudent and pious establishment of this holy Office is so happily made free Moreover ther have bin no Kings so eminently liberal and munificent to the holy House of God together with their Governors and Ministers as the Kings of Spain have bin in all Ages insomuch that a computation hath bin made that well neer the third part of Spain are spiritual Revenues and the third part of the Churches have bin founded by Kings The Archbishop of Toledo is the greatest Ecclesiastical Dignity in Christendome next the Papacy for it hath above 300000 Crowns annual Revenues which countervails three of the best Archbishopriks in France Nor have the Catholik Kings thought it any derogation to make their Sons Archbishops of that place and Chancellors of Castile Furthermore ther hath bin a late calculation made That of those five or six hundred Millions of Tresure that hath bin transported to Spain from Mexico and Peru since the discovery of the West-Indies the Church hath the tenth part insomuch that in some petty Rural Churches one shall see huge massie Candlesticks of Silver with large Chalices Pixes Crosses and Crucifixes some of them of massie Gold and inlaid with precious 〈◊〉 Nor is this Tresure lost that is given the Church For the Clergie of Spain have bin always ready to serve and assist their King in all his exigents and necessities insomuch that it is a saying in Spain That los tesoros de la yglesia son como 〈◊〉 contra â—…na tormenta The tresures of the Church are as anchors against a storm Adde herunto that no Kings of Spain have felt the fulminations of the Vatican viz. the sentence of Excommunication as other Kings have done But they have always obeyd with much exactness the Doctrine of the holy Church resigning their Intellectuals and the whole inward man to the determinations therof as also to defend them against all Opposers wheras divers French Kings have had clashes and frequent contestations with the holy Father What high feuds had Philippe le Bel with Pope Boniface 8 for he passd an Edict of Interdiction that none of his Ecclesiastiks shold have commerce with Rome He obeyd not the Pontificial censures but toar his Letters detaind his Legats and convoqud a Provincial Council in Paris against his order wherin ther were Accusations of Simony and Schism obtruded against him But all this while the Kings of Castilâ—… and Aragon adherd to his Holiness as being the Head and Common Father of the Catholik Church Lewis the eleventh of France against the Ecclesiastical Liberties did institut the Pragmatical Sanction enforcing the Pope to assent therunto wherby all the Canoâ—…cal Laws and Discipline fell in France as Mausonius observes Charles 8. enterd Rome against the Popes will and did as good as war with him as with an enemy but the Catholik King Ferdinand 5. adherd to him to very good purpose Touching Lewis 12. what a bitter enemy he was to the Apostolik seat what troubles he excited against Iulius 2. which gave the first countenance and rise to those Heresies that have pullulated in the Church and so miserably torn the very Bowels of her ever since Philip 2. of France repudiating his lawful Wife married another not only without the consent of Celestin the holy Father but against the opinion of his own Ecclesiastiks whom he handled with so much rigor and tyranny Philip the first of France did no less bandy against the Decrees of the Church in divers things and did likewise cast off his Legitimat Wife and forcd another Lewis 6. of France did so persecut the holy Church that he drew Anathemas and spiritual Execrations upon him Lewis 7. of France had such contentions with Pope Innocent 〈◊〉 that he remaind under the heavy sentence of Excommunication three full yeers Charles le Bel was so highly disobedient to Pope Iohn 23. that he interdicted to pay him his Tenths and other Ecclesiastik Rights Francis 1. and Hen. 2. of France to their eternal reproach calld in the Turk to their assistance against the Christian Emperour Of all which particulars ther are Authentik Historians who make mention and leave it upon record to all Posterity But the French speak very loud how Charles the fifth raisd such a fierce war against Clement 7. that he besiegd Rome and made the Pope prisoner T is confessd but it was upon a pure temporal score yet he resented it so much that it drew repentance from him nor did he grieve a whit that his General the Duke of Bourbon was killd as he was scaling the walls of Rome because he had exceeded his commission Nor when the news came to Spain of the success of the Emperours Army was any joy of triumph shewd at all but rather a dark sadness and all the signes of sorrow which possessd him to his dying day And for a compensation to the Holy Father he establishd his Nephew in the State of Florence Thus have we collected the Reasons and Arguments of these three great Monarks in order to a Precedence of Place and Superiority Concerning the Reasons of the two latter
appeer in a fitting equippage all which consumes time as also what high ceremonies are to be usd in so solemn an action Philip Comines who always dismisseth his Readers wiser then they came gives special Cautions for this Affirming that the congress of Souverain Princes in regard of the various circumstances that attend it is a meer folly it is exposd to emulation jelousies and envy as also to delays and retarding of things by needless solemnities He makes an instance in the personal Encounter which the Kings of England and France had where it is observable that he puts England before France adding further that Lewis the eleventh though a politik wise King was much afraid before-hand that some word might slip from him which might give offence or some advantage to the King of England or his Ministers Herunto he adds an infortunat Journey that the King of Portugal made to the said King Lewis for assistance against the Castilians which perhaps he might have procurd by a discreet Ambassador which makes him give a caution touching this point Bien tard â—…n Prince se doit mettre soubs la main d'un autre ni aller cercher son secours en personne A Prince shold hardly put himself under the hands of another or go seek aid of him in person Paulus Emilius also describing the personal meeting that was between King Richard of England and Philip Augustus of France who also in the relation puts him of England before France saith that their often Conversation and Colloquies did much retard and disadvantage the great business of an Expedition to the Holy Land We will adde herunto the memorable example twixt Matthias King of Hungary and Uladislaus King of Bohemia who after a long War were to meet for concluding a peace in Olmutts in Moravia where Matthias meerly out of state made Uladislaus stay for him 15 days Moreover Matthias came with a green Garland about his temples in policy that he might not uncover his head Uladislaus therupon causd his Cap to be so girded and knotted about that it could not be taken off Sic Ars dâ—…luditur arte But ther is a Modern Example far more pregnant then any of these of Charles the first King of England whose Journey to the Court of Spain though the designe was Princely and Noble in it self for it was to endear himself the more to the Lady Infanta yet it provd very disadvantagious for it distracted and retarded the whole business both of Match and restitution of the Palatinat when by the negotiation of Ambassadors it had bin brought to such a passe of perfection that it had taken effect had not the Prince come thither which gave occasion for the two great Favorits Buckingham and Olivares to clash one with another which broke the neck of so great a Business that had bin a moulding above ten yeers which had it bin left to the sole management of Ambassadors had in all probability bin consummated Thus we see how absolutly requisit and necessary how advantagious and essential Ambassadors are to a Kingdom or Common-wealth which made the Roman Orator say Sentio Legatorum munus tum Hominum Praesidio munitum esse tum etiam Divino Iure circumvallatum I â—…old the function of Ambassadors to be fencd by mens power and fortified by Divine right We will conclude with a Cannon of the Civilians Legatorum munus perquam utile est ac perquam necessarium The Office of Ambassadors is most 〈◊〉 and most necessary which makes the Spaniards call it Santo Officio y Ministerio de los Angeles The holy Office and Ministry oâ—… Angells The third Paragraph Of the Antiquity the first Rise and Pedigree of Ambassadors as also of their Dignity high Honor and Pre-eminence and who are capable to qualifie and employ Ambassadors FRom the Necessity of Ambassadors we will proceed to their Antiquity and surely they must needs be very ancient if they are so necessary Some draw their antiquity from Belus the Father of Ninus but Iosephus makes them more ancient and refers their Original to God Himself who was pleasd to create the Angels for this Ministry Therfore Embassy in Greek is calld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being derivd by imitation from the Hierarchy of Angels who are made the Ambassadors of the great King of Heven upon extraordinary occasions either for revelation of the successe of Kingdoms as the Archangel Gabriel was to Daniel Or for the declaring of some rare and signal thing as He was sent also to the Blessed Virgin of the Conception of our Saviour c. Now ther is no Order or Government in this lower World as well Ecclesiastical as Secular but it is had from the Pattern of the higher in regard that God Almighty created the Elementary World and appointed the Government therof to conform with the Architype and chief Pattern or Ideal Form of the same conceavd at first in the Divine mind and prescribd to the Hevenly Kingdome Herunto alludes the Fiction of the ancient Pagans For Aristides tels us that in the first Age of the World wheras Mankind was infected by Brute Animals wherof some were far stronger others swifter others were Venemous which made Mankind become often a prey to Birds to Beasts and Serpents Prometheus being sollicitous and studious for the safety of the humane Creture became Ambassador or Orator to Iupiter for declaring the misery of Mankinde Herupon Iupiter resolvd to send his son Mercury to teach Man Rhetorik that is to speak well and movingly but with this restriction that he shold not communicat this Art to all but to the excellentst the wisest and valiantst sort of men By means herof they came down from the mountains and forth out of Caves and places of fastness and by means of that Art of Rhetorik or Eloquence they united themselfs to civil Societies and coalitions Hence it may be inferrd that Mercury the God of Eloquence was the first Ambassador and he is painted with wings on his heels to denote expedition Besides he carrieth a white Wand calld Caduceus in his hand encircled with two Dragons greeting one another which signifieth that his Office is to make Peace Alliances and Legues as also to de nounce VVar which is intimated by the immanity of the Dragon Having thus displayed the Antiquity we come now to the Honor of Ambassadors and questionless they must needs be very honorable being so ancient Royalty may be said without prophaness to be a Ray of Divinity and Honor is a Ray of Royalty The first is derivd immediatly from Heven the other from Earthly Kings who are calld the Fountains of Honor. Now the reflections of this second Ray falls no where so directly as upon Ambassadors who represent and personat Souverain Princes which makes their Houses Sanctuaries and their Persons so sacred inviolable and excellent and they have this high honor given them not only for their own sakes and their Masters but as they are Instruments of
of that Country to whom he is sent will be apt to think that the Prince whom he personats is so We read that Artaxerces culld out sorty of the hansomst men that could be found to send in quality of Ambassadors to Alexander who were also hansomely clad so that it was a question whether they were a greater ornament to their Garments or their Garments to them as the Greeks said An Ambassador being employed from England to Rome with a train of very comely Gentlemen the Pope beholding them said Hi videntur potius Angeli quam Angli These appeer rather to be Angels then English-men Aristotle being askd why outward beuty and comliness begat so much love answerd That this was a Blind-mans question 4. That he shold be well in yeers for Experience being the great Looking-glass of Wisdome and Wisdome being the principal Vertu requird in an Ambassador Men that have many yeers on their backs qui ont pisse en beaucoup de neiges as the Frenchman saith must needs have more experience by observing the vicissitude of worldly things and the successes therof who have passed the unruly affections of Youth which like so many Mastiffs do daily set upon us Senators or Counsellors of State are denominated from Senes Old men and an Ambassador who may be rankd among the highest Counsellors of State shold be so T is a tru saying Qui in multis versati versuti sunt 5. That he shold be of a proportionable good Estate and not indigent for then he will be the more sedulous diligent and careful in his charge because he hath something to loose for his Estate may be said to be his Bayl all the while he is abroad Moreover it will add much to the reputation of an Ambassador if he be known to be rich 6. He must be liberal and munificent remembring the Person whom he represents for a sordid parsimony and niggardness is odious in all men specially in an Ambassador The Spaniaro saith That Dadivas entran sin taladro Gifts make their way in without a Wimble and nothing concerns an Ambassador more then to make his way into the Consults and Transactions of state of that Court where he resides which cannot be done if he be close-fisted When Sulpitius Galba and Aurelius Cotta did contend who shold be sent to Spain Ambassador in the time of Viriatus Emilianus one of the Senators said That neither of them was fit for the one was poor and the other was covetous thâ—… one had nothing and nothing wold satisfie the other Ther is a remarkable passage in Iovius That when the Florentines sent Ambassadors to Charles 5. and Clement 7. being then at Bolonia together with their houshold-stuff they brought covertly many rich Commodities to sell because they might be free from paying the Gabel But the Searchers of the Custome house having discoverd it they became a laughing-stock and as unworthy of the Office of Ambassadors they were remanded home without audience By this example it appeers that Ambassadors Luggages may be searchd Wherunto we may add another of Sir Thomas Chaloner sent Ambassador to Spain by Queen Elizabeth who sending complaint home that his Chests had bin searchd the Council sitting therupon determind as Campden hath it in these words Legato omnia aequi bonique ferenda dummodo Principis Honor non directè violetur An Ambassador must bear all things patiently provided that the Honor of the Prince whom he serves be not directly violated 7. He must be accostable and courteous and not of a moross humor yet reserving still his staâ—…e and gravity when time place and persons require Urbanity and gentleness works much upon all affections and he is a cheap Frend who is got by a Complement Therfore it becomes and behoves an Ambassador to comply with all in civilities by being of a winning complacentious and benign behaviour yet not to make himself too cheap and to have a special care where he placeth his Complements 8. An Ambassador also must be constant and tenacious of the Religion of his Prince and Country both in the confident profession and constant practice therof if he cannot publikly yet privatly within the walls of his own House for nothing raiseth a repute more then an opinion of Piety Therfore he must be very careful in the choice of his house that it be fair and large and a good distance from the Court otherwise he may be pesterd with too many Visiters that will have their feet under his table ever and anon He must be also constant to the habit and vests of his own King and Country For he who doth not follow the fashion of his Prince herin may be said Exuere Personam and this was imputed as a great fault and fantastiqueness in my Lord Rosse when he went to Spain in King Iames his time who appeerd at his first Audience and continued afterwards in the Spanish habit An Ambassador must be also very careful in the choice of Liveries for his Pages and Laquays that they be rich and fair but not fantastical As likewise that he be well Coachd and that his Coach be well drawn by good Horses for nothing sets forth the lustre of an Ambassador more The sixth Paragraph Touching the Election and appointment of an Ambassador that He shold be Par Negotio or adaequat to the Employment He goes about THe discretion and prudence of a Prince discovers it self in nothing more then in the choice of his Instruments The old Poet tells us If Carpenter have not good Tools He makes ill-favourd Chairs and Stools But of all other Instruments and Officers ther must be most inspection had in the choice of his Ambassador for as the incolumity of the Kingdome depends upon the King so the welfare of the King depends much upon the ability of his Ambassador Therfore this trustful Charge this sacred Function must not be prostituted to evry one for Ex quolâ—…bet ligno non fit Mercurius Evry one is not cut out for a Mercury that is an Ambassador for Mercury is accounted the God of Ambassadors The Romans for a time did choose Ambassadors Sortilegio by Lots as the Venetians now choose their Doge and this was to prevent competitions and corruptions Some were chosen Togâ by the Gown for their wisdome some Sago by the Cassock â—…or their experience in the War according as the quality of the present business did require and indeed t is a great advantage to an Ambassador to have something of a Soldier in him howsoever he must go always Cinctus gladio with his Sword by his side and the Prince who sends him must have also his Sword in his hand though he treats of peace The principalst quality requird in him is to be Intrepidus to be fearless resolut and stout He must not be pusillanimous and sheepish for the witty Proverb will tell him Chi pecora si fà il lupo se la mangia Who makes himself a sheep the wolf will
Husband Maids and Unmarried Women took up some their Brothers some their Kinred and so all marchd out so Caesar pardond all I will conclude with a late example of Madame Sardaus who went so often privatly twixt Bruxels and the Hague until the peace was concluded twixt Spain and Holland after fourscore yeers Wars by Sea and Land Therfore she was calld La Maquarelle de la Paix which was no disgrace to her The seventh Paragraph Touching the Office Function and Duty of an Ambassador in the execution of his Place and acquitting himself of the great Fiduciary Trust reposd in Him c. THe Civilians who are best versd in the Laws of Embassies say Legatio est mysteriosum quid that it is a mysterious thing It is full of secrecie and darkness as it is of Faith and Trust. The Lord high Chancellor of England who is Keeper of the Kings Conscience as well as of the Great Seal hath a great trust reposd in him for to mitigat the rigor of the Laws by way of Equity The Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench he of the Common Pleas and the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer have great trusts reposd in them but all these deal twixt Subject and Subject and sometimes twixt King and Subject But Ambassadors have a higher trust for they deal twixt Kings and Kings twixt Countries and Countries therfore as the burden is heavier so the honor is the greater ther is no secrecie belongs to the other Offices but reservedness and secrecie is the soul of Embassy which made one say If his Cap knew his privat Instructions he wold hurle it into the fire and burn it And as ther is honor in this high employment so ther is much honor attends it which made one say That that Ambassador who loseth one hair of his Masters honor forfeits his head at his return One of the principal Duties of an Ambassador is to stick close to his Instructions and the Mandats of his Master and therin an Ambassador Lidger doth not run so much hazard as an Extraordinary who hath many things commonly left to discretion by way of implicit trust Besoldus defines the Office of an Ambassador thus Ut Mandatum fideliter cum dexteritate exequatur acceptum responsum diligentissime notatum referat Mittenti That with faithfulness and dexterity he execut the Command and report to him who sent him the Answer most diligently noted Ther is a shorter definition Officium Legati est ut Mandata Legationis diligenter conficiat ex Fâ—…de That he perform carefully the Command of the Embassy and with Faith He derives all his Power from his Instructions for without them ther is no Mission or Embassy Ther is an Example of the Athenians that having employd Ambassadors with divers Iustructions wherof one was that they shold take such a way as they went they going another way though they had performd all the rest of the Instructions yet they were put to death at their return for infringing this one Ther are divers instances how Ambassadors exceeding their Commissions and falling into follies have bin punishd upon the place Hector Boetius relates that Olaus and Evetus killd the Scots Ambassadors Teaca Queen of Sclavonia killd a Roman Ambassador as Polybius mentions The Athenians causd Darius Ambassadors to be thrown into a Well Dandolo the Venetian Ambassador had his eyes pluckd out by the King of Sicily But let us descend to latter Ages Francis the first of France sent Fregosa and Rinion Ambassadors to the Turk Charles 5. soldiers discoverd surprizd and flew them in Italy The fact was justified by the Emperour because they were both his subjects the one being a Milanois the other of Genoa and servd his Enemy for ther were Wars then twixt Charles and Francis Edward the second of England employd a French Gentleman Ambassador to France who had bin executed for a Traytor for serving the Enemy had not the Queen interceded Anno 1302. the Pope sent an Ambassador to France where he practisd some Treson and being arraigned convicted and condemned to die the Popes Frends procurd that he shold be banishd only The Venetian drew out of the French Ambassadors House some who bad discoverd their secrets to the Turk where resistance being made Cannons were sent for from the Arsenal and so they were taken out by force and the French King not offended The Ambassadors in these latter examples by their own indiscretion and misdemenures drew these violences upon themselfs We will concude this point with a latter example in England 1624. at which time ther were two Spanish Ambassadors residing in London who were the Marquiss of Inojosa and Don Carlos Coloma and the Prince of Wales being newly returnd from Madrid Re infectâ without the Infanta matters began to gather ill bloud twixt England and Spain in regard that the Treties both of Match and Palatinat were dissolvd by Act of Parlement which was done by means of the Duke of Buckingham The said Ambassadors finding that they contrivd a way how to supplant and destroy the Duke Herupon falling into consideration that King Iames was grown old and that the least thing might make impressions of distrust and jealousies in him therfore in a privat audience they did intimat unto him that ther was a very dangerous designe against his Royal Authority traced by the Duke of Buckingham and his Complices which was that at the beginning of that Parlement the said Duke with certain Lords and others consulted of the argument means which were to be taken for the breaking and dissolving of the Treties both of the Spanish Match and for the restitution of the Palatinat and if his Majesty wold not conform therunto their consultations passd so far that he shold have a house of plesure where he might retire himself to his sports in regard that the Prince had now yeers sufficient and parts answerable for the Government of the Kingdome The King for the present dismissd them with thanks But the next day he made earnest instances that as they had discoverd a Conspiracie they wold also detect the Conspirators this being the only means wherby their own honor might be preservd in proving the truth of things To this they replyed That they had reveald enough already in order to the care and zeal they had to his Royal Person and Dignity Therupon the King commanded that the Duke of Buckingham shold be put to his Oath with others who were most suspectful which they all took for cleering their integrity This being done the King returnd to make new instances to the said Ambassadors that they wold not prefer the discovery of the names of the Conspirators to the security of his Person as also to the truth and honor of themselfs and to the hazard of an opinion to be held the Authors and Betrayers of a Plot of so much malice sedition and danger but they wold discover no more Yet a few days
whom I refer the Reader We will conclude this Paragraph with some further inspections into the Laws of England concerning Ambassadors In the 13 of Queen Elizabeth it was gravely debated in the Bishop of Rosse his case who was Ambassador here for Scotland An Legatus qui Rebellionem contra Principem ad quem Legatus concitat Legati privilegi is gaudeat an ut hostis poenis subjaceat Whether an Ambassador who raiseth Rebellion against the Prince to whom he is sent is to enjoy the privileges of an Ambassador or whether he is to lie under a punishment as an Enemy It was resolved by all the Judges of the Land that he had lost the privileges of an Ambassador and was punishable by the Law of the Land Herupon Mendoza the Spanish Amdassador was commanded away because he fomented a Rebellion c. Moreover as my Lord Coke hath it and therin he agreeth with the Civilians If an Ambassador committeth a delect contra Ius Gentium as Treason Felony Adultery c. he loseth the privilege of an Ambassador and may be punished in England as any privat Alien and not to be remanded but upon courtesie But committing any thing against the privat Municipal Law and Customes of England which is not Malum in se Iure gentium He is not punishable The breaking of Truces and Safe-conducts was once High Treason by the Laws of England but that was mitigated 2 Hen. 5. Furthermore my Lord Coke holds in his fourth Institut That if one be namd but Agent in his Credentials from a King yet he is an Ambassador The ninth Paragraph Concerning the wise Compliances and Witty facetious Sayings and Carriage of divers Ambassadors during the time of their Negotiation c. AS it is a principal quality in an Ambassador to be serious abstruse and reservd in the discharge of his Function so it is a mighty advantage for him to be Witty as well as Wise to be facetious and play the Drol sometimes for the Italian says Non è saggio chi non sà esser pazzo He is not wise who knows not how to play the Fool sometimes Apt pleasant and sudden Reparties discover a great deal of wit An Ambassador being sent to the King of Morocco whose Law we know is not to eat Swines Flesh be brought him Letters wherin all his Titles were not given him The King said Sus has Literas peperit A Sow begat these Letters The Ambassador suddenly answerd Ne iis Vescaris It was done that you shold not eat them The Town of Agrigentum as Herodotus reports having sent Gellias a very hard-favord man Ambassador to Centuripe a low dirty Town in Sicily and being jeerd and stard upon at his audience he answerd Ne Miremini Centuripini ut Urbes sunt ita Cives mei Legatos mittunt pulchros ad pulchras deformes ad deformes Do not wonder O you of Centuripe at me for my Masters of Agrigentum send their Ambassadors as the Cities are Faiâ—… to Faiâ—… Foul to Foul. Don Pedro de Toledo being employd Ambassador to Henry the 4. of France ther were many traverses between them at one privat audience and Don Pedro magnifying much the power of the Spanish Monarchy King Henry said That it was much like the Statue of Nebuchadnezzar composd of divers peeces but having Feet of clay Don Pedro then replying somewhat high the King rejoynd that if he were provokd he wold carry flames even to the Escurial and if that he once mounted he wold be soon in Madrid Don Pedro answerd Indeed King Francis was there meaning Francis the first who was taken at the Battail of Pavia and remaind Prisoner in Madrid divers yeers The King going on further to tax the King of Spain for usurping divers Countries of his and namely the Kingdome of Navarre which he might live to recover Don Pedro answerd That the Iustice wherby the King his Master held Navarre wold help him to defend it The King replyd Your reason is good till I be in Pampelona Don Pedro therupon rising hastily and going towards the door The King askd whither went he so hastily He answerd To provide entertainment for your Majesty at Pampelona A French Ambassador Monsieur de Tilliers as I take it residing here and being invited one day to Dine with King Iames the King being well disposd began a Health to him saying The King of France drinks the French Kings Health The Ambassador answerd as pleasantly Le Roy mon Maitre est bon Lieutenant Il tient bien la France de Luy The King my Master is a good Lieutenant he holds France well from him But of any that I have heard or read of Don Diego de Acunia Count of Gondamar had an extraordinary faculty this way and besides he had well studied the Genius of King Iames in whose Raign he resided here how he was pleasd with sudden plesant Reparties therfore he did Seria jocose he did dispatch serious things in a merry way When Sir Walter Rawleigh was gone with a Fleet to Guiana and when news was broght that he had taken San Toma plunderd the place and killd the Governor which was as some say beyond the bounds of his Commission wherin he was restraind from doing any Acts of hostility upon the firm Land Gondamar came early one morning to the King desiring to speak but only one word to his Majesty being admitted he cryed out Pyratas Pyratas Pyratas intimating that Sir Walter Rawleigh was turnd Pyrat but that word was so fatal that it took off Sir Walters head though upon an old score Another time having discoursd of many things with the King in a privat audience in French the King askd him whether he understood Latin or no Yes Sir said Gondomar I understand it and speak it Discoursing afterwards in Latin of divers things in a free and facetions way it happend that Gondamar spoke false Latin once or twice the King smiling said How comes it to pass that you being an Ambassador to so great a King who shold be exact in all things how comes it that you break Priscians head so often Gondamar replyed Sir I speak Latin like a King and your Majesty speaks Latin like an Ambassador Count Gondamar having bin outragd by the Rabble in London who threw Tobacco-pipes into his Litter and did him other affronts coming after to have a privat audience and the King taking notice of it he said La Harina de Ingalatierra es muy delgada y fina pero el afrecho es muy grossero Sir the Flowre of England meaning the Gentry is very fine but the Bran is very coorse meaning the common peeple Another time being to dispatch a Courrier to Spain and the old Countess of Buckingham being then in extraordinary high favor that most Suters made their address unto her he writ in a Postscript to Count Olivares That ther were never greater hopes then now that England wold turn Roman Catholik for the Mother was more worshippd
whatsoever He did being done by fear duresse and compulsion was of no better force then a Covenant extorted by violence or made in prison by a private man which when he is at liberty he is not bound by Law to perform if it tend to his damage To this t is answerd That the case is far different twixt Souverain Princes and privat men for between the one ther fall out but Processes and Suits in law if they disagree or not perform what is a greed upon But between Princes bloud and Wars fire and Sword death and destruction somtimes of whole Countries and millions of human soules do Ensue Therfore when a King by the propitiousness of Heven and his own prowess by the hazard of his life loss of his peeple with infinit pains and expence of Tresure hath gaind a Victory by the justness of his Cause and Divine decree or reduâ—…d his Enemy to a streight All the Civilians concur in one unanimous opinion that he may make the best advantage he can of his good successes and reduce his Enemy to what terms he please And the Articles which shall then be capitulated consented and sworn unto are to be exactly performd otherwise there wold be no end of any War Now rhe French Chroniclers themselfs acknowledg that Henry the 5. might at that conjuncture of time and fortune have destroyed the whole Realm of France and taken the King prisoner or driven him quite out But he was so far from doing so that he sufferd him to enjoy the Kingdom while he livd and by taking his daughter to wife made her Issue therby capable not only of the French but also of the English Crown with all the Dominions thereunto annexed Whence some Authors observ that the English have bin usd in all Treaties and Stipulations to be over-reasonable merciful plain and downright But the French crafty double minded inhumane high and subdolous upon all advantages Insomuch that t is a question which was sharper the English blade or the French brain I will conclude this digressive discours with another argument of the French viz. That Charles the sixth could not legally disinherit his eldest son being Heiâ—… apparent to the Crown of France To this may be answerd that neither Charles the sixth was rightful King nor consequently his son heir apparent for since Edward the third of England all the French Kings were but Usurpers they were Kings de facto not de jure Moreover ther are many Examples how the eldest sons of the Kings of France have bin disinherited We read that Robert made his second son Henry King of France by disinheriting Robert his eldest who for compensation was made Duke of Burgundy Lewis le Gros with the consent of all the Peers and Estats of France made also Lewis his second son King and gave Robert his eldest the Earldom of Dreux Dagobert made Clouis his second son King of France by putting by Sigisbert his eldest son I have bin somwhat long in discours of this great Transaction twixt England and France because the chief aim of this Work being at Precedence the discerning Reader may regulat his judgment accordingly We will now go on to conclude this Paragraph the main scope wherof being Antiquity and continuance of Royal Bloud The Genealogical Tree of the Kings of this Iland as all other Countries hath had various Stems the first were Britains now calld Welsh who may contend for Antiquity and may be said to be coetaneous with the Iland it self yea before it was an Iland for ther want not some who hold that it was at first a continent or a peninsula tied to Gallia by an Isthmos or neck of land stretching from Dover to Bullen for the Rocks on both coasts being of a colour and shape look as if they were slented one out of the other Before the Romans took footing here which was neer upon 200 yeers before they could do it peaceably the Britains did still so bear up against them wheras Gallia or France was fully conquerd in less then 10 yeers I say before the Roman Eagle fixd his talons here ther had bin 65 Kings of the British Bloud But then that Race being interrupted by the Romans for above 400 yeers the Iland being freed of Them some of the old British Bloud came to be Kings again among whom some were very famous as 〈◊〉 and Arthur his son the chief Christian Worthy who was the first Founder of Warlike honour conferrd upon his Knights of the Round Table And this Race of the old British Kings lasted till the raign of Cadwallader Anno 689 yet ther were Welsh Princes that swayd still as among other Howel Dha the Great Legislator and stood stoutly for their Liberty until the raign of Edw. 1. in whose raign Leolâ—… the last Prince of the British Bloud being slain in battel his head was brought to King Edward who commanded it to be crownd with Iâ—…ie confessing that he had met with more valour in the Welsh then the Scots for he had fierce Wars with both But Cadwallader being dead the British Race was interrupted again till Owea Tewdors time who descended from Cadwallader as shall be shewd by a Gâ—…rman peeple inhabiting the lower Circuit of Saxony and so calld Saxons by the Welsh and Irish to this day They had a 〈◊〉 a long time but Egbert by conquest reduâ—…d them to a Monarchy and he was the first who calld himself King of England Then that English Race alâ—…o of Kings had two short Interruptions one by the Danes wherof ther raigned here three Kings but all their raigns extended not to â—…5 yeers Then by William of Normandy and that Interruption â—…asted about 40 yeers till Henry the first married the lady Matilda daughter to Malcolme King of Scotland by the Lady Margaret sister to Edgar Athelâ—…g wherby the English Bloud Royal was restord Then by a marvellous providence the British Royal Bloud after about 800 yeers Interruption was restoâ—…d by Owen Tewdor who married the Queen Dowager Katherine and so was Granfather to Hen. 7. which Tewdor by an exact 〈◊〉 that was made by the British Bards and confirmed by the English Heralds came lineally from the foresaid King Cadwallader and Leolin so ther were three Kings viz. Hen. 7. Hen. 8. Edw. 6. with two Queens viz. Mary and Elizabeth all Tewdors Then came in the Royal Race of Scotland by the Lady Margaret Tewdor eldest daughter to Hen. 7. and first branch of the two Roses Now by a due computation made of the premises it will be found that take British or English the source and series of the Bloud Royal of England is above a thousand yeers since And if from Cadwallader you go to the British Kings before the Romans interrupted the Royal succession therof it will be neer upon 3000 yeers which no kingdom â—…ls can say Moreover the Bloud Royal of Scotland some hundreds of yeers before was incorporated in the British for the mother of the first
King of the Stuarts was a British Lady And as ther is a Register of 139 British and English Kings so there is an exact Catalog of 110 Scots Kings wheras all the three Races of the French Kings make but 64 Kings in all Nor did any of those three Royal Races continue much above 300 yeers in a Bloud but were quite extinguishd both Merovingiens Carlevingiens and Capevingiens The House of Valois extinguished in the late Queen Margaret first wife to Hen. 4. And this present King is but the Third of the House of Bourbon Spain cannot say so much for the furthest Line that Her Kings can draw is not much above 500 yeers ago from the Counts of Castile nor was ther ever any King of Castile till the yeer 1017. And touching the House of Austria it became Royal but about 300 yeers since To conclude this Paragraph his present Majestie of Great Britain in point of Royal Extraction and Linage is the Greatest born Prince that any Age can produce For wheras his Granfather and Father were allied only if you regard Forren Consanguinity to the House of Holstein and that of Lorain Charles the second of England bears in his Veins not only That Bloud but also the Blouds of all the Great Princes of Christendom being neerly linkd to the Houses of France and Bourbon To the House of Austria and consequently to the Emperour and Spain by the Maternal side as also to the Dukes of Savoy and Florence Moreover He is neerly allied to the King of Denmark and to all the prime Princes of Germany as the Saxe Brandenburg Bavaria the Palsgrave c. The seventh Paragraph Touching the Hospitality and plentiful Kingly Court with number of Officers and Stately Attendants of the King of Great Britain T Is ordinary for Latin Authors old and new to break out into the praises of Great Britain and their Elogiums are many but le ts hear what a great Greek Poet speaks of Her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No Ile did ever dare With Britain yet compare Among other Encomiums of England she is much cried up for her wonderful fecundity and fulness of all things relating to the nourishment of mankinde all things that Earth Water or Air can afford which with the Divine benediction must be imputed to the temper of the Clime And besides ther be gentle breezes that are conveyd from the circumfluent Seas which refresh all kinde of animals both Brute and Rational The clouds there may be truly said to drop fatness dissolving into silver wholsom showers to soften and fertilize her Glebes In December and Ianuary there is commonly Frost enough to knit and corroborate the joynts of the earth In February ther is usually Snow enough to fill the Dikes and like a gentle white rugg to cover her plowd fields and keep the bed of the earth warm from the inclemency of the circumambient cold air It is observd that ther is not such a multitude of Volatils any where And touching her Seas ther are not any wher so great variety of Fish swimming in such huge shoals like mountains and taking their turns and seasons about the Iland once every yeer Her fresh rivers are also full of them Her Forests and Woods have not such ravenous beasts as other Countries use to have yet ther are store of savage beasts for Recreation as the Stagg the Hind the Hart the Hare the Otter the Fox and Badger c. The bowels of the earth are no where so pregnant of Metals Stone and Fuel c. The Sun which scorcheth other Countries may be said but to warm the English soyl with his gentle rays The Air is nothing so foggie and dull as in many other Regions but cleerd and attenuated ever and anon with refreshing blasts Nor is the body of the earth so subject to shaking Agues and Earth quakes to trepidation and quakings as other places are which are full of sulphurous bituminous concavities Touching store and superfluity of Corn with all sorts of Grain Britain in the times of the Romans was calld as Tacitus says the Barn and Granary of the Western world Take all these particulars together the Poet doth not much complement with England when he breaks thus into a Character of her Anglia Terra ferax Tibi pax secura quietem Multiplicem luxum merx Opulenta dedit Tu nimio nec stricta gelu nec sydere fervens Clementi Coelo temperiéque places Cùm pareret Natura parens variásq favore Divideret dotes omnibus una locis Sepofuit potiora Tibi Matremque professa Insula sis foelix plenaque pacis ait Quicquid amat luxus quicquid desiderat usus Ex Te proveniet vel aliunde Tibi This is the cause of that infinit Commerce she hath to all parts of the habitable earth as far as the Antipodes and the incredible benefit which other Nations make of her Commodities Insomuch that Guicciardine an Author well to pass relates that after the Articles of the Intercursus magnus were made with Flanders or the Netherlands the Annual Trade amounted unto above twelve Millions Sterling whereof the one half was in Woollen Manufactures wherby the 17 Provinces did wonderfully improve in Negotiation and Wealth Insomuch that the ground of the Order of the Golden Fleece established by the Duke of Burgundy related to the English Wool which proved so infinitely beneficial unto them From this marvelous exuberance and superfluity of substantial Staple-commodities proceed the luxe the plenty and profuseness of the Inhabitants for ther is no wher such frequent Invitations and Feasts in Town and Country which made one say That among others England hath an Inchanting kind of quality to make Forreners forget their own Countries when they have once tasted of the sweetness therof The Franklins Yeomen or Freeholders live like Gentlemen The Gentlemen and Esquires live like Noble-men The Noble-men like Princes The Lord Maior and Sheriffs of London have Tables most days of the week fit to entertain Kings Now touching the Royal Court which may be calld the Epitome of the whole Country Ther is no King whatsoever lives in that height of magnificence and plenty Ther was communibus annis servd in kind in provisions for his Majesties house by way of composition 3790 quarters of Wheat 1493 Oxen fat and lean 7000 Muttons 1231 Veals 310 Porks 410 Sturks 26 Boars 320 Flitches of Bacon 6820 Lambs 40 Barrels of Butter 145 dozen of Geese Capons cours 252 dozen Hens 470 dozen Pullets cours 750 dozen Chickins cours 1470 dozen Wax 3100 weight sweet Butter 46640 pounds Charcoals 1250 loads Talwood Billets Faggots 3950 loads Herrings 60 barrels Wine-cask from the Vintners 600 Tun c. Beer 1700 Tun c. This was for the first cours Now for the second cours innumerable sorts of Fowl and Fish according to the season which was exactly observd This made Bodin the great Critique to confess that considering all things ther was not a more magnificent and