then by informing his Majestie that our Prince whom he had ever so much valued would be as I conceived free and dis-ingaged from our Spanish Treatie by reason that the King could not find them answer his expectation in those things that made him principally desire their Conjunction the which your Lordship seeing you have exercised your interest and credit with the King your Master and the Prince to convert those thoughts towards his Majestie from whom you were perswaded nothing but truth and honour would be returned the which at this time more then ever would be an infinite advantage to both these Kingdoms and that I believed if his Majestie would shew a disposition as affectionate to receive Propositions to this purpose as the King my Master had to make them a long time would not passe before the effects of this might appear the which would shew the report raised here of the ends of my coming to be false and me to be free of all other designs then those which I had expressed unto him He told me that he had not heard that the Spanish Match was yet broken the which justly might give him cause to be reserved yet thus far be would assure me in the general That whatsoever should be propounded unto him from the King of Great Brittain he would most heartily and affectionately receive it but this was with such a fashion of Courtesie as shewed that he desired cause to have said more and I am fully satisfied not onely from him but the Queens and most of all of Madam her self who shewes all the sweetnesse and contentment that may be and likewise from all the Officers of the Crown and State that they can desire nothing equal with this alliance A better and more large preparation then this my instructions cannot make and I wonder to see it thus fair considering the hinderances and defacings the Spanish Embassadour desires to cast upon it who besides the Rodomontado's and threatenings of the preparations of his Master doth here take a contrary but cunning way letting them know that the Prince cannot have two Wives for their Infanta is surely his onely to create a jealousie and shienesse in them towards me that he suspects labours to do offices that are not to his liking You will therefore I hope speedily put this State out of these doubts and clearly and freely proceed with them Upon my credit and reputation they are all of that disposition that we can wish them to be and it appears by their tender care of the States and their resolution to ayd them And likewise in sending Captain Coborn that came from the Duke of Brunswick to demand a supplie of men who is returned with answer unto him that he shall have double what he required and great satisfaction to the Count Mansfelt that sent a Gentleman hither to let the King know he was not yet in such disorder but that he could assemble his Troops to such a number as might do his Majestie good service if he would be pleased to take him into his protection and favour And the King hath sent a Gentleman of the Religion a Sedanois to Leige to give information to this State of the proceedings of the Spaniards there and to be ready to receive if the Town shall seek it the protection of them But these passages I am sure you continually understand from our Embassadour the which makes me omit many particularities in this kind that I could inform you of I have sent this Bearer of purpose the which I beseech your Grace return with some speed and with him the resolutions of our dear and Sacred Master whom God ever blesse and keep to our glorie and comfort My Lord I am The humblest and most obliged of all your Graces servants Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Secretary the Lord Conway Right Honourable ACcording to his Majesties order which your last of April the 14. derived unto me I have represented such reasons to the King and his ministers of State here against the sending of any person in what quality soever to the Duke of Baviers as they acquiesce in them speciallie for that they come commanded under his Majesties desire which they professe to be very willing to comply with not only in this but in any other occasion wherein his Majestie may directly or indirectly be any way interessed I took the same opportunity of preparing the way a little farther to a formal treaty of alliance by feeling once again their pulse in matters of religion and find that it beats so temperately as promises a very good Crisis of any thing that may concern that particular I dealt plainely with the Marquesse de la Veiville touching the course that his Majestie may be driven to hold against Jesuites and Priests of banishing them the Kingdom and of quickning the lawes against the other Catholiques as well out of necessity of reducing them within the bounds of sobriety and obedience as of keeping good intelligence with his Parliament without which he could not possibly go thorough with such a weighty work as he is now to undertake He approved of the course for the ends sake under hope notwithstanding that his Majestie would not tie his own hands from some moderate favour hereafter which is all they pretend unto and desire it may flow from the mediation of this State upon an alliance here for the saving of their honour who otherwise will be hardly reputed Catholiques In representing a facility in these things I leave no other difficulties to be imagined Their good inclination to the match in general they are willing to demonstrate as by many other evidences so by the care they are now under of lodging and defraying my Lord of Carlile and my self in a more splendid and Magnifique manner then ever yet they did any Embassadour whatsoever for such is the language that Ville-aux Cleres holds to me upon that subject The Count of Soissons sees it and stormes and manifests his discontent towards me who am the instrument more fellie then discreetly I encountred him the other day and gave him the due that belonged to his rank but instead of returning me my salute he disdainfullie turned back his head I was somewhat sensible thereof and I told Mounsieur de Grandmont of it and as he and I were discoursing of it the day following Soissons offered himself full butt upon us a second time I again repeated my courtesie and he is childish in civility Grandmont found it strange and intimated to the Marquesse de la Valette a familiar and confident of the Counts both my observation and his own distaste of such an uncivil kind of proceeding Valette conveyes the same to Soissons himself who answered that he could not afford me a better countenance not for any ill will he bore unto my person but to my errand and negotiation which were it not in the behalf of so great a Prince went so near his heart as he
Rochfort to the Duke of Buckingham My Lord I Have received great wrongs about my Lord of Oxford by reports which can find no authour yet have they wrought such impressions in the hearts of some that it is hard to remove those Calumniations for divers are possessed that I am to be his accuser which is so strange and so malitiously bruited that it is somewhat suspected yet know I not any one particular for which he is in the Tower neither if I knew any such slip in so noble a person as might deserve the Kings displeasure would my nature give me leave to play the Informer except it neerly concerned the safetie or the honour of my King and then should my discoverie be publique to the face and not private behind the back for that I account too base to be found faultie in Sorry I am to be so much as suspected but since ill disposed persons will raise ill rumours without any ground the eleernesse of my heart is sufficient content unto me and as my heart hath been alwaies most faithful and watchful to do you service so good my Lord let me intreat you that for my sake my Lord of Oxford may receive some testimonies of your great favour for his speedy enlargement and that it may appear you are the more willing to do it for my earnest intreatie My Lord you shall not onely hereby oblige all my Lord of Oxford's friends but likewise the Lady Diana's who doth lose a great deal of precious time by my Lords imprisonment and therefore let all be arguments to excite your noble heart to procure his freedome And so I kisse your hands and rest More yours then his own H. R. Postscript PRay make all haste from Spain for neither are your pleasures and contents so great there as you may find them here neither have you so faithful friends there as you deserve but sure I am your have many false ones For I have work enough both in Court and Citie to falsifie their reports of you yea some of them about women very base ones and much tending to your great dishonour And it goes currant among very great ones that the Prince hath been somewhat displeased with you of late I have sent you another Letter of larger contents and I should be glad to hear from you King James to Pope Gregorie 15th 30. September 1622. James by the Grace of God King of great Brittain France and Ireland Defender of the faith c. To the most Holy Father Pope Gregorie the 15th greeting and all manner of Felicitie Most Holy Father YOur Holinesse will perhaps marvel that we differing from you in point of Religion should now first salute you with our Letters Howbeit such is the trouble of our mind for these calamitous discords and bloudsheds which for these late years by past have so miserably rent the Christian World and so great is our care and daily sollicitude to stop the course of these growing evils betimes so much as in us lies as we could no longer abstain considering that we all worship the same most blessed Trinitie nor hope for salvation by any other means then by the bloud and merits of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus but breaking this silence to move your Holinesse by these our Letters friendly and seriously that you would be pleased together with us to put your hand to so pious a work and so worthy of a Christian Prince It is truly to be wished and by all means to be endeavoured that this mischief creep on no farther but that these storms at the last ceasing and the rancor being removed by which they were at the first raised the hearts of these Princes whom it any way concerns may be re-united in a firm and unchangeable friendship and as much as may be knit together in stricter obligations then before one unto another This we have alwaies had in our desires and to bring it to passe have not hitherto spared any labour or pains not doubting but your Holinesse out of your singular pietie and for the credit and authoritie that you have with the parties both may and will further this work in an extraordinary manner No way can any man better merit of the state of Christendome which if it shall take the desired effect in your daies and by your assistance your Holinesse shall worthily reap the glorie and the reward due to so excellent a work That which remains for us further to say concerning this matter this Gentleman our Subject George Gage will deliver unto you more at large Praying your Holinesse that you will give him in all things full credence and belief beseeching Almightie God from our heart to preserve you in safetie and to grant you all other happinesse From our Palace at Hampton Court the last of Septemb. 1622. Pope Gregorie the 15th to the Prince of Wales Most Noble Prince Health and light of Divine Grace c. GReat Brittain abounding with worthy men and fertile virtues so that the whole earth is full of the glorie of her renown induceth many times the thoughts of the great Shepherd to the consideration of her praises In regard that presently in the infancie of his Church the King of kings vouchsafed to choose her with so great affection for his inheritance that almost it seems there entred into her at the same time the Eagles of the Roman Standard and the Ensigns of the Crosse And not few of her Kings indoctrinated in the true knowledge of Salvation gave example of Christian pietie to other Nations and after-ages preferring the Crosse to the Scepter and the defence of Religion to the desire of Command So that meriting heaven thereby the Crown of eternal blisse they obtained likewise upon earth the lustre and glorious ornaments of sanctitie But in this time of the Brittanicks Church how much is the case altered yet we see that to this day the English Court is fenced and guarded with moral virtues which were sufficient motives to induce us to love this Nation it being some ornament to the Christian name if it were likewise a defence and sanctuarie of Catholique virtues Wherefore the more the glorie of your most Serene Father and the property of your naturall disposition delighteth us the more ardently we desire that the gates of Heaven should be opened unto you and that you should purchase the universal love of the Church For whereas that the Bishop Gregorie the Great of most pious memorie introduced amongst the English people and taught their Kings the Gospel and a reverence to the Apostolical Authority we much inferiour to him in virtue and sanctity as equal in name and height of dignity it is reason we should follow his most holy steps and procure the salvation of those Kingdomes especiallie most Serene Prince there being great hopes offered to us at this time of some successeful issue of your determination Wherefore you having come to Spain and the Court of the Catholique King with
desire to match with the house of Austria it seemed good to use most affectionatetly to commend this your intent and to give clear testimony that at this time your person is the most principal care that our Church hath For seeing you pretend to match with a Catholique Damosel it may easily be presumed that the antient seed of Christian pietie which so happilie flourished in the minds of British Kings may by Gods Grace reverberate in your breast For it is not probable that he that desires such a wife should abhor the Catholique religion and rejoyce at the overthrow of the holy Romane Church To which purpose we have caused continual prayers to be made and most vigilant orisons to the Father of Lights for you fair flower of the Christian world and only hope of great Brittain that he would bring you to the possession of that most Noble inheritance which your Ancestors got you by the defence of the Apostolique authority and destruction of monsters of haerisies Call to memorie the times of old ask your forefathers and they will shew you what way leades to heaven and perceiving what path mortal Princes passe to the Heavenly Kingdom behold the Gates of heaven open Those most holy Kings of England which parting from Rome accompanied with Angels most piously reverenced the Lord of Lords and the Prince of the Apostles in his Chair Their works and examples are mouthes wherewith God speaks and warneth you that you should imitate their customes in whose Kingdomes you succeed Can you suffer that they be called Heretiques and condemned for wicked men when the faith of the Church testifieth that they reign with Christ in Heaven and are exalted above all the Princes of the Earth and that they at this time reached you their hands from that most blessed Country and brought you safely to the Court of the Catholique King and desire to turn you to the womb of the Romane Church wherein praying most humbly with most unspeakable groans to the God of mercy for your salvation to reach you the arms of Apostolical charity to imbrace most lovingly your children so often desired and to poynt out as it were with a finger the blessed hopes of Heaven And truly you could do no act of greater comfort to all Nations of Christendom then to return the possession of those most Noble Isles to the Prince of the Apostles whose authority for so many ages was held in England for the defence of the Kingdom and divine Oracle which will not be uneasie to do if you open your breast upon which depends the prosperity of those Kingdoms to God who is knocking And we have so great desire of the honour and exaltation of your Royal Name that we wish that you should be called through thee whole world together with your most Serene Father the Freer of Great Britain and restorer of her antient Religion Whereof we will not lose all hopes putting them in mind in whose hands the hearts of Kings lie and he that rules all nations of the world by whose Grace we will with all possible diligence labour to effect it And you cannot choose but acknowledge in these Letters the care of our Apostolical charity to procure your happinesse which it will never repent us to have written if the reading thereof shall at leastwise stir some sparks of Catholique religion in the heart of so Great a Prince who we desire may injoy Eternal comfors and flourish with the Glorie of all virtues Given in Rome in the Palace of St. Peter the 20. of April 1623. In the third of our Pontificado The Princes answer to the Popes Nuntio that brought him this Letter I Kisse his Holinesse Feet for the favour and honour he doth me so much the more esteemed by how much the lesse deserved of me hitherto And his Holinesse shall see what I do hereafter and I think my Father will do the like So that his Holinesse shall not repent him of what he hath done The Prince of Wales his Reply to the Popes Letter Most Holy Father I Received the Dispatch from your Holinesse with great content and with that respect which the pietie and care wherewith your Holinesse writes doth require It was an unspeakable pleasure to me to read the generous exploits of the Kings my predecessours in whose memorie posterity hath not given those praises and Elogies of honour as were due to them I do believe that your Holinesse hath set their examples before my eyes to the end I might imitate them inall my actions for in truth they have often exposed their estates and lives for the exaltation of the holy Chair and the courage with which they have assaulted the enemies of the Crosse of Jesus Christ hath not been lesse then the care and thought which I have to the end that the peace and intelligence which hath hitherto been wanting in Christendom might be bound with a true and strong concord for as the common enemy of the peace watcheth alwaies to put hatred and dissention amongst Christian Princes so I believe that the glory of God requires that we should endeavour to unite them And I do not esteem it a greater honour to be defcended from so great Princes then to imitate them in the zeal of their piety In which it helps me very much to have known the mind and will of our thrice honoured Lord and Father and the holy intentions of his Catholique Majestie to give a happy concurrence to so laudable a design for it grieves him exceedingly to see the great evils that grow from the division of Christian Princes which the wisdom of your Holinesse foresaw when it judged the marriage which you pleased to design between the Infanta of Spain and my self to be necessary to proture so great a good for 't is very certain that I shall never be so extreamly affectionate to any thing in the world as to endeavour alliance with a Prince that hath the same apprehension of the true Religion with my self Therefore I intreat your Holinesse to believe that I have been alwaies very far from Novelties or to be a partisan of any faction against the Catholick Apostolick Roman Religion But on the contrary I have sought all occasions to take away the suspition that might rest upon me and that I will imploy my self for the time to come to have but one Religion and one Faith seeing that we all believe in one Jesus Christ Having resolved in my self to spare nothing that I have in the world and to suffer all manner of discommodities even to the hazarding of my estate and life for a thing so pleasing unto God It rests onely that I thank your Holinesse for the permission you have been pleased to afford me and I pray God to give you a blessed health and his glory after so much pains which your Holinesse takes in his Church Signed Charles Steward The Pope to the Duke of Buckingham Gregorie P. P. XV. Nobleman health and the light
of Divine Grace THe authority wherein we have understood your Noblenesse to flourish in the Brittish Court is accounted not onely the reward of your merits but also the patronage of virtue certainly an excellent renown and every way so worthy that the people desire a diuturnity to be annexed unto it But it is almost ineffable what an increase of glory thoroughout the world would be annexed unto it if by Gods favour it should become the defence of Catholique Religion Certainly you have gained an opportunity by which you may insert your self into the Councels of those Princes who obtaining an immortal name have attained the Celestial Kingdom Suffer not then O Nobleman this occasion presented to you from God and commended by the Bishop of Rome to slip out of your hands You that are privie to their royal Councels cannot choose but know in what estate the affaires of Brittain at this time stand and with what voyces of the Holy Ghost speaking in them they daily sound in the ears of your Princes What Glorie would redound unto your Name if by your exhortation and perswasion the English Kings should again recover their Celestial inheritance of that Glorie left unto them by their Ancestours in those Kingdomes in abundant manner by providing for the increase of Gods Worship and by not only defending but propagating the jurisdiction of the Pontifical authority There have been many and shall be hereafter whom the bountie of Kings hath enriched with fading riches and advanced to envied titles and yet mindful posterity will not celebrate your name with eternal Prayses for having attayned these but if your Councels should reduce those most powerful Kings and people unto the bosom of the Romane Church the name of your Noblenesse would be written in the book of the living whom the torment of Death toucheth not and the Monuments of Histories shall place you amongst those wise men in whose splendor Kings walked but with what comforts in this life and what rewards in the life to come God who is rich in mercy would reward you they easily see who know the art and force by which the Kingdom of heaven is conquered It is not only our Pontifical charity to whose care the salvation of mankind pertaineth but also the piety of your Mother who as she brought you into the world so she desireth to bear you again to the Romane Church which she acknowledgeth for her mother that moved us to desire that you were made Partakers of so great felicity Therefore when our beloved son the religious man Didacus de la Fuente who hath wisely administred the affaires of your Princes in this City prepared his journie for Spain we commanded him to come unto your Noblenesse and present these our Apostolical Letters by which the Greatnesse of our Pontifical charity and the desire of your salvation may be declared Your Noblenesse may therefore heare him as the interpreter of our mind and as one indued with these virtues which have won him the love of forraign nations being a Catholique and religious priest He certainely hath reported those things of you in these parts of the world that he is worthie to be imbraced of you with singular affection and defended by your authority being a servant to the Glorie and salvation of the Brittish Kings and people This thing truly will we pray for to the father of mercies that he will open to your Noblenesse the gates of his Coelestial kingdom and afford you frequent Documents of his Clemency Given at Rome at St. Marie the Greater under the Ring of the Fisherman the 19. of May. 1623. and of our Popedom the third John Champolut To his Sacred Majestie abignoto My most Gratious King THese things which your Majestie did lately command to be spoken unto you and now to be repeated in writing are not such as they can be made bylegal and Judicial proofes both because they by whose testimony they may be confirmed do for fear of a most potent adversarie withdraw themselves And also because they think it a crime to come into the Embassadours house yea even they are afraid to do it who have commandement from your Majestie but neither was it lawful for the Embassadours themselves to speak these things especially not to such as they directed when the order of the affaires required it because they had never the freedom to speak unto your Majestie and no audience was given or granted them in the absence of tht Duke of Buckingham An example certainly unusual with other Kings and never to be taken in good part unlesse it be perhaps when the King himself wanting experience and being of weak judgment and no wisedom some one that is familiar and inward with the King a man wise and circumspect of great judgment and no lesse experience supplies the Kings place But here when all things go preposterously and the King himself being a most prudent and experienced Prince he that is familiar or favorite doth in all things shew himself a rash headie young man a Novice in managing of businesse and to the Crown of Spain most offensive Certainly by all just right this man was to be kept away from the audience of the Embassadour of the State We may also be bold to say that his presence so earnestly desired of him doth argue a great fear in him and a great distrust in him as well of his own upright conscience as also the Kings wisdom Hence therefore it is come to passe that your Majesties most faithful Vassals dare not so much as indirectly disclose their minds to the King though they take it in very ill part that a very good King should be driven into such streights And that a man pleasing himself in his own designs should use the favours of Princes so sinisterly that he doth of set purpose stir up breach of friendship and enmity between most Mighty Kings Besides who can without a discontented mind endure that the greatest affaires and of greatest moment if any in the Christian world can be so tearmed shall be ordered or concluded at the pleasure of your Parliament and from thence all things carried on with a headlong violence at his will and pleasure and a most deadly war to be preferred before a most happie Peace When as neverthelesse I am not ignorant that not so much the restitution of the Palatinate as the very claime to it will very difficultly be obtained or recovered by force of armes Let your Majestie exactly consider as it useth to do whether this be not an evident argument of that I have said that the conference or treatie about the Palatinate was taken from the Councel of State a society of most prudent men only forthis cause that almost everie one of them had with one consent approved the proposition of the most Catholique King and did not find in it any cause of dissolving that treaty Hereupon the Parliament of this Kingdom was procured by the Duke because he thought his
by the frequent proof he had of his great abilities in that kind Since the time of H. 6. these Parliamentary discoursings were never suffered as being the certain symptomes of subsequent rebellions civil Wars and the dethroning of our Kings But these last 20 years most of the Parliament men seek to improve the reputation of their wisdomes by these Declamations and no honest Patriot dare oppose them lest he incur the reputation of a Fool or a Coward in his Countries Cause 2. Covetous Landlords Inclosers Depopulators and Justices of the Peace who have got a habit of Omniregencie and an hope to extend the same against the King in Parliament as they do on his Subjects in the Countrey Hereby the King loseth 24000 l. in every whole Subsidie for Anno 1600. it was 80000 l. and now it is but 56000 l. which cometh by the decay of the yeomandry who were three and four pound men And these Gentlemen most of them of the Parliament do ease themselves to afflict those who are the true Commons and yet perswade them that the grievances are caused by the Duke and the ill government of the King 3. Recusants and Church Papists whose hatred is irreconcileable against the Duke for the breach of the Spanish Match The French Lady though as zealous a Catholique doth not please him for they were tyed to Spain by their hopes of a change of Religion that way All the Priests are sent from the Spanish Dominions and the sons and daughters of the Papists remain as hostages of their fidelities in the Colledges and Nunneries of the King of Spain And though the Papists have no place in the house of Commons yet privately they aggravate all scandals against the Duke to kindle a separation between the King and his people and avert them from enabling the King to resist or be avenged of our great enemy Remember the course held by these men in the Parliament of undertakers also Dr. Eglesham and all the Priests daily practice libelling against all great men about the King 4. Needy and indebted persons in both Houses who endeavour by these Parliamentary stirres not so much the Dukes overthrow as a rebellion which they hope will follow if it be not done This is much to be suspected as well by their Calumniations against his Majestie as for their own wants many of them being outlawed and not able to shew their heads but in Parliament time by priviledge thereof and they know that there are enough to follow them in the same mischief 5. Puritans and all other Sectaries who though scarce two of them agree in what they would have yet they all in general are haters of Government They begun in Parliament about Anno 23. Eliz. and spit their venom not only against the Bishops but also against the Lord Chancellour Hatton and others the Queens favourites and Councellours as they do now against the Clergie and the Duke But their main discontentment is against the Kings Government which they would have extinguished in matters Ecclesiastical and limited in Temporal This is a fearful and important Consideration because it pretends Conscience and Religion and they now more deadly hate the Duke because he sheweth himself to be no Puritan as they hoped he would at his return from Spain 6. Malecontents censured or decourted for their deserts as the kindred and dependants of the Earl of Suffolk and of Sir Henry Yelverton Coke Lake Middlesex though all of them the last excepted were dejected by King James without any Concurrencie of the Duke Others because they are not preferred as they do imagine that they deserve as the Lord Say Earl of Clare Sir John Eliot Selden and Glanvile Sir Dudley Diggs and the Bishops of Nerwich and Lincoln These and many others according to the nature of envy look upon every one with an evil eye especially upon the Duke who either hath or doth not prefer them to those places or retain them in them which their ambition expecteth 7. Lawyers in general for that as Sir Edward Cook could not but often expresse our Kings have upholden the power of their Prerogatives and the rights of the Clergie whereby their comings in have been abated And therefore the Lawyers are fit ever in Parliaments to second any Complaint against both Church and King and all his servants with their Cases Antiquities Records Statutes Presidents and Stories But they cannot or will not call to mind that never any Nobleman in favour with his Soveraign was questioned in Parliament except by the King himself in case of Treason or unlesse it were in the nonage and tumultuous times of Rich. 2. Hen. 6. or Edw. 6. which happened to the destruction both of the King and Kingdom And that not to exceed our own and Fathers memories in King Hen. 8. time Wolsies exorbitant power and pride and Cromwels contempt of the Nobility and the Lawes were not yet permitted to be discussed in Parliament though they were most odious and grievous to all the Kingdom And that Leicester's undeserved favour and faults Hatton's insufficiency and Rawleigh's insolence far exceeded what yet hath been though most falsly objected against the Duke yet no Lawyer durst abet nor any man else begin any Invectives against them in Parliament 8. The Merchants and Citizens of London convinced not by the Duke but by Cranfield and Ingram to have deceived the King of Imposts and Customs and deservedly fearing to be called to accompt for undoing all the other Cities and good Towns and the poor Colonie of Virginia as also for transporting of our silver into the East-Indies these vent their malice upon the Duke in the Exchange Pauls Westminster-Hall with their suggestions and therein they wound both to Subjects and strangers the honour of his Majestie and his proceedings 9. Innovators Plebicolae and King-haters At the latter end of Queen Elizabeth it was a phrase to speak yea to pray for the Queen and State This word State was learned by our neighbourhood and Commerce with the Low-Countries as if we were or affected to be governed by States This the Queen saw and hated And the old Earl of Oxford his Propositions at her death they awakened King James to prevent this humour and to oppose the conditions and limitations presented unto him by the Parliaments The Lawyers Citizens and Western men who are most hot infected with Puritanisme stood strong against him under a colour of Parliaments and Parliamentary priviledges His Majestie therefore strengthened himself ever with some Favourite as whom he might better trust then many of the Nobility tainted with this desire of Oligarchie It behoveth without doubt his Majestie to uphold the Duke against them who if he be but decourted it will be the Corner stone on which the demolishing of his Monarchie will be builded For if they prevail with this they have hatched a thousand other demands to pull the feathers of the Royalty they will appoint him Councellours Servants Alliances Limits of his expences
swear it 121 Alpes when passable 186 Anchre Marshal of France 320 Archbishop of Canterbury shoots a Keeper by mischance 12. see tit James King c. for the Palsgraves accepting the Bohemian Crown 169 170 Archbishop of York against Toleration of Popery blames the Voyage into Spain 13 Argile Earl 291 Arminians chief in the Dutch State 322 Arundel Earl Marshal no friend to the Bishop of Lincoln 62 63 74 302 307 316. Ashley Sir Anthony gives the Duke of Buckingham intelligence of Plots against him 308 Aston Sir Walter will not consent that the Prince Palsgrave should be brought up in the Emperours Court 17 see Bristol Earl Concurs with the Earl of Bristol in prefixing a day for the Deposorio's without making certain the restitution of the Palatinate which is beynously taken by the Prince 35. in danger for it to be called off there 36 37. His Care to discover Plots against his Masters Crownes 49 51 53. of the Merchants 168. see Merchants Prosecutes the Marquesse of Ynoiosa in desence of the honour of England 52. sues to return home 52 54. will not see the Arch-Duke in Spain and why 166 Austrian Vsurpation 191. See tit Spain B. BAcon Viscount St. Albans Lord Chancellour declines all Justification of himself 5 6. Casts himself upon the Lords 6 Discontents the Marquesse of Buckingham 8. his wayes to make the Kingdom happy 9 advises King James concerning his revenues devises a book of his estate there-how he carried himself when a Councellour and otherwise how esteemed 10. Never took bribe to pervert Justice 11. his pardon 60 82 Barnevelt 318. factious no friend to the English an Arminian 331 Bavaria Duke offers to depend wholly on Spain 167. see Palatinate Beamont Lord fined in the Star-Chamber 16. E. 2. 58 Bergen besieged 328 Bergstrate given the Archbishop of Mentz 335 Blanvile the French Embassadour an enemy to the Duke of Buckingham holds intelligence with the Dukes English enemies 295. his Character by the French 300. See 274 296 297 302. Blundel Sir George 129 Book of Common Prayer translated into Spanish and why 73. See Spaniards Borgia Cardinal 178 Bovillon Duke 165. seeks the protection from the States united 320. weary of the Palsgrave 327 Brandenburgh Elector 317 336 Bret a Peusioner in disgrace 204 Bristol Earl first mover in the Spanish Match negotiates in it 16. Earnest to conclude it 24 25 26 306 â—hidden by the King Charles for giving the Spaniards hopes of his inclination to a change in Religion for his manage of things concerning the Match and undervaluing the Kingdome of England 16 17. Consents that the Prince Palsgrave shall be bred in the Emperors Court which the King Charles takes ill 17. Proffered by the King the favour of the general pardon or to put himself upon his tryal 18. Under restraint for his errours in Spain 19. removed from his offices forbidden the Court denyed his Parliament Writ there Justifies himself 19 20. to King James 30. Differs in opinion from the Duke of Buckingham concerning the Match 21. Seeks the Duke of Buckingham his favour 28. charged to be his enemy his wisdome and power at Court 161 162. Conde of Olivarez offers him a blank paper signed by the King bids him choose what was in his Masters power he refuses 42 Brule Peter his practises 302 Buckingham Duke his carriage and esteem in Spain 16 22. See Olivarez contemns the Earl of Bristol 21. See Bristol an enemy to him 231 The Spaniards will not put the Infanta into his hands 22 thought an enemy to the Match with Spain 32 92 159 218 219 222 237 243 248 Censured 159 160 218 219 221 222 263 210. Forgives wrongs 58 Steward of VVestminster 69 Haughty to the Prince of VVales 78 Used to sit when the Prince stood c. 221 falls from his affection to VVilliams Lord Keeper 87. See Don Francisco his power 91 King James his words of him on Don Francisco's relation 92 Mediates for the Earl of Suffolk 125 No audience of Embassadours without him 216. taxed to King James freely 218 219 220 221 223. defended 224 225 226 227. a faithful servant 229 Charge against him in Parliament 228 229 230 Procures graces for the Nobility and Gentry 231 Breaks the Spanish Designes and Party 265 for the Match with France 291 A Confederacy by Oath against him 307 308 The Queen of England had need of his friendship 303 Dares submit the judgment of his Actions to any tryal 87 Buckingham Countesse 254 302 Buckleugh Lord 327 329 Button Sir Thomas in the Voyage of Algier 143 144. C. CAlcedon a titulary Roman Bishop in England 81 Calvert Sir George 202. See 304. Carlile Earl Viscount Doncaster loves not the Bishop of Lincoln 74 89. See 180 182. perswades King James to feed his Parliament so he with some crums of the Crown 270. refuses See 288. Count Mansfelts Commission for Colonel to his son 273 Carlos Arch-Duke in Spain 165 Calderon Don Rodrigo Marquesse de las Siete Iglesias his Riches confined 208 Carleton Sir Dudley Embassadour in the Low-Countries 317. writes to reconcile Sir Horatio Vere and Sir Edward Cecyl 323. his prudence to reunite England and the States 331 332 Carone Sir Noel Embassador in England from the Low-Dutch 321-325 Cavendish 97 Cecyl Sir Edward General 128 345. sues for Command will save the King in Expences 128. a loser by his service 129. see 345. See Vere Sir Horatio Viscount Wimbledon commands in chief at Sea neglected malitiously accused examined 135 137 138 Charles Prince of Wales King of England after how entertained and honoured in Spain 14 15 16. Not to be shaken in Religion contrary to Conde Gondomar's Information to his Master 15. got the love of all men in Spain 16 22 159 Will not proceed in the Match without restitution of the Palatinate and Electoral dignity 17 35 36 Displeased with the Earl of Bristol for raising an opinion among the Spaniards of his willingnesse to become Roman Catholique and his offers of seducing that way 17 will not be bargained with for future favours 18. will not be drawn to things but freely 18 His affability patience constancy 22 his civil and wise Reply to the Popes Letter 215 No lover of women 237 Defends the Duke of Buckinghams actions as done out of politick Compliance for the Palatinate cause 228 229 230 will favour as he pleases will grant the Lords and Commons all things sair and honest 230 Ill used by delayes in Spain his Voyage thither censured 288 289 304 Chevereux Duke a servant of the Prince of Wales 277 278 230. See 300 301. Chichester Sir Arthur distrusted by the Duke 243 his conserence with the Embassadours of Spain 244 245 Chidley a Sea Captain 141 Churchman an homicide 12 55 56 Church of England Reformed 116 Church differences Judges of them 117 Clerk Edward 306 307 Cleves and Juliers the succession of them pretended to 317 Coborn a Captain of the Duke of Brunswick 283 Contracts ever before
Church illightened with good Preachers as an heaven of Stars your Judges learned and learning from you just and just by your example your Nobility in a right distance between Crown and People no oppressors of the people no overshadowers of the Crown your Councel full of tributes of Care faith and freedom your Gentlemen and Justices of Peace willing to apply your Royal Mandates to the nature of their several Counties but ready to obey your servants in awe of your wisdome in hope of your goodnesse The fields growing every day by the improvement and recovery of grounds from the desert to the garden The City grown from wood to brick your Sea-walls or Pomerium of your Island surveyed and in edifying your Merchants imbracing the whole compasse of the World East West North and South The times give you Peace and yet offer you opportunities of action abroad And lastly your excellent Royal Issue entayleth these blessings and favours of God to descend to all posterity It resteth therefore that God having done so great things for your Majestie and you for others You would do so much for your self as to go through according to your good beginnings with the rectifying and settling of your estate and means which onely is wanting Hoc rebus defuit unum I therefore whom onely love and duty to your Majestie and your royal line hath made a Financier do intend to present unto your Majestie a perfect book of your estate like a perspective glasse to draw your estate neer to your sight beseeching your Majestie to conceive that if I have not attained to do that that I would do in this which is not proper for me nor in my element I shall make your Majestie amends in some other thing in which I am better bred God ever preserve c. The Lord Chancellour to the Marquesse of Buckingham 25. March 1620. My very good Lord YEsterday I know was no day Now I hope I shall hear from your Lordship who are my anchor in these flouds Mean while to ease my heart I have written to his Majestie the inclosed which I pray your Lordship to read advisedly and to deliver it or not to deliver it as you think Good God ever prosper your Lordship Yours ever what I am Fr. St. Alban Canc. The Lord Chancellour to the King March 25. 1620. It may please your most excellent Majestie TIme hath been when I have brought unto you Gemitum Columbae from others now I bring it from my self I flie unto your Majestie with the wings of a Dove which once within these seven daies I thought would have carrried me a higher flight When I enter into my self I find not the materials of such a tempest as is come upon me I have been as your Majestie knoweth best never authour of any immoderate Counsel but alwaies desired to have things carried suavibus modis I have been no avaritious oppressor of the people I have been no haughty or intolerable or hateful man in my conversation or carriage I have inherited no hatred from my father but am a good Patriot born Whence should this be for these are the things that use to raise dislikes abroad For the house of Commons I began my Credit there and now it must be the place of the Sepulture thereof And yet this Parliament upon the Message touching Religion the old love revived and they said I was the same man still onely honesty was turned into honour For the Upper House even within these daies before these troubles they seemed as to take me into their arms finding in me ingenuity which they took to be the true streight line of noblenesse without Crooks or angles And for the briberies and guifts wherewith I am charged when the books of hearts shall be opened I hope I shall not be found to have the troubled fountain of a corrupt heart in a depraved habit of taking rewards to pervert Justice howsoever I may be frail and partake of the abuses of the Times And therefore I am resolved when I come to my answer not to trick my innocency as I writ to the Lords by Cavillations or voidances but to speak to them the language that my heart speaketh to me in excusing extenuating or ingenuous confessing praying God to give me the grace to see to the bottom of my faults and that no hardnesse of heart do steal upon me under shew of more neatnesse of Conscience then is Cause But not to trouble your Majestie any longer craving pardon for this long mourning Letter that which I thirst after as the Hart after the streams is that I may know by my matchlesse friend that presenteth to you this letter your Majesties heart which is an abyssus of goodnesse as I am an abyssus of mercy towards me I have been ever your man and counted my self but as an usufructuary of my self the property being yours And now making my self an oblation to do with me as may best conduce to the honour of your Justice the honour of your Mercy and the use of your Service resting as Clay in your Majesties gracious hands Fr. St. Alban Canc. Magdibeg to his Majestie May it please your most excellent Majestie I Make bold after a long silence to prostrate my self before your Majestie and being the Ambassadour of a great King that counteth it an honour to stile himself your friend I do beseech you to afford me that justice which I am sure you will not refuse to the meanest of your Subjects At my first arrival into this your happy Kingdome I was informed by the general relation of all that had recourse unto me that one here who had the title of Ambassadour from my Master did vainly brag that he had married the King of Persia's Neece which kindled in me such a vehement desire to vindicate my Masters honor from so unworthy and false a report that at my first interview with him my hand being guided by my dutie I endeavoured to fasten upon him a Condigne disgrace to such an imposture But the caution that I ought to have of my own justification when I return home biddeth me the more strictly to examine the truth of that which was told me whereon my action with Sir Robert Shirley was grounded and to have it averred in the particulars as well as by a general voice Therefore I humbly beseech your Majestie that out of your Princely goodnesse you will be pleased to give such order that this point may be fully cleared Wherein for the manner of proceeding I wholly and humbly remit my self to your Majestie And this being done I shall return home with some measure of joy to ballance the grief which I have for having done ought that may have clouded your Majesties favour to me And so committing your Majestie to the protection of the greatest God whose shadowes and elect instruments Kings are on earth I humbly take my leave and rest c. The Copy of a Letter written by his Majestie
all things but the dispensation which came two moneths after And whereas it was expected to come absolute and full it came infringed with Cautions and limitations viz. That the Infanta should not be married till matters in England were in perfect execution that in case the King of England could not give sufficient security the King of Spain himself should swear and undertake the oath for him Hereupon a Junto of Divines was appointed to determine hereof Whether the King might do this with a safe Conscience or no. These Divines went gravely and tediously to work which put the Prince upon that impatiency that he was upon point of departure When at last the businesse came to a resolution and so the Match was publiquely declared The Prince had then often though publiquely accesse to the Infanta the King being still himself present and in hearing After this a Ratification was sent for from Rome but the Pope dying in the interim and the new Pope falling suddenly sick it could not be speedily procured For want of this Ratification there was no Contract made and the Prince himself seemed not to desire it A little before his departure the King and the Councel of State with the Patriarch of the Indies the Prince-Prelate after the Bishop of Toledo who is under age swore to all the Capitulations so that the Prince seemed to depart well satisfied The King brought him to the Escurial and a little before his departure the King and he went into a close Coach and had a large discourse together my Lord of Bristol being in another Coach hard by to interpret some hard words when he was called And so they parted with many tender demonstrations of love A Trophy of Marble is erected in the place where they parted Many rich Presents were given on both sides The Prince bestowed upon the Queen the biggest Crown Pearl in the world between two Diamonds He gave the Infanta a rope of Pearl and an anchor of great Diamonds with many other Jewels He hath been very bountiful to every one of the Kings house and all the Guard Never Prince parted with such an universal love of all He left every mouth filled with his Commendations every one reporting him to be a truly Noble discreet and well deserving Prince I write what I hear and know and that without passion for all he is the Prince of my Countrey My Lord of Buckingham at first was much esteemed but it lasted little his French garb with his stout hastinesse in negotiating and over-familiarity with the Prince was not liked Moreover the Councel of Spain took it ill that a green head should come with such a superintendent power to treat of an affair of such Consequence among so many grave Ministers of State to the prejudice of so able and well-deserving a Minister as my Lord of Bristol who laid the first stone of this building Hereupon his power was called in question and found imperfect in regard it was not confirmed by the Councel Thus the businesse began to gather ill bloud between Olivarez and him and grew so far out of square that unlesse there had been good heads to peece them together again all might have fallen quite off the hinges He did not take his leave of the Countesse of Olivarez and the farewel he took of the Conde himself was harsh for he told him he would be an everlasting servant to the King of Spain the Queen and the Infants and would endeavour to do the best offices he could for the concluding of this businesse and strengthening the amity between the two Kingdomes but for himself he had so far disobliged him that he could make no profession of friendship to him at all The Conde turned about and said he accepted of what he had spoken and so parted Since his Highnesse departure my Lord of Bristol negotiates closely he is daily at the Palace to attend the Infanta and he treats by means of the Countesse of Olivarez There is a new Junto appointed for the disposing of the Infanta's affairs and we hope here that all things will be ripe against the next Spring to bring her over And so I rest c. From Madrid 30. Septemb. 1623. His Majesties to the Earl of Bristol Jan. 21. 1625. VVEE have read your Letter addressed to us by Buckingham and We cannot but wonder that you should through forgetfulnesse make such a request to us of favour as if you stood eavenly capable of it when you know what your behaviour in Spain deserved of Us which you are to examine by the observations We made and know you will remember how at our first coming into Spain taking upon you to be so wise as to foresee our intentions to change our Religion you were so far from disswading us that you offered your service and secresie to concur in it and in many other open Conferences pressing to shew how convenient it was for us to be a Roman Catholique it being impossible in your opinion to do any great action otherwise how much wrong disadvantage and disservice you did to the Treaty and to the right and interest of our dear Brother and Sister and their Children what disadvantage inconvenience and hazard you intangled us in by your artifices putting off and delaying our return home The great estimation you made of that State and the vile price you set this Kingdome at still maintaining that we under colour of friendship to Spain did what was in our power against them which you said they knew very well And last of all your approving of those Conditions that our Nephew should be brought up in the Emperours Court to which Sir Walter Aston then said he durst not give his Consent for fear of his head you replying to him that without some such great action neither marriage nor peace could be had c. Lord Conway to the Earl of Bristol March 21. 1625. My Lord I Received a Letter from your Lordship dated the 4th of this month written in answer to a former which I directed to your Lordship by his Majesties Commandment This last Letter according to my duty I have shewed unto his Majestie who hath perused it and hath commanded me to write back this unto you again That he finds himself nothing satisfied therewith the question propounded to your Lordship from his Majestie was plain and clear Whether you did rather choose to sit still without being question'd for any errours past in your negotiation in Spain and enjoy the benefit of the late gratious pardon granted in Parliament whereof you may have the benefit or whether for the clearing of your innocency whereof your self your friends and your followers are so confident you will be contented to wave the advantage of that pardon and put your self into a legal way of examination for the tryal thereof His Majesties purpose hereby is not to prevent you of any favours the Law hath given but if your assurance be such as your words and letter
them I have these 10. daies had Greisly in a readinesse to depart having every day expected a resolution from the Junto First in point of the portion and since in the daies of payment and at last I have received their answer in them both in such sort as your Highnesse will see in the paper inclosed which is an extract of the heads of the temporal Articles that we have agreed although I have onely consented unto them de bene esse until I shall receive his Majesties approbation and yours In the point of the portion I have had a tough and a knotty piece of work by reason that not onely the Conde de Olivarez but all the Junto were absolutely ignorant of what had passed in the late Kings time which I foresaw and that was the cause that I moved so earnestly at the Escurial to have the Conde de Gondomar remain here They made many presidents to be searched and found that the two millions demanded was four times as much as ever was given with any daughter of Spain in money They alledged that it would be said that the King of Spain was fain to purchase the friendship and alliance of England that this would be such a president as that Spain hereafter must marrie no more daughters I onely insisted that it was a thing by the last King settled and agreed with me that this King had by several answers in writing to me undertaken to pursue the businesse as it was left by his father and to make good whatsoever he had promised And thereupon desired that the original Papers and Consultos of the last King might be seen which very honestly by the Secretary Cirica were produced and appeared to be such that I dare say there was not a man that saw them that doubteth of the last Kings real intention of making the Match And questionlesse this had been the usefullest occasion to have disavowed former proceedings and I was resolved to put them to it But both the King and his Councel upon the sight of what had been promised by his father presently took resolution to make good the two millions onely to remonstrate unto his Majestie the vastnesse of the Portion and to desire him to consider how far the King had stretched himself in this particular for his satisfaction And therefore that he would have Consideration of it in such things for the future as might be treated of betwixt them and their Kingdoms As for the daies of payment I insisted to have had half a million upon the Deposories half a million to be carried along with the Infanta and the other million at their Fleets the two next years after by equal portions But I have now received the Kings answer in this particular which your Highnesse will see in the enclosed paper as likewise what I have done therein by the Copie of the dispatch which I now write about it to Mr. Secretary So not having any thing more to add concerning this particular I recommend your highnesse to Gods holy protection c. Madrid The E of Bristol to the Duke of Buckingham Decemb. 6. 1623. May it please your Grace THe present estate of the Kings affairs requireth the concurrencie of all his servants and the Co-operation of all his Ministers which maketh me desirous to make unto your Grace this tender of my service that if there have happened any errours or misunderstandings your Grace would for that regard passe them over and for any thing that may personally concern my particular I shall labour to give you that satisfaction as may deserve your friendship And if that shall not serve the turn I shall not be found unarmed with patience against any thing that can happen unto me And so wishing that this humble offer of my service may find that acceptation as I humbly desire I rest Madrid Your Graces most humble servant Bristol The E. of Bristol to Secretary Cottington Apr. 15. 1623. Good Mr. Secretary Cottington THere is no man living knoweth better then your self how zealous I have been unto the Prince's service and whilest I thought he desired the Match I was for it against all the World Now the Treatie is ended the world shall see I never had nor will have any affections of my own but will wholly follow my Masters as I have written unto you in my former Letters and have not these four moneths spoken a word in the marriage If his Majestie and the Prince will have a war I will spend my life and fortunes in it without so much as replying in what quarrel soever it be And of thus much I intreat you let his Highnesse be informed by you And I intreat you let me know his directions what he will have me do and how to behave my self for I absolutely cast my self at his feet which I desire to do the first thing after my landing to the end that understanding his pleasure I may commit no errour I beseech you to dispatch this bearer back unto me withal possible speed though it be with not one word more but what the Prince will have me do wherewith I shall come muy Consolado I understand that I have been much bound to the Prince for the procuring the 4000 l. to be payed and for my Pension I pray present unto him my most humble thanks and I confesse I have been much more comforted with that demonstration of his favour then I can be with the money I doubt not but at this time I shall have the effects of a real friendship from you in this particular And so desiring to have my service remembred to my Lady Cottington I rest Poitiers Yours c. Bristol Postscript I Pray move the Prince that one of the Kings Ships may be presently appointed to waft me over For I have a great charge of of the Princes with me W. Greisly met me within 10. posts of Burdeaux and is passed on to Madrid I think he shall find the Blandones for his Highnesse in a readinesse for Mr. Stone taketh care of them and hath the money in his hand The E. of Bristol to his Majestie 27 July 1624. May it please your most excellent Majestie I Hope your Majestie will not be displeased that I continue unto you that most humble and just suit which I have often made unto your Majestie and your Majestie hath been often gratiously pleased to promise which was that I should be no waies lessened or diminished in your Majesties favour and good opinion until you should be first pleased gratiously to hear me and my Cause And although your Majestie for just respects hath not been pleased hitherto to admit me into your presence which I esteem an infinite misfortune to me Yet I hope that time will no way confirm those impressions of displeasure which I do no way doubt but will be fully cleared whensoever I shall be so happy as by your Majestie to be heard For I take God to record that I have
that have voice in this Parliament and that each of them do send hither two Provadores as they call them here but these have no power finally to conclude any thing but what is agreed on by them is to be approved of by the said Cities or the greatest number of them before it have the force of an Act of Parliament and that therefore there hath been all possible art used to procure the Cities to confirm what hath been granted by their Procuradores touching the 60. millions and it is here thought that one of the motives of this Kings journey was hoping by the authority of his presence to procure the consent unto the said gift of the 4. Cities which he is to passe by in this journey namely Cordova Sivel Joen and Granado it being here doubted that the said Cities might make great opposition to the said grant notwithstanding his Majestie hath not had such successe as was expected But Cordova which was the first City with which his Majestie began hath absolutely refused to give their Consent letting his Majestie understand though in as fair and respectful terms as they could expresse themselves That it was a demand impossible for them to Comply withal What the success of this may be is doubtful Cordova having given but an ill example to the other Cities and yet it is rather believed here that the greatest number of them being under the Command of such as are either this Kings servants or absolutely under his dispose that his Majestie will be able to overcome the businesse and they are now busie how to settle the manner of the leavie of the said sum by yearly and equal portions They having found here divers inconveniences in their new Government of Portugal by way of Governours are resolved to place Vice-Kings again there And for to gratifie the Emperour have elected for that charge his third Brother Don Carlos who is presently to make his repair thither On the 27th of the last moneth my Lord of Bristol took his leave of the Queen and the Infanta and on the Sunday following being the 29. of the said moneth his Lordship delivered unto me the Powers which his Highnesse left with him and those which have been since sent hither His Lordship is preparing for his journey and saith that he is already in such a forwardnesse as upon the arrival here of Mr. Greisley or any other from England whereby he shall receive means for the taking up of moneys here he will presently put himself upon the way The Queen here some few daies since fell suddenly ill and swooned two or three times but her indisposition lasted not above two or three dayes Her Majestie is now thanks be to God very well again The King having received advice thereof intended as it is said to come presently post hither but upon better news his Majestie proceeds in his journey and for any thing that I can understand it will be May before his return to this Town There are lately thrown abroad in this Town divers Copies of a Proclamation pretended to be published in Ireland bearing date the 27. of January last It hath made a great noise here and divers of their Ministers have spoken with me about it they conceiving it to be contrary to what hath been lately Capitulated For my part I have been able to give them no answer not having yet understood from your Honour nor any of his Majesties Ministers of any such Proclamation I have seen the Proclamation as it came printed from thence and do here inclosed send your Honour a Copy thereof desiring you that you will acquaint his Majestie therewithal that he may be pleased to Command therein what to his wisdom shall seem fit To those that have spoken with me about this Proclamation having first disclaimed the having had knowledge of any such thing I have used discourses of mine own touching the abuses of those which are called titulary Archbishops Bishops c. letting them understand here that if those kind of people have been busie there to plant secretly their Government they have far exceeded the favour which was promised them and given his Majestie just cause to give order for the reformation My last to your Honour was of the 7th of February last by Albert Rivas whom I dispatched with all diligence to you since when I have received nothing from your Honour I shall therefore c. Your Honours c. Wa. Aston Sir Walter Aston to the Lord Conway 5th June 1624. Right Honourable IN a former Dispatch which I lately made unto your Honour I sent unto you the Copy of a Letter which I then had newly received from the Secretarie Don Andreas de Prada by which he advertised me That the King his Master according to what I had requested by memorial had commanded that all English Commodities and Manufactures which I have long since advertized were prohibited by Prematica's published here for the reformation of abuses should enter into these Kingdoms I have long since performed divers diligences my self both with the Secretary and President of Castile for the procuring a declaration of the said order being careful to prevent such inconveniences as the King our Masters Subjects might fall into for want thereof But having been tossed up and down between the Secretarie and the President with several delayes the one remitting me to the other I repaired to the Conde of Olivarez suspecting some novelty in the businesse and acquainted him that upon the receipt of a Letter sent me from the Secretary Don Andreas de Prada concerning the free entrance of English Commodities I had given notice by a Copy of the said Letter unto the King my Master of what was therein Commanded and had likewise advertised the Merchants that reside in these Kingdomes of the said Order I also gave him account of the several diligences which I had performed with the President and the Secretary for the procuring a declaration thereof and desired that he would presently command that there might be such course taken that there should be no further delayes used therein since I should be loath to see the King my Masters Subjects encouraged by the said Order to repair hither with their Merchandizes and fall into inconveniencies for want of notice given thereof unto their Ministers in the Ports The Conde fell into discourses far from my expectation asking me whether it was not free for any King in his own Kingdom to Command his own Subjects to wear what he pleased saying further that the English were not prohibited to bring in their Commodities but that the King his Master might command his Subjects to spend the Bayes and other Commodities of his own Kingdoms and not to make use of those that came from forraign parts as to his wisdom for the good of his Kingdoms should seem best That there should be a suspension of the execution of the said Pramatica's until St. James-tide and no longer To which I answered That
I made no doubt of the power that every King had over his own Subjects notwithstanding where it was articled betwixt two Kings that there should be a free admittance of each others Commodities unto their several Kingdomes and after a Command should be given prohibiting either of them unto their Subjects the making use thereof it could not but be understood a defrauding and deluding of the Articles and the true intention of them but I told him I came not to dispute this now for the Secretaries Letter had desired me to take notice of another resolution therefore I desired that there might be a speedy and publique declaration made of what was therein signified unto me or if there were any new resolution that I might understand it To which he answered pretending that he spake it as a freedom which he used with me but came out with it in such a manner as I saw he was full of it That the truth was that they would proceed here as they were proceeded withal in England That the King my Master had lately given leave to the Hollanders to transport Artillery out of England and had denied the like to their Embassadours having required it which was as he said directly against the articles of peace wherein it was Capitulated That neither should assist with any kind of armes the enemy of the other He said farther That the English had taken Ormuh and there was no satisfaction given concerning that businesse nor appearance of any intention to do it and concluded That when the Articles of Peace should be observed to them they would do the like I told the Conde I had not understood any thing of those particulars which he mentioned and therefore could say nothing unto him neither thought I fit to give him any further answer being loath in a businesse of this importance where the Articles of Peace between these Kingdoms are in question to do any thing at guesse but to advertise it to the King my Master and to proceed according to such order as he shall please to give me I do therefore intreat your Honour that you will be pleased to acquaint his Majestie with what hath passed wherein I doubt not but his Majestie will observe the distraction and inconstancy of their proceedings here at present in Commanding what his Majestie will have found by this Secretaries Letter and taking presently after new resolutions After this language which the Conde hath used unto me I cannot expect any reason or justice here and the Merchants have many suites depending wherein they have received great injuries whereof I have not hitherto complained because I was in continual hope of procuring redresse and their suites proceeded on I cannot say as I would have wished but according to the stile here and in such manner as they have done in former times I doubt not but his Majestie will therefore likewise please to consider what a stop there is likely to be here of all businesses concerning the Commerce and either proceed as occasion shall there be offered in the like manner or take such a Course for settling things in better order as to his wisdom shall seem best I have fince had some overtures made unto me that the said declaration shall presently come out in the mean time I would not wish that the Merchants should adventure any thing trusting to their courtesie here By my last unto your Honour which was of the 20th of May I advertized the advice which was given hither That the Galeons that bring the Plate were upon the way for these parts Since when there is newes of their arrival at St. Lucar excepting two of them which perished in their journey hitherward the one sprung a leak in a calm day and sunk so fast that there were onely saved 52 men the rest which were about 200. persons were all drowned neither was any of her fraight saved The other was their Admirante which corresponds with our Vice-Admiral which likewise sprung a leak but all the men aboard were saved and a good part of her silver There is lost upon Register in these two Ships three millions and it is thought that there perished in them above a million in silver and goods unregistred Upon order that was lately sent unto the Assistente of Sevil for the perfecting the Grant of the Millions to the King by the said City there being doubt made whether it was a lawful Concession or no The Assistente called together those that had voices in the said grant of the said Millions and made a speech unto them wishing a general Conformity to what his Majestie had desired of them but the proposition was very distastful unto the greater number who little expected to have heard that businesse revived again And the people having gotten notice upon the breaking up of that meeting of what had been there propounded in a tumultuous manner ran after the Assistente who was returning to his house and hearing such a clamour behind him thought that the people had been disquieted by some accident and stayed to have appeased them but by the curses which he heard and the blowes he received by the stones which were thrown at him he quickly found against whom the fury of the people was bent and so made all the haste he could to his own house which at length he recovered sore wounded and with much hazard of his life The Irish Priests and others of that Kingdome which reside in this Court begin to grow very busie here and do promise great matters unto this King in the assistance which his Majestie shall find in Ireland whensoever he shall please to attempt any thing against that Kingdome but for any thing I can learn there hath been as yet so little ear given unto them that they have not descended to make any particular offer But they are treated here with much Courtesie Tyr-Connel being made a Page to the Queen and the rest receiving good satisfaction I will be as vigilant as I can to trace out their steps and I hope I shall be able to give seasonable advertizement of their proceedings Howsoever since secret Councels may be held and resolutions taken which I may misse of I doubt not but the King our Master considering the present jealousies and distastes betwixt these Crowns will be vigilant to secure that Kingdom that there may be nothing neglected upon which they may here take any sudden advantage By the English Merchants that reside in Malaga I have received advice that 3. Scottish Masters of Ships have lately had a sentence pronounced against them by the D. of Medina Sidona wherein their Ships and all their goods are confiscated for having brought Holland Commodities to that Port and their persons condemned to the Galleys which notwithstanding their apellation unto the Councel of War here which ought to have been admitted them was presently put into execution The same day that I received the advice I gave in a Memorial to the
it doth most naturally and purely declare it self since I received any of mine own It is much your Lordship should spare me those thoughts which pour out themselves in my occasions But to have me and my assaires in a kind of affectionate remembrance when your Lordship is saluting of other Noble men is more then ever I shall be able otherwaies to requite then with true prayers and best wishes I received this afternoon by Sir John Brook a most loving Letter from your Lordship but dated the 26th of Novemb. imparting your care over me for the committing of one Beeston for breach of a Decree My Noble Lord Decrees once made must be put in execution or else I will confesse this Court to be the greatest imposture and Grievance in this Kingdom The damned in Hell do never cease repining at the Justice of God nor the prisoners in the Fleet at the Decrees in Chancery of the which hell of prisoners this one for antiquity and obstinacy may passe for a Lucifer I neither know him nor his cause but as long as he stands in Contempt he is not like to have any more liberty His Majesties last Letter though never so full of honey as I find by passages reported out of the same being as yet not so happy as to have a sight thereof hath notwithstanding afforded those Spiders which infest that noble House of Commons some poyson and ill constructions to feed upon and to induce a new diversion or plain Cessation of weightier businesses His Majestie infers and that most truly for where were the Commons before Henry the first gave them authority to meet in Parliaments that their priviledges are but Graces and favours of former Kings which they claim to be their inheritance and natural birthrights Both these assertions if men were peaceably disposed and affected the dispatch of the common bufinesses might be easily reconciled These priviledges were originally the favours of Princes and are now inherent in their persons Nor doth his Majestie go about to impair or diminish them If his Majestie will be pleased to qualifie that passage with some mild and noble exposition and require them strictly to prepare things for a Session and to leave this needlesse dispute his Majestie shall thereby make it appear to all wise and just men that these persons are opposite to those common ends whereof they vaunthemselves the onely Patâ—â—ns But do his Maiestie what he please I am afraid although herein the Lord Treasurer and others do differ from me they do not affect a Sessions nor intend to give at this time any Subsidie at all Will the King be pleased therefore to add in this Letter which must be here necessarily upon Munday morning that if they will not prepare bills for a Session his Majesty will break up this Parliament without any longer Prorogation and acquainting the Kingdom with their undutifulnesse and obstinacy supply the present wants by some other meanes Or will his Majesty upon their refusal presently rejourn the the Assembly until the appointed 8th of Feburary This course is fittest for further advice but the other to expresse a just indignation I dare advise nothing in so high a point but humbly beseech almighty God to illuminate his Majesties understanding to insist upon that course which shall be most behoveful for the advancement of his service In our house his Majesties servants are very strong and increase every day nor is there the least fear of any Malignant opposition God reward all your Lordships goodnesse and affection towards c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke about Mr. Thomas Murrayes Dispensation c. 23. Febr. 1621. My most Noble Lord. I Should fail very much of my duty to his Majestie if before the sealing of Mr. Thomas Murrayes Dispensation I should not acquaint his Majestie explicitely and freely with the nature of this act fâ—r differing from any dispensation in this kind ever granted by his Majestie since his happie coming to the Crown of England For to say nothing of the right of the election of this Provost which being originally not in the King but in the fellowes and now by their neglect devolved unto me shall be fully and absolutely at his Majesties command the place is a living with cure of souls and I am to institute and admit him to the cure of souls of the Parish of Eaten by the expresse Letter of the Statute without admission it is impossible he should receive any real or rightful possession of the same Now that his Majestie or any of his Predecessors did ever dispence with a Lay-man to hold cure of souls I think will be hard for any man to shew by any warrantable president or record whatsoever And I know his Majestie to he as much averse from giving any such president as any Prince in Christendome living this day This is altogether differing a Deanery or an Hospital which being livings without cure have been and may be justly conserred by his Majestie upon Lay-men with dispensations de non promovendo If Sir Henry Savil's example be objected I answer besides that the Queen made Clayme to the guift of the place by Iapse occasioned through the promotion of the Provost to the Bishoprick of Chichester whereas his Majestie hath no such Clayme thereunto at this time That Savil never durst take true possession of the place but was onely slipt in by the Bishop who for fear of the Earl of Essex made bold with the conscience Ad Curam et regimen Collegii that is to the care and government of the Colledge Whereas by the expresse words of the foundation he is to be admitted Ad Curam annimarum Parechianor 〈◊〉 Ecclesia Aetonianae to the Cure of the souls of all the people of the Parish of Eaton Secondly I hold it no Disparagement to Mr. Murray nor do find him all together averse from the same to enter into orders in the raign of a King so favourable to our Coat as Gods name be praised for it raigns now over us This will give satisfaction to all the Church bring him into this place according to statute and the foundation of that dead King prevent such a dangerous president for a Lay-man to possesse cure of souls in the Eye and Center of all the Realm and by an everlasting testimony of his Majesties Piety to the Church of England Thirdly what opinion this Gentleman hath of our Church government is better known to his Majestle then to me If he should be averse thereunto it were such a blow unto the Church the number of the Fellowes and Students there considered as the like were never given by publique authority these 50 Years Fourthly howsoever his Majestie and the Prince his Highnesse shall resolve thereof at whose feet I lie to be wholly disposed I hope it is neither of their royal intendments to transfer the Bishopprick of Lincolne upon the Fellowes of that house who have rashly usurped a Power of admitting their Provost by
from five a clock in the morning to 10. or 12. at night are restlesse and endlesse but under earth and out of his Majesties sight What other men do or but seem to do it is ever before the Kings face and if his Majestie will not look on it if he hath eares about him he shall be told of it so often by the parties themselves that he must hear of it whether he will or no. And as my service by this remotenesse is hidden from the King so is it liable to be traduced to the King and my relief as in dispatching the motions of poor men by Petitions allowable to my orders made to be a Grievance to the Common Wealth But in all these fourteen dayes wherein by the voice of the City I have remained a prisoner in my house where is that one party grieved that hath troubled his Majestie with Complaints against me Onely my Lord Marshal hath dealt with my noble Lord Marquesse Hamilton my Lord of Carlile my Lord Treasurer as your Lordship may soon know by asking the question to make a faction to disgrace the poor Lord Keeper who never dreamt thereof Sir Gilbert Haughton hath complained to my Lord Treasurer of my men for taking Hugh Holland was by and heard him If your Lordship do but ask him his reason I think it will appear how well grounded their complaints be Upon those two former Anchors I will therefore rest and that so far from Cowardlinesse that I will either challenge them before his Majestie to make good their suggestions or else which I hold the greater valour of all and which I confesse I wanted before this check of your Lordships go on in my Course and scorn all these base and unworthy scandals as your Lordship shall direct me I have sent a Copy of a Letter of mine to my Lord Anan which his Majestie hath seen and given his assent it should not be kept private yet I would humbly crave your Lordships opinion thereof by Mr. Packer before any Copy goeth from me I am ever c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 12th Octob. 1622. My most Noble Lord I Will speak with the Jesuit to morrow and deliver him his admonition from the King but do send your Lordship here inclosed a Copie of the Conference which I procured from him without his privity onely to make his Majestie and your Lordship merrie I have also received a Letter concerning the French Embassador which I will be ready to put in execution as your Lordships servant and Deputy but not otherwise Yet your Lordship will give me out of that freedom which was wont to be well interpreted by your Lordship to let your Lordship understand that I find all businesses of restitution of ships and goods thus taken to have been handled before the Councel in Star-chamâ—â—â— all the reigns of Henry 7th and H. 8th without any contradiction of the Lord Admiral for the time being But this to your Lordship in secret I will be very careful of the Earl of Desmond that neither his cause nor your Lordships reputation shall suffer thereby And this is the account I can yet give of your Lordships Letter save that I humbly expect that answer which your Lordships own Luckie hand hath promised in the postscript of one of them I would ease your Lordship in this place but to prevent complaint that peradventure may be first invented and then presented Your Lordship shall heare of a long narrative of our Councel Table dispatches That passage of our letter which as it now goeth doth hope that his Majestie will spare to confer any suites of moment in Ireland until the return of the Irish Committee was a blunt request to the King to grant no suites there without our advice Against this concluded in my absence the first day of the Tearm I spake first to the Prince privately who allowed of my reasons then when the President would not mend it at the Table openly that I did utterly dislike we should tutour his Majesty how to grant suits especially in Letters that are to remain upon record My Lord of Cantuar and the Earle Marshal said they had many Presidents in that kind I answered I knew they had none but in the Kings time and that I wished them as I do all torn out of the book and cast into the fire I concealed my reasons which now I will reveal unto your Lordship because this is the third time I have expressed unto your Lordship under my hand my dislike of this kind of Limiting his Majestie otherwise then by word of mouth First if his Majestie which we see so often done shall dispose of these suites otherwise here are so many records remaining to malitious litious men to observe his Majesties aversenesse from following the advice of the Councel board Secondly if your Lordship shall procure any suit in this kind here are records also in time to come that you crosse and thwart the government of the Kingdom And I pray God this be but mine own jealousie The passage in the Letter with my Prating and his Highnesse help was altered and for fear of misreporting I make bold to relate the truth hereof to your Lordship My Lords proceeded very resolutely in those reformations which concerned other men The Commission of fees enables the Committees to call before them all the Judges as well as their under Officers which was more then the King exprest at Hampton Court amongst whom the Lord Keeper is one who from the Conquest to this day was never subjected to 〈◊〉 call of any power in the Kingdom but the King and the Parliament And although I have not one Pennie of Fee which hath not continued above one hundred years yet for the honour of the Prime place in the state though now disgraced by the contemptiblenesse of the Officer I am an humble suiter unto your Lordship that my Person may be exempted from the command of Sr. Edwin Sandys or indeed any man els besides the King my Master Otherwise I shall very patiently endure it but the King hereafter may dislike it The Justices of the Peace are also appointed but if the Judges and my-self be not utterly deceived to no purpose in the world nor service to his Majestie But when their Lordships came to surrender the under Leivtenantships to his Majesties hands whom the Lord President and I held fit to be created henceforward by several Commissions under the Great Seal it was stiffly opposed and stood upon that the King should name them in their Lordships Commissions onely according to a President in the late Queens time that is the King shall have the naming but they still the appointing of them And now it was pressed that his Majestie intended not to disgrace his Lords c and your Lordship is to have a Letter from Mr. Secretarie to know his Majesties mind herein If his Majestie shall not ordain them to be created by several Pattents it were
and my self to this effect 1. To grant a pardon of all offences past with a dispensation for those to come to all the Roman Catholiques obnoxious to any laws made against the Recusants 2. And then to issue forth two general Commands under the Great Seal the first to all the Judges and Justices of the Peace and the other to all Bishops Chancellours and Commissaries not to execute any Statute made against them Their general pardon we have passed and sent unto his Majestie from whence it is not returned in as full and ample manner as they could desire and pen it The other general and vast prohibition I prevailed with the rest of the Lords to stop as yet and gave in three dayes conference such reasons to the 2. Embassadors that although it is no easie matter to satifie the Caprichiousnesse of the Latter of them yet they were both content it should rest until the Infanta had been six Months in England My reason if it may please your Grace was this Although this general favour and connivence whereof there are 20. of the Prime Councel know nothing as yet must at last be known to all the Land yet is there a great difference between the publishing thereof A Golpe at one push as it were and that instilling of it into their knowledg by little and little by reason of favours done to particular Catholiques The former course might breed a general impression if not a mutinie This Letter will but loosen the tongues but of some few particulars who understand of their neighbours pardon and having vented their dislikes when they have not many to Sympathise with them they grow coole again so as his majestie afterwards may enlarge these favours without any danger at all Secondly to forbid Iudges against their oaths and Justices of the Peace sworn likewise to execute the law of the Land is a thing unpresidented in this Kingdom et Durus Sermo a very harsh and bitter pill to be digested upon a suddain and without some preparation But to grant a pardon even for a thing that is Malum in se and a dispensation with Penal Lawes in the profit whereof the King onely is interested is usual and full of presidents and examples And yet is this Letter onely tending to the safety the former but to the glory and insolencie of the Papists and the magnifying the service of the Embassadors ends too dearly purchased with the indangering of a tumult in three Kingdomes Thirdly and Lastly his Maiestie useth to speak to his Bishops Judges and Justices of the peace by his Chancelour or Keeper as your Grace well knoweth and by his Great Seal and I can signify his Majesties pleasure unto them with lesse noise and danger which I mean to do hereafter if the Embassadors shall presse it to this effect unlesse your Grace shall from his Highnesse or your own judgment direct otherwise That whereas his Majestie being at this time to mediate for favour to many Protestants in forraign parts with Princes of another religion and to sweeten the entertainment of the Princess into this Kingdom who is as yet a Roman Catholique doth hold a mitigation of the rigour of those lawes made against Râ—…nts to be a necessary inducement to both those purposes and hath therefore issued forth some pardons of Grace and favour to such Roman Catholiques of whose faithfulnesse and fidelity to the state he rests assured That therefore you the Lords Bishops Judges and Justices each of those to be written unto by themselves do take notice of this his Majesties pardon and dispensation with all such penal Lawes and demean your selves accordingly c. Thus have I been too tedious and troublesome unto your Grace and Crave your pardon therefore and some directions which you may cause Sir Francis Cottington or some other to write without your Graces trouble if there shall apeare any cause of alteration Doctor Bishop the new Bishop of Calcedon is come to London privately and I am much troubled thereabouts not knowing what to advise his Majestie in this posture as things stand at this present If you were shipped with the Infanta the onely Councel were to let the Judges proceed with them presently hang him out of the way and the King to Blame my Lord of Cantuar or my self for it But before you be shipped in such form and manner I dare not assent or Connive at such a course It is my gracious Lord a most insolent Part and an offence as I take it Against our common Law and not the statutes onely which are dispensed withall for an English man to take such a consecration without the Kings consent and especially to use any Episcopal Jurisdiction in this Kingdom without the royal assent and Bishops have been in this State put to their fine and ransom for doing so three hundred years ago I will cease to to be further troublesome and pray to Almighty God to blesse your Grace and in all humblenesse take my leave and rest c. The Lord Keeper to the Duke 14th of October 1621. My most Noble Lord I Humbly thank your Lordship for your most sweet and loving Letter which as Sir George Goring could not but observe hath much revived me drooâ—ing under the unusual weight of so many businesses Let God suffer me no longer to be then I shall be true plain faithful and affectionately respectful of your Lordship as being most bound unto your Lordship for these so many fruits but far more for the tree that bore them your love and affection If your Lordship shall not think it inconvenient I do beseech your Lordship to present this Petition inclosed either by word or writing unto his Majestie and to procure a speedy dispatch thereof because we are to meet on Thursday next Also to acquaint his Majestie that I stumble at the Proclamation now coming to the Seal against any that shall draw or present any bill for his Majesties signature besides those Clarks which usually draw them up by virtue of their places It is most prejudicial to my place the Lord Treasurer and the Judges itinerant who are often occasioned to draw up and present to his Majestie divers matters and especially pardons of Course It is also too strong a tie upon your Lordships hands being intended by his Majestie against Projectors and Scriveners only If it shall please his Majestie therefore to make an exception of the Lords of his Councel and Judges of Assize it may passe to the contentment of all men Mr. Attourney saith he meant this exception but I find it not sufficiently expressed in the Proclamation Also I humbly beseech your Lordship to meddle with no pardon for the Lord of St. Albons until I shall have the happinesse to confer with your Lordship the pardoning of his fine is much spoken against not for the matter for no man objects to that but for the manner which is full of knavery and a wicked president For by this assignation of
told he heard your Grace move his Highnesse to speake unto me to quit my place after your Graces professions of friendship to me 6. Mr. Secretarie Conwaies and my Lord Carlile's estrangednesse from me which I suspected could not be for I ever loved them both but true copies of your Graces displeasure I have opened to my truest friend all my former thoughts and being fully satisfyed by his Highnesse how false they are in every particular do humbly crave your Graces pardon that I gave a nights lodging to any of them all Although they never transported me a jott further then to look about how to defend my self being resolved as God shall be my protector to suffer all the obloquie of the world before I would be drawn to the least ingratitude against your Grace All that I beg is an assurance of your Graces former Love and I will plainely professe what I do not in the least beg or desire from your Grace 1. No Patronage of any corrupt or unjust act which shall be objected against me this Parliament 2. No defence of me if it shall appear I betrayed my King or my Religion in favour of the Papist or did them any real respect at all besides ordinary complements 3. No refuge in any of my causes or clamours against me which upon a false supposal of your Graces displeasure may be many otherwise then according to justice and fair proceeding And let this paper bear record against me at the great Parliament of all if I be not in my heart and soul your Graces most faithful and constant poor friend and Servant His Highnesse desires your Grace to move his Majestie to accept of my Lord Sayes commission and to procure me leave to send for him Also to move his Majestie that my Lord of Hartford may be in the house accepting his fathers place and making his protestation to sue for his Grandfathers according to his Majesties Lawes when the King shall give him leave His Highnesse and my Lords do hold this a modest and submissive Petition His Highnesse upon very deep reasons doubts whether it be safe to put all upon the Parliament for fear they should fall to examine particular Dispatches wherein they cannot but find many Contradictions And would have the proposition onely to ayd for the recovery of the Palatinate To draw on an engagement I propound it might be to advise his Majestie how this recovery shall be effected by reconquering the same or by a War of diversion This will draw on a breach with Spain without ripping up of private dispatches His Highnesse seemed to like well hereof and commanded me to acquaint your Grace therewith and to receive your opinion I humbly crave again two lines of assurance that I am in your Grace's opinion as I will ever be indeed c. The Heads of that Discourse which fell from Don Francisco 7. Die Aprilis 1624. at 11. of the clock at night This Relation was sent by the Lord Keeper to the Duke HOw he came to procure his accesses to the King The Marquesse putting Don Carlos upon the Prince and Duke in a discourse thrust a Letter into the Kings hand which he desired the King to read in private The King said he would thrust it into his pocket and went on with his discourse as if he had received none The effect was to procure private accesse for Don Francisco to come and speak with the King which his Majestie appointed by my Lord of Kelley and he by his secresie who designed for Don Francisco time and place At his first accesse he told the King That his Majestie was a prisoner or at leastwise besieged so as no man could be admitted to come at him And then made a complaint against the Duke that he aggravated and pretended accusations against Spain whereas its onely offence was that they refused to give unto him equal honour and observance as they did unto his Highnesse And that this was the only cause of his hatred against them At the last accesse which was some 4. dayes ago he made a long invective and remonstrance unto the King which he had put into writing in Spanish which he read unto me corrected with the hand of Don Carlos which I do know It was somewhat general and very rhetorical if not tragical for the stile The heads of what I read were these viz. 1. That the King was no more a freeman at this time then King John of France when he was prisoner in England or King Francis when he was at Madrid Being besieged and closed up with the servants and vassals of Buckingham 2. That the Embassadours knew very well and were informed 4. moneths ago that his Majestie was to be restrained and confined to his Country house and pastimes and the Government of the State to be assumed and disposed of by others and that this was not concealed by Buckinghams followers 3. That the Duke had reconciled himself to all the popular men of the State and drawn them forth out of prisons restraints and confinements to alter the Government of the State at this Parliament as Oxford South-hampton Say and others whom he met at Suppers and Ordinaries to strengthen his popularity 4. That the Duke to breed an opinion of his own greatnesse and to make the King grow lesse hath oftentimes brag'd openly in Parliament that he had made the King yield to this and that which was pleasure unto them And that he mentioned openly before the Houses his Majesties private oath which the Embassadors have never spoken of to any creature to this hour 5. That these Kingdomes are not now governed by a Monarch but by a Triumviri whereof Buckingham was the first and chiefest the Prince the second and the King the last and that all look towards Solem Orientem 6. That his Majestie should shew himself to be as he was reputed the oldest and wisest King in Europe by freeing himself from this Captivity and eminent danger wherein he was by cutting off so dangerous and ungrateful an affecter of greatnesse and popularity as the Duke was 7. That he desired his Majestie to conceal this his free dealing with him because it might breed him much peril and danger And yet if it were any way available for his service to reveal it to whom he pleased because he was ready to sacrifice his life to do him acceptable service And this was the effect of so much of the penned speech as I remember was read unto me out of the Spanish Copy His Majestie was much troubled in the time of this speech His Offer to the King for the restitution of the Palatinate TO have a Treaty for three moneths for the restitution and that money was now given in Spain to satisfie Bavaria That in the mean time because the people were so distrustful of the Spaniard the King might fortifie himself at home and assist the Hollanders with men or money at his pleasure And the King of Spain
others aboard with me to see all things put in execution and your Graces Secretary to perswade me to do it But when I had them aboard I told them it was a thing not presently done neither was my companie willing to deliver over the ship without a more ample warrant yet I would do my best to bring both to passe so soon as I could So using them with the best respect I could and fair promises that I would use all diligence for the accomplishing of their desires though I must confesse I never meant it till I should hear further from your Grace and have an especial Warrant from his Majestie or your Grace for it it being a businesse of so high a nature Vpon these hopes they departed and went a shoare where they had not been long till some of them returned back with a strange allarum from his Lordship that he would presently have possession of her or my resolution to the contrary And althoug I alleadged that the inventory and other businesse would not be dispatched in two dayes it would not suffice except I would receive 400. Souldiers aboard in the mean time till things were perfected Thus seeing I could not delay him till I heard farther from your Grace I was forced to give him this resolute answer That upon this Warrant I would not deliver over the ship unto him neither if I would would the company give way unto the same we not holding it a sufficient discharge for us But that we were ready to receive a competent number of Souldiers aboard with a chief Commander and to go upon such service as his Christian Majestie should direct us according to the agreement with the King my Master but nothing would satisfie him but to have her delivered over to him which if I did not presently my head should pay for it I desired his patience for two or three daies till I had written and sent to your Grace and that he would let me have a Shallop for that purpose but he denied both the one and the other notwithstanding sent away a Barque himself with one to your Grace but would not suffer me to send thereby which made me the more jealous of the real intent of the businesse The 23. he sent your Lordships Secretarie aboard to work and perswade me but I could not give other answer then I had done formerly only that I would attend until I heard farther from your Grace though I must confesse I had much ado to perswade my Company who were very unwilling to it But I had hope still to have a more ample Order how to proceed in this great and weighty businesse And upon the 24. at two of the clock in the morning Mr. Ingham whom I sent from Stokes Bay to your Grace returned unto me with two Letters one from your Grace and another from my Lord Conway the former part of both commanding me to put your former Commands in execution but the latter part prohibiting me to depart with my charge gave me the more courage to stand upon my former tearms This day your Graces Secretarie came aboard me again after I had sent your Graces Letter to him being sent by the Embassadour to prosecute the businesse for the deliverie of the ship unto them But after I had shewed him that part of your Graces Letter he knew not what to say to it I willed him to tell the Embassadour that this Letter was nothing but an answer of mine written from Stoken Bay concerning the not coming of the rest of the ships I further offered his Lordship this day for the more expedition of the businesse to take 150 of his men aboard and to run over for the Coast of England and to send presently to your Grace that we were ready to surrender over there upon an authentique Warrant from his Majestie or your Grace His answer to this was That he would not put his men in to be prisoners nor that we should be the major part I then offered him to take in as many French as I had English man for man but without arms yet nothing would satisfie him but the possession of the Ship either by delivering of her over into their hands or by receiving 400 armed men aboard wherewith they would quickly have taken her from us as you may plainly see their intent by their proceeding Which I refusing to do this night about ten of the clock he sent his Secretarie aboard with three or four others to make a protestation against me as a Rebel to my King and Countrey as you may perceive by the Copie of it which I send your Grace herewith and this he said was the last he would have to do with me for that on the morrow he would away for Paris Whereupon the next morning I sent this Gentleman Mr. Ingham unto him to know what farther service he would command me and whether he would have me attend his pleasure longer here for that I was ready to go upon any service they would command according to the former agreement and to receive as many men aboard as possibly I could but he said he had nothing to do except I would either deliver up the ship or take in the 400. Souldiers In the interim came his Secretarie with the same company he had before and made another protestation against me in regard I would not take in his 400. men and therewithal brought me a Letter from your Graces Secretarie for he is so jealous that he will not suffer him to come aboard but when he listeth which Letter was That the Embassadour would stay till Thursday next if I would give it him under my hand to deliver up the ship then if I had not order to the contrary before which I had as good have done at the present for I expect no Letters from your Grace in regard they would not suffer me to write to you as I desired And if your Grace should write to me by his messenger they would be sure not to deliver them till the day were past except such as were for their turn In all which your Grace may see their intents that there hath been no slights or wayes left unassayed to bring their purpose to passe first by fair words then by seeking to get me become the French Kings servant with promises of a great Pension and brave employment with offers of good sums to be laid down upon the surrender of the ship as aforesaid And when none of these courses could prevail with me then followed their threatnings of having my head and such like All which I thank God I have withstood for I had rather live all my life with bread and water then betray my King and Country of so precious a Jewel as this and had rather the King should take my life then to have a hand in the surrender or valuing of such a Bulwark of the Kingdom Upon the making of the last Protest and with the threats they
order to proceed in their journey Twenty ships of war and 4000. land Souldiers which is the force of that Fleet being here held sufficient for that enterprize The Armado in Cadiz is not yet departed but hath her men aboard and there is daily expectation of newes that it is gone to Sea The Duke of Saxonie having received letters from the King our Master and the King of Denmark sent presently coppies of them unto the Emperour with his answers unto their Majesties and accompanied them with a letter of his own unto the Emperour All which the Emperour sent unto the King The carriage of the Duke is much esteemed here for having given as I am informed by his Letters unto the King our Master and the King of Denmark such an answer as they are here much satisfied withal Nothwithstanding in this Letter to the Emperour with many reasons and much instance he advises him to apply himself to the setling of the peace in Germany and expressing much affection to the composing of the affaires of the Prince Palatine doth earnestly intreat his Majestie not to destroy that ancient house In the mean time the Duke of Bavaria uses all diligence to combine himself with this Crown and now doth offer to cast off all other thoughts of leagues and to depend wholly upon Spain so that this King will protect him in his Electoral dignity and what he hath lately possessed himself of in those parts This offer of the Dukes hath been several dayes debated in Councel where the Marquesse Ynoiosa hath been busie in the behalf of the Duke but the wiser part of this Councel seeing how prejudicial the increase of the Dukes greatnesse may prove to the Empire do no way favour his pretentions They likewise hold fit to continue the state of things in a possibility of an accommodation without our Master The Arch-Duke Don Carlos hath brought power from the Emperour to proceed to the consummation of a marriage betwixt the Emperours son and the Infanta Donna Maria wherein he sayes he hath nothing to Capitulate but brings them a blanck paper and hath power and order to confirm what conditions they shall here set down The Emperour's Embassadour doth much presse to proceed to the Capitulations but there is yet nothing done The Infanta of Brussels hath lately written hither importing this King to admit of a treaty of marriage betwixt the Prince of Polonia and the Infanta his Sister extolling with many expressions the worth and parts of that Prince There hath been some moneths a general stop of their proceedings here in all suites of English Merchants depending in this Court but I have at last procured a Junto to be assigned for the hearing of all English Causes wherein I am promised there shall be a speedy Resolution taken of whatsoever is at present in Question The Duke of Feria hath lately advertised hither from Millain that the French King and the Duke of Savoy do minister much occasion of jealousie that they intend to attempt some novelty in those parts and doth therefore desire that his Troops may be augmented whereupon above the ordinary charge there was instantly remitted unto him 2000. Duckets The great annual Assiento which this King makes with the Genoueses is newly concluded it is for 7. millions whereof 4. are remitted for Flanders to be paid by monethly portions In a late meeting of the Councel of State upon a discourse that passed amongst them taking into consideration this Kings wants and the present distemper of his affairs the Inquisidor General expressing how necessary a time it was for his Majesties Subjects to assist his present occasions made offer of 100 Duckets for his part which the Conde of Olivares followed with a tender of 300 the Conde of Monterrey of 100 all the rest of the Councel of State following their example gave according to their quality Notice being taken of this abroad the Condestable wrote a Letter unto this King wherein he made tender of 200 Duckets the Marquesse of Castel Rodrigo of 100 the Marquesse of Carpio of the like summe Divers others have likewise declared themselves in this donative and it is hoped that it will go over the whole Kingdome and bring in an extraordinary Treasure into the Kings purse Thus with the remembrance of my duty I rest Your Graces c. W. A. Archbishop Abbots to Secretarie Nanton 12. Septemb. 1619. Good Mr. Secretarie I Have never more desired to be present at any Consultation then that which is this day to be handled for my heart and all my heart goeth with it But my Foot is worse then it was on Friday so that by advice of my Physitian I have sweat this whole night past and am directed to keep my bed this day But for the matter my humble advice is That there is no going back but a countenancing of it against all the world yea so far as with ringing of Bells and making of Bon-fires in London so soon as it shall be certainly understood that the Coronation is past I am satisfied in my Conscience that the Cause is just wherefore they have rejected that proud and bloody man and so much the rather because he hath taken a course to make that Kingdom not elective but to take it from the donation of another man And when God hath set up the Prince that is chosen to be a mark of honor through all Christendom to propagate his Gospel and to protect the oppressed I dare not for my part give advice but to follow where God leads It is a great honour to the King our Master that he hath such a Son whose virtues have made him thought fit to be made a King And me thinks I do in this and that of Hungary foresee the work of God that by piece and piece the Kings of the earth that gave their power unto the beast all the Word of God must be fulfilled shall now tear the Whore and make her desolate as St. John in his Revelation hath foretold I pray you therefore with all the spirits you have to put life into this businesse and let a return be made into Germany with speed and with comfort and let it really be prosecuted that it may appear to the World that we are awake when God in this sort calleth us If I had time to expresse it I could be very angry at the shuffling which was used toward my Lord of Doncaster and the slighting of his Embassage so which cannot but touch upon our Great Master who did send him and therefore I would never have a Noble Sonne forsaken for respect of them who truly aym at nothing but their own purposes Our striking in will comfort the Bohemiant will honour the Palsgrave will strengthen the Union will bring on the States of the Low Countries will stirre up the King of Denmark and will move his two uncles the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Bovillon to-together with Tremoville a rich Prince in France to
Prince in the whole world upon whom the Conservation of the publique tranquillity doth more rely then upon your Majestie For there being none that doth equal your Majestie in wisdom and experience possessing your Kingdomes in perfect peace quietnesse and plenty to the infinite praise of your name and being free from the molestation of all stormes and tempests it seemeth that the eyes of all men are turned towards your Majestie as towards a Sun that ought to clear the Skie and that they expect deliverance onely from your hand These resolutions oh most wise King will be the strongest walls upon which your eternity can be reared These will be the Jewels and the crown which will adorn you in earth and in Heaven These will be the immortal Glorie of your powerful name The resolutions in cases of such weight and danger ought to be magnanimous quick and powerful The very noise of your putting in order your royal Navie the sending a person of quality to the place from whence the danger is feared and the declaring your self in favour of those whom you shall find to have the right on their side may perhaps prove sufficient to procure a peace If words will not prevail deeds must follow and such a resolution will prove the true Antidote to all their poysons For the better effecting whereof the world doth attend with great devotion to see a good correspondencie renewed betwixt your Majestie and the French King and for the disposing your Majesties heart thereunto the State of Venice doth joyn her humble prayers unto the earnest intreaty of many others In the mean time I am to request your Majestie that you will be pleased to forbid the exportation of Artillerie ships and Marriners out of our Kingdomes for the service of the Spaniards it being neither just nor agreeable to your Majesties Piety that your Arms should be stayned with the blood of a State and Prince that hath no equal in love to your Royal Crown and that will ever testifie to all the world by effects of their observance the pure and sincere devotion that they have to your Glorious name For my own particular I humbly crave leave to kisse your royal hands Sir Isaac Wake to the Secretarie Right Honourable I Have safely received the Letter wherewith your Honour hath been pleased to favour me dated at Theobalds the 19th of July Stil Vet. and have to my singular comfort understood that you have been pleased not onely to give favourable acceptance unto such weak dispatches as I have made bold to addresse unto you but done me the honour likewise to acquaint his Majestie with the contents of them and to direct my proceedings in in this intricate businesse which instructions dictated by his Majesties wisedom this light will be sufficient to direct my steps in the middest of an Egyptian darknesse which doth not only obscure the Horizon of this Province where I reside but almost the whole face of Europe by reason of the great mists which are cast artificially in all mens eyes to cover the designs of those who do presume that they have in all places arbitrium Belliet Pacis I most humbly crave pardon of your Honour if you do not receive my answer so soon as perhaps you might expect For yours having stayed upon the way a month and a day did not come to my hands until the 20th of August Stil Vet. At which time it was brought unto me by Mr. Rowlandson whom I had dispatched into Germany to advertize those Princes of the motion made to the Duke of Savoy for the passage of Spanish forces through his State My Lord of Doncaster under whose Cover I received that Letter did not think fit to send it to me by an expresse messenger for fear of increasing the suspition of some in those parts who are jealous that his Majesty doth favour the Duke of Savoy more then they could wish And I must confesse that the same reason induced me likewise to send that Gentleman of the Duke of Savoy's into Germany rather then any servant of mine own for fear least allees and vennes of messagers betwixt my Lord of Doucaster and me in these doubtful times might so far injealous the contrary party as might prejudice the service of his Majestie in that Negotiation The instructions that your Honour hath been pleased to give me from his Majestie 52. c. the Duke of Sav. y. 93. a. the Bohemians 95 a. the Emperour Ferdinand 51. a. the King of England 97. a. Germany 99. a. the King of the Romans 71. c. the Agent of England 51. b. the Prince Palatine 52. b. the Marquesse Brandenbergh 54. b. the Marquesse Auspach 50. b. the Princes of the Union 56 b. Count Ernest Mansfelt concerning my treating with 52. c. in favour of 93. a. having reference unto the inclination of 95. a. to peace or the probability of defence to be made by 93. a. I held it more safe for me to govern my self by such informations of the state of those affairs as I have received from the favour of the 1. 32. 7. 5. 47. 48. 2. 10. 40. 45. of 51. a. in 97. a. And for the better justification of my proceedings I send your Honour here inclosed the Copie of his Letter unto me wherein you will see that I have no reason as yet to spend the name of 51. a. in favour of 93. a. nor to imbargue 52. c. in a businesse which may draw a great charge and envie upon himself and not much advantage the 93. a. I must confesse that the 50. b. in general and particularly the 54. b. and the 41. 45. 23. 34. 9. 12. of 5. 35. 22. 4. 30. 50. have represented the state of those affairs at this present unto 52. b. in a manner not onely different from the advertisements sent me but almost contrary and they do seem not only to be confident of the prevailing of 93. c. but likewise they continue to give hope that the 10. 51. 29. 15. of 48. 3. 59. 15. will concur with 51. b. and 52. b. in the 12. 30. 13. 9. 50. 27. 40. 35. of 99. a. But because I have reason to suspect that they make relation of those affairs rather as they wish they were then as they be indeed and that their intention to draw somewhat from 52. c. towards the succours of 93. a. I will forbear to joyn with them therein until I can have some better ground then their advertisements which may be thought to savour of partiality and I have reason to be backward therein because I know that 52. c. would presently take me eu mot and put to the account of 51. a. that which he is most willing to do of himself I do not affirm this out of conjecture but upon good ground for besides that he did signifie so much unto me at my return out of England I do know that within this fortnight he hath sent unto 56. b. 3000. 41. 24. 48. 49.
40. 30. 47. in part of 42 2. 60 32. 15. 35. 50. and in the conveyance of this 33. 39. 34. 35. 61. there was extraordinary diligence used to conceal it from the knowledge of the 71. c. whereof no other construction can be made but that 52. c. would fain be intreated by 71. c. to do that which he hath already a mind to do If upon more fresh Letters which I expect from my Lord of Doncaster I shall find that the affairs there have changed face since the writing of his last unto me I will govern my self accordingly as I shall receive warrant from him We are here at a stand expecting with devotion the issue of the affairs of Germanie The Army in the Kingdom of Naples is still retained and no order given either for the dismissing of those Troops or the employing them in any service Prince Philibert is at Messina with the Gallies and hath with him 10. or 12000 men The Ships and Gallions remain at Naples and the Walloons Lombardes and Neapolitanes which should have come to Vado are since their dis-imbarquing again quartered round the City of Naples It is impossible to guesse what they mean to do but the most probable conjecture is that under the colour of suspecting the Duke of Ossuna the Spaniards will keep their potent Army on foot and by that means keep all Italy in awe and as it were sub Ferulâ and delude the reiterated promises and oathes that have passed by them to assure the Duke of Savoy and the Venetians that they would dismisse those Forces The season is now past for any enterprise by Sea so that Prince Philibert must be forced to return without doing any thing And many are of opinion that the Duke of Ossuna had secret order to counterfeit madnesse and to crosse the Kings Commandement expressely to deprive Prince Philibert of the honour which would have redounded unto him if he had been possessed of the absolute Command of so potent an Armie The Duke of Savoy on the other side would fain make you believe that undoubtedly Ossuna hath entertained rebellious thoughts and that if Don Octavio D'Arragona do not bring a good answer out of Spain he will break out into open contumacie His demands of the King of Spain are these First That he may be continued in the Government four years longer Secondly That he may be permitted to enter with his Fleet into the Gulph of Venice and to dispute his Majesties Title to that Sea by the force of Arms. Lastly That in case the King of Spain will not let him Contest so far with the Venetians that there may then be sent him so much money out of Spain as may license his Army considering that the Kingdome of Naples is so far exhausted as that they cannot contribute any longer either to the maintaining or to the dismissing of those Forces The Venetians did lately chase a small Gallie of the Vicocchi which was entred into the Gulph to rob and spoyl and followed her unto the shoares of Apuglia where Ferlitick the Captain of those Thieves saved himself and the most part of his fellowes by flight into the mountains but Signior Filippo Belegno recovered the Gallie and carried her away as a prize having found two banners displayed the one with the arms of Spain the other with the arms of Ossuna And not onely a formal Patent and Commission to take any thing that he could from the Venetians but some Letters likewise from some principal Ministers of Ferdinand wherein this Capo di Banditi is encouraged and requested to do the Venetians as much hurt and dammage as he might be able Now the Duke of Ossuna is fallen into a great rage with the Venetians quod non totum telum corpore acceperunt and he doth threaten to be revenged upon them for not suffering these Vicocchie to rob and spoyl their subjects The Duke of Savoy hath done me the honour to intreat my company with him into Savoy whither he doth purpose very shortly to go that he may receive at the confines of his estate the Prince of Piedmount and Madam his wife And because his request hath the power of a command over me in Licitis et honestis I must be enforced to passe the Mountaines again at an unseasonable time before I have sufficiently refreshed my self after my last voyage and I know not whether I shall have the opportunity of writing unto your Honour again before my going which is uncertain as depending upon the going of the Duke So with my hearty prayers unto Almighty God for the preservation of his Majestie in health and the prosperity of his Estate in all humility I take leave And rest Your Honours most faithfully to command Isaac Wake Turin 27. Septemb. 22. August 1619. Sir Isaac Wake to Mr. Secretarie Right Honourable I Have received the Letter wherewith your Honour hath been pleased to favour me dated at White-Hall the 27. of February and having to my singular comfort understood that his Majestie hath declared his gracious approbation of my proceedings here with the Duke of Savoy and the Venetians And I do with all thankfulnesse acknowledge to receive that favour from the hand of your Honour as my only Gratum faciens I will not fail to govern my self precisely by the rule of those Instructions which you have been pleased to give me And as you have favoured me with passing your word for me that I will not spend his Majesties name without particular Warrant and direction so will I promise faithfully to perform as much as you have undertaken for me and both in this as in all things else you may assure your self that his Majesties revealed will and that only shall be a Law unto me Your Honour will have understood by my former Dispatches that the Duke of Ossuna is re-confirmed in his Government of Naples He hath not as far as I can learn any certain time prefixed but is to remain there durante Regis bene placito And when his Patent was presented unto him he had likewise order which was delivered by word of mouth that the King his Master did require him immediately to dismisse all his Army and to send the Walloons and Neapolitanes into Germany to the succours of the Emperour The same party did likewise signifie unto him that as the King of Spain had shewed to have a care of the honour of the Duke of Ossuna in establishing him anew in that Regencie at this time when the world had made some doubt that his late actions had not been conformable to the will and pleasure of his Master so he did expect that he should voluntarily and of himself ask leave to go into Spain and offer to give an account of all his proceedings Which course the King did recommend unto him as most honourable for the justification of his own innocencie and the confusion of his enemies This Message the said Duke hath wisely suppressed and hath published the
that the doors could not be opened to them that came to visit the Prince from the King of Spain the Door-keepers refusing to go in for modesties sake Whether he did not call the Prince by ridiculous names Whether he did not dishonour and prophane the Kings Palace with base and contemptible women Whether he did not divers obscene things and used not immodest gesticulations and wanton Tricks with Players in the presence of the Prince Whether he did not violate his faith given to the Conde O livares Whether he did not presently communicate his discontents offences and complaints to the Embassadours of other Princes Whether in doing of his businesse he did not use frequent threatenings unto the Catholique Kings Ministers and to Apostolical Nuns Whether he did not affect to fit at Playes presented in the Kings Palace after the manner and example of the King and Prince being not contented with the honour that is ordinarily given to the High Steward or Major domo of the Kings house Besides all these things which have heretofore been told your Majestie there is yet this more that is new That the Duke of Buckingham with what intention let others judge hath divulged in Parliament some secret Treatie negotiated betwixt your Majestie and the King of Spain touching the affaires of Holland the secresie whereof neverthelesse your Majestie had so recommended that besides the King and the Coude of Olivares no man in Spain knew of it If the Duke do not appear guilty of all these things let him be still your Majesties most faithful servant and let your Majestie yet confer upon him greater Honours if you can For I would have these things conceived to be spoken for the securitie of your Majestie not for the hurt of him to whom I wish prosperitie if by him the Christian world might be in prosperitie It onely remaineth that your Majestie will be pleased to take in good part this my service and obedience shewed to your Commandements To the King ab ignoto Best and most excellent King YOu will wonder that he who at first protesteth to be neither Papist nor Puritan Spaniard nor Hollander or yet in any delirium fit should presume in this Libel-like way to lay down to your Majestie the strong zeal he beareth to the safetie of your Majestie and his Countrie by shewing in this dark Tablet drawn by the worst Painter the common opinion of all those which are not possessed as above They say the businesse of greatest consequence that ever your Majestie handled is now at point to go well or ill The marriage or none and as it is carried a present War or a continued Peace The match of your son they wish you may perfect in your own time and think that for the quiet of your self and Kingdomes the shortest time the best And that this already traced will far sooner piece then any new one have beginning and accomplishment They fear this suspension carried by Killegrew was brought by Buckingham not for what he pretends and plainly say It was not onely to prevent his Highnesse marriage there but any where Whereby 1. His particular greatnesse may still stand absolute 2. His Wife and Tribe still present the Princesse person 3. And your Majestie be and remain their Pupil The Parliament so much urged they say is to be a marrying his Mightinesse unto the Common Weal that as your Majestie is his good Father It may be his Mother and so he stand not only by the King but by the People and popular humour that he hath lately so earnestly courted and especially from those who are noted to be of the most troubled humour How your Majestie should gain upon a Parliament they cannot imagine seeing all are resolved to sell your Courtesies at the dearest rate both by ill words and for double as much again the humour of it being so inconstant that twenty to one but those very tongues which in the last did cry War War War will now curse him that urgeth for one poor Subsidie to raise a War And miserable is he that is to make a War or to defend against it with money that is to be given and gathered from them They say our Great Duke bath certainly a brave desire to War but in that also he hath some great end of enriching himself which he too well loveth being carried away with that sweet sound how Nottingham gained yearly during that ficknesse 40000 l. by his Admirals place but what his Majestie gained they find not in the Exchequer or Kingdome Somewhat also they fear this his Graces precipitate humour and change of humour hath of pride to shew his power as great here as is Olivares his there as also of revenge against him in particular For were it love to his now much beloved Countrie they say there was as much reason for breach both of the Match and Peace when the Parliament urged it as there is now They say There is a rumour of his Graces a match for his Mary with the young Palatine It is no Gorgon and will concern his Highnesse if they that are now our best friends the Hollanders should change their Copie In this his Highnesse coming off from Spain they say He hath advised him to no worse then he did himself for how many did he deflour abuse and cousen with marriage by his grace in Court and power with your Majestie In short your Subjects that have sence of your estate do most earnestly beseech your Majestie to have more especial care of your own preservation then ordinarily you have both in respect of the desperate staggering which their Priests now stand in and of your own Phaeton himself who in truth wanteth nothing of man enough but a good nature and being in custome to carry all with a high hand must be desperate if he fail in any Punto of his violent will We know your Majestie according to the sweetnesse and virtue of your Nature agreeing with Gods blessed Will hath long preserved your people in all peace and plentie And all good and sensible people pray you even for Gods sake not to be cousened of your own life and liberty Oh be not mislead to trouble your own Kingdoms quiet but that after many and many a happle year you may die happily in peace To his Sacred Majestie ab ignoto May it please his most excellent Majestie to consider THat this great opposition against the Duke of Buckingham is stirred up and maintained by such who either malitiously or ignorantly and concurrently seek the debasing of this free Monarchie which because they find not yet ripe to attempt against the King himself they endeavour it through the Dukes side These men though agreeing in one mischief yet are of divers sorts and humours viz. 1. Medling and busie persons who took their first hint at the beginning of King James when the union was treated of in Parliament That learned King gave too much way to those popular speeches
to Coupe up all false-hearted Subjects that are known and provision to meet with the secret and open practises of such forraign Enemies as are like to abet them The good policies of the former reign in such times is the best president for this at this time The heads were then committed liberali Custodiae divided from their inferiour parts the Papists disarmed their clawes pared that they might not hurt us the lawes executed upon the Jesuites and Priests fire-brands of sedition and rebellion withal Or if not blood drawn of them yet close imprisonment or banishment enjoyned them Large subsidies granted to prepare the Navie and pay the armies And a great while no war proclaimed but brave Adventurers sent forth as to Portugal the Groine to the West-Indies c. And before Letters of reprisal granted to the Marchants to make up their losses a Rowland for an Oliver because they had granted Letters of Mart against us By this meanes Carricks were brought in the treasure of their West-Indian mines laid for at their return so to make war upon them with their own mony till they had made the enemie bankerout Ausbrug and to break with their banquers of Auspurg and Genua that he was not able to pay his Souldiers and garrisons and still the Low-countries strongly assisted and war made upon the enemie there or at home at his own doores which was more Noble gainful and safe for us for we still had peace and plenty at home though war abroad I know not how the case stands now between us and the Spaniards but me thinks it should not be very well when nothing will satisfie him but the head of him that spake the truth for the good of the King and kingdom Certainly if we break with him as they which sit at the Helm know what is best to do he is readie to strike and will peradventure strike quickly before we be fully prepared therefore our preparations had need to be more speedie thorough lest we fall into the snare While they were treating of peace in 88. they did even then invade us I pray God they have not used this treatie of marriage to as bad a purpose for it seemes they never did intend it but for delayes and to make it serve their turn they have plainly abused us in the Palatinate therereby But I can say nothing for the present yet what is to be done it is proper to an higher judgment onely I tell what was then when we were enemies I remember in 88. waiting upon the Earl of Leicester at Tilbury Camp and in 89. going into Portugal with my Noble Master the Earl of Essex I learned somewhat fit to be imparted to your Grace The Queen lying in the Campe one night guarded with her armie the old Lord Treasurer Burleigh came thither and delivered to the Earl the examination of Don Pedro who was taken and brought in by Sir Francis Drake which examination the Earl of Leicester delivered unto me to publish to the armie in my next sermon The sum of it was this Don Pedro being asked what was the intent of their coming Don Pedro's Confession stoutly answered the Lords What But to subdue your Nation and root it out Good said the Lords and what meant you then to do with the Catholiques He answered We meant to send them good men directly unto Heaven as all you that are Heretiques to hell Yea but said the Lords what meant you to do with your whips of cord and wyer whereof they had great store in their ships What said he We meant to whip you Heretiques to death that have assisted my Masters Rebels and done such dishonours to our Catholique King and people Yea but what would you have done said they with their young Children They said he which were above seven yeares old should have gone the way their fathers went the rest should have lived branded in the forehead with the Letter L. for Lutheran to perpetual bondage This I take God to witnesse I received of those great Lords upon examination taken by the Councel and by commandement delivered it to the armie The Queen the next morning rode through all the Squadrons of her armie as Armed Pallas attended by Noble Footmen Leicester Essex and Norris then Lord Marshal and divers other great Lords Where she made an excellent Oration to her armie which the next day after her departure I was commanded to redeliver to all the Armie together to keep a Publique Fast Her words were these MY loving people we have been perswaded by some that are careful of our safety to take heed how we commit our self to armed multitudes for fear of treachery but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people Let Tyrants fear I have alwayes so behaved my self that under God I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subiects And therefore I am come amongst you as you see at this time not for my recreation and disport but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battaile to live or die amongst you all to lay down for my God and for my kingdom and for my people my Honour and my blood even in the dust I know I have the bodie but of a weak and feeble woman but I have the heart and Stomach of a King and of a King of England too and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain or any Prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my Realm to which rather then any dishonour shall grow by me I my self will take up arms I my self will be your General Judge and Rewarder of everie one of your virtues in the field I know alreadie for your forwardnesse you have deserved rewards and crownes and we do assure you in the word of a Prince they shall be duly paid you In the mean time my Lievetenant General shall be in my stead then whom never Prince commanded a more Noble or worthie subject not doubting but by your obedience to my General by your Concord in the Camp and your valour in the field we shall shortly have a famous victorie over those enemies of my God of my Kingdomes and of my People This I thought would delight your Grace and no man hath it but my self and such as I have given it to and therefore I made bold to send it unto you if you have it not already I would I could perswade your Grace either to read your self or to command your Secretarie to gather out of the Historie of Spain translated into English towards the end five or six leaves which hath matter of great importance fit for the Parliament especiallie for two points the one concerning the setled intention of the State of Spain against England whensoever they can get an opportunity the other concerning the main reasons of state which moved the Queen and Councel then to take upon her the
protection of the Low-countries They were of two sorts the first inherent in the Person of the Prince then being which died with her as some think the Quarrel being then between the Queen and King of Spain Philip the second which are said to be buried in their graves the other inherent in their estates which live with them and remain in the heart of the State of Spain against us whosoever is their King And this appeareth by a large Disputation of State had before the King of Spain and blab'd out by their Chronicler in many words wherein pro et contra two do argue The one who proves that the Netherlands their Rebels are first to be conquered that it may serve them as a rise to the Conquest of England and the reasons for that project The other who proves that the English are first to be conquered the supporters of those their Rebels and for a rise to the Empire of Christendome and the reasons for the project and specially for that it is more easie now for the disuse of armes in England for that England is not now that England which it hath been c. And the mean how they may win themselves into us by a Treatie of Marriage as Mariana blabs it out in general that which the Prince hath tryed and your Grace hath uttered in Parliament in special that Colloquia de Contractibus are with them Mera ludibria parata tantum Regum animis Ne noceant distinendis dum ea quae ipsi intendunt perficiantur Which Guicciardine also doth in general affirm That the Spaniards bring more things to passe by Treaties and subtilties then by force of Armes And that you may truly understand the full intention of the Spaniard to the state of this Kingdom and Church I would your Grace would read a notable Discourse of the late most Noble Earl of Essex made by the Commandment of Queen Elizabeth and debated before her Majestie and her Councel concerning this point Whether Peace or War was to be treated with Spain The Lord Buckhurst speaking for a Treatie of Peace to the which the Noble Queen and her old Lord Treasurer inclined The Earl speaking for War because no safe peace could be made with that State for 3. special Reasons which are in that Treatise set down at large which is not fit for me yet to deliver by writing but there you shall find them Your Grace may have the book of divers Noblemen your friends If you have it not if I may understand your pleasure I will get it for you It was of that effect that it brought the Queen and Treasurer contrary to their purpose to his side for the very necessity of the common safetie Your Lordship having angred them and endeared your self to us you had need to look to your self you are as odious to them as ever the Earl of Essex was The Jesuite Walpool set on one of the stable Squire one well affected to my Lord to poyson the rests of his Chair And seeing they strike at the Ministers which deal effectually for his Church witnesse worthy Doctor White what will they do to such Pillars of State as you are The Lord preserve your Grace and watch over you And thus I rest Your Grace his most humble at Commandment Leonel Sharp The Lord Cromwell to the Duke 8. Septemb. 1625. May it please your Grace I Am now returned from mine own home and am here at Fulham neer Mr. Burlemachi making my self ready to attend your Command in the best manner my poor fortunes will give me leave and with what speed I may Some things I have sent to Plymouth and some Gentlemen so as when I come there I hope to find that your Lordship hath appointed me a good sailing ship and one that shall be able to play her part with the best and proudest enemy that dare look danger in the face Though your Grace hath placed a Noble Gentleman in the Regiment was intended to my Lord of Essex yet I will not despair of your favour or that you will not give me some taste of it as well as to any other I will study to be a deserving Creature and whether you will please to look on me with an affectionate eye or no I will love honour and serve you with no lesse truth and faith then those you have most obliged What concerns me I will not here speak of for fear I offend My prayers shall ever attend you and my curses those that wish you worse then their own soules Divers I do meet that say your Grace hath parted with your place of the Mastership of the Horse which makes the world suspect that some disfavour your Lordship is growing into And that this prime feather of yours being lost or parted with be it as it will it will not be long ere the rest follow They offer to lay wagers the Fleet goes not this year and that of necessitie shortly a Parliament must be which when it comes sure it will much discontent you It is wondered at that since the King did give such great gifts to the Dutchesse of Chevereux and those that then went how now a small summe in the Parliament should be called for at such an unseasonable time And let the Parliament sit when it will begin they will where they ended They say the best Lords of the Councel knew nothing of Count Mansfelts journey or this Fleet which discontents even the best sort if not all They say it is a very great burthen your Grace takes upon you since none knowes any thing but you It is conceived that not letting others bears part of the burthen you now bear it may ruine you which heaven forbid Much discourse there is of your Lordship here and there as I passed home and back and nothing is more wondered at then that one Grave man is not known to have your Ear except my good and Noble Lord Conway All men say if you go not with the Fleet you will suffer in it because if it prosper it will be thought no act of yours and if it succeed ill they say it might have been better had not you guided the King They say your undertakings in the Kingdom and your Engagements for the Kingdome will much prejudice your Grace And if God blesse you not with goodnesse as to accept kindly what in dutie and love I here offer questionlesse my freedom in letting you know the discourse of the world may much prejudice me But if I must lose your favour I had rather lose it for striving to do you good in letting you know the talk of the wicked world then for any thing else so much I heartily desire your prosperitie and to see you trample the ignorant multitude under foot All I have said is the discourse of the world and when I am able to judge of your actions I will freely tell your Lordship my mind Which when it shall not be alwaies really inclined to serve
businesse But I gave him great satisfaction in that point My Lord these are passages of my first nights being here matters of ceremonie and yet I omit much of that I thought these too slight to trouble his Majestie or the Prince with yet I thought it fit since this Messenger goes to let you see this outward show and face of this Court to have as much sweetnesse smoothnesse and clearnesse towards our designs as is possible My next Letters shall inform you of a further search made by me the which I am confident will be of the same nature And I conceive it the rather because I find them in a great alarum at the newes that they have received from Leige that the King of Spain makes a Fort upon the ruine there to command both that and the Town This they say hath made them more clearly see his vast ambition to inlarge his Monarchie and do all speak the careful and honest language of our Lower house men how it may be prevented I have said enough the Messenger I dare say thinks too much yet this I will add That I will study to make it appear to the world and your self by a thankful heart and to God himself in my prayers for your Lordship that I am Your Lordships Most devoted and most humble servant Kensington Postscript IF the French Embassadour or my Lord of Carlile wonders I have not written unto them I beseech your Lordship let them know this Messenger is not of my sending and in such haste as he cannot be stayed The Lord Kensington to the Prince May it please your Highnesse I Cannot but make you continual repetitions of the value you have here to be as justly we know you the most Compleat young Prince and person in the world This reputation hath begotten in the sweet Princesse Madam so infinite an affection to your fame as she could not contain her self from a passionate desiring to see your Picture the shadow of that person so honoured and knowing not by what means to compasse it it being worn about my neck for though others as the Queen and Princesses would open it and consider it the which ever brought forth admiration from them yet durst not this poor young Ladie look any otherwise on it then afar off whose heart was nearer it then any of the others that did most gaze upon it But at the last rather then want that sight the which she was so impatient of she desired the Gentlewoman of the house where I am lodged that had been her servant to borrow of me the picture in all the secresie that may be and to bring it unto her saying She could not want that Curiositie as well as others towards a person of his infinite reputation As soon as she saw the party that brought it she retired into her Cabinet calling onely her in where she opened the picture in such haste as shewed a true picture of her passion blushing in the instant at her own guiltinesse She kept it an hour in her hands and when she returned it she gave with it many praises of your person Sir this is a businesse so fit for your secresie as I know it shall never go farther then unto the King your Father my Lord Duke of Buckingham and my Lord of Carliles knowledge A tendernesse in this is honourable for I would rather die a thousand times then it should be published since I am by this young Lady trusted that is for beautie and goodnesse an Angel I have received from my Lord of Buckingham an advertisement that your Highnesse opinion is to treat of the General league first that will prepare the other Sir whatsoever shall be propounded will have a noble acceptation though this give me leave to tell you when you are free as by the next newes we shall know you to be they will expect that upon those declarations they have here already made towards that particularitie of the Alliance that your Highnesse will go that readier and nearer way to unite and fasten by that knot the affection of these Kingdomes Sir for the general they all here speak just that language that I should and do unto them of the power and usurpation of the Spaniards of the approaches they make to this Kingdom the danger of the Low-Countries the direct Conquest of Germany and the Valtoline By which means we have cause to joyn in opposition of the Ambitions and mightinesse of this King The which they all here say cannot be so certainly done as by an Alliance with us This they speak perpetuallie and urge it unto my consideration Sir unlesse we proceed very roundly though they be never so well affected we may have interruptions by the arts of Spain that make offers infinite to the advantage of this State at this time But they hearken to none of them untill they see our intentions towards them The which if they find to be real indeed they will give us brave satisfaction But Sir your Fathers and your will not my opinion must be followed and what Commandments your Highnesse shall give me shall be most strictly obeyed by the most devoted Your Highnesse Most dutiful and humblest servant Kensington The Lord Kensington to the Duke the 14. of March 1624. My Lord I Have already acquainted your Grace how generally our desires are met with here much more cannot be said then I have already for that purpose There was never known in this Kingdome so intire an agreement for any thing as for an Alliance with England the Count of Soysons onely excepted who hath had some pretensions unto Madam but those are now much discouraged upon a free discourse the Cardinal of Rochfalcout made unto the Countesse his Mother telling her That if she or her son believed or could expect the King would give him his sister in marriage they would as he conceived deceive themselves for he imagined upon good grounds that the King would bestow his Sister that way that might be most for her honour and advancement and likewise for the advantage of his Crown and Kingdom and he professed for his part although he much honoured the Count as a great Prince of the bloud yet was he so faithful unto his Master as he would advise him to that purpose The Queen Mother and Mounsieur Le Grand have advised me to say something unto the King concerning my businesse I told them I could say nothing very directly unto him and yet would I not so much as deliver my opinion of the King my Masters inclinations to wish an alliance with him unlesse I were assured his answers might make me see his value and respect unto him They then spake unto him and assured me I should in that be satisfied Having that promise from them I told the King that I had made this journey of purpose to declare unto him my humble service and thankfulnesse for all his Honours and favours the which I thought I could not better expresse
told her That if the intentions of your Majestie were no better considered by the King here your Majestie commanding us for the good and happinesse of his Kingdom to endeavour to bring and give him the which we have done the greatest blessing in this World Peace in his Countrie then to be ballanced with a person that in requital hath stirred up and dailie desires to do it disputes and jarres even between your Majestie and the Queen we had reason to believe your Majestie most unjustly and most unworthily requited And it might take away upon any such occasion the care that otherwise you would have had to do the like And for my part it took from me all desire ever to be imployed upon any occasion hither where our Actions that their acknowledgments have been acceptable but a few daies past are now of so little consideration as we are of no more weight then the unworthiest Minister that ever was imployed Upon that I found she was sorrie for having expressed so much But this day we had from her a more favourable audience and from the King the effects and circumstances of that which we have in our Dispatch presented unto my Lord Conway Sir the malice of this Blanvile is so great unto your worthie servant my Lord Duke as he hath written a private Letter unto the King the which I saw by the favour of a friend that he is in a condition of danger to be ruined by the furie and power of the Parliament And to confirm him in that opinion hath sent all the passages amongst them that concern my Lord Duke adding to that of great factions against him at the Councel Table and naming some Lords the which makes me see he hath intelligence with all those that he believes may contribute any thing towards the mischieving of him But those that know the magnanimitie and noblenesse of your Majesties heart know that so noble a vessel of honour and service as he is shall never be in danger for all the storms that can threaten him when it is in your Majesties hands not onely to calm all these tempests but to make the Sun and beams of your favour to shine more clearly upon his deservings then ever the which upon this occasion your courage and virtue will no doubt do to the encouragement of all deserving and excellent servants and to his honour and comfort that is the most worthie that ever Prince had And so affectionate that the world hath no greater admirations then the fortunes that the Master and servant have run together And certainly our good God will ever preserve that affection that in so many accidents and one may say afflictions hath preserved your Persons Sir this boldnesse that I take proceeds not from the least doubt these foolish rumours give me of changes but out of a passionate meditation of those accidents that your courage and fortune hath carried you through blessing God for your prosperitie the which will be by his grace most glorious and lasting according to the prayers of Your Majesties Most humble and most obedient Subject and servant Holland Paris 1 13. March 1625. The Earl of Holland to the Duke My dear Lord THis Messenger is so rigid and such an enemie to all Jantileise as by him I will not send any news in that kind but when the little Mercurie comes you shall know that which shall make you joy and grieve that you cannot injoy what your fate and merit hath so justly destined unto you We have such daily alarums here out of England from Blanvile of the beating of his servant and at the last the danger that of late he himself hath been in of being assassinated in his own house for the first word that his servant said unto the King and the whole Court was The Embassadour had run such a bazard of his life as no man that heard him believed he had escaped with lesse then 5. or 6. wounds Insomuch as your friend Bouteve asked Fait vn belle fine And this hath so animated this Court being as your Lordship knowes apt upon all occasions to be fired and ftirred up as the King hath been moved to forbid us our entries and liberties here And yesterday Madam de Blanvile did openly petition the King to imprison us for the wrongs and injuries done unto her husband and his Embassadour that she feared was by this time dead But that had no other effect but to be laught at I never I confesse saw the Queen Mother in so much distraction and passion for she never speaks of her Daughter but with tears and yesterday with some heat and bitternesse to me about it the Circumstances I have taken the boldnesse to present unto his Majestie That which distracts me infinitely is to hear that they do traduce you as the cause of all these misfortunes and that you stirre up the King to these displeasures And so much impression it hath made into the Queen Mother as this day at the audience she told me That you had made the marriage and were now as she imagined and was informed resolved to destroy your work I asked her what particularitie could make her say and believe so against the general and continual actions and endeavours that the whole world ought to be satisfied of your infinite care and affection to fasten and tye together a good and constant intelligence and friendship between these Crowns She told me that you intreated Madam de St. George to do some service for you to the Queen the which she did and instead of giving her thanks you threatned the sending of her away I told her Though I had as yet heard nothing of this particularitie yet I knew your nature to be so generous as you would never do any action unjust I told her that she must distinguish between what you say as Commanded by the King and what you say of your self for if it be his pleasure to make the instrument to convey his will upon any occasion of his displeasure you are not to dispute but to obey his Command in that and in all other things I told her farther that I saw the continual malice of the Embassadour that invents daily injuries and falshoods of your Lordship to unload himself from his insolencies and faults but I hoped that nothing should light upon your Lordship but what you deserved the which to my knowledge was more value and esteem then any man in the world could or can ever merit from this Kingdome And I desired her not to entertain the belief of these things too hastily until we had newes out of England that we knew would contradict all these malitious discourses And I must tell your Grace that by a friend whom I am tyed not to name I was shewed the private Lettter that Blanvile wrote to the King in the which he sent him the whole proceedings of the Parliament and concludes they will ruine you naming great factions against you
and as it were a necessitie to destroy you But I hope he and the whole world here will fall before any misfortunes should fall upon so generous and so noble a deserver of his Master and so excellent a friend and Patron unto Your Graces Most humble and most obedient servant Holland Postscript THough the Embassadour deserves nothing but contempt and disgrace as Blanvile yet I hope as Embassadour he shall receive for publique Honours and accustomed respect to Embassadours all possible satisfaction and it will be conceived a generous action My dearest Lord ALL the joy I have hath such a flatnesse set upon it by your absence from hence as I protest to God I cannot rellish it as I ought for though beautie and love I find in all perfection and fulnesse yet I vex and languish to find impediments in our designs and services for you first in the businesse for I find our mediation must have no place with this King concerning a Peace We must only use our power with those of the Religion to humble them to reasonable Conditions and that done they would as far as I can guesse have us gone not being willing that we should be so much as in the Kingdom when the Peace is made for fear the Protestants may imagine we have had a hand in it For our Confederation made by you at the Hague they speak so of it as they will do something in it but not so really or friendly as we could wish But for these things you allow me I trust to refer you to the general Dispatch I come now to other particulars I have been a careful Spie how to observe intentions and affections towards you I find many things to be feared and none to be assured of a safe and real welcome For the king continues in his suspects making as they say very often discourses of it and is willing to hear Villanes say That the heart hath infinite affections you imagine which way They say there is whispered amongst the foolish young Bravado's of the Court That he is not a good Frenchman that suffers anchor to return out of France considering the reports that are raised many such bruits flie up and down I have since my coming given Queen Mother by way of discourse occasion to say somewhat concerning your coming as the other night when she complained to me That things were carried harshly in England towards France I then said That the greatest unkindnesse and harshnesse came from hence even to forbid your coming hither a thing so strange and so unjust as our Master had cause and was infinitely sensible of it She fell into discourse of you desiring you would respect and love her daughter and likewise that she had and would ever command her to respect you above all men and follow all your Councels the matter of her Religion excepted with many professions of value and respect unto your Person but would never either excuse what I complained of or invite you to come upon that occasion But though neither the businesse gives me cause to perswade your coming nor my reason for the matter of your safetie yet know you are the most happie unhappie man alive for the heart is beyond imagination right and would do things to destroy her fortune rather then want satisfaction in her mind I dare not speak as I would I have ventured I fear too much considering what practises accompany the malice of the people here I tremble to think whether this will find a safe conveyance unto you Do what you will I dare not advise you to come is dangerous not to come is unfortunate As I have lived with you and only in that enjoy my happinesse so I will die with you and I protest to God for you to do you the least service c. Postscript HAve no doubt of the partie that accompanied me for he is yours with his soul and dares not now as things go advise your coming Mr. Lorkin to the Duke the 30. of August 1625. May it please your Grace FRom an honest and truly devoted heart to receive the sacrifice of most humble thanks which come here offered for that excesse of favour which I behold in those gracious lines that you are so nobly pleased to honour me withal and which derive unto me farther the height of all contentment his Majesties gracious acceptance of my poor endeavours which howsoever they cannot shoot up to any high matter from so low an earth yet in their greatest force are eternally vowed with the price of my dearest blood as to his Masters faithful service in the first place so to your Graces in the next who have received I doubt not ere this what my former promised in the Savoyard Embassadours behalf and that as well from his own pen as mine But this State is very Euripus that flowes and reflowes 7. times a day and in whose waies is neither constancie nor truth The changes your Grace will find in my Letters to my Lord Conway whereunto I therefore make reference because I suppose there will be but one Lecture thereof to his Majestie and your self There in likewise your Grace will see a suddain comandement laid upon Mounsieur de Blanvile premire Gentilhome de la chambre du Roy speedily to provide himself to go extraordinary Embassadour into England The cause thereof I rove at in my dispatch taking my aime from two darke speeches to Queen Mother and the Cardinal I have since learned the interpretation of the riddle not from the Cardinals lips who yet being sounded by me pretended a further end then Ville-aux-cleres had done viz to entertain good intelligence betwixt the Queen of England and your Grace and to do you all the best offices and services that are possible but from the Duke de Chevereux who whatsoever pretexts may be taken makes the true ends of that Voyage to be first to try whether this man can mend what they conceive here the Duke hath marred in shewing himself more a servant to the King of England then to his own King and Master Secondly to spie and discover what he can and according as he shall find cause to frame Cabals and factions whereunto he is esteemed very proper being charactarized with the marks of a most subtile prying penetrating and dangerous man And therefore as an Antidote against the poison he brings the Duke gives this Caveat aforehand That every one keep close and covert towards him and avoid familiaritie with him though otherwise he wishes a kind and honourable entertainment Thus much I received from the Dukes own lips yesternight Bonocil being witnesse perhaps Counsellour of all that passed he promised a memorial in writing this day which I have attended till this evening and even now receive it I have not touched the least syllable hereof to my Lord Conway because I think both your Graces and the Duke de Chevereux's will may concur in this that these things be
in all shortly But assuredly the latter advice comes from a heart that is affectionately devoted to your Graces service This Bearer will kisse your Graces hands from the Authour and thereby you will know his name which he stipulated might not come in writing The Lord Herbert to his Majestie My most Gracious Soveraign NOw that I thank God for it his Highnesse according to my continual prayers hath made a safe and happie return unto your Sacred Majesties presence I think my self bound by way of Compleat obedience to these Commandements I received from your Majestie both by Mr. Secretary Calvert and my Brother Henry to give your Majestie an account of that sense which the general sort of people doth entertain here concerning the whole frame and Context of his Highnesse voyage It is agreed on all parts that his Highnesse must have received much contentment in seeing two great Kingdomes and consequently in enjoyning that satisfaction which Princes but rarely and not without great peril obtain His Highnesse discretion diligence and Princely behaviour every where likewise is much praised Lastly since his Highnesse journey hath fallen out so well that his Highnesse is come back without any prejudice to his person or dignity they say the successe hath sufficiently commended the Councel This is the most common censure even of the biggest party as I am informed which I approve in all but in the last point in the delivery whereof I find something to dislike and therefore tell them that things are not to be judged alone by the successe and that when they would not look so high as Gods providence without which no place is secure they might find even in reason of State so much as might sufficiently warrant his Highnesse person and liberty to return I will come from the ordinary voice to the selecter judgement of the Ministers of State and more intelligent people in this Kingdom who though they nothing vary from the above recited opinion yet as more profoundly looking into the state of this long treated of Alliance betwixt your Sacred Majestie and Spain in the persons of his Highnesse and the Infanta they comprehended their sentence thereof as I am informed in three Propositions First that the protestation which the King of Spain made to his Highnesse upon his departure whereby he promised to chase away and disfavour all those who should oppose this marriage doth extend no further then to the said Kings Servants or at furthest not beyond the temporal Princes his Neighbours so that the Pope being not included herein it is though his consent must be yet obtained and consequently that the businesse is in little more forwardnesse then when it first began Secondly that the Pope will never yield his consent unlesse your Sacred Majestie grant some notable priviledges and advantage to to the Roman Catholique religion in your Sacred Majesties Kingdomes Thirdly that the said King of Spain would never insist upon obtaining those priviledges but that he more desires to form a party in your Sacred Majesties Kingdomes which he may keep alwaies obsequious to his will then to maintain a friendly correspondence between your Sacred Majestie and himself I must not in the last place omit to acquaint your Sacred Majestie very particularly with the sense which was expressed by the bons Francois and bodie of those of the Religion who heartily wish that the same Greatnesse which the King of Spain doth so affect over all the world and still maintaines even in this country which is to be Protector of the Jesuited and Bigott partie your Sacred Majestie would imbrace in being defender of our faith The direct answer to which though I evade and therefore reply little more then that this Counsel was much fitter when the union in Germany did subsist then at this time Yet do I think my self obliged to represent the affection they bear unto your Sacred Majestie This is as much as is come to my notice concerning that point your Sacred Majestie gave me in charge which therefore I have plainely layd open before your Sacred Majesties eyes as understanding well that Princes never receive greater wrong then when the Ministers they put in trust do palliate and disguise those things which it concerns them to know For the avoiding whereof let me take the boldnesse to assure your Sacred Majestie that those of this Kings Councel here will use all meanes they can both to the King of Spain and to the Pope In whom they pretend to have very particular interest not only to interupt but if it be possible to break off you Sacred Majesties Alliance with Spain For which purpose the Count de Tilliers hath strict command to give al punctual advice that accordingly they may proceed It rests that I most humbly beseech your Sacred Majestie to take my free relation of these particulars in good part since I am of no faction nor have any passion or interest but faithfullie to perform that service and dutie which I owe to your Sacred Majestie for whose perfect health and happinesse I pray with the devotion of From Merton Castle the 31. of October 1623. Stil No. Your Sacred Majesties most obedient most Loyal and most affectionate Subject and Servant Herbert Mr. Edward Clark to the Duke May it please your Grace I Have been hitherto very unfit by reason of my sicknesse to give your Lordship any account of my time at Madrid So that without your Lordships favourable construction I may be thought forgetful of the trust committed to my charge and the rather in that as yet your Lordship hath only heard what I have done but not why I presume I have faithfullie followed the Princes direction and on such probable inducements as will I hope both in your Highnesses and your Lordships opinion plead my excuse at least The verie day the Prince arrived at St. Anderas my Lord of Bristol seeing me verie weak told me he was verie sorrie I was not able to perform the journie for England for that now there was an extraordinary occasion of a dispatch not only in respect of the ratification come the night before but because also they were almost come to a final conclusion of all articles which were to be engrossed and signed the next day Hereupon I was inquisitive to know what assurance he had the Ratification was come He answered that that verie day he had been summoned to attend the Junto and that there they had earnestlie pressed him that the Articles might be speedilie drawn up and signed since they had now received full warrant to authorize them to proceed And that the next day was appointed accordingly Thereupon unwilling to omit the present opportunitie conceiving withal the purpose of the Princes Letter to be either to expresse his Highnesse further pleasure before the meeting of the Junto or to prevent the concluding of some other particular Article they might otherwise fall upon I delivered his Letter to his Lordship pretending it came to
satisfaction to tye my tongue from crying to God and the world for vengeance for the unworthy dealing I have received And think not to send me again to my Mothers where I have stayed this quarter of a year hoping for that my Mother said you promised order should be taken for me but I never received pennie from you Her confidence of your Noblenesse made me so long silent but now believe me I will sooner begg my bread in the streets to all your dishonours then any more trouble my friends and especially my Mother who was not onely content to afford us part of the little means she hath left her but whilest I was with her was continually distempered with devised Tales which came from your Familie and withal lost your good opinion which before she either had or you made shew of it but had it been real I cannot think her words would have been so translated nor in the power of discontented servants Tales to have ended it My Lord if the great honour you are in can suffer you to have so mean a thought as of so miserable a creature as I am so made by too much Credulitie of your fair promises which I have waited for performance of almost these five years And now it were time to despair but that I hope you will one day be your self and be governed by your own noble thoughts and then I am assured to obtain what I desire since my desires be so reasonable and but for mine own Which whether you grant or no the affliction my poor husband is in if it continue will keep my mind in a continual purgatorie for him and will suffer me to sign my self no other but Your unfortunate Sister F. Purbeck Dr. Donne to the Marquesse of Buckingham 13th Septemb. 1621. My most honoured Lord I Most humbly beseech your Lordship to afford this ragg of paper a room amongst your evidences It is your evidence not for a Mannour but for a man As I am a Priest it is my sacrifice of prayer to God for your Lordship and as I am a Priest made able to subsist and appear in Gods service by your Lordship it is a sacrifice of my self to you I deliver this paper as my Image and I assist the power of any Conjurer with this imprecation upon my self that as he shall tear this paper this picture of mine so I may be torn in my fortune and in my same if ever I have any corner in my heart dispossessed of a zeal to your Lordships service His Majestie hath given me a royal Key into your Chamber leave to stand in your presence and your Lordship hath already such a fortune as that you shall not need to be afraid of a suitor when I appear there So that I protest to your Lordship I know not what I want since I cannot suspect nor fear my self for ever doing or leaving undone any thing by which I might forfeit that title of being alwaies Your Lordships c. J. D. Dr. Donne to the Duke My Honoured Lord ONce I adventured to say to the Prince his Highnesse That I was sure he would receive a book from me the more gratiously because it was dedicated to your Grace I proceed justlie upon the same confidence that your Grace will accept this because it is his by the same title If I had not overcome that reluctation which I had in my self of representing devotions and mortifications to a young and active Prince I should not have put them into your presence who have done so much and have so much to do in this world as that it might seem enough to think seriously of that No man in the bodie of storie is a full president to you nor may any future man promise himself and adaequation to his precedent if he make you his Kings have discerned the seeds of high virtues in many men and upon that Gold they have put their stamp their favours upon those persons But then those persons have laboured under the jealousie of the future Heire And some few have had the love of Prince and King but not of the Kingdom and some of that too and not of the Church God hath united your Grace so to them all that as you have received obligations from the King and Prince so you have laid obligations upon the Church and state They above love you out of their judgement because they have loved you and we below love you out of our thankfulnesse because you have loved us Gods privie Seal is the testimonie of a good conscience and his broad-Seal is the outward bessings of this life But since his Pillar of fire was seconded with a Pillar of Cloud and that all his temporal blessings have some partial Eclipses and the purest consciences some remorses so though he have made your way to Glorie Glorie and brought you in the armes and bosome of his Vicegerent into his own arms and bosome yet there must come a minute of twilight in a natural death And as the reading of the actions of great men may assist you for great actions so for this one necessarie descent of dying which I hope shall be the onely step of Lownes that ever you shall passe by and by that late you may receive some Remembrances from the Meditations and Devotions of Your Graces Devoutest Servant J. Donne Sir John Hipsley to the Duke My Noble Lord I Find that all my Lord of Bristols actions are so much extolled that what you command me to say is hardly believed I will say no more in it but leave the rest to Mr Greihams only this that you have written much to the King in some mans behalf and Mr. Gresley hath a 100. a year given him during his life all which I think is without your knowledge And Mr. Killegrew hath the like that came for your sake after the other was granted Mr. Greihams can tell you how that came My Lord of Southampton hath offered his son to marrie with my Lord Treasurers Daughter and tells him this reason that now is the time he may have need of friends but it is refused as yet the event I know not what that will be I have spoken to the King of all that you gave me in command and he doth protest that what he hath done was meerly for your sake and indeed he is very careful of all your businesse as if you were here your self but yet for Gods-sake make what haste you may home for fear of the worst For the carriage of Captain Hall I will not trouble you till you come home only this by the way that my Lord Treasurer hath it but upon what tearms I know not nor indeed desire you should be troubled with it Sir George Goring came home but this last night and is gone to the Court and desires to be excused for writing to you My Ladie Hatton and my Ladie Purbeck came home with him from the Hague My Lord of Arundel hath not been
329 337 Queen Mother of France 176. for the Match with England 390 296 young Queen shewes great respect to the English Prince and is earnest for the Match with Madam 277 not Spanish though a sister of Spain 278 R. RAwleigh Sir Walter insolent 226 his Western Voyage had described those Countries makes the Duke of Buckingham his Intercessour 308 309 Records of the Order of the Garter 221 Reformation of Justice rules for it 617. Refuges Monsieur 319 Religious life entring into it after betrothing 24 Richlieu Cardinal when first of the Cabinet Councel 287 Richmond Duke Lord Steward 100 101. See 336. Richmond Dutchesse gives 1600 l. the year for a house to sleep in 106 Rochel so streightly blocked up in November 1625. no intelligence could be had from thence 272 Rochfort Viscount his generosity 209 sues for the Earl of Oxfords Liberty 210. See 310. Rochfoulcaut Cardinal 282 Ro Sir Thomas frees 13. English from the Spanish Gallies by the favour of Philibert of Savoy 159 Roman Catholicks favoured in England because of the Spanish Match and to comply with the Articles 80 81 Bishop of Lincoln his advice concerning it ibid. titular Bishop of Calcedon in England see tit Williams Complain of persecution in England 95 238 to the Spanish Embassadour turbulent 105 King James his Clemency to them disliked what that was 110 111 112. and why 233 236 242 Jesuites stir up the French King against the Calvinists because King James executes his Lawes against the Papists 111. their practises in Parliament against the King 225 229 Imprisoned in the time of the Queen and why 258 Contrive tumults disarmed by the King their insolency 271 272 S. ST George Madam 296 302 Saine-Leger Sir William 334 335 Sandys Sir Edwin 76 Santa Croce Marquesse 178 Sarmientos Don 318 Savil Sir Henry Provost of Eaton 69 Savoyard Embassadour 275 299 30â— 301 303. Savoy Duke 168 a friend to the Palsgrave distrusted by the Spaniards 185 defeats them 208 Say Viscount a Malecontent 225 307 Saxonia Duke a friend to King James and the Palatine Family 167 Scot Doctour deseribed by the Pishop of Lincoln 99 100 101 Scotch Masters confiscated in Spain and sentenced to the Gallies 50 Scultetua at the Synod of Dort 173 Serclaus a Dutch Gentlewoman tretting on both sides betwixt the Dutch and Spanish 332 Shipwrack of the Plate Fleet 48 49 Ships attempted to be fired 135 Sibâ—andus a furious Calvinist at the Synod of Dort 174 Soissons Count a Prince of the Blood of France would marry Madont of France 282 his incivility to the Earl of Holland 289 altered 286 Sommerset Earl sues to the King for his life and estate rise upon his Fathers Merits 1 2 3 4 South hampton Earl confined to his own house 57 hardly dealt with but without the Kings Order 61. See 316. Spanish King gives precedencie to the Prince of Wales 14 Much sought to by the English Papists 252 aymes at the universal Monarchie 274 281 Spaniards committed many errours in the Match 23 forward to give any security to the accomplishing it 24 25 Cautelous in their proceeding 243 247 arm the Grandces summoned and the Battalon 51. for the Sea 166 Sleight and wrong the English 54 â—eise the Venetian Vessels in the Ports of Naples arm in all their Dominions 178 179 182 their subleties they rob the Venetians 183. their plots upon the States united 333. Complain they cannot obtain free audience 246 Spanish Rodomontades 289 248 intended with their Armada to have rooted out the English Nation 259 by the Match to have formed a party here 305. See 338 339. Get more by their policies then Swords 261. no peace can be with them there would make peace with the Dutch 327 will not believe the English had either Faith Church or Liturgie 79. See Book of Common-Prayer burn the Princesse Palatines Joynture in sight of the English Embassadour 329 Spinola 328 333 Star-Chamber an ancient Court 58 â—eld Pleas of restitution of Ships and goods 75 State when the word came first over hither 226 Steward of the house 63 Office of Lord Steward what 101 102 Successe things not to be judged by it 304 Suffolk Earl his Staffe of Treasurer taken away 126 sentenced in the Star-Chamber 122 will not perswade his sons to leave the Court delivered from the Tower 123 124 125 Synod of England 117 of Dort passages of it 173 174 175 of no authority with us 117 T. TIlley Count besleges Heidelbergh 234 329 Tilliers Count 305 Toirax 286 287 Treasurer of England accuses the Lord Keeper of Lincoln 72 73 Treasure ill managed 122 Tresham of the Powder Treason preserved his estate 3 Trugot Madamoiselle 301 Trumbal an Agent at Brussels for King James his care to find out the Authour of Corona Regia 152 153 Turkish kindnesse to the Venetians 186 Tyrconnel Page to the Queen of Spain 49 V. VAlette Marquesse 285 Vandenbergh grave Henric 328 Vaux Lord committed to the Fleet for resisting the Kings Commands 271 Venetians in danger of the Spaniard seek to King James 178 179 sue to him to forbid exportation of Artillery c. 180 refuse Turkish ayds against Christians 186. incivil to the Duke of Savoy 187 Veiville Marquesse 274 284 286 287 289. Vere Sir Horatio sleighted unreasonably by Sir Edward Cecyl as inferior in birth and worth 134 323 Viceroy of Portugal 45 Ville-â—ux Cleres 293 300 Vorstius questioned for blasphemous propositions 175 Uprores in Naples Millain c. 188 W. VVAke Sir Isaac Imployed in Savoy his prudence 180 181 186. governs himself according to his instructions 184 not supplyed with monies 189 War the most prosperous hath misfortune enough in it to make the author unhappy 33 knowledge of it the highest of humane things 133 preparation of things shewes experiencewhat war is lawful 258 Weston Sir Richard Earl of Portland 198 199. a fit Minister 234 treats for the Palatinate at Brussels cannot prevail 201 234. accused to the Duke 202 Intercedes for the Earl of Middlesex 203 Wilford Sir Thomas sinks a Turkish man of war 141 Williams Dean of Westminster Lord Keeper and Bishop of Lincoln after sues for the Bishoprick of London 54 his Ecclesiastical promotions 55 advanced by the Duke of Buckingham 62 70. his opinion of the Archbishop of Canterburies mischance where his ambition is visible 56 Will serve the Earl of Southampton while he makes good his professions to the Duke 58 loves the Earl of Bristol at this rate 23 sits in the Common Pleas. 61 Will not seal the Lord St. Albans pardon and why 61 62 81. nor Sir Richard Westons Patent 93 nor an order for a Papist Priests liberty 62. nor the Earl of Arundels Patent for the Earl Marshals place 68 An enemy to the Lord Treasurer 62 To the Earl of Arundel 62 63 64. Will not discharge a prisouer for contempt of a Decree in Chancery 65 seems to advise King Iames to dissolve the Parliament of 1621. to find out other wayes to supply his wants
and acquaint the Kingdom with the undutifulnesse and obstinacy of the Commons 66 accused by the Lord Treasurer of making injust advantages of his place vindicates himself 71 72 74. forbidden the Court 78 Will not seal the Kings Patent of honour without knowledge of the Dukes good pleasure 79 against the Councel Table 75 Dislikes prohibiting execution of Statutes against the Papists 80 His advice to hang the titulary Bishop of Calcedon 81 Would have all honours and offices derived from the Duke 83 84 Is his vassal 85 100 101 103 Lives not but in the Dukes favour 107 Loves and hates as the Duke does 84 88 94 does equal Justice 83 Wants 85 Would not be over-topped 94 charged by the Duke to run Courses dangerous to his Countrey and to the cause of Religion betrayes the Duke esteemed by him a fire brand and not worthy of trust 87 88 his Reply 89 96. Writes unworthily of King James to the Duke 94 sues to the Duke for the Countesse of Southampton 96 Would have the Duke to be Lord Steward 101 102 Mercy with Sir Edward Coke 104 advises concerning the Proxies and Marriage with France 106 107 In disgrace the Seal taken away excuses himself to King Charles 108 suspected as a Malecontent and willing to imbroil 225 Wimbledon Viscount See Cecyl Sir Edward c. Wotton Sir Henry 193 194. sends rare Pictures to the Duke 195 Complains that after his long service his Embassage should be given another and himself left naked without any rewards or provision for his subsistance 196 197 too bashful 199 Wynwood Sir Ralph Embassadour in the Netherlands how contemned there 331. Y. YElverton Sir Henry 310 Ynoiosa Marquesse Embassadour in England his ill Offices here and false informations 40 41 50. endeavours to stain the Prince of Wales his honour 52. See Olivarez for the Duke of Bavaria 's pretences 167 Young Patrickl 94 Z. ZAnten Treatie 318 Zapara Cardinal Viceroy of Naples 188 Zutenstein of Utrecht 317 Books Printed for or to be sold by M. M. G. Bedell and T. Collins at their shop at the Middle Temple Gate in Fleetstreet EAdmeri Monachi Cantuariensis Historia Novorum Joannes Seldenis Notis in Folio Mare Clausum seu Dominio Mare Joannes Seldeni in solio The History of great Brittain from the first peopling of this Island to the Reign of King James by William Slayter with the Illustrations of John Selden Esq in Folio The History of Tythes in the payment of them the Lawes made for them and touching the Right of them by John Selden Esquire in Quarto Annales or a general Chronicle of England with an Appendix or Corrollary of the foundations of the Universities of England begun by John Stowe and continued to the year 1631. by Edm. Howe 's Gent. in folio A Chronicle of the Kings of England from the Romans Government unto the Raign of King Charles Containing all passages of Church and State with all other observations proper for a Historie The second Edition enlarged with Marginal notes and large Tables by Sir Richard Baker Knight in Folio The History and Lives of the Kings of England from Wil. the Conqueror to the end of the Reign of K. Henry the eighth by Wil. Martyn Esq to which is added the Historie of K. Edward the sixt Q. Mary and Queen Elizabeth in Folio The History of the Reign of K. Henry the seventh written by the right Honourable Francis Lord Verulam Viscount St. Alban with a very useful and necessary Table annexed to it in folio The Life and Reign of K. 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Gresly Master of Arts and student of Christ Church in Oxford in quarto An Interpretation of the number 666 wherein not onely the manner how this number ought to be interpreted but it is also shewed that this number doth exactly describe that state of government to which all other Notes of Antichrist do agree by Francis Potter B.D. with Mr. Medes Judgment of this Treatise in quarto John Barclay his Argenis translated out of Latine into English the prose upon his Majesties command by Sir Robert le Gry's Knight and the verses by Thomas May Esquire with a Clavis annexed to it for the satisfaction of the Reader in Quarto The History of the Imperial state of the Grand Seigneurs their Habitations Lives Favourites Power Government and Tyranny to which is annexed the History of the Court of the King of China written in French and translated by Edward Grimston in quarto The state of France as it stood in the ninth year of this present Monarch Lewis the 14th written to a friend by J.E. in Duodecimo The Pourtract of the Politick Christian Favourite drawn from some of the Actions of the Lord Duke of St. Lucar by the Marquesse Virgillio Malvezzi to which is annexed Maximes of State and political observations on the same story of Count Olivarez D. of St. Lucar in Duodecimo The Prince written in French by Mounsiour Du Balzac now translated into English by Henry Gresly Master of Arts and Student of Christ Church in Oxford in Duodecimo The Life and Reign of King Edward the sixth with the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth both written by Sir John Hayward Knight Doctor of Law in Duodecimo Of Liberty and Servitude translated out of the French into the English tongue and dedicated to George Evelyn Esquire in duodecimo The new Planet no Planet or the earth no wandring Star Here out out of the principles of Divinity Philosophy c. the earths