Selected quad for the lemma: parliament_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A96173
|
A cat may look upon a king
|
Weldon, Anthony, Sir, d. 1649?
|
1652
(1652)
|
Wing W1271; Thomason E1408_2; ESTC R209518
|
15,841
|
118
|
although God Almighty be the Judge of all men yet Gods judgments that are so remarkable are for our instructions and God is to be glorified by us for these judgments of his upon this Kings family I cannot in the best stories I have read find who was clearly King James his Father Mary Queen of Scotland a lusty young Widow marries the Lord Darly son to the D. of Lenox in the year 1565. or thereabouts and at the same time had for a reserve in great favor with her an Italian Fidler and Bothwel a Scotch Lord After marriage the Queen proves with childe The King her husband that was Lord Darly enraged by some informations comes into the roome where the Queen his wife was at supper and very big drags the Italian Fidler into another roome and murders him The Queen was shortly delivered of a Son which was our King James The solemnity of the Christening ended she and Bothwel murdred the King her husband Then the Queen marries Bothwel and all this in a moment of time but they are both fain to flie The Queen came into England and was here beheaded Bothwel fled into Denmark and there lay in prison all the dayes of his life And now Reader observe the fortune of this prodigious Family His supposed Father was strangled in his bed by the consent of his mother and flung out into a garden His Mother is beheaded His eldest Son Pr. Henry by the jealousie and consent of his Father in the flower of his youth and strength of his age is poysoned His Daughter married to the Palsgrave where shortly her Husband in ambition to becom a king is slain and she with her many children are driven out of their estates and flie for shelter into Holland where she hath lived ever since upon the courtesie of this State Her eldest Son having lived long upon a particular charity of this Nation is now at length restored to a feather of his goose Two other of her sons after six yeares following arms and plunder for King Charles turn'd Pyrates at sea and so are at present King James himself after two twenty years reign by the act of his Favourite Buckingham and the consent of his son Charles that succeeded him is poysoned King Charles after eight years was with the Parliament is taken arraigned and condemn'd and is beheaded at his own dores his Wife fled home to her friends and his Children scattered abroad in the world to live upon the charity of others Are all these circumstances to be slighted or unconsidered And shall we take the Priests word King James was of blessed memory I challenge the proudest of them let them publish one cleare act of Honesty from him all the time of his reign or any honestman that ever he loved I 'le yield His hypocrisie perjury cowardise blasphemy malice are known to all and base ingratitude which comprehends more then all the rest whereof one example of him is well worth our remembring to Sir Henry Woâ—â—on which briefly was thus Sir Henry a man for person parts highly esteemed and honoured of all that knew him being in Florence when Queen Elizabeths death drew nigh which King Iames gaped for the Duke of Florence had intercepted some Letters which discovered a designe to take away the life of King James The Duke abhorring the fact resolves to endeavour the prevention calls for his Secretary to advise by what meanes a caution might be best given to the King and it was resolved to be done by Sir Henry Wotton who being well instructed is presently dispatched into Scotland with Letters to the King and most rare Antidotes against all manner of poysons whereby that mischief was prevented and Sir Henry Wotton returns into Italy where shortly after came the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth and James King of Scots proclaimed King of England and away comes Sir Henry Wotton to joy the King This had been a fit Subject for to have shewn his Noble minde upon for a Favourite but what doth the King takes him into two and twenty years travaile like a pack horse to make him an Agent in forreign parts and leaves him in his old age in Eaton-Colledge unable to pay his debts as many appear by his lamentable complaint upon his death-bed his words are these in his Last-Will and Testament I humbly beseech my Lords Grace of Canterbury and the Lord Bishop of London to intercede with our most gracious Soveraign in the bowels of Iesus Christ that out of compassionate memory of my long services some order may be taken for my Arrears for satisfaction of my Debts This president alone is so transcendently foul as all his other actions and passions are vertues to it Fellowes of no merit at home must wallow in his bounty and their own luxury to do his foul pleasure and to execute his tyranical actions whilest such a Noble Soul as this must suffer want and die in it And now lay all these things together the lives of all our former Kings and the lamentable condition of this Nation under these two last and tell me if it were not high time to consider of the honour welfare and security of this Nation by reducing it to a Free-State But before I take my leave of these Kings I would willingly as a Preparative to the cordial agreement of our Free-State present some few Considerations and herein I shall onely shew my hand and my heart wishing that some abler Pen-man may more substantially publish something to this purpose in better language and more at large First How often wee have been made slaves to Forreign powers by not agreeing among our selvs Our Kings having other Dominions beyond seas have consum'd our blood and treasure to defend maintain or increase them at their pleasures And their frequent matching into strangers blood hath increased new titles and pretences of quarrels that have afforded matter for bitter warres both abroad and at home All which are now laid asleep Next is worth our serious consideration How God Almighty in his providence hath divided us from all the World by a wall of Water and hath brought us into a condition this day by Shipping Trade and able Sea-men and Merchants that no Prince in Christendome can shew the like for number and abilitie So that now we have no Complements for Matches nor busines with Foraign Princes but for Trade And here let me use the words of Sir Walter Raleigh in his Discourse of Shipping Whosoever commands the Sea commands the Trade Whosoever commands the Trade of the World commands the Riches of the World and consequently the World it self A faire invitation to cherish Shipping Sea-men and Merchants And if hereafter we fall into difference with any Forreign Prince we fight for our selves not for ill-grounded Titles nor to satisfie the ambition of particular nor to maintain the luxury of any spurious Issue There are but two things which I mentioned in the Introduction can obstruct us as I hope IRELAND and Envious Presbytery The Royalist I presume will heare reason And SCOTLAND I suppose will shortly be reduced to an English Province and kept so by force for Jocky is not to be trusted He is naturally so false and hath been so high-fed since their Scotch king came to this Crowne that his owne Country fare will not down till they be humbled which God be thanked is in a faire way Yet if there be any of that Nation sensible of their owne security and welfare under our wing which I much feare that shall comply in this union I shall pray to God to make them good Christians And if any Forreigne Prince whatsoever shall hereafter through ambition or envy to our State or pretence of donation from the Pope assist or maintain a Faction either in Scotland or Ireland as heretofore to hinder prejudice or molest our right or interest in these or either of these places I see no reason why we should treat with them as friends But I am now beside my Cushion my end is only to prepare and perswade a hearty Agreement amongst our selves to the secure setling of our Free-State So farewell Scot and farewell King And GOD blesse the Common-wealth of ENGLAND FINIS Published by Authority Courteous Reader These Books following are printed and sold by William Roybould at his Shop at the Unicorn in S. Pauls Church-yard neer the Little North-door THe Holy-Arbor containing a Body of Divinity or the Summe and Substance of Christian Religion First methodically and plainly treated of then Analysed and applied wherein also are fully resolved the Questions of whatsoever points of moment have been or are now controverted in Divinity together with a large Alphabetical Table of such matters as are therein contained or occasionally handled either by way of Exposition Controversie or Reconciliation In folio by John Godolphin J. C. D. 1651. CHRIST alone exalted In seventeen Sermons preached by Dr. Tobias Crisp In 8o 1650. The History of the Bohemian Persecution from the beginning of their Conversion to Christianity to these Times In which the unheard of secrets of Councels Policie Arts and dreadful Judgments are exhibited In 8o 1650. The Assertion of Grace or a Treatise of Justification by R. Town The Ladies Vindication or The praise of worthy Women In 12o 1651. A further Discovery of the Mysterie of the Last times Set forth for the Good of such as in these dissenting times know not to what Society of Christians to joyn themselves In 4o 1651. A Sermon preached by Dr. Homes Octob. 8. 1650. at Christ-church before the Lord Major and Aldermen The Mischiefe of Mixt-Communions by Dr. Homes 4o The Life and Reigne of King Charles or the Pseudo-Martyr discovered together with some Animadversions on the strange contrariety between his publike Declarations protestations Imprecations and his Pourtraicture compared with his private Letters and other of his Expresses not hitherto taken into common observation In 8o 1651. The Antiquity of Commonwealths instanced by that of Holland wherein is declared the rise continuance of that Government as also their Lawes and Customes both in their Civil Military power In 8o 1652. A Sermon preached at Mary-Aldermanbury Novemb. 5. 1651. by M. William Jenkins being the first he preached after his Releasement Church-Cases cleared wherein are held forth some things to reclaim Professors is that are slack-principled Antichurchians Nonchurch-Seekers Church-Levellers with a Pacificatory preface c. By D. N. Homes
Parliament for mony not for busines But if the Kingdome presented any grievances he would quarrel by his prerogative and dissolve it One Letter of his to the Parliament I cannot read but with amazement which being but briefe take here from his own hand A Copy of His Majesties Letter To the Lower-House of Parliament Mr. Speaker WE have heard by divers reports to our great grief That the far distance of our person at this time from our High Couâ—t of Parliament caused by our want of health hath imboldened some fiery and popular Spirits in our House of Commons to debate and argue publiquely in matters far beyond your reach and capacity and so tending to our high dishonour and trenching upon our Prerogative royal You shall therefore acquaint that House with our pleasure That none therein shall from henceforth presume to meddle with any thing concerning our Government or Mysteries of State namely not to speak of our dearest Sonnes match with the Daughter of Spain nor to touch the honour of that King nor any our friends or confederates and also not to medle with any mans particulars which have their due motions in our ordinary Courts of Justice And whereas we heare they have sent a Messenger to Sr. Edwyn Sands to know the reason of his late restraint you shall in our name resolve them that it was not for any misdemeanour of his in Parliament but to put them out of doubt of any question of that nature that may arise among them hereafter you shall resolve them in our name That wee think our selves very free and able to punish any mans misdemeanours in Parliament as well during their sitting as afterwards which we mean not to spare hereafter upon any occasion of any mans insolent behaviour there that shall be ministred unto us And if they have already touched any of these points which we have forbidden in any Petition of theirs which is to be sent to us It is our pleasure that you shall tell them that except they reform it before it come to our hands we will not dain the hearing or answering of it I leave every Reader to comment upon it according to his own patience and passion But that a Scot from so beggerly a condition to be so peaceably and honorably received to so royal a government over so brave a Nation should use such ungratefull presumptuous and proud language to the Parliament of England is to my understanding monstrous horrible and not good But 't was his humor all his reign with impatience over-ruling with jealousies threatning and at pleasure to dissolve all Parliaments thereby to lay that foundation of tyrannical and arbitrary government which he intended to bring upon us His Favourite Somerset being condemn'd and quietly laid aside he was ready provided of another George Villiers by name a handsom young man lately return'd out of France from an allowance of Threescore pounds a year who comes to Court is admitted to a bearers place presently Knighted and made Gentleman of the Bedchamber and the same day a Thousand pounds a yeare out of the Court of Wards given him and in a breath made Master of the Horse then Knight of the Garter then Baron of Whadon Viscount Villiers Earl of Somerset and a Privy-Councellor Marquesse of Buckingham Lord Admiral of England Chief Justice in Eyre of all the Parks and Forrests on the South-side of Trent Master of the Kings-Bench Office Head Steward of Westminster and Constable of Windsor-Castle and lastly Duke and then he could go no higher in title but by his Masters pleasure and courtesie all the affairs of the Kingdome are steered by his compasse as is at large made known in many mens writings published Yet when he knew his Master notwithstanding his slabbering expressions of affection and extravagant Honours and riches to be weary of him he found a Plaister and a Powder that made him amends for all his favours And here the King-craft met with his match How far King Charles might be privy to this busines I determine not but the private familiarity between them continued so long after and protecting him from being questioned for this very particular in Parliament is no small presumption But what the King denied Justice God sent by the hand of John Felton who stabb'd this Duke at Portsmouth with a ten peny knife that hee instantly gave up the ghost with these words Gods wounds I am slain To write all those actions this Duke did by these two Kings favours in prejudice of this oppressed Nation would make a cholerick man mad and a flegmatick stupid but let him go the King is the thing I intend who made use of him the flattering Prelates the poor-spirited Nobility and corrupt Lawyers to frame such a Government as all the wealth in this kingdome should be at the Kings disposing Which course with such instructions he left to his Son and how his Son managed them hath been so clearly published by Supreme Authority fairely written by sowhite a hand that I intend not here to say much of that Prince Only this I can say He was a man so wilfull obstinate and uxorious that he quite forsook his own interest as a King and the honour and interest of this Nation thorough malice and her counsel and did so farre incline to the interest of France against Spaine and no thankes for his labour that by his meanes alone Rochel and Dunkirk were both lost But that and his Fathers instructions lost him with the losse of more blood and treasure to this Nation then all our wars had spent since the William the Norman It hath been to me the greatest wonder of the world how this King could be so blind as not to prevent that storm that came upon him till it was too late Were all his Counsellors false O unhappy King Or would he be ruled by none but himselfe and his wife O more unhappy man Surely in this was the hand of God most visible Mischief was in his heart against this Nation but it came upon himself all his as the world hath seen There was about the time of his death a Book published which was presented to the world as He the Author which was so gross an imposture that I have much marvail'd the fraud being so plain and easily detected that no course hath been taken to find him out and punish'd that made it For that it was not his is as plainly to be discerned as the Sun at noon But that false perfume lasted but a while the scent was only pleasing to them that could not smell So that I may say that in our dayes we have seen two the most remarkable and most eminent passages of humane affaires that this Nation hath afforded since the Creation The Entrance of King James into this Kingdome with as much pomp and glory as the World could afford And the Exit of his Son with as much shame and misery as could befall a King And