more prayers and oblations offered here to the Mother than to the Son For the Marquess himself as he was a man of excellent symmetry and proportion of parts so he affected beauty where he found it but yet he looks upon the whole race of Women as inferior things and uses them as if the Sex were one best pleased with all And if his eye cull'd out a wanton beauty he had his Setters that could spread his Nets and point a meeting at some Ladies House where he should come as by accident and find Accesses while all his Train attended at the dore as if it were an honourable visit The Earl of Rutland of a Noble Family had but one Daughter to be the Mistris of his great Fortune and he tempts her carries her to his Lodgings in Whitehall keeps her there for some time and then returns her back again to her Father The stout old Earl sent him this threatning Message That he had too much of a Gentleman to suffer such an indignity and if he did not marry his Daughter to repair her honour no greatness should protect him from his justice Buckingham that perhaps made it his design to get the Father's good will this way being the greatest match in the Kingdom had no reason to mislike the Union therefore he quickly salved up the wound before it grew to a quarrel And if this Marriage stopt the Current of his sins he had the less to answer for This young Lady was bred a Papist by her Mother but after her Marriage to the Marquess she was converted by Doctor White as was pretended and grew a zealous Protestant but like a morning dew it quickly vanished For the old Countess of Buckingham never left working by her sweet Instruments the Iesuits till she had placed her on the first foundation So that the Marquess betwixt a Mother and a Wife began to be indifferent no Papist yet no Protestant but the Arminian Tenets taking root were nourished up by him and those that did not hold the same opinions were counted Puritans These new indifferences now grew so hot in England that the Protestant Cause grew very cold in Germany Which made the spirits of most men rise against the Spanish Faction at home and Spain's incroaching Monarchy abroad And though the King sped ill the last Parliament of Somerset's undertaking and thought to lay them by for ever as he often expressed looking upon them as incroachers into his Prerogative and diminishers of his Majesty and Glory making Kings less and Subjects more than they are Yet now finding the peoples desires high-mounted for regaining the Palatinate he thought they would look only up towards that and liberally open their Purses which he might make use of and this Unanimity and good agreement betwixt him and his people would induce his Brother of Spain to be more active in the Treaty in hand and so he should have supply from the one and dispatch from the other But Parliaments that are like Physicians to the bodies of Common-wealths when the humors are once stirred they find cause enough many times to administer sharp Medicines where there was little appearance of Diseases For in this Recess and Ease Time-servers and Flatterers had cried up the Prerogative And the King wanting Money for his vast expenses had furnished himself by unusual courses For Kings excessive in gifts will find followers excessive in demands and they that weaken themselves in giving lose more in gathering than they gain in the gift For Prodigality in a Soveraign ends in the Rapine and Spoil of the Subject To help himself therefore and those that drained from him he had granted several Patents to undertakers and Monopolizers whereby they preyed upon the people by suits and exactions milkt the Kingdom and kept it poor the King taking his ease and giving way to Informers the Gentry grown debauched and Fashion-mongers and the Commons sopt and besotted with quiet and restiness drunk in so much disability that it might well be said by Gondemar England had a great many people but few men And he would smile at their Musters for through disuse they were grown careless of Military Discipline ill provided of Arms effeminate Officers neglecting their charges and duties conniving for gain at their Neighbours miscarriages Some of the Officers in the Militia and Iustices of the Peace not a few being Church-Papists floating upon the smooth stream of the times overwhelming all others that opposed them stigmatizing them with the name of Puritans and that was mark enough to hinder the current of any proceeding or preferment aimed at or hoped for either in Church or State And the Iesuits ranging up and down like spirits let loose did not now as formerly creep into corners using close and cunning Artifices but practised them openly having admission to our Counsellors of State for when Secretaries and such as manage the intimate Counsels of Kings are Iesuitical and Clients to the Pope there can be no tendency of Affection to a contrary Religion or Policy Those were only most active in the Court of England that courted the King of Spain most and could carry the face of a Protestant and the heart of a Papist the rest were contented to go along with the cry For they hunted but a cold scent and could pick out and make nothing of it that drew off or crost or hunted counter Which raised the spirits of the people so high against them that were the chief Hunters in these times that they brought the King himself within the compass of their Libels and Pasquils charging him to love his hounds better than his people And if this bad blood had been heated to an itch of Innovation it would have broke out to a very fore and incurable Malady every man seeing the danger few men daring to prevent it The Pulpits were the most bold Opposers but if they toucht any thing upon the Spanish policy or the intended Treaties for the Restitution of the Palatinate was included in the Marriage before it was the Spaniards to give their mouths must be stopt by Gondemar without the Lady Iacob's Receipt and it may be confined or imprisoned for it So that there were noplain downright blows to be given but if they cunningly and subtily could glance at the misdemeanors of the Times and smooth it over metaphorically it would pass current though before the King himself For about this time one of his own Chaplains preaching before him at Greenwich took this Text 4 Mat. 8. And the Devil took Iesus to the top of a Mountain and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World saying All these will I give c. He shewed what power the Devil had in the World at that time when he spake these words and from thence he came down to the power of the Devil now And dividing the World into four parts he could not make the least of the four to be Christian and of
by the Text of Scripture free both the Doctrine and the Discipline of the Church of England from the aspersions of either adversary especially where the Auditory is Suspected to be tainted with the One or the other infection 6. Lastly that the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of the Kingdom whom his Majesty hath good cause to blame for this former remissness be more wary and choice in their licensing of Preachers and revoke all Grants made to any Chancellor Official or Commissary to pass Licences in this kind And that all the Lecturers throughout the Kingdom of England a new Body severed from the ancient Clergy as being neither Parsons Vicars nor Curates be licensed henceforward in the Court of Faculties but only from a Recommendation of the Party from the Bishop of the Diocess under his hand and seal with a Fiat from the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury a Confirmation under the great Seal of England And that such as do transgress any one of these Directions be suspended by the Bishop of the Diocess or in his default by the Arch-Bishop of the Province ab officio beneficio for a Year and a Day until his Majesty by the advice of the next Convocation shall prescribe some further punishment The Directions the Archbishop recommended to his several Diocesans that they might be put in execution with caution And then may be observed that the King's affections tended to the peaceable comportment of his people that both Papist and Puritan might have a quiet being which preponderation of His puts them in Aequi-librio nay the Papist was in the prime Scale But this new thing called a Lecturer he could by no means endure unless he past through all the Briers of his several Courts to the Broad Seal which was a kind of pungent Ordeal Tryal to which he must put his Teste me ipso and then it was Orthodox so that though Lecturers were not absolutely forbidden yet the charge and trouble to come to it made the way inaccessible Preachers by an Order of Star-chamber in Heaven were first licensed with an Ite praedicate before Henry the Eighth's time and certainly they have a great Seal from thence for what they do Therefore it behoves them to take heed what they say left that Spirit they receive Directions from bind them not up But this Animosity of the King 's against Puritans was thought to be fomented by the Papists whose Agent Bishop Laud was suspected to be though in Religion he had a Motley form by himself and would never as a Priest told me plainly in Flanders bring his neck under the obedience of the Roman Yoak though he might stickle for the grandure of the Clergy And now he began to be Buckingham's Confessor as he expresseth in his own Notes and wore the Court Livery though the King had a sufficient character of him and was pleased with Asseveration to protest his incentive Spirit should be kept under that the flame should not break out by any Preferment from him But that was now forgotten and he crept so into favour that he was thought to be the Bellows that blew these Fires For the Papists used all the Artifices they could to make a breach between the King and his People that they might enter at the same for their own Ends which to accomplish they slily close with the chief ministers of State to put the King upon all his Projects and Monopolies displeasing to the people that they might the more Alienate their Affections from him Sowing their seeds of Division also betwixt Puritan and Protestant so that like the second Commandment they quite exclude the Protestant For all those were Puritans with this high-grown-Arminian-popish party that held in judgment the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches or in practice live according to the Doctrine publickly taught in the Church of England And they attribute the name of Protestant 1. To such Papists as either out of policy or by popish indulgence hold outward Communion with the Church of England 2. To such Protestants as were either tainted with or inclinable to their opinions 3. To indifferent Men who imbrace always that Religion that shall be commanded by Authority Or 4. To such Neutrals as care for no Religion but such as stands with their own liking so that they allow the Church of England the Refuse both of their Religion and Ours Then they strive to make a Division of Regians and Republicans The Regians are the great Dependents upon the Crown both in Church and State who swell up the Prerogative preaching and distilling into the King the Almightiness of his power That all that the People hath is the King 's and that it is by his mercy they have a bare empty Being And this hoisting up of the King they knew would stir up the Republicans to oppose him in his Designs by which they pinch as the King thinks his Prerogative feeding a strife betwixt Law and Prerogative whereby they escape the Dint of both and hope the fire they kindle will break out at last to consume their Adversaries That these things were acted and fomented by Papists was very probable for they were great Sticklers about the Court and Council-Table But it was too apparent that some of the Clergy to make their way the smoother to their wished end began so to adore the King that he could not be named but more reverence was done to it than to the Name of God And the Iudges in their itinerant Circuits the more to enslave the people to Obedience being to speak of the King would give him such Sacred and Oraculous Titles as if their advancement to higher places must necessarily be laid upon the foundation of the peoples debasement On the other side The well affected to Religion that knew no other inclination than the Dictates of their own Reason experiences of former times and the constant practices of the Romanists for propagating their own designs did by their writings and discourses strive to warm the King 's cold temper and put fresh spirits into his chilled veins shewing the Tyranny of the incroaching Monarchy of the House of Austria who was Rome's great Factor and how just and secure the opposing of such a growing power will be That no Sword is so sharp nor Arm 's so strong as those that are cemented with true Religion The security of Conscience grounded upon the Word of Truth being not only a Bulwark to defend but the best Engin to oppose Idolatry and Ambition Thus stood the Kingdom divided in it self But as the King strove after this Rupture betwixt him and the Parliament to settle things at home and keep his people in obedience so he was as active abroad to keep up his own Reputation For he made a full account to salve up all these miscarriages by the intended Match with Spain that his people might see he could discern further into the intrinsical matters of State than they and so make the
have thought it a high presumption in them Judge then what We may do in such a Case having made our public Declaration already as we said before directly contrary to that which you have now petitioned Now to the points in your Petition whereof you desire an answer as properly belonging to the Parliament The first and the greatest point is that of Religion concerning which at this time We can give you no other answer than in the General which is that you may rest secure that We will never be weary to do all we can for the propagation of Our Religion and repressing of Popery But the manner and form you must remit to Our care and providence who can best consider of Times and Seasons not by undertaking a public War of Religion through all the World at once which how hard and dangerous a task it may prove you may judge But this puts Us in mind how all the World complained the last year of plenty of Corn and God hath sent Us a cooling Card this year for that heat And so We pray God that this desire among you of Kindling Wars shewing your weariness of Peace and Plenty may not make God permit Us to fall into the miseries of both But as we already said Our care of Religion must be such as on the one part We must not by the hot persecution of Our Recusants at home irritate forrain Princes of contrary Religion and teach them the way to plague the Protestants in their Dominions whom with We dayly intercede and at this time principally for ease to them of Our profession that live under them Yet upon the other part We never mean to spare from due and severe punishment any Papist that will grow insolent for living under Our so mild Government And you may also be assured We will leave no Care untaken as well for the good Education of the youth at home especially the Children of Papists as also for preserving at all times hereafter the youth that are or shall be abroad from being bred in dangerous places and so poisoned in Popish Seminaries And as in this point namely concerning the good Education of Popish youth at Home We have already given some good proofs both in this Kingdom and in Ireland so will We be well pleased to pass any good Laws that shall be made either now or any time hereafter to this purpose And as to your request of making this a Session and granting a general pardon it shall be in your Defaults if We make not this a Session before Christmas But for the Pardon ye crave such particulars in it as We must be well advised upon lest otherwise we give you back the double or treble of that we are to receive by your entire Subsidy without Fifteens But the ordinary course We hold fittest to be used still in this Case is that We should of our free grace send you down a Pardon from the higher House containing such points as We shall think fittest wherein we hope ye shall receive good satisfaction But We cannot omit to shew you how strange we think it that ye should make so bad and unjust a Commentary upon some words of our former Letter as if we meant to restrain you thereby of your ancient privileges and liberties in Parliament Truly a Scholler would be ashamed so to misplace and mis-judge any Sentences in another Mans book For whereas in the end of our former Letter We discharge you to meddle with matters of Government and Mysteries of State namely Matters of War or Peace or our dearest Sons Match with Spain by which particular denominations We interpret and restrain Our former words And then after We forbid you to meddle with such things as have their Ordinary course in Courts of Justice yet couple together those two distinct Sentences and plainly leave out these words Of Mysteries of State errâ—à benè â—à benè divisis ad malè conjecta For of the former part concerning Mysteries of State We plainly restrained our meaning to the particulars that were after mentioned And in the latter we confess we meant it by Sir Edward Cook 's foolish business And therefore it had well become him especially being Our Servant and One of Our Consel to have complained unto Us which he never did though he was ordinarily at Court since and never had access refused unto him And although We cannot allow of the stile calling it Your Ancient and undoubted right and inheritance but could rather have wished that ye had said That your Privileges were derived from the Grace and permission of our Ancestors and Us for most of them grow from Precedents which shews rather a toleration than inheritance yet we are pleased to give you Our Royal assurance that as long as you shall contain your selves within the limits of your Duty we will be as careful to maintain and preserve your lawful Liberties and Privileges as ever any of Our Predecessors were nay as to preserve Our own Royal Prerogative So as your House shall only have need to beware to trench upon the Prerogative of the Crown which would enforce Us or any just King to retrench them of their Privileges that would pare his Prerogative and Flowers of the Crown But of this We hope there shall be never cause given This was the effect of the King's Answer which was dated at New-market the 11. of December 1621. Thus the King acted his part and though his answer might be the Result of his thoughts yet it was some transcendent Cause that put it into Words for his Nature was apt enough to fear the Sound of its own impressions But now his Spirit was mounted either the Breach of the Treaty with Spain or the Breach as he thought upon his Prerogative gave wing to raise his Anger higher than his fear Princes that never knew how to obey ride their Passions with a loose rein and are easiest carried by that impulsion The Prince and the People are here Competitors both jealous of encroachments both striving to prevent them Liberty is a power that gives a well being and life to the People Power is a liberty that Princes take to be the very life of their Being Kings are like the Sea and the people like the land the industry of the one striving with the Piles and Banks of good laws and Precedents to bound the often-springtides and over-flowing of the other In Scotland the Land was high Rocky and inaccessible for his Waves though never so boisterous Here he finds a smooth Shore and the people as tame in their obedience as they were in their sufferings which makes him the bolder with them But the Parliament weighing the King's answer by the Ballance of Reason not Passion found that there was little for them to do For how is this a mixt Government when Kings do what they please They Call their People to a Parliament where the three Estates are said to be the mixt Government
in that manner So that Cottington's business was quite perverted for whereas he came to complain of the wrongs his Lordship had received he was now driven to excuse the Error he had committed So that the Duke of Lerma left him in his old House a day or two to consider well of it and then the Conde de Salazar one of the King 's Major Domos was sent to accompany him to the Court These were the Glories of the Spanish entertainments the Honour they gave the English and the ground work of that Union betwixt the Nations whereon they built up some great formalities which like Royal shadows vanished in the end and came to nothing As the Lord Digby is sent into Spain to smooth the way over the Pyrene so Gage is sent to Rome to make the Alpes accessible for the Dispensation must be had from thence for the Marriage That Man of sin is the Primum mobile he turns about all inferiour Orbs at his pleasure usurping a Terrene Deity and holds it by the chains of conscience even now when the light of Learning and Knowledge with a marvelous influence shines over the Christian World At home the Prisons are set open Priests and Iesuits walk about at noon day to deceive And Gondemar vaunts of four thousand Recusants that his intercession had released either to make his service the more acceptable to his Master or to let him see how willing Our King is to do any thing to advance that Match that they never intend Who is not so nice but that he can stay for a Dispensation from Rome to expedite which he writes to some of the activest Cardinals there and receives answers from them by Gage his Agent full of alluring Hopes And that he might give some more publick Testimony of his indulgence He commands Dr. Williams Bishop of Lincoln then Lord Keeper of the great Seal of England to pass Writs under the great Seal to require the Iudges of every Circuit to enlarge all such Papists as were imprisoned for Recusancy Whereupon the Lord Keeper issued out these Writs and to let the Iudges see how well he was pleased with this command he Corroborates their Authority with this Letter signed with his own hand AFter my hearty commendations to you His Majesty having resolved out of deep reasons of State and in expectations of like Correspondence from foreign Princes to the Professors of our Religion to grant some Grace and Connivence to the imprisoned Papists of this Kingdom hath commanded me to pass some Writs under the broad Seal to that purpose Requiring the Judges of every Circuit to enlarge the said Prisoners according to the tenor and effect of the same I am to give you to understand from his Majesty how his Majestie 's Royal pleasure is that upon Receipt of these Writs you shall make no niceness or difficulty to extend that his Princely favour to all such Papists as you shall find prisoners in the Goals of your Circuits for any Church Recusancy whatsoever or refusing the Oath of Supremacy or dispersing Popish Books or hearing saying of Mass or any other point of Recusancy which doth touch or concern Religion only and not Matters of State And so I bid you farewel Your loving friend JO. LINCOLN Westminster Coll. 2 Aug. 1622. This Bishop succeeded the Lord Verulam not as Chancellor but Keeper of the great Seal he having been by Buckingham's means made Dean of Westminster and Bishop of Lincoln upon Neils remove to Durham and for a long time had very gracious acceptance with the Countess of Buckingham who was a great means to smooth his passage to all these places and the Marquess her Son was the rather induced to it because he was his creature and could mould him as he thought to serve his own turn though when he had sifted and tried him he found some Pharisaical leaven in him and afterwards in the next King's Reign threw him by For though he were composed of many grains of good Learning yet the Height of his Spirit I will not say Pride made him odious even to those that raised him happily because they could not attain to those Ends by him that they required of him For great and good Officers ought to be just to their own principles and not deviate from them for any wordly Respects William Arch-B of Canterbury Primate of all England etc. But that which heightned him most in the Opinion of those that knew him best was his bountiful Mind to Men in Want being a great Patron to support where there was Merit that wanted supply Among the rest Monsieur de Molin a very famous Minister of France in the persecution there driven into England for Refuge The Bishop hearing of him spoke to Doctor Hacket his Chaplain to make him a Visit from him And because saith he I think the Man may be in Want in a strange Country carry him some Money not naming the Sum because he would sound the depths of his Chaplain's mind Doctor Hacket finding the Bishop nominate no proportion told him he could not give him less than twenty pound I did demur upon the Sum said the Bishop to try you Is twenty pound a fit gift for me to give a man of his parts and deserts Take a hundred pounds and present it from me and tell him he shall not want and I will come shortly and visit him my self Which he after performed and made good his Promise in supplying him during his abode in England But these great Actions were not publickly visible those were more apparent that were looked on with an Envious rather than an Emulous Eye For the close and intimate Correspondence that was betwixt this Bishop and the old Countess set many scurrilous tongues and Pens a work though he was as I have been assured Eunuchus ad Utero which shews that nothing can prevent Malice but such an innocence as it cannot lay hold on For it hath ever been accounted a crime not to endeavour to prevent the voice of Calumny His breach with Land Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the disgraces put upon him by the Court will not fall in here nor his closing again and Strugling when he saw the Axe laid to the Root of Episcopacy But by this man's Actions as in a Mirror may be seen that a great Estate which besides his bounty his places procured him is a liquorish Temptation to make a Proteus-like vary from one shape to another and to shape no direct course but to go still as the wind blows Not long before this that Reverend Prelate George Arch-Bishop of Canterbury a man of a holy and unblamable life medling with edged Tools that he used not to handle in his Study by a sad accident killed a keeper with a forked arrow as he was shooting at a Dear This was a great perplexity to the good man and a heavy Knell to his Aged Spirit which he petitioned the King might ring a
Canterbury knowing that a Toleration was to be admitted though he stood tottering in the King's Favour and had the Badg of a Puritan clapt upon him thought it better to discharge his Conscience though he hazarded all rather than be silent in such a Cause where the Glory of God and the Good of the Kingdom were so higly concerned Therefore he writes this letter to the King May it please your Majesty I Have been too long silent and am afraid by my Silence I have neglected the Duty of the Place it hath pleased God to call me unto and your Majesty to place me in And now I humbly crave leave I may discharge my Conscience towards God and my Duty to your Majesty And therefore I beseech your Majesty give me leave freely to deliver my self and then let your Majesty do with me what you please Your Majesty hath propounded a Toleration of Religion I beseech you Sir take into your consideration what the Act is next what the consequence may be By your Act you labour to set up that most Damnable and Heretical Doctrine of the Church of Rome the Whore of Babylon How Hateful will it be to God and grievous unto your good Subjects the true Professors of the Gospel that your Majesty who hath often disputed and learnedly written against those wicked Heresies should now shew your self a Patron of those Doctrines which your Pen hath told the World and your Conscience tels your Self are Superstitious Idolatrous and Detestable Add hereunto what you have done in sending the Prince into Spain without the consent of your Council the Privity and Approbation of your People And though Sir you have a large Interest in the Prince as the Son of your Flesh yet hath the people a greater as the Son of the Kingdom upon whom next after your Majesty their Eyes are fixed and Welfare depends And so tenderly is his going apprehended as believe it Sir however his return may be safe yet the drawers of him to that Action so dangerous to himself to desperate to the Kingdom will not pass away unquestioned and unpunished Besides this Toleration which you endeavour to set up by Proclamation cannot be done without a Parliament unless your Majesty would let your Subjects see That you will take unto your self a liberty to throw down the Laws of the Land at your Pleasure What dreadful Consequence these things may draw after them I beseech your Majesty to consider And above all lest by this Toleration and discontinuance of the true profession of the Gospel whereby God hath blessed us and under which this Kingdom hath for many years flourished your Majesty do not draw upon the Kingdom in general and your Self in particular God's heavy Wrath and Indignation Thus in discharge of my Duty towards God to your Majesty and the place of my Calling I have taken humble Boldness to deliver my Conscience And now Sir do with me what you please Thus did our Solomon in his latter time though he had fought with the Beasts at Ephesus as one saith of him incline a little too much to the Beast Yet he made his tale so good to the Archbishop of Canterbury what reservations soever he had that he wrought upon the good old man afterwards in the Conclusion of the work to set his Hand as a Witness to the Articles And his desires were so heightned to the Heats of Spain which boyl'd him to such a Distemper that he would listen to nothing and almost yield to any thing rather than not to enjoy his own Humour Divers of his intimate Council affecting Popery were not slack to urge him to a Toleration and many Arguments were used inciting to it As that Catholicks were the King 's best and most peaceable Subjects the Puritans being the only Sticklers and the greatest Disturbers of the Royal peace trenching too boldly upon the Prerogative and striving to lessen the Kingly power But if the King had occasion to make use of the Catholicks he should find them more faithful to him than those that are ever contesting with him And why should not Catholicks with as much safety be permitted in England as the Protestants are in France That their Religion was full of Love and Charity where they could enjoy it with freedom and where Charity layes the Foundation the upper Building must needs be spiritual But these Arguments were answered and many reasons alledged against them proving the Nature of the Protestant Religion to be Compatible with the Nature of the Politick Laws of any State of what Religion soever Because it teacheth that the Government of any State whether Monarchial or Aristocratical is Supream within it self and not subordinate to any power without so that the Knot of Allegiance thereunto is so firmly tied that no Humane power can unloose or dissolve it Whereas on the contrary the Roman Religion acknowledging a Supremacy in another above that power which swayeth the State whereof they are Members must consequently hold that one stroke of that Supreme power is able to unsinew and cut in sunder all the Bonds which ty them to the Subordinate and Dependent Authority And therefore can ill accord with the Allegiance which Subjects owe to a Prince of their own Religion which makes Papists intolerable in a Protestant Common-wealth For what Faith can a Prince or People expect from them whose Tenet is That no Faith is to be held with Hereticks That the Protestants in France had merited better there than the Papists had done in England the one by their Loyalties to their lawful King having ransomed that Kingdom with their Bloods in the Pangs of her desperate Agonies from the Yoak of an Usurper within and the Tyranny of a Forain Scepter without The other seeking to write their Disloyalties in the Heart-Blood of the Princes and best Subjects of this Kingdom That the Number and Quality of the Professors of these different Religions in either Kingdom is to be observed For in France the Number of the Protestants were so great that a Toleration did not make them but found them a Considerable Party so strong as they could not have been suppressed without endangering the Kingdom But a Toleration in England would not find but form the Papists to be a considerable party witness their encrease by this late Connivency a thing which ought mainly to be avoided For the distraction of a State into several powerfull parties is alwaies weakning and often proveth the utter ruine thereof These thing were laid open to the King but all were waved by the King of Spain's Offering His engagement to the Pope by oath That he and the Prince his son should observe and keep the Articles stipulated betwixt them did exceedingly affect him And the Articles now coming to close up all they were ingrossed with a long preamble Declaring to all the World the much desired Union betwixt him and the King of Spain by the marriage of his son to
of some of these Particulars they insisted upon the Bishops power of Confirmation which they would have every Minister capable of in his own Parish They disputed against the Cross in Baptism the Ring in Marriage the Surplice the Oath ex officio and other things that stuck with them which they hoped to get all purged away because the King was of a Northern constitution where no such things were practised not yet having felt the Kings pulse whom the Southern Air of the Bishops breaths had so wrought upon that He himself answers most of their Demands Sometimes gently applying Lenitives where he found Ingenuity for he was Learned and Eloquent other times Corrosives telling them these Oppositions proceeded more from stubborness in Opinion than tenderness of Conscience and so betwixt his Arguments and Kingly Authority menaced them to a Conformity which proved a way of Silencing them for the present and some of them were content to acquiesce for the future and the King managed this Discourse with such power which they expected not from him and therefore more danted at That Whitgift Arch. Bishop of Canterbury though a holy grave and pious man highly pleased with it with a sugred bait which Princes are apt enough to swallow said He was verily perswaded that the King spake by the Spirit of God This Conference was on the fourteenth of Ianuary and this good man expired the nine and twentieth of February following in David's fulness of days leaving a Name like a sweet perfume behind him And Bancroft a sturdy piece succeeded him but not with the same Spirit for what Whitgift strove to do by Sweetness and Gentleness Bancroft did persevere in with Rigour and Severity Thus the Bishops having gotten the Victory strove to maintain it and though not on the suddain yet by degrees they press so hard upon the Non-conformists whom they held under the yoke of a Law that many of them are forced to seek Foreign Refuge They prevailed not only for themselves here but by their means not long after the King looked back into Scotland and put the Keys there again into the Bishops hands unlocking the passage to the enjoyment of their Temporal Estates which swel'd them so high that in his Sons time the Women of Scotland pulled them out of their tottering seats On the other side the late Conspiracy of Cobham and Grey had so chilled the Kings blood that he begins to take notice of the swarms of Priests that flockt into the Kingdom For though the Conspirators were of several Religions yet in their correspondence with Foreign Princes Religion was the pretence For in every alteration of Kingdoms few are so modest but they will throw in the Hook of their vain Hopes thinking to get something in the troubled Stream The Iesuits were not slack coming with the Seal of the Fisher in spreading their Nets but a Proclamation broke through them The King being contented to let them alone till they came too near him willing to comply rather than exasperate the safety of his own person made him look to the safety of Religion and to secure both He found this the best Remedy Declaring to all the World the cause of this Restriction VINVIT QVI PATITVR OBIIT ANNO AETATIS SVAE 73 Having after some time spent in setling the Politick affairs of this Realm of late bestowed no small labour in composing certain Differences We found among Our Clergy about Rites and Ceremonies heretofore established in this Church of England and reduced the same to such an order and form as We doubt not but every spirit that is led only with piety and not with humour should be therein satisfied It appeared unto Us in debating these Matters that a greater Contagion to Our Religion than could proceed from these light differences was eminent by persons common Enemies to them both namely the great numbers of Priests both Seminaries and Iesuits abounding in this Realm as well of such as were here before Our coming to the Crown as of such as have resorted hither since using their Functions and Professions with greater liberty than heretofore they durst have done partly upon a vain confidence of some Innovation in matters of Religion to be done by Us which We never intended nor gave any man cause to suspect and partly from the assurance of Our general Pardon granted according to the Custom of Our Progenitors at Our Coronation for offences past in the days of the late Queen which Pardon 's many of the said Priests have procured under Our Great Seal and holding themselves thereby free from danger of the Laws do with great audacity exercise all offices of their Profession both saying Masses and perswading Our Subjects from the Religion established reconciling them to the Church of Rome and by consequence seducing them from their Duty and Obedience to Us. Wherefore We hold Our self obliged both in Consequence and Wisdom to use all good means to keep Our Subjects from being affected with superstitious Opinions which are not only pernicious to their own souls but the ready way to corrupt their Duty and Allegiance which cannot be any way so safely performed as by keeping from them the Instruments of that infection which are Priests of all sorts ordained in Foreign parts by Authority prohibited by the Laws of the Land concerning whom therefore We have thought fit to publish to all Our Subjects this open Declaration of Our pleasure c. Willing and Commanding all manner of Iesuits Seminaries and other Priests whatsoever having Ordination from any Authority by the Laws of this Realm prohibited to take notice that Our pleasure is that they do before the nineteenth of March next depart forth of Our Realm and Dominions And to that purpose it shall be lawful for all Officers of Our Ports to suffer the said Priests to depart into Foreign parts between this and said nineteenth day of March Admonishing and assuring all such Iesuits Seminaries and Priests of what sort soever that if any of them after the said time shall be taken within this Realm or any of Our Dominions or departing now upon this Our pleasure signified shall hereafter return into this Our Realm or any of Our Dominions again they shall be left to the penalty of the Laws here being in force concerning them without hope of any favour or remission from Us c. Which though perhaps it may appear to some a great severity towards that sort of Our Subjects yet doubt We not when it shall be considered with indifferent judgment what cause hath moved Us to use this Providence all men will justifie Us therein For to whom is it unknown into what peril Our Person was like to be drawn and Our Realm unto Confusion not many Months since by Conspiracy First conceived by persons of that sort Which when other Princes shall duly observe We assure Our selves they will no way conceive that this alteration proceedeth from any change of disposition but out of
easily committed and concealed It is an offence that is Tanquam sagitta nocte volans it is the Arrow that flies by night it discerns not whom it hits for many times the poyson is laid for one and another takes it As in Sanders case where the poysoned Apple was laid for the Mother and the Child eat it And so in that notorious Case whereupon the Statute of 22 Hen. 8. cap. 9. was made where the intent being but to poyson one or two poyson was put in a little Vessel of Barm that stood in the Kitchen at the Bishop of Rochesters house of which Barm Pottage or Grewel was made wherewith seventeen of the Bishops Family were poysoned nay divers of the poor that came to the Bishops-gate and had the Pottage in Alms were likewise poysoned Here is great talk of Impoysonment I hope I am safe I have no enemies nor any thing men can long for that is all one for he may sit at the Table by one for whom poyson is prepared and have a drench of his Cup or of his Pottage and so as the Poet saith Concidit infelix alieno vulnere he may die another mans death and therefore it was most gravely judiciously and properly provided by that Statute that Impoysonment should be High-Treason because whatsoever offence tendeth to the utter subversion and dissolution of Human Society is in the nature of High-Treason But it is an offence that I may truly say of it Non est nostri generis nec sanguinis It is thanks be to God rare in the Isle of Britain It is neither of our Country nor of our Church You may find it in Rome and Italy there is a Religion for it if it should come among us it were better living in a Wilderness than in a Court. For the particular fact upon Overbury I knew the Gentleman it is true his mind was great but it moved not in any great good order yet certainly it did commonly fly at good things and the greatest fault that ever I heard by him was That he made his Friend his Idol But take him as he was the Kings Prisoner in the Tower and then see how the Case stands In that place the State is as it were a Respondent to make good the Body of the Prisoner and if any thing happen to him there it may though not in this Case yet in some others make an aspersion and reflexion upon the State it self For the person is utterly void of his own defence his own care and providence can serve him to nothing He is in the custody and preservation of Law and we have a Maxim in our Law that when a State is in preservation of Law nothing can destroy it or hurt it and God forbid but the like should be in Persons and therefore this was a circumstance of great aggravation Lastly To have a man chased to death in a manner as it appears now by matter of Record for other privacy of Cause I know not by poyson after poyson First Rosaker then Arsnick then Mercury sublimate then sublimate again it is a thing would astonish mans nature to hear it The Poets feign that the Furies had Whips and that they were corded with poysoned Snakes and a man would think that this subject were the very Case To have a man tied to a post and to scourge him to death with Serpents for so truly may diversity of poysons be termed It pleased my Lord Chief Justice to let me know that which I heard with great comfort which was the charge that his Majesty gave to himself and the rest of the Commissioners in this Case worthy to be written in Letters of Gold That the business should be carried without touch to any that was innocent not only without impeachment but without aspersion which was a most Noble and Princely caution for mens Reputations are tender things and ought to be like Christs Coat without seam And it was more to be respected in this Case because it met with two great Persons A Nobleman that his Majesty had favoured and advanced and his Lady being of a great and Honourable House though I think it be true that the Writers say that there is no Pomegranate so fair or so sound but may have a perished Kernel Nay I see plainly in those excellent Papers of his Majesties own hand-writing as so many beams of Iustice issuing from that Vertue which so much doth shine in him the business so evenly carried without prejudice whether it were a true Accusation on the one part or a practice or false Accusation on the other as shewed plainly that his Majesties judgment was Tanquam tabula rasa as a clean pair of Tables and his ears Tanquam janua aperta as a gate not side open but wide open to the Truth as it should be discovered And I may truly affirm that there was never in this Kingdom nor in any other the blood of a private Gentleman vindicated Cum tanto motu Regni or to say better Cum tanto plausu Regni If it had concerned the King or Prince there could not have been greater or better Commissioners The term hath been almost turned into a Iustium or Vacancy the people being more willing to be lookers on in this business than proceeders in their own There hath been no care of discovery omitted no moment of time lost and therefore I will conclude with the saying of Solomon this part of my Speech Gloria Deicelare rem and gloria Regis scrutari rem It is the glory of God to conceal a thing and it is the glory of the King to find it out And his Majesties honor is the greater for that he shewed to the World this business as it hath relation to my Lord of Somerset whose Case in no sort I do fore-judg being ignorant of the secrets of the cause but take him as the Law takes him hitherto for a suspect I say the King hath to his great honor shewed That were any man in such a case of blood as the Signet of his right-hand as the Scripture saith he would put him off Now will I come to the particular Charge of these Gentlemen And first I will by way of Narrative relate the Fact with the occasion of it This wretched man Weston who was the Actor or Mechanical party in this Impoysonment the first day being indicted by a very substantial Iury of selected Citizens to the number of nineteen who found Billa vera yet nevertheless at the first stood mute But after some days intermission it pleased God to cast out the Dumb Devil and he put himself upon his Trial and was by a Iury of great value upon his own Confessions and other testimonies found guilty So as thirty and one sufficient Iurors have past upon him and he had also his Judgment and Execution awarded After this being in preparation for another World he sent for Sir Overbury's Father and falling down upon his knees with great remorse
teach us how to steer our brittle Bark in this Worlds Tempest that we bear not too much sail but keep a moderate and even course betwixt the rocks of pride and shallows of contempt both which are equally dangerous Our King dedicated this Summer to the Northern Climate it is now fourteen years Revolution since the beams of Majesty appeared in Scotland He begins his Journey with the Spring warming the Country as he went with the Glories of the Court Taking such Recreations by the way as might best beguile the days and cut them shorter but lengthen the nights contrary to the Seasons For what with Hawking Hunting and Horse-racing the days quickly ran away and the nights with Feasting Masking and Dancing were the more extended And the King had fit Instruments for these Sports about his Person as Sir George Goring Sir Edward Zouch Sir Iohn Finnit and others that could fit and obtemperate the Kings Humour For he loved such Representations and Disguises in their Maskaradoeâ— as were witty and sudden the more ridiculous the more pleasant Edward Somerset Earl of Worcester But among all the Dances that these Times were guilty of none of the Maskaradoes presented so horrid a Vizard as the Churchmans For some of the Bishops pretending Recreations and liberty to servants and the common people of which they carved to themselves too much already procured the King to put out a Book to permit dancing about May-poles Church-ales and such debauched Exercises upon the Sabbath day after Evening Prayer being a specious way to make the King and them acceptable to the Rout which Book came out with a command injoyning all Ministers to read it to their Parishioners and to approve of it and those that did not were brought into the High Commission imprisoned and suspended This Book being only a trap to catch some conscientious men that they could not otherwise with all their cunning insnare For they would preach the Gospel in a Fools-coat as some of them exprest rather than be silenced for a Surplis And their Conjuring of them with the Cross in Baptism and the Circle of the Ring in Marriage could not make a well-composed Reason and a sound Conscience then start at it But when so frightful an Apparition as the dancing Book appeared some of the Ministers left all for fear others by force they were so terrified with it These and such like Machinations of the Bishops to maintain their Temporal Greatness Ease and Plenty made the stones in the Walls of their Palaces and the beam in the timber afterwards cry out moulder away and come to nothing Whereas if those in most Authority had not been so pragmatical but holy prudent and godly men as some others of the Function were their light might have shined still upon the Mount and not have gone out as it did offensive to the nostrils of the rubbish of the people The King in his return from Scotland made his Progress through the Hunting-countries his Hounds and Hunters meeting him Sherwood-Forrest Need wood and all the Parks and Forrests in his way were ransacked for his Recreation And every night begat a new day of delight till he brought Holyrood-day not Holyrood-house to White-hall This new incroachment upon the Sabbath gave both King and people more liberty to prophane the day with authority For if the Court were to remove on Monday the Kings Carriages must go out the day before All times were alike and the Court being to remove to Theobalds the next day the Carriages went through the City of London on the Sabbath with a great deal of clatter and noise in the time of Divine service The Lord Mayor hearing of it commanded them to be stopt and this carried the Officers of the Carriages with a great deal of violence to the Court and the business being presented to the King with as much asperity as men in authority crossed in their humors could express it It put the King into a great Rage Swearing he thought there had been no more Kings in England but himself yet after he was a little cooled he sent a Warrant to the Lord Mayor commanding him to let them pass which he obeyed with this Answer while it was in my power I did my duty but that being taken away by a higher power it is my duty to obey Which the King upon second thoughts took well and thanked him for it As Prophaneness crept in on one side so did Idolatry and Superstition on the other for there was more enmity against Ministers of the Gospel than Popish Priests they swarmed over the Kingdom working miraculous Projects in every corner One pack of them got into Stafford-shire among some of the Giffords in that County Gentlemen of good Estates where they practised their Artifices to seduce the people There must be a Ground-work Estates to keep them being like the Gout never troubling the poor and then there must be materials Correspondents to act for them Holiness and Piety must be confirmed by Miracle and these Miracles must be visible to the Peoples eyes that they may convey belief better to the heart If the Priests be holy and can subdue Satan the Religion they profess must be heavenly that triumphs over principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness bringing all to obedience These are finesses and subtilties of Mastring Wits calling them Piae Fraudes godly deceits Worms to bring Fish to the Net and this kind of frippery they are ever fraught with For about this time there was a Boy born at Bilson in that County whose father mother neighbours and many other people with admiration did absolutely think possest with a Devil for he had strange sudden violent distorting fits that appeared to all the beholders contrary to Nature and being not full fifteen years old it could not be imagined that any thing of Impostory could result from him and therefore the same of it was the more remarkable The Iesuits that are the best Physicians in such Distempers hearing of it visited the Boy prayed by him and used such other Charms and Exorcisms as are fit to make them to be admired giving his Parents good hope of dispossessing him of that foul spirit by which might palpably be discerned how much Gods power was exprest in their weakness and difference the truth and holiness betwixt the Catholick Religion and the Heresie professed among Protestants So that they that heard them as many resorted to the place must needs take them for very holy men by whom such Wonders were to be accomplished The Iesuits visited him often sometimes in private sometimes in Company but this kind of Spirit would not be commanded by them so that they grew almost desperate of the Cure The Boy in his fits would rave against an old woman dwelling near to his Father intimating by signs and ghastly behaviour that she had sent a Spirit to torment him and in plain terms when he was out of his fits
these Times young Dorothy the eldest Daugâ—teâ— married Robert Viscount Lisle after the death of his Father Eâ—â—l of Leicester by whom he had a numerous Issue like Clive branches aâ—out his Table The younger Daughter Lucy a Lady of â—â—â—ompâ—rable Beauty solemnized in the Poâ—â—s oâ—â—he most exquiâ—â—e Witsâ—f â—f her time married the Lord Hayes now made Viâ—count Doncaster against hâ—r Father's will â—ho aimed at higher â—xtractiâ—â—â— during his Imprisonment which the old Earâ—'s stubborn spirit not brooking would never give hâ—r any thing And Doncaster whose affection was abâ—ve money â—etting only a valuationâ—pon â—pon his much-admired Bride strove to make himselâ— meritorious and prevailed so with the King for his Fâ—ther-in 〈◊〉 that he got his Release But the old Earl would hâ—rdly be drawn to take a Release from his hand so that when he had liberty he restrained himself and with much importunity was wrought upon by such as knew the distempers of his body might best qualifie those of his mind peâ—â—uading him â—oâ—â—ome indisposition to make a journey to the Bath â—hich was one special motive to accept of his Son-in-laâ—'s respects HONORATISSâ—â—â—â— Dê° HENRICVS PERCEY COMâ—â—â—â— NORTHVMBERIANâ—… If Art could shewe the Spirit in the Face And in dead Sines expresse a Liuing Grace You might though wanting an Inscription sweare That this the shadowe of a PERCY were For when the Noblest Romane worthies Liud Though greater Fame their Fortunes have atcheiud No brauer Spiritts did in ROME command Then were the PERCYS of NORTHVMBERIAND But now War breaks in upon us following that blazing Fore-runner the House of Austria like Pyrrhus and Lysander extending their Dominions no further than the Sword could reach having long seat hered their Nests with the Eagles plumes grew formidable to the Princes and States of Germany And because they found the Popes had shrewdly plumed some of their Predecessors till they had wrested most parts of Italy from the Empire they were content to maintain their Grandure by the Popes power and to ingratiate themselves the more became great Persecutors of the Reformed Religion A little before this time Ferdinand Uncles Son to Matthias the Emperor was Crowned King of Bohemia with this Reservation that he should not exercise the Power of a King as long as the old Emperor lived This kind of Crowning of Kings one in the life of another was the great Chain that link by link held the Empire and the two Kingdoms of Hungaria and Bohemia together in the Austrian Family so that the State of either Kingdom could not or durst not put forth their Strength to shake them asunder The Emperor kept his Court at Vienna King Ferdinand at Gretz in Stiria so that the Government of Bohemia rested in such Counsellors as the Emperor Matthias left there for the management of Publick Affairs These Counsellors and Ministers with the Archbishop of Prague broke out about this time not only to demolish the Protestant Churches but by the help of the Iesuits their bitter Enemies strove to undermine the Religion it self The Protestant States and Nobles of the Country summoning an Assembly to redress their Grievances were opposed by some of them Emperor's Ministers of State the very day of their meeting which exasperated them to such a height of Passion being backt by some Forces they brought with them for their Security that they threw Slabata the Emperor's chief Justice Smesansius one of the Council of State and Fabricius a pragmatical Secretary from a high Window in the Castle down into the Court though some of them took little hurt and lived as reports go to this time This rash Action the Bohemians strive to palliate by Apologies to the Emperor but withal strengthned themselves making Leavies both of Horse and Foot the better to secure their own Peace and banishing those Firebrands the Iesuits out of Prague whose malicious and distemper'd Zeal first kindled the Flame The Emperor hearing of these mischiefs raises an Army under the command of Count Bucquoy and the Protestant States finding the Emperor exasperated raise two Armies one commanded by Count Thurne the other by Count Mansfeldt some bickrings past betwixt the Imperial Army and the Bohemians some Towns taken on both sides and in the heat of this stir the old Emperor dies Ferdinand King of Hungary and Bohemia and adopted heir of old Matthias meeting after summons at Frankford with the three Electors of Mentz Collen and Trevers and only with the Representatives of the other three Electors The Church carried it for him and he was chosen King of the Romans The States of Bohemia disclaimed the election as invalid because he could not be an Elector himself as King of Bohemia for that he had never been actually in possession of the Crown And though their dissent could not lessen Ferdinand's Election to the Empire yet they protested by oath never to acknowledge him for their King These eruptions made a noise all over Christendom and most knowing men looked on this heavenly Torch the late Comet as fit fuel to give fire to such a train Our King fearing the clap would fall heavy upon the Protestant party sent the Viscount Doncaster extraordinary Ambassador to mediate a Reconciliation betwixt the Emperor and the Bohemians But the asperity and bitterness was too great to find an allay by his sweet and candid Complements being sitter for the bosoms of Lovers than the armed breasts of Uprores and Tumults LOTHARIVS PAR LA GRACE DE DIEV ARCHEVESQVE DE TREVES B. Moucorneâ— excudit Our King that looked upon his own condition through the Optique of the peoples mutable and unstable affection would by no means countenance such a Precedent as should give them power to dispose of an established Royal dignity at their pleasure and upon every change of humor for so he might shake his own foundation which made the Barons addresses crude and nauseous to his Appetite till time had a little digested them And then he dispatched two Ambassadors into Bohemia One was Sir Richard Weston who was afterwards Lord high Treasurer of England and left to his posterity the Earldom of Portland a man of a haughty spirit yet knew how by suppling it to make his way to the height he arrived at For his Religion gave place to his Policy and mounted him till he became one of the great grievances of the Kingdom The other was Sir Edward Conwey a man of a grosser temper bred a Soldier being Governor of Bril when England gave over her interest in the cautionary Towns who was after made a Viscount and Secretary of State a rough impollished peice for such an imployment But the King that wanted not his Abilities would often make himself merry with his imperfect scrouls in writing and hacking expressions in reading so that he would break into laughter and say in a facetious way Had ever man such a Secretary that can neither Write nor Read These two were suited for the imployment happily upon
The strange Confederacy of the Princes of the Popish Religion aiming mainly at the advancement of theirs and subverting Ours and taking the advantages conducing to that End upon all Occasions 6. The great and many Armies raised and maintained at the charge of the King of Spain the chief of that League 7. The expectation of the Popish Recusants of the Match with Spain and feeding themselves with great hopes of the consequences thereof 8. The interposing of Foreign Princes and their Agents in the behalf of Popish Recusants for connivence and favour unto them 9. Their open and usual Resort to the Houses and which is worse to the Chappels of Foreign Ambassadors 10. Their more than usual concourse to the City and their frequent Conventicles and Conferences there 11. The education of their Children in many several Seminaries and Houses of their Religion in Foreign parts appropriated only to the English Fugitives 12. The Grants of their just forfeitures intended by your Majesty as a reward of service to the Grantees but beyond your Majesties intention transferred or compounded for at such mean rates as will amount to little less than a Toleration 13. The licentious printing and dispersing of Popish and seditious Books even in the time of Parliament 14. The Swarms of Priests and Jesuits the common Incendiaries of all Christendom dispersed in all parts of your Kingdom And from these Causes as bitter Roots we humbly offer to your Majesty that we foresee and fear there will necessarily follow very dangerous effects both to Church and State For 1. The Popish Religion is incompatible with Ours in respect of their Positions 2. It draweth with it an unavoidable Dependency on foreign Princes 3. It openeth too wide a Gap for Popularity to any who shall draw too great a Party 4. It hath a restless Spirit and will strive by these Gradations if it once get but a Connivence it will press for a Toleration if that should be obtained they must have an equality from thence they will aspire to Superiority And will never rest till they get a Subversion of the true Religion The Remedies against these growing Evils which in all humbleness we offer to your most excellent Majesty are these 1. That seeing this inevitable Necessity is faln upon your Majesty which no wisdom or providence of a peaceable and pious King can avoid your Majesty would not omit this just occasion speedily and effectually to take your Sword into your hand 2. That once undertaken upon so Honourable and just grounds your Majesty would resolve to persue and more publickly avow the aiding of those of our Religion in foreign parts which doubtless would reunite the Princes and States of the Union by these disasters disheartned and disbanded 3. That your Majesty would propose to your self to manage this War with the best advantage by a Diversion or otherwise as in your deep judgment shall be found fittest and not to rest upon a War in these parts only which will consume your Treasure and discourage your people 4. That the bent of this War and point of your Sword may be against that Prince whatsoever Opinion of Potency he hath whose Armies and Treasures have first diverted and since maintained the War in the Palatinate 5. That for securing of our peace at home your Majesty will be pleased to review the parts of our Petition formerly delivered unto your Majesty and hereunto annexed and to put it in execution by the care of choice Commissioners to be there unto especially appointed the Laws already and hereafter to be made for preventing of Dangers by Popish Recusants and their wonted evasions 6. That to frustrate their hopes for a future Age our most Noble Prince may be timely and happily married to one of our own Religion 7. That the Children of the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom and of others ill affected and suspected in their Religion now beyond the Seas may be forthwith called home by your means and at the charge of their Parents or Governours 8. That the Children of Popish Recusants or such whose wives are Popish Recusants be brought up during their minority with Protestant Schoolmasters and Teachers who may sow in their tender years the seeds of true Religion 9. That your Majesty will be pleased speedily to revoke all former Licences for such Children and youth to travel beyond the Seas and not grant any such licence hereafter 10. That your Majesties learned Councel may receive commandment from your Highness carefully to look into former Grants of Recusants lands and to avoid them if by Law they can and that your Majesty will stay your hand from passing any such Grants hereafter This is the sum and effect of our Humble Declaration which we no ways intending to press upon your Majesties undoubted and Regal Prerogative do with the fulness of our Duty and Obedience humbly submit to your most Princely consideration the Glory of God whose Cause it is the Zeal of our true Religion in which we have been born and wherein by God's grace we are resolved to die the safety of your Majesties person who is the very life of your people the happiness of your Children and Posterity the Honour and good of the Church and State dearer unto us then our own lives having kindled these Affections truly devoted to your Majesty And seeing out of our Duty to your Majesty we have already resolved to give at the end of this Session one entire Subsidy for the present relief of the Palatinate only to be paid in the end of February next which cannot well be effected but by passing a Bill in a Parliamentary course before Christmas We most humbly beseech your Majesty as our assured hope is that you will then also vouchsafe to give life by your Royal assent to such Bills as before that time shall be prepared for your Majesties Honour and the general good of your People And that such Bills may be also accompanied as hath been accustomed with your Majestie 's gracious Pardon which proceeding from your own meer Grace may by your Highness direction be drawn to that latitude and extent as may best sort with your Majesties Bounty and Goodness And that not only Fellons and criminal offenders may take benefit thereof but that your good Subjects may receive ease thereby And if it shall so stand with your good pleasure that it may extend to the relief of the old Debts and Duties to the Crown before the first year of your Majesties raign to the discharge of Alienations without licence and misusing of Liveries and Oustre le main before the first summons of this Parliament and of concealed Wardships and not suing of Liveries and Oustre le mains before the twelfth year of your Majesties Reign Which gracious favour would much comfort your good Subjects and ease them from Vexation with little loss or prejudice to your own profit And we by our daily and devout prayers to the Almighty the great King of
Kings shall contend for a blessing upon our endeavours and for your Majesties long and happy Reign over Us And for your Childrens children after you for many and many Generations The King hearing that the House of Commons were hammering upon this Remonstrance went to Newmarket a cold and bleak Air in as cold and bleak a season pretending his Health but indeed to be further from the sound of that noise which perpetually possessed his Ears of the discontent of the Commons for the intended Match with Spain And as the Business grew up he had intimation of it from his creatures in the House for it vext his Popish Secretary Sir George Calvert Weston and others to find the House so bitter against their Profession though they were cunning Underminers and put on a smooth face there yet they aggravated the matter to the King with all the Acrimony they could so far as to reflect upon particular persons that were the most Active instruments in it And what is there in this Remonstrance at such a time when the Protestant Religion was in danger of being extirpated that put on so horrid a Vizard as to affright or exasperate the King The Emperor had prevailed in Germany the Protestant Princes either subdued or acquiesced and laid down their necks to the Yoak The Protestants were persecuted in France besieged and ruined by the youthful fury of Lewis the 13. And notwithstanding Our King's solicitations by Sir Edward Herbert since Baron of Cherbery his Resident Ambassador there who after his conflict with Luynes the youthful Constable of France and Favourite to that King being sent for home the Viscount Doncaster was sent again into France upon one of his mediating imployments who also followed that King from Camp to City and from City to Camp with as little success this being no journey of Bravery for it almost cost him his life there by a tedious sickness Rochel and Montaban were besieged at one time this very year Rochel by the Count of Soissons and the Duke of Guise and Montaban by the King a great distance one from another but Doncaster could prevail for neither yet the French King did not do his work When man hath vented all his malice he can go no further than the line God hath set him One sad story intervenes which had a various Countenance mixt with Bravery and Baseness so that it was doubtful which was most prevalent One Hicks an English-man undertook to carry a Letter from Rochel to Montaban through both Armies to let them know the good State and Condition of the Rochellers were in maugre the fury and violence of their Enemies that those of Montaban might be encouraged to hold out against the King's assaults Hicks makes a clear passage through the Army before Rochell and came to Thoulouse where the Viscount Doncaster was there he consorted with the English insinuating with a young Gentlemen one Fairfax of that noble Family in York-shire who was for that journey one of the Lord Ambassador's Train and Hicks finding him willing being a young and gallant Spirit to see the Kings Leagure at Montaban they rode thither together and under the notion of being of the Ambassador's retinue they had free admittance to view all the Works and Avenues Hicks whose eye was fixt upon his opportunity to fly into the Town made use of Fairfax to take his advantage with the least Suspicion and in the instant of time puts Spurs to his Horse and got into the Town through a Shower of Bullets leaving Fairfax astonish'd at the attempt to be wrackt and tormented to death as he was by the French fury to confess what he never knew so that Hicks his Braveâ—y deserves a Brand of Infamy and Fairfax his Innocency a memorial of pity A noble Spirit must not dare to do a gallant action an unworthy way UIUA EFFIGIES GENEROS I s siMI GULIELMI FAIRFAX PREFECTI To Frankenthal when seige Cordoua loyde Soe â—as our Britishe King craft ouerknau'd By Gondomeâ— as in it Martix made This honorable Cadet 3 and soe stau'd Of all reâ—reuts that Burroughs there comander Our glorious Burrougâ—s was compell'd to render THOVLOVSE But when this Remonstrance was brought to perfection the King had a Copy of it before the House had time to send their Messengers with it in which something so highly displeased him that he instantly dispatched a Letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons to forbid the sending of it To Our Trusty and Wellbeloved Sir Thomas Richardson Knight Speaker of the House of Commons Mr. Speaker WE have heard by divers Reports to our great grief that Our distance from the Houses of Parliament caused by Our indisposition of health hath imboldned some fiery and Popular Spirits of some of the House of Commons to argue and debate publickly of Matters far above their reach and capacity tending to Our high dishonour and breach of Prerogative Royal. These are therefore to command you to make known in Our Name unto the House that none therein shall presume henceforth to meddle with any thing concerning Our Government or deep Matters of State and namely not to deal with our dearest Son's Match with the Daughter of Spain nor to touch the Honour of that King or any other our Friends or Confederates And also not to meddle with any mans particulars which have their due motion in our ordinary Courts of Justice And whereas we hear they have sent a Message to Sir Edwin Sandis to know the Reasons of his late restraint you shall in Our Name resolve them that it was not for any misdemeanor 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 We think Our self very free and able to punish any man's misdemeanors in Parliament as well during their sitting as after which we mean not to spare hereafter upon any occasion of any man's insolent Behaviour there that shall be ministred unto Us. And if they have already touched any of these points which We have here forbidden in any Petition of theirs which is to be sent unto Us it is our pleasure that you shall tell them that except they reform it before it come to our hands We will not deign the hearing nor answering of it This was the effect of the Letter Dated at Newmarket Decem. 3. 1621. When the House had duly and weightily considered the just Reasons they had to draw up this Remonstrance in discharge of their Consciences and duties to God and the King and found how fruitless their labours were Having as it were cast out one Anchor in a tempestuous season which would take no hold they were forced to cast out another that both together might better fasten on the King 's good affections Therefore they framed this following Petition and sent the Remonstrance with it hoping yet to save the beaten Bark of the
Pyrenes had bounded it towards Spain And the French Activity being loath to be cooped up thought it better to endure a little inconvenience at home than so much prejudice abroad and therefore to oppose Him they closed with the Protestants And what was it brought them in Obedience The re-edifying of their ruined Temples the restoring and maintaining their banished Ministers and Security in their Religion and Consciences So that it was not their Rebellion that was cause of the War but the War made against their Religion caused it to be called a Rebellion Thus when all other means failed their worst enemies though much against their wills proved to be their best Friends But to return to the Spanish Treaty all this while in Agitation As soon as the Articles Our King had sealed and sworn to observe were come into Spain and the Prince had ratified and comfirmed them and had sworn to another Article there wherein he ties up his own hands and gave leave to Satan and all his complices to buffet him which was To permit at all times that any should freely propose to him the Arguments of the Catholick Religion without giving any impediment and that he would never directly nor indirectly permit any to speak to the Infanta against the same the two Kingdoms of England and Spain as it were shook hands to the Agreement Preparations were made in England to entertain the Infanta a new Church built up at Saint Iames the Prince's house the Foundation stone with much Ceremony laid by Don Carlos a Coloma the Spanish Ambassadour for the publick exercise of her Religion Her very Shadows are courted in every Corner Painters being set a work to take the Height and Dimensions of this new Star that was to rise in the North before it appeared Such as hoped to flourish by her influence grew up to exuberancy what would they do then when they found the effects of it Why be drowned in their own redundancy For the Moderate Spirit did foresee what bad Omens this Apparition did threaten On the other side in Spain the Substance is as much courted as the Shadow is here with the Title of Princess of England her Maiden Restraints are taken off and she may come abroad to publick Meetings where now their Eyes may prattle loving Stories though the great Courtier Olivares gave it no better Title than The Prince watches the Infanta as a Cat doth a Mouse too gross 〈◊〉 Expression for a Master of those Ceremonies And in fine there was such an Union betwixt the two Crowns that it might well be said Philip and Iacob made one Holy-day But this closing betwixt England and Spain made the breach the wider in the House of the Palatine the Restitution of the Palatinate and the Electorate to the Queen of Bohemia and her Children being waved in the Treaty and a great sum of Money proposed as a Dowry which was also lessen'd after the first Proposition and some part of it promised to be sent with Her in Iewels which as one said might be Counterfeit as the rest of their Actions yet Our King accepted of all so eager was He and greedy of the Match that no Obstacle could stand in his way which he did not remove But there was some under-hand promise that the Infanta among the Courte-Complements should work that feat in presenting the Restorative of that Dignity and Country for a break-fast to ingratiate her Self with the Prince her Husband and as a pawn of her good Will and Affection to the English Nation And these Promises with the Spanish stamp were taken in England for current Payment so that all things tended to a Conclusion But time in Spain came too swift upon them they were willing the Infanta should winter there but knew not well how to delay the Prince longer And as they were in this plunge ruminating upon and striving to find out some new Remora to help them Pope Gregory the fifteenth that had granted the Dispensation dies and then their Subtilties flew upon that accident to make-the Dispensation invalid yet with a Reserve to keep up our Prince's Spirit that it should be no hinderance to the Match for the new Pope would instantly do it if not it should be dispatched by the Dean of the Cardinals and the King of Spain assured the Prince That if he would stay till Christmas the Marriage should be really celebrated then These delayes coming one on the neck of another and the Duke of Buckingham having taken some disgust 〈◊〉 Spain presented all things to our King in the worst habit he could put upon them For there had been some jarrs betwixt him and Olivares Two great Favourites though of different Kingdoms could not well squat in one form Olivares hunted Buckingham so close that he had almost caught him in his own Burrow but instead of his Game he incountered some Vermin which darkness could not distinguish who bit him shreudly and whether it were by this Common Hunt I know not but I am sure it was by the Common-Cry that he was so displeased with the Spanish for it that he afterwards much inclined to the French I acknowledge the Gravity and Dignity of History should not appear in such Metaphorical Habiliments but that we now live in an Age where Truth is forced to shroud her self in such Attire lest she should have imprinted on her face a Mark of Malice against Greatness which if it be not ballanced with Goodness and Piety is but an empty and frothy Title But it was said this Tetrical Humour made Buckingham dislike all the Spanish proceedings and just in the nick when it was on him the Queen of Bohemia by a private message gave him some intimation that She and her Children were to be thought on inviting him to be a Witnesse to the Christning of one of them which came fit to his acceptation not so much out of affection to the one Party as in opposition to the other And what disrelished with him gave an ill Savour to Our King who having cause enough to dislike the Spanish delates and finding the Hearts of the People bent against the Match and some neer him as the Duke of Lenox made Duke of Richmond when Buckingham had his Title that the Scots might still precede the English and the Marquess Hamilton made Earl of Cambridge to intitle him a Peer the last Parliament a man of a gallant and stately presence one whom the King much listened to and others having as little affection to it The hopes of a Daughter of France left to give life yet to a Royal Race did bate something of Our King 's keen edge so that he wrote to Buckingham That he could not expect after so long a stay in Spain and so little done that they had any cordial intention to perfect the Treaty and therefore conjured him to bring his Son back with all speed but if his Sonnes youthful follies should tye him to a
defeat for the space of 2 years 143. and constrains him and the Duke of Bavaria to purchase their peace at a dear rate ib. comes into Brabant 216. his Souldiers mutiny by the way 217. comes into England 283. Forces raised for him ib. his design ruined ib. Masks in great esteâ—m 53 King of Spain intends not to conclude the Match betwixt the Prince of Wales and the Infanta of Spain 116 Match between the Prince of Wales and the Infanta of Spain treated of 143. who of the Nobility favourers thereof and who not 144 Match with Spain concluded in England 238. as likewise in Spain 247. Marriage Preparations in Spain for it 255. yet the Treaty dissolved Match with France thought of 257 A Treaty of Marriage with France 276 Michael and Mompesson questioned 155. their offence ibid. Mompesson flies Michael censured 158 Monjoy created Earl of Devonshire 6 Monson arraigned but his Trial laid aside 89 Lord Monteagle the Discoverer of the Powder-Treason rewarded 32 Montague Lord Treasurer 148. made Lord Treasurer Viscount Mandevile and Earl of Manchester afterwards Lord Privy Seal 149 N New-England describ'd 75. when first planted and by whom ib. Noblemen created 6 7 Nobility Petition the King 187 Northampton made Lord Privy Seal 43 He and Rochester plot Overburie's death why 66. assists the Countess of Essex in suing out a Divorce 67. engages the Lieutenant of the Tower in poysoning Overbury 70. reviles Overbury after his death 73. touched at heart and dies 74 Northumberland with others committed to the Tower 33. why 130. his marriage and Issue ib. is released out of Prison by intercession of his Son-in-law Viscount Doncaster ib. hardly drawn to take a Release from his hand ib. Rides through London in a Coach drawn by Eight horses ib. O Oath of Allegiance 51 Prince of Orange made Knight of the Garter 64. Death of Maurice Prince of Orange 286. Different carriage of two Princes of Orange ib. Overbury a great assistant of Viscount Rochester 66. opposes his marriage with the Countess of Essex ibid. Rochester and Northampton plot his death ibid. is betray'd by Rochester how 67. committed to the Tower ibid. Mistriss Turner imployed to poison him 70. Weston and Franklin imployed by her therein ib. the Lieutenant of the Tower like ingaged therein ibid. The poison set a work but the operation retarded and by what means 71. Overbury writes to Somerset 72. is betrayed by the Lieutenant of the Tower 73. dies and is scandaliz'd after death by Northampton ibid. Oxford gallantly accompanied goes to the Palatinate 136. his character 161. is committed to the Tower 191. his death 286. P Parliament declines the Union with Scotland 41 Parliament undertaken by Somerset 77. dissolved ibid. Parliament called An. 1620. 150. complies with the King 153 Parties in Parliament 161. Parliament adjourned 164. re-assembled 165. their Petition to the King 174. dissolved by Proclamation 190. Parliament summon'd An. 1623. 257. advises the King to break off the Treaâ—y with Spain 265. their Declaration 269. Petition against Recusants 272. a Catalogue of them taken notice of by it 276 Prince Elector Palatine comes into England 62. is made Knight of the Gartâ—r 64. married to the Lady Elizabeth ib. with whom he returns home 65. is Elected and Crowned King of Bohemia 132. sâ—nds to our King to excuse the suddenness of the acceptation of that Kingdom ib. is proscribed ib. is overcome in his General the Prince of Anbalt 141. Flies with his Queen ib. is censured ib. loss of his Son ib. His Character 142 March of the English into the Palatinate 136. Restitution of the Palatinate demanded by the Lord Digby 154 Piety of the Lord Mayor 106 Prince Henry installed Knight of the Garter 6. created Prince of Wales 52. slights the Countess of Essex 56 his death 62. and funeral 63 Prince of Spain his disaster 62 Prince Charles his Journey into Spain 225. His Attendants ib. He and Buckingham disguise themselves and change their names 225. questioned by the Mayor of Dover 225. pass through France where they have a view of the Princess Henrietta Mariâ— 226. Arrive at Madrid 227. The Prince rides in State to Court 228. His Royal Entertainment 129 Many of the English Nobility flock thither unto him 229. The Spaniards strive to pervert the Prince 229. So doth the Pope by his Letter 231. The Prince's Answer 233. A Dispensation thereupon dispatched to Madrid 235. Articles sworn to by the Prince the Match is concluded in Spain 247. New delaies sought out by the Spaniards 248. The Prince takes a resolution to return home 249. but takes a solemn Oath to solemnize the Marriage 251. After Gifts and Preseots on both sides leaves Madrid and comes to the Esourial ibid. The Description of it 252. The Prince is Feasted there 253. The King and Prince's Complements at parting 253. The Prince in danger by a Tempest 254 Proclamation against Jesuits 51. for uniformity in Religion 11. against New Buildings 48. Proclamation against talking sets peoples tongues a work 190 Protestant Religion in danger 171 Protestants in France providentially relieved by one that hated their Religion 247 Q Queen of Scots translated to Westminster 71 Queen Ann opposes Somerset why 78. Her Death her Character 129 R Rawleigh his Treason 4. his West-Indian Voyage 112. his Design discovered to Gondemar 113. The King by Gondemar incens'd against him 115. He is committed to the Tower 116. beheaded 117. His Character and description ibid. Recusants confin'd to their houses 51 Reformation in the Church fought after 7 Four Regiments sent into Holland 280 Duke of Richmond dies suddenly 257 Dutchess of Richmond her legend 258 Rochester rules all after the death of Prince Henry and Salisbury 65. with Northampton plots Overburie's death 66 S Earl of Salisbury made Lord Treasurer 43. not pleased with Rochester's greatness 91. Obstructs Five thousand pound given him by the King ibid. Lord Sanquir murders Turner a Fencer 59. for which he is hanged 60 Duke of Saxony executes the Imperial Ban 135 Satyrical Sermon 152 Say and Seal his Character 161 Sermon against Ceremonies 11 Somerset devises to get Money 76. undertakes a Parliament 80. opposed by the Queen 78 80. begins to decline 80. The King deserts him ib. He and his Countess seized 81. and Arraigned 82 Somerset's description in his life The Countess in her death 83 Southampton released out of the Tower 4. Restored to the right of Blood and Inheritance 6. His Character 161. Committed 191. He and his Son dies 284 King's Speech to the Parliament Anno 1603. 13. In the Star-Chamber 100. To the Parliament An. 1620. 153. Second Speech to the Lords 155. To the Parliament An. 1623. 259. Bacon's Speech in Star-Chamber 84 Spencer his Character 162. He and Arundel quarrel 163 Spinola forms an Army in Flanders 135. Strives to intercept the English in their March towards the Palatinate 137. Besieges Berghen ap Zome 216. Raises his Siege 218. Besieges Breda 280 Book of Sports
that he should not know what he had done with them being things so material and of such conoernment And calling his Memory to a strict account at last he discharged it upon Iohn Gib a Scotchman who was of his Bedchamber and had been an old Servant to him Gib is called for in haste and the King asks him for the Papers he gave him Gib collecting himself answered the King he received no papers from him The King broke into extream Rage as he would often when the Humor of Choler began to boil in him protesting he had them and reviling him exceedingly for denying them Gib threw himself at the King's feet protesting his innocency that he never received any and desired his life might make satisfaction for his fault if he were guilty This could not calm the King's Spirit tossed in this tempest of Passion and overcharged with it as he passed by Gib kneeling threw some of it upon him giving him a kick with his foot Which kick infected Gib and turned his humility into Anger for rising instantly he said Sir I have served you from my youth and you never found me unfaithful I have not deserved this from you nor can I live longer with you with this disgrace Fare ye well Sir I will never see your face more and away he goes from the King's presence took Horse and rode towards London Those about the King put on a sad countenance to see him displeased and every man was inquisitive to know the cause some said the King and Gib were faln out but about what some papers of the Spanish Treaty the King had given him cannot be found Endimion Porter hearing it said The King gave me those Papers went presently and brought them to the King who being becalmed and finding his Error called instantly for Gib Answer was made he was gone to London The King hearing it commanded with all expedition to send post after him to bring him back protesting never to Eat Drink or Sleep till he saw Gib's face The Messenger overtook him before he got to London and Gib hearing the Papers were found and that the King sent for him with much earnestness returned to the Court. And as he came into the King's Chamber the King kneeled down upon his Knees before Gib intreating his pardon with a sober and grave aspect protesting he would never rise till Gib had forgiven him and though Gibs modestly declined it with some humble excuses yet it would not satisfie the King till he heard the words of absolution pronounced So ingenious was he in this piece of Passion Which had its suddain variation from a stern and furious anger to a soft and melting affection which made Gib no loser by the bargain Thus the King 's Melancholy Cholerick and Sanguine constitution appeared But of all the Humors Flegm was now the most predominant which made him so tamely swallow those raw fruits of Spain that all his Exercise could not well digest In Ianuary this year the Diet which the Emperor had summoned contrary to his promise as our King intimates met at Ratisbone where the Electors and divers other Princes of Germany assembled either in their own persons or by their Deputies The Imperial design was to take off the edge of the Princes dissatisfaction for his harsh proceedings against the Prince Palatine wherein he makes him the ground work and cause of all the Wars and miseries that have hapned in the Empire And thinking no man as he said would take the boldness to mediate the Restitution of the proscribed Palatine into the Electoral College he could do no less than dispose of the Electorate now plenojure devolved unto him as Emperor which he had bestowed on the Duke of Bavaria for spending his Treasure and hazarding his Blood in his service against his own Nephew the expulsed Palatine Wherefore he requests the illustrious presence of Electors and Princes to give their opinions how the peace of the Empire may be established to prevent all commotions for the future The Princes took this Proposition of the Emperor into debate and the Protestant Princes desired Caesar to consider the importance of the Business That though his Imperial Majesty in his own judgment may have had Cause enough to publish the Ban against the Prince Palatine yet they are of Opinion that in his particular Cause which so neerly concerned the disposing of an Electorate of the Empire and so principal a Person of the Electoral College the suddain doing whereof might occasion long and tedious Wars dangerous to the Roman Empire that Caesar should not of himself have proceeded so rigorously nor without the advice and consent of all the rest of the Electors according as it was agreed upon in the Capitulation Royal which is holden for a fundamental Law of the Empire Which course of Caesar's even for the manner of proceeding in it was distasted by Divers because the Prince Palatinate had never been legally summoned but uncited and unheard without all knowledge of his Cause and contrary to all ordinary Course had been condemned and against all Equity oppressed by the Publication of that Imperial Ban. We purpose not to call the Power Imperial into question yet we cannot but remember your Majesty of that Promise made in your Capitulation unto the Electors and humbly We admonish Caesar to stand unto his own word and not to intermit the performance of it And as for the disposing of the Electorate we desire nothing more than that We could gratifie Caesar with Our Suffrages But perceiving so many and so great Difficulties in it We cannot but admonish your Majesty of the danger of it This being the Opinion of Our Electors that seeing your Majesty hath graciously called the Diet for restoring Peace in the Empire that it were altogether necessary first to remove the Obstacles of Peace And seeing that all the stirs began in Bohemia Caesar should do well to labour first for the quieting of that Kingdom and command a stay to be made of the severe Reformation and frequent Executions there That so the Hearts of your Subjects being overcome with Grace and Mercy might be sweetly joyned to you and all fear and distrust utterly taken away without which we see no hope either how your Majesty can sit sure upon your Imperial Throne or how the Electors and Princes can be freed of their fears being evident that the Bohemians and others made desperate by the Extremity of their sufferings will take any occasion to begin new troubles and to involve the Empire with new Dangers All the Lutheran States of the Empire likewise which follow the Augustan Confession have their Eyes upon this Bohemian Reformation which though it were given out to be for private Iustice yet it is so linkt with the publick cause that unless it be speedily ended and the two Churches at Prague granted by Rodolphus the second not in favour of some private men alone but of Christian Elector of
Saxony and which had continued free until of late were again opened and the free exercise of Religion generally permitted We see no sure Peace likely to be in the Empire but utter ruine rather and final desolation may every day be feared Seeing it was apparently known that it was not those that professed the Reformed Religion who begun these troubles but the Noblemen and great Officers whose designs the other were compelled to obey And for the Prince Palatine seeing he is already sufficiently punished it were far more commendable in your Majesty that now at last upon his submission you would be pleased to restore him to his Lands and Dignities otherwise there is no likelihood of Restoring Peace to the Empire And in the transferring of the Electorate this main thing were fit to be considered Whether the Prince Palatine excluded in his own person doth debar his Children who by the providence of their Ancestors had before this Act of their Father jus adquisitum an Hereditary Right unto the Electorate or the brother of the Prince Palatine who hath no way offended your Majesty nor by reason of his Minority could not Or others of the Kindred of the Prince Palatine should be or ought to be in this Case neglected If they be it will be hardly taken of other Electors and Princes and occasion various Distrusts betwixt the Head and the Members For the Princes allied unto the Prince Palatine who have been quiet hitherto upon Considence of Caesar's Clemency now perceiving all hope of that Dignity unto their Family taken away must needs have Recourse unto Arms and endeavour the Recovery of it by force And if Caesar should die this controversie being not compounded it may well be feared many inconveniences will fall out contrary to Caesar's desire For though upon the advantage of his Victories he hath had the Law in his own hand if the Wheel should turn that side which is lowest will get up again Therefore We hold it more Wisdom to advise Caesar not to proceed too suddenly but rather to accept the intercession of other Electors and Princes as in such Cases hath hitherto been done Considering the Prince Palatine was then but young abused by ill Councel and no ways the Author of those stirs in Bohemia they being in an uproar before his coming among them And if his Majesty would pardon the Prince Palatine he should ever oblige the whole Electoral College and all the Kings and Princes allied unto him and the Prince himself and all his posterity would be advised when they remember their Exile how they embroil themselves in such Business Whereas if he saw the door of Mercy quite shut and nothing left him but his life it would make both him and his desperate to attempt so as there would be no end of the Troubles in the Roman Empire Caesar therefore should do far righter if for his own Honour and the publick good he would prefer mercy before severity and not pursue these Extremities To these things the Catholick Princes said That Caesar had shown Causes enough which he had to deprive the Palatine and the Palatinate being devolved to him he might dispose of it without having regard to the Palatine line according to his own pleasure That his Majesty could not well hold any terms of Amity with him though he were restored and this impunity would give occasion unto others to offend As for the matter of Punishment there would be little difference between the Emperor and the Palatine seeing that his Majestie 's Lands and Dominions are no less wasted than the others and yet there is great difference in the cause for this fell out to Caesar without his Demerit and the Palatine did the other having no necessity to it That he had refused mercy in not acknowledging his fault nor seeking for favour And it is an unequal Request for Caesar to accept of any Reconciliation whilst his General Mansfield is yet in the field and prosecutes his cause by force of Arms. The safety of the Empire consisting in the filling up of the Electoral College Caesar hath done very well in a speedy resolving on it and other Emperors in the like causes have done the same before To which the other party answered That for the security of the Imperial Dignity and safety of the Empire there is no question but that it consisted in the Concord of the Electoral College with the Emperor And the Prince Palatine hath as you say done amiss yet if Caesar shall still use Rigor the Princes of the lower Saxony are of Opinion there can be no Peace established in the Empire the good of which being most worthy to be preferred Caesar should do wisely to suffer himself to be intreated and change Rigor into Clemency making the Empire by that means glad with a desired Peace otherwise new flames were likely to break out in those places which yet are preserved from burning That Caesar had now by the aid of the Electors and Princes recovered his lost Provinces and wanting nothing but quiet possession of them which this desired Reconciliation was the best means to effect The hand of War may be lifted up but who knows where the stroak will fall and Victory is so long uncertain as the adverse party hath power to reinforce his Arms. And for the renewing of the War there is yet a fair pretence left for that in bestowing the Electorate the Prince Palatine's sons and brother have been neglected and with these Principles are the minds of many of the Princes of the Empire already possessed The King of Great Britain besides could not but take it ill that he should now see all his endeavours take no good effect but his only daughter and her Children left in exile And as for the manner of this Reconciliation there might be a particular Treaty and Consultation wherein Caesar's Prerogative imperial being reserved all parties might receive Satisfaction and the Empire once again flourish in Peace If these Remedies be not applied it will produce ill blood yea Heart-burnings and distrusts in the Electoral College it self These several answers delivered to the Emperor the twentieth of Ianuary he replyed unto thanking them for their consultations And though some saith he have wisely heretofore resolved us that our proceedings in proscribing the Palatine was both legal and necessary yet now we perceive some of you are of opinion that according to our Capitulation Royal we ought not to have proceeded so far without the Knowledg and consent of the Electors But as we have no ways gone begond this our Capitulation but even before we set out the Ban punctually considered all that was necessary to be taken notice of so did we also desire nothing more then that a Diet might be convoked for the due treating and advising upon this Business which meeting being impeded by the prosecution of the War by the Palatine we could do no less to take down his courage than publish