trample them under foot; to teach by example, and not constrain by force; to be a father of citizens, and not a master of slaves. Remember yourself, kings are given by heaven, for the use of people, and that they ought not to have so much regard to the extent of their power, as not to consider the measure of their obligations. Handle the matter so, that the greatness of your majesty may appear in its good. ness; and that this word, which you heretofore had in your mouth, may stick eternally in your heart, when you said, 'A good prince ought not to fear any thing so much, as to be too much feared.' Boetius, who made this oration, was author of that incomparable philosophical discourse, De Consolatione, being consul of Rome, under the said Theodoricus, the first emperor of the Gothish race, about the year of our Lord 500. And this speech was first published long since in Causin's Holy Court, fol. 290. in these very words, as any person may find, that pleases to examine it. But Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit, the upshot of the business was, that the emperor was much offended at this his freedom; and, being spurred on by his three mischievous favourites, Trigilla, Congiastus, and Cyprianus, first banished, and afterwards murdered the wise and faithful Boetius, who had served him many years with an intire and irreproachable loyalty. And soon after Theodoricus himself died distracted, and the empire, in a very few years, was snatched from his successor, by the victorious arms of Justinian, emperor of Constantinople. THE HONOUR AND COURAGE OF OUR ENGLISH PARLIAMENTS, IN THE REIGN OF QUEen elisabetH, OF EVER BLESSED MEMORY, IN DEFENDING OF HER, AND THE PROTESTANT RELIGION. Expressed in some of the preambles of the acts for subsidies, granted to that famous princess. Post tot Tendimus in Latium? That man who doth not defend his religion and country, having the law on his side, will, either through slavish fear, or for base interest, when times change, most certainly give up, and sacrifice both, London, printed for John Wickins, at the White-Hart, against St. Dunstan's TH HE certain knowledge and perfect sense, which we your majesty's most humble subjects have and feel, of the great felicity which Rastall's Stat, . Eliz. c. 27. since your reign we hitherto have enjoyed, and now presently do enjoy, far beyond all other nations, our neighbours; yea, much augmented to our happiness, having regard to the former troublesome times amongst ourselves; doth vehemently press and inforce us, first and principally, with all our hearts and souls, to acknowledge our most bounden duty to Almighty God, the King of Kings, for his excellent, singular, and divine goodness, shewed to us his creatures, in preserving for our safety, after so many storms, your royal princely person our most gracious queen, and in guiding and directing the same for our happiness, in so happy an age, thus happily, quietly, and providently to govern us his people committed to your charge: And next for the same great benefits bestowed upon us by his merciful goodness, and through your majesty's person and regimen, to offer ourselves most ready, with all obeysance and loyalty, to serve, and most humbly to obey your majesty, as God's immediate minister on earth, and supreme governor over us, to the uttermost of our power and end of our lives. And furthermore, considering with ourselves, and beholding manifestly with our lives, the many notable, beneficial, and, princely acts done by your majesty, with the assent of God's favour, in these few years, for the weal and surety of this your realm. First, in restoring us to the favour, knowledge, and true service of Almighty God, by restoration into this Church of England of a sincere, uniform rule and order in Christian religion, by delivery of us and our consciences, from a foreign, unnatural tyranny and power, notwithstanding the many and great threatenings of worldly power to the contrary. Next, by reducing this your realm, and all other your dominions, from war, wherein you found it, to peace with your neighbours: which two godly acts your majesty did accomplish immediately at your first entry to this your crown. Thirdly, by the evident delivery of this realm from the great and manifest intended invasions, conspired and prepared by strangers (the ancient enemics of this realm) joining therewith the princely and upright preservation of the liberty of the next realm and nation of Scot land, from imminent captivity and desolation, and so without any bloody battle, most providently, though chargeable, delivering the force of the enemy intended against this realm to their reproof. Fourthly, by repairing, storing, inriching, building, and reinforcing, this your realm, with the worthiest treasures of armour, ammunition, and all kind of provisions, offensive and defensive for war, and of a princely navy of ships for the service and defence of this your country, and us your people. And next thereto, as it were in a time almost desperate and doubtful, for the weight of the matter, by converting of the loathsome, and vile, great, and long-grown bulk of copper and counterfeit monies, eating and daily consuming the honour and wealth of this realm, like a canker, into treasures only of gold and silver monies, without having any piece of copper money current in this realm, a singular pre-eminence above all countries in Christendom. And, lastly, by a most provident and seasonable enterprise, now taken in hand this year, being thereto necessarily provoked (besides the foresight for safety of your own realm) for the defence also of your majesty's tender young brother, and next neighbour, the French King; being forcibly governed against his laws and liberty, by reason of the ambition of certain of his uncontented subjects, being not disposed to live as subjects in quietness, as the experience of them towards this realm. hath also proved and consequently, in this enterprise, your majesty not forgetting the just and seasonable recovery of an ancient portion of this your crown, lately and unfortunately spoiled and broken off. And we also taking and sensibly feeling, from the highest of us to the lowest, through all degrees, places, and times, an universal and most blessed fruit of justice, both for our lives, lands, goods, and behaviour, without exception of persons, to the inestimable, yea, and unaccustomed comfort and joy of all your good and faithful subjects, and to the singular recommendation of your majesty's happiness to all posterity, being hitherto never compelled to tax or reprehend, much less to draw blood of any person for any offence to your majesty's royal person (a blessedness never enjoyed so long by any of your progenitors, to our knowledge:) Which princely and notable acts, with many others not here for length to be rehearsed, have been, and, for continuance thereof, must needs be so burdenous and chargeable to your majesty, that, though we cannot indeed find an example of any one meet present or gift, by name of subsidy, or any other relief or aid granted to any of your progenitors, sufficient to recompense and acquit some one of these your many princely and notable acts, or the charges therein sustained; yet we, meaning, and freely of ourselves intending, according to our bounden duties, to make some kind of declaration, specification, and recognition of our great debts of service to your majesty, being not able to make any full satisfaction, as your majesty's most humble, obedient, and loving subjects, humbly on our knees, beseech your highness, that at this time, instead of satisfaction for our great debts due for your princely demerits and charges, our small gift may not be measured with your acts, or with our own debts to your majesty, but, of your accustomed clemency, accepted jointly with the treasure of our humble, infinite, and unmeasurable thoughts and intentions of our hearts towards your majesty; and that, for the acceptation thereof, it may be, by your highness, the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, enacted as felloweth : An Act of one Fifteenth and Tenth, and one Subsidy, granted by the Temporalty. We your majesty's most humble subjects, meaning, according to our most bounden duties, to present unto your majesty, by way of subsidy, some relief for the great extraordinary charges sustained in the defence of your majesty's dominions and countries against sundry dangerous at* Anno 8 Elis. Cap. 18. Rastal. tempts, cannot forbear but, with all humbleness, most thankfully to set before the same our most lowly thanks for three special matters proceeding from your majesty, to our benefit, joy, and comfort, in this present assembly. First, for the most princely consideration had of us, in the forbearing at this time some portion of that, which, according to the greatness and necessity of your affairs, we of duty meant and intended to have yielded unto your majesty. Secondly, for the most comfortable assurance and promise, by your majesty made and declared unto us, that, for our weal and surety, your majesty would marry as soon as God should give you opportunity to accomplish the same; whereof we have received infinite comfort, and shall pray to Almighty God to further and prosper all your majesty's actions tending thereunto, that we your most natural subjects may speedily see some noble issue of your body, to continue perpetually by descent the succession of this imperial crown. Thirdly, for the great hope and comfort we have conceived, by the means of your majesty's most honourable speech uttered and declared unto us, of your majesty's most gracious and princely disposition, and determination, when time shall thereunto serve conveniently, with the surety of your majesty's person, and the weal and tranquillity of your realm, to have due regard to the further establishing of the succession of your imperial crown, as law and justice shall require the same, after the succession of the issue of your body. In which your gracious disposition and care for us, we most humbly beseech Almighty God to continue your majesty, and to prosper your intentions and actions, to establish that, which, with assent of your realm in parliament, may be agreeable and consonant to law and justice, and to remain to all ages hereafter inviolable, and to the praise, honour, and memory of your majesty and yours perpetually; and that, touching the grant of your said subsidy, it may be enacted in manner and form following: An Act * for the Grant of one Subsidy, and two Fifteenths and Tenths, by the Temporalty. We your majesty's most obedient, humble, faithful, and loving subjects, being here in your most high court of parliament assembled, cannot, but at your first meeting and consultation, enter into due consideration of the great charges your highness hath sustained, not only in seeking, by way of prevention, to stop such foreign attempts as otherwise, not provided for, might have been made very dangerous against this your highness's realm, and us your subjects (which hath not, and, as we well consider, could not be performed, without the employment, divers ways, of some great portion of treasure) but especially hath been now of late put to an infinite charge, both by sea and by land, in the prosecution of certain evil affected members of your highness's realm of Ireland, that most disloyally, unnaturally entered into actual rebellion, with a manifest intent to shake off the subjection *Anno 23 Elis.Cap. 15. Rastal. and obedience, that, by the laws of God and man, they are bound to yield: And in as much as in them was to deprive and bereave the crown of that realm, from this your imperial crown of England, to which it hath been so many years joined and annexed, and that princi. pally, by the procurement of the Bishop of Rome, enemy to God, your majesty, and to all this your realm, not without the countenance and help of some other great and mighty potentates, his adherents: Although Almighty God, of his goodness, hath hitherto given your majesty victory, and diverted the attempts, making them vain and fruitless. And, therefore, these things by us considered, we cannot, but with all dutifulness, if we did consider the charges past, without regard of the necessity to withstand future attempts, but present unto your majesty our readiness, yielding unto your highness some liberal contribution: But when we enter into further consideration, First, how the fire, kindled in that your highness's realm of Ireland, is not yet quenched, whereby your majesty is forced, to your infinite charges, as well to subdue the evil affected of that realm, as also to impeach the foreign assistance, that by common report, and especially by sollicitation of sundry traytors that were naturally born subjects to this, and that your crown of Ireland, but unnaturally are broken off, and become monstrous rotten members, is preparing to repair thither, to continue great forces in pay, as well by sea as by land. Secondly, what advertisements and forewarnings come, as it were, from all parts of Christendom, of an intended invasion, not only against your said realm of Ireland, but against the rest of your majesty's realms and dominions. And, lastly, what practices are lately set a-broach, and in part put in execution, to breed a divorce and alienation of the good amity that hath been between your majesty and your next neighbour, which, if the same should take place, cannot but be an occasion of great expences and charges. Therefore, upon view of the premisses, considering the great and most necessary charges already past, by your highness sustained, and greater like to ensue (if we were so ingrate as to forget the great benefits that we have received through the goodness of Almighty God, under your majesty's most blessed and happy government, as the like was never enjoyed by any subjects of this land) cannot, but in regard of our own particular safeties, strain ourselves, to the utmost of our power, to yield such contribution, as the preservation of your most excellent majesty, and of ourselves, your most humble subjects, doth most justly require. And, therefore, to shew ourselves, as well thankful towards your majesty, as careful to provide that which may be for our own safety, do, with all humility, present unto your highness a subsidy, and two fifteenths and tenths, towards your highness's great charges. |