A Memorial Offered to John Williams, Part of biography 2 · Letter 1 – Letter 2
Charles Rex, RIght Reverend, and Right Truſty, &c.
Whereas we have been moved, in Contemplation of our Marriage with the Lady Mary, Siſter of our dear Brother the moſt Chriſtian King, to grant unto our Subjects, Roman Catholicks, a Ceſſation of all, and ſingular Pains, and Penalties, as well Corporal as Pecuniary, whereunto they be ſubject, or any way may be liable by any Laws, Statutes, Ordinances, or any thing whatſoever, for, or by reaſon of their Recuſancy or Religion, and every matter or thing concerning the ſame: Our Will and Pleaſure is, and we do by theſe preſents Authorize, and Require you, That immediately, upon the receipt hereof, you do give Warrant, Order and Directions, as well unto all our Commiſſioners, Judges and Juſtices of the Peace, as unto all others our Officers and Miniſters, as well Spiritual as Temporal, reſpectively to whom it may appertain, that they, and every of them do forbear all and all manner, and cauſe to be ſorborn all and all manner of Proceedings againſt our ſaid Subjects Roman Catholicks, and every of them, as well by Information, Preſentment, Indictment, Conviction, Proceſs, Seiſure, Diſtreſs, or Impriſonment, as alſo by any other ways, or means whatſoever, whereby they may be moleſted for the Cauſes aforeſaid. And further alſo, That from time to time you take notice of, and ſpeedily redreſs all Cauſes of Complaints, for, or by reaſon of any thing done contrary to this our will. And this ſhall be unto you, and to all to whom you ſhall give ſuch Warrant, Order, and Direction, a ſufficient Warrant and Diſcharge in that behalf.
There was no ſcrupling of this Order, but it muſt be diſpatch'd. For though, as a great Counſellor, the Keeper was to be watchful over the Voices and Affections of the People, and that he knew this was not the Courſe to keep the Subject in terms of Contentment, yet he had no power to ſtop the Tide, as in former days. My Lord of Buckin. would not ſtay to hear the Arguments of his Wiſdom. Altiſſimo orbe, & praecipuâ potentiâ ſtella Saturni fortur, Tacit. 1 liſt. lib. 5. The Planet of Saturn was in the higheſt Orb, and ruled all the Influence of the Court. Where was now the Cavil againſt the Spaniſh Match, that in the Treaty for it, it encroach'd too far upon Religion? Indeed my Lord of Kenſington writes from Paris, Cab. p. 275. The French will not ſtrain us to any unreaſonableneſs in Conditions for the Catholicks. And as much again, p. 284. Their Pulſe in matter of Religion beats temperately. So he told us in another Pacquet, p. 292. That the French will never abandon us in the Action for the recovering the Palatinate. Which of theſe Engagements were broken laſt? a more ſolid Queſtion than to ask, Which of their Promiſes were kept firſt? They kept none. Some chop out Promiſes, as Nurſes tell Tales to Children, to lull them aſleep: As it is in the neat Phraſe of Arnobius, Somno occupari ut poſſint, leves audiendoe ſunt naenioe. The Hiſtories of Spain, and the Netherlands, as well as of England, do not ſpare to touch that Noble Nation, that none have taken greater liberty to play faſt and looſe with Articles and Covenants. And as the French were inconſtant to us, ſo new Symptoms, and new Apprehenſions made us variable, and inconſtant to our ſelves. Now a Letter muſt be ſent to all Magiſtrates Spiritual and Temporal, to cauſe them to ſuſpend the Execution of all Laws againſt the Papiſts. At the Term at Reading in November following, Divulgation is made in all Courts under the Broad-Seal, that all Officers and Judges ſhould proceed againſt them according to Law. After the Second Parliament of King Charles was broken up, that is, in the Summer that followed the Term at Reading, by the Mediation of the French Embaſſador, Marſhal Baſſampere, new Letters come from the King to redintegrate Favours to the Recuſants, and that all Purſevants muſt be reſtrained, and their Warrants to ſearch the Houſes of Papiſts taken from them. And this continued but till Winter. It was ſafe and juſt to return quickly again into the High-way of the Law: for the ſhorteſt Errors are the beſt: Eſpecially in God's Cauſe. Which Vincen. Lirin. well adviſeth, Nos religionem, non quo volumus ducere, ſed quò illa nos ducit ſequi debemus. We muſt take up the Train of Religion, and come after it, and not lead it after us in a String of Policy.
5. Private Men may better keep this Rule, than ſuch as are publickly employed in the State. But though the Keeper had no remedy, but the preceding Warrant muſt be obeyed: Yet he tryed his Majeſty how his Service would be taken; in ſtopping a Warrant upon another occaſion, bearing date May 23. Becauſe the ſumptuous Entertainment of the Queen, and her magnificient Convoy being ready to land, would be very chargeable, he thruſt in his Judgment to adviſe the King againſt diſorderly Liberality. And though he knew the Secretary Conway for no other than a Friend, yet he lik'd not his Encroachment upon the Royal Bounty, but ſignifies it in this manner.
Moſt dread Sovereign, and my moſt gracious Maſter,
I Received this Morning a Warrant from your most Excellent Majeſty, to paſs a Grant under the Great-Seal of England, of the Sum of Two thouſand Pounds, out of the Court of Wards, to my Lord Conway, for Twenty One Years to come. The which I durſt not for fear of infringing my Duty to your Majeſty, and drawing ſome danger upon my ſelf, paſs under the Great-Seal, before I had made unto your moſt Excellent Majeſty this moſt humble Repreſentation. Firſt,The iſſuing of ſo great a Leaſe of ſuch a vast Sum of Money is (under your Majeſty's Favour and Correction) diſadvantageous to your Majeſty's Service, in regard of the time, being in the face of that Parliament, from which your Majeſty is to expect a main Supply. Secondly, It is (I believe) without Prſident or Example, that Penſions have been granted in Contemplation of Services for Years: But for the Party's Life only. My Lord of Middleſex his Leaſe of the Sugars is the only Preſident in that kind, which hath hapned during the time of my Service in this Place. Thirdly,The Aſſigning of this Penſion upon the Court of Wards, or any other Place, than the Receipt of the Exchequer, is directly againſt the Rules and Orders, taken, upon mature deliberation, by your Father of Bleſſed Memory. Fourthly, This great Lord (for ſo be is indeed) is in the Eye and the Envy of many Men, as your Majeſty (I fear it) will hear e're long. As having received more great Favours within theſe two Years, than any Three Subjects within this Kingdom. Although I do believe (looking up to the hands that conferred them) he may well deſerve them all. Moſt gracious Sovereign, I am not ignorant of the danger I incur in making this Repreſentation. But I have put on an irremoveable Reſolution, that as long as you are pleaſed to continue me in your Service, I will never from this time forth, out of Contemplation of mine own Safety, or any other carnal Reſpect, neglect voluntarily any part of my Duty to my God, or my King. Which I ſuppoſe I had greatly forgotten, without preſenting your moſt Excellent Majeſty with this Remonſtrance. And having perform'd this part of my Duty, I ſhall most punctually obey your Majeſty's Direction in this particular.
For this good Service it was well he had no check: yet he had no gra-mercy, to ſeem wiſer than thoſe that had prepared the buſineſs. And though the Patent for that Penſion was a flat Violation of good Order, yet the Plea was, it would be unkind to revoke it. foreign, as Plutarch in the Life of Agis obſerves it in ſome Mens Humours, Though a thing be ill undertaken, it is held a ſhame to go back. This Lord Secretary was the Keeper's cold Friend upon it; but he lived not long, and quitted his Office before he ceaſed to live: Only ſome deckings of empty Titles were given him, that he might not faint. The moſt that was diſliked in the Letter was, that it warn'd the Secretary, that he was like to hear himſelf nam'd among the Grievances of the enſuing Parliament. Wherein he did not fail. It was no hard thing to Prognoſtick ſuch a Tempeſt, from the hollow murmuring of the Winds abroad. There was not ſuch a Watch-man about the Court as the Keeper was, to eſpy Diſcontents in the dark: nor any one that had ſo many Eyes abroad in every corner of the Realm. What hurt was it? Nay, Why was it not call'd a Courteſie, to awaken a Friend, purſued by danger, out of prudent Collections? Says a wiſe Senator, Tul. Act. 7. in Verrem, Judex eſſe bonus non poteſt, qui ſuſpicione certâ non movetur, He is no ſound judge of Rumors, that gleans not up a certain Concluſion out of ſtrong Suſpicions.
6. To ſpeak forward. After the Queen had been receiv'd with much luſtre of Pomp, and Courtſhip (which had been more, if a very peſtilentious Seaſon in London, and far and wide, had not frown'd upon publick Reſorts, and full Solemnities) a Parliament began. Stay a while, and hear that in a little, which concerns much that followed. This is the higheſt and ſupereminent Court of our Kings. The Univerſity of the whole Realm, where the Graduates of Honour, the Learned in the Laws, and the beſt Practicers of Knowledge and Experience in the Land do meet. Horreum ſapientiae, or the full Chorus, where the Minds of many are gather'd into one Wiſdom. And yet in five Parliaments, which this King call'd, there was diſtance, and diſorder in them all between him and his People. Amabile eſt praeeſſe civibus, ſed placere difficile, as Symmachus to his Lord Theodoſius. Our Sovereign had not the Art to pleaſe: or rather his Subjects had not the Will to be pleaſed. And we all ſee by the Event, that God was diſpleas'd upon it. If he had won them, or they had won him, neither had been loſers. Pliny's Fable, or Story of the Two Goats, Lib. 8. c. 50. Suits the Caſe; The Two Goats met upona narrow Bridge; the one laid down his Body for the other to go over him, or both had been thruſt into the River. In the Application, who had done beſt to have yielded is too myſterious to determine. Both, or either, had done well. But now we ſee, and ſhall feel it, I believe, it is not Love, nor Sweetneſs, nor Sufferance that keeps a Nation within the ſtraits of due Obedience: it muſt be Power that needs not to entreat. The Scepter can no more than propound: the Sword will carry it. This Truth was once little worn: but now it is upon our backs, and we are like to wear it ſo long, till we are all Thread-bare. Thucyd. lib. 2. ſays of Theſeus, foreign, Theſeus govern'd Athens, being as potent as wiſe. His Wiſdom taught the Athenians to keep a good pace: but Awe and Potency did bridle, and compel them to ſuffer their Rider, or elſe they would have thrown him. King Charles knew how to govern, as well as Theſeus. But he was not ſo ſtout: I am ſure not ſo ſtrong. His Condition in the preſent ſtood thus. When he was Prince he was the Meſſenger, and the Mediator from the Parliament to extort a War againſt Spain from his Father. Of which Deſign he was but the Lieutenant before: is now become the Captain. He ſets the Action on foot, and calls for Contribution to raiſe, and pay an Army. Inſtead of ſatisfaction in Subſidies (two alone granted towards the charge of the great Funeral paſt, and the Coronation to come) they call for Reformation in Government. One lifts up a Grievance, and another a Grievance, and ſtill the Cry continues, and multiplies. As they ſpake with many Tongues, ſo I would they could have taken up Serpents, and felt no harm. The plain Senſe of it is, thoſe ſubtile Men of the lower Houſe put the young King upon the puſh of Neceſſity, and then took advantage of the Time, and that Neceſſity. They had caſt his Affairs into want of Money, and he muſt yield all that they demanded, or elſe get no Money, without which the War could not go on. Here was the Foundation laid of all the Diſcontents that followed. A capite primùm computreſcit piſcis, ſays the Proverb. If they had anſwer'd with that Confidence and Love, as was invited from them, England had not ſat in ſorrow as at this day. And I will as ſoon die as retract theſe words, that all Affairs might have been in a moſt flouriſhing Eſtate, if the People in that, or in any Parliament, had been as good as the King: Optimos gubernatores hand mediocriter etiam manus remigum juvat, Symmach. p. 128. The Pilot ſpends his breath in vain, if the Oar-men will not ſtrike a ſtroke: A good Head can do nothing without their Hands. If I ſhould hold yet, that this King was to be blam'd in nothing, I ſhould ſpeak too highly of Humane Nature. They that paſs through much buſineſs, cannot chooſe but incur Errors, which will fall under Cenſure; yet it were better under Pardon. The moſt that aggrieved the Council of Parliament was, that the King's Conceſſions for the good of the People came not off chearfully. He wanted a way indeed to give a Gift, and to make it thank-worthy in the manner of beſtowing. A ſmall Exception: when one grave Sentence from his Mouth did mean more reality, than a great deal of Volubility with ſweetneſs and ſmiling: to which, I confeſs, they had been fortunately uſed. But when all is done, as the Poets ſay, The Muſes ſing ſweeter than the Syrens; and a ſullen ſomething is better than a gracious nothing.
7. And theſe are inſtead of Contents: For the Chapter, that is the buſineſs of the Capitol, follows. The Parliament began, and the whole Aſſembly ſtood before the King: So there was a day when the Sons of God came to preſent themſelves before the Lord, Job 1.6. but there was another thruſt in among them. What his Majeſty ſpake than is printed more then once: It was not much, but enough: it was not long, but there wanted nothing. Good Seed it was, yet it came not up well, although it was water'd with two ſhowers of Eloquence by the Lord-Keeper, the firſt directed to the Lords, and Commons; the other to Sir Thomas Crew the Speaker. Which will tell the Reader more Truth, than is yet come abroad; whom I would have to remember Baronius's Caution, in his Epiſtle to the firſt Tome of his Annals, Nihil periculoſius eſt in hiſtoriâ, quàm cuivis ſcribe… in quâcunqae re fidem habere. But hear what the King willed to be publiſh'd to his Parliament by the Mouth of his great Officer.