Answer to a Book, Part 8
VIII. Upon His repulse at Hull, and the fate of the Hothams.
Hull, a town of great strength and opportunitie both to sea and land affaires, was at that time the Magazin of all those armes which the King had bought with mony most illegally extorted from his subjects of England, to use in a causless and most unjust civil warr against his Subjects of Scotland. The King in high discontent and anger had left the Parlament and was gon toward the North; the Queen into Holland, where she pawn'd and set to sale the Crown-Jewels (a crime heretofore counted treasonable in Kings) and to what intent these summs were rais'd, the Parlament was not ignorant. His going northward in so high a chafe they doubted was to possess himself of that strength, which the storehouse and situation of Hull might add suddenly to his malignant party. Having first therefore in many Petitions earnestly pray'd him to dispose and settle, with consent of both Houses, the military power in trusty hands, and he as oft refusing, they were necessitated by the turbulence and danger of those times to put the Kingdom by thir own autority into a posture ofdefence; and very timely sent sir John Hotham a member of the House, and Knight of that county, to take Hull into his custody, and some of the Train'd bands to his assistance. For besides the General danger they had, before the Kings going to York, notice giv'n them of his privat Commissions to the Earl of Newcastle, and to Colonel Legg, one of those imploid to bring the Army up against the ParParlament; who had already made som attempts, & the latter of them under a disguise, to surprise that place for the Kings party. And letters of the Lord Digby were intercepted, wherin was wisht that the K. would declare himself, and retire to some safe place; other information came from abroad, that Hull was the place design'd for some new enterprise. And accordingly Digby himself not long after, with many other Commanders, and much forrain Ammunition landed in those parts. But these attempts not succeeding, and that Town being now in custody of the Parlament, he sends a message to them, that he had firmely resolv'd to go in person into Ireland; to chastise those wicked Rebels (for these and wors words he then gave them) and that toward this work he intended forthwith to raise by his commissions, in the Counties neere Westchester, a guard for his own person, consisting of 2000. foot, and 200. horse, that should be arm'd from his Magazin at Hull. On the other side, the Parlament forseeing the Kings drift, about the same time send him a Petition, that they might have leave for necessary causes to remoove the magazin of Hull to the Towre of London; to which the King returnes his denial; and soon after going to Hull, attended with about 400. Horse, requires the Governour to deliver him up the Town; wherof the Governour besought humbly to be excus'd, till he could send notice to the Parlament who had intrusted him; wherat the King much incens'd proclaims him Traitor before the Town Walls; and gives immediat order to stop all passages between him and the Parlament. Yet he himself dispatches post after post to demand justice, as upon a Traitor: using a strange iniquitie to require justice upon him whom he then way layd and debari'd from his appearance. The Parlament no sooner understood what had pass'd, but they declare that Sir John Hotham had don no more then was his duty, and was therfore no Traitor.
This relation, being most true, proves that which is affirm'd heer to be most fals; seeing the Parlament, whom he accounts his greatest Enemies, had more confidence to abett and own what Sir John Hotham had don, then the King had confidence to let him answer in his own behalf.
To speake of his patience, and in that solemn manner, he might better have forborne; God knows saith he, it affected me more with sorrow for others then with anger for my self; nor did the affront trouble me so much as their sin. This is read, I doubt not, and beleev'd: and as there is some use of every thing, so is there of this Book, were it but to shew us, what a miserable, credulous, deluded thing that creature is, which is call'd the Vulgar; who notwithstanding what they might know, will beleeve such vain-glories as these. Did not that choleric, and vengefull act of proclaiming him Traitor before due process of Law, having bin convinc'd so late before of his illegallity with the five Members, declare his anger to be incens'd? doth not his own relation confess as much? and his second Message left him fuming three dayes after, and in plaine words testifies bis impatience of delay till Hotham be severely punish'd, for that which he there termes an insupportable affront.
Surely if his sorrow for Sir John Hothams sin were greater then his anger for the affront, it was an exceeding great sorrow indeed, and wondrous charitable. But if it stirr'd him so vehemently to have Sir John Hotham punisht, and not at all, that we heare, to have him repent, it had a strange operation to be call'd a sorrow for his sin. Hee who would perswade us of his sorrow for the sins of other men, as they are sins, not as they are sin'd against himself, must give us first some testimony of a sorrow for his own sins, and next for such sins of other men as cannot be suppos'd a direct injury to himself. But such compunction in the King no man hath yet observ'd; and till then, his sorrow for Sir John Hothams sin will be call'd no other then the resentment of his repulse; and his labour to have the sinner onelyonly punish'd, will be call'd by a right name, his revenge.
And the hand of that cloud which cast all soon after into darkness and disorder, was his own hand. For assembling the Inhabitants of York-shire, and other Counties, Horse and Foot, first under colour of a new Guard to his Person, soon after, being suppli'd with ammunition from Holland, bought with the Crown Jewels, he begins an op'n Warr by laying Seige to Hull. Which Town was not his own, but the Kingdoms; and the Armes there, public Armes, bought with the public Mony, or not his own. Yet had they bin his own by as good right as the privat House and Armes of any man are his own, to use either of them in a way not privat, but suspicious to the Common-wealth, no Law permitts. But the King had no proprietie at all either in Hull or in the Magazin. So that the following Maxims which he cites of bold and disloyall undertakers may belong more justly to whom he least meant them. After this he againe relapses into the praise of his patience at Hull, and by his overtalking of it, seems to doubt either his own conscience, or the hardness of other mens beleif. To me, the more he praises it in himself, the more he seems to suspect that in very deed it was not in him; and that the lookers on so likewise thought.
Thus much of what he suffer'd by Hotham, and with what patience; now of what Hotham suffer'd, as he judges, for opposing him. He could not but observe how God not long after pleaded and aveng'd his cause. Most men are too apt, and commonly the worst of men, so to interpret and expound the judgements of God, and all other events of providence or chance, as makes most to the justifying of thir own cause, though never so evill; and at tribute all to the particular favour of God towards them. Thus when Saul heard that David was in Keilah, God, saith he, hath deliver'd him into my hands, for he is shut in. But how farr that King was deceav'd in his thought that God was favouring to his cause, that story unfolds; and how little reason this King had to impute the death of Hotham to Gods avengement of his repuls at Hull, may easily be seen. For while Hotham continu'd faithfull to his trust, no man more safe, more successfull, more in reputation then hee. But from the time he first sought to make his peace with the King, and to betray into his hands that Town, into which before he had deny'd him entrance, nothing prosper'd with him. Certainly had God purpos'd him such an end for his opposition to the King, he would not have deferr'd to punish him till then when of an Enemy he was chang'd to be the Kings Friend, nor have made his repentance and amendment the occasion of his ruin. How much more likely is it, since he fell into the act of disloyalty to his charge, that the judgement of God concurr'd with the punishment of man, and justly cut him off for revolting to the King. To give the World an example, that glorious deeds don to ambitious ends, find reward answerable, not to thir outward seeming, but to thir inward ambition. In the mean while what thanks he had from the King for revolting to his cause, and what good opinion for dying in his service, they who have ventur'd like him, or intend, may heer take notice.
Hee proceeds to declare, not onelyonly in general wherfore Gods judgement was upon Hotham, but undertakes by fansies, and allusions to give a criticism upon every particular. That his head was divided from his body, because his heart was divided from the King: two heads cut off in one family for affronting the head of the Common-wealth; the eldest son being infected with the sin of his Father, against the Father of his Countrie. These petty glosses and conceits on the high and secret judgements of God, besides the boldness of unwarrantable commenting, are so weake and shallow, and so like the quibbl's of a Court Sermon, that we may safely reck'n them either fetcht from such a pattern, or that the hand of some houshold preist foisted them in; least the World should forget how much he was a Disciple of those Cymbal Doctors. But that argument by which the Author would commend them to us, discredits them the more. For if they be so obvious to every fancy, the more likely to be erroneous, and to misconceive the mind of those high secrecies, wherof they presume to determin. For God judges not by human fansy.
But however God judg'd Hotham, yet he had the Kings pitty; but marke the reason how preposterous; so farr he had his pitty, as he thought he at first acted more against the light of his conscience then many other men in the same cause. Questionless they who act against conscience, whether at the barr of human, or Divine Justice, are pittied least of all. These are the common grounds and verdicts of Nature, wherof when he who hath the judging of a Whole Nation, is found destitute, under such a Governour, that Nation must needs be miserable.
By the way he jerkes at some mens reforming to models of Religion, and that they think all is gold of pietie that doth but glister with a shew of Zeale. We know his meaning; and apprehend how little hope there could be of him from such language as this: But are sure that the pietie of his prelatic modell, glister'd more upon the posts and pillars which thir Zeale and fervencie guilded over, then in the true workes of spiritual edification.
He is sorry that Hotham felt the Justice of others, and fell not rather into the hands of his mercy. But to cleare that, he should have shewn us what mercy he had ever vs'd to such as fell into his hands before, rather then what mercy he intended to such as never could come to aske it. VVhatever mercy one man might have expected, tis too well known, the whole Nation found none; though they besought it oft'n, and so humbly; but had bin swallow'd up in blood and ruin, to set his privat will above the Parlament, had not his strength faild him. Yet ctemenoy he counts a debt, which he ought to pay to those that crave it; since we pay not any thing to God for his mercy, but prayers and praises. By this reason we ought as freely to pay all things to all men; for of all that we receive from God, what doe we pay for, more then prayers and praises? we look'd for the discharge of his Office, the payment of his dutie to the Kingdom, and are payd Court payment with empty sentences, that have the sound of gravity, but the significance of nothing pertinent.
Yet again after his mercy past and granted, he returnes back to give sentence upon Hotham; and whom he tells us he would so fain have sav'd alive, him he never leaves killing with a repeated condemnation, though dead long since. It was ill that sombody stood not neer to whisper him, that a reiterating Judge is worse then a tormentor. He pitties him, he rejoyces not, he pitties him again, but still is sure to brand him at the taile of his pitty, with som ignominious mark either of ambition or disloyaltie. And with a kind of censorious pitty, aggravats rather then less'ns or conceals the fault: To pitty thus is to triumph.
He assumes to foreknow that after times will dspute whether Hotham were more infamous at Hull or at Towerhill. What knew he of after times, who while he sits judging and censuring with out end the fate of that unhappy Father and his son at Towerhill, knew not that the like fate attended him, before his own Palace Gate; and as little knew whether after times reserve not a greater infamy to the story of his own life and raigne.
He saies but over again in his prayer, what his Sermon hath Preacht; How acceptably to those in heav'n we leave to be decided by that precept which forbidds Vaine Repetitions. Sure anough it lies as heavie as he can lay it, upon the head of poore Hotham.
Needs he will fast'n upon God a peece of revenge as done for his sake; and takes it for a favor, before he know it was intended him: which in his closet had bin excusable, but in a Writt'n and publish'd prayer, too presumptuous. Ecclesiastes hath a right name for such kind of Sacrifices.
Going on he prayes thus, Let not thy Justice prevent the objects and opportunities of my mercy. To folly, or to blasphemy, or to both shall we impute this? Shall the Justice of God give place, and serv to glorifie the mercies of a man? All other men, who know what they ask, desire of God that thir doings may tend to his glory; but in this prayer God is requir'd that his justice would forbeare to prevent, and as good have said to intrench upon the glory of a mans mercy. If God forbeare his Justice it must be, sure, to the magnifying of his own mercy: How then can any mortal man, without presumption little less then impious, take the boldness to aske that glory out of his hand. It may be doubted now by them who understand Religion, whether the King were more unfortunat in this his prayer, or Hotham in those his sufferings.