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the business thus with himself. He took it for granted in his own judgment, that the war of Britain, in respect of the strength of the towns and of the party, could not speedily come to a period. For he conceived, that the counsels of a war, that was undertaken by the French King, then childless, against an heir apparent of France, would be very faint and slow; and, besides, that it was not possible, but that the state of France should be embroiled with some troubles and alterations in favour of the duke of Orleans. He conceived likewise, that Maximilian King of the Romans was a Prince warlike and potent; who, he made account, would give succours to the Britains roundly. So then judging it would be a work of time, he laid his plot, how he might best make use of that time for his own affairs. Wherein first he thought to make his vantage upon his parliament; knowing that they being affectionate unto the quarrel of Britain, would give treasure largely which treasure, as a noise of war might draw forth, so a peace succeeding might coffer up. And because he knew his people were hot upon the business, he chose rather to seem to be deceived, and lulled asleep by the French, than to be backward in himself; considering his subjects were not so fully capable of the reasons of state, which made him hold back. Wherefore to all these purposes he saw no other expedient, than to set and keep on foot a continual treaty of peace, laying it down, and taking it up again, as the occurrence required. Besides, he had in consideration the point of honour, in bearing the blessed person of a pacificator. He thought likewise to make use of the envy that the French King met with, by occasion of this war of Britain, in strengthening himself with new alliances; as namely, that of Ferdinando of Spain, with whom he had ever a consent even in nature and customs; and likewise with Maximilian, who was particularly interested. So that in substance he promised himself money, honour, friends, and peace in the end. But those things were too fine to be fortunate and succeed in all parts; for that great affairs are commonly too rough and stubborn to be wrought upon by the finer edges or points of wit. The King

was likewise deceived in his two main grounds. For although he had reason to conceive that the council of France would be wary to put the King into a war against the heir apparent of France; yet he did not consider that Charles was not guided by any of the principal of the blood or nobility, but by mean men, who would make it their master-piece of credit and favour, to give venturous counsels, which no great or wise man durst or would. And for Maximilian, he was thought then a greater matter than he was; his unstable and necessitous courses being not then known.

After consultation with the ambassadors, who brought him no other news than he expected before, though he would not seem to know it till then, he presently summoned his parliament, and in open parliament propounded the cause of Britain to both houses, by his chancellor Morton archbishop of Canterbury, who spake to this effect.

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My lords and masters, the King's grace, our so❝vereign lord, hath commanded me to declare unto you the causes that have moved him at this time to "summon this his parliament; which I shall do in "few words, craving pardon of his grace, and you "all, if I perform it not as I would.

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"His grace doth first of all let you know, that he "retaineth in thankful memory the love and loyalty "shewed to him by you, at your last meeting, in "establishment of his royalty; freeing and discharging of his partakers, and confiscation of his traitors " and rebels; more than which could not come from subjects to their sovereign, in one action. This he "taketh so well at your hands, as he hath made it a "resolution to himself, to communicate with so loving "and well approved subjects, in all affairs that are "of public nature, at home or abroad.

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"Two therefore are the causes of your present assembling: the one, a foreign business; the other, "matter of government at home.

"The French King, as no doubt ye have heard, "maketh at this present hot war upon the duke of "Britain. His army is now before Nantz, and holdeth

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it straitly besieged, being the principal city, if not " in ceremony and preeminence, yet in strength and "wealth, of that duchy. Ye may guess at his hopes, "by his attempting of the hardest part of the war first. "The cause of this war he knoweth best. He alledgeth the entertaining and succouring of the duke ❝ of Orleans, and some other French lords, whom the King taketh for his enemies. Others divine of other "matters. Both parts have, by their ambassadors, "divers times prayed the King's aids; the French "King aids or neutrality; the Britains aids simply: " for so their case requireth. The King, as a Chris❝tian Prince, and blessed son of the holy Church, hath "offered himself, as a mediator, to treat of peace be"tween them. The French King yielded to treat, but "will not stay the prosecution of the war. The Bri

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"tains, that desire peace most, hearken to it least; not upon confidence or stiffness, but upon distrust of "true meaning, seeing the war goes on. So as the "King, after as much pains and care to effect a peace, "as ever he took in any business, not being able to "remove the prosecution on the one side, nor the dis"trust on the other, caused by that prosecution, hath "let fall the treaty; not repenting of it, but despairing of it now, as not likely to succeed. Therefore by this narrative you now understand the state of "the question, whereupon the King prayeth your "advice; which is no other, but whether he shall "enter into an auxiliary and defensive war for the "Britains against France?

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"And the better to open your understandings in "this affair, the King hath commanded me to say "somewhat to you from him, of the persons that do "intervene in this business; and somewhat of the

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consequence thereof, as it hath relation to this "kingdom, and somewhat of the example of it in general: making nevertheless no conclusion or judg"ment of any point, until his grace hath received "your faithful and politic advices.

"First, for the King our sovereign himself, who is "the principal person you are to eye in this business;

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"his grace doth profess, that he truly and constantly "desireth to reign in peace. But his grace saith, he "will neither buy peace with dishonour, nor take it up "at interest of danger to ensue; but shall think it a good change, if it please God to change the inward "troubles and seditions, wherewith he hath been hi"therto exercised, into an honourable foreign war, "And for the other two persons in this action, the "French King and the duke of Britain, his grace doth "declare unto you, that they be the men unto whom "he is of all other friends and allies most bounden: the 66 one having held over him his hand of protection from "the tyrant; the other having reached forth unto him "his hand of help for the recovery of his kingdom. So "that his affection toward them in his natural person " is upon equal terms. And whereas you may have “heard, that his grace was enforced to fly out of Bri"tain into France, for doubts of being betrayed; his

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grace would not in any sort have that reflect upon "the duke of Britain, in defacement of his former "benefits; for that he is throughly informed, that it "was but the practice of some corrupt persons about "him, during the time of his sickness, altogether without his consent or privity.

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"But howsoever these things do interest his grace "in this particular, yet he knoweth well, that the "higher bond that tieth him to procure by all means "the safety and welfare of his loving subjects, doth "disinterest him of these obligations of gratitude, "otherwise than thus; that if his grace be forced to "make a war, he do it without passion or ambition. "For the consequence of this action towards this kingdom, it is much as the French King's intention "is. For if it be no more, but to range his subjects "to reason, who bear themselves stout upon the strength of the duke of Britain, it is nothing to us. "But if it be in the French King's purpose, or if it "should not be in his purpose, yet if it shall follow all one, as if it were sought, that the French King shall "make a province of Britain, and join it to the crown "of France; then it is worthy the consideration, how

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"this may import England, as well in the increase"ment of the greatness of France, by the addition of "such a country, that stretcheth his boughs unto our "seas, as in depriving this nation, and leaving it naked "of so firm and assured confederates as the Britains "have always been. For then it will come to pass, "that whereas not long since this realm was mighty 86 upon the continent, first in territory, and after in alliance, in respect of Burgundy and Britain, which "were confederates indeed, but dependent confede"rates; now the one being already cast, partly into "the greatness of France; and partly into that of "Austria, the other is like wholly to be cast into the greatness of France; and this island shall remain "confined in effect within the salt waters, and girt "about with the coast countries of two mighty mo"narchs.

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"For the example, it resteth likewise upon the "same question, upon the French King's intent. For if Britain be carried and swallowed up by France, "as the world abroad, apt to impute and construe the " actions of Princes to ambition, conceive it will; then "it is an example very dangerous and universal, that "the lesser neighbour state should be devoured of the "greater. For this may be the case of Scotland to"wards England; of Portugal towards Spain of the 7 smaller estates of Italy towards the greater; and so "of Germany; or as if some of you of the commons might not live and dwell safely besides some of "these great lords. And the bringing in of this example will be chiefly laid to the King's charge, as "to him that was most interested, and most able to "forbid it. But then on the other side, there is so "fair a pretext on the French king's part, and yet pretext is never wanting to power, in regard the danger imminent to his own estate is such, as may "make this enterprise seem rather a work of necessity than of ambition, as doth in reason correct the danger of the example. For that the example of "that which is done in a man's own defence, cannot "be dangerous; because it is in another's power to

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