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Show --~ .. The Earl of Effex, Letter to the Council, & c. 10~ . I :_ ___ ans had, with the aunc~ep.t ufurpit~g Philip; Pr£lium Facile, Bellum • D~fficile. Therefore: lt lS our ~1iad~fl.l1t.age, to draw the v\'arr into Length . . And 1f any ~an, 111 t~1s ~(mKdom,il1ould be allowed, to perf wade to prevennon, hcnught ~e one, that fc.1w the Spaniard at home, apprehend an Invafion, w~th greater Terrour,than he makes it abroad: And that was~ Wuneis, how an Handfull 1 \ ofMc:n neither armed, viCtualled, nor ordered,as they f11ould be, l landed: marched-, and had done what th~y lified,ifeither the sh,ps l had come up, or they had had any provthons, to make a Hole 111 a Wall, or tO break open a Gate. But though the Counfd be i good for fome States, and for ours,. at fome time~, yet the <??P~r- \ mnities ~ught to be watched, and 1t l~lU~ appear, ,rha: tlns lt 1s , which is now taken. The Opportunuy, for fuch Servtce, I take to be when either the Enemy, May receive the moil hurt; Or whe~ he is likeliefi, to attempt againfr us, if he be not empeached. The Hurt, that our Eftatc ihould fee:k, tO doe him, is; To intercept his Treafure, whereby we iliall cut his Sinnews, and make Warr upon him, with his own Mon~y; .And to b~at, or at leafr difcontincw bun, from .the Sea, whereby her Matefty fhall be,both fccurcd from his Invafions,and b(cOlnc Mtjtril of the Sea; which is the Greatnefs, that the Q..ueen of an Ijland, fhould mofl: afpire untO. In matter ofProfit, w.emay, this Journ~y, tnofi hurt him, and benefit our Selves; Smce he hath, (as 1s agreeJ on by all Men,) moreCaracks, tO come home now~ than. ever any ·year b ::{ore. Bdides many good Advant~ges?whtch w11l beo~ered if we command the Coatt. · And to g1ve h1m a Blow, and dtfcou~ tenance him by Sea, now i.s the Time, when he hath declared his Ambition to comnund the Seas; And yet, fo divided his . rlus-s; Some a'ppoin~ted to b~ fct out, and yet [cant in readinefs ; others upon point of Commmg home, .and n~)t fit to defend themfclves, if either they be.: met at Sea, ?r fo~nd 1~1 Harbour;. And all [o difperfcd, in feveral places, as 1f at any nn~e, we !night doc good~ that way, it is now. And wh~ther ~e.wll~ make \tVarr up- ~ on us, if we let him alone; L~t his So~hcuations? O!fers, and Gifts to the RebeUs of Ireland; H1s bdiegwg, and wmntng of Ca~ · laif, and tl1ofe parts of France, that front upon us ; And. his fl:rengthening himfclfby. Sea, by fo 111any I~eans;Let thcfe tlungs (I fay,) tell us. So as, ifwcwlll, atanynme, allowth~ Counfel of prevention, to be reafonable, we mufl now confefs H, t0 be opportune But wl1atfoever the Co1mfcl we~c, I am not to be. ~l1arged with it?. For as I was no.t the ~ontr~ver, nor O~e~er,.of the ProjeQ:, fo If I had refufed to Joyn wtth h11n, that did mvttc me to it, I il1ould have been thought, both Incompatible, and Backward, in her MaJfftie~ Service. I G1y not this, for d at I rhink the AetiOI'l fuch, ·as it were Difadvantage, to be thought the Projecror of it; But I fay, and (ay truly, th~u .o.1y Lqrd Admi- . l'al devifed it, prcfentr.d it to her Mai~fty, and had as wdl the ~p- · prol anon J --- --- . • -1 ___ ....._ _____ .....,.... _ ________ ,___~---.-- i · The Earl o[Effex, Letter ;o th~ ~ciiJ &c. prob~tion of~cr Maiefty, .and the Affent ?ffuch of Y?ur Lordfh;ps, as .were acquamted wlth tt, as my Promtfe to goe w1th him. One thwg~ (I confefs,) I above al! M.en, atn to be charged w.itball : That ts ~ That when he.r Matefftes, the C~ties of London, and the States ?f the Low-Countrus charge was paft, the Men levied, and ~a~·chwg, to the Rendez-vom; l could not fee, how with he:r Mazeffus Honour, and S.afety)thc Tourney might be broken. Whcrew~ although I fhould be carried' wi~h paffi.on,yet I pray your Lordfhzps confid~r, who,.almofi, that had been in my Cafe, named to fuch an ACl:ton, vo1ced throughout Chriftendom , and engaged in ~r, as much as I was worth ; And beino· the Inftrum\nt,of drawmg, more voluntary Men,of their own charge, than ever was feen thefe manl years.= Who (I f~y,) would not have been fo affeCl:ed ~ But farr be 1t from ~e, m an ARion, of this importance, to wetgh .my Self, or my parucular Fortunes. I mttfl: befeech your Lordfhtps, torctnember, that I was, fr01n time to time warranted, by all your opinions, delivered both amongfi yout f~lvcs and to her Matefty: VVhich tieth you all, to allow the Counfel. 'And that being graunted, your Lordfhips , will call that Zeal, which make.th a M~n conftant, in a good Counfcl, that would be Paffion, 1n an ev1I, or a doubtfull. .I confefs, her Maitfty, offered us Recompence, for ~11 our charges and loffes. But, (my Lords, ) I pray your Lordfbtps confider, ~ow ma~y }hings, I fhould have fold, at once, for money. I will leave mme own reputation as too [mall a Matter to be mentioned. But I fhould have fold· The Honour of her Maiefly; The fafery of the State; The Conten~ment of her C~nfederaus; The Fort~~e and Hope, of many my poot Countrt~-Men; And The Poffibthty, of giving a Blow, to that Enemy, that ought ever t.o be hat~fuli, to all trueEnglifh Hearts. I fhould have [old all t~1s, for prtvate profit. therefore, though I ask pardon of her Malefty, and pray your Lordfhipr, to tnediatc it for me, that I was car~ied by this Zeal fo fafi, that I forgat thofe Reverend Forms, whtch l fhould have ufed; yet I had rather, have my Heart, out o~ my ~ody, than this Zeal, out of tny Heart. And novy, a.s I hav.e laid. before your Lordfhips, my paft carriage, and entrmg mto thts A Elton; So I befecch your Lordfhips, give me leave, to prepare you,to a tavourable Confi:ruCtion,of that, which I fhall doc hereafter. In which Sure, I am re(olved, neither to plea~ the Hazarding of Life, nor fpendi'ng of my Subfiance, in a Pubhck Service; To the end, that I might find your Lord{hips, (who arc puhlick per[or.s, J more favourable Judges: But will con. fefs, that I receive, fo much Favour, and Honour, by this Trufi,. and Employment, as when I have done all I can, I iliall fbll be be~ind hand. This Sute only I make, that your Lo1dfbipt, will ~either have too great an ExpeCtation, of our AC1:10ns, nor too lutle; Left all we doe, feen1 either Nothing, or to be done by Chance. I know, we mufl: be eyed, tO doc no more, than {hall be 0 oo z for |
