But Preces & Lachrymæ, are the people's weapons: so are Swords and Pistols, when God and Parliaments bid them Arme. Prayers and Teares are
good weapons for them that have nothing but knees and eyes; but most men are made with teeth and nailes; onely they must neither scratch for Liberties, nor bite Prerogatives, till they have wept and prayed as God would have them. If Subjects must fight for their Kings against other Kingdomes, when their Kings will; I know no reason, but they may fight against their Kings for their own Kingdomes, when Parliaments say they may and must: but Parliaments must not say they must, till God sayes they may.
I can never beleeve that Majestas Imperii, was ever so simple as to think, that if it extends it self beyond its due Artique at one end, but Salus Populi must Antartique it as farre at the other end, or else the world will be Excentrick, and then it will whirle; and if it once fall a whirling, ten to one, it will whirle them off first, that sit in highest chaires on cushions fill'd with Peacocks feathers; and they are like to stand their ground fastest, that owne not one foot of ground to stand upon. When Kings rise higher than they should, they exhale Subjects higher than they would: if the Primum Mobile should ascend one foot higher than it is, it would hurry all the nether wheeles, and the whole world on fire in 24 houres. No Prince exceeds in Soveraignty, but his Subjects will exceed as farre in some vitious Liberty, to abate their griefe; or some pernicious mutiny, to abate their Prince.
The crazy world will crack, in all the middle joynts.
If all the ends it hath, have not their parapoynts.
Nor can I beleeve that Crownes trouble Kings Heads, so much as Kings heads trouble Crownes: nor that they are flowers of Crowns that trouble Crowns, but rather some Nettles or Thistles mistaken for flowers.
To speake plainer English, I have wondred these thirty yeares what Kings aile: I have seen in my time, the best part of twenty Christian Kings and Princes; Yet as Christian as they were, some or other were still scuffling for Prerogatives. It must be granted at all hands, that Prærogativæ Regis are necessary Supporters of State: and stately things to stately Kings: but if withall, they be Derogativæ Regno, they are but little things to wise Kings. Equity is as due to People, as Eminency to Princes: Liberty to Subjects, as Royalty to Kings: If they cannot walk together lovingly hand in hand, pari passu, they must cut girdles and part as good friends as they may: Nor must it be taken offensively, that when Kings are haling up their top-gallants, Subjects lay hold on their slablines; the head and body must move alike: it is nothing meet for me to say with Horace,
Ut tu fortunam, sic nos te Car'le feremus.
But I hope I may safely say,
The body beares the head, the head the Crown;
If both beare not alike, then one will down.