say Schoolmen and Pretorians what they will. And in all, the best Standard to measure Prerogatives, is the Ploughstaffe; to measure Liberties, the Scepter: if the tearms were a little altered into Loyall Prerogatives and Royall Liberties, then we should be sure to have Royall Kings and Loyall Subjects.
Subjects their King, the King his Subjects greets,
Whilome the Scepter and the Plough-staffe meets.
But Progenitors have had them for four and twenty predecessions: that would be spoken in the Norman tongue or Cimbrian, not in the English or Scottish: When a Conquerour turnes Christian, Christianity turns Conquerour: if they had had them time out of minde of man, before Adam was made, it is not a pin to the point in foro rectæ rationis: Justice and Equity were before time, and will be after it: Time hath neither Politicks nor Ethicks, good nor evill in it; it is an empty thing, as empty as a New-English purse, and emptier it cannot bee: a man may break his neck in time, and in a lesse time then he can heale it.
But here is the deadly pang, it must now be taken by force and dint of sword: I confesse it is a deadly pang to a Spirit made all of flesh, but not to a mortified heart: it is good to let God have his will as hee please, when we have not reason to let him have it as we should; remembring, that hitherto he hath taken order, that ill Prerogatives gotten by the Sword, should in time be fetcht home by the Dagger, if nothing else will doe it: Yet I trust there is both day and
means to intervent this bargaine. But if they should; if God will make both King and Kingdome the better by it, what should either lose? I am sure there is no great cause for either to make great brags.
Pax quo carior, eo charior.
A peace well made, is likeliest then to hold,
When 'tis both dearly bought and dearly sold.
I confesse, he that parts with such pearles to be paid in old iron, had need to be pityed more by his faithfull friends, than he is like to be by his false flatterers. My heart is surcharged, I can no longer forbear.
My Dearest Lord, and my more than dearest King, I most humbly beseech you upon mine aged knees, that you would please to arme your minde with patience of proofe, and to intrench your selfe as deep as you can, in your wonted Royall meeknesse; for I am resolved to display my unfurled soule in your very face, and to storme you with volyes of Love and Loyalty. You owe the meanest true Subject you have, a close account of these open Warres: they are no Arcana imperii. Then give mee leave to inquire of your Majesty, what you make in fields of blood, when you should be amidst your Parliament of peace: What you doe sculking in the suburbs of Hell, when your Royall Pallaces stand desolate, through your absence? What moves you to take up Armes against your faithfull Subjects, when your Armes should bee