Neither Do I Remember That The House Did Ever
Capitulate, Or Prefer Their Private To The Public And The Queen's
Necessities, but waited their times, and, in the first place, gave
their supply, and according to the exigence of her
Affairs; yet
failed not at the last to attain what they desired, so that the
Queen and her Parliaments had ever the good fortune to depart in
love, and on reciprocal terms, which are considerations that have
not been so exactly observed in our LAST assemblies. And I would to
God they had been; for, considering the great debts left on the
King, {32} and to what incumbrances the House itself had then drawn
him, His Majesty was not well used, though I lay not the blame on
the whole suffrage of the House, where he had many good friends; for
I dare avouch it, had the House been freed of half a dozen popular
and discontented persons (such as, with the fellow that burnt the
temple of Ephesus, would be talked of, though for doing mischief), I
am confident the King had obtained that which, in reason, and at his
first occasion, he ought to have received freely, and without
condition. But pardon this digression, which is here remembered,
not in the way of aggravation, but in true zeal of the public good,
and presented IN CAVEAT of future times: for I am not ignorant how
the genius and spirit of the kingdom now moves to make His Majesty
amends on any occasion; and how desirous the subject is to expiate
that offence at any rate, may it please His Majesty to make a trial
of his subjects' affections; and at what price they value now his
goodness and magnanimity.
But to our purpose: the Queen was not to learn that, as the
strength of the kingdom consisted in the multitude of her subjects,
so the security of her person consisted and rested in the love and
fidelity of her people, which she politically affected (as it hath
been thought) somewhat beneath the height of her natural spirit and
magnanimity.
Moreover, it will be a true note of her providence, that she would
always listen to her profit: for she would not refuse the
information of meanest personages, which proposed improvement; and
had learned the philosophy of (HOC AGERE) to look unto her own work:
of which there is a notable example of one Carmarthen, an under
officer of the Custom House, who, observing his time, presented her
with a paper, showing how she was abused in the under-renting of the
Customs, and therewith humbly desired Her Majesty to conceal him,
for that it did concern two or three of her great counsellors, {33}
whom Customer Smith had bribed with two thousand pounds a man, so to
lose the Queen twenty thousand pounds per annum; which being made
known to the Lords, they gave strict order that Carmarthen should
not have access to the back-stairs; but, at last, Her Majesty
smelling the craft, and missing Carmarthen, she sent for him back,
and encouraged him to stand to his information; which the poor man
did so handsomely that, within the space of ten years, he was
brought to double his rent, or leave the Custom to new farmers.
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