THough to advise may seeme presumptuous, what is well intended I am more then confident will not be either offensive to your Lordship, or prejudiciall to me; the rather what is now offered is, not for your good onely, but for the generall also; the honour whereof as in some sort you may appropria [...]e, so you cannot but participate and commu­nicate in the benefit.

The Parable in the Gospell tells us of a great King that married his Sonne and bid many thereto, yea upon the excuses of some and refu­sall of others, all of what sort soever and condition as well out of the high-waies as high places, were called and invited. As every true Christian hath an interest in the Marriage of the Kings Son of Hea­ven; so every good Subject as well as every great subject hath an in­terrest in the marriage and welfare of the Kings Sonne here on Earth, which occasions so many to wish, that it may bring to him glory in her, good will and peace to him on earth, which is much doubted can­not be from Spaine, since the motion of this match makes a gener [...] feare t [...]at it can neither be safe for the Kings person not good for this Church and Common-wealth, because that thereby may be an in-let to the Romish Locusts, who like a Canker-worme may in an instant smite our Gourd under whose shadow wee sit safe; and then what [Page 3] may we all feare but the heate of persecution, or dissention to beate upon the head of Ionah the best affected of Gods people.

Who can but lament and wish with Jonah to dye, rather than to see and endure that day; for what evill will they not attempt against our goodly Cedar tree, that the Vine which their left hand hath planted may grow up? and they be sheltred under her Branches. But herein it is hoped that God will enable this State sooner to make prevention of their mischiefe than triall of their affections, for as there is no person that wounded them more deepely, so there is no person whom they hate more deadly. And if they murthered the last Lord, Hen. of France because they but suspected him to favour the Protestants how doe they burne in malice against him who hath so professed himselfe, and blazed to [...]i [...] glory and their shame? And it is as unsafe for men as displeasing to God, to relye upon them.

Henry of Bullen King of Navar father of Henry the 4. drawne by an imaginary Crowne of Sardinia and the Provinces of the Spaniard, left the Protestants both in profession and person, and became a perse­cutor of those whose protector he was; but whiles he cast his hopes upon Spaine he was deprived of his owne Crowne, and God in Justice who never leaves any that leane vpon him, first gave him o­ver to a violent death, for a bullet tooke him within his owne Tren­ches besieging the poore Protestants in Roane; Henry the fourth his Sonne, what Battells did he fight, what dangers did he escape even to admiration while he was at distance with the Pope and Spaniards? but when in a politick and worldly respect hee tasted the same sower Grape which set his fathers teeth on edge; First a young Iesuite strook him on the mouth, and then a Popish Raviliack stab'd him to the heart. Whereas Queene Elizabeth the happiest instrument of Go [...]s glory of her sex, since the blessed Virgin, notwithstanding the few friends she had abroad and division at home when shee came to the Crowne, being a l [...]ane woman yet she refused the King of Spaine, being her first and earnest Sutor by the Earle of Feria his Ambassa­dour and notwithstanding the thundering of the Popes Bulls and Spanish Canons openly, or the working of his Pistols privately, they were never able to cut as much as the lap of her coate, or to diminish one haire, much lesse the Crowne off her head. And His Majesty, that now is continuing constant in the same Religion she professed, continueth no lesse miraculously in Gods protection; and though [Page 4] there were but one Protestant Prince in Christendome then besides himselfe, chose rather to match with her, than with all the wealth of Spaine, or any other popish Prince.

What therefore his Majesty hath given by precept to the Prince in his Booke, and by precedency in his owne person will undoubtedly be expected, and all good men hope will be performed; for as the Prince Proclaimes the King his Father by his wonderfull likenesse and resemblance of the King him selfe, so it is hoped he will never ap­peare unlike him as in his other vertues, so particularly in the choise of his second self, which so meerely concernes himself and your Lordship onely, for none can be too circumspect, especially since not a Somer­set, not a Secretary onely, but the first, the strongest and the wisest man that ever was, though they were all good men, and Types of Christ, yet they were hereby tempted and seduced.

To addresse this Discourse more particularly to your Lordship, Kings have almost ever had their favourites.

Alexander had long since his Hephaestion. and H. 3. of France his Epermon, and Philip of Spaine had since his Larvea, yea the best Princes have not wanted them; for after the reckoning of Davids great Officers, Hushai the Archite is called the Kings friend, Ira the Iairite is set downe to have been chiefe about David, which stands with reason, and agreeth with nature; for every private man is left to affect as he liketh: neither can affection be forced. Now to dis-allow or confine that in a King which is left at liberty to the meanest sub­ject, were preposterous and injurious. For though they Command actions as they are Kings, yet are they subject to their passion as they are men.

And if I may alleadge it without mis-interpretation of others (as I am free from ill meaning my selfe) who knowes but Christ, the rather to shew himselfe a Naturall man, expressed so much the more his Passion in his often weeping and affection to diverse particulars, but especially to Saint Iohn (if I may not say his favourite) certaintly the Disciple whom Iesus loved more than any of the rest.

It is Gods blessing and your happinesse to be the Kings Favourite, as Peter therefore not presuming to aske Christ of whom hee spake, beckned to the Disciple whom Iesus loved, on whose breast he leaned to aske for him: so sure most men neither may nor ought to be so bold to aske or advise the King in this businesse so much spoken of, [Page 5] yet they point at you, who the higher you are in the Kings favour, the more you are in the peoples eye and observation; and they expect you will not be wanting in the duty of a subject, a Counsellour and a Favourite; but as the reasons and perswasions are known to have the better opportunity to be delivered, and the more credit to be believed, so in this case to be with the King as Moses one of Gods greatest Fa­vourites and familiar servants to stand in the gap, to divert the plague (for so in most mens judgements it is feared) how glorious and ne­cessary soever it seeme outwardly, I am confident you thinke the Kings favour and your owne fortunes are not for your owne ends a­lone, or for any ill end at all, wee have lately seene the ends of those that have proposed such ends, and as Gods providence extends to the fall of a Sparrow, so much more to the rise of a Favourite. And who knowes but the same, that raised Ioseph in Aegypt, hath advanced you in England for the like end.

To parallel you in no disparagement you are a younger Brother by a second marriage as Ioseph was, a faire person and well favoured as Ioseph was, the King hath for your honour altered your name, as Iosephs was, you have honoured and inriched your Parents and bre­thren, and kindred as Ioseph did, Iosephs kindred were made known to Pharoah as yours to our Caesar; Now my Lord seeing you follow Ioseph so farre leave him not to the end, but strive to be a meanes to preserve this our Land from a spirituall famine. We read not of any servant better respected of his Master than Eliazar of Damascus, whom Abraham had meant (had he dyed childlesse) to have made his heire, and we find not any service he did Abraham more (at least greater) then in the choise of a wife for his sonne Isaac.

Amongst the servants of our Patriarch, The Defender of the Faith, we observe none better respected than your selfe, and we know not in what you may doe him better service then with Eliazar to helpe to choose a Rebecca for our Isaack, Abrahams injunction is a good direction not to take her amongst the Cananite Princes, for having liberty to taste of every tree in the Garden, if wee shall one [...]y meddle with the forbidden fruit how miserable and woefull is our condition; for the Serpent will not onely beguile the woman but the Philistims will intreat Dalilah, & she will betray Sampson, so while they plough with our Heyfer they will unfold our Riddle and undoe our State.

Besides whatsoever Language the Father speakes the children doe [Page 6] commonly speake the mother tongue, and wheresoever there is a Ba­bel, there is a confusion not of tongues onely, but of states.

Whereas Christs Church is like his Coate closely woven and at peace within it selfe, though some itching Seperatists seeke to make a hole in our coate and Church, which the Papists labour to rent worse, and the desperate Iesuit makes it past mending for wheresoever they come they turne Christs coate into Deiantar garment, which as it set Hercules on fire, so it set others in combustion; the reason is, their first founder was a Souldier, and ever since, The way of peace they have not knowne; at least not lov'd. To instance in particular not un­fit for our present purpose, we have not heard of any Protestant King that ever married with a contrary Religion, whose raigne hath bin prosperous but very fatall and unfortunate.

Henry of Navar married with Mary of France, which marriage was very unfortunate to the parties never having issue, and being af­terwards divorced, and so fatall to our Religion that there was more bloud spilt at those Nuptialls than wine spent; for whilst the Parents dreamed of the glory and security they should have by the match, they were most miserably massacred, and who doubts but what the French committed in their owne Country, upon that colour would any Papists be glad to doe in this Kingdome, for without breach of charity we may doubt of their sincere meaning when they seeme to desire the greatest union; for in 88. while there was a Treaty of peace, the Spanish Armado came upon us. If therefore we either live or are led by example or precept, we shall finde it was forbidden the people of the world to marry with a different Religion; the injuncti­on; the reason and the effect are set downe in Deutrinomy to the Iewes. And we see in Salomon the wisest King that ever was, who married one of the greatest Kings daughters that then was, yet we see the weakest sex withdrew the wisest man, for Salomon became an Idolater, his Son a foole, his Subjects rebelled, and the best part of his Kingdome rent from his posterity for ever.

If we search our Chronicles we shall finde that God hath crost (if not curst) our alliance and association with forraigne Princes, espe­cially with Spaine. A Prince of the greatest performance that this Kingdome or Christendome ever had was the black Prince, yet go­ing into Spaine to settle Don Pedro in that Kingdome, besides the monstrous ingratitude and perfidiousnesse of the Spaniard, who fai­led [Page 7] of the performance of those conditions hee had promised, which caused the unseperable Revolt in France to the losse of our inheri­tance, the Prince was poysoned in that Country that hee never had his health afterwards.

But to come neerer to our present purpose and to our owne times, which are little the better for our Spanish friendship.

I beseech your Lordship observe that all the marriages for this last 120. yeares (except the severall second marriages of Hen. 8. have bin onely and no where else but with Spaine, with how little good God hath blessed them, the successe shewes.

Prince Arthur married the Spanish Kings daughter, wee know God tooke him away presently by a sudden death without any issue.

In a politicke respect wee would then make a second match for Prince Henry, afterwards King, did marry the same daughter, but doubtlesse God was lesse pleased with that match which was lesse lawfull, and God tooke away all the male children, and left onely a daughter, in whose short reigne was shed more bloud for the true Re­ligion in sixe yeares, than for the false in these succeeding sixty yeares. We made then a third adventure and married with Spaine, Queene Mary with King Philip, which was so discontenting to the people, that it caused Wiats Rebellion, so discomfortable that it broke the Queenes heart being left and neglected by her husband so dishonou­rable and prejudiciall to this Kingdome, that meerely for the Spani­ards sake we having no difference with France we lost Callis in sixe dayes which had bin above 200. yeares in our possession.

And though I have not so much judgement, nor so little wit to presume where to match, yet I assume so much as to think a match at home cannot be held any waies inconvenient.

Wee find that the first and the last of our Kings that ever matcht with their subjects were William the Conquerer, Edward the fourth, and Henry the eighth, to which three matches God as it were to shew the lesse we relye upon others abroad, the more hee will blesse us himselfe at home; for by the two latter marriages God gave two daughters, two Elizabeths, two such Queenes, than which there were never two such blessed instruments of Gods glory, and this Kingdomes good, by establishing peace in the Land, and Religion in the Church, untill his Majesties most happy comming who brought both with him.

Thus my Lord have I made bold to lay my poore single [...] at your feete the many Talents you have cannot be better imployed than this, to make you here and everlastingly a good and fait [...]full Servant to both your Masters; if you would lye in waite for an op­portunity which is happily presently offered, and your honour can­not invent any occasion more pleasing to God, and more laudable to the best men, then by perswading secretly by humble intreaties, and opposing publickly by your solid reasons this. Spanish match, since whatsoever the occasions or necessities of the Crowne be, it will find more support by casting it selfe into the Armes of the Subjects which are the two Houses of Parliament, then by seeking to any for­raigne fawning foe, or envious enemy, whereunto whensoever wee leave and trust we shall finde the Aegyptians Reedes, and their in­tentions rather to supplant than to support us.