CERTAIN REASONS AND ARGUMENTS OF POLICY, Why the King of ENGLAND should hereafter give over all further Treaty, and enter into war with the Spaniard.  
Printed M.DC.XXIV.   

CERTAIN REASONS AND ARGUMENTS OF POLICY, WHY THE KING OF England should hereafter give over all further Treaty, and enter into war with the Spaniard.  

For the first, which is, Leaving off all treaty.  
BEcause the English in all Treaties taken in hand with the Spaniard and the house of Austria, and continued so many years with such labour and charges, hath not only been unfortunate, but also scornfully abused by the Spaniard, who is exceedingly disagreeing from the honest mind and meaning of the English. For so many years while things stood stronger on the side of the English, nothing hath been effected by treaty: and who can presume that any thing will be effected now, when things are brought into far worse case?  
The King by seven diverse Treaties and Ambassages hath effected just nothing in this cause, which concerns the peace of Germany and the whole estate of his Son in law. 1. In the year 1619. by the Earl of Carlisle. 2. by Sir H. Wotton at Vienna, 1620. 3. by Sir E. Conway and Sir R. Weston in the same year. 4. by the Lord Digby, 1621. 5. by Sir R. Weston in the same 6. by the Lord Chichester Baron of Belfast. 7. by the Prince in Spain, 1623. Besides, how many Curriers have been sent? how many letters written? and what ado ha●h been made by ordinary Ambassadors and Ministers?  
2. The honour of the King and kingdom requires, that this tye of Treaties which they have been entangled in all this while, should now be broken off. For if they should continue that course which hath brought no benefit to either themselves or to others, or to the common cause, who can excuse them? Besides, they should expose themselves to contempt and scorn, by stumbling so often unpardonably at the same stone; with their friends and subjects they should bring themselves into suspicion and hate, by continuing a thing so dangerous; & to strangers they should not only increase the ill opinion which the world hath conceived of their secure carriage, but also they should give all men good cause to forsake them hereafter, if they should chance to have need of them  
3. By Treaties the English have not only got and gained nothing; but farther, all the businesses of themselves and their friends have ever gone backward to the worse: the Spaniards going forward always with a high look and a brazen face, and wisely making use of the fair forewind of fortune, turning their countenance to the English, and their mind to their own advantage.  
4. The meaning and s●ope of the Spaniard is directly opposite to that of the English. For his endeavour is by Treaties to circumvent, to gain time, to undo his enemies by delays, to advance his own profit and dominion, to despise peace as pernicious to him, and his great power to nourish war, especially in Germany, where by the dissension of the Prince's diversity of Religion, & assistance of his friends, he may be sure not only to lose nothing, but to gain, & to fish safely in troubled waters. But the intention of the English is honest, viz. to give peace to Europe, and to every one his own: neither doth he intent to get benefit to himself, & rule over others. And how can these contradictories be reconciled by Treaties?  
5. The very adverse part doth ill interpret and take these treaties of the King, as if thereby he intended nothing else but to gain time, and to wait for the revolution of fortune, or the occasion of change, with a mind altogether estranged from any peaceable composition, and only pretending an intention of treating; as the Archbishop of Mentz doth in express words write of the King to the Elector of Saxon. 7. Octob. 1623. The letters may be seen.   

Reasons for the second: Of undertaking war with Spain.  
The faith promised mutually to one another, which they have violated, the breaking of the covenants confirmed by solemn stipulation, the injuries offered, the deeds and Instruments of the covenants falsified, and such like as these which follow: all or any one of these are esteemed of all Nations just cause of entering into war.  
Now then must we declare how faith hath been violated, and the solemn conditions of the League have been broken by them. The last year a surcease of Arms for 15 months was propounded of the Spaniard, accepted of the English, and upon certain Articles upon both parts agreed upon, was set down in instruments, signed and sealed. But the Spaniard and their Complices, both at the very time in which they sealed the Articles, and also afterward, did many ways violate and pervert them, both by leaving out what was agreed upon, & inserting what was not covenanted at all. That Instrument of truce was exhibited and communicated in the Empire in the month of March, many weeks before it was either concluded or signed in England. In the meeting at jutterbock, to the end that the warlike preparations of the Princes of Germany might be hindered, and in Hungary to Gabor that he should not stir, it was exhibited long before it was concluded, as if it had been fully concluded and sealed. And mark their cunning and false practice, by this exhibition of it, and a false persuasion which they added to it, that all things should shortly be accommodated, were the Princes of the Empire so moved and persuaded, that they compelled the Duke of Brunswick to lay down arms, and to departed out of the bounds of Germany, denying him all provision and passage. But the Instruments of the Truce were not subscribed by the English, but in the 21 of April old style, or the first of May new style, and after in the month of August ratified by the Elector Palatine. Moreover in those instruments and deeds given abroad there to Germany by the other party, these words in the third Article (Declaring them enemies of the Empire and of our Allies) were left out, as words that might give just cause of offence to the Princes of the Empire, when they should see such a hard declaration extorted and wrung out of the English. But in the instruments signed in England, those words were expressly set down, notwithstanding the exception made against them by the King's Son in law. 2. In the last Article in their deeds, it was left out, That the King of England should send his Deputies for the interest of his Son in law, when yet in that consisted the very hinge and controversy of the business, and the foundation of the mind and will of the King of England, as it is expressed in the English instruments.  
There is also a falsehood to be noted in the subscription of the day. In the English is expressed the 21 of April, English style; in theirs the first of May. More things may be brought to show, that there was either falsehood or else double deeds.  
Furthermore, it was also expressly provided by way of caution, That all things should abide in the Palatinate in the place and state as they then were during the truce: that all acts of hostility should cease: that neither Allies nor friends should be offended, but that both parts should enjoy the peace of the League. But Spaniards and their Complices did & do still in the time of the truce exercise all kinds of hostility, by confiscating of their goods who have withdrawn themselves from the ruin of their country, by abolishing religion, by dismembering & transferring unto others the better parts of the Palatinate, as was done with the Lordship called the Bergstras, with the Dioceses of Bleyensteine and Nevenhane, & others; by imposing continual servitudes, and by often extorting new contributions from the oppressed; by drawing out the blood and soul of the afflicted, and by wasting and wearing out all the poor subjects with their insolent tyranny. The very Spaniards alone have in that part which they hold in the Palatinate imposed an exaction of above thirty thousand Dollars a month over and above the ordinary impositions. Verdugo in his proposition when he imposed this exaction, was not afraid to affirm, that it was done with the knowledge and sufferance of the King of England, & that he did to move the people. This extorsion hath now continued diverse months, and is yet still exercised, Lastly the Spaniards and their complices did never for all the truce lay down arms in the Empire, but went on with victorious war against the friends of the King of England and his Son in law: yea we yet see them to proceed on still scorning & breaking this league of the truce, making it a net to catch their enemies in.  
2. The Spaniard hath by force and arms possessed himself of the Patrimony of the innocent infants the grand children of the King of England, hath cast his Daughter and Son in law out of all their estates and dominions, and doth detain the Palatinate against the hope he hath given and promise which he hath so oft made of restoring it: he hath besieged the City of Frankendale the Dowry of his Daughter, & invaded it in hostile manner; neither would he vouchsafe to raise the siege at the most earnest entreaty of the King of England▪ he compelled the forces of the king of England and his General sent thither, to departed out of the Palatinate, scoffing and deriding the protection of England, by which he had falsely persuaded him that the Palatinate should be safe.  
3. Forsomuch as the Spaniard doth oppress the Allies and friends joined in conferation and blood with the King, doth cast them out of their dominions, & doth pursue them with hostility even against his faith given; there is no other course left to help them but by arms: treaties in this case will prove unprofitable.  
4. The safety of the King and kingdom requires war. For it behoves us then to look to ourselves, when our next neighbours houses are on fire. Princes lose both power and strength when their Allies do perish. The increase of a potent neighbour whose friendship is unsafe, as it cannot be without just suspicion, so is it also dangerous and hurtful. The liberty of Germany now ready to perish, is to be relieved; and the conservation of it doth greatly concern both the English and all the Princes of Europe. Germany is the heart of Europe, for so Nature seems to have placed it; the Palatinate is the motion in the heart, according to the laws. If German as the heart be possessed by the Spaniard, who strives to get the dominion over all Europe, the rest of the Princes shall not long draw or enjoy any vital life or spirits. The heart therefore must be succoured, if you would have the rest of the members or the body to be safe. But by these weak remedies of treaties you shall do no good: stronger things are to be applied, the disease still increasing.  
5. Necessity requires war. Great preparations for war are made by the Spaniard here near at hand; his mind and intentions are well enough known. A potent Prince makes no reckoning of friends when he finds opportunity to oppress them. The English are now brought into that extremity by their own foresaid counsels, that unless they do prevent by war, they will shortly be prevented. The Spaniard knows full well, that he may not trust them any longer, and that it is the part of an unwise man to stay for the first blow, which is commonly the Crisis of the future war, by which we may take a scantling of the event of it, which is usually overcome by prevention and diversion, according to the saying of that prudent King. Politicians say, that he which consults of breaking and making war, hath already broken; and that he is not well advised or wary enough, who neglects to prevent his enemy. The Spaniard who is naturally distrustful, doth without question construe & take this consultation & alteration of minds in England for a breach and a war, and experience will shortly show it, if prudence take not place: but if he see the English men remiss, he will say that they want not strength but courage, and that it is base fear that keeps them back.  
6. The King of England in the year 1621. the 12 of Novemb. set down the conditions of peace, & what he would have to be observed and kept by his Son in law, and sent them to the Emperor for his final declaration; and did them withal protest of the effusion of blood that would follow, & of the war which he should be compelled unto if the Emperor would not subscribe unto those conditions. But the Emperor and the Spaniard have not only deluded the conditions, but went boldly on with war against the innocent infants & the King's blood. And is he not now bound in honour to recover what he prescribed by war which he threatened and denounced, that the conditions were not performed.  
7. Suspension of arms was promised at Vienna to the Lord Digby, who brought the Emperor's lettets with him to Brussels concerning that business: yet by collusion was the contrary given in charge to the Infanta, and sent thither either before or at the same instant insomuch that that suspension was changed into a most cruel war; which was executed with the more immanity, because the King of England hath undertaken the protection of the Palatinate, and was pleased to strengthen and defend it with his own garrisons. And 1 when the Lord Digby had in the King's name long and exceedingly solicited, but in vain, the raising of the siege at Franckendale; this answer was given him, That it was against the honour of the Spaniards to leave a city which they had once besieged without the express commandment of the King of Spain. 2. In the very time of the treaty at Brussels, was Hendelberg taken and spoiled. 3. If he could not then obtain by treaties and entreaties, a thing uncertain and subject to chance, & which was not in their hands, but only in hope, will restitution of those things which they are possessed of, be now procured by those former means? The Spaniards as they will do nothing for love, so will they also refuse nothing when they are compelled by fear and force; as one of themselves hath confessed.  
8. The Proscription which is the head of the evils which have followed, by which the King's son in law was declared infamous, & all his grandchilds pronounced fallen from all right of succession, was most earnestly solicited by the Archduke Albert, and was consulted of in the Spanish Ambassador's house. And is there not then just cause that the Father should by war vindicate the honour of his Son?  
9 The restitution of the Palatinate cannot be procured by treaty: for this course hath been often tried and used, even by the Prince himself, but ever in vain. Therefore there is now no other mean to be used, save the way of war.  
10. The honour of the King and kingdom requires, that now these wrongs be fought to be righted by war, the last arrow in necessities quiver, and the only mean now left of preserving reputation. He doth but draw on new injuries, who neglects to revenge the old, especially so intolerable as have been offered to the English. But if now, after they have raised so good opinion & hope of themselves in the world, they should grow faint, and fall back into their former lethargy, they should lose all faith and reputation. I cease to show how magnanimous Princes are more bound in honour to recover the estates of their friends which they have taken into their protection, than their own goods.   
FINIS.