A MACHAVILLIAN PLOT, OR, A Caution for ENGLAND, PRESENTED In a time when Princes were so Pious, and judges durst be Valiant to declare against Unhonest Slavery.  
LONDON, Printed Anno Dom. 1642.   

Lunae 16 Die Novembris 1629. Anno 5. Caroli Regis. 

Robert Heath.  
Richard Shelton.  
Thomas Crew.  
Humphrey Davenport.  
Richard Barkley.  
Heneage Finch.   Sir Robert HeathKnight your Majesty's Attorney General, humbly informeth your most excellent Majesty,  
THat whereas your Sacred Majesty, ever since your happy Access to the Imperial Crown of this Realm, hath governed your People with so much Justice and moderation that all your good Subjects do bear that Reverence and love unto your Sacred Person, as is justly do to so gracious a Sovereign; And your Majesty next to the Service of Almighty-God, and the maintenance of his true Religion, hath preserved and maintained the ancient and a Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom without Innovation.  
Yet so it is, may it please your most Excellent Majesty, that some malicious Persons (who are as yet unknown to your said Attorney) being illaffected to your Majesty, and to your happy Government, and intending to raise false, scandalous, and seditious Rumours against your Majesty, and your gracious Govenment, have of late wickedly and seditiously framed; contrived and written a false, seditious, and pestilent Discourse in these words following;  
The Propositions for your Majesty's service containeth two parts; The one to secure your state, and to bridle the Pertinacy of Parliaments.  
The other to increase your Revenue much more than it is.  
Touching the first, having considered divers, means, I found none so important to strengthen your Majesty's Regal Authority against all oppositions or practices of troublesome spirits, and to bridle them, than to Fortify your Kingdom by having a Fortress in every chief Town and important place thereof, furnished with Ordnance, Munition, and faithful men as they aught to be, with all other circumstances fit to be digested in a business of this nature, ordering withal the Trained Bands of the County to be united in one Dependency with the said Forts, as well to secure their beginning as to secure them in occasion of suspect, and also to retain and keep their Arms for more security, where by the Countries are no less to be brought into subjection than the Cities themselves, and consequently the whole Kingdom: Your Majesty having by this course the power thereof in your own hands.  
The reasons of these suggests are these. 

1. That in Policy it is a greater Tie of the People by force and necessity, than merely by Law and Affection; For by the one, the Government resteth always sure, but by the other not longer than the People are well contented.  
2. It forceth obstinate Subjects to be not more presumptuous than it pleaseth your Majesty to permit them.  
3. That to leave: a State unfurnished, is to give the bridle thereof to the Subject, when by the contrary it resteth only in the Prince's hands.  
4. That modern fortresses take long time in winning with such Charge and Difficulty, as no Subjects in these times have means probable to attempt them.  
5. That it is a sure remedy against rebellious and popular Mutinies, or against Foreign powers, because they cannot well succeed, when by this Course, the Apparent means is taken away to force the King and State upon a doubtful fortune of a set Battle, as was the cause that moved the pretended Invasion against the Land attempted by the King of Spain in the year, 1588.  
6. That your Majesty's Government is the more secure by the People's more subjection, and by their subjection the Gentry or Parliaments must be forced to altar their style, and to be conformable to your will and pleasure; for their words and opposition importeth nothing where the Power is in your Majesties own hands, to do with them what you please, being indeed the chief purpose of this Discourse, and the secret intent thereof, fit to be concealed from any English at all either Counsellor of State, or other; For these and divers other weighty Reasons.    
It may be considered in this place to make your Majesty more powerful and strong some Orders to be observed, that are used in Fortified Countries. The government whereof imports as much as the States themselves. I m●●ne in times of doubt or suspect, Which are these; 

1. Inprimis, That none wear Arms or weapons at all either in City or Country, but such as your Majesty may think fit to privilege, and they to be enroled.  
2. That as many Highways as conveniently may be done, be made passable through those Cities and Towns fortified to constrain the passengers to Travel through them.  
3. That the Soldiers of Fortresses are sometimes chosen out of another Nation (if subjects to the same Prince) but howsoever not to be borne in the same Province, or within 40. or 50. miles of the Fortresses, and not to have friends or correspondency near it.  
5. That at the Gates of each walled Town be appointed Officers, not to suffer any unknown Passenger to pass without a Ticket showing from whence he came, and whither to go, and that the Gates of each City be shut all night, and the Keys kept by the Mayor or Governor; Also the Innkeepers to deliver the names of all unknown Passengers that lodge in their Houses and if they stay suspiciously at any time to present them to the Governors, whereby dangerous persons, seeing these strict courses will be more wary of their Actions, and thereby mischievous attempts will be prevented.    
All which being referred to your Majesty's wise consideration. It is meet for me withal, to give you some satisfaction of the charge and time to perform what is proposed, that you may not the discouraged in the difficulty of the one, or the prolongation of the other; Both which doubts are resolved in one, and the same Reason, in respect that in England. each chief Town commonly hath a ruinated Castle well seated for strength whose Foundation and Stones remaining may be both quickly repaired for this use, and with little charge, and made strong enough; I hope for this purpose within the space of one year, by adding withal Bulwarks and Rampires for the Ordnance, according to the Rules of Fortification: The Ordnance for these Forts may be of Iron, not to dis-furnish your Majesty's Navy, or to be at a greater charge than is needful; To maintain yearly these Forts, I make account in ordinary pay 3000 men will be sufficient, and will require 40000 pounds charge per annum, or thereabouts being an expense that inferior Princes do unde go for their necessary safety. All which pretention added to the invincible Seas-force your Majesty hath already and may have, will make you the most powerful and obeyed King of the world, which I could likewise confirm by many examples, but I omit them for brevity; and not to confuse your Majesty with too much matter your Majesty may found by the scope of this discourse the means shown in general to bridle your Subjects, that may be either discontent or obstinate; So am I likewise to conclude the same intent particularly against the perverseness of your Parliaments as well to suppress that pernicious humour, as to avoid their oppositions against your profit, being the second part to be discoursed on; And therefore have first thought fit for better prevention thereof, to make known to your Majesty the purport of a general oath your subjects may take for sure avoiding of all rubs that may hinder the conclusion of these businesses; It is further mean, that no Subject upon pain of high Treason may refuse the same Oath, containing only matter of Allegiance, and not scruples of points of conscience, that may give pretence to be denied.  
The effect of the Oath is this. 
 THat all your Majesty's Subjects do acknowledge you to be as absolute a King, and Monarch within your Dominions, as is amongst the Christian Princes, and your Prerogative as great, whereby you may and shall for yourself, by your Majesty's Proclamation as well as other Sovereign Princes doing the like either make Laws or reverse any made, with any other Act, so great a Monarch as yourself may do, and that without further consent of a Parliament, or need to call them at all in such cases, confirming that the Parliament in all matter (excepting Cases to be sentenced as the highest Court) aught to submit to your Majesty's will to give the Negative or Affirmative conclusion, and not to be constrained by their Impertinencies to any Inconvenience appertaining to your Majesty's Regal Authority; And this notwithstanding any bad pretence or Custom to the contrary in practice, which indeed were fit to be offered to a Prince Elected without other right than to your Majesty, borne successively King of England; Scotland, France, and Ireland and your Heirs for ever and so resumed not only of your Subjects, but also of the whole world; How necessary the dangerous Supremacy of Parliaments usurpation is to be prevented. The Example of Lewis the Eleventh King of France doth manifest, who found the like opposition, as your Majesty doth, and by his wisdom suppressed it, and that to the purpose here intended, which is not to put down altogether Parliaments and their Authority, being in many cases very necessary and fit, but to abridge them as fare as they seek to derogate from your Majesty's Regal Authority, or advancement of your Greatness; The Caution in offering the aforesaid Oath may require some policy for the easier passage at first, either by singular or particular Tractation and that so near about one time over the Land, as one government may not know what the other intendeth, so it may pass the easier, by having no time of Combination or Opposition; There is another course also more certain than this to bring to pass this Oath easily, as also your profit, and what else is pretended, which here I omit for brevity, requiring a long discourse by itself and have set it down in particular Instructions to inform your Majesty.  
The second part of this Discourse is touching your Majesty's Profit after your state is secured, wherein I shall observe both some reasonable content to the people, as also consider the great expenses that Princes have now a days more than in times past to maintain their own greatness and safety of their Subjects, who if they have not wit and will to consider their own Interest so much indifferently, your Majesty must repair their defects, and force them to it by Compulsion; but I hope there shall be no such cause in points so reasonable to increase your Majesty's Revenues; Wherein I set down divers means for your gracious Self to make choice of, either All or Part at your pleasure, and to put it in execution by such degrees, and Cautions, as your great wisdom shall think fit, in a business of this nature.  
Imprimis, The first means and course intended to increase your Majesty's revenues or profit withal is of greatest consequence, and I call it a Decima, being so termed in Italy, where in some parts it is in use, importing the tenth part of all Subjects estates to be paid as a yearly Rent to the Prince; and as well moneyed men in Towns, as landed in the Countries, their values and Estates esteemed justly as it is to the true value, (yet with reason) to pay it, and this is paid yearly in money: Which course applied in England for your Majesty's service, may serve in stead of Subsidies, Fifteen, and such like, which in this case are fit to be released, for the Subjects benefit and content, in recompense of the said Decima: which will yield your Majesty more in certainty than they do casually by 500000. pound per annum at the lest.  
2. That when your Majesty hath gotten money into your hands by some courses to be set down, it would be a profitable course to increase your Entrato, to buy out all Estates and Leases upon your own Lands, in such sort as they be made no losers; whereby having your lands free, and renting them out to the true value as it is most in use, and not employed as heretofore, at an old Rent and small Fines, you may than rend it out for at lest four or five times more money than the old Rents comes unto: So as if your Majesty's Lands be already but 60000. pounds per annum, by this means it will be augmented at lest 200000. pounds per annum: and to buy out the Tenants estates will come to a small matter, by the course to make them no losers, considering the gain they have already made upon the Land. And this is the rather to be done, and the present course changed, because it hath been a custom used merely to cousin the King.  
3. Item, Whereas most Princes do receive the benefit of Salt, in their own hands, as a matter of great profit, because they receive it at the lowest price possible, and vent it, doth gain double yearly: The same course used by your Majesty were worth at lest 150000 pounds per annum.  
4. It is likewise in other parts, that all Weights and Measures, either in private Houses, Shops, or public Markets should be viewed to be just, and sealed once a year, paying to the Prince for it: which in England applied to your Majesty, with order to pay six pence for sealing each weight or measure would yield near 60000 pounds per annum.  
5. Item, Though all Countries pay a Gabella for transportation, and so likewise in England, yet in Spain there is impost upon the Wools; which in England is so great a wealth and benefit to the Sheep masters, as they may well pay you five pound per cent. of the true value at the shearing, which I conceive may be worth 140000. pound per annum.  
6. Whereas the Lawyer's fees and gains in England are excessive, to your Subject's prejudice, it were better for your Majesty to make use thereof, and impose on all causes sentenced with the party to pay five pound per cent. of the true value that the cause hath gained him; and for recompense thereof, to limit all Lawyer. Fees and Get, whereby the Subjects shall save more in Fees and Charges, than they give your Majesty in the Gabella: which I believe may be worth one year with another 50000. pound.  
7. Whereas the inns and Victualling-Houses are more chargeable to the Travellers than in other Countries, it were good for your Majesty to limit them to certain Ordinaries, and raise besides a large Imposition; as is used in Tuscany and other parts: That is, a prohibiting of all Inns and Victualing-Houses, but such as shall pay it; and to impose upon the chief Inns and Taverns ten pound a year to your Majesty, the worst five pound per annum, and all the Alehouses 20 shillings per annum, more or less as they be in custom, of all sorts, there are so many in England, that this Impost may well yield 100000. pound per annum to your Majesty.  
8. Item, In Tuscany and other parts there is a Gabella of all Cattles, or Flesh and Horses sold in Markers, paying 3. or 4. per Cent. of what they are sold for; which by conjecture, may be worth in England 200000 pound per annum, using the like Custom upon Fish, and other Victual (Bread excepted;) and for this cause all Flesh and Fish and Victuals in the Market to be prised, and sold by weight, whereby the Subject sayeth more in not being cozened, than the imposition importeth them.  
9 Item, In Tuscany is used a Taxation of 7. per Cent. upon all Alienation of Lands to the true value; and also 7 per Cent upon all Dowries and Marriage-monies; the like if it were used in England were worth at lest 100000. pound per annum; with many other Taxations upon Meal, and other Merchandizes, in all Towns as well as Port Towns, which here I omit, with divers others, as not so fit for England. And in satisfaction of the Subject for these Taxes, your Majesty may be pleased to release them of Wardships, and to enjoy all their estates at eighteen years old, and in the mean time their profits to be preserved for their own benefit. And also in forfeitures of Estates by condemnation, your Majesty may release the Subject; as not to take the forfeitures of their Lands, but their Goods, High-Treason only excepted; and to allow the counsel of Lawyers in case of life and death; as also not to be condemned without two witnesses; with such like benefits, which import much more their good, than all the Taxations named can prejudice them.  
10. Item, That some of the former Taxations used in Ireland and Scotland, as may easily be brought about by the first example thereof used in England, may very well be made to increase your revenue there more than it is now by 200000. pound per annum.  
11. Item, All Offices in the Land, great and small, in your Majesty's grant, may be granted with condition, to pay your Majesty a part yearly, according to the value; this in time may be worth (as I conceive) 100000. pound per annum; adding also Notaries, Attorneys, and such like, to pay some proportions yearly towards it, for being allowed by your Majesty to practise, and prohibiting else any to practise in such places.  
12. Item, to reduce your Majesty's household to bord-wages, as most other places do, reserving some few Tables: this will save your Majesty 60000 l per annum, and ease greatly the Subject besides, both in carriages and Provision, which is good reason that your Majesty in honour might do it.  
13. Item, I know an assured course in your Majesty's Navy, which may save at lest 50000 l per annum, which requiring a whole discourse by itself, I omit; only do promise' to do it whensoever you command.  
14. Item, whereas you Majesty's Laws do command the strict keeping of Fasting days, you may also prohibit those days to eat Eggs, Cheese, or white-meats, only to such as are contented to pay eighteen pence a year for the liberty to eat them, and the better sort ten shillings; the employment of this may be for the defence of the Land, in maintaining of the Navy, Garrisons, and such like, much after the fashion of the Crusado in Spain, as your Majesty knoweth being first begun there under the pretence to defend the Land against the Moors, and the same used in England, may very well yield one year with another 100000 l without any disgust to any, because it is at every one's choice to give it or no.  
15. Lastly, I have a course upon the Catholics, and very safe for your Majesty, being with their good liking, as it may be wrought, to yield you presently at lest 200000 l per annum, by raising a certain value upon their lands, and some other Impositions, which requiring a long discourse by itself, I will omit here setting it down in my Instructions.  
It will save your Majesty 100000 l per annum, to make it pain of death, and confiscation of Goods and Lands, for any of the Officers to cousin you, which now is much to be feared they do, else they could not be so rich; and herein to allow a fourth part of the benefit to him that shall find out the cozenage; here is not meant Officers of State, as the Lord Treasurer, etc. being Officers of the Crown.  
The sum of all this Account amounteth to 2200000 l per annum, suppose it be but one Million and a half, as assuredly your Majesty may make by these courses set down, yet it is much more than I promised in my letter for your Majesty's service, besides some sums of money in the present by the courses following:  
Imprimis, By the Prince his Marriage, to make all the Earls in England Grandes, (as in Spain) and Principi, with such like Privileges, and to pay 20000. pound a piece for it.  
2. As also if you make them Feodataries of the Towns belonging to their Earldoms if they will pay for it besides as they do to the King of Spain in the Kingdom of Naples.  
3. And so likewise Barons to be made Earls and Peers to pay ten thousand pound a piece, I think this might yield 500000 l, and oblige them sure to your Majesty.  
4. To make choice of 200 of the richest men of England of estate, that be not Noblemen, and make them Titulati, as is used in Naples; And paying for it, that is, a Duke 30000 l, a marquis 15000 l, an Earl 10000 l, a Baron or Viscount 5000 l. It is to be understood, That the ancient Nobility of Barons made Earls are to precede these as Peers, though these be made Marquesses or Dukes: This may raise a million of pounds, or more unto your Majesty. To make Gentlemen of low quality, and Francklins, and Farmours, Esquires to precede them, would also yield your Majesty a great sum of money in present. I have another course to yield your Majesty at lest 300000 l in money, which as yet the time serveth not to discover, until your Majesty be resolved to proceed in some of the former courses, which till than I omit. Other courses also that may make present money, I shall study for your Majesty's service, and as I find them out, acquaint you withal.  
Lastly, To conclude all this discourse, by the application of this course used for your profit, It is not only to make you the richest King that ever England had, but also the safety augmented thereby to be most secure; besides what is showed in the first part of this discourse, I mean by the occasion of these Taxations and raising of moneys, your Majesty shall have cause and means to employ in all places of the Land, so many Offices and Ministers, to be obliged to you for their own good and Interest, as nothing can be attempted against your Person or Royal Estate over Land, but some of these shall in all probability have means to find it out and hinder it: Besides, this course will repress many disorders and abuses in the public Government, which were hard to be discovered by men indifferent. To prohibit gorgeous and costly Apparel to be worn, but by Persons of good quality, shall save the Gentry of the Kingdom much more money than they shall be Taxed to pay to your Majesty.  
Thus with all humility I take my leave, and kiss your gracious hand, desiring Pardon for my Error I may commit herein.  
The which false, seditious, and malicious Discourse and writing, so framed, contrived and written, as aforesaid, the Authors thereof intended should be divulged and dispersed, as if the same had been entertained by your Majesty, with purpose to be put in execution, thereby to raise fears and jealousies in the minds of your good Subjects, that your sacred Majesty had a purpose to altar and innovate the ancient Laws of this Kingdom, and the ancient manner and Form of the Government thereof, and to draw all things to be disposed of at your Majesty's absolute will and pleasure, and to command and dispose of estates, goods, and revenues of your Subjects, or such part or Portion thereof as yourself pleased without the consent of your Subjects, and to make and repeal Laws and Statutes, by your Majesty's Proclamations only, without consent of Parliament, and that to over-awe and oppress your subjects you purposed to place and maintain Garrisons, and Fortified Castles and Places in a Warlike manner in all the Principal Cities and Towns in this your Kingdom.  
Which if it should be believed by your People, could not but raise infinite discontents amongst them, the consequences whereof might be extreme, and almost of inevitable danger to your Majesty's Person and State, and to the whole Frame of this Kingdom, and to the great dishonour of your Majesty, which all and every your good and loyal Subjects are in their duty and allegiance to your Majesty bound to prevent, to the uttermost of their Powers, and to discover to your Majesty, or some of your Privie-Councell, or other Magistrate, all such false and seditious discourses and writings whensoever they shall come to their hands or knowledge.  
Nevertheless, some forgetting that duty which they own to your gracious Majesty their liege Lord, and intending to further and cherish those false, scandalous, and seditious rumours, whereby matter of discord and slander might grow between your Majesty, the great men of this Kingdom and your People; and not regarding the great dangers and evil consequences thereof, having gotten the said Discourse or Writing, or some Copy or Copies thereof into their hands, at several times within the space of eight months now last passed, did make or writ, or caused to be made or written, several copies thereof, and amongst themselves, and also to and amongst many others, have published, divulged, and dispersed the same, to the great and insufferable scandal and dishonour of your Majesty, and of your most just and gracious Government; and none of them before such publication thereof did make the same known to your Majesty, or any of your Privy Council, or any other lawful Magistrate, as in duty they and every of them aught to have done.  
In consideration of all which premises, for as much as the said spreading publishing, and divulging of all such scandalous and malicious tales, news, and rumours, and not making the same known to your Majesty or your Privy Council, or other Magistrate, is contrary to the good Laws and Statutes of this your Realm, and contrary to the duty and Allegiance that they own to your Majesty; and for that the venom thereof may by this undue means be dispersed and infused in and unto many others, in and through whose hands, those false, seditious, and malicious Papers and Writings have or may come: and for that the danger thereof is exceeding great, and may be of infinite ill consequence, if in time the same be not prevented, and for example and terror to all others be not severely punished:  
May it thereof please your most excellent Majesty to grant unto your said Attorney your Majesty's most gracious Writs of Subpoena, to be directed to such as have divulged it; commanding them at a certain day, and under a certain Pain therein to be contained, personally to be and appear before your Majesty, and the right Honourable the Lords and others of your Highness' most Honourable Privy Council, in your Highness' Court of Star-chamber, than and there to answer to the premises, and to stand to and abide such order, direction, sentence, and decree therein, as to your Majesty, and the said Lords and others shall be thought most meet and agreeable to Justice.  
And your said Attorney shall over pray, etc.   
FINIS.