A SPEECH Spoken by His Excellence PRINCE RUPERT To his Sacred Majesty, and the Lords of his Privy Council, at his return from Redding to Oxford:  
Wherein is freely delivered his opinion concerning the present War,  
With his advice for the erecting of Forts and Garrison Towns in this Kingdom, and calling in the old English Regiments out of Holland.  
Printed at Oxford by L. Lichfield, and now reprinted at London for JOHN RIVER'S. 1642.   

DOCTRINA PARIT VIRTUTEM  device consisting of an open book with a sword, scepter, and surrounding motto  
A Speech spoken by Prince RUPERT.  
MAy it please your sacred Majesty, my most Royal Uncle, among these grave and judicious Lords, to present my poor opinion to your Majesty concerning these so important affairs of the instant war:  
For surely, as said the valiant Duke of Brunswick to my Royal Grandfather of famous memory King james, though I cannot talk I can fight. Since then fight is the business now in discourse, I may by my education in the military art (having been nursed in the Low Countries, that Seminary of warlike discipline) claim the privilege in my blunt soldier's phrase, briefly to deliver my opinion.  
And though I cannot like an Orator in excellent English express my intentions I shall nevertheless endeavour to speak sen●e, that the world and my maligners (who for the elegance of the stile, deny that Declaration to be mine, which was in my name printed at Oxford) may acknowledge that I can as be its a down right honest martial man, deliver my meaning, which as in this, so in all other my following actions shall ever aim at your Majesty's service, as I am in the duty of a Nephew obliged. I have been by your Royal commands viewing the state of our garrison at Reading and though the Governor Serjeant Major Ashton be a soldier of unquestionable experience and performance, and the men under his command valiant enough and well disciplined, yet surely according to the models of the Netherlandish fortifications it could not long hold out, should a strict and hard siege be laid to it by the Parliaments forces, the outworks being neither strong, their grasses or ditches being dry, and their vamures unpallisadoed, to that a resolute enemy without much difficulty or long assault might mount them: and it is with works of this manner, as it is with evil customs in men, which when they are once got in can hardly be driven out again: And in my weak judgement, should these wars continue, nothing could be so much considerable as the strengthening of Cities and good Towns, especially those that have benefit of waters and Rivers, and in all places of advantages and passages, the erecting Sconces and Forts: For by this art have the States of the united Provinces not only defended that little plat of ground they first possessed, but also have tired out, and discouraged all those numerous Forces, which have yearly by the King of Spain's procurement been sent for the reducing of those parts to his obedience, these wars only by the strength of the Hollanders Towns, having more exhausted his Indian treasure, then either his wars against France or the Turk. nay against as the world, having expended, as it is credibly computed since Duke d'Alva's time in the Netherlandish wars, a hundred millions of ducats, a stupendious sum, and more than the whole Lands of the Hollanders Continent are worth to be sold at twenty year's purchase.  
Breda's siege, a Town not much better situated then Reading, scarce so well as this City of Oxford, having cost him daring Spinola's leaguer there in mere pay to his Army at least a million of ducats, besides the loss of thirty thousand brave soldiers, Much more did the siege of Ostend cost the Archduke Albert, which Town is but an arrant dog-hole compared with divers I have seen in England; yet it held out three years to the destruction of almost 80000. of the Spaniard, men. In which time the Hollander gained that from him which he could never since revanquish, namely the strong Towns of Sluice, Isendicke, and other places of importance in Flanders, by which your Majesty and these Lords may perceive the necessary benefits of strong Towns, should the wars (which with all my soul I pray may have a speedy end) continue in these your Majesty's dominions, the want of these excellent fortifications having been the principal cause of the so much lamented loss of the Palatinate, to my dear father of sacred memory; and the reason why the Spaniard and Bavarian have so long held that rich and fruitful Province, hath chief derived itself from their erection of new fortresses there, and strengthening the old; a policy which the now reigning Emperor, terrified with the Swedish conquests, at my being his prisoner, with all diligence began to put in practice, leaving no place that might impeach the enemy in his passage to his hereditary Austrian Countries unfortified,  
But perhaps your Majesty and these Lords will allege, that you believe the wars here will not be of so long continuance as shall require such fortifications; I pray to heaven they may not, in the mean time it can be no ill policy to raise such strengths, the suoduing which, shall more impair the Parliaments forces, and consume them more money than they can possibly any ways else be forced to expend, nay, render your Majesty divers considerable advantages over them. Your Majesty may while their forces are divided against such strong holds, securely curely set upon them with your horsemen, of which you have a brave and gallant number; and so by degrees out-come that strength, which united were dangerous is to encounter, forcing them to fight, as it were by parties or so some hopes: wherein by all conjecture being the great number, we ●●●t needs go out victorious; but if this charte (as in all duty I submit me to your Majesty's censute) either seem too full of cost to your refe, or terror to your people, who having been unaccustomed to such fortresses, will perhaps, be ready to imagine they are only built to ensnare and enthral their liberties, distaste, which perhaps, your royal goodness is loath to afford your Subjects, I would advise (in case these wars should continue) that your Majesty would think upon some speedy means for the reinforcement of your Army against the next Spring, which way to provide a competent number of foot soldiers to join with your large proportion of horse: for unless that be done there is no hope of keeping the field against the Parliaments forces so numerously strong in infantry, which in all the ancient wars of this Nation hath always done the best service; as those battles against the French at Crossie and Poitiers under the conduct of Edward the third, and his son Edward the black Prince can testify; but more especially that of Henry the fifth at Agincourt, where by the virtue and valour of the English foot, being but a very small number, but well resolved and ordered, he overthrew the whole flower of the French horse, and achieved as great a victory as is memorable in any history whatsoever. The readiest way for such levies of foot, as to draw as many of the able Countrymen as possibly may be got ●●to your Majesty's service, who may, while we lie still this Winter, be enured and trained up in the rudiments of warfare.  
But if your Majesty could by your faithful agents there persuade the Prince of Orange and the States, to transfer to your assistance against the next Spring, the four old Regiments of English soldiers there, with them Commanders, no happier or more advantageous additions could be in reason imagined to your Majesty's forces. Those bands of old experienced foot, continually acquainted with all the dangers and practices of Arms, would be as so many Masters in the Art of warfare to your young raw soldiers, and every one man worth ten of the enemies-Peare there is none to be had of their flinching in time of battle, could they once be drawn into your service, they would stand to it to the last man, and either die or conquer, seconding your brave horse stoops with their dexterous and home charges; they being generally reputed in the Low Countries, to be as able firemen as any ure in the world; and so might your Majesty be Master of the field in despite of the Parliaments forces. And in my opinion, should the States refuse to send you over your own Subjects, the Prince of Orange may do it as he is Generalissimo of the forces, without their consent, there being no doubt but he who is by so many ties obliged, and so near allied will be ready to serve and assist your Majesty with all his ability and power. And this is all I have to say concerning this affair, only this (though some accuse me for a somenter of these civil dissensions) to beseech your Majesty for Gods and Religion's sake, for your own and your Royal issues sake, for your Kingdom and people's sake, in your wisdom, to provide some speedy means for a reconcilement between yourself and your high Court of Parliament, that so these wars may have a happy period in fair and honourable peace; for otherwise, how advantageously soever they are managed, they must needs be disadvantageous to your Majesty and destructive to your Kingdom and peace.   
FINIS.