that, not only the common people, but the rulers and magistrates of Japan, do really believe, that they are as perfect heathens as themselves.' What would those ancient christians do to these irreligious Hollanders? What sentiments would they entertain against these practices, who proceeded so severely against such of their number heretofore, as did, amidst a fierce persecution, deliver up the sacred scriptures into the hands of the Paynims?* With what zeal would they exterminate these Traditores, these Gnosticks, out of the church, and sacred society of christians? I cannot parallel these actions with any exorbitancies of the primitive hereticks, how detestable soever they were. But it is most manifest, that, by their rigour against those Traditores, &c. they would have ejected the Hollanders out of the number of christians, and anathematised them above any upon record, since the Dutch act that for gain, which no terrors could excuse under a Dioclesian, or Maximianus. What soever may be alledged in behalf of Vincentius Romeyn and his associates, if any thing can be said, extends not to the subsequent traders; and, even before the persecution in Japan, the Hollanders demeaned themselves no otherwise than afterwards; for, amongst the motives which induced the emperor of Japan to allow them to trade, it is expresly said, that he permitted them this liberty, because that, during all the precedent years in which they traded thi ther, he never observed that they intended the propagation of their religion, or seemed at all concerned for it.' One would think, that any professing christianity would not demean themselves thus unworthily; but these men proclaim and publish to the world their impiety, without remorse, or shame. The director of their fac tory there, Francis Caron, printed this in his description of Ja pan, and Varenius, upon strict inquiry, found it to be really true. Their books were printed at Amsterdam. And let who can style them christians, reformed churches, or protestants, I am sure none can communicate with such publicans and heathens; and, had an Ho'lander been Bishop of Carthage, then Donatism had been no schism. An Hollander! this is the name of a people that esteem nothing sac.ed but their own profit, and live under no obligations of honour, morality, or religion, but interest. I must ravage over Africa, so famed for monstrous productions, and, in the most inhuman parts thereof, seek a parallel for these European mon. sters; they are not to be ranked amongst the tolerable Paynims: Old Rome would have taught them that there are certain laws of war, as well as peace, and those such as cannot be silenced by the noise of cannons: And I will, from Athens, borrow an expostu lation against them. We do not complain, that, being enemies, they act as enemies; there are some conditions and laws of war, which may be equitably practised on both sides; to harrass the fields, plunder towns, kill, slay, and take captives, how miscra ble soever these things be to those that suffer them, yet they are

The Portuguese refused to trade there upon those terms. Which are the best christians, those Papists, or these Protestants? Is it not manifest, that the Dutch are hereby oliged to deny themselves absolutely to be christians, in case any Japanner doth put such a question unt

them ?

not unjust actions. We do complain that these Netherlanders, who, even in the treatise which I now animadvert upon, do so highly pretend to piety and protestancy, should violate all divine and human rules of civility, that they rail instead of fighting, that they attack us with contumelious language, and aggravate their unjust enmity with an insolence that is not to be endured. I am as much perplexed to find out the rules of their politicks herein, as I am elsewhere to seek for those of their religion, seeing that this deportment must needs exasperate all mankind against them, and common humanity obligeth every one to endeavour their extirpation. Provocations of this kind, injuries of this nature, admit of no composition, and render the most bloody wars to be most just. The indignities done to our king do extend unto all princes, and become examples of what they universally must expect, in time, to suffer from the continuance of their High and Mighties; but these affronts particularly, and most sensibly, touch the subjects of the king of Great-Britain, and turn their just anger into implacable fury. As the Dutch are to the English, such were the Vejentes to the Romans; they were a vexatious, rather than terrible enemy, and irritated them more by their contumelies, than their armies. But it is observable, that there never was a fiercer or more cruel war, and the Romans did never testify so high resentments as for those indignities; and, from such like considerations, arose that cautious advice of Scipio Ammiratus and Machiavel (no Dutchmen) That men ought to be cautious how they irritate an enemy by contumelious language, and other indignities, since the impressions thereof are more violent and durable in the minds of men, than what are occasioned by common, and even grievous injuries.

I smiled when I read the high commendations which they bestow upon their country and government. O! the rare situation of it! It is a Canaan, but seated in a bog, and overflows with water, instead of honey. It is a Canaan, in which there are many Jews, but scarce one Israelite without guile. No Espials yet have in. formed me of those prodigious grapes, such as the Israelitish discoverers met with in Canaan; and these cheating Hollanders obtrude upon us turneps for pomegranates. Yet do they assure us, their land is a true Canaan: But it is more true, which they add, that it is a land of promise;' for all Europe and the East-Indies do complain there is nothing of performances there. They magnify their excellent government; which is an anarchy: They subsist not by any wise reiglement, but combination of interest, and sense of common danger. They have been an *hundred times in danger of a total rupture; each province is sovereign, and independent of the rest, and can send ambassies, contract leagues, and otherwise negotiate with foreign princes, without the privity of the others: Never was there sheaf of arrows so ill made up into a bundle.Their liberty, whereof they boast, consists of paying more taxes

The provincial States of Holland and Westfriesland demonstrate this, in their Declaration printed at Leyden in 1654.

than any prince in the world exacts, and in being subjected to the most arbitrary proceedings, as to life, exile, and imprisonment, that ever I read of: And, if I am deceived, Grotius, in his Apologetic,' who suffered thereby, with many others, deluded me into that sentiment. But though these Canaanites do live under an ill government, in a bad country, upon pickled herrings, groot, butter, and cheese; yet they enjoy, for their souls, that immortal part, as much as from God they can desire, namely, the food of his word, which nourisheth them to life eternal. And this is the celestial diet of all the Jews, Socinians, Anabaptists, Papists, &c. that abound there. The States-General have nothing to do with religion; the several provinces and towns can only intermeddle therewith; and that they so do, that the Ecclesiasticks can neither preach otherwise than what the magistrates please, nor exercise any church discipline as they ought. Upon these terms, the ministers are pastors, and feed them with heavenly food, being servants rather of the Burgomasters, and of Mammon, than God. Were our nonconformists there employed, they would find it unlawful to assert the Jus Divinum Ministerii Evangelici, and they would be *banished, should they discourse there about the duty of magistrates, and power of ministers, as they do in England. These zealous protestants have declared, that it was indifferent to them what religion any province or city were of, so they would but unite with them.' The league at Utrecht, which is the foundation of their union, doth run thus, and Grotius shall justify all I say: They say, they have always highly interested themselves in the friendship of his majesty:' And to preserve his friendship, they have made all those ignominious pictures, medals, and monuments; they refused him the honour of the flag, and informed his majesty, ❝ that the dominion of the sea is an usurpation, and that upon God Almighty; to whom alone this state attributes it.' They say, 'their great interest consists in the peace and tranquillity of Chris. tendom.' Oh! happy interest of a christian state. I believe their interest now consists in the peace of Christendom; because that war menaceth them, which they would have turned upon England; and, I believe, they did not swerve from their interest, when they formerly sowed divisions betwixt the Swedes and Danes, and other German princes; and of late endeavoured to embroil all Europe in wars, thereby to counterpoise France. I might reflect upon their confining their interest to the peace of Christendom; whereas they place it otherwise in the East-Indies, embroil ing those parts as much as they can in wars, and destroying our merchants upon all occasions. But it is very observable, that the real interest of these most amicable Dutch consists, in Europe, in doing all those things which may justly incense princes to make war upon them, and yet in cajoling them into a tame and dishonourable acquiescence.

Such passages as these, I confess, did add to my. divertisement

See the Apology of Oldenbarnevelt, printed in English in 1618.

upon the reading; but a different passion seized me, when I met with those insolent expressions with which they affront our sovereign, who, not only by reason of his personal excellencies, but by the right of his English crown, is ranked amongst the reges superillustres. Had his majesty been of a lesser quality, yet, since his ancestors have, by their favour, protection, and vast expence of men and money, raised the Dutch into a republick, ordinary gratitude might have engaged them to civiler language. To give the lye to any man, is reputed a just cause of quarrel; and if we allow princes but equal concerns for their honour, this alone authenti. cates the war. They charge him with injustice, dissimulation, and piracy: They call his courtiers a company of stupid fellows, and say, his majesty can as little adhere to reason, as with reasonable offers he will be satisfied.' They say, that the war hath no other prospect, than the limits of an unlimited ambition, endless covet ousness, and a spirit of revenge not to be glutted. That, his mind is misled and obnubilated with a desire of war, the most accursed and unruly of all desires. That, his declaration contains plain untruths, malicious interpretations, and gross impertinencies. That, no precedents of violated faith, out of any chronicles, can be produced, which, in this case, can parallel the example of the said king.'

These, and many other such like passages, occur frequently in this treatise. I should not have presumed to repeat them, but that I am confident they will be efficacious to animate all the subjects of his majesty, to vindicate the honour of their injured prince, especially when they shall understand how undeservedly he is aspersed by these ignoble, ungrateful, arrogant, and perfidious Netherlanders. Eehold, how unfortunate his majesty is, to contend with a mean and ungenerous adversary! How civil and prince-like was the king of Great-Britain in his declaration! What was there that could exasperate, besides the truth of his allegations? Let any man impartially consider the motives whereupon his majesty proceeds; let him forget himself a little while that he is a subject, thereby to judge the better of the actions of his sovereign, and I am assured he will concur with me in opinion, That the present war with the Dutch is honourable, just, and necessary: And, consequently, if his majesty's loving subjects do value, either their allegiance to their king (which is not to be doubted) or the honour and prosperity of the nation, and of each particular member thereof (all being in. volved in this contest, and depending upon the issue of it), they will unanimously assist his majesty in the present juncture, as far as their prayers, lives, and fortunes can advantage him.

I acknowledge myself to have been of the number of those, who, by reason of their ignorance of private negotiations, and the real transactions of state, together with that epidemical jealousy of court designs, did believe that this war was needless and unseasonable. That it was projected by some courtiers, and others, who sought to advantage themselves by the publick calamities, or by pensions from

the crown of France; that the Dutch were so humble and submissive, that it was our obstinacy to refuse all satisfaction, not any per. verseness and pride in them so as to deny us any. I was jealous of the growth of popery, and thought it to be the interest of this kingdom, not to weaken or destroy a republick pretending to protestancy, and for the erection whereof, so many of our progeni tors had hazarded and lost their lives. I brought with me all those surmises and misapprehensions which any Netherlander or English male-content could wish infused into me: But when I came to a better intelligence concerning affairs; when I had seriously inquired into the transactions betwixt the Dutch and us, how condescending his majesty had been, and with what insolence the Netherlanders had deported themselves; when I found the reality of his majesty's pretensions, and that the declaration was so penned, that the contents were capable of much higher aggravations, but no way to be extenuated or invalidated: Then did I begin to detest the petulant humour of this age, whereby every one is prone to examine the actions, and censure the prudence of his governors, without un. derstanding the prospect those elevated spirits have concerning such affairs, or the grounds and circumstances by which they regulate their councils; and most commonly we, not being able to determine of matters, were every punctilio and intrigue represented unto us. I thought the times happy, when men employed themselves in other discourses, and practised obedience, rather than disputes: When they believed that prudent and solid doctrine of the casuistical divines, that it was only for the counsellors of kings to debate and examine the utility and prejudices, the justice and injus tice of wars; the other subjects not being to expect an ample ac count of all the motives and inducements by which their king is swayed, nor to be so infatuated, as to think they can debate or decide such matters, without any better cognisance, than what ari seth from a vulgar brain, a narrow prospect of things, and popu. lar reports and suggestions: But to presume so well of their supe riors, as to imagine they understand what is right or wrong, ho. nourable and dishonourable, advantageous and inutile; and that they have so much of common sense as to understand, that the welfare of the people is the grand interest of the prince, and that the king is the greatest sufferer in the ruinating of his kingdoms.

To the end that others may be undeceived, as well as myself, and fortified against all misapprehensions, which either their own igno. rance, or the clandestine artifices of these ungrateful and most ma licious Netherlanders may subject them unto, I shall represent unto the world the most important passages, whereby they endeavour to elude or refute the most just and sincere declaration of his majesty, and evince unto the most suspicious or prejudiced persons, that it is incumbent upon the subjects of his majesty, and there is an unavoidable necessity of reducing these insolent and treacherous Dutchmen into such a posture, that they may not only pay their due submissions, with reparations of honour, unto our king, but