which we have received from the Dutch, the Turks of Algiers, and Tunis, are less offensive, and less perfidious. If we consider the courses, by which the Dutch attack us, the Algerines are more supportable to an English spirit, since they act by force, and open piracy, what the Hollanders do by finess and deceit. And since it is our unhappiness to have so ill neighbours, that we must either fall by a lingering and inglorious death, or hazard, by war, a more precipitate end; I think his Majesty hath made that choice which is most conformable to the genius and temperament of his subjects; and, instigated by his ho nour, justice, and necessity, put into the hands of the English an opportunity at least of perishing bravely. But, as we ought not in a righteous cause to distrust the mercy of God, so, upon so auspicious a beginning as the Lord of Hosts hath favoured us with, under the conduct of our undaunted admiral, we may hope for a prosperous success, over our treacherous and ungrateful enemies. It becomes the nation now to express their generous resolution and courage, whereby the first advantages may be timely and vigorously pursued. It is true, war is expensive; yet it is not to be esteemed so, when the effects of peace will be more fatal, and cost us more: It is expensive, yet in the beginnings of war, even prodigality is wisdom; and he that lays out most lays out least. Small supplies may foment and continue a war, but great ones put a speedy end thereunto. Let us then shew ourselves unanimous and resolute. Let us add to our usual boldness all that fury which despair infuseth. Our circumstances are such as admit of no after-game; either we must be the distressed kingdom of EngJand, or they once more the distressed States of Holland; and it will be more insupportable for us to fall into a condition, we never yet understood, than for them, who return only to their primitive estate. The Dutch presume not so much upon their own strength, as upon our divisions, animosities, and poverty. Let us undeceive them in these surmises. Let us convince them, that the English have yet much to give, as well as all to lose; and that they can abandon all private emulations and jealousies, where the publick is so highly endangered; and either totally extinguish them, or lay them aside till they have a more fitting time to resume them. If we can form our minds to such sentiments as these, we may have, in a short space, what peace we desire; if we act by other principles, we can have no peace, but what pleaseth the insolent and enraged Hollander.

WHE

HEN I perused the treatise, intitled, 'Considerations upon the present State of the United Netherlands,' I could not but recal to mind that raillery of Charles the Fifth, who, when he adjusted the usefulness of several European languages, said, that the Dutch was fittest to be used unto an horse.' Certainly, the expressions they use against his sacred majesty, the present king of Great-Britain, are so rude and barbarous, the suggestions so palpably false, that, in a controversy betwixt private persons, such a procedure were intolerable in any part of the civil world? How much more then ought we to resent it, where the dignity and ho nour of our prince (upon whose reputation abroad and at home, not only the national renown, and general commerce, but the welfare and being of each particular man is suspended, is concerned? I do not endeavour to serve the present juncture by this high insinuation of what importance it is, that the majesty of our sovereign be upheld; I do not act any thing of the courtier herein; it is a document of the best politicians, and the experience of all ages doth confirm it for a truth. It is no vain, or empty design, for a prince to preserve that credit and renown which appertains unto his quality; it is hereby, that he shall insure himself of those that waver in their friendship or allegiance; it is hereby, that he shall

retain his armies in discipline and courage; it is hereby, that he shall continue in his other subjects their due reverence and respect. In fine, the reputation of a prince is all in all; and, that being once lost, the most powerful and prudent remedies become inef fectual to the support of his crown, and tranquillity of his dominions. Neither do I upbraid the Dutch with the violation of those edicts, whereby christianity regulates men so in their deportments, as, not to speak evil of dignities; not to blaspheme the gods, or magistrates; being reviled, not so much as to revile again; whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any praise, if there be any glory, to think thereof:' No, no, I should injure Christendom to reckon the United Netherlands a part thereof; such are their practices, that it is a crime in them to profess that religion, and a great mistake in those that intitle them thereunto. I know not, whether I do not speak too mildly concerning those deluded persons, since it is a wilful error in them that imagine so; the Dutch them. selves have avowed it, and those that managed their trade in Japan, when the christians there, at the instigation of the Dutch, were all, by horrible tortures, put to death, and every housekeeper enjoined to declare in writing, that he was neither a christian, nor retained any christians in his family;' Melchoir Santvoort, and Vincentius Romeyn, subscribed themselves, that they were Hollanders ;' most impiously, for lucre's sake, declining that profession of christianity, to which Christ and his apostles oblige them. If they were ashamed or afraid to acknowledge Christ then, I know what our Saviour will do to them hereafter; and, if we be ashamed to own them now, or positive in denying them to be christians now, we are justified by an infallible authority. I would willingly palliate the matter, by casting the scandal upon a few particular persons, who might be surprised with the imminent dan. ger at that time: But their reputation is not to be salved so; for the conditions (upon which the trade continues to be managed there, with the knowledge and approbation of the States-General and the provincials of Holland), are these:

They are, at their first arrival, faithfully to deliver up all the books, which they bring along with them to Japan (not a bible, or prayer-book, is reserved) which are not to be restored till their departure again. They are to refrain from all manner of outward profession of christianity, in word or deed, amongst the Japanners; insomuch that it is death and confiscation of their ships and goods, if they do so much as verbally give God thanks for the meat they eat, or, by any motion of their hands or eyes, testify any inclination thereunto. Upon these terms, the emperor permitted them to trade thither; the conditions were sent into Holland to be approved of there, it being added in the close of the letter, that, if they did make any of the least shew that they were christians, they should not obtain any favour at the hands of the emperor.'And the Dutch have so exactly submitted to these conditions, and do so absolutely, in words and deeds, dissemble their christianity,

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 socver 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. Whatsoever may be alledged in behalf of Vincentius Romeyn and his as sociates, if any thing can be said, extends not to the subsequent traders; and, even before the persecution in Japan, the Hollanders demcaned 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 thither, 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 factory there, Francis Caron, printed this in his description of Japan, 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 monsters; 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 expostulation 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 miserable 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 obliged to deny themselves absolutely to be christians, in case any Japanner doth put such a question unte

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 extir pation. 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, but. ter, 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, hey 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 Christendom.' 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.