CHAP. XIV. Of the Meanes of disposing the Enemie to Peace.
“Warres, with whatsoever prudence undertaken
and conducted, do not always succeed; many thinges out of mans
power to governe, such as dearthe of provisions, tempests,
pestilence, and the like, oftentimes interfering, and totally
overthrowing the best designes; so that these enemies of our
Monarchie, though apparentlie at first the weaker, may, by
disastrous events of warre on our part, become the stronger; and
though not in such degree as to endanger the bodie of this great
kingdome, yet, by their greater power of shipping and aptness in
sea-affaires, to be able to cut off, if I may so speak, some of its
smaller limbes and members, that, being remote therefrom, are not
easilie defended; to wit, our islands and colonies in the Indies;
thereby however depriving the bodie of its wonted nourishment, so
that it must thenceforthe languish and grow weake, if those parts
be not recovered, which possibly may, by continuance of warre, be
found unlikely to be done. And the enemie, puffed up with their
successes, and hoping still for more, may not be disposed to peace
on such termes as would be suitable to the honour of your Majestie,
and to the welfare of your State and Subjectes. In such case, the
following meanes may have good effect.
“It is well known, that these northerne people,
though hardie of bodie, and bold in fight, be neverthelesse,
through overmuch eating and other intemperance, slowe of wit and
dull in understanding, so that they be oftimes more easilie to be
governed and turned by skille than by force. There is therefore
always hope, that by wise counsel and dextrous managemente, those
advantages which through cross accidents in warre have been lost,
may again with honour be recovered. In this place I shall say
little of the power of money secretly distributed amongst grandees
or their friends or mistresses, that method being in all ages known
and practised. If the minds of enemies can be
changed, they may, be brought to grant willingly and for
nothing, what much golde would scarcelie have otherwise prevailed
to obtaine. Yet as the procuring this change is to be by fitte
instruments, some few doublones will not unprofitablie be disbursed
by your Majestie; the manner whereof I shall now brieflie
recite.
“In those countries, and particularly in
England, there are not wanting men of learning, ingenious speakers
and writers, who are neverthelesse in lowe estate and pinched by
fortune; these being privatelie gained by proper meanes, must be
instructed in their sermons, discourses, writings, poems and songs,
to handle and specially inculcate points like these which followe.
Let them magnify the blessings of peace and enlarge mightily
thereon, which is not unbecoming grave Divines and other Christian
men; let them expatiate on the miseries of warre, the waste of
Christian bloode, the growing scarcitie of labourers and workmen,
the dearness of all foreign wares and merchandises, the
interruption of commerce by the captures or delay of ships, the
increase and great burthen of taxes, and the impossibilitie of
supplying much longer the expence of the contest; let them
represent the warre as an unmeasurable advantage to particulars,
and to particulars only (thereby to excite envie against those that
manage and provide for the same) while so prejudicial to the
Commonweale and people in general: let them represent the
advantages gained against us as trivial and of little import; the
places taken from us as of small trade or produce, inconvenient for
situation, unwholesome for ayre and climate, useless to their
nations, and greatly chargeable to keepe, draining the home
Countries both of men and money: let them urge, that if a peace be
forced on us, and those places withheld, it will nourishe secret
griefe and malice in the King and Grandees of Spain, which will ere
long breake forthe in new warres, wherein those places may again be
retaken, and lost without the merit and grace of restoring them
willingly for peace-sake: let them represent the making and
continuance of warres from view of gaine, to be base and unworthie
a brave people; as those made from view of ambition are mad and
wicked; and let them insinuate that the continuance of the present
warre on their parte, when peace is offered, hath these ingredients
strongly in its nature. Then let them magnifie the great power of
your Majestie, and the strength of your kingdome, the inexhaustible
wealthe of your mines, the greatness of your incomes, and thence
your abilitie of continuing the warre; hinting withal, the new
alliances you may possibly make; at the same time setting forth the
sincere disposition you have for peace, and that it is only a
concerne for your honour and the honour of your realme, that
induceth you to insist on the restitution of the places taken. If
with all this they shrewdly intimate and cause it to be understood
by artfull words, and beleeved, that their own Prince is himself in
heart for peace on your Majesties termes, and grieved at the
obstinacie and perverseness of those among his people that be for
continuing the warre, a marvellous effect shall by these discourses
and writings be produced; and a wonderful strong party shall your
Majestie raise among your enemies in favour of the peace you
desire; insomuch that their own Princes and wisest Councellours
will in a sort be constrained to yeeld thereto. For in this warre
of words, the avarice and ambition, the hopes and fears, and all
the croud of human passions, will, in the minds of your enemies, be
raised, armed, and put in array, to fight for your interests,
against the reall and substantiall interest of their own countries.
The simple and undiscerning many, shall be carried away by the
plausibilitie and well seeming of these discourses; and the
opinions becoming popular, all the rich men, who have great
possessions, and fear the continuance of taxes, and hope peace will
end them, shall be imboldened thereby to cry aloud for peace; their
dependents who are many, must do the same: all marchants, fearing
loss of ships and greater burthens on trade by farther duties and
subsidies, and hoping greater profittes by the ending of the warre,
shall join in the cry for peace: All the usurers and lenders of
monies to the state, who on a peace hope great profit from their
bargaines, and fear if the warre be continued, the State shall
become bankeroute, and unable to pay them: these who have no small
weight, shall joine the cry for peace: All the gowne and booke
statesmen, who maligne the bold conductors of the warre, and envie
the glorie they may have thereby obtained; these shall cry aloud
for peace; hoping, that when the Warre shall cease, such men
becoming less necessarie shall be more lightelie esteemed, and
themselves more sought after: All the officers of the enemies
armies and fleets, who wish for repose, and to enjoy their spoiles,
salaries, or rewards, in quietness, and without peril, these, and
their friends and families, who desire their safetie, and the
solace of their societie, shall all cry for peace: All those who be
timorous by nature, amongst whom be reckoned men of learning that
lead sedentarie lives, using little exercise of bodie, and thence
obtaining but few and weake spirits; great Statesmen, whose natural
spirits be exhausted by much thinking, or depress’d by over-much
feasting; together with all women, whose power, weake as they are,
is not a little among such men; these shall incessantly speake for
peace: And finallie, all Courtiers, who suppose they conforme
thereby to the inclinations of the Prince; all who are in
places of profit, and fear to lose them, or hope for better; all
who are out of places, and hope to obtain them; all the
worldly-minded clergie, who seeke preferment; these, with all the
weight of their character and influence, shall joine the cry for
peace, till it becomes one universal clamour, and no sound but that
of Peace, Peace, Peace, shall be heard from every quarter.
Then shall your Majesties termes of peace be listened to with much
readiness, the places taken from you be willingly restored, and
your kingdome, recovering its strength, shall only need to waite, a
few years for more favourable occasions, when the advantages to
your power proposed by beginning the warre, but lost by its bad
successe, shall, with better fortune, be finallie obtained.”
What effect the artifices here recommended
might have had in the times when this Jesuit wrote, I cannot
pretend to say; but I believe, the present age being more
enlightened, and our people better acquainted than formerly with
our true national interests, such arts can now hardly prove so
generally successful. For we may with pleasure observe, and to the
honour of the British people, that though writings and discourses
like these have lately not been wanting, yet few in any of the
classes he particularises seem to be affected by them; but all
ranks and degrees among us persist hitherto in declaring for a
vigorous prosecution of the war, in preference to an unsafe,
disadvantageous peace.
Yet, as a little change of fortune may make
such writings more attended to, and give them greater weight, I
think the publication of this piece, as it shows the spring from
whence these scribblers draw their poisoned waters, may be of
publick utility. I am, Sir, yours, &c.