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THE CLOSE OF THE ASSEMBLY, By the most excellent, FREDERIQUE Duke of VVITTEMBERG, &C.
Most Illustrious Prince, ever endeared Cosens, and much Honoured Barons.—
THer have bin many famous Diets in Germany, which have bin more populous, and of a longer continuance then this, but I beleeve ther was never any which transacted more busines in so short a time; I dare say that Europe was never so exactly survayed, & travelled over, as she hath bin these few dayes by us; And this we have don without incurring any inconveniences or hazards at all; either of difficult wayes, incursion of theeves, stumbling of horses, hard fare, illfavour'd lodgings, or crossing of Seas, with those nomberles incommodities which we know are incident to perigri∣nation, and journeying in forrein Countries.
And now me thinks, you expect with earnestnes, and a kind of impatience that I shold deliver my opinion touching the question which hath bin controverted so ma∣ny dayes, and canvas'd to an fro, with such high straines of Rhetoric and Energie of wit in so many fluent Orations swelling with such high tides of Eloquence, and learning; But I humbly desire to be excus'd herein, you know 'tis a rule of mo∣rallity all the world over, that Comparisons are odious; Besides, under favour, neither the place nor persons of this Assembly, are fit to passe a definitive sentence hereof; We are all Germans, and do what we can, we must be a little indulgent to our own Countrey by an irresistible instinct of Nature: All Regions have som ad∣vantage or other to make them lift up their crests. Let Germany glory that she hath the Prince Paramount of Christendom for her perpetuall guest, that Caesar keeps his Court in her. Let Spain be the Queen of Mines, France of Men; let Great Britain be the Queen of Iles, Italy the Queen of Policy, with all sorts of Elegancies; let it be granted that the French and Pole are best a Horseback, the Englishman and Hollander upon a deck, the Spaniard at a siege, the Italian in a Treaty, the Hun∣garian upon a rampart, &c. Every Nation hath a particular aptitude to somthing more then another, and this by the common decree of Nature, who useth to disperse her benefits, and not powre them all together upon any one peeple.
And now, most splendid and magnificent Princes, my most dear Cosens and Com∣patriots, how shall I pay that due tribut of gratitude, which I confesse to have made my self liable unto, for this noble and vertuous Congress? truly, no words are strong enough to expresse my self herin, unlesse they were couch'd in such pathe∣ticall and gallant Orations which have bin formerly framd; All that I can say and desire for the present is, that you would please to accept of a lipp-payment only, (which yet is cordiall) untill som happy encounter may afford me an opportunity to return som reall acknowledgment: In the interim, most noble and hopefull Princes, well may your Soules fare, may your Vertues encrease, and your Fame flourish to all posterity.