Votivæ Angliæ, Englands complaint to their king:, or, The humble desires of all the zealous and true-hearted Protestants in this kingdome, for a speedy and happy reformation of abuses in church government, being the onely meanes to remove these distractions, and to avert the judgement of God from us. : As they were expressed in sundry petitions, remonstrances and letters, lately presented from them to the king, upon sundry occasions. / Collected by a wel-wisher to reformation.

IN the raigne of King Iames of famous memory, passing through the Pallace yard, I saw two men very much urging one another to goe over into Saint Georges field to fight, one wa•• M. Phillips the Queenes so or man, the other was M Newman my Lord Chamberlaines footman the English man a Protestant; the Irish a Papist. I used many perswasions to pacifie the busines betwixt them, but M. Phillips said it was impossible to satisfie him till they had fought, but I would by no means suffer them to fight, but I would be M Phillips his second, and my Lord of Hollands footman should have been M. Newmans second, they should have fought with single swords, and I had a single sword also. When they saw that I would not leave them, the Irish man asked what religion I was of, I said I did beleeve to have salvation onely by the

infinite merits of the death and passion of my Saviour Iesus Christ, and so I hoped he did like∣wise: then I demanded what religion he was of, that could warrant him to fight in such a quarrell; he answered, happy man be his dole: In the end they were contented that I should have the hea∣ring of the businesse betwixt them: so we went to a Taverne in Kings street, where they fell out at Tables, and drew their swords, but the servants parted them, and upon the examination of the ser∣vants that did appeare, that the Irish man did the wrong to the English man, and called him boy? and that was the word of disgrace that M. Phillips would never be satisfied till he fought with him; therefore I did order, that M. Newman should ac∣knowledge that he had done M. Phillips wrong, and that he was sorry for it; and then M. Newman cryed mercy, and then they embraced one ano∣ther, and with such expressions of love, that they would live, & die together in defending one ano∣thers quarrels, to this effect, and as it pleased God I parted this dangerous quarrell without drawing my sword, the Irish man was a proper tallman, but M. Phillips was young, but a brave spirit.

ANd now that I am upon the point of peace∣making, give me leave to give some few dire∣ctions for the better effecting of this charitable worke.

1. Humbly pray unto the God of peace, and lover of concord, to give you wisedome and dire∣ction, and frame the hearts of the contending par∣ties

to unity and concord, then get them into bond to stand to the arbiterment.

2. Conferre with the parties alone by them∣selves, and then use all the strongest arguments you can to weaken the party you speake unto, by telling him what advantage his adversary hath of him, his great friends, his able parts, and resolute minde, and use the like arguments to the o∣ther.

3. Try if a wife, a childe, or friend, may not be a fit agent to perswade in these differences.

4. Consider what a happy and pleasing thing it is in the sight of God and good men to see neighbours to live together in love and unity.

But in my long trading in these charitable busi∣nesses, I will declare unto you two very rare and unusuall means which I have made use of:

A gentleman of great worth, and Knight of the Parliament house, and his Minister of great worth and of great parts also, having spent much money in suites of Law in the high Commission Court.

I humbly intreated my Lord Mandevill, that noble peace-maker to take into his consideration they, being his neare neighbours, who tooke great paines to order the businesse, and end the suites, and gat them into bands, but they were both so re∣solute, they brake their bands, and refused the or∣der, and procured Commiss••ions out of the high Commission Court to examine witnesses, I think almost a fortnight together, to their great charge, and to make such misdemeanors appeare to that Court, that some of their good friends thought would make them be fined a thousand pound at

the least. The Commission was sealed up, and sent to Huntington to be returned into the high Commission Court. I was sorry to see all our la∣bour lost, & hopes frustrate, yet it pleased God to put a conceit into my head, and therefore. I con∣sulted with two that were nearly allyed to the Knight of the Parliament house, and told them we must make an end, ei••her with the consent of the parties, or without their consent; for the first, that the suit was impossible; the second, how could it be, that I will tell you? so we fell to writing, first, that all suite in law should cease: secondly, that thus much the Knight of the Parli∣ament should give the P••eacher for rearages for his tythes, and then to prevent suites here after, the Knight of the Parliament should give thus much a yeare for composition for his tythes. When we had done, I told them I will engage my selfe to be bound in this summe, that the Minister shall stand to this, and you shall doe the like to me; That the Knight of the Parliament should doe the like, we entred into bands, and then sent for them, and when they saw that we stood enga∣ged for them, and it was not their Act they con∣sented to that end, and entred into five hundred pound bonds apeece to stand to that end, thus it pleased God to take off this tedious and dangerous businesse.

The other concerned my selfe: in my old age a gentleman had made a scandalous report of me, that I should send a Cart upon the Sabbath-day to remove certaine goods; which was very false, yet he made report of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••oble friend of mine

which answered very much for the, and would not beleeve it, used many meanes to vindicate my reputation; but he would not be satisfied, but gave credit to the report of some lewd malicious companions; so in the end I grew so foolish, that I sent him a challenge, & sent my man with it to meet me the next day by eight of the clocke in the morning, upon such a Common, betwixt two Woods, to meet single and with single swords. I came to the place at the time appointed, and beat the ayre, but he came not; I rode to his gates to call him, but he returned his answer in a kinde letter to me, did acknowledge that he had done me wrong, to give credit to the report of such ly∣ing and malicious knaves, and that he would satis∣fie my noble friend how much I was wronged, to this effect, and afterwards we continued very lo∣ving friends during his life: this I doe relate, but would have no man follow this example, except they will doe (and so I hope we should have done) As two knights in King Henry the eighths time, as I take it, that the one was Sir Iohn St. Iohn, and the other Sir Henry Cromwell, two valiant Knights, and brave souldiers, and contended for a peece of ground, and spent more money in Law then they were willing; and seeing it was unfit for soul∣diers to follow suites in Law, they resolved to de∣termine it with their swords, and appointed a day to meet upon that ground, and there met, but considering better of it, that their valour was well knowne and what a vaine thing it was for them to adventure their lives upon such a quarrell, where∣upon they grew to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 offers each to other of

the ground, and contented who should give or take it: a vaine example of two so noble and va∣liant Knights; but I would now advise all men to ••ake heed they be not put to that adventure, for men to meet in the field, the devill will put these conceits into their mind that it is not for your ho∣nour, to appoint the field and not to fight, and if they fight, then it will be their dishonour to give over with this disadvātage, thy enemy hath given thee more wounds then thou hast done him, and so will urge them to fight still untill either one or both are slaine: as was seene in the ever to be la∣mented example of Sir George Wharton, and Sir Iames Steward that stood upon tearmes of honour, and were both slain in the field.