upon their Promifes, and the folemn Engagements they were entred into, both with the Crown of Spain and with us. And indeed, it is hard to imagine they are in earneft, when they tell us they will maintain the true Intent and Scope of the Peace of Aix la Chapelle, and preferve the Ends thereof inviolable, whilft they have enter'd into a League with France to invade our Provinces, and have kindled a War much more dangerous than that which was compos'd at Aix. But the better to judg of the Sincerity of this Declaration; and to the end it may appear how far the Court of England hath preferv'd the Ends of the faid Treaty, we defire the Reader to reflect upon the following Hints, which we dare not enlarge upon, for fear of being too tedious. This fingle Head, to clear it fully, requiring a Manifefto by it self. The firft Thing to be obferv'd, is, That the Treaty of Aix La Chapelle was only the Complement, and perfecting of the Triple Alliance; wherein what was executed at Aix, had been already defign'd and agreed upon: And that confequently thofe two Treaties cannot be divided, and ought to be look'd upon as one fingle Treaty, tho concluded in feveral places, and at fome months diftance of one another. So that the Court of England cannot pretend to have kept the Treaty of Aix, unless at the fame time they can make it appear they have not violated the Triple Alliance, and that they have on their part anfwer'd its true end. 2. It is further to be obferv'd, it was his Majefty of Great Britain who propos'd the faid Alliance, having fent us in order to it Sir William Temple, who did earneftly prefs us to join with the King his Mafter, to ftop the progrefs of the French Arms; and by re-eftablishing the Quiet of Chriftendom, to fet bounds to a Power, which gave fo much jealousy to all its Neighbours. 3. That being overcome by the powerful Arguments of the aforefaid Sir William Temple, we confented to what he defir'd of us. But as we could not but forefee, that fuch an Alliance would exasperate France, and might be attended with evil Confequences, we defir'd at the fame time, for our greater fecurity, to unite us more ftrictly with England, and concluded with them a Defenfive League, which till then we could never obtain fince the King's Reftoration: not thinking that after that there could be any danger in acting jointly with his faid Majefty, and complying with his defires. 4. That upon the fame grounds, when Sueden was admitted into the fame Alliance, which from thence was called Triple, it was ftipulated in exprefs words in the fecond and third Arti cles, cles, That to eftablish this Alliance upon a furer Foundation,' there fhould be for ever, between the contracting Parties, a firm and fincere Friendship; and that to cultivate it, and preferve it really and fincerely, each of the faid Confederates fhould heartily endeavour to procure all Good and Advantage to the others, and to preferve them, as far as they were able, from all damage and peril: For which end also, all the Treaties and reciprocal Engagements, that were refpectively between them, thould be preferv'd entire, and kept in-> violable. And in the fifth Article it was added, That in cafe the aforefaid good Intentions of the Confederates fhould be ill refented by any other State or Prince, and that by reafon of the fame any injury were done to, or War made upon any of the Confederates, the other two fhould be bound to affift him with all poffible vigour both by Sea and Land, and not to call back their Succors before they had procur'd him a reparation, and until the Danger was over. Now we ask the Compilers of the Manifefto, whether it was by their giving leave to the French, to make fo great Levies in England, Scotland, and Ireland (whilft they knew they were intended againft us) they began to promote our Good and our Advantage, as they were bound? Whether their fecret Intrigues with the French, and the Engagements they had with the faid Crown, be what they call to cultivate the fincere Friendship they had promis'd us? How far their Carriage in the Courts of Sueden and Brandenburgh hath been agreeable to the Obligation they lay under, to preferve us, as far as they were able, from the Danger that did threaten us? And lastly, whether they do perfuade themfelves, they have honeftly perform'd the Defenfive League they had concluded with us, by their breaking with us, the very firft, without any provocation from us? But it is not only in relation to us, the Court of England did not obferve the Triple Alliance: They have valued it as little both in other refpects, and upon other occafions. Thus, altho by the feventh Article of the Treaty of Aix, all Kings, Potentates and Princes had a right to give their Guaranty for the performance of the faid Treaty, that is, in other words, to come into the Triple Alliance, wherein the fame thing had already been covenanted; And that pursuant to the faid Treaty, the King of Great Britain (whilft his Minifters had other thoughts) had follicited feveral German Princes to come into the fame Alliance: Yet when the Emperor defir'd, a while after, to be admitted into it, the Perfuafions of the French were fo powerful, that it was denied in England, after they had promis'd it at firft; and the faid Court began to fear to fee the Peace Peace too well fettled, far from continuing in their firft Zeal, and keeping up the reputation of a League, which ow'd its Being to them. Laftly, Seeing the chief End of the Triple Alliance was to fettle the Peace of Chriftendom; and that the Jealousy, which the Greatness of France rais'd in feveral Princes, had been the occafion of their uniting themselves, and which in particular had mov'd the Court of England to make the firft Overtures of it: The said Court could not overthrow more openly all that they had done before, nor violate the Triple Alliance more directly, than by fetting, as they have done, all Chriftendom in a flame; and by countenancing with fo much Zeal, the Arms of a Prince whom they had, for fome years, made it their Glory to deprefs. And now upon all that has been faid (wherein we hope it will appear to every impartial Eye, that we have not us❜d the difingenuous Licence of our Adverfaries, in afferting whatfoever may be for their purpose, without the leaft colour of Truth to fupport it; but have ftrictly confin'd our selves to matter of Fact, juftified by Authentick Originals, and carrying undeniable Self-demonftration along with it) We appeal to all the World, whether or no there has been any thing done on our part, which may truly be faid to be an Infraction of the late Treaty at Breda, and of the Sacred Triple League, fo religiously entred into, for the Common Prefervation of the Peace and Safety of all Europe. And altho through the .Goodness of God, who has miraculously put a stop to the Defigns of our Enemies, we are at present in a Condition to defend our felves, (jointly with our Allies, to whom we are ftrictly united) and have no caufe to defpair, but that our Arms will ftill be attended with that fuccefs, which the righ teous God do's ufually give to fo juft a Caufe: yet being always ready to apply our felves to the moft hopeful ways of procuring Peace with all our Neighbours; and having more particular Inclinations to do any thing which may be leading to a right Underftanding with the Kingdom of England (whose Friendship we moft earnestly defire, and ever fhall efteem as the greateft worldly Bleffing) We do here, in the fimplicity of our Hearts, and in the confidence of our own Integrity, fubmit the Sincerity of this our Defence to the Judgment of the English Nation in general, and more particularly of the High and Honourable Court of Parliament, as representing the whole Body of the Nation; whom we are not only willing to make the fole Arbitrators of all the unhappy Differences betwixt the Court of England and us; but should account it the the moft profperous Step to an happy Accommodation, if they (who must be allow'd to be the beft Judges of this Controverfy) would take the pains rightly to difcriminate betwixt the true Intereft of the Nation (which they reprefent) and the Artificial Pretences of fome few Evil-minded Men, who (for fome finifter Purposes of their own, very little agreeable to the Duty they owe both to God and their Country) have contriv'd this War, in order to Ends equally deftructive to England, as to this State. Phenir (q; Phenir XI. The Peoples Antient and Just Liberties afferted, in the Tryal of William Penn and William Mead, at the Seffions beld at the OldBaily in London, the first, third, fourth and fifth of Sept. 1670. against the most Arbitrary Procedure of that Court. I' To the English Reader. Fever it were time to speak, or write, 'tis now, so many firange How much thou art concern'd in this ensuing Tryal (where not only the Prisoners, but the Fundamental Laws of England, have been moft. Arbitrarily Arraigned) read, and thou may't plainly judg. Liberty of Confcience is counted a Pretence for Rebellion, and Religious Affemblies, Routs and Riots; and the Defenders of both, ave by them, reputed Factious and Difaffected. is - Magna Charta Magnaf with the Recorder of London; and to demand Right, an Affront to the Court. Will and Power are their great Charter; but to call for Eng. land's, is a Crime, incurring the Penalty of their Bale-Dock, and Nafty-hole; nay, the Menace of a Gag, and Iron Shackles too. The |