King there, than A Bishop or no Bishop. In great mutinies or insurrections of this nature pretentions speciously conscionable were never wanting, and indeed are necessary; for rebellion is itself so ugly, that did it not put on the vizard of religion, it would fright rather than draw people to it, and being drawn, it could not hold them without it.
Imaginary cords, that seem to fasten man to heaven, have tied things here below surer together than any other obligation. If it be liberty of conscience they ask, 'tis a foolish request, since they have it already, and must have it in despite of power. For as Theoderic the Goth said to the Jews, Nemo cogitur credere invitus. If the exercise of that liberty, 'tis dangerous; for not three men are of the same opinion in all, and then each family must have a war within itself. Look upon their long preparations (and consider withal prophecy is sealed, and therefore they could not foretell this book should be sent unto them), and you will conclude they rather employed Conscience, than Conscience employed them. Enquire after their leaders, and you will hardly find them apostles, or men of such sanctity that they should order religion. Lesley himself (if his story were searched) would certainly be found one who, because he could not live well there, took up a trade of killing men abroad, and now is returned, for Christ's sake, to kill men at home. If you will have my opinion, I think their quarrel to the king is that which they may have to the sun: he doth not warm and visit them as much as others. God and nature have placed them in the shade, and they are angry with the King of England for it. To conclude, this is the case: the great and wise Husbandman hath planted the beasts in out-fields, and they would break hedges to come into the garden. This is the belief of
XXXIII
Sir,
We are at length arrived at that river, about the uneven running of which my friend Mr. William Shakespeare makes Henry Hotspur quarrel so highly with his fellow-rebels, and for his sake I have been something curious to consider the scantlet of ground that angry monsieur would have had in, but cannot find it could deserve his choler, nor any of the other side ours, did not the king think it did. The account I shall now give you of the war will be but imperfect, since I conceive it to be in the state that part of the four and twenty hours is in, which we can neither call night nor day. I should judge it dawning towards
