here a third, there a [unr] part, that your shares shall be sure to
be little enough; and at the best they do but count you your [unr] before
they be hatch'd; for 'tis easy to talk of pearl, but 'tis hard to come
by the shell: In our renowned Elizabeths daies ye were a generation
as loyal as [unr], whose proud stems furrow'd the ambitions billows,
and glided through the cursed maine, as swist as Eolus to encounter
your Adversaries, 'gainst whom the angry surges (forc'd by your
strong-built bulges' gainst their trembling sides) menaced iminent
destruction, till their saint Ensigns valid in homage to your imperiall
Standards; since under two Kings of sacred memory, y'have raign'd
sole Monarchs of the Europian seas, and been a terror, and an orna[unr]
to th' universall Ocean; Will ye now like Pigmies, turn your backs to
Fame, and, slave-like. captivate your selves to treachery? remember
how your Ancestors have shook the very Basis of the Occident, how
France, Spain, Belgia, trembled at your names: And let not now the
mercinary hope of the rewards of villany and treason vanquish your
brave spirits; remember Charls is Prince of th' Ocean, and your lives
at worst can prove but an oblation of a happy Peace.
And if you thus resolve, your names shall stand
Like fixed North-stars, ty direct the hand
Of after ages, their blest course to steere
To your fames haven of reposes, where
The storms of envy, nor the waves of woe
Your honours sea-marks never shall ov[unr]
Much was debated about the cutting off of Tythes, in which the sacrilegious
crew spent many of their unsanctified verdite to no purpose,
but resolv'd to refer it to another day : A bungris maintainance for
the meager Ministry of the Reformation, was chewd like a cud, but
not swallowed into resolution, some thought fit to deceive the deceivers,
and afford them something out of impropriations (a young Pig of
the Clergie, old Saw) others, like honest Scribes and Pharises, would
have laid whole burdens upon the peoples shoulders, out not have toucht
them themselves, with one of their fingers, propounding 12d. in the
pound out of every mans [unr] and estates; but it the last it was resolved
that the Children of the Reformation should starve for Spirituall
food, or their Ghostly Fathers for Temporall; for they determined to imploy
no more Ministers in England then 20000l. per annum can maintain,
but resolve not yet from whence to allot it them, only feed them
in some hopes of it out of Deans and Chapters lands.
Thus for a Million of Church annuall rent