Excellent commonplaces, but not very safe ones.  Unluckily for the allies, to attend each to his own affairs when the enemy was upon them, and to reckon firmly upon a king who thought it furious madness to resist the enemy, was hardly the way to avert the danger.  A fortnight later, the man who thought it possible to resist, and time to resist, before the net was over every head, replied to the Secretary by a picture of the Spaniards’ progress.

“Since your letter,” he said, “you have seen the course of Spinola with the army of the King and the Archdukes.  You have seen the Prince-Palatine of Neuburg with his forces maintained by the Pope and other members of the Papistical League.  On the 29th of August they forced Aachen, where the magistrates and those of the Reformed religion have been extremely maltreated.  Twelve hundred soldiers are lodged in the houses there of those who profess our religion.  Mulheim is taken and dismantled, and the very houses about to be torn down.  Duren, Castre, Grevenborg, Orsoy, Duisburg, Ruhrort, and many other towns, obliged to receive Spanish garrisons.  On the 4th of September they invested Wesel.  On the 6th it was held certain that the cities of Cleve, Emmerich, Rees, and others in that quarter, had consented to be occupied.  The States have put one hundred and thirty-five companies of foot (about 14,000 men) and 4000 horse and a good train of artillery in the field, and sent out some ships of war.  Prince Maurice left the Hague on the 4th of September to assist Wesel, succour the Prince of Brandenburg, and oppose the hostile proceedings of Spinola and the Palatine of Neuburg . . . .  Consider, I pray you, this state of things, and think how much heed they have paid to the demands of the Kings of Great Britain and France to abstain from hostilities.  Be sure that without our strong garrison in Julich they would have snapped up every city in Julich, Cleve, and Berg.  But they will now try to make use of their slippery tricks, their progress having been arrested by our army.  The Prince of Neuburg is sending his chancellor here ‘cum mediis componendae pacis,’ in appearance good and reasonable, in reality deceptive . . . .  If their Majesties, My Lords the States, and the princes of the Union, do not take an energetic resolution for making head against their designs, behold their League in full vigour and ours without soul.  Neither the strength nor the wealth of the States are sufficient of themselves to withstand their ambitious and dangerous designs.  We see the possessory princes treated as enemies upon their own estates, and many thousand souls of the Reformed religion cruelly oppressed by the Papistical League.  For myself I am confirmed in my apprehensions and believe that neither our religion nor our Union can endure such indignities.  The enemy is making use of the minority in France and the divisions among the princes of Germany to their great advantage . . . .  I believe that the singular wisdom of his Majesty will enable him to apply promptly the suitable remedies, and that your Parliament will make no difficulty in acquitting itself well in repairing those disorders.”