or to pass them through your territories.  I wish I could talk with them myself, for I am certain, if they would send some one here, we could make an agreement.  It is not necessary that one should take everything from them, or that one should refuse everything to us.  I am sure there are people of sense in your assembly who will justify me in favouring my own people so far as I reasonably can, and I know very well that My Lords the States must stand up for their own citizens.  If we have been driving this matter to an extreme and see that we are ruining each other, we must take it up again in other fashion, for Yesterday is the preceptor of To-morrow.  Let the commissioners come as soon as possible.  I know they have complaints to make, and I have my complaints also.  Therefore we must listen to each other, for I protest before God that I consider the community of your state with mine to be so entire that, if one goes to perdition, the other must quickly follow it.”

Thus spoke James, like a wise and thoughtful sovereign interested in the welfare of his subjects and allies, with enlightened ideas for the time upon public economy.  It is difficult, in the man conversing thus amicably and sensibly with the Dutch ambassador, to realise the shrill pedant shrieking against Vorstius, the crapulous comrade of Carrs and Steenies, the fawning solicitor of Spanish marriages, the “pepperer” and hangman of Puritans, the butt and dupe of Gondemar and Spinola.

“I protest,” he said further, “that I seek nothing in your state but all possible friendship and good fellowship.  My own subjects complain sometimes that your people follow too closely on their heels, and confess that your industry goes far above their own.  If this be so, it is a lean kind of reproach; for the English should rather study to follow you.  Nevertheless, when industry is directed by malice, each may easily be attempting to snap an advantage from the other.  I have sometimes complained of many other things in which my subjects suffered great injustice from you, but all that is excusable.  I will willingly listen to your people and grant them to be in the right when they are so.  But I will never allow them to be in the right when they mistrust me.  If I had been like many other princes, I should never have let the advantage of the cautionary towns slip out of my fingers, but rather by means of them attempted to get even a stronger hold on your country.  I have had plenty of warnings from great statesmen in France, Germany, and other nations that I ought to give them up nevermore.  Yet you know how frankly and sincerely I acquitted myself in that matter without ever making pretensions upon your state than the pretensions I still make to your friendship and co-operation.”