A REPORT OF THE SPANISH GRIEVANCES. 223 



have either a welcome hearing, or an effectual 

 answer. 



And for prejudice that might come of handling 

 and debating matter of war and peace in parliament, 

 he doubted not, but that the wisdom of this house 

 did conceive upon what secret considerations and 

 motives that point did depend. For that there is no 

 king which will providently and maturely enter into 

 a war, but will first balance his own forces ; seek to 

 anticipate confederacies and alliances, revoke his 

 merchants, find an opportunity of the first breach, 

 and many other points, which, if they once do but 

 take wind, will prove vain and frustrate. And there 

 fore that this matter, which is &quot; arcanum imperil, 5 * 

 one of the highest mysteries of estate, must be suf 

 fered to be kept within the veil : his lordship adding, 

 that he knew not well whether, in that which he had 

 already said out of an extreme desire to give us 

 satisfaction, he had not communicated more parti 

 culars than perhaps was requisite. Nevertheless, he 

 confessed, that sometimes parliaments have been 

 made acquainted with matter of war and peace in a 

 generality ; but it was upon one of these two 

 motives ; when the king and council conceived that 

 either it was material to have some declaration of 

 the zeal and affection of the people ; or else when 

 the king needed to demand moneys and aids for the 

 charge of the wars ; wherein if things did sort to 

 war, we were sure enough to hear of it : his lordship 

 hoping that his majesty would find in us no less 

 readiness to support it than to persuade it. 



