Selected quad for the lemma: blood_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
blood_n	christian_a	enter_v	great_a	54	3	2.1273	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91185	The fourth part of The soveraigne povver of parliaments and kingdomes. Wherein the Parliaments right and interest in ordering the militia, forts, ships, magazins, and great offices of the realme, is manifested by some fresh records in way of supplement: the two Houses imposition of moderate taxes and contributions on the people in cases of extremity, without the Kings assent, (when wilfully denyed) for the necessary defence and preservation of the kingdome; and their imprisoning, confining of malignant dangerous persons in times of publicke danger, for the common safety; are vindicated from all calumnies, and proved just. Together with an appendix; manifesting by sundry histories and foraine authorities, that in the ancient kingdome of Rome; the Roman, Greeke, German empires; ... the supreame soveraigne power resided not in the emperours, or kings themselves, but in the whole kingdome, senate, parliament, state, people ... / By William Prynne, utter-barrester, of Lincolnes Inne. It is this tenth day of July, ordered ... that this booke .... be printed by Michael Sparke senior. John White.; Soveraigne power of parliaments and kingdomes. Part 4	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Comomns.	1643 (1643)	Wing P3962; Thomason E248_4; ESTC R203192	339,674	255

Coyning and High Treason Anno 1328. Alphonso King of Castile treacherously murthering Don Iohn the blinde his Kinsman in his own Court when he had invited him to dinner on all Saints day and then condemning him for a Traitor confiscating his lands a fact unseemly for a King who should be the mirrour of Iustice Hereupon Don Iohn Manuell stood upon his Guard fortified his Castles revolted from the King for this his Treachery allyed himself with the Kings of Arragon and Granado overran the Countries of Castile from Almanca unto Pegnafield the Prior of Saint Iohns Don Fernand Rodrigues hereupon caused the Cities of Toro Zamora and Vailledolit to rebell and shut their gates against the King and many others likewise revolted from him At last he was forced to call an Assembly of the Estates who gave him Subsidies to ayde him in his wars against the Moors and to conclude a peace with Don Manuel and his other discontented Subjects whom he afterwards spoiling of their lawfull inheritances and pursuing them in their honours and lives by Tyrannous crueltie extending his outragious disdain even to women of his own blood he thereby so estranged most of his Princes and Nobles from him that they revolted from him and joyned with Mahumet king of Granado and the Moors in a warre against him which lasted three or four yeers putting him to infinite trouble vexations and expences enforcing him to make a dishonourable peace with the Moors to release the Tribute which they payed him formerly and after much mediation he concluded a Peace thorowout all the Realm with his discontented Subjects This Prince thinking to raign more securely had taken a course of extream severity shewing himself cruell and treacherous to his Nobility whereby he was feared but withall he lost the love and respect of his subjects so as he was no sooner freed from one danger but he fell into another worse then the first his Nobles holding this for a Maxime That a Tyrant being offended will at some time revenge himself and therefore they must not trust him upon any reconciliation who to pacifie the troubles which had grown by his own errour had made no difficulty to sacrifice upon the peoples spleen his own Mignions degrading and in the end murthering condemning them as Traitors after their death yea the Princes of his own blood taking their goods estates and depriving the lawfull Heirs seeking to reign over free men and generous Spirits as over beasts entreating them as base and effeminate slaves who might not speak their opinions freely in matters of State and Government of which they were held dead members and without feeling Whereupon D. Manuel and other Nobles as men endued with understanding reason and not forgetting the nature of Alphonso who was proud a contemner of all laws and treacherous they proceeded so farre as to withdraw themselves from his subjection by protestation and publike act and entred into a league with the King of Portugall incensing him to take up Arms for their defence Where upon King Alphonso having some feeling that cruelty was too violent remedy for men that were Nobly borne he sought by all milde and courteous meanes to divide them and to draw some of them to his service which he effected and so more easily conquered and reduced their companions An. 1337. was founded the Town of Alegria of Dulanci in the Province of Alava and many Villages thereabout the which obtained from the King the priviledges and Lawes of the Realm whereby the inhabitants should govern themselves with libertie to chuse their own Iudges Don Pedro the first king of Castile surnamed the cruell most tyrannically murthering and poysoning divers of his Nobles and subjects without cause banishing others quitting Blanch his espoused wife within three dayes after his marriage to enjoy the unchaste love of Donna Maria de Paedilla by whom hee was inchanted which much troubled the whole Court divorcing himselfe without colour by the advice onely of two Bishops without the Popes assent from Blanch and marrying Jane of Castro in her life time Hanging up divers Burgesses of Toledo causlesly for taking the Queens part too openly and among others a Goldsmiths sonne who offred to be hanged to save his fathers life causing his own brother Don Frederick and divers Nobles else to be suddenly slain Anno 1358. poysoning and murdering likewise divers Noble Ladies among others Don Leonora his own Aunt after which Anno 1360 he murthering two more of his own brethren executing divers Clergy men and Knights of Castle banishing the Archbishop of Toledo putting divers Jews as Samuel Levy his High Treasurer with his whole family to death to gain their Estates and causing his own Queen Blanch to be poysoned after she had long been kept prisoner by him Anno 1361. Hereupon his cruelties rapines and murders growing excessive and the Popes Legat denouncing him an utter Enemy to God and man Henry Earle of Transtamara his brother with other Fugitives getting ayde from the King of Navarre entred Castile with an Army where by the Nobles importunity he tooke upon him the title of King of Castile and Leon which done the whole Kingdom long oppressed with D. Pedro his Tyranny immediately revolted from him so that in few dayes Henry found himselfe King of a mighty great kingdom almost without striking stroke the people striving who should first receive him such was their hatred to the Tyrant Pedro who being doubtfull what to doe fled with two and twenty Ships out of his Realme to Bayon craving ayde of the English to revest him in his Kingdom mean time king Henry assembling the Estates at Burgon they granted him the tenth penny of all the Merchandize they should sell in the Realm to maintaine the warres against Pedro who getting ayde from the English upon conditions accompanied with the valiant Black Prince of Wales entred with a great Army into Spain where the Prince writing to Henry voluntarily to resign the Crown to Pedro his Brother to avoyd the effusion of Christian blood he made answer That he could not hearken to any accord with him who had against the law of nature taken delight to murther so many of the blood Royall and other great personages of Castile who had no respect of the Lawes of the Countrey and much lesse of God falsifying his Oathes and promises having no other rule in his actions but his Tyrannous passions Whereupon battell being joyned Henry was conquered and Pedro restored But hee discontenting the English and others who had reseated him in his Kingdome by his insolency and Tyranny and the Biscaniers refusing to be under the command of strangers whom they would never consent to be put in possession of their Countrey and withall falling to his former cruelties and courses contrary to the advice of his friends and Astrologers he so estranged the hearts of all from him that the English returning and Henry receiving new forces from the French entred Castile

be supprest by such a conspiracie Vpon this the king and Q. Mother through advise of these ill Counsellors raise an Army declare these Princes and Nobles Rebels and Traitors if they submit not by a day whereupon they Arm raise Forces in their own the publikes defence and being at Noyon concluded That as their Armes were levyed for the maintenance of the Crown so they should be maintained by it to the which end they seized on the kings Rents and Revenues in sundry places Mean while the Protestants being assembled in a generall Synod at Grenoble Marsh Desdiguires makes an Oration to them to disswade them from opposing the mariage with Spain wherein he hath this memorable passage to justifie the lawfulnesse of a necessary defensive war for the preservation of Religion and Liberties We have leisure to see the storme come and to prepare for our own preservation Finally having continued constant in our Duties if they seek to deprive us of our Religion and to take that from us wherein our libertie and safetie depends purchased by the blood of our Fathers and our own and granted unto us by that great King Henry the fourth the restorer of France we shall enter into this comerce full of justice and true zeale finde againe in our breasts the courage and vertue of our Ancestors We shall be supported IN OVR JVST DEFENCE by all good Frenchmen assisted by all Princes and Estates which love the true Religion or the good of this State and in a word we shall be favoured of the blessings of God whereof we have hitherto had good experience in our Arms and which will be to the glory of his Name and the spirituall advancement of our Churches After which the Duke of Rhoan and Protestants in defence of their Religion and Liberties joyn with the Princes and Nobles At last both sides came to Articles of agreement made at Luudun Anno 1616. whereof these were a parcell That the grievances of the generall State should be speedily answered That Soveraign Courts should be preserved in their authority and the Remonstrances of the Parliament and Peers considered of That such as had been put from their Offices should be restored That all moneys they had taken out of the kings Revenues should be discharged All Edicts of pacification granted to them of the Reformed Religion observed The prince of Conde and all those of either Religion who had assisted him in this war held for the Kings good and loyall subjects all illegall Imposts removed and all prisoners taken on either side set at liberty Anno 1617. the King and Queene Mother seizing upon the Prince of Conde his person and sending him to the Bastile upon false pretences of disloyaltie and treason caused new insurrections warres and tumults and the Princes hereupon meeting at Soyssons resolved to make open war to seize on the Kings Revenues and to fortifie those Towns and Castles which they held in their Government which they executed and withall set forth a Remonstrance of their grievances unto the king complaining especially against the Marshall of Ancre and his Wife with their adheronts who were the causes of all their miseries who having drawn unto himselfe the whole administration of the Realme made himselfe master of the Kings Councels Armies and Forts thereby supprest the lawfull libertie and Remonstrances of the Parliament caused the chief Officers to be imprisoned and was the cause of the violence done to the Prince of ●onde first Prince of the Blood To the end therefore that they might not be reproached to have been so little affected to his Majestie so ungratefull to their Countrey and so unfaithfull to themselves and their posterity as to hold their peace seeing the prodigious favour and power of this stranger they beseech his Majestie to provide by convenient means for the disorders of the Estate and to cause the Treaty of Loudun to be observed and to call unto his Councels the Princes of the Blood with other Princes Dukes Peers ancient Officers of the Crowne and Councellors of State whom the deceased King had imployed during his reigne Withall they publish a solemne Declaration and Protestation for the restoring of the Kings authority and preservation of the Realme against the conspiracie and tyrannie of the Marshall of Ancre and his adherents Who finding no safetie in the settling of justice resolved to make triall of his power by violating the publike faith thereby to plunge the Realme into new combustions conspiring to destroy the princes of the blood of Peers and chiefe Officers of the Crowne and to oppresse them altogether with the State who might be an obstacle to his ambitious designes To which end he raised false accusations against them as if they meant to attempt the Kings and Queen Mothers persons and caused the King to go in person to his Court of Parliament to publish a Declaration whereby they were declared guilty of Treason though at last being better informed he declared them to be his good Subjects and caused De Ancre to be suddenly slain in the Louure and his Wife to be legally condemned and executed Vpon which the new Councellors and Officers advanced by him were removed the old restored the Princes reconciled to the King and by him declared for his good and loyall subjects Vpon which followed a generall assembly of the Estates wherein divers grievances were propounded and some redressed the King therein craving their advice for the setling and ordering of his Privie Councell Anno 1620. there happen differences between the King and Queen Mother who fortified Towns and raised an Army against the king at last they came to an agreement and were reconciled The two following years were spent in bloody civill warres betweene the King and those of the Religion who avowed their defensive warres lawfull which at last concluded in peace that lasted not long but brake out into new flames of war by reason of the great Cardinall Richelieu who of late years proved the greatest Tyrant and Oppressour that France ever bred reducing both Nobles Gentlemen and Peasants into absolute slavery and vassallage to make the King an absolute Monarch of France and himselfe both Pope and Monarch of the world But he lately dying by the of Divine Iustice of filthy Vicers and Diseases and the King since being some say poysoned by the Iesuites who murthered his two immediate Predecessors wise men conjecture the French will now at last revive and regain their ancient just hereditary freedom rights Liberties and cast of that insupportable yoke of bondage under which they have been oppressed for sundry years and almost brought to utter desolation I have the longer insisted on these Histories of the Kings and Kingdom of Frances which clearly demonstrate the Realm Parliament and three Estates of France to be the Soveraigne Power in that Kingdom in some sort paramount their kings them selves who are no absolute Monarchs nor exempted from the Laws jurisdiction restraints censures

the mediation of timorous men he made peace with the Barons for a time promising inviolably to observe the Provisions of Oxford that all the Kings Castles thoroughout England should be delivered into the custody of the Barons that all Aliens within a certain time should void the Realm except those who should be thought faithfull thereunto by the unanimous consent of the Kingdom and that faithfull and profitable natives of the Realm should thenceforth dispose of the affairs of the Kingdoms under the King But THE QUEEN instigated with foeminine malice contradicted it all she could which made the people revile and cast dirt and stones at her as she was going to Windsore enforcing her to retire again to the Tower How William Longshamp Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellour of England Earl John and others when they disturbed the peace of the Realm and turned Malignants were apprehended besieged imprisoned excommunicated and their Goods and Castles seised on by the Lords and Commons one of Parliament yea during the time of King Richard the first his absence and captivitie you may read at large in Roger de Hovedon Holinshed Daniel and others Why then the Lords and Commons in Parliament may not now much more do the like for their own and the whole Kingdoms safety I can yet discern no shadow of reason I will not trouble you with Histories shewing what violent unlawfull courses Kings and People have sometimes used to raise moneyes in times of warre by sacriledge rapine and all manner of indirect means I rather wish those Presidents and their occasions buried in eternall silence then reduced into practise and verily perswade my self that every ingenuous true born Englishman who bears a reall naturall affection to his Countrey or a Christian love to his Brethren the Parliament and Religion will according to his bounden duety the Protestation and Covenant which he hath taken rather freely contribute his whole estate if need so require towards the just defence of his Countrey Libertie Religion and the Parliament against the treacherous Conspiracies of the Pope Jesuites forraign Catholikes Irish Rebels English Papists and Malignants who have plotted their subvertions then repine at or neglect to pay any moderate Taxes which the Parliament shall impose or inforce the Houses to any extraordinary wayes of Levying Moneyes for want of ordinary voluntary supplyes to maintain these necessary defensive warres I shall close up all in a few words The Parliament hath much against their wills been inforced to this present defensive warre which they have a most just and lawfull power to wage and manage as I have elsewhere evidenced by the Fundamentall Laws of the Realm yea by the Law of God of Nature of Nations This warre cannot be maintained without Moneyes the sinews of it wherefore when voluntary contributions fail the Houses may by the same Laws which enabled them to raise an Army without the King impose necessary Taxes for the maintaining of it during the warres continuance else their Legall power to raise an Army for the Kingdoms defence would be fruitlesse if they might not Levy Moneyes to recrute and maintain their Army when raised which Taxes if any refuse to pay they may for this contempt be justly imprisoned as in cases of other Sudsidies and if any unnaturally warre against their Countrey or by way of intelligence advise or contribution assist the common Enemy or seduce or withdraw others by factious slanderous speeches against the Power and Proceedings of the Parliament from assisting the Parliament in this kinde they may for such misdemeanours upon conviction be justly censured confined secured and their estates sequestred rather then the Republike Parliament Religion or whole Kingdom should miscarry It is better that one should perish then all the Nation being the voyce of God Nature and resolution of all Laws Nations Republikes whatsoever If any hereticall scismaticall or vitious persons which may poyson others with their pernicious false doctrines or vitious wicked lives appear in the Church they may after admonition if they repent not yea and de facto are or ought to be excommunited the Church and societie of all faithfull Christians so as none may or ought to converse with them till their repentance If this be good Law and Divinitie in the Church the banishing and confining of pestilent Malignants in times of warre and danger must by the self-same reason be good Law and Divinitie in the State I have now by Gods assistance notwithstanding all distracting Interruptions Avocations Remoraes incountring me in this service ran through all Objections of moment which the King or any opposites to this Parliament have hitherto made against their proceedings or jurisdictions and given such full answers to them as shall I trust in the generall abundantly clear the Parliaments Authoritie Invocency Integritie against all their clamarous malignant Calumnies convince their Judgements satisfie their consciences and put them to everlasting silence if they will without prejudice or partialitie seriously ponder all the premises and ensuing Appendix which I have added for their further satisfaction information conviction and the confirmation of all forecited domestick Laws Presidents by forraign examples and authorities of all sorts And if any shall yet continue obstinate and unresolved after so many convincing Reasons Presidents Authorities or still retain an ill opinion of the Parliaments proceedings I shall desire them onely seriously to consider the most execrable conspiracy of the Pope Jesuites and Popish party in all His Majesties three Realms to extirpate the Protestant Religion subvert the Government Parliament and poyson the King himself if he condescend not to their desires or crosse them in their purposes whom they have purposely engaged in these warres still continued by them for this very end to enforce the King to side with them and so gain possession of his person to accomplish this designe of theirs as is cleerly evidenced to all the world by Romes Master-Peece the English Pope the Declaration of the Lords and Commons concerning the Rise and Progresse of the Irish Rebellion and then advisedly to consider in what great present danger the Kingdom King Parliament and Religion are when the Popish Partie and forces now in Arms have gained the Kings Princes and Duke of York●s persons into their custodie the Cities of Chester and of late Bristoll the Keyes of England with other Ports to let in all the Irish Rebels upon us to cut our throats in England as they have cut above an hundred and fortie thousand of our Protestant brethrens throats already in Ireland it being one part of their designe now presently to be executed as appears by sundry Examinations in the Irish Remonstrance for which end some thousands of Irish Rebels who have all embrued their hands there in English bloud are already landed here and are in great favour and command about the King To which if they adde the omnipotent over-ruling power of the Queen the Head of that partie with the

for the Admirals safetie he commands the Captaines of his Guards to give him as many of his Guard as he pleased to suffer no Papist to enter his lodging and adviseth all the Gentlemen Protestants then in Paris to lodge about the Admirals lodging But all this Court Holy-water was onely to keep every Bird within his owne nest and a Pitfall to entrap the chiefe of the Protestants For the same day after dinner the King and Queene Mother the Duke of Guise and others take counsell to murther the Admirall and all the chiefe Protestants the night ensuing not onely in Paris but thorowout all France whiles they were sleeping in their beds Which most tyrannicall barbarous Tragedie was accordingly acted the Admirall slain in his lodging and his head cut off carryed to the King and Queen Mother who causing it to be embalmed sent it to the Pope and Cardinall of Lorrain for an assurance of the death of their most capitall enemy all the Protestants Noblemen and Gentlemen lodging in the Admiralls Quarter undergoe the like Butchery the Streets of Paris are strewed with Carkases the pavements market places and river dyed with Protestant blood about ten thousand of them being thus treacherously massacred in their beds at such a season when they thought themselves most safe and that on the Lords owne sacred day a very unsutable time for such a bloody prophane infernall sacrifice No sooner was this matchlesse treachery of this king against his owne naturall subjects executed but he avowes and justifies that which he but the day before so solemnly and openly disclaimed as a meanes to cut off all commotions for time to come But this blood-shed begat new warres and made the Protestants in Languedoc Rochell and other parts to take up Armes in their owne defence and stand more strictly on their guard than ever before And God himselfe out of his Divine justice after this horrible Butchery committed by this dissembling cruell blasphemous King smote him with an answerable disease causing him to wallow in his owne blood which he pitifully vomited out in great abundance by all the conduits of his body for divers houres till he dyed A just judgement for him that barbarously shed blood thorowout all the Provinces of the Realme he in the mean time tossing in his bed and casting out many horrible blasphemies A notable spectacle for all unnaturall fidifragous Princes to looke on who imbrue their hands in the blood of their Christian subjects VVhich crime as the Authour of the French History observes made his reigne cursed in the City and cursed in the field cursed in the beginning and cursed in the ending mortalitie sword famine cursing feare and desolation following it even unto the end I shall conclude his reigne with the words of the French History Doubtlesse God loves not the Prince that thirsts after his subjects blood for the subjects blood is the very blood of their Prince Charles dying without Heire of his body the Crowne descended to his Brother Henry the third then king of Poland Anno 1574. his first designe was to extirpate the Huguenots and Protestant Religion thorowout the Realme though the Emperour Maximilian told him There is no sinne so great as to force mens consciences and such as think to command them supposing to win heaven doe often lose that which they possesse on earth His pernicious Cabinet Councellors to effect this designe cause him first to protest by sundry Proclamations his love to the good of his subjects and to abolish what was past so as they lay aside armes de●iver him all his Townes and live quietly in their houses without any search constraint or molestation for matter of conscience A policie practised onely to bring the Protestant party into slavery all those Proclamations making no mention of liberty of their Religion neither of a Parliament for the publike Government nor of a nationall Councell for matters of Conscience hereupon the Protestants stood the more upon their guards they are full of jealousie distrust doubt feare the King and his Popish Councell indeavouring by this wile to keepe the Protestant party at a gaze whiles they in the meane time made great preparations underhand to put a mighty army into the field to ruine them without hope of rising So they arme on all sides especially in Poictou the Protestants are besieged assaulted in many places and so manfully repulse their assa●lauts that they are willing to hearken to a Treaty of peace wherein the Protestants demanding free exercise of their Religion thorowout all France new Chambers in the Parliament for the execution of justice punishment of the murtherers of them ease of imposts a free assembly of the generall Estates and an assurance for the entertainment of the pretended peace The King after fifteene dayes conference promiseth to content them all but he will have them to referre these demands to his will and so the Treaty vanished into smoake and new warres sprung up in every place with new Court-designes to undermine and circumvent the Protestants who are aided by a German Army Anno 1576. The Queen Mother seeing the Protestant party prosper in their warres makes a peace betweene the King and them who grants the Protestants all their former demands restores divers of them to their goods offices honours avows by a solemne Declaration the Massacres of them Anno 1572. to have beene committed against all right and law of Armes He ordained that the children of such Gentlemen as had beene murthered should be restored to their parents goods and freed from all charges of warre yea he a vowed their ●aking up of Armes as taken for his service c. Which Articles with the Kings Edict thereon were allowed by the Parliament at Paris But no sooner were their Forces disbanded but they began to finde this peace to be counterfeit being onely made to dis-arme them and divide their Commanders none of the premises being really performed In the mean time the house of Guise and their faction send their Agents to Rome and Spaine to joyne with them in a Catholike league and under pretence of extirpating Heresie and establishing the Roman religion thorowout France endeavour to settle the Crowne upon themselves their chiefe designes were to overthrow the succession of the Crowne brought in by Hugh Capet in the full assembly of the Estates and to make the naming of a Successor subject unto the said Estates to cause the Princes of the blood that should oppose against the Decrees of the Estates to be declared uncapable of succeeding unto the Crown to make the Estates protest to live and die in the faith set downe by the Councell of Trent to cause it to be signed in the open Parliament to revoke and anull all publike Edicts in favour of the Protestants and their associates and to pursue them to the death that should hinder the extirpation of Heresies c. These Articles of Association were first drawne at Peronne in Picardy

Nephews of the kingdom saying That it was fit that he who was a Knight and learned to govern a Realme were it in warre or peace should raigne after his Father rather then his Nephews sons of his eldest brother who were every young having need of Regents and Governours charges which were affected by great personages who by reason thereof grew into quarrels one with the other to the oppression of the people and hazzard of the Estate After which Don Lope Diaz of Haro pressed the King to declare Don Sancho his sonne his successour in the Realmes of Castile Toledo Leon and other places being his eldest sonne then living to which he giving a cold answer at first having afterwards assembled the Estates in Segobia he was by the King and the Estates consent declared and received as heire to the Crown after his Fathers decease Fernands children being disinherited of their right which fact was then excused and justified because there was no law at that time which did binde the King much lesse the Estates to leave the Realme more to one sonne then to another since which there was a law made and received in the time of Fernand the 5. in the City of Taro where it was decreed by the Estates upon this difficulty That the Children of the elder brother deceased representing their fathers person should in that respect be preferred before the Vncle Hereupon Queen Violant and Blanche widow to Fernand were so much discontented with the Decree of the Estates disinheriting the eldest brothers sonnes as taking the young children with them they departed out of Castile to Don Pedro King of Arragon where Don Sancho caused his Nephews to be imprisoned whom king Alphonso labouring under hand to get released Don Sancho advertised hereof made a league with the Moores of Granado against his Father and by assent of his confederates took upon him the Title of Regency of the Kingdome of Castile and other his Fathers dominions refusing the Title of King during his Fathers life time who was forced to pawn his royall Crown and Iewels to Iacob Abin Ioseph a Moore King of Morocco who aided him willingly against Don Sancho After which in an Assembly of the States at Cordova with the advise of the Noble men and knights of Castile thereupon sent by a Decree pronounced by the mouth of Don Manuel in the name of the whole Nobility Alphonso was deprived of all his Realmes for murthering his brother Don Frederick and burning Don Rues unjustly without any forme of justice or orderly proceedings the breach of the rights and priviledges of the Nobility and the excessive wasting of the treasure of the Realme Vpon this there arose bloody Warres between the Father and sonne and in the yeere 1282. Alphonso was so vexed with his sonnes proceedings that hee pronounced in the presence of many men of ranke both Clergie and Laity in the City of Sevill The curse of God and his upon Don Sancho a sonne said he disobedient rebellious and a par●cidie declaring him uncapable and unworthy to reign depriving him of his successions inheritance and discharging the subjects as much as in him lay from all oath and homage which they had done unto him But these were but words which Don Sancho did not much esteem enioying his Fathers kingdomes after his decease in Title as he did before in act and dying king of Castile his heires succeeded him in that Realme as lawfull heires thereunto Don Pedro the third king of Arragon about the yeare 1283. had many controversies with his Nobles and knights who complained much of his sower disposition and tyrannous manner of Government insulting over the greatest yea against his own blood contrary to all Law and nature Wherefore being ill intreated by him in their freedomes whereof the Townes and Commonalties of his Countries did also complain the Nobility Knights and Gentry for preservation of their Liberties made a Vnion together among themselves and with the people promising and swearing to let the King and his sonne Don Alphonso who was his Lieutenant Generall understand that if they did not contain themselves within the limits of the Lawes of the Country they would withdraw themselves from their obedience and declare themselves enemies and pursue them by armes that should seek to break them The king hereupon called the Estates to Tarrasone and afterwards to Saragossa where he intreated promised and did all what he could to break this Vnion but he was forced to yeeld and granted to the Arragonians the priviledge they call Generall whereby their Liberties which had been somewhat restrained were again restored the ancient manners of the Country and customes of their ancestours put in practise And moreover there were Laws made for their Kings which they should be bound to obey and for that they were in a mutiny in some places by reason of certain Impositions laid upon salt the traffique thereof was made free by the Estates And the king refusing the judgment of the Iustice Maior of Arragon deposing Pedro Martines Artassone who then exercised it from his Office the Estates soon after at an assembly at Zutaria fortified it with stronger Laws deeming the Iustice of Arragon to be a lawfull Iudge whom the King himself could not displace even in Cases commenced against the King who being cited and not appearing there were Decrees made against him in many instances In the end the King confirmed the Decrees of the Iustice Maior and whatsoever should be concluded by the Estates the Deputies and Councellors having given their suffrages I read in Hieronimus Blanca that about the year 1212. the Arragonians taking it ill that their Liberties gotten with their blood should so many wayes be subverted as then they were by King Pedro the first raised up the Name and forces of a Vnion that with one force and the consent of all one minde as it were being made out of all they might more easily propulse so great injuries but what was then done hereupon is not recorded But the two memorable Priviledges of the Vnion under King Alphonso the third are said to spring from thence Don Alphonso king of Aragon succeeding Pedro Anno 1286. he was admonished by the Estates Ambassadours to come speedily to the Assembly at Saragossa where having sworn and promised the observation of the Customs Rights and Priviledges of the Countrey and received the Oath of fealty from the Deputies he might lawfully take upon him the Title of the King of Aragon the which they said he might not use before this Act and Ceremony according to the ancient customs of Aragon Vpon these summons he came to the Assembly of the Estates to Saragossa took the Oath aforesaid after which he was Crowned Which done there grew in this assembly a great contention touching the reformation of the manners of Courtiers and the ordering of the Kings house the Noblemen and Deputies of the Estates of Aragon maintaining that the conusance thereof was incident

which Lewes Duke of Orleance should be President Lewes discontented with the device seekes to hold his ranke he pretends that being the first Prince of the blood the Regency belonged unto him he assists at the Councell in Parliament and in the assemblies in Towne and notwithstanding the last VVill of King Lewes and the Decree of the Estates yet will he by force have the name and effect of Regent VVhereupon discontents arising he leaves the Court in discontent and raised a civill warre However the Estates setled the Regencie and affaires of the Realme Anno 1525. Francis the first King of France was taken prisoner by the Emperour Charles the fifth in the Battell of Pavia who by mediation of Friends for his enlargement sent the Earle of Reux his Lord Steward to offer the King Liberty so as he would resigne all the rights he pretended in Italy restore the Dutchy of Burgongue as belongeth to him by right with Provence and Dolphine for the Duke of Bourbon to incorporate them with other Lands which he had formerly enjoyed and to make all together a Kingdome Moreover the Emperour offered to give him his sister in marriage propounding many other conditions so absurd and void of reason as it is better to let the curious reade them in the Originalls themselves Amongst all losses that of Liberty toucheth neerest but Francis having learned to withstand all adversity with a constant resolution said I will dye a Prisoner rather then make any breach in my Realm for my deliverance whereof I neither WIL NOR CAN alienate any part without the consent of the Soveraign Courts and Officers in whose hands remains the authority of the whole Realm We preferre the generall good before the private interest of Kings persons If the Emperour will treat with me let him demand reasonable things which lye in my power then shall he finde me ready to joyne with him and to favour his greatnesse The Emperour seeing the King constant in this resolution in the end yeelded to his delivery upon these termes That within six weekes after his delivery he should consigne the Dutchy of Burgengue to the Emperour with all the dependancies as well of the Dutchie as of the County the which should hereafter be sequestred from the Soveraigntie of the Realme of France That he should resigne to the Emperour all his rights pretended to the Estates of Naples Milan Genoa and Ast That he should quit the Soveraignty of Flaunders and Arthois c. Hereupon the King being enlarged and arrived at Beyonne he was required to ratifie the Accord which he had promised to doe when hee came to a free place but he delayed it with many excuses giving the Emperour to understand that before he proceeded to such an act it was necessary that he should pacifie his Subjects who were discontented with bonds which tended to the diminution of the Crowne of France c. After which the Pope and the Venetians sending Messengers unto him he complained of the Emperour that he had wronged him in that he had forced him to make impossible promises and that he would be revenged if ever occasion were offered and that he had often told him that it was not in the power of a French King to binde himselfe to the alienation of any thing depending of the Crowne without the consent of the Generall Estates that the Lawes of Christians did not allow that he which was taken in Warre should be detained in perpetuall prison which was a punishment proper to Malefactors and not for such as had bin beaten by the cruelty of fortune that all men knew that Bonds made by constraint in prison were of no value and that the capitulation being of no force the faith likewise which was but accessary and the confirmation of the same could not be bound that by the oath which he had taken at Rhemes at his Coronation he was bound according to the custome of other Kings of France not to alienate the patrimony of the Crowne and therefore for these reasons he was no lesse free then ready to abate the Emperors pride The Emperor growing jealous of the Kings delayes for ratification thereof sent one unto him to be certified of his intent who found him very unwilling to leave Burgundy which being very prejudicall to the Crowne of France he said was not in his power to observe and that hee could not alien the Bourguinans without their assents in an assembly of the Estates of the Country which he intended to call shortly to know their minds By which it is most apparent that the Kings of France have no power at all to dispose of their Crown lands or alienate them to others as other Subjects may doe because they hold them onely in the right of their Crowne for their Kingdomes use and service the true proprieters of them Upon which very ground Philip Augustus King of France Anno 1216. in a solemne Assembly of the States at Lyons told Walo the Popes Legate who came to prohibit his Sonne Lewes to goe to receive the Crowne of England because King Iohn had resigned it to the Pope That no King or Prince can give away his Kingdom without the consent of his Barons who are bound to defend the Kingdome and if the Pope decreed to defend this errour he should give a most pernitious Example to all kingdomes Whereupon all the Nobles of France began to cry out with one mouth That they would stand for this Article unto death That no King or Prince by his sole pleasure could give his Kingdome to another or make it tributary whereby the Nobles of the Realme should be made servants And the next day Lewes his Advocate alledged that King Iohn for his homicides and many other enormities was justly rejected by his Barons that Hee should not reigne over them That he could not give the Crowne of England to any one without the assent of his Barens and that when he had resigned it he presently ceased to be a King and the Kingdome became void without a King and being so vacant could not be disposed of without the Barons who had lawfully elected Lawes for their King who in pursuance of this his Title which the Estates of France held just sailed into England took possession of the Kingdome received homage of all the Barons and Citizens of London who joyfully received him taking an Oath upon the Evangelists to restore them their good Lawes together with their lost Inheritances Henry the 2. of France being casually slaine by the Earle of Montgommery in running at the Tilt left the Crowne to Francis the 2. being but about 16. yeares of age the Queen Mother with his wives Vncles the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall of Loraigne hereupon usurped the Government of his person and Realme dispossessed the chiefe Officers of the Crowne kept backe the Princes of the Blood from Court the true and lawfull Governours of the State during the Kings minority

and plotted the meanes to raise their race to the Royall Throne by displacing all great Officers substituting others of their owne faction and endeavouring to extirpate the Protestant party whom they seared as most opposite to their treacherous designes They doe and undoe place and displace in Parliament and Privie Councell like absolute Kings they revoke all alienations for life or yeares made by the deceased King in recompence of any services except sales they caused divers Protestants to be put to death imprisoned pillaged Wherewith the princes Officers and people being generally discontented to redresse the present and prevent all future disasters that might ensue require a generall Parliament as the Soveraigne cure for such d●seases whereby the Queen Mother might be put from her usurped Regency and those of Guise excluded from the King person who to please the king perswade him that their opposites sought only to bridle and make him a Ward and that he should hold them enemies to his Authority and GVILTY OF HIGH TREASON THAT TALK OF A PARLIAMENT The King of Spaine to crosse them by Letters to the King his Brother-in-law declares himselfe for the good affection he bare to him Tutor and Protector of him his Realme and affaires against those that would change the Government of the Estate as if the King were not capable of the Government Pleasant people which reject so much the word of lawfull tutelage and yet usurped it against the Lawes and Orders of the Realme holding it onely by tyranny After this they cast many slanders on the Protestants put Anne dis Burge and other Councellours of Parliament to death pistoll Anthony Minard president of the Parliament publish sundry Edicts against those of the reformed Religion promise great recompences to those that discover their assemblies fill their prisons with them imploy ayre fire and water to ruine them and kept the king from hearing his Subjects complaints The princes were kept backe the greatest of the Realme out of credit threatned and secretly pursued to death the convocation of the Estates refused the parliaments corrupted the Judges for the most part at the Guisians devotion and the publike treasure offices and benefices given to whom they pleased This their violent government against the lawes and orders of the Realme purchased them wonderfull hatred and caused many which could no longer endure these oppressions to consult VPON SOME IVST DEFENCE to the end they might preserve the just and ancient Government of the Realme They demand advice TOVCHING LAW AND CONSCIENCE OF MANY LEARNED LAWYERS AND DIVINES who resolved THAT THEY MIGHT LAWFVLLY OPPOSE THEMSELVES against the government which the house of Guise had usurped AND AT NEED TAKE ARMES TO REPVLSE THEIR VIOLENCE so as the Princes who in that case are born Magistrates or some one of them would undertake it being required by the Estates of the Realme or by the sounder part of them They who first thought of this Act of consequence had severall considerations Some moved with a true zeale to serve God the King and Realme thought they could not doe a greater worke of pietie then to abolish Tyrannie rescue the State and to finde some meanes to ease them of the Religion There were others desirous of change and some were thrust on with hatred for the wrongs which the house of Guise had done them their kinsmen and friends yet all had one designe to suppresse this unlawfull government In these consultations it was held necessary to seize on the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall his brother being advowed by one chiefe member of the State and then to require an assembly of the Three Estates to the end they might yeeld an account of their Government provide for the King and Realm After which they make the Prince of Gonde acquainted with this their designe engage him in this quarrel which being discovered produced a long bloody civill war against the Protestants under this and the two succeeding Kings in which warre those that died departed this world with this singular content to have couragiously sacrificed their lives for their countries libertie So the generall History of France in which and in Richard Dinothus you may read at large both the History and the lawfulnesse of this defensive warre over tedious to transcribe Francis dying the Crowne descended to Charles the ninth being but eleven yeares of age and a Parliament of the Estates being assembled on the three and twentieth day of December 1560. the Queene Mother was thereby allowed and confirmed Regent during the Kings minority In severall Parliaments contradictory Acts are made some restraining others granting the free exercise of the Reformed Religion thorowout the Realme The Guisian Popish faction being the strongest party most powerfull at Court and intimatest with the King notwithstanding all Acts for the Protestants immunitie and libertie of conscience impose divers illegall restraints upon them commit many outrages and massacres on them for which they could have no redresse whereupon for their own defence and preservation after many fruitlesse Petitions delusory promises they take up Arms whereupon many bloody civill wars ensue Many propositions and overtures of Peace were made by the Guisian royall party not one of them reall but all to get advantages and over-reach the Protestants against whom they had the most mischievous designes in agitation when they seemed most earnestly to desire Peace Four or five severall conclusions of Peace were solemnly made and ratified betweene them but no sooner made and proclaimed but presently violated of the King and Popish party by massacres and new treacherous Plots to extirpate the Protestant party so that every accommodation proved but a seminary of a new and more bloody warre almost to the utter ruine of France In the yeare 1592. when a publicke peace was made and all differences to outward appearance buried in eternall oblivion the King contrary to his faith and oath caused the Admirall of France the Protestants chiefe pillar as he departed from the Councell to dinner to be shot with a Harguebuze which carried away the forefinger of his right hand and wounded him in the left arme The king to colour this treachery sweares with an execration to the King of Navarre and others who complained of this outrage to take such exemplary punishment on the offendors as the Admirall and his friends should have cause to rest satisfied commands them to be pursued appoints three of the Parliament to make information against them protests after this again and again to be exceeding sorry that this act touched his honour that he will be revenged for it so as the memory thereof should remaine for ever writes to the governours of the Provinces chiefe Townes and Magistrates That he would take such order as the Authors of so wicked an act should be knowne and punished And to his Ambassadours to forraigne Princes That they should make it knowne to all the world that this outrage did displease him And