Cantons the Gouernours are sent by course from the Cantons for two yeeres who iudge according to the lawes of the seuerall people and for those beyond the Alpes the Gouernour hath assistants of the Country chosen and ioyned with him to iudge of capitall and more weighty causes but in Ciuill causes he iudgeth alone though sometimes he calles some of the wiser inhabitants to aduise him therein The Gouernours about the Solstice of the yeere yeeld account before the Senate of Sweitzerland which then iudgeth the appeales made by the subiects They serue the Cantons in warre to which they are subict and they follow the standard of that cantons which for the present yeere giues them a Gouernor and in ciuill warre they are bound to follow the greater part of the Cantons to which they are subiect The Gouernor of Baden is present in the publike Senate of the Sweitzers he takes the voices and they being equall is the arbiter of the difference but he hath only power in the territory of Baden not in the City and there he appoints capitall Iudges for life for their manner is that the Iudges once chosen by him exercise that place so long as they liue And the same Gouernour hath the power to mitigate their Iudgements The next in autority are the Clerke or Secretary and the vnder or Deputy Gouernour Two little Townes of the County or territory of Baden haue Gouernours from the Bishop of Costnetz but they serue the Sweitzers in their warres and the Gouernour of Baden is their Iudge for capitall causes The prefecture or gouernement of Terg most large of all the rest hath 50 Parishes whereof some haue their own immunities or priuiledges the rest are subiect to diuers iurisdictions but the Soueraigne power is in the Gouernour sent and chosen by the Cantons excepting Cella where the Citizens haue their owne gouernement the Bishop of Costnetz hauing only the keeping of the Castle and halfe the mulcts or fines The seuen Cantons with consent of the Lords in the seuerall iurisdictions of all this prefecture of Torg appoint one forme of Iustice. And the Iudges impose very great fines which belong to the Cantons and especially vpon crimes which haue coherence with capitall offences namely foule iniuries breaches of peace violence offered by the high way challengers of publike waies or passages changers of Land-markes or goods committed in trust to their keeping breakers of publike faith and those who scandale or reproch any Magistrate The prefectures of the Saranetes and the Rhegusci and those of Italy haue each a Gouernour vulgarly called Commissary sent from the Sweitzers and because the people speake the Italian tongue hee hath a Sweitzer skilfull in that tongue for his interpreter The people hath the power to chuse their owne Magistrates and Officers and to determine of things concerning their Common-wealth the Commissary not intermedling therewith CHAP. VI. Of the Netherlanders Common-wealth according to the foresaid subiects of the former Chapters LOwer Germany called of old Belgia and now commonly Netherland which the French name Pais bas that is Low countries is diuided into seuenteene Prouinces as I haue formerly shewed in the Geographicall description thereof namely seuen Counties of Flaunders of Artois of Hannaw of Holland of Zealand of Zutphane and of Namurtz foure Dukedomes of Luzenburg of Limburg of Brabant and of Gelderland the Lordship or Dominion of West Freisland three Countries or Territories or places of Iurisdiction of Grouing of Vtrecht and of Transisola vulgarly Dlands ouer Ysel To which fifteene Prouinces that the number of seuenteene may be compleate some adde the County of Walkenburg which is part of the Dukedome of Limburg and others adde the two dominions of Mecblin and Antwerp which are contained vnder the Dukedome of Brebant And how soeuer it be not my purpose to speak of any other Prouinces then those which they cal vnited and through which onely I passed yet it is not amisse in a word or two to shew how these Principalities at first hauing seuerall Princes by little and little grew into one body and in our daies through ciuill warre became diuided into two parts the one of diuers Prouinces vnited for defeuce of their liberty the other of the rest remaining vnder the obedience of their Prince The County of Flaunders hath giuen the name of Flemmings to all the inhabitants of these Prouincess before named and the Earles thereof when other Prouinces were erected to Dukedomes did obstinately retaine their owne degree least they should disgrace their antiquitic with the newnesse of any Ducall or other title And it is manifest that this Earle was the first Peere of France hauing the prerogatiue to carry the sword before the King of France at his Coronation and to gird the same to his side being not bound to appeare in Iudgement before his Compeeres except some controuersie were about the property of his Earledome or he should deny iustice to his subiects and finally hauing the badges of Soueraigne Maiesty to raise an Army to make Warre and Peace to yeeld no tributes or subiection to the King of France to punish or pardon his subiects to make Statutes to grant priuiledges to coine mony and to write himself by the Grace of God Earle which no other Prince of France might do but only the Duke of Britany Baldwyn Earle of Flaunders in the yeere 1202 became Emperour of Constantinople and held that dignity sixty yeeres after which time the Empire returned to the Greekes Earle Lodwick died in the yeere 1383 and Margaret his daughter and heire was married to Phillip Duke of Burgundy who by her right became Earle of Flaunders Charles Duke of Burgundy died in the yeere 1477 and Marie his daughter and heire was married to the Emperour Maximillian and so Flaunders became subiect to the House of Austria For Phillip sonne to Maximillian died before his father and left two sons whereof Charles the eldest was Emperour the fifth of that name and heire to his Grandfather Maximillian And Charles the Emperour taking the King of France Francis the first prisoner in the battell of Pauia in the yeere 1525 forced him to renounce all Soueraigne power ouer Flaunders and Artois and to yeeld the Rightes of the House of Aniou to the Kingdome of Naples and of the House of Orleans to the Dukedome of Milan and of Genoa Charles died and his younger brother Ferdinand succeeded him in the Empire being long before designed his successor by being chosen King of the Romans but he left al his States of inheritance to his eldest son Phillip King of Spaine The rest of the Prouinces by like right of marriage became subiect to Maximillian and so fell to Charles and lastly to the King of Spaine excepting Virecht and the Transisolan Dominion which by the yeelding of the Bishop reseruing his spiritual rights and of the States of those Prouinces were ioyned to the rest and so finally fell to Phillip King
they could not fight with aduantage The thirteene Cantons haue that priuiledge that they deliberate and determine the affaires of the commonwealth in publike meetings by voices and gouerne by equall right the gouernments gotten iointly by them and haue equal part in all booties The greatest Senate is when all the Ambassadours that is chosen Burgesses of the cantons and Fellowes in league are called together which is seldom done but in the causes of making warre or peace onely the Ambassadors of the thirteene Cantons being commonly called to counsell Al Ambassadors haue equal right in giuing voices but two or more being sent from one Canton haue but one voice In causes concerning the gouernements belonging to seuen or eight or 12 Cantons onely the Ambassadours or Burgesses or States of those Cantons meet to whom the gouernement belongs and so the Burgesses of all other seuerally for things belonging to themselues but where the cause concernes the publike State the full Senate of all the Cantons is called to the meeting Since the late differences of Religion new and particular meetings haue beene instituted The Cantons of the Roman Religion Vria Suitia Vnderualdia Lucerna and Zug ioined in a more strict league doe often meete together when any man names the fiue Cantons simply they meane them not the hue old cantons howsoeuer naming the three seuen or eight Cantons they are taken according to the time of their entring into league And sometimes the Cantons of Frihurg and Solothurn being also of the Roman Religion come to the meetings of the said fiue Cantons Greatest part of the Citizens of Glarona and Apenzill are of the reformed Religion and the foure Cities chiefe of the Cantons namely Zurech Bern Bazill Schafhusen haue altogether cast off the Roman Religion haue particular meetings but not often yet when I passed through this Prouince I vnderstood that Glarona was altogether of the reformed Religion and that Apenzill was numbred among the Cantons of the Roman Religion The great Senate determines of warre peace leagues each hauing freedome to refuse any league likewise of making Lawes of sending receiuing answering Ambassadors of gouernments of distributing gainefull Offices of difficult causes referred to the Senate by Gouernors of appeales made from Gouernours to the Senate Ambassadours or Burgesses in place of Iudges are sent about the moneth of Iune to heare the causes of the Italian gouernments from whom they may appeale to the Senate and these appeales as all other are determined by the Senate in the meetings at Baden where also they deliberate of customes impositions the reuenues and if need be of punishing the Gouernours or displacing them in which case the Canton which sent that Gouernour appoints another The City Zurech chiefe of the Cantons hath the first place not by antiquity but dignity and of old custome hath the highest authority to call the Senate together signifying to each canton by letters the cause the time of each meeting yet if any canton thinke it for the publike good to haue an extraordinary meeting they write to Zurech to appoint the same or if the cause admit no delay they meet vncalled Most commonly the generall meetings are at Lucern Zurech Bremogart and Baden but more commonly in these daies almost continually they are at Baden in respect of the commodity of the houses and Innes the pleasant situation famous medicinall Baths and because it is seated in the center of Sweitzerland and is subiect to the 8 old cantons The cantons of the Roman religion commonly haue their particular meetings at Lucerna sometimes at Bockenried of the Vrij or Brame of the Suitij are called together by the canton of Lucern and the cantons of the reformed religion haue their particular meetings commonly at Arowike vnder Bern somtimes at Bazil are called together by the canton of Zurech Forrain Ambassadors require of Zurech to haue audience in the Senate but the peculiar meeings for French causes are called by the French Ambassador as often as he wil at Solothurn where he resideth or at Lucern other Ambassadors shold not be denied extraordinary meetings so they pay the expences as the French Ambassador doth The ful Senate yeerly meets about September at Baden about which time I said that Burgesses in place of Iudges are sent to heare the causes of the Italian gouernments And in this first meeting the greatest causes are not determined either because the Ambassadours or Burgesses or States haue not full power or for other causes but another meeting is there appointed and howsoeuer this Senate is onely called for publike causes yet those being ended they vse to heare priuate causes also Assoone as the said Burgesses or States at the appointed day come to the City the Burgesse of Zurech sends the Vice-gouernor of Baden to salute them to acquaint them with the time of meeting Then they sit downe in the Court first the Burgesses of Zurech in a place raised higher then the rest 2. Those of Bern Thirdly Those of Lucerna as chief though not in antiquity yet in dignity and after the rest according to the antiquity of their Cantons The Burgesse of Zurech first makes an Oration and propounds the causes vpon which they are to consult adding what his Canton hath commanded him in each particular and then the rest speake in order according to the directions giuen them at home The vnder Gouernour of Baden of what Canton soeuer he be askes and numbers the voices The peculiar meetings of particular Cantons and those for French affaires haue no set times Each Canton hath publike Magistrates vulgarly called Vmbgelten who administer the Impositions vpon wine and corne and gather them by their deputies They pay tribute only for that wine which is sold in Tauerns and for that corne which is exported or vsed by Bakers for otherwise the Citizens pay not for wine and corne brought iuto their priuate houses and spent therein And I haue obserued that they pay in some places the value of 24 measures tribute for a vessell of wine containing ninety six measures The salt which is brought in is onely sold by the Senate of each Citie or Canton and I vnderstood by discourse that the Citizens may not buy salt or take it of gift out of the Citie Particularly at Schafhusen the Customes are great especially for salt in respect that the water of the Rheine hath a great fall from a rocke so as all ships must be vnladed before they can passe by that Citie In generall the Sweitzers especially want wine corne and salt as may appeare by the couenants of their forraigne leagues and otherwise the tributes are small which can bee imposed vpon such a free Nation Concerning their Lawes I haue formerly said that the senerall Cantons are not bound one to the decrees of the other except they freely consent thereunto yet that they all haue one Common Councell and almost all
said ciuill warre betweene Yorke and Lancaster for England most of the Noble Families were wasted and some destroied whereupon the English Irish which hitherto had valiantly maintained their Conquest now began to repaire into England partly to beare out the factions partly to inherit the Lands of their Kinsmen of whom they were discended And the meere Irish boldly rushed into the possessions which the other had left void in Ireland And from that time vnder the gouernement of English Liefetenants and Deputies seditions and murthers grew more frequent the authority of the English Kings became lesse esteemed of the Irish then in formertimes and the English Pale had sometimes larger sometimes straighter limits according to the diuers successes of the Irish affaires at diuers times After the appeasing of the said bloody warre I finde some 1000 men sent ouer by Henry the seuenth to suppresse Perkin Warbeck an English Rebell and 500 men sent by Henry the eight to suppresse the Geraldines of English race rebelling against him Otherwise the said Annals mention no great or generall rebellion in Ireland especially such by which either much blood of the English was spilt or much of our treasure exhausted till the happy raigne of Queene Elizabeth For in this onely age Religion rather then Liberty first began to be made the cloake of ambition and the Roman Locusts to maintaine the Popes vsurped power breathed euery where fier and sword and not onely made strong combinations against those of the reformed religion in all Kingdomes but were not ashamed to proclaime and promise Heauen for a reward to such cut throates as should lay violent hands on the sacred persons of such Princes as opposed their tyranny Amongst which this famous Queene being of greatest power and most happy in successe against them they not only lest nothing vnattempted against her sacred person and her Crowne of England but whither incouraged by the blind zeale of the ignorant Irish to Popery or animated by an old Prophesie He that will England winne Must with Ireland first beginne Did also raise two strong and dangerous rebellions in Ireland the one of the Earle of Desmond the other of the Earle of Tyrone not to speake of the troubles made by Shane Oneale the easie setling whereof shall be onely mentioned in the treating of Tyrones Ancestors How beit the wonted generall peace seemes to haue continued till after the 19. yeere of the Queenes raigne being 1577 at which time the Lords of Conuaght and Ororke for their particular made a composition for their lands with Sir Nicholas Malby Gouernour of that Prouince wherein they were content to yeeld vnto the Queen so large a rent and such seruices both of labourers to worke vpon occasion of fortifying and of horse and foote to serue vpon occasion of war as it seems the Popish combinations had not yet wrought in them any alienation of mind from their wonted awe and reuerence of the Crowne of England Touching the rebellion of Gerald Earle of Desmond Iohn Gerald the sonne of Thomas whose Progenitors of English race had long behaued themselues valiantly in subduing the Irish had Kildare giuen him by King Edward the second with title of an Earle And this Family of the Fitz Geralds or Geraldens as they are now called long flourished not onely keeping Ireland in obedience to the King but infesting the sea coasts of the Welsh not yet vnited to the Crowne of England and neuer raised armes against England till Thomas Fitz Gerald the sonne of Gerald Fitz Gerald Earle of Kildare and Lord Deputy of Ireland vnder King Henry the eight whom the King had called into England and there brought in question for his ill Gouernement hearing by light and falle rumour that his father was executed rashly tooke Armes against the King inuiting the Emperor Charles the fifth to inuade Ireland which he in the meane time wasted with fire and sword This Thomas and fiue of his Vncles were shortly after hanged the father being before dead of griefe But Queene Marie restored this Family to honour and lands though they neuer after recouered their former dignity Of these Geralds most of the greatest Lords in Mounster are descended though for diuers causes many of them haue taken other Sirnames and particularly the Earles of Desmond Maurice Fitz-thomas a Geraldine was first created Earle of Desmond by Edward the third Of whose posteritie many excelled in wealth vertue and honourable reputation farre extending their power But Iames inuaded his Nephewes inheritance by force and imposed heauy exactions on all depending vpon him whose sonne Thomas following his fathers steps was by the Lord Deputie beheaded in the yeere 1467 his sonnes were restored and the Earledome remained in his posterity till Gerald Earle of Desmond in the yeere 1578 rebelled against Queene Elizabeth To whose aide certaine bands of Italians and Spaniards sent by Pope Gregory the twelfth and Philip King of Spaine landed at Smerwic who besieged by the Lord Arthur Grey then Lord Deputy in a Fort they had built and called the Fort del ore shortly after yeelded themselues in the yeere 1583 and were put to the sword as the necessitie of that State and their manner of inuading the land was then said to require And the Earle of Desmond flying into the Woods was there in a cottage killed and his head cut off being as they say betrayed by his owne followers wherein the Vlster men challenge an honour of faithfulnesse to their Lords aboue those of Mounster for in the following warres none of them could be induced by feare or reward to lay hands on their reuerenced Oneale Thus with an Army of sixe thousand men whereof some fourethousand were newly sent ouer at diuers times this Rebellion of Desmond in Mounster was soone appeased The Earledome of Desmond was by authoritie of Parliament adiudged to the Crowne and made a County with Sheriffes appointed yeerely to be chosen by the Lord Deputie Vpon the attainter of the said Earle of Desmond and his confederats all the lands falling to the Crowne were in Acres of English measure about 574628 Acres Hereof great part was restored to the offenders as to Patrick Condon his Countrey to the White Knight his Countrey to some of the Geraldines and to other their confederats no small portions The rest was diuided into Seigniories granted by letters patents to certaine English Knights and Esquires which vpon this gift and the conditions whereunto they were tied had the common name of Vndertakers In Kerry and Desmond by patent to Sir William Harbert to Charol Harbert to Sir Valentine Browne to Sir Edward Denny besides an vncertaine portion to George Stone and Iohn Chapman and their heites were granted 30560 Acres with yeerely rents fiue hundred foure and twentie pound sixe shillings eight pence sterling In Limerick by Patent to Sir Henrie Billinsley to William Carter to Edmund Mannering to William Trenchard to Sr. George Bourcher to Sr. George Thornton to Richard
seuenteenth of April sent his reasons of not comming First iustifying his relaps into disloialty by the truce not obserued to him and because restitution was not made him of preyes taken from him which was promised Then excusing his not meeting because his pledges by the truce being from three moneths to three moneths to be changed were still detained yea his pledges the second time put in were kept together with the first And saying that he durst not come to the Lord Generall because many promises by him made being not kept he knew it was much against his honourable mind and so could not be perswaded but that the Lord Generall was ouerruled by the Lord Deputy so as he could not make good his promises without the Lord Deputies consent who shewed malice to him and was no doubt the cause of all the breaches of such promises as had beene made vnto him Againe in regard he heard that the Lord Bourgh was to come ouer Lord Deputy who was altogether vnknowne to him he protested to feare that the acts of the Lord Generall with him would not be made good wishing that rather the Lord Generall might be continued in his command for then he would be confident of a good conclusion Finally he desired a meeting neere Dundalke the sixe and twenty of Aprill but this appointment for the day being against the last finall resolution and for the place against her Maiesties directions there was no more speech of this treaty In the meane time Sir William Russell Lord Deputy by the managing of those and like affaires finding himselfe not duly countenanced out of England in the place he sustained had made earnest suit to be called home and accordingly about the end of May he was reuoked and the Lord Bourgh so he himselfe writes others write Burke and Camden writes Borough came ouer Lord Deputy The ill successe of the treaties and small progresse of the warres together with this vnexpected change of the Lord Deputy comming with supreme authority as well in martiall as ciuill causes brake the heart of Sir Iohn Norryes Lord Generall a leader as worthy and famous as England bred in our age Of late according to vulgar speech he had displeased the Earle of Essex then a great fauourite in Court and by his merites possessed of the superintendency in all martiall affaires For Sir Iohn Norryes had imbraced the action of Brest Fort in Britany and the warres in those parts when the Earle himself had purpose to entertaine them and preuailed against the Earle by vndertaking them with lesse forces then the Earle desired for the same And it was thought that the Earle had preferred the Lord Bourgh of purpose to discontent him in regard the said Lord Bourgh had had a priuate quarrell with the said Generall in England and that besides the superiour command of this Lord though otherwise most worthy yet of lesse experience in the warres then the Generall had could not but be vnsupportable to him esteemed one of the greatest Captaines of his time and yet hauing inferiour command of the Presidentship of Mounster in the same Kingdome Certainely vpon the arriuall of this new Lord Deputy presently Generall Norryes was commanded to his gouernement of Mounster and not to stirre thence without leaue When he came thither this griefe so wrought vpon his high spirit as it apparantly brake his braue and formerly vndaunted heart for without sickenes or any publike signe of griefe he suddenly died in the imbrace of his deere brother Sir Thomas Norreys his vicepresident within some two moneths of his comming into Mounster The Lord Bourgh at his entry into the place of Lord Deputy found all the North in Rebellion except seuen Castles with their Townes or Villages all but one lying towards the sea namely Newry Knockfergus Carlingford Greene-Castle Armagh Dondrom and Olderfleet And all Connaght was likewise in Rebellion together with the Earle of Ormonds nephewes the Butlers in Mounster In this moneth of May Ororke was sent into England by the King of Scots and there executed This Ororke seemes to haue beene expelled his Countrey when Sir Richard Bingham was Gouernour of Connaght but those of his name and the chiefe of them vsurping the Countrey of Letrym still continued Rebels Tyrone hitherto with all subtilty and a thousand sleights abusing the State when he saw any danger hanging ouer him by fained countenance and false words pretended humblest submission and hearty sorrow for his villanies but as soone as opportunity of pursuing him was omitted or the forces were of necessity to be drawne from his Countrey with the terror of them all his loyalty vanished yea he failed not to mingle secretly the greatest Counsels of mischiefe with his humblest submissions And these courses had beene nourished by the sloth of our Leaders the frugality of some of our counsellers and the Queenes inbred lenity yet of all other he had most abused the late Lord Generals loue to him and his credulity which specially grew out of his loue Now of this new Lord Deputy by letters hee requested a truce or cessation which it seemed good to the Lord Deputy to grant for a moneth in regard of the conueniency of her Maiesties present affaires not any way to gratifie the Rebell for he had no purpose to entertaine more speech of his submission or to slacke the pursuit of him and his confederates to which he was wholly bent He saw the lamentable effects which these cessations together with protections had hitherto produced and among other euils did specially resolue to auoid them Therefore assoone as the moneth of truce was expired the Lord Deputy aswell by his first actions to giue luster and ominous presage to his gouernement as because he iudged it best for the seruice to strike at the head presently drew the Forces towards Tyrone The Irish in a fastnes neere Armagh so they call straight passages in woods where to the natural strength of the place is added the art of interlacing the low bowes and casting the bodies of trees acrosse the way opposed the passage of the English who made their way with their swords and found that the Irish resolutely assaulted would easily giue ground Then the Lord Deputy assaulted the Fort of Blackewater formerly built by the English vpon the passage to Dungannon whence the Eurle at his first entering into rebellion had by force expelled the English as carefully as he would haue driuen poyson from his heart This Fort he soon wonne and repayring the same put a company of English souldiers into it to guard it But 〈◊〉 the Lord Deputy with the whole army were rendering thanks to God for this good succesle the 〈◊〉 shewed themselues out of the thicke woods neere adioyning on the North-side of the Fort so as the prayers were interrupted by calling to armes The English entered 〈◊〉 and preuayled against them driuing them to styeinto the thickest of their dens In this conflict were killed Francis Vaughan
my selfe into any part of Ireland with my chiefe strength but I may happen to be as farre from their discent as I shall bee where now I am which maketh me the more loth to forgoe my hold in these parts and yet for all occasions you must not imagine me to be now in the head of a great Army but of some sixteene hundred fighting men of whom there are not halfe English and vpon the newes of Spanish succours I know few Irish that I can reckon ours With this Army I must make my retreat which I resolued to haue left most part in Garrisons all this winter in these quarters and in truth Sir I cannot at this present thinke of a better counsel then that we might goe on with the warre by these Garrisons against Tyrone as wee were determined whether the Spaniards come or no and to make head against them chiefely with meanes out of England By this course they shall giue each other little assistance and if we doe but ruine and waste the traytors this Winter it will bee impossible for the Spaniards to make this people liue by which course I presume it is in her Maiesties power to giue the King of Spaine a great blow and to quit this Country of them for euer If in the checkes the Queene doe not finde the weakenesse of her Army I disclaime from the fault for without a wise honest Muster-master of good reputation to be still present in the Army the Queene in that kinde wil neuer be well serued and vpon those Officers that are I doe continually call for their care in that matter If according to our desire you had sent vs one thousand supplies of shot to the Newrie it had aduanced the seruice more then I can expresse but some you must needs send vs to be able to leaue those garisons strong in winter Most part of these troops I haue here are they that haue stricken all the blowes for the recouerie of the Kingdome and been in continuall action and therefore you must not wonder if they be weake If Sir Henrie Dockwra do not plant Ballishannon I thinke it fit that Sir Arthur Chichester had a thousand men of his List whom I hope we would finde meanes to plant within foure or fiue miles of Dungannon and by boats victuall them commodiously I doe apprehend the consequence of that plantation to be great but till I heare from you againe I wil take no men from Loughfoyle because I am loth to meddle much with that Garrison without direction but I besecch you Sir by the next let me know your opinion I pray you Sir giue me leaue to take it vnkindly of my L President to informe you that Sir Hen. Dockwra hath had greater fauor in the nomination of Captaines thē he for he neuer placed but one whom I displaced after To haue some left to his nomination is more then I could obtaine when the last supply came to me But since it is the Queenes pleasure I must beare this and as I doe continually a great deale more with patience And though I am willing you should know I haue a iust feeling of these things yet I beseech you Sir to beleeue that my meaning is not to contest or to impute the fault vnto you for by God Sir where I professe my loue in the same kind I haue done to you they shall bee great matters that shall remoue me although they may and I desire that I may let you know when they do moue me I do only impute this to my misfortune that I perceiue arguments too many of her Maiesties displeasure but while for her owne sake she doth vse my seruice I will loue whatsoeuer I suffer for her and loue the sentence that I will force from the conscience of all and the mouth of the iust that I haue been and will be an honest and no vnprofitable seruant vnto her I dare vndertake we haue rid my Lord President of the most dangerous rebell of Mounster and the most likely man to haue renewed the rebellion for that night I receiued your letters the rogues did powre aboue three thousand shot into our Campe at which time it was our good fortune to kill Peirce Lacie and some other of their principall men Wee are now praying for a good wind for wee are at our last daies bread if victuals come in time we will not be idle Sir if I haue recommended any into England I am sure it was for no charge for I know none that haue gone from hence but there are many that continue here more worthy of preferment then they therefore I pray Sir let them not be reckoned mine that there challenge any thing for me but whatsoeuer shall please their Lordships I must be contented withall and it shall not much trouble mee for I meane not to make the warres my occupation and doe affect asmuch to haue a great many followers as to bee troubled with a kennel of hounds But for the Queenes sake I would gladly haue her serued by such as I know to be honest men and vnhappy is that Generall that must fight with weapons of other mens choosing And so Sir being ashamed that I haue troubled you so long I desire you to be assured that no man shall loue you more honestly and faithfully then my selfe From the Campe neere Mount Norreys this ninth of August 1601 Yours Sir most assured to doe you seruice Mountioy Touching the aboue mentioned distate betweene the Lord Deputy and the Lord President of Mounster his Lordship shortly after wrote a letter to him resenting himselfe in very high tearmes of the wrong he conceiued to be offered him as followeth in his Lordships letter MY Lord as I haue hitherto borne you as much affection and as truely as euer I did professe it vnto you and I protest reioyced in all your good successes as mine owne so must you giue me leaue since I presume I haue so iust cause to challenge you of vnkindnes wrong in writing into England that in preferring your followers Sir Henry Dockwra hath had more power from me then your selfe and consequently to solicite the Queene to haue the nomination of some Captaines in this Kingdome For the first I could haue wished you would haue beene better aduised because vpon my Honour he neuer without my speciall warrant did appoint but one whom I after displaced I do not remember that euer since our comming ouer I haue denied any thing which you haue recommended vnto me with the marke of your owne desire to obtaine it and in your Prouince I haue not giuen any place as I thinke but at your instance For the other I thinke it is the first example that euer any vnder another Generall desired or obtained the like sute And although I will not speake iniuriously of your deserts nor immodestly of mine owne yet this disgrace cannot make me beleeue that I haue deserued worse then any that haue beene
is apparant that the King of Spaine is resolued to make a powerfull warre with England and that he hath chosen this Countrie to be the seate thereof where we that are her Maiesties Ministers here must either marre or giue way to this foundation If he bee resolued to send continuall supplies and to fortifie in seuerall places the warre is likely to grow long and difficult For first it is hard to force a warlike Nation out of any strength without great numbers royall prouisions and long time and how hard our supplies of either can bee spared or sent in time so farre I feare the estate doth already feele too much The necessitie of making head to an enemie who hauing the hearts of all this people shal haue all their helpes if they durst doth draw our Army to indure all the incommodities of a miserable Winters siege wherein without all preuention the greatest part of our strength will decay before we be readie in our chiefe designe of forcing the Towne to vse it And if otherwise we should vse in this worke more then aduised haste we might easily hazard the losse of this Kingdome for little disasters to vs will bee conceiued ouerthrowes and beleeue Sir that nothing containes euen the best of this Countrie inhabitants but the prosperitie and reputation of our Army so that although it may please God to enable vs to cut off the thread of this warre sooner then wee see reason to presume of yet because we haue iust reason to expect a growing enemie and in so great a cause it must please her Maiestie either to bend and maintaine her Royall power this way or by some attempt in his owne Countries to diuert his purpose for this for otherwise if he persist in his purpose for Ireland if he once grow of power to breake the bankes of our opposition he will suddenly and not by degrees ouerflow all Hitherto it hath pleased God to prosper vs in all we haue vndertaken or hath been vndertaken against vs wee haue wonne whatsoeuer the enemy was possessed off without the Towne we haue taken aboue two hundred Spanish prisoners there are as wee are certainely enformed aboue one thousand dead and killed of them in the Towne the which we haue now as throughly inuested as may be but on the other side the whole force of Tyrone and Odonnell with all the strength of the Rebels of Ireland do lie within sixe miles of vs and to their assistance they haue the Spanish supplyes and that which is worst their munition and prouisions the whole Prouince either is ioyned with them or stand neutrals and what vse soeuer the enemie maketh of them I am sure wee receiue by them no manner of assistance Notwithstanding all this I hope wee shall giue a good account of the besieged but wee haue reason to proceede with great caution hauing a desperate enemie before vs and so manie that are ingaged in the same fortune behind vs. For Tyrone and O Donnell haue quit their owne Countries to recouer them here or else to loose all Now Sir to enable vs in this great warre you must continually supply vs with munition and victuals It is true how incredible soeuer you thinke it that of two thousand men you send vs you must account that we make vse of little more then fiue hundred and yet wee can well iustifie that there is nothing omitted that humane wit can prouide for the preseruation of such as we haue I haue much against his will and my owne sent ouer Sir Oliuer Saint Iohns because I presume he can satisfie you in many things which by writing we can hardly doe Once more I thought good to remember you that I protest before the eternall God that it grieueth me to see her Maiesty so ill serued in her Musters from the abuses whereof as I haue done heretofore I do vtterly disclaime as not being in my power to reforme for all the Ministers in that kind are but ciphers or false numbers and it is beyond my power to discend into euery particular care in such an actiue time wherein I spend all my meditations in making onely of the warre and wherein how much of the weight of euery mans burthen doth lie vpon my shoulders I doe better feele then I can expresse or make you beleeue I will discontinue the consideration of any thing that belongs to my owne priuate and haue now onely desired this bearer to negociate for mee as a publike person and of publike matter and I beseech God to send mee the height of my ambition which is with the conscience of hauing done her Maiestie the seruice I desire to inioy a quiet priuate life and that her Maiestie may neuer more haue need of men of our profession Yours Sir most assured to doe you seruice Mountioy The foureteenth day was so rainy and so tempestious in winds as wee could not stirre out to proceede any thing in our businesses The fifteenth our Artillerie planted by the Campe on the West-side did play vpon the toppes of the Castles in the Towne where the enemies shot were placed that from thence they might annoy our men working in the trenches and in the platforme and attending our Artillerie Our pieces brake downe many of these Castles and killed many of their shot lodged in them Likewise in the night while our men were making new approches our Ordinance plaied vpon the Towne and many volleys of small shot were exchanged betweene vs and the enemy The sixteenth day the same Ordinance plaied in like sort vpon the Castles in the Towne and did much hurt to the men there lodged The seuenteenth day was very tempestious with raine and especially wind and so continued all night for which cause our Artillery plaied but seldom vpon the towne And this night the Spaniards sallyed and brake downe a platforme which we had begun the day before with purpose to plant our Artillery there whereupon a slight skirmish fell betweene vs and them but with little or no hurt on either side The eighteenth day our Artillerie continued to play vpon the Towne And this day his Lordship intercepted this following letter which he commanded me to translate out of Spanish into English To the Prince Oneale and Lord O Donnell I Thought your Excellencies would haue come at Don Ricardo his going since hee had order from you to say that vpon the Spaniards comming to you from Castle-Hauen you would doe me that fauour And so I beseech you now you will doe it and come as speedily and well appointed as may bee For I assure you that the enemies are tired and are very few and they cannot guard the third part of their trenches which shall not auaile them for resisting their first furie all is ended The manner of your comming your Excellencies know better to take there then I to giue it here for I will giue them well to doe this way being alwaies watching to giue the blow all that I
great strength Since our comming to Corke I the Deputie to ease her Maiesties great and vnsupportable charger haue discharged two thousand foote in List wherein without all respects of fauour I cast those who had the weakest Companies And assoone as wee may bee better secured that the Spaniards purpose to forbeare any further attempt for this Realme which in a few moneths will appeare as many as possibly can be spared shall bee in like sort cashered To suppresse the present Rebellon in Mounster I the Deputy haue designed foure thousand foot and three hundred twenty fiue horse which being layed in such conuenient places as wee intend to lay them our hope is that in short time this Rebellion will bee extinguished But vntill wee bee better assured from the attempts of Spaine for this Kingdome the remainder of the Armie is dispersed into the remote places of the Prouince Eastward of Corke and I the Deputy doe purpose to remaine here vntill I may be more secured that there will be no cause to draw the Army backe into these parts Paul Iuie the Inginer with the best expedition that may be shall bee sent to the parts of Baltymore and Beer-hauen to chuse-out fit grounds to fortifie The like must be done at Kinsale and for the better holding of the Cities of this Prouince in due obedience of whose assurance in case the Spaniards had preuailed wee had cause to doubt wee thinke it vnder your Lordships reformation very expedient that in euery of them Cittadels were raised which guarded with a few men and hauing some Pieces of Artillerie will euerhave power to command them There places being thus strengthened there is no Port forgotten that may be fit for the Spaniards acommodating in any enterprise from hence vpon England for all which lie in Desmond Kerry or Connaght haue too large a Sea to passe for England which is subiect to infinite inconueniences And as for the coast within Saint Georges Channell the dangers of it are so infinite as there is no feare of those Ports Notwithstanding it hath pleased God to giue vs this happie successe in freeing this Realme of the Spanish Army vnder Don Iean yet fearing that some seconds vnder another Commander may be employed hither we humbly beseech your Lordships that you will bee pleased to send the victuals for which wee wrote by Sir Oliuer Saint Iohns If the Spanish supplies come we shall haue cause to expend them in this Prouince If they come not then our cares shall bee such as they shall be preserued and dispensed to the best vse for her Maiesties seruice The like sute we make for the munitions for which wee then wrote But for the supplies required of vs in the dispatch wee made by Sir Henrie Dauers your Lordships may please to make stay of them till a further occasion to use them Onely of one thousand thereof we haue great neede for the reinforcing of the Companies which are weake and therefore we desire that fiue hundred of them may land here at Corke and the other fiue hundred at Waterford and that the rest may be in readinesse if we haue any new occasion to send for them till which time we are vnwilling to charge her Maiesty or trouble your Lordships or to draw any new forces into these parts which hath made vs giue direction that Sir Arthur Chichester with the one thousand men which your Lordships haue commanded him to leade hither shal stay about the Newry and make the warre there aswell defending the Pale as annoying Tyrone for Sir Arthur being there shall be neere enough to vs if there should fall out any occasion to draw those men hither Sir Richard Moryson is made the bearer of these our letters whō we haue chosen to satisfie your Lordships in such things wherein happily you may doubt In particular wee haue acquainted him with the dates of all our letters which wee haue sent your Lordships since the landing of the Spaniards so as hee can informe your Lordships of his owne knowledge that we all or I the Deputy haue written thus often namely the three and twentieth of September the first third and foure and twentieth of October the seuenth and the thirteenth of Nouember the seuenth twelfth and seuen and twentieth of December and this present dispatch by himself If any of these haue miscaried or found so slow passage as your Lordships expectations were not satisfied in such time as for the seruice had been fit we beseech you be pleased to consider that the like may happen to such of yours as are sent hither And this may appeare by your Lordships letters which we last receiued For the eleuenth of Ianuarie as is noted in the beginning of this letter we receiued your Lordships of the foure and twentieth of December and with it another of the seuen and twentieth of that moneth touching the apparrell a third of the two and twentieth of December yea a fourth of the two and twentieth of Nouember Wee haue licensed Captaine Iosias Bodley to passe into England vpon some priuate businesse importing him and haue addressed him to your Lordships to receiue your pleasure If you resolue vpon any fortifications in this Kingdome the Gentleman is very will experienced and practised in that Art and one whom in all our workes wee haue principally emploied which he hath with great hazard labour and sufficiency discharged We find all men here to imbrace with much gladnesse her Maiesties resolution to leaue the apparrelling of the souldier being much better contented to haue full pay without detaining of any summes for their clothes and we hope it will be a meane to make the Captains keepe their companies strong And as your Lordships haue directed vpon notice of the decease of the Earle of Desmond the company allowed for him is discharged saue what hath pleased you to continue to his sister to the Archbishop of Casbell and 10. Power Order is also taken that the Oates sent ouer hither shall be issued at as high rates as we can but it hath neuer beene hitherto seene that the price exceeded ten shillings the quarter and we thinke they cannot be issued at a higher rate for the souldier cannot liue paying any more but will rather suffer his horse to starue which would be greater inconueniency to the seruice then if the oates had not come at all though that way also they must haue starued if the siege had continued The Spaniards shipped from hence to Plymoth where either such as had runneaway from the Spaniards or such as were in Ryncorren and Castle Nyparke and yeelded vpon promise of their liues onely and so much I the Deputy signified by my letters to the Gentlemen of the parts where they should land of purpose to be made knowne to your Lordships and that they might accordingly be suffred to passe into France or some other Countrey which was as much as they desired And so c. From Corke this foureteenth of January
to find that you are ioined with Dockwra and Chichester because that is the thing which hath beene long wished often attempted but neuer before effected being indeed the true consequence of Our Plantation with great expence both at Loughfoyle and in other parts of Vlster So as when Wee perceiue that now the time is come when you may make an vniuersall prosecution and when We find that your owne words giue such hope that this vngratefull Traitor shall neuer be able to hold vp his head againe if the Spaniard doe not arriue Wee thought it fit to touch these two things following First to assure you that Wee haue sent a Fleete to the Coast of Spaine notwithstanding Our former Fleet returned with the Caricke there to attend his Coast and all such Fleetes as shall be prepared to annoy Vs. Next We doe require you euen whilest the Iron is hot so to strike as this may not onely proue a good Summers iourney but may deserue the title of that action which is the warres conclusion For furtherance whereof We haue spared no charge euen now againe to send a Magazine of victuall and other necessaries to those places by which you may best maintaine those garrisons with which you resolue to bridle those Rebels We haue heard likewise from Carew our President of Mounster that he hath taken the Castle was held by the Rebels at Beere Hauen and defended with the Spanish Ordinance In that Prouince We find by him that there is constant expectation of Spanish succours for which reason and considering what promises the King of Spaine doth make them and with what importunity they begge it at his hands besides one other crast they vse to hide from him all feare which might diuert him from that enterprize agreeing amongst themselues how great soeuer their miseries be to conceale the same from him and his Ministers as appeareth well by a letter of Odonnels owne hand intercepted of late by which he writes to a Rebell called O Connor Kerry desiring him to aduertise him of the state of Ireland but in no sort to deliuer any bad report of their losses because he would be loth that the Spaniard should know it We doe require you very earnestly to be very wary in taking the submissions of these Rebels who euer make profit of their comming in Some let slip of purpose by the Archtraitor others when they haue compounded for their owne peace are notoriously knowne to fill their Countries with more Cattle then euer they had in seuen yeeres before which is a matter that most notoriously discouereth that the great bordering Traitors whose Countries are sought to be laied wast doe find a safe protection for their goods vnder them A matter whereof we speake in no other sort then by way of caution knowing that no rule is so generall either to leaue or take which may not change in respect of circumstances Giuen vnder our Signet At our Mannor of Greenewich the fifteenth day of Iuly in the foure and fortieth of Our Raigne To this letter in the Margent were added these words in her Maiesties owne hand We con you many laudes for hauing so neerely approched the villanous Rebell and see no reason why so great forces should not end his daies whose wickednesse hath cut off so many and should iudge my selfe mad if we should not change your authority for his life and so we doe by this Since neither Spaniard nor other accident is like to alter this minde as she that should blush to receiue such indignity after so royall prosecution We haue forgotten to praise your humility that after hauing beene a Queenes Kitchin maide you haue not disdained to bee a Traitors skullion God blesse you with perseuerance Your Soueraigne E. R. At the same time his Lordship receiued this following letter from Master Secretarie MY very good Lord it must not seeme strange to you to find this marginall cotation in her Maiesties letter whereby the last authority in pardoning Tyrone is so absolutely retrenched For first as her Maiesty in these cases may well out of experience of gouernement assume more to her royall prudence then any of her Counsell so God in Heauen doth know that euen in these great causes shee is pleased to proceed more absolutely then euer according as shee pleaseth to approue her will by the Rules of her owne Princely iudgement So as if you consider how little good the last authority which was giuen you to pardon no more but his life could haue effected you will easily imagine that wee thought it to little purpose here to offend by contestation against this letter when in both the directions the difference was of so little consequence Lastly the change that is proceeded meerely from the hopes which your owne letters to the Treasurer haue giuen of our opinion so to ruine him as he should neuer be able againe to stand whereof it is true that her Maiesty hath taken so good and comfortable hold the same being so iust and agreeable to the difficulty of her owne nature to forgiue that offender as although in effect shee had done little more then nothing before yet shee thinkes any mercy to him to bee much It remaineth therefore that I resort to explane my selfe in my former aduice when I and some others wished you though you had warrant to conclude for no more then life onely that you should notwithstanding seeing you had warrant sufficient to heare from him in no case forbeare to discouer what were his highest or what would be his lowest for this was our intent as faithfull Counsellors if you found the State to be such as without his submission to be a Subiect all others comming in would be idle and that to offer him nothing but life which he hath already and will keepe too long I feare mee were the way to lacke that good which by yeelding to more might haue been effected that then and in such case you should not forestall him so peremptorily in your dealing with him as to repell those ouertures which hee would make for though you were not to conclude for more then you had warrant yet when you might send ouer what it was and what your opinion was thereupon it might be that when her Maiesty should see what might haue come shee would be content for the good of her Kingdome to descend from the greatnesse of her owne heart full of iust indignation against him These things I touched out of the infinite caution wherevnto the experience of my misfortune to be misiudged presseth mee more violently then any other whereby I would secure my selfe against any doubts that I would practice vpon you in any thing for any respect whatsoeuer which might be pernitious to you to whom I haue professed all honest friendship For I protest vnto you howsoeuer it may be some mens Phylosophy to conclude that all priuate considerations must be extinguished when there is question of the good of a mans Countrey
Roman Religion with the appeasing thereof in the beginning of the yeere 1603. Together with the Lord Deputies recalling into England and the rewards there giuen him for his seruice in the beginning of the yeere 1603 with mention of his vntimely death within few yeeres after and a word of the State of Ireland some ten yeeres after THE fiue and twentieth of March in the beginning of the yeere 1603 the Lord Deputy wrote this following letter from Mellifant Sir Garret Moores house to Master Secretary in England SIR I haue receiued by Captaine Hayes her Maiesties letters of the sixth of February wherein I am directed to send for Tyrone with promise of securitie for his life onely and vpon his arriuall without further assurance to make stay of him till her pleasure should bee further knowne and at the same time I receiued another from her Maiestie of the seuenteenth of February wherein it pleased her to inlarge the authority giuen vnto me to assure him of his life liberty and pardon vpon some conditions remembred therein And withall I receiued a letter from your selfe of the eighteenth of February recommending to me your owne aduice to fulfill as far as I possibly could the meaning of her Maiesties first letter and signifying her pleasure that I should seeke by all the best meanes I can to promise him his pardon by some other name then Earle of Tyrone and rather by the name of Barron of Dungannon or if it needes must bee by the name of some other Earle Secondly to deliuer him his Country in lesse quantity and with lesse power then before he had it And lastly to force him to cleare his paces and passages made difficult by him against any entrie into his Countrie And now since it hath pleased her Maiesty by so great a trust to giue me so comfortable Arguments of her fauour I am incouraged the more freely to presume to declare my selfe in this great matter which I call great because the consequence is great and dangerous to be delt in without the warrant of her gratious interpretation And though my opinion herein should proceede from a long and aduised consideration described with large and many circumstances and confirmed with strong and iudiciall reasons yet because I thinke it fit to hasten away this messenger I will write of these things somewhat though on the sudden and commit the rest to the sufficient iudgement and relation of the Lord President now in his iourney towards you and the rather because I finde him to concurre with mee in the apprehension of this cause and of the state of all other things of this Kingdome And first for her Maiesties first letter I pray you Sir beleeue me that I haue omitted nothing both by power and policy to ruine him and vtterly to cut him off and if by either I may procure his head before I haue engaged her Royall word for his safety I doe protest I will doe it and much more be ready to possesse my selfe of his person if by only promise of life or by any other meanes wherby I shal not directly scandal the maiesty of publike faith I can procure him to put himself into my power But to speak my opinion freely I thinke that he or any man in his case would hardly aduenture his liberty to preserue onely his life which he knoweth how so well to secure by many other waies for if he flie into Spaine that is the least wherof he can be assured and most men but especially he doe make little difference betweene the value of their life and liberty and to deceiue him I thinke it will bee hard for though wiser men then hee may be ouer-reached yet he hath so many eyes of iealousie awake that it will bee vnpossible to charme them and I do vpon assured ground beleeue that it is nothing but feare of his safety that of a long time especially of late hath kept him frō conformity to the State and if any thing do keep him now from accepting the lowest conditions and from setling himself and his hart to a constant seruing of her Maiestie it will be feare of an absolute forgiuenes or the want of such an estate as may in any measure cōtent him The danger of his subsisting as he doth is either if there come no forraine forces to maintaine still a loose head of Rebellion which will be better able to offend any such as are become subiects then we can be if we were a thousand times more to defend them at all times and in all places to stirre vp and to maintaine al humors and to be a wound remaining open vnto which they may haue recourse and vpon all accidents bee readie to swell or to infect the whole bodie of this Kingdome Otherwise if there should be any inuasion to be a powerfull and politick head to draw this Countrie to their assistance If there come no forraigne Forces and that hee should bee cut off yet is it likely some other in the nature of a spoiling outlaw would arise vp in his place as ill as himselfe and if hee bee kept prisoner the like effects will arise as if hee were dead If hee bee cut off or kept prisoner and the Spaniards should arriue most of the Swordmen will flocke vnto them for aduantage of pay and the discontentment of Lords of Countries would be as great or greater then if hee were amongst them and therefore they as likely to fall then as now to the Spanish partie but if it were possible to make him a good subiect the vse her Maiestie may make of him must bee amongst these people since during his life and libertie none will aspire to that place of O Neale which doth carrie with it so great an interest in the North and what interest hee hath hee may bee led to employ to suppresse and settle the mindes of the people to gouernement and hauing once declared himselfe to bee a dutifull subiect it will be first a great discouragement for the Spaniards to come and if they doe come if hee continue honest his presence and interest will sway the North from giuing them assistance or annoying the subiects if we withdraw our Garrisons and make the rest of Ireland more aduised how they declare themselues against the State Sir to conclude because I cannot shortly expresse mine owne minde herein I thinke it best if it please her Maiestie to receiue him to her mercy so that first his submission bee made in as humble sort and as much for her Maiesties Honour as can be deuised and then that she assure him of absolute forgiuenesse and forgetting of his faults and as much honour and profit as he had before prouided that wee take from him as much as possibly wee may those lockes wherein his chiefest strength lyes Otherwise I am perswaded either the Queene shal not serue her owne turne by him if shee keepe him prisoner or he will serue his turne if he liue at
liberty and euer haue Animum reuertendi an affection to relapse How I am resolued to proceede in this businesse you shall know by the Lord President which notwithstanding many things may alter but for the substance I doe thinke we shall be able to compasse as much as by her Maiesties last letter is required and by yours written after that except that point of the taking from him the title of the Earledome of Tyrone for the which I thinke there be many reasons that it should not be much stood vpon Besides what I haue written before of giuing him contentment which may bee applied to this first you doe but giue him a title which he did shake of as a marke of his bondage and that which he falles from to accept this he did asmuch preferre before this as the estate of an absolute Prince before the condition of a subiect and it is the name of O Neale with the which hee hath done so much mischiefe that is fatall and odious and not the name of Tyrone which hee was saine to leaue before hee could haue power to become a Rebell for belieue mee out of my experience the titles of our Honours doe rather weaken then strengthen them in this Countrie and if you giue him the same degree but with another name it may be thought a condition rather by him obtained then by vs imposed especially if he enioyeth his Countrie and lastlie if you make him onely Barron of Dungannon you leaue in him a spurre to discontentment without any greater bridle from doing hurt for his power will be neuer the lesse and yet he that doth not sit easily will euer thinke of another seate and his owne title will the more runne in his minde the more he is vnsatisfied with this new Notwithstanding al my opinions of these things I will runne as neere as I can to the straightest line of her Maiesties pleasure and I presume I will so handle this matter that I will be sure her Maiesties Honour shall not be indangered I meane by the authority shee hath giuen mee which any man shall hardly take notice of till I be assured vpon what tearmes I shall find him and if his requests be not as humble as becommeth him or as by her Maiesty is required hee shall make little vse of any negotiation that shall be with him And so Sir c. Touching the receiuing of Tyrone to mercy no man shall take from me the reputation such as it is to haue beene the instrumentall cause of doing this honour to my deceased Soueraigne my Nation and of giuing this disgracefull blow to the Arch-Traitor Tyrone that he humbly submitted himselfe to Queene Elizabeth finding mercy at her royall feet whom he had proudly offended and whose sole power in despite of his domesticall associates and forraigne support had brought him on his knees and that the victory was fully atchieued by the sole Sword of the English Nation and well affected English-Irish whose blood he had spilt and that so the Arch-Traitor lost the meanes longer to subsist in rebellion by the aduantage of Englands vnsetled Estate or at least the aduantage and the vaine-glory to fasten merit on the sacred Maiesty of King Iames the said Queenes happy successour by submitting to his royall mercy and so hiding the extreme misery in which he was plunged to haue made this his action seeme altogether voluntary and euery way noble in him to which he was forced by the highest constraint and in the most base manner that can be imagined Now as no man knoweth the circumstances of this action better then my selfe so I will briefly and truely relate them Queene Elizabeth had beene sicke for more then a moneths space and of some apparant danger of her death the Lord Deputy had beene aduertised and at this time shee was dead departing the foure and twentieth of March the last day of the yeere past though it were not know ne to the Lord Deputy till the seuen and twentieth of March in the night nor publikely or to Tyrone himselfe till the fifth of Aprill after his humble submission made before the Lord Deputy to the Queene as then liuing though indeed shee were dead This businesse passed in manner following There was a gentleman among the voluntary followers of the Lord Deputy who had long been earnestly ambitious of the honour of Knighthood which by no endeuours of seruice expence of money or assistance of friends he could hitherto attaine Now a seruant of his posting from London and getting a happy passage at Sea came vpon the 27 of March late in the night to Mellifant where the Lord Deputy then lay and brought with him the first newes of the Queenes death which when he had related to his Master hee hauing been long pleased to take my aduise in his affaires aduertised me of these newes and brought his seruant to confirme the same in my hearing Whereupon I required his seruant not to speake a word thereof to any man threatning him with the Lord Deputies displeasure and seuere punishment if any such rumour were spread by him Then I was bold to giue his Master confidence of receiuing the honour he desired if hee would follow my aduise which was this that he should goe to the Lord Deputy and tell him this report of the Queenes death brought by his seruant and the strict charge he had giuen vnto him for the concealing thereof till his Lordship should think fit to make it known withall to make tender of himselfe and all his meanes to follow his Lordships fortune in this doubtfull time for such it was in expectation though most happy in euent The Gentleman did as I aduised him and for his particular it tooke the same effect which I expected as I will shew when I haue first set downe how his Lordship hereupon proceeded with Tyrone The Lord Deputy being warranted by the Queenes letters aboue written to receiue Tirone to her Maiesties mercy had vpon the fiue and twentieth of March sent Sir William Godolphin and Sir Garret Moore to treat with him for which they had a Commission in these words Mountioy VVHereas the Earle of Tyrone hath made humble suite vnto vs that vpon his penitent submission to her Maiesties mercy wee would be pleased to send some Gentlemen to whom he might make knowne his humble petitions and impart somewhat to them that doth much concerne her Maiesties seruice For the great trust wee repose in you and the good opinion wee conceiue of your discreet iudgements we haue made choice of you to be imployed herein and doe by these presents giue you both ioyntly and seuerally our absolute warrant authority vpon this occasion of her Maiesties scruice to parley and confer with him or any of his adherents or followers Prouided that of this your conference you shall with all conuenient speed giue vs knowledge in all particulars and of all his and your proceedings herein to the end you
same in the buildings of the Kings Court and other houses The Cities thereof are Helsenburg Lanscron and London the Metropolitan Citie 5 The Iland of Seland whence they hold the Zelanders of Netherland to haue come into those parts is beautified with the City Copenhagen that is the Hauen of Merchants where the King hath his Court and there is an Vniuersity It hath also the strong Castell Cronemburg built in the Village Elsenar and the City Roschild so called of a Fountaine being the seate of a bishop where the Kings are buried Betweene the Castle Cronembirg in Seland and the Castle Helsenburg in Scandia is the famous straight of the Sea called Der Soundt by which the ships enter into the Baltick Sea and returning from Dantzk and Righa laded with precious commodities pay great tributes to the King of Denmarke both at the entrie and going 〈◊〉 of that Straight 6 Iutland signifying a good land in the German language is the Northerne part of the Cimbrian Chersonesus that is necke of land whence the Cimbri came who made war vpon the Romans And this Iutland with the foresaid Seland are properly called Denmarke the other parts being peculiar Regions at diuers times annexed to that Crowne The chiefe Townes of Iutland are Aleburg Nicopia and Wiburg The rest of the tract of the Cimbrian Chersonesus containes the Dukedome of Holst vulgarly called Holstein which of old was part of Saxony but so as the Danes often forced it to the paying of tribute and at last about the yeere 1465 they fully subdued it Part of this Dukedome lying vpon the Brittan Sea betweene the Brooke Idera and the Riuer Elue is called Ditmarcia all fenny so as by casting downe certaine bankes they may drowne al the Countrie and by this strength the inhabitants keeping their enemies out long preserued a rude or rurall liberty but at last in our time Frederike King of Denmarke vpon aduantage of a great frost in those Fennes suddenly assailed and subdued them ioyning that Country to the said Dukedome of Holst Of which Dukedome the chiefe Townes are Flensburg Slesuick where of old the Dukes held their Court being seated on the Sea towards the East and Gottorp and Meldorp in Ditmarcia vpon the Sea towards the West Vpon the confines of Holst lye the faire Imperiall free Cities Lubeck and Hamburg to the freedome whereof the Dukes of Holst were great and neere enemies challenging the same to bee built in their soyle for which cause the Kings of Denmark possessing that Dukedome are much suspected by these Cities whom they more and more feare as their power more increaseth Some reckon the Ilands Orcades for part of Denmarke and they say that the inhabitants speake the Gothes language but Histories witnesse that howsoeuer of old they belonged to the Danes yet they haue long been subiect to the Kingdome of Scotland Denmarke lying neere the Artick circle must needs be subiect to great cold howsoeuer the mistie aire caused by the frequent Iles doth in some sort mitigate the extremity thereof In regard of the clime it cannot be expected that fruites should grow here which are onely ripened by the heate of the Sunne They haue corne sufficient for their own vse and plenty thereof as of all other commodities is brought to them from Danizk and all other parts by reason of the frequent concourse of Merchants into the Sounat which they inioy at good rates and with much ease The Danes exchange great plenty of dried and salted fishes and of other smal commodities for necessaries to clothe and feede them and being in both these kinds frugal and sparing as the Germans are they also attaine to some small riches by this poore traffick And since they feede for the most part on dried fishes bacon and salt meates and little vse fresh meates as veale and mutton they carry great heards of oxen and calues out of Holst into Netherland Lastly since they haue no other commodities of their owne to transport and Merchants that passe the Baltike Sea of necessity landing at Elsenar bring them all necessaries from forraigne parts and also take of them such commodities as they can spare surely howsoeuer the ships of Denmark are in strength sayling and lasting next to the English yet their Merchants seldome make any other voyages then towards the Northerne Iles to take fish In diet they are much like the Germans and especially the neighbouring Saxons Their dainties are bacon and salt meats but the common people feeds much on diuers kinds of dried fishes which at the first view of them a strangermay wel perceiue by their leane and withered faces and they likewise feede on bread very black heauy and windy I did see no common Innes at Copenhagen Elsenar or Rosehilde but some are there licensed to keepe Tauerns for selling of wine where the common table for that purpose is alwaies ready couered with linnen But passengers must obtaine diet and lodging with some Citizen and in their houses they shal find honest manners moderate diet and cleane beds and sheets To conclude the Danes passe if it be possible their neighbour Saxons in the excesse of their drinking Poland hath the name of Pole in that language signifying a plaine and is a vast kingdome The longitude thereof extends 16 degrees from the Meridian of 38 degrees to that of 54 degrees and the latitude extends 9 degrees from the paralel of 47 degrees to that of 56 degrees It is diuided into the greater and the lesse 1 Of the greater Poland these are the chiefe townes Bosnan seated on the Brooke Barta and Genesua and Ladistauia seated vpon the Riuer Vistula or Wexel 2 The lesser Poland lies towards the South wherein is Craconia vulgarly Crakaw the seat of the Kings The inhabitants come of the Scithians and the manners of the common people at this day little differ from the old Sarmatians This Region is fenny and great part thereof is woody but it so aboundeth with corne and pastures as it supplies all Europe with corne and the neighbour Countries with heards of Cattell It hath no vines but it yeelds plenty of pit-coale and much wax and hony and it no lesse aboundeth with many kinds of the said cattell aswell wilde as tame Other Prouinces are annexed to this Kingdom namely Samogitia Massouia Lithuania Volhinia Russia and Podolia for I omit Borussia though subiect to this Kingdome vnder a free yoke because I formerly said that it is numbred among the Prouinces of Germany the inhabitants being Germans in language and manners and because I haue in that place formerly described the same 3 Samogitia hath no walled Towne but the people liue in Cottages and being rude and of great stature only apply themselues to the plough and feeding of cattle not knowing any vse of mony scarce the seruice of God 4 The Metropolitan City of Massouia is Warsouia vulgarly Warsaw where the Parlaments of the Kingdome are held 5 Lithuania giues
laid aside all care of forraigne matters Then the riches of the Emperours daily decreasing and the riches of inferiour Princes no lesse increasing the Emperours in processe of time for great summes of money sold libertie and absolute power to the Princes and Dukes of Italy and Germany yea their very right of inuesting to the Princes of Italy Most of the Cities in Netherland and all the Cantons of the Sweitzers were of old subiect to the German Emperours till by the dissentions betweene them and the Popes they found meanes to gaine their liberties Of old nintie sixe greater Cities thus made free still acknowledged the Emperour in some sort but after many of them leagued with the Sweitzers and Netherlanders quite forsooke the Emperour many of the rest and many lesse Cities either pawned to Princes for money borrowed or giuen to Princes for their good seruice to the Emperors in their warres became subiect to diuers Princes by the Emperours consent so as at this day there bee onely sixty Cities all seated in Germany which are called Free and Imperiall Cities hauing absolute power within themselues and howsoeuer these in a sort acknowledge the Emperour their chiefe Lord yet they little or not at al feare or respect his weake power Hitherto the Roman Bishops not enduring a superiour Lord first cast the Emperours of the East out of Italy and after by al meanes weakened their power till Mahumet the second Emperour of the Turkes about the yeere 1453 swallowed that Empire within his foule iawes Hitherto the said Bishops that they might reigne alone sometimes bewitched the barbarous Kings which had destroyed the Empire of the West and then reigned in Italy for Religions sake to promote the Church of Rome and at other times oppressed them with open treacheries till they had conferred the Kingdome of Lombardy and the Empire of the West vpon Charles the Great King of France Hitherto the same Bishops for the same causes had troubled the Empire of the West with Ciuill dissentions till at last Italy as I said hauing bought liberty of the Emperours and the said German Emperours containing themselues at home for no Emperour after the said Rodulphus of Habsburg but onely Lodwick the Bauarian did euer leade any Army into Italy they now thought good to rage no more against this deiected Empire but rather to cherrish it conuerting themselues wholly to bring all Christian Kings vnder their yoke And now the Turkish Emperours began to threaten ruine to the German Empire and in very Germany the Popes stage where they had plaied their bloudy parts by continuall raising of ciuill warres the reformation of Religion began freshly to spring and to pull the borrowed plumes of the Popes Therefore the Emperours from that time to this our age haue been wholy busied in resisting the Turkes and composing the domesticall differences of Religion And from the same time forward the Court of Rome was continually distracted with the factions of France and Spaine till the Popes skilfull to vse the ambitious discussions of Princes to their owne profit and greatnesse made them all subiect to the Romane yoke And the Kings on the contrary laboured nothing more then to haue the Pope on their party at whose beck all Christendome was gouerned to which end they gaue large bribes to the Cardinals who had now assumed to themselues the election of the Popes To conclude the Popes to make their owne power transcendent kept the power of the Princes in equal ballance by sowing dissentions among them and fauouring now one now the other party till for scare of the reformed Religion now also springing in France they could no longer keepe this equality but were forced to forsake the Kings of France distracted with ciuill warres and to aduance the Kings of Spaine as protectors of the Church whose Clients at last got the power to gouerne all things in Rome at their pleasure And the Spaniard at this time distracted abroad with the French and English warres and besieged at home with the power of the Iesuites and religious men seemed lesse to bee feared by the Romans in that respect as likewise the Kings of Spaine doubted not to maintaine the awfull authority of the Popes which they knew must alwayes be fauourable to their designes as well for the protection which they gaue to the Roman Church against the reformed Religion as for that the massy gold of Spaine bore so great sway in the Colleage of the Cardinals that by strange successe the Popes lesse inclined to the Spanish faction were soone taken away by vntimely death To omit many other I will onely mention Pope Sixtus Quintus who liued happily in that Chaire so long as he fauoured Spaine but assoone as he was thought to decline from that faction and when he saw a white Mule presented him for the tribute of the Neapolitane Kingdome was said to weepe that so little a Mule should be giuen for so great a Kingdome he liued not long after but suddenly vanished away At Rome are two Images called Pasquin and Marphorius vpon which libels vse to be fixed And of late when the Pope by the mediation of the King of France had made peace with the Venetians contrary to the liking of the King of Spaine a white sheete of paper was fixed on Pasquin and another demanding what that paper ment was fixed on Marphorius and a third paper was fixed on Pasquin answering that the cleane paper was for the Pope to make his last Will and Testament as if he could not liue long hauing offended the Spanish faction Yet in our age the Kings of France after the ciuill warres appeased beganne to recouer their former power in the Roman Court but I leaue these things as somewhat straying from my purpose and returne to the affaires of Germany In the said Family of Austria the Westerne Empire hath growne old and weake by little and little from that time to this our age For howsoeuer the Emperor Charles the fifth of the said Family heire to eight and twenty Kingdomes in respect hee was borne at Gant in Netherland and so reputed a German was chosen Emperour in the yeere 1519 by the Electors reiecting the King of France Francis the first as a stranger and at that time the power of this Emperour seemed fearefull to the Italians at the first blush yet the Pope of Rome in the Triumuirall warre of England France Spaine did with such art support the weaker part and by contrary motions in one and the same cause so fauoured now one now the other side and so dispenced with the breaking of oathes on the part they tooke as while the power of these Kings was weakned by mutuall warres Italy in the meane time receiued small or no damage True it is that Charles the fifth by subtile art and open force had almost subdued Germany distracted by dissentions of religion had almost brought the free Empire into the forme of a subdued
Cities subiect to them least they should thereby be prouoked to make leagues with the free Cities and so make themselues free And this cause alone makes the Princes lesse able to giue strong helpes to the Emperour if they were willing to doe it Againe the free Cities feare the ambition of the neighbouring Princes For as most of the Cities of old subiect to the Emperour or to particular Princes got their freedome in ciuill warres by assisting one of the parties or else by priuiledges granted by fauour or bought for money or else by open force of armes so they thinke it likely that the Princes vpon the change of the state of things will omit no fit occasion to bring them againe into subiection And the said Princes doe not onely feare the said free Cities for combyning with their Subiects but haue also mutuall iealousies among themselues as well for inheritance as for the difference of Religion Lastly all and each of these states feare the power of the Emperour least hee should breake the absolute power they haue in their owne territories or least hee should by force of armes make them more obedient to himselfe or least hee should oppresse them in the cause of Religion either of his owne motion or by the instigation of the Pope Hence it is that hee who dares not make warre vpon the Emperour yet dares denie to helpe him and he that dares not deny helpe yet dares either fayle in performance or by delayes make it vnprofitable Besides that by nature the decrees and counsels of many heads are carried with lesse secrecy and are seldome executed with conuenient speed and that for which many care each one neglects as Piato faith disputing against community Also the Emperours power is many other wayes weakened First that the Germans in the very warre against the Turkes slowly grant or plainely refuse any contributions or subsidies and would little reioyce that the Emperour should haue a great victory against the Turkes partly least hee should turne his Forces vpon the absolute Princes or Cities of Germany partly least the Emperour then being as they openly professed should spend the money contributed in his priuate lusts not in the publike affayres and lastly because the charge of the Warre should be common but the profit of the Conquest should onely be to the aduancement of the House of Austria For which causes the Princes and Cities vsed to denie contributions of money towards the Turkish warres and rather chose to send and maintaine bands of Souldiers in Hungary vnder their owne pay for a set time And these bands were so commonly sent without order or mutuall consent and so slowly as when some of the bands came to the Army other bands hauing serued out the appointed time desired leaue to returne home Thus they seldome met together to attempt any braue enterprise while part of the forces was expected the occasions of good aduentures were lost Secondly the Emperour is more weake because the meetings of Parliaments which they call Dytetaes require the expectance of some moneths besides the delayes of Counsels after the meeting and the contrariecy of opinions which must needes be great in mindes so ill vnited Thirdly because the Germans vnwisely thinke that the tyranny of the Turkes hanging ouer them yet is a lesse and more remoued euill then the iealousie of their priuate estates and feare to be oppressed in the cause of Religion Lastly because the Germans thinke it not equall to be at publike charge to recouer the priuate Cities of the House of Austria from the Turkes These things make the great power of Germany so weake that as the whole body pined away while the hands denied meate to the belly so not onely the Empire to the generall shame of Christians drawes the last breath vnder the Turkish tyranny while the disagreeing and sluggish Christian Princes denie helpe in this case to the House of Austria and oppose the weaker branch of that House to the most powerfull force of the Turkes but also it may iustly be feared lest other Kingdomes and the very name of Christians should be vtterly consumed in this fier daily creeping and increasing vpon vs which God in his mercy forbid Next to the said vassals to the Emperour a King a Palatine a Duke a Marquesse and three Archbishops the seuen Electors of old were instituted foure Dukes of the Empire namely the Dukes of Bauaria of Brunswicke of Sueuia and of Lorayne and foure Langraues and of each degree foure whereof some are at this day extinguished and many other haue since beene created by diuers Emperours In like sort of old were instituted foure Metropolitan Cities of the Empire namely Augsburg called of the Vandals for difference Aquisgranum vulgarly Ach Mentz and Lubecke Bishops sprirituall Princes were of old twenty seuen in number whereof some haue secular Dominions onely by habite distinguished from secular Princes but the Churchmen knowing no meane not content with tithes but scarce leauing that portion to the Laymen haue caused Princes first to make Lawes against inordinate guists to the Church and then by other vanities prouoked them to reforme this aboundance of their riches the impurity of their liues and the falshoods of their Doctrines so as at this day many Bishoprickes are in the hands of secular Princes within their owne Dominions vnder the title of Administrators In this sort to passe ouer the rest the eldest sonne of the Marquesse of Brandeburg was in his Fathers life time called the Administrator of Halla Not onely the Emperour but also many Princes of Germany as well secular as spirituall haue Kingly power in their owne Dominions and these absolute Princes are so many in number as a passenger in each dayes iourney shall obserue one or two changes of Prince Money and Religion Furthermore in free Cities here the Patritian Order there the common people and other where both with mixed power gouerne the City in such absolute freedome as most of the Cities haue regall rights of making peace or warre of coyning Monies and of like priuiledges But the Plebeans among them proue they neuer so rich cannot haue any higher degree and their gouernements are with such equity equality and moderation as no degree is subiect one to the other but all equally to the Law Of these Princes secular and spirituall and of the Deputies for free Cities meeting in Parliaments which they cal Ditetaes is the true Image of the Empire where they deliberate of great affaires and impose contributions from which onely the King of Bohemia is free by priuiledge granted from Charles the fourth Emperour and King of Bohemia as I haue formerly said The forme of the Commonwealth in the Empire is Aristocraticall ouer which the Emperour should bee as head appointing the meetings with the consent of the Princes and causing the Decrees to be put in execution But at this day the name of the Emperour is become a
meere title and his authoritie hath no sinews so as he can neither call them if they thinke not good to come nor decree any thing if they be vnwilling nor compell those that are refractory And the very Princes are not constant to their owne iudgement if you respect the iminent dangers from the Turks nor actiue in their owne motions concerning the publike cause but are diuersly distracted betweene feare to increase the suspected power of the Emperour by helping him or to stirre vp Ciuill warres to the ruine of the dis-vnited State by making open opposition to his authority In the meane time nothing is more frequent with them then boldly to refuse either appearance in the Emperours Court or obedience to any other of his commandements that are vnpleasing to them And giue me leaue to say that my selfe there obserued that a great Prince of Germany for good respect namelesse to whom the Emperour had ingaged certaine Cities for money borrowed of him when the Emperour lending the money by Ambassadors desired restitution of the townes not onely refused to restore the same but could not bee induced to appeare at Prage by his Substitute to compound this difference and it seemed more strange to mee that diuers other Ambassadours comming to the City the same time had all audience before those from the Emperour who staid long before they were admitted to speak with the said Prince The declining generositie of the Princes of Austria and the fearefull danger hanging ouer them from the Turkes nourish this confidence in the Princes of Germany and indeede the Turkish warre doth so imploy or rather bind the hands of the Princes of Austria as were they neuer so valiant yet they should be forced rather to suffer any thing from these Christian Princes then by opposing them to be deuoured by Infidels Neither can the priuate calamity of Germany and the publike misery of all Christians in this point be sufficiently bewailed I say the priuate calamitic of Germany because the members being most strong if they were vnited yet are without sinews thus disioyned and haue no common force though in each part they be strong I say the publike calamity of Christians because howsoeuer the priuate Princes of Germany be of great power yet the whole body of the Empire being weake the daily victories of the Turkes threaten destruction not onely to Germany but to the name of Christians The Dukes of Florence of Sauoy and of Mantua and all the Princes of Italy whom the Pope hath not drawne to be his vassals the Dukes of Lorayne of Burgundy with diuers Dukes and Earles of Netherland after a sort acknowledge the safe and farre remoued patronage of the Emperour but they neither come to the Parlaments about the affaires of the Empire as not pertaining to them nor contribute any money to vphold the dignitie thereof except perhaps sometimes in the common cause of the Turkish warre they lend the Emperour some mony which no doubt all other Christian Princes would no lesse doe who haue no bond of subiection The King of Denmark by a double bond of his Kingdome and of the Dukedome of Holst the King of Swetia the Cantons of the Sweitzers and the Grisons inhabiting the Snowy Alpes were of old members of the Empire but in time these Feathers pluckt from the Eagle haue growne into new bodies and at this day do not at all acknowledge the Emperour In Germany the Tolles and Taxes are frequent as the number of absolute Princes is great who impose them in their seuerall Territories vpon all passengers and kinds of Merchandize or very small packs Schollers of Vniuersities onely excepted who passe free for their persons and goods But aboue all other Princes the Elector of Saxony as shall bee shewed in his due place seemes best to haue learned the art of shearing his subiects so as he not onely imitates but is equall in this point to the Princes of Italy Boterus relates that the Emperour of his owne hereditary dominions hath the yeerely rent of two thousand fiue hundred thousand Crownes and besides exacts fiue hundred thousand Crownes ordinarily and as much more by extraordinary means Men of good credit haue affirmed to me that the Prouince of Silesia alone subiect to the Emperor as King of Bohemia yeelds him each quarter of the yeare 60000 gold Guldens or Crownes by which may bee coniectured what hee receiues of his other large Dominions Yet Silesia yeelds more then any one of the rest in respect that of the twelue Dukedoms therein contained eight are fallen to the Emperour for want of heires-maies The Bishop of Silesia is called the Golden Bishop and the same Prouince hath thirty Abbies being most rich in that and all other respects At Prage subiect to the Emperour as King of Bohemia I obserued that euery house paid him yeerely three Dollers but this burthen equally imposed on thatched houses and stately Pallaces seeming vnequally shared the Citizens agreed among themselues of a more equall diuision thereof so as I remember that my Hosts house purchased for three hundred Dollers paid yeerely to the Emperor nine Dollers besides other charges of maintaining poore Scholers of Watches and the like imposed vpon each Master of a Family in each seuerall parish for which he also paid two Dollers yeerely In the Dominions of the Emperour the Brewers of Beere for each brewing paid six dollers to the Emperour which tribute in one City of Prage was said to passe fiue hundred Dollers weekely Also the Emperour exacted of his subiects for each Tun of Wine drawne a Doller and tenne Grosh for each bushell of Corne bought in the Market not the priuate Corne of their owne spent in their houses one siluer Grosh These and like tributes were at first granted for certaine yeares by consent of the three Estates but Princes know well to impose exactions and know not how to depose them The Emperour giues a City to the Iewes for their dwelling at Prage who are admitted in no City of Germany excepting onely at Franckfort where they haue assigned to them a Streete for their dwelling of which Iewes vpon all occasions hee borrowes money and many waies sheares those bloud-suckers of Christians The Germans impose great taxes vpon all forraigne commodities brought into their Hauens and not onely vpon mens persons and vpon commodities laded on beasts to bee distracted from City to City but euen vpon small burthens to be carried on a mans shoulder as they passe through their Forts or Cities which they vse to build vpon their confines to that purpose and onely Scholers of Vniuersities are free from these frequent exactions for their bodies and goods Touching the reuenews of the Empire it selfe Boterus relates that it receiues yeerely seuen thousand thousand Crownes or gold Guldens and this reuenew is of small moment for such great affaires if hee containe all the Princes of Germany vnder this taxation since otherwise a communication of treasure cannot bee expected
those of Friburg those of Scheneberg those of Anneberg and those of the valey of Ioachim of al which I haue written at large in the Geographicall description And no doubt this Elector is potent in treasure so as how soeuer he be inferiour in dignity to the Elector Palatine yet he is most powerfull of all the Electors Among the walled Cities subiect to him not to speake of the Townes Castles and pleasant Villages Leipzig is next to Dresden to which it onely yeelds for the fortifications and the Electors Court Leipzig giues the Law to the vpper Territorie as Wittenburg doth to the lower and both are adorned by being Vniuersities but at Leipzig the Scabines sit Iudges of great Authoritie for the Law of Saxony being in number seuen namely three Senators of the City and foure Doctors of the Ciuill Law But Wittenberg hath not the right of the Sword to execute malefactors which the Elector Augustus they say translated to Leipzig because the Iudges obstinately denied him power to pardon malefactors or to moderate the Law So as when any man is capitally accused at Wittenberg the cause is first referred to the Scabines at Leipzig who finding him guilty giue power to the Senators of Wittenberg to pronounce sentence and doe execution Wittenberg is no faire City but a famous Vniuersitie and at this time had a great many of Students and it is not subiect to the Duke as inheritance from his progenitors but as he is Elector for to the Electorship it properly belongeth Besides the great tributes it pales for Beare it also yeelds yeerely to the Duke 1500 gold Guldens for the Bridge built ouer the Elue Here as in all other places Lime and Brick are sold in the Dukes name and to his vse As well Leipzig as Wittenberg in difficult cases aske counsell for the Ciuill Law of their owne and if need be of forraigne Vniuersities where the Doctors of the Ciuill Law in the name of the Faculty write downe their iudgement in the case propounded These Doctors are also Aduocates whereof there were twenty two at this time at Leipzig and because this profession is much esteemed the Germans willingly apply themselues to the study thereof The Count Palatine of the Rheine by old institution is cheefe among the temporall Electors and is of the same Family of which the Dukes of Bauaria descend The Pedegree of them both is deriued from the Emperour Charles the Great Otho the elder brother Palatine of Wirtelbach vpon the proscription of the Duke of Bauaria had that Dukedome conferred on him in fee by the Emperour in the yeere 1180. From his younger brother descend the Counts of Salmes now liuing But from the said Otho the elder brother are descended both the Palatines Electors and the Dukes of Bauaria now liuing Lodwicke Duke of Bauaria who died in the yeere 1231 receiued the Palatinate of the Rheine in fee from the Emperour Fredericke the second Otho the fourth succeeded him in the Dukedome of Bauaria and the Palatinate of the Rheine and was the first Elector of this Family who died in the yeere 1253. His sonne Lodwicke the seuere Elector Pallatine and Duke of Bauaria made Rodolphus of Habsburg Emperour who was the first Emperour of the House of Austria He married this Emperours Daughter died in the yeere 1294 leauing two sonnes who diuided the inheritance as followeth From this Rodulphus discend the Counts Palatines and Electors Rodulphus the elder Brother was Count Palatine of the Rheine Elector who died 1319. Rupert Palatine of the Rheine Elector founded the Vniuersitie in Heidelberg in the yeere 1346. Rupert Elector and Emperour died in the yeere 1410. Lodwick Count Palatine and Elector The Elector Frederike the second discending from him freed Vienna from the siege of the Turkes and died 1556. Otho Henrich his Nephew died 1559 without heires males and so the Electorship fell to the Duke of Zweybruck Stephen Duke of Zweybruck Frederike Palatine Iohn the first Iohn the second Frederike the third succeeded Otho Henrich in the Electorship and died 1576. Lodwick the fourth Elector Palatine married the daughter of the Langraue of Hessen and died 1583. Frederike the fourth Elector then Pupill to Iohn Casimire his Vncle. The first house of the Palatines and Electors in two branches Christian his sole Sister Iohn Casunire was Tutor to his Nephew and Elector in his nonage and married Elizabeth sister to Christian Duke of Saxony and died 1592. Dorethea his sole Daughter Elizabeth married to Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxony called of Coburg Susan Dorothy married to Iohn William Duke of Saxonie called of Wineberg Anna Maria maried to Phillip the 2 Langraue of Hessen Kunigunde Iacobe married to the Count of Nassawe Richard D. of Hunneseruck liuing when I wrote this The 2 brach of the first house Lodwick the blacke Alexander Lodwick Wolfgang D. of Sweybruck maried the Daughter to the Langraue of Hessen and died in the French warres 1569. Phillip Lodwick married the daughter to the Duke of Iulice Of three Daughters one married to Frederike William Duke of Saxony Wolfgang borne 1578. Augustus borne 1582. Iohn Frederike borne 1587. Iohn married to another Daughter of the Duke of Iulce Two Sonnes and two Daughters The second House of the Countes Palatines in foure branches then liuing the last branches being multiplied from Phillip Lodwick being then children Frederike married the Daughter of the Duke of Lignic Two Twins borne 1591. Otho Henrich married the Daughter to the Duke of Wirterberg He had both sons and daughters Eight Sisters partly dead partly liuing then Rupert Of Rupert is George borne of the Daughter to Gustanus King of Swetia who then was liuing He had 3 sonnes and diuers daughters A fifth branch of the second house of the Countes Palatines Thus of Rodulphus the eldest sonne to Lodwick the Seuere descend two houses in many branches of the Countes Palatines whereof the chiefe and first hath the Electorship And of Lodwick the Emperour the second sonne to Lodwick the Seuere descend the Dukes of Bauaria as followeth Lodwick the yonger Brother was D. of Bauaria and was made Emperor who died 1347. The Dukes of Bauaria Lodwick the Emperour had two sonnes Stephen Duke of Bauaria who died 1392. Frederike Duke of Bauaria died 1404. George the rich founded the Vniuersitie of Ingolstat and built the Colledge of Saint George and died 1503. Elizabeth his Daughter was maried to Rupert Count Palatine and to Rupert George by his last Will gaue the Dukedome of Bauaria but the Emperour Maximiuan would not confirme this gift as iniurious to the next heire in this pedegree whence rose the warre of Bauaria Iohn of Monach Duke of Bauaria died 1397. Albert the third refused to be chosen King of Bohemia and died 1460. Albert the fourth brought the Channons of 2 Monasteries to Monach and that of his owne authoritie for which he hardly escaped the proscription of the Empire and to him the Emperour adiudged the
Hamburg were wont to haue it in like sort for sixe yeeres and so by turnes they were wont to enioy it Lubecke of old had a Duke till it was subiected to the Empire by the Emperour Fredericke the first after whose death it became subiect to their Duke againe and after fiue yeeres became subiect to the Danes but by the helpe of Fredericke the second it freed it selfe from the Danes in the yeere 1226 and after by fauour of the Emperours obtained freedome and absolute power Both Lubecke and Hamburg are said of old to haue acknowledged the Kings of Denmarke but at last expelling the Kings Proctors they became free and submitted themselues to the defence of the Empire For which cause to this day they warily obserue the actions of the Kings of Denmarke and liue in feare and suspition of their attempts and howsoeuer they haue freedome and absolute power yet they are carefull to haue the fauour of the Kings of Denmarke because they haue power to hinder their trafficke in the Baltike Sea yet sometimes leagued with the neighbour cities which in the common cause of freedome are easily drawne to giue mutuall aide they haue made warres against the Kings of Denmarke with good successe Lubecke is commended for iust gouernment not to speake of their hospitality very faire and vniforme buildings and the very pleasant seate of the Towne It is gouerned by the ciuill Law and by statutes made by the Senate as also some made by the consent of the confederate cities No appeale to Vniuersities or to the Chamber of the Empire is admitted except the cause be aboue the value of fiue hundred dollers They lately made sumptuary Lawes restraining the number of guests and dishes in Feasts with penalties according to the excesse The Citizens yeerely chuse twenty new Senators and this 〈◊〉 chuseth of their number foure Consuls with a Iudge skilfull in the ciuill Lawes These Magistrates define all ciuill and criminal causes the whole Senate first examining them and iudgements are giuen by common consent with the doores shut but when any capitall iudgement is to be executed at the day appointed to the Malefactor and the very houre he is to die the hangman pronounceth the sentence in the market place The consuls take the highest place by turnes one in the morning the other in the afternoone at which times they also by turnes heare Ambassadours and receiue complaints Many Offices are deuided among the Senators two gather the rents others haue care of the wines which are sold in a publike house to publike vse no priuate man being allowed to make that gaine others ouersee the buildings that they be vniforme and strongly built and free from danger of fier and likewise the fortifications of the City Foure Serieants attired in red gownes attend the Senate and summon men to appeare besides twelue inferiour Serieants and they neither carry Sword nor any Mace before the Magistrates but follow them in the streetes like Seruants They doe not imprison any debtor or light offender but onely summon such to appeare before the Magistrate and declare to them the fines imposed for not appearing but they apprehend capitall offenders and preuent their escape by flight It is not lawfull for a creditor to put his debtor in prison but after a set time and with cautions prescribed in the Law of Saxony wherein notwithstanding they of Lubecke so fauour strangers as they onely haue right in this kind with expedition and haue a proper tribunall or seate of iudgement for themselues onely yet herein they seeme not fauourable to strangers in that they permit them not to dwell in the City otherwise they doe as the common vse is to keepe all commodities in the hands of Citizens not to be sold to strangers but by a Citizen especially since without the helpe of strangers they haue their owne ships to bring in and carry out all commodities Hamburg is in like sort gouerned but I cannot so much commend them for hospitality being rude to all strangers and malicious to Englishmen aboue others for no other cause then for that our Merchants leauing that City seated themselues at Stoade so as it was not safe for any stranger much lesse for an Englishman to walke abroade after dinner when the common people are generally heated with drinke And the very Iustice was herein commonly taxed not that they punished whoredom which no good man will disallow but that they permitted whores in great multitudes and yet fauoured the knauery of the Sergeants who combining with the whores intrapped men in their houses so as not onely the whores Sergeants made profit thereby but the very Magistrates were iustly suspected to approue this course for their owne gaine Brunswick an Imperiall City worthily to be numbred among the cheefe so called as the Village of Bruno is not farre distant from Hamburg and seated in the center of Saxony was of old as they say the Metropolitan City therof It consists of fiue Cities gathered into one wherof each hath his seuerall priuiledges and they are thus seated Alstatt is the part on the West side Newstatt on the North side Imsacke the part towards the East Imhagen Altweg built first of all the rest are the part towards the South And howsoeuer all these haue each their seueral Senators and priuiledges yet all of them iointly making the city of Brunswick liue vnder one common Law and gouernmēt the Senators of each by yerely courses gouerning the whole body of that common-wealth For howsoeuer tenn Consuls be yeerly chosen two of each City yet to the two Consuls of that City which by course is to gouern for the yeere the other eight as inferiour and much more all the Senators of the fiue Cities yeelde for the time great reuerence in the Senate and all meetings and great obedience in all things commanded One Senate house is common to all the fiue Cities yet each of them hath also a priuate Senate-house The forme of the publike gouernement is Democraticall or popular They liue in such feare of the Duke of Brunswick left he should take away their liberty as they haue not onely fortified the Towne very strongly against assaults or sieges but also willingly imploy their Citizens in forraigne warres as hired souldiers insomuch as no man is made free who hath not first serued one or two yeeres in the warres The Dukes of Brunswick of Luneburg deriue their pedegree from one root namely from the old family of the Dukes of Bauaria for Henrie called the Lion D. of Bauaria who was Duke and Elector of Saxony also commanding a most ample Territory being proscribed by the Emperour and for a time liuing as a banished man in England the Dukedome of Bauaria was by the Emperour giuen in Fee to the Palatines of the Rheine and so passed to a new Family This Henrie the Lion died in Brunswick about the yeere 1195. His eldest sonne Otho the fourth being
seene but in particular were the chiefe yea sole causes of rending this strong member from the body of the Empire Sweitzerland about that time abounded with noble Families and them the Gouernours fauoured to increase their owne power whereupon they oppressed the common people and prouoked their extreame hatred so as they were forced to combine themselues in mutuall league against this oppression yet the common people had neuer dared to oppose themselues to the Gentry if the Empire had enioied peace But when the Bishops of Rome often cast out their spirituall thunderbolts I meane excommunications against the Emperours and aswell absolued all subiects from the Oath of Allegiance as heartried ambitious Traitors to be competitors against the Emperours yea stirred vp their Kinsman and their very Children to make ciuill warre with them in this confused Anarchy a Patron was not wanting to the most wicked person to defend him so he would follow his party Hence it came that when the Emperour Fredericke the second in the yeere 1240 receiued the common people of Sweitzerland into his protection against the Gentlemen they likewise as the Clients of Monasteries followed the Popes party whereupon the people of Zurech the Vrij and Suitij of whom the whole Nation is called Sweitzers being three Communities first in the yeere 1251 made a league for three yeeres against the Gentlemen lying in waite to intrap them and after by little and little they made more firme and perpetuall leagues for defence of absolute liberty and seruing diuers Emperours in the Parall tumults from time to time obtained great priuiledges Then they drew other Communities and neighbour Cities to be partners of their leagues Finally after they had rooted out the Families of Gentlemen and had by conspiracy castout the Gouernours of the Arch-Dukes of Austria to who in the Lordship of Sweitzerland was fallen they in processe of time attained this absolute State which we see them enioy at this day For the foresaid strife continuing betweene the Emperours and the Popes and Lodwick of Bauaria contending for the Empire with Fredericke of the House of Austria the Sweitzers tooke part with Lodwicke who expresly ratified the freedome or liberty of then Common-wealth And that consists of three parts the communities vulgarly called Cantons the fellowes or confederates and the stipendary Cities or gouernements to which Semler addeth the forraigue leagues for a fourth part The communities are vulgarly called Orts and by the Italians Cantons of the Sweitzers as we will hereafter call them and they are thirteene in number Among these Cantons the Vrij comming from the Taurisci the Suitij comming from the Cimbri the Vnderualdij of the race of banished Romans about the yeere 1308 made a mutual league for ten yeeres and hauing ouercome in battell Leopold Arch-Duke of Austria in the yeere 1315 made this league perpetuall Lucerna the fourth Canton being much wronged while it was vnder the Patronage of the House of Austria to auoide tyranny in that confusion of the Empire did in the yeere 1332 ioine it selfe in perpetuall league Zurech a free City of the Empire was in like sort receiued for the 5 Cantō When these cantons made war vpon Glarona to haue the possession of a country most commodious for the cōmon good all the people so hated the Gouernors appointed by the House of Austria and so desired freedome as they yeelded vp themselues to the Cantons and so Glarona the foresaid yeere became the sixth Canton Likewise when the Canton Zurech made warre vpon Zug a Towne possessed by gentlemen subiect to the House of Austria whence they were much annoied the Citizens being forsaken by the Gentlemen yeelded themselues and being receiued into the league became the seuenth Canton 〈◊〉 a free city of the Empire and vnder the power of the Gouernours hauing found the faithfull loue of the Cantons in the said confusion of the Empire did in the yeer 1352 make a perpetuall league with the three first named Cantons wherein notwithstanding Zurech and Lucerna are contained the three Cantons being bound to those two for the succour of Bern and being bound to Bern for the succour of the two Cantons and so Bern became the eight Canton The Towne Friburg subiect to the House of Austria being many waies oppressed in the said confusion of the Empire made league with Bern and when the House of Austria vpon pretence to visit them did for that cause spoile them of their goods they in the yeere 1481 after the end of the Burgundian warre became the ninth Canton Solothara a free City of the Empire had made a perpetuall league with Berne in the yeere 1351 and after in the yeere 1481 was receiued for the tenth Canton Bizila free City of the Empire had in the yeare 1327 made a perpetuall league with the 3 first Cantons after prouoked by many iniuries of the house of Austria did in the yeare 1501 make a perpetuall league with all the Cantons and so was receiued for the Eleuenth Canton 〈◊〉 an Imperiall city first sold or ingaged to the house of Austria and againe vnited to the Empire when the Duke of Austria was proscribed in the Councel of Costnetz because the Emperor Frederick the third in the yeare 1454 exacted an oath of the citizens as Duke of Austria not as Emperor they first made a league for certaine yeares with six Cantons and after at the end of the Suenian warr made a perpetuall league in the yeare 1501 with all the Cantons and so becam the twelfth Canton Abbatiscella vulgarly called Apinzill containing eight Villages after it had obtained freedome from the Abbot of Saint Gallus by Armes and mony had warr with the house of Austria about the yeare 1408 at which time it made a league with the Cantons and after prouoked by the iniuries of the said Abbot in the yeare 1452 it made a perpetuall league with the seauen first Cantons and at last in the yeare 1513 became the thirteenth Canton Among the fellowes in league first the Abbot of Saint Gallus in the yeare 1451 obtained to be made a cityzen of the foure Cantons zurech Lucerna Suitia and Glarona which right all the Abbots renewe and promise that all their possessions shall lie open to the said Cantons and that in controuersies they will rest in the iudgement of the cantons and by another agreement each of these Cantons appoint a captain to be Assessor to the Abbot in iudgment and the cantons haue halfe of all mulcts or fines imposed and the subiects of the Abbot are bound to serue them in warr And howsoeuer some of the cantons at this day are of the reformed religiō yet they send a captaine according to the couenant and defend all the rights of the Monastery In the second place is the towne of Saint Gallus which hauing bought freedome from all rights of the Abbot and of the Empire made a perpectuall league with six Cantons Zurech Bern Lucerna Suitia
must haue full knowledge of the Lawes Customes Priuiledges and all secrets of the Common-wealth Zurech hath two publike Courts of Iudgement or Iustice one of eight Iudges chosen out of the lesser Counsell or Senate who determine Ciuill causes Debts and the like and from them there is no appeale but themselues referre the most difficult matters to the Senate The other determines the causes of the Reuenue Basil hath two Courts of Iustice in the great Towne and a third in the lesser Towne The greater Court consists of ten Iudges who are partly taken out of the Senate partly out of the people and they determine Ciuill and Criminall causes but the Burgomaster or Maior is President for Ciuill causes and the Aduocate of the Empire for Criminall and three men called the Capitall Triumuiri of Senators degree pleade and proue inditements against malefactors But at Zurech and Schafhusen the new Senate iudgeth capitall causes yet the Consull or Burgomaster is not then President as at other times but the Aduocate of the Empire whom the Senate by speciall priuiledge chuseth yeerely out of their owne body And at Basil capitall Iudgements are giuen in a publike place but at Zurech in a close priuate Court with the doores shut and at Schafhusen the accusation and defence are made in open Court but all are excluded when the Senate giues iudgement The lesser Court of the great Towne at Basil doth onely determine small controuersies not exceeding the value of ten pounds The Court of Iustice in the lesser Towne of Basill hath his owne Burgomaster or Consull and determines all causes except criminall At Schafbusen the Cities Court of Iustice determines of debts contracts and the like but if the summe of the controuersie exceed the value of one hundred gold Guldens the Senate iudgoeth it And this Cities Court hath twenty Assessors namely one of each Tribe and eight other chosen by the Senate It hath another Court of Iustice for the Mulcts or Fines consisting of twelue men and the Aduocate of the Empire is President thereof and this Court imposeth Fines and iudgeth the criminall causes of lesse weight as small iniuries and vulgar reproches for the Senate determines of the greater Touching the Magistrates and Officers of these Cities the Consuls called Burgomasters are of chiefe dignity then the Tribunes then diuers Treasurers and Officers about the Reuenues and Tributes The next degree is of those Officers who haue the care of publike buildings and workes then those who haue the care of victuals as those who looke to the weight and goodnesse of bread and those who ouersee the shambles that no vnsound meate be sold and that all things be sold at a moderate price which they set downe and appoint how flesh shall be sold by the pound In like sort the ouerseers of the fish market and salted meates and butter and cheese Likewise the Officers who protect Orphanes and widowes who dispence publike aimes gouerning those houses and who ouersee weights and measures and the publike Schooles Some of the prefectures or gouernements belonging to the Cities are gouerned by the Senate of the City so as the Gouernours remaine Senators in the City and onely at-set daies goe to the Villages for administration of Iustice but the Senate onely iudgeth of capitall causes but to those Gouernements which be larger and farther distant they send Gouernours who iudge not onely ciuill but most capitall causes In priuiledges customes and peculiar Courts of Iudgement where the prefectures haue power to chuse Iudges among themselues the Gouernours alter nothing therein but onely sit as Presidents in their iudgements these their rights alwaies preserued Thus among other the City of Zurech hath two pleasant saire Townes subiect to it which are ruled by the Lawes of Zurech but haue their owne Magistrates and serue Zurech in warre but vnder their owne colours And this shall suffice touching the Common-wealths generall and particular of the Cantons Among the fellowes in league are the Abbot and Towne of Saint Gallus The Abbot is numbered among the Princes of the Empire but his power is much diminished in these daies yet he sets Gouernours ouer many places and his Ammans doe Iustice in his name Also he hath instituted an high Court of Iustice to which appeales are made from the lesser Courts and besides he hath Officers of all kinds after the manner of Princes The Towne as likewise that of Mulhuse and Roteuil is numbered among the Cities of the Empire and it as the other two hath the forme of a Common wealth formerly described sauing that this Towne of Saint Gallus hath some peculiar things It hath sixe Tribes whereof one is of Gentlemen It hath two Senates the greater and the lesser in which lesser Senate are foure and twenty Senators namely three Consuls nine Senators and twelue Masters of the Tribes for each Tribe hath three Masters chosen by the Tribes and confirmed by the lesser Counsell or Senate and one of them yeerely by course gouernes each Tribe being sixe in number the other two are of the Senate and make twelue And twice euery yeere is the choice made of the Senate and Magistrates The first of the three Consuls exerciseth that Office for the present yeere the second did exercise it the yeere besore and the third is Iudge of capitall crimes And the Consull is yeerely chosen by the whole assembly of the people The greater Senate consists of sixty sixe men This Towne hath also an inferiour Consull or as I may say a Deputy Consull The lesser Senate iudgeth ciuill causes The greater meeteth fiue times in the yeere and iudgeth of appeales and of taking new inhabitants and the like and extraordinarily it is called oftner as for iudging capital causes at which time the Aduocate of the Empire whō I said to be the third consul is President of the counsel The whole people is called together thrice in the yeere first when the Consuls are chosen 2. when oath is giuen to the newe Consul thirdly when the Ordination of Tributes is read before the people the Lawes deuided into three Parts are read before the pepole at these three meetings The first Court of Iustice is of fiue men which iudgeth of debts of wages or hires of victuals of iniuries and fines without appeale The court of Iustice for the City is of twelue men changed twice each yeere from it apeale is admitted to the lesser Senate so the cause be aboue the value of fiue pounds but if he that appeales lose the cause he paies a fine to the Iudges The common people of the towne and country liues by making woollen cloth whereupon strict Lawes are made for the same that the web vndressed be viewed by three skillfull men and be marked according to the goodnes and if it be faulty be rent in the middest through the breadth or be burnt where any great fault is found and that publikely besides a fine imposed vpon
the weauer After sworne men measure and marke the cloth besides other officers who curiously and particularly view each cloth I said before in the History of this towne that it made warre vpon the Abbot when he sought to remoue from it to another towne more absolutely in his power not only the gainefull trade of clothworking but also the holy reliques whereby in those daies great gaine came to them Among the Rhetians or Grisons each conuent or meeting or community hath his Amman and chiefe Magistrates yeerely chosen and a generall Gouernor of the whole leage called Landtrichter that is Iustice of the land yeerly chosen at the publike meeting They haue many conuents or meetings but only three leagues The head of the second league called the house of God is the City of Chur which hath a Cathedrall Church and the common-wealth thereof is not vnlike that of Zurech The three leagues haue but one common-wealth for howsoeuer most places haue their owne Magistrates and Lawes or rather customes and Courts of Iustice aswell for Ciuill as criminall causes yet the chiefe power is in the common or publike Senate of the three leagues consisting of the Burgesses of the seuerall conuents not vnlike the generall Senate of the Sweitzers and the meeting of all the people is seldome called But they haue another Counsell or Senate of the chief men namely the Prouinciall Iudge of the vpper league the Consull of Chur for the league of the house of God the Amman of the third league of the ten Iurisdictions with other chosen men ioined to them but this Counsell hath not full power for the acts thereof are referred to the communities of the leagues that stands in force which the greater part of them doth confirme and the iudgments of such causes as are referred to the seuerall communities are registred in a written booke They determine controuersies and giue Iudgements as the Sweitzers doe Among their Statutes it is decreed by common consent that the Bishop of Chur or any Ecclesiasticall person shall not appoint any Ciuill Magistrates but that they shall be chosen by the voices of the people The three leagues haue their prefectures or gouernments vnder them the gouernor of their Italian prefectures as of those vnder the Sweitzers is vulgarly called Il Podesta from whom the subiects may appeale The three leagues by course appoint these Gouernors for two yeeres and the conuentes or communities by course in their owne league name the said Gouernors for two yeeres Touching the Valesians The conuents of vpper Valesia are seuen and of the lower are six The Bishop of Sedune is the Prince of the Country or region who is named the Earle and Gouernor of the same and he is chosen by the Cannons of the Church at Sedune and by the Burgesses sent from the seuen conuents of vpper Valesia The Captaine of the Country is next to the Bishop and is chosen by the Bishop and the said Burgesses for two yeeres and confirmed by the publke consent of the seuerall conuents and to him all Ciuill causes are referred Each conuent hath a chiefe Magistrate or Maior or Castellan who with the Senate of that counent iudgeth Ciuill and capitall causes and vnder him is the Amman whichis the highest officer in the Cautons dwelling in villages Appeales are admitted from all the seuerall conuents to the publike Senate of Valesia consisting of Burgesses chosen by the conuents and this Senate meetes at Sedune twise euery yere and the Bish op sits in that Counsell and the Baly takes the Voyces By this Senate the Common-wealth is gouerned the gouernours and publike Officers are chosen and it is called the highest Court from which there is no appeale The Lords of Chiurone of old were of great authority and are the Marshalls of the Bishopricke of Sedune Vicounts of Sedune and Seneschalls or Stewards of Valesia The Valesians haue a peculiar Statute to represse the violence of mighty men The Common wealth is gouerned by the Bishop and the seuen Conuents of vpper Valesia whom lower Valesia obeyeth being distributed into sixe prefectures or gouernments and three other prefectures out of Valesia taken or subdued in the Sauoian warre are also subiect to them The Towne of Bipenne hauing league with the three Cantons for ciuill causes acknowledgeth the Bishop of Basil and for Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is vnder the Bishop of Losanna but hath cast of the yoke of the Papacy and obtained immunitie from the Bishop of Losanna when that Bishoprick and Citie were taken and made subiect to the Canton of Bern. The Bishop of Basil appoints the Maior out of the Senate of the Towne and the Maior taketh an oath from the Citizens and they likewise an oath from him and he with the Senate iudgeth criminall causes and is President for capitall Iudgements The Bishop hath halfe of all fines aboue three pound and certaine tythes with some other reuenewes but the Customes Impositions and Tributes belong to the Citie The Citizens serue the Bishop of Basil in warre but no further from the Towne then they may returne home the same day but if he will vse them further he must hire them with pay The same priuiledges were granted to this Towne by the Bishop in the yeere 1382 which he granted to the lesser Towne of Basil. The publike Senates as well the greater as the lesser are yeerely chosen by all the Citizens and the Master of the Citizens or Burgomaster is next in authority to the Maior and is chosen by both the Senats and when they consult of the Common-wealth the Maior and the Officers of the Bishop goe out of the Counsell The Consull Tribunes Iudges and other Officers are chosen by both the Senates onely the Ensigne is chosen by all the people and he with the Consull hath the care of Pupils This Towne hath some subiects and their Conuents without any Gouernour exercise Iudgements but the greatest matters are referred to the Senate of the Towne The Stipendiary Townes or Cities of the Cantons haue two Counsels or Senates and he that is President of the publike Counsell is called Schuldthess as set ouer debts and at Baden he is chosen by both the Senates Also they haue their Officers their Exchequers and Tributes belongiug to each City but at Baden the customes at the gate belong to the Towne but the impositions vpon Merchandise belong to the Cantons to which the Towne is subiect Lastly they haue Iurisdiction in Ciuill criminall and capitall causes Among them the Towne of Frawenfeld redeemed it selfe from the seruitude of the Monastery of Augia for no small part of the Citizens were Ecclesiasticall slaues to that Monastery At this day it giues an oath to the Lord of Augia the priuiledges alwaies preserued and that Monastery is incorporated to the Bishoprick of Constantia vulgarly called Costnetz The City Iudges haue also power to iudge and punish capitally Touching the prefectures or gouernementes vnder the
at Hage yet so as they doe not take vpon them to determine difficult matters without some diffidence till they haue the consent of their particular Cities and Prouinces except they be made confident by the concurring of eminent men who can draw or leade the people to approue of their doings or in such cases as by long practice they fully know not vnpleasing to the people So wary are they notwithstanding the Prouinciall States from their Communities and the generall States at Hage from them haue most ample power and absolute commission in expresse words to doe any thing they iudge profitable for the Commonwealth And it is a remarkeable thing to obserue their Art when in difficult cases they desire to protract time or delude Agents how the generall States answere that they must first consult with the prouinciall States and they againe answere that they must first know the pleasure of their Communities before they can determine and each of them hath nothing more in his mouth then the consent of his superiours for so they call them Whereas if businesse were so to be dispatched no doubt great difficulty would arise in all particular actions In the Senate of the generall States besides the States themselues Count Maurice hath as I thinke a double voice yet I neuer obserued him to be present at their assemblies The Ambassadour of England hath likewise his voice and Count Solms as I heard because he married the widdow of Count Egmond and for his good deserts in the seruice of the vnited Prouinces hath for himselfe and his heires the like priuiledge Thus the Commonwealth in generall is Aristocraticall that is of the best Men saue that the people chuseth the great Senate which rules all Touching the Commonwealths of particular Cities Amsterdam is the chiefe City of Holland where the great Senate consists of thirty sixe chiefe Citizens whereof one dying another is chosen into his place and this Senate yeerely chuseth foure Consuls who iudge ciuill causes and haue power to appoint ten Iudges of criminall causes vulgarly called Skout though they be not of that Senate The other Cities are in like sort gouerned but according to the greatnesse of the City or Towne they haue greater or lesser number of Senators The Tributes Taxes and Customes of all kinds imposed by mutuall consent so great is the loue of liberty or freedome are very burthensome and they willingly beare them though for much lesse exactions imposed by the King of Spaine as they hold contrary to right and without consent of his Subiects they had the boldnesse to make warre against a Prince of such great power Yet in respect of the vnequal proportioning of all contributions they are somewhat at ods among themselues many times iarre so as it seemed no difficult thing to breake their concord had not the common Enemy the eminent danger of Spanish reuenge together with the sweetnesse of freedome once tasted forced them to constant vnity This I dare say that when they humbly offered themselues vassals to the Queene of England in the first infancy of their Common-wealth if her Maiesty or any other Prince whosoeuer vndertaking their protection had burthened them with halfe the exactions they now beare it is more then probable that they would thereby haue beene so exasperated as they would haue beene more ready to haue returned vnder the obedience of the King of Spaine whose anger they had highly prouoked then to endure the yoke of such a Protector For each Tunne of Beere which they largely swallow they pay into the Exchequer sixe Flemmish shillings each shilling being sixe stiuers I meane of Beere sold abroad for they pay onely foure shillings for such Beere as men brew for the vse of their priuate families which frugality few or none vse except perhaps some brew small Beere for their Families and indeed I doubt they would find small frugality in brewing other Beere for themselues if the Cellar lay open to their seruants And howsoeuer the Tunnes be of diuers prices according to the goodnesse of the Beere namely of two three foure fiue or sixe Guldens the Tunne though at Leyden onely the Brewers may not sell Beere of diuers prices for feare of fraud in mixing them yet there is no difference of the Tribute They haue excellent fat pastures whereof each Aker is worth forty pound or more to be purchased and they pay tribute for euery head of cattle feeding therein as two stiuers weekely for each Cow for the Paile the great number whereof may be coniectured by the plenty of cheese exported out of Holland and the infinite quantity of cheese and butter they spend at home being the most common food of all the people For Oxen Horses Sheepe and other Beasts sold in market the twelfth part at least of the price is paid for tribute and be they neuer so often by the yeere sold to and fro the new Masters still pay as much They pay fiue stiuers for euery bushel of their owne wheate which they vse to grind in publike Mils And since they giue tribute of halfe in halfe for foode and most necessary things commonly paying as much for tribute as the price of the thing sold the imposition must needs be thought greater laid vpon forraigne commodities seruing for pleasure pride and luxury besides that these tributes are ordinary and no doubt vpon any necessity of the Commonwealth would be increased French wines at Middleburg the Staple thereof and Rhenish wines at Dort the Staple thereof are sold by priuiledge without any imposition but in all other places men pay as much for the Impost as for the wine Onely in the Campe all things for food are sold without any imposition laid vpon them And some but very few eminent men haue the priuiledge to pay no imposition for like things of food Each Student in the Vniuertie hath eighty measures of wine vulgarly called Stoup allowed him free from imposition and for six barrels of Beere onely payes one Gulden and a quarter that is two shillings six pence English being altogether free from all other tributes which priuiledge the Citizens enioy in the name of the Students dieting with them and no doubt the Rector and professors of the Vniuersity haue greater immunity in these kinds One thing is hardly to be vnderstood how these Prouinces thus oppressed with tributes and making warre against a most powerfull King yet at this time in the heate of the warre which vseth to waste most flourishing Kingdomes and make Prouinces desolate had farre greater riches then any most peaceable Countrey of their neighbours or then euer themselues formerly attained in their greatest peace and prosperitie Whether it be for that according to the Poet Ingenium mala sape monent Aduersity oft whets the wit so as by warre they are growne more witty and industrious Or for that Flanders and Antwerp the famous City in former times so drew all trafficke and rich Merchants to them as
all the neighbour Prouinces were thereby impouerished all which trade by the warre fell to Holland most strong in shipping or for that the vnited Prouinces haue such commodity by the Sea and waters running to all Townes and by the strength of their cities as in the heat of war they are free from the enemies incursions or any impediment of their traffick and seeme rather to carry the war to their confines then to haue it in their bosomes In which point it is not vnpleasant to remember how the Hollanders mock the Spaniards as if not acquainted with the Northern Sea the ebbing and flowing therof they thought they might at pleasure come into any hauen leade their army into any of those Prouinces that when the Spaniards first entered Holland with their Army and they cutting the banckes of the sea drowned their Country the Spaniards were therewith astonished and gaue gold chaines money and the most precious things they had to the Country people on condition they would bring them out of those watery places to firme land If any man require truer and greater reasons of these Prouinces growing rich by warre let him make curious search thereof for it is besides my purpose No doubt the frequent Armes of the sea within land passing by their Cities the innumerable waters though for the most part standing or little mouing which by made ditches carry boats and barkes to all their Cities being there more frequent then in any other part of the World and to all their Villages and compasse almost all their pastures yeeld no small commodity to their Common-wealth For they hauing little of their owne to export and wanting Corne Wood or Coales and many necessaries for their vse yet by this onely benefit and their singular industry not only most abundantly inioy all commodities of all Nations for their owne vse but by transporting them from place to place with their owne ships whereof they haue an vnspeakable number make very great gaine being delighted in Nauigation by nature as borne and bred in the midst of Seas and waters and hauing by warre heating their Flegmaticke humours attained to such skill therein as for trafficke they saile to the most remote coasts of the world and in processe of time being growne so bold sea-men as they will scarcely yeeld in this Art to the English for many former yeeres excelling therein So as their tributes imposed on Merchants commodities must needs be of exceeding great moment And not to weary my selfe with the curious search thereof I will onely adde for coniecture of the generall one particular related to me by credible men That in time when Italy suffered dearth and was supplied with corne from these parts the tributes of one Citie Amsterdam in one weeke exceeded the summe of ten thousand pounds sterling whence the reuenewes of all tributes in all the Hauens and Cities may bee coniectured to be excessiuely great So as adding the impositions vpon domesticall things and the great contributions paid by the enemies subiects vpon the confines in time of warre to purchase the safety of their persons and goods with freedome to till their grounds from the rapine of freybooting souldiers a man may well say that the vnited Prouinces are no lesse able then they haue been daring to doe great things This Common-wealth is gouerned by particular lawes and customes of diuers places and by the publike edicts vpon diuers new occasions made by the States of the Prouinces and these wanting by the Ciuill law The particular Cities are gouerned after the manner aboue named And particularly at Leyden my selfe haue obserued the inhabitants of Villages called by writings set vpon posts in the publike streets to haue their controuersies iudged by the Magistrates of the city not at any set time of the yeere but according to the occasions of other affaires at the Iudges pleasure High iniuries and maimes of any member are punished by the law which passeth ouer lighter iniuries not giuing such ample satisfactions to the wronged euen by word as the constitutions of the Sweitzers giue so as with them no lesse then in England quarrels and brawlings are frequent and often breake out into man-slaughters wherein those who will reuenge themselues by force first agree betweene themselues whether they will strike or stab and then drawing out long kniues which they ordinarily weare they wound one another by course according to their agreement either by slashes or stabs which they call schneiden and stecken They commonly allow mony to be put out to vse and to the end poore men vpon pawnes may borrow small summes for a short time they admit an Italian or Lumbard vulgarly so called in each Citie who taking a pawne lends a gulden for a brasse coine called a doigt by the weeke But this Lumbard in the French Church there is not admitted to receiue the Communion The pawne vseth to bee worth a third part more then the mony lent and one yere a day being past after the mony is due the vsurer hath the pawne to himselfe but before that time the debter at his pleasure may at any time haue his pawne first paying the borowed mony with the vse to the day of paiment And the common report then was that the States would take this as a publike Office into their owne hands to help the poore not able to pay by selling the pawnes to the owners best profit Touching inheritance Vpon the Mothers death the children may compell their Father to deuide his goods with them least perhaps hee should consume or waste the same And the wife that brought a dowry be her husband growne neuer so rich by his trade may when shee dies giue not only her dowry but halfe her husbands goods gotten in mariage to her owne Kinsmen after his death if shee haue no children by him and if she brought no dowry yet shee hath the same right to dispose of halfe her husbands goods gotten in mariage and as is supposed by their mutuall labor A sonne may not be disinherited but vpon causes approued by the Law for the Father is bound to giue a third part of his estate among his children and only hath power to dispose of the rest or any part thereof in Legacies at his pleasure The wiues of Holland buy and sell all things at home and vse to saile to Hamburg and into England for exercise of traffique I heard from credible men that the Citizens of Enchusen within thirty yeeres then past vsed to marry a wife and put her away at the yeeres end if they liked her not which barbarous custome Ciuility and Religion hath since abolished and at Delph I did see two examples of men who hauing buried their wiues did after marry their wiues Sisters It is no rare thing for blowes to happen betweene man and wife and I credibly heard that they haue slight punishments for that fault and my selfe did heare the Crier summon a man