complices and so to hide their owne daunger in the multitude Consider the truthe of this colour Wey the times conferre and examine them truly Let not false persuasions deceyue you Be not so wild and wanton with welth to forget whence your wealth commeth or not to sée that the Realme hath it Hadde Englande euer in our memorie so long so blissed peace bothe at home and abroad Had euer true Nobilitie more tender indulgence and honorable cherishing Had euer subiectes more true and frée administration of law and right Was England euer better ordered in all degrées from hye to lowe till your shamefull rebellion hath interrupted the great blessing of God Or hath all Christendome the like at this day your lewde tumult onely excepted Hath not her Maiestie with the aduise and ayde of her most honorable Counsell so ordered vs that we haue as it were standing on shore beholden the shipwrackes of other nations Liue we not dayly so our comfort with the fruites of this good gouernement It is suche that as the case standeth he is lyke to be vnhappy that shall ouerliue it Is this the thankes due to her Maiestie and her Counsell for their care and trauayle for your preseruation Suppose you that such kindnesse is the way to kepe GOD louing and beneficiall vnto vs Repent your error acknowledge with thankes the good order of the realme that you haue felt with profite forsake the disorderers of the coÌ„mon welth and yelde to suche good order as they that haue wel wisely iustly and mercifully ordered it can best dispose of you You sée these be stil but false colours to deceiue moe subiects to drawe moe adherentes to helpe to shroud your seducers in communitie of perill And of like sort falshode and impudencie is that they say of seeking to destroy Nobilitie Though some of them that so proclaime haue bene noble you must remember howe Nobilitie may rise and fal There is no traytor noble how notable soeuer he be or how noble soeuer his auncesters were The aduauncement for vertue to the most honorable order is no more due to good valiant and true Gentlemen than the defacing of the former ensignes of Nobilitie and solemne spurning them into a ditch is a due preiudice to desloyal and vntrue subiects the very stayne of whose companie presence or felloship in the tokens of honoure true Nobilitie can not beare Pitie it is that they haue so far forgotten the common wealth and their owh so to deserue But so deseruing good example and necessarie iustice it is that they beare their extremest infamie Neither yet hath the Quenes maiestie nor her Counsell soughte their destruction but they themselues haue now procured their owne and drawen you in with them Let themselues say of the benefites they haue receyued of her maiestie her good couÌ„tenance and supportation all her Counselles frendly and louing meanes to do them good then iudge ye what cause they haue so to saye As for the rest of the Nobilitie as they be moste déepely bound to her maiestie for her good and gracious tender loue and fauoure to them which they ceasse not to acknowledge and will do euen with the aduenture of their liues honours and possessions in her Maiesties defense against all rebels and traytoures and namely ageinst your Captaines and you so are they full slenderly beholden to your two good Erles for defaming them with the partenership of so fowle and abhominable treasons And for that the slaunder is generall without particular naming of any ye must loke for the more general reuenge of all nobilitie ageinst you no one shrinking or withdrawing but euery one moste forwardely pressing to purge himselfe by his good seruice from so great dishonoure and to shewe hys thankfulnesse the naturall propertie of honour to her maiestie for her great kindnesse and tender loue to that whole degrée Some of them to their great prayse you sée alredy haue shewed their truthe in repressing your attempts refusing your societies in readinesse to ouerthrow you Eche man is so likeliest to desire a newe estate as he hath most cause to be wery of the olde In what Princes dayes did euer Nobilitie liue or can they hope to liue in suche securitie in suche as it were nerenesse and conuenient familiarity with their prince so frée from vniust backbitings from vaine ielosies suspitions from dangers by enimies reports or false accusations from tumulte war and malice one against another yea from all vnsuerties and vnquietnesses as they haue done in her maiesties dayes It is maruellous and vnnaturally miraculous that there are founde such two I meane your two Erles to shew such vnkindnesse Thinke not then that any moe of nobilitie be so ill minded But be not deceyued take the thing as truth is this is but a color howbeit in dede a leud malicious suttle dangerous color partly to the intent to rayse mistrust betwene her Maiestie and her nobles if either were not so wel known to other as they be partly or rather chiefly to deceiue and deteine you with hope of that whiche is not in déede But as in the one they laboure in vayne so in the other learne you to be wiser to trust them the worse hereafter You finde it falleth not out so Hir maiestie hath euer cherished Nobilitie no one of that estate hath by her perished in all her time they know it and acknowledge it and you must féele it You sée that they come not to you for all the promises and faithes supposed in your proclamation It falleth not out as you are borne in hand they are al in readinesse with their power ageinst you to clere theÌ„selues to wreke the dishonor vpon you If this color deceiue you you winke hard or be maruelously blinded If any of nobilitie for any contempts or other causes haue ben stayed whereupon the likelyhode is that you are the more led to thinke this surmise true themselues acknowledge yet with what clemency they are vsed the world knoweth how sory hir maiestie is to haue any such occasion but howsoeuer it be they haue smal cause to thank you for agréeuing their case with greater suspitions and according to that you haue so ill deserued of them you must accompt that themselues so farre as their liberties and her Maiesties trust in them will permitte and all their friends for their benefite will with moste sharpe reuenge vpon you do what they can to persuade their innocence Neither I trust will her maiestie hir selfe so yet giue ouer the care of her owne preseruation as to contemne all aduertisements of attempts and not by good care and hed of hir counsel yea extirpation of the contrarie stand vpon her gard against all aduauncements â—of suche titles as you would preferre being dangerous to hir safetie and which haue alredy to their vttermost attempted her hiest perill or yet to leaue in danger to their malice hir good Subiects that be ielous
vntruthes dissimulations and bypocrisies The residue of your doltish Captaynes what be they think you they be men able to beare you out against the power of a Prince al her Nobilities Cities Realme subiects frends and allies One with little wit far set an other in his olde age wery of his welth an other a runne-away with a yong wilde braine tickled to sée fashions Alas what be these to carry you through the serious and earnest dangerous enterprise that you haue in hand ▪ They are rather méeter to fraye you from it méete men surely to followe your ominous fatall or vnluckie ensignes wounde and crosses the apte and due signes of iust slaughter or infamous execution But yet perhaps some of you haue this meaning that you owe them dutie and for dutie you will not forsake any danger If this consideration haue place in any dutie it hath it chiefly in the highest dutie which you haue despised A mad excuse it is to say you entred into danger for duty when the principall dutie did bid you sitte in quiet without danger at all Euen such a fonde doing of dutie it is as if one would kill his Father to please his Maister or rather murder Father Maister and him selfe to kepe promise with a théefe What be these duties that may moue you wey them and compare them The name of Percies and Neuilles haue long bene honourable and well beloued among you some of you and your for fathers haue ben auanced by them and their ancesters some perhaps be knit in kinred some be tenantes some be seruants some be with like causes allied and bound to the meaner Captaines Greate things be these to moue loue and good neibourhed and of great importance and efficacie to draw honest true and kinde harted men to sticke by their Lords frends in all wars against the Princes enemies and in al honest quarels and perilles but small matters they be yea no causes at all to draw any man to stand with any man in rebellions and treasons Is Percie and Neuill more auncient more beloued and deare vnto you than your naturall Soueraigne Ladie the Quéene of England yea or England it selfe Doth one small tenancie moue you more than the holding of the whole realme Is not in all your homages and fealties vnto them saued your faith and allegeāce to your souerain Lady This is euen as vntoward a follie as if a mad foole in a tempest would trauayle to drowne the whole ship to saue one of the mariners cabbens This is not rightly considered of you The common weale is the ship we sayle in no one cā be safe if the whole do perish To god then to the realme to the croun to the law and gouernment your leaders and you we all do owe our selues and all that we haue in highest degrée of dutie Al other inferior duties are but meanes that these may be the better performed When now your Captains haue forsaken faith dutie to God naturall loue and dutie to the realme allegeance and dutie to the Croune obedience and duetie to lawe and gouernement it is no following of dutie to followe them against these duties no thoughe they were your fathers And that they haue done so you may not beléeue their pretenses you must beléeue the booke of GOD which you haue troden vnder foote ye must beleue the lawes of the Realme which you haue contemptuously broken you must beleeue the Quéenes Maiestie her selfe speaking in her Proclamations and by the mouthes of her officers whose gracious voice you haue rebelliously contemned Now as I haue compared your smal duties pretended with your great duties forsaken compare again your most due duties with your vndue doings You haue without warrant fro the Q. Maiestie or any by her authorized assembled yourselues in forcible maner adhered to those whom her maiestie hath declared traitors rebels you haue leuied war within y e realm against the realm within the Quenes dominions against the Quene you haue broken the common peace wherby your selues your families and possessions haue hitherto bene preserued you haue in your rebellious outrage committed many haynous and horrible factes you haue destroyed the monumentes of Gods moste holy Communion you haue torne and defaced the sacred Byble of Goddes most holy worde the very pledge of youre saluation you haue presumed to alter the forme of Christes Religion you haue in dishonoure of Christes most blissed and onely sufficient sacrifice sette vp the most abhominable and blasphemous sacrifice of wicked Masse you haue committed vnnaturall and vyle crueltie vppon Gods Ministers and dispensers of Gods mysteries and of the health of youre Soules you haue defaced Gods holy ordinance whereby all mankynde is preserued in chastitie and continued by lawefull encrease you haue robbed your neyghboures spoyled and destroyed the Quéenes true subiectes you haue wasted the prouision for your wiues and children you haue vndone your selues Trow you this be your dutie eyther as Christian men Englishmen subiectes tenauntes husbandes fathers neighbours yea or naturall men And when you haue thus done thynke you to beare it thus away A piece of the Bishoprike of Durhamme and Richmond shire conteyneth not all Englande Your courage may be good I would it were employed to better causes your power is but small You know you are but fewe weake vnarmed vnfurnished to holde out vnlawfully called vnskilfully guyded sclenderly prouided for falsely abused fondly blinded your captains not trustie to you nor bound by any authoritie so to be youre companie not holden togither by any iuste power but that they may slip away as their luste their werynesse their néede their businesse hope of pardon or better aduisement may come vppon them your succoures faile you within and without youre vittayles in a barren place not like long to endure the season harde your lodgings incommodious your housholdes in perill of famine or destruction in youre absence no stoare of armoure Weapon nor Munition youre number of Horsse though not nowe manie yet dayly like to be fewer those necessaries that you haue eyther for defence inuasion or sustenance being once spente no way to recouer more one ouerthrowe destroyeth you wholly you haue no meane to repaire yours force you are enclosed round about no refuge by Lande no escape by Sea Are not you in a gay taking And this you know to be true On the other side beholde the dreadefull maiestie of God the Lord of hostes is displeased with you ▪ the Quenes highnesse sometime your louing Soueraigne Lady now by your lewdnesse is enforced to be the heuie minister of Gods wrath against you The whole nobilitie for their dutie and the rather for reuenge of the dishonorable spots and suspitions sprinkled vpon them by your trayterous proclamations is earnestly bent to ouerthrowe you the whole number of her highnesse true subiects ready to die vpon you ▪ the number is great against you infinitely excéeding your petit
deceiue you with vayne hope of desperate succors You sée you finde it not you are destitute and disappoynted of it If suche leagues had bene neuer looke that they will kéepe fayth with you that breake it with their Prince or will ioyne with you being no stronger than you be to beare them harmlesse Looke sooner that Nobilitie will the rather employe them selues for her Maiestie agaynst you to cleanse and reuenge this great infamie and dishonor with your iuste destruction But be it that they had so and were ioyned together to aduaunce this good meaning whereof God wote you are fowly begyled What is it I praye you or what grounde hath it What hath her Maiestie or her counsell offended Wherin is the Realme so daungered and oppressed that it must haue violent remedy it may abide no delay of Counselling no ordinarie meane of reformation Northumberland Westmerland Swinborn like Catiline Lentulus and Manlius must erecte a newe Triumuirate to repaire or newe melte and fashion the decayed common weale of England Forsoth disordered and ill disposed persons aboute the Quéene haue marred all Disordered sayeth my Lorde of Westmerlande Ill disposed sayth my Lorde of Northumberlande about the Quéene say goods fellows wight riders and robbers in the borders of two Realmes O vertuous men O holy théeues O well meaning traytours O likely surmise Is there any greater disorder than rebellion Is there any worse disposition than Treason Is there any greater falshode than thus to defame the Quéenes moste Noble gouernemente Are you so blynde not to sée the Quene touched though to beguyle you her name be spared Come they whome you call disordered to the Quéene vncalled Are they not of hir Maiesties Counsell by her wise and good choyse Deale they not in the causes of the realme to such end and with such meanes as her maiestie appointeth Do they any thing without her authoritie and good liking as there is good cause Make they any laws require they any Subsidies do they the greatest thinges without assent of the whole Realme your owne assent by your deputies burgeses yea your owne forsworne captains in open parliament wherunto her Maiesties assent is had or in cases out of parliament is ought put in execution without her highnesse will and pleasure Do they their things here trow you as you do your things there O impudent beastes to bears you so in hande O deceyued fooles you to beleue it But O mad doltes so rashly to hazard your possessions liues good names wiues chyldren hauiour yea soules and all vpon credit of so false reports It is her Maiestie that dothe these good thinges her selfe and honorably auoweth and inuincibly will vpholde the doing of those things which your captaynes call misdoings and will defende the persons of those good and noble counsellers that serue her in so good gouernaunce of her estate with the assistance of almighty God in her right the dutifull seruice of all hir true Nobilitie her faithfull subiectes against al Rebelles traytours and enemies what soeuer they be eyther within this Realme or without Thus knowe ye that her Maiestie taketh vpon her the iustification of her gouernement and her Counsels ministerie therein Therefore when your Earles accuse these about the Quéene they accuse the Queene her selfe It is but coloure to abuse you They would say the Queene if they thought ye would well take it And it G O D were so farre angry with vs as to giue them miraculous victorie against all likelihode yea and in mans eye against all possibilitie no dout her Maiestie shoulde féele it with the fowlest indignitie that euer was séen in earth And if it lay in them to spoile her maiesty and the realme of her good counsellers their slender curtesie to her person would sone appere Ceasse then to be so beguiled take that shadow away and take it as truthe is that your Earles proclamation in déede sayth though not in the selfe same sillables that the Quéenes Maiestie with her Nobilitie Parliament and Counsell haue done these mischieus that my lord of Westmerland and his fellowes must redresse in hast And these Nobilitie and counsellers your wise good Rulers call disordered and euill disposed persons If you know them not will you beleue that so wyse learned vertuous and noble a Quéene calleth to her counsell disordered euil disposed persons Yea more if you know them not wil you beleue that so great weaknesse and pouertie wherein her maiestie found the realme is thankes be to God repaired so great quietnes and peace procured and kept so good equal distributing of iustice mainteined such amitie with neighboures such loue credit yea awe of her highnes among forein princes and Potestates conciled and vpholden so firmely and so many yeares will you beleue so great things so well done so long continued by disordered ill disposed persons If you knowe them then néede I say no more You know your proclamation is false you knowe they be slaundered you knowe your selues be deceyued God gyue you grace to know howe to recouer youre selues agayne But on the other side when you remember that which you daily see the vanities the doltishnesse the borrowings without caring to pay the prostitute abus◠without regard of chastitie the leude vnthriftinesse without respect of well getting or wel spending the rashnesse without discretion the vngodly life without al vertu the glorious lustinesse wythout feare of God and without all foundation of honestie the adulteries fornications theftes robberies spoyles murders and other mischiefes in some of your captaynes professedly open and dayly exercised euen with the gay name of a ioly stout Gentleman lusty courage and in some of greatest rauenie yet like Rainard the Foxe cloked with some more hypocrisie these when you marke and wey truly as you sée them daily apply the wordes of disordred and ill disposed persons as you sée them deserued Let euery worke haue his true name And now sée these coloures Rebels are called true subiectes the Quenes maiestie is named with honour and touched with dishonour her doings that they may be more fréely standered are imputed to other whō they dare more boldly defame you are led against the Quene born in hand against other Nobilitie is falsly charged fowle treason is called good meaning periurie chalēgeth to be beleued common robbers and theues adulterers murderers rebels are well disposed persons the Quéenes maiesties counsell and true nobilitie are called disordered and ill disposed Alas these colors are so blacke that they wil take none other hue Marke well If you beleue these you may not saye you are deceyued otherwyse than wilfully the matter is so plaine But what haue these disordred and euill disposed counsellers about the Quéene done say you ouercome true and Catholike religion disordered the realme seke the destruction of Nobility O shameles falshods O fading false and vayne colours Come out of darknes open your eyes