For the cause why I speke it is for the great weightye cause of christendome concernynge the kynges seperation fro the quene It is tossed and tourned ouer the hye mountaynes laboured and vexed at Rome from iudge to iudge The dangerous and vnmete handelynge of our soueraygnie rightful cause without certayne ende or effecte beinge very perillous for his hyghnesse and moche more daungerous if god helpe not for vs his poore and louinge subiectes Whiche if it had ben ordeined in the right and due cours that is to saye within the realme and so by the metropolitane examined and discussed That the cause ought to be ordred within this realme as lawe reason wolde it shulde haue ben there had ensued in this ryght way or this tyme an honorable ende and purpose to the great welthe of this realme and quietnes of christendome The lettars wherof what so euer they be me thinketh ought to be detested of al good englysshe people and subiectes THE DIVINE One of the chiefe lettars is and hathe be the lawyers opinion whiche wolde attribute to the pope the heed of theyr lawe al maner of power Howe some lawyers to moche attrybute vnto the pope wherby beinge well descante as they can well ynoughe at lengthe shall be no lawe but onely his wyll For and if he myght dispence with goddes lawe and all other and ordren them as he wyll as lawyers say that he may than what foly were it to obserue goddis lawe or any other but only inuestigate and serche to knowe the popes wyll in euery thynge and that to folowe accordyngly whiche ones atteyned were the lawyers hoole glory For who shulde be sette by thanne but onely lawyers bycause they extolle his authorytie so hye THE LAVYERE you enserch and folowe the frenche prouerbe to moche THE DIVINE Whiche is that THE LAVYER. Who sercheth fyndeth Qui serche troue For surely if without affection we shulde speke we lawyeres attribute to moche authoritie both to our maister to our selfes also THE DIVINE I haue harde verely fewe of your secte so plainely confesse the truthe Neuerthelesse it is to my great comforte to remēbre that it is my fortune to mete with so syncere a man beinge as I trust so entierly my frende whiche is dedicate to truthe and not to professyon THE LAVYER. I wotte what I shulde do but I wotte nere what frailtie wyll lette me do THE DIVINE If wyll be purely good the olde prouerbe shall folowe Nihil difficile uolenti God wyll ayde the wel willer alway THE LAVYER. That beinge true and bycause you haue some thynge touched vs lawyers you gyue me boldnesse farthermore to commune with you and aske of you if dyuines be nat partly to blame as well as we that this great cause goeth no better forwarde THE DIVINE All I can nat excuse For some of vs be as heedy as you The truthe of god with out worldly respectes to be regarded and yet our lernynge leadeth vs nat to it as youres dothe you For we shulde onely regarde the maker of all lawes and the mere truthe and nat vanities of this worlde nor eke affections THE LAVYER. Ye saye wel frende That wolde to our lorde the lerned men of the worlde moste specially of this realme wolde folowe this lesson and vse it in dede For as I perceyue here some of them folowe more affections and respectes than goddes worde onely and truthe THE DIVINE Who taught you I praye you to hytte so truely the nayle on the heed I thynke in dede that if worldlynesse were nat loked for there wolde mo agree to the truthe than hytherto hath though there be a meruaylous great nombre that hath agreed ther to al redy in dede THE LAVYERE That worldly respectes maye happe to fayle them that trusteth therto where be they than Me thinketh farthermore a great foly in them to auenture vpon so sklendre a groūde both soule and body THE DIVINE Truthe ye say wher of is great pitie that lerned men specially regarde not more the worlde to come than the worlde present and that they vnite not them selfe in opinion Great pitie that all lerned men be nat of one opiniō in this one truthe Whiche thing sheweth a great lacke of grace and an ouermoche addiction to pryuate appetites mixed with to moche heedynesse and obstinacy And yet there is but one truth in this matter THE LAVYER. I meruayle than why many thus call this matter disputable seinge that there is but one truthe therein and why that truthe is not imbraced and opēly shewed by all lerned men THE DIVINE As to the fyrst though some call it so I se no reason why they shulde saye so That this cause is nat disputable as a thing of doubte excepte they wolde say that nothing is taken for truthe in this worlde For I do esteme that there be fewe articles of our faythe the whiche be approued by mo autenticke authorities mo prouable ye inuincible reasons by moo laudable customes and vsages than this cause is on the kinges syde And syns it is so me thynketh hit is nat disputable as a doubte in lawe As to the seconde I feare me that lacke of executynge in dede of that whiche we professe by mouthe is a great lacke there vnto For our lyues and religyon be many tymes farre a sondre I praye our lorde amende hit whanne hit shall be his pleasure But as to the fyrste bycause I thynke hit nat disputable I shall declare you somme reasons whiche do perswade me to thynke so THE LAVYER. Mary I pray you lette vs here mo For one I haue herde al redy whiche me thynketh very vehement If the remenant folowe I shall for my parte be meruailously satisfyed THE DIVINE Fyrste it is to vnderstande that accordynge to the sayenge of the prophet Dauyd Verbum dn̄i manet in aeternū Spal The worde of our lorde god is mooste sure and euer abydeth Syns that so is infallible it must nedes folowe that it whiche he vtterly forbyddeth in the negatiue may no wyse be attempted Nullus acci piat uxorem fratris sui et nō licet tibi habere uxo rem fratris Thanne in this case that is to saye A man ought nat to mary his brothers wyfe It is in the Negatyue forbodden in the Leuityke bothe .xviij. and .xx. chapitres And therfore in no wyse hit is to be attempted specially with vs that be chrysten people A mā to mary his brothers wyfe is forbidden bi the lawes of god THE LAVYERE I thynke this hardde to be assoyled neuerthe lesse the lawe Deuteronomyke semeth to assoyle the same THE DIVINE Nay surely if hit be well vnderstande For in the begynnynge that lawe semeth to propoune and lymytte certayne poyntes and circumstaunces without the whiche that lawe ware no lawe as playnely by the texte hit selfe it dothe manifestly appere Playne circumstāces profes that the litteral sence
conueniente to trye the truthe of that matter as this â—â—alme Howe the cause may haue his ende Wherfore me thinketh the kinges highnes and his parliament shulde eâ—â—â—stly prese the metropolitanes of this realme there vniuste othe made to the pope nat withstaÌ„dyng to set an ende shortly in this And to take a greatter regarde to the quietyng of his graces conscience and this realme than to the ceremonyes of the popes lawe For by goddes lawe they be bounde to the obedience of their prince and to seke also the quietation and peacesablenes of this realme whiche ought to be regardyd more than any mans lawe Whiche I truste they beynge of suche sincerite as I take them of will nat lette to do whan it shall be put to them who so euer say nay answeringe whan nede shall be accordyng to their auncient and vertuous predecessours Rather we ought to obey god than men Magis oportet obedire deo qÌ„ hominibê° Act. v. Per oratio And thus this lyttell tretise shall make his ende Prayenge the reders that if any thynge be amysse in it to arrecte it rather to lacke of discrecyon than of good wyl And though ê‘aueÌ„ture in opening of the cause some be indirectly touched farther maye happe than pleaseth them we humbly desire them to reken that if we coulde haue by our simple wyttes deuised any other way so plainly and truely to haue opened this cause we wolde moche rather haue done it than thus But in declarynge the truthe we mynde to halte for no respecte Wherfore we praye them to holde vs excused And thoughe parauenture that the wyse mans prouerbe The tellynge of truthe bredeth ofte displeasure Veritas odi um parit shall take effecte in vs me mynde not and god before to spare eyther to telle it or with our lyues to maynteyne it seinge that Christe him selfe sayeth I am the verye truthe and eterne lyfe Whiche abydethe them Ego sum ueritas uita Ioan. 14. that folowe the truth And where as we thynke that it is hardely possible for any man to endite or conueye any worke of suche sorte that no man shall fynde a faute therin specially captious folke and maligners Ageynst malygners and raylynge bablers Whiche rather whan they haue founde a ryght small faute wyll go about to ieste and rayle on it ye though no faute at all yet rather wyll so do of all that pleaseth them not than to come to the remanaunt in the iustificacion of the matter we moste entierly praye you louinge reders that if any suche ye nowe or here after shall here of whiche wolde coÌ„tradict or againe say this pore treatise of truthe nat to gyue credence vnto theÌ„ tyll they can proue the contrarye hereof And that sothly nat by their gestes their faces crakes whiche is al out of frame but as it ought truely onely by good scripture good auncient authors generall counsels vertuous and holy popes owne sayenges famous vniuersities and infinite clerkes and lerned mens opinions concurring with olde ancient customes and vsages and that syn our sauiour Christes owne tyme as we haue declared in this our poore treatise all redy for our parte And an other thinge there is also whiche we truste shall cause you to gyue the lesse credytte to who so euer wolde maligne at this worke The sure pyllars this worke leaneth to whiche is this That this worke standeth with vertue and clennes The whiche truthe all the contrary parte can nat denye And therfore hit oughte rather to be embraced And doutlesse the contrarye thereof is vyce and vnclennes whiche oughte vttrely therfore to be dispysed And this sure we are that dyuers of the moste reputed personages in lernynge whiche taketh the the contrary part of that we do haue sayd to men of great creditte that if this matrimony were to be made they wolde neuer condescende vnto it nor euer aduise any man to attempte any suche Wherof we now gather that they iuged it naught though for some respect nowe iÌ„ this time they do cloke the coÌ„trary For if it were good or laufull as nowe they wolde make pretence it were why shulde they haue said as tofore is rehersed And sins they haue confessed so farre this vrgeÌ„t reason must kepe them within the list whiche is this That thynge whiche is ones nought in goddes lawe morall can neuer be good but by his onely alowaÌ„ce as moste parte of counsels generall and good outhors do determine Wherfore in this theyr so sayenge we maye well thynke that they verely confessed the effecte of this our treatise Whiche if they nowe contrary in worde or bede or hereafter shall can not be well taken in indifferent eares but estemed to procede of to moche lyghtnes or of subornynge or elles of to great affection and cleuynge to theyr owne opinion Wherfore if they so do we thinke that lyttel creditte shulde be gyuen vnto them And we doubte not but that your myndes and affections are suche to your most louyng prince that nowe syn ye knowe them suche theyr sayenges shall nothynge hindre his well deserued estimation amonge you And therfore efte sone we most hartely pray you gentyll reders that nother sinistre affection nor yet malycious reporte do hynder the acceptynge of this our treatise in your hartes and iugementes otherwise than that if you had matters to do before our prince and his couÌ„sell ye wolde they shulde do in your iuste petitions and causes For you muste remembre that Christe commandeth vs to do as we wolde be done to Where he wylleth it of eche to other emonge vs al wyll he nat that moste of all we obserue 〈◊〉 â—â—empst our most louynge prince and souerayne No dout but so wylleth and comandeth our sauiour Christ. In whom fare ye well moste gentyll reders euer to inclyne and fauour moste the truthe ¶ 〈…〉 CVM PRIVILEGIO
A glasse of the truthe TO THE REDERS ⧠To the gentill reders and syncere louers of truthe YOu shall haue here gentill reders a small dialoge betwene the Lawyere Diuine wherin if there lacke suche eloquence suche dryfte of argumentes and conueyance of reasons as parauenture ware requisite and as ye shall desyre yet we shall moste entierly pray you that where we be nat sufficient to supplye the same to content your selfe with this our rudenesse declarynge the pure truthe alone whiche you shall be right sure to fynde in this poore treatyse For here haue you no newe allegatyon of mans inuention or imaginatioÌ„ but onely taken of the scripture of god of the counsels and ordinances of the churche vniuersall of mooste auncient popes and other holy doctours wryttinges with the factes and authoryties of blessed men besyde withoute wrythinge or wrestynge of any of them beyng taken of whome and of none other I am sure you will say it is to be estemed for a most assured truthe Prayenge you most benigne reders that tho some wolde saye that they be nat truely alleged rather to gyue credence to so many approued vniuersities whiche affirme our allegations to be true than to the asseueration of any other specially of some fewe affectionate persones whiche do or may endeuour to denye the same And nowe therfore to tell you the very truthe this same is the grounded cause why this lytell worke beareth his name whiche is the Glasse of truthe For it is plainly the same clere glasse within the whiche ye shall see and beholde if ye loke well and leysurely in it the playne truthe of our mooste noble and louinge princis cause whiche by vnmete and vnkynde handelinge hathe hytherto had so ouerlonge a staye The whiche doutlesse if we well considre is moche more our hynderance than his For his lacke of heyres male is a displeasure to him but for his life tyme as lackinge that whiche naturally is desyred of all men to haue childerne But our lacke shall be permanent so longe as the worlde lasteth excepte that god prouide For tho we haue a female heyre whiche is bothe indued with moche vertue grace in many dootes and gyftes yet if a male might be atteyned it ware moch more sure if we well perpende and pondre many vrgent wayghtie causes Amongest whiche this one is depely to be forsene that if the female heyre shall chaunce to rule she can nat coÌ„tinue longe without an husbande whiche by goddes lawe muste than be her gouernour and heed and so finally shall directe this realme But who that shulde be with the contentement of the subiectes me thinketh it were harde to excogitate For proximitie of blode is to great a lette to some otherwise mete for that purpose except we wolde be so beestly to put our necke eftsones in the snare of this erronious prohibited errour whiche is and hathe ben alwayes detested by the moste parte of all the famous clerkes of christendome The punisshement whereof were to terrible to be suffered and also to abhominable to be harde of emonges christen folke On thother side to other some it were daungerous leste we shulde make theÌ„ superiours to vs ouer whome we clayme superioritie seynge the manne must rule the woman Others outwarde mete personages our sklender wittes can nat comprehende And as touchinge any mariage within this realme we thinke it were harde to deuise any condigne and able person for so highe an enterprise moche harder to finde one with whome the holle realme wolde coulde be contented to haue him ruler and gouernour Wherfore we thinke the establysshement of titles is nat so surely rooted nor yet so entierlye mainteyned by the female as by male Whiche well consydered syns the vnion of all titles do remayne and be collocate in him onely we oughte of duetie if oure wittes may thereto extende to excogitate all wayes to vs possible howe we might atteyne the succession of heyres male And that way ones founde erenestly with celerite to putte in vre in no wise sufferinge this wayghtie vrgent cause to be lenger differred or delayed by those whiche do but vsurpe to them selfes an honoure and vayne glory contrary to many generall counsels and their owne lawes also as more playnly shall appere in this litell treatise of truth For els accordynge to an auncyent prouerbe Mora trahit periculum To longe abode is causer of moch daungere we might be moche indemnyfyed and hyndered Farthermore you shall in this Glasse see howe that nowe it ought to be ordred after our simple iugementes so to haue a good and perfitte ende moste for his honour and quietyng of conscience for oure great welthe for the prosperite of this his noble realme And nowe this same is the truth of whiche scripture saieth Magna ueritas et fortior prae oiÌ„bê° non est cum en quicque iniquum 3. Esdrae 4. That great is the truth of strength and power of boue all with it there is none iniquite none ylle dealynge none obstinate and frowarde bablynge no malicious backebytynge no sclaunderous and factious enforsinge This is the sole truth lefte vntill her selfe Without all vayne ostentation without inuentinge or borowynge of ydell titles and inscriptions withoute colourynge dissemblynge pretense and all outwarde paintynge Ye shall fynde here the mere truthe as we truste withoute all malignyng rayling gestyng and detractynge of them that of truthe no suche haue deserued the whiche it may be your lotte to see and here some where els Moche more we might induce to sette forthe and adourne this Glasse of truth before you saue that the processe folowyng shall sufficiently and moche better perfourme the same to the which I hooly remitte you euermore mooste hartely prayenge you godly myldly without all yll affection to emprynte well in youre hartes this mere and syncere truthe and so to folowe it that you may do a thinge acceptable to the pleasure of almyghtie god and contentation of our souerayne and prince And thus fare ye well in god louing brotherne A DIALOGE THE LAVYER. We semeth it is wisely and truely saide that the right way is euer the nerest waye likewyse the playne way moste sure to trye all maner of truth by THE DIVINE I thinke that it be true whiche you speke but you speke so obscurely that I wotte nere what you meane therby If you meane it by the ymitation of Christ That our sauiour Christ is the ryght and playne waye whiche beareth wytnesse of him selfe sayeng I am the ryght way I am the true way and I am the perfyt lyfe thanne are you in the right And if you meane the playne waye to be moste sure bycause that Christe saieth he is the dore by whiche we muste entre in this youre sayenge canne nat be amended whervnto god him selfe exhorteth vs also by his prophete sayeng ye christen meÌ„ loke ye iudge a right THE LAVYER. The better for my purpose
other fro the same nor can gyue lycence to syn or to do amysse THE LAVYER. All this you speke here is very well agreing also with the popes owne lawes For if his commaundement saieth Innocence conteyne heresy Innocentius or bethought lykely to trouble greatly the hole churche or that other yll shulde happen thereby a man ought nat to obey though it be cōmāded vnder the payne of excommunication in the whiche he falleth whan that he obeyeth nat And if a man be excommunicate saieth Abbot bycause he dothe that is good Abbas or wyll nat do that is yll the sentence of excommunication is none where excōmunication is as none And if the sentence of excōmunication be manifestly vniust it is as none THE DIVINE Thus the good archebysshop of Canturbery Laurence successoure of saynt Austen Laurentius Archiepiscopus Cantua wolde for none entretee of the poope nor yet commination of cursinge assoyle hym whom he had ryghtfully accursed for the maryenge of his mother in lawe Sāctus Dunstanus Lykwise saint Dunstane wold in no wise obey the pope though he prayed hym monisshed hym and straitly commaunded hym to assoyle the Erle whom he had afore excōmunicate for the marienge and reteining of his nye kyns woman vntyl he had put her from him For this same was euermore in his mouthe god forbydde that for the cause of any mortall man I shuld contempne the lawe of my lorde god Euen so the good bysshoppe Sampson had rather abyed and suffre al parels of excommunication Sampson episcopus than to do that he sawe he myght nat do by the lawe of god The noble clerke and good bysshoppe of Lyncolne Roberte Grosthede also wroote vnto the pope Robertus Lincoln whiche hadde made as he knewe well an vnlaufull requeste vnto hym that suche enforcementes he muste nedes say naye to and rebell Wherfore nowe if it fortune hereafter that the poope or any other spirytuall persone wolde for sinistre affection or encrease of authoritie interdicte excommunicate or sende any inhibition to interrupte the iustenes of this cause other elles the dewe procedynge in the same accordynge to the diffinitions afore in that case as me thynketh bothe the kynge his spirituall and laye subiectes also shulde manfully in god withstande them and stycke in theyr myndes and dedes to the manfull vertuous and hooly sayenge of all the blessed apostles whiche is that we oughte rather to obeye god thanne men And no doubte but that in our so doynge we shall haue lyke rewarde of the same our maker as these holy men and blessed Bysshoppes hadde with moo the whiche dydde folowe the same steppes THE LAVYER. By my faythe you speake to verye good reason but I can not say that our lawe agreeth to this reason THE DIVIN No I thynke that well But the foundation and very stone which you shulde groūde your lawe vpon doth establisshe vs to condescende to the sayde reason For the Churche of god hath his foundation sette vppon a firme and stedfaste stone of truth and faythe and not vpon the mutable and wylfull pleasure of Peters successours But your lawe doth so moche attribute to man as moderne glosers dothe expoune that it wolde make man whiche is but frayle and caduke directour gouernour and as superiour to the very worde of god whiche is as the prophete sayeth alway permanent what simple witte or slendre fayth wolde thinke or beleue that god in setting forth his lawes and preceptes had as a man wolde say so vnauisebly considered and commaunded them that any wyse they shuld nede of mans reformacion or that he dyd create man to be superiour to his worde and wyl Me thinketh verily that it is to great an arrogancy for man so to vsurpe apon his maker Wherfore nowe let this passe and answere me I praye you to an other question in lawe THE LAVYER. What is that nowe THE DIVINE This same If a man shuld cōmune with you of the lawe and aske you whether the decrees and decretalles whiche you emonge you do call lawes with the opinions of doctours whyche wryteth of them be directed in their iust execution merely and in all cases by truth or no what wolde ye answere THE LAVYERE What wolde I answere Mary this do I answere that the lawe in his due course exercised ought to be directed by truthe onely THE DIVI And what call ye truth That whiche appereth in dede only or that by report And if by reporte whether that whiche some men say depose is true or onely that all men say and holy agree vnto is true THE LAVYER. If the dede do appere euidently what is to be tane for truthe than it is greatly to be consydered weyed and if nat than it is to be referred to that whiche the ancient fathers approued in law or the assent of counsels generall do saye and affirme to be true and lawe And if as in a rare case it fortune some tyme that the truthe can nat be fully gathered or made plainly to appere than iudgementes and opinions of doctours soundyng to reson so farre as mans witte can comprehende and nat discrepant from goddes lawe be to be ensued folowed THE DIVI Herein may somtyme fortune an errour THE LAVYER. That is truth For in the iustice of this worlde that is truth which the lawes receyueth for truth and whan the lawes receyueth it than it is as truth in the syght and iugement of men though in the syght of god it be nat so God seeth al with his owne eies therfore his iustice is most perfit is directed alwayes occordynge to a moste perfitte truthe Man trusteth other mens eies and tounges and sometyme his owne sensis whiche maye erre and therfore foloweth and admitteth in stede of truth the lykelyhode of truthe and the lykelyhode approued by the lawe Whervpon it foloweth that what the lawe callethe truthe is to be taken for a truthe vntylle the contrary may euidently appere For if manne shulde neuer take for the truthe but onely that the dedes shewed of truthe there 〈◊〉 seldome appere truthe to men 〈…〉 matters The dede vanyssheth 〈◊〉 passeth ouer ne can be permanente 〈◊〉 testimonie of the truthe is preserued by the lawe whiche wylleth faythe to be gyuen to sufficient wrytinges and sayenges in that behalfe And if you require farther declaration hereof me thynketh that it apperethe welle in this example Who can shewe the truthe of his owne lynadge or parentage but by auctoritie of the lawe by whiche lawe wytnesse proueth the mariage of the personages and byrthe of the chylde vpon the woman maried Whervpon the lawe concludeth the generation of the husbande as father whether it be so in dede or no. The laufull profe of boly knowlege And so it is in profe of the truthe of carnall copulation and bodily knowledge Wherin there is no wytnesse communely that depose of the very acte but onely of the nere circumstaunces
prerogatiue or preeminence Howe the quenes sayeng can not proue by the law shal nat make faith in an other mans cause whiche nothynge apperteyneth to him Wherfore there can be no reason ne lawe to maynteyne that the quene in her owne cause shuld haue credite and be beleued or yet her sayeng regarded in that behalfe And assuredly to speke it is impossible by due and laufull profe to proue true this her sayenge by her selfe in dede at this houre seynge that she hath bene knowen syns And as for wordes it is to open in lawe that the husbandes attestatyon makynge for the mariage is to be preferred to the womans deniall in that case So that if there were no more but prince Arthurs owne sayenge the lawe willeth that credytte shulde be gyuen to him nat to her And if she wold go about to proue it by recordes it is to be cōsidered How vnlikely shulde be her recordis testimonye that they which she wolde nowe bring to testifi this her nat to be knowen must be of those which were here present with her Which were sent than purposely rather to testifi the cōtrary For it was at that tyme the thinge which her father mother bothe moost desired to here of succession of theyr two bodyes and to vnderstande that bitwene them was carnall copulatyon Whereby it may euidently appere what so euer they nowe saye that they came than rather to approue the contrary than that which she wolde bringe them to testifie nowe For who can thinke that they which brought the doughter of their kinge to be maried vnto the sonne and heyre of a king wolde than seke for wayes wherby they might after proue that she ware nat carnally knowen by him that they brought her for And I reken that nother she nor eke her witnesse can make in this matter any due proue admithable in lawe seyng also that one of the parties is deed who to make answere had as moche interest as she to denye it THE DIVI I knowe nat your lawe but me thinketh you speke reason that we shulde take for the truthe whiche is laufully approued for truethe what so euer the partie say to the contrary Consideryng that truthe as ye haue declared dependeth vpon the trewe approbacyon in the lawe and nat vpon the bare demonstration of the acte THE LAVIER You take it right And therfore if my father mother bothe wolde denye me to be their sonne I shall if I haue laudable testimonye proue the contrary al though they wil neuer so ernestly both defend mainteyne their denial alleagynge that they knowe the truthe better than all the worlde after as they do in dede But their knowlege helpeth nat where no fayth is to be gyuen to thē And the question is nat what they know but what is to be bileued None to be beleued in his owne cause A iuuene cupido credatur reddita uirgo And truly no man is to be beleuid in his owne matter And as one sayd may a man bileue that a mayden accōpanieng with a yonge mā of lust being no let thervnto shal returne as she was a mayden Meanyng beleue it who that wolde for he wolde nat Prince Arthurs and the quenes conuersation togyther in bed and house beinge both of lauful age with these other probations tofore rehersed so clerely setteth forthe the truthe of carnall knowledge that the quenes asseueration to the contrary nor yet her dissemblynge profes if she haue any can blemysshe the same in any vpright true or indifferent mans opinion Wherfore I meruel that other she or any that maketh pretense of loue towarde her wyll allege or cause to be alleged so mere an vnprouable excuse in so hie a cause The doinge wherof to my iugement hath greatly derogate bothe her their credite not onely in this case but in all other also THE DIVIN These thinges be so pythily spoken set forthe that they can not be auoyded Wherfore sins the truthe fauoreth our princis cause so moche lette vs his subiectes than not omyt nother our zele ne yet our obediēce to hym accordinge to our allegiance nor our duetie to god in assistinge the truthe Our office and duetie to god and our kynge as is the part and office of a true christen man For surely we oughte by our alleagiance to defende him and his doinges agaynste all maligners bothe in wordes dedes For againste maligners god hym selfe exhorteth vs by his prophete whan he sayeth Be not desirous to folowe the malignere Beware maligners Than syn we be forbydden to folowe them in general termes and generally cōmanded to auoyde them moche more he forbyddeth vs in that is agaynst our prince and soueraine Principi populi tui non maledices exo 22. \ In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas Ec. 10. Alas what ingratitude ye and that vnnatural were in vs if we shulde other wise do Or howe coulde we wyl or desire of our prince that poynte of kyndnes as towarde vs our causes which we refuse vnto him warde Howe myght we desire of hym not to be lyght in creditte whan he hereth complaynte of vs whan we be so light to beleue all tales inuented ageynst hym his most rightuous intent Or howe can we be so bolde to desire his grace of his most hye goodnes fauour and to assist vs in our ryghtuous causes whan we do not frankely assiste hym ye offre vs to lyue and dye in this his iuste cause matter THE LAVYER. Me thynketh this matter toucheth vs as moche almoste as him Sauynge onely his conscience But as for the worlde moch more For in his time no man can interrupt him Our moste louing princis true endeuoure is moche more for vs than hym nor there is no besines in title But afterwarde if the ordre be not set bi him or that he dye it is harde to say howe many shal repent it Wherfore I thinke of both it is more requisite for vs than for him to haue this mattre at an honorable ende THE DIVINE But howe might that be THE LAVYER. Mary I thynke that the way might be founde well ynough if the hole heed body of the parliament wold set their wyttes and good wylles vnto it For no doubt but that it ought to be determyned within this realme as plainly ynough it appereth bifore THE DIVINE Surely you say well For me thynketh the succession of this realme ought nat to be ordered by forreins For if it shulde and we to accepte the same they were rulers and orderers of this realme An abusion intollerable and nat the king his parliament And than doutlesse this realme were as euyll in condition as sclaues of Turkes whiche I pray god defende it fro For seynge that there is nothyng to be determined but the faute of beynge knowen or nat knowen which I thynke is euidently ynough proued alredy there is no place so