NEWFOVND LAND THE GOLDEN FLEECE Diuided into three Parts Under which are discouered the Errours of Religion the Uices and Decayes of the Kingdome and lastly the wayes to get wealth and to restore Trading so much complayned of TRANSPORTED FROM Cambrioll Colchos out of the Southermost Part of the Iland commonly called the NEWFOVNDLAND By Orpheus Iunior For the generall and perpetuall Good of Great BRITAINE LONDON Printed for Francis Williams and are to bee sold at his Shop at the signe of the Globe ouer against the Royall Exchange 1626. THE MUSES AND THE GRACES BY THE hands of Orpheus Iunior doe here present this Treatise of the Golden Fleece at the Feet of the most Noble Mightie and hopefull King of Great Britaine GReat Monarch though You with Apollo's lore And with your Fathers rules are polisht more Though You of riper Iudgements doe not want Proiectours rare and full as elegant Disdaine not yet to marke what we entend And to Your Grace by Orpheus recommend Though we no Gold nor Precious Stones present The value notwithstanding here is sent King Gyges Ring to see the Cause of harmes A New-found Fleece to rayse both Arts and Armes Christ was wel pleas'd with the poore widowes mite No lesse a Larke excels the greatest Kite A little Part a wise King will preferre Of Practick Art before all Dreames that erre An Emperour one of Your Name the fift Commines Bookes held as a peerelesse Gift So did King Phillips valiant Sonne account Poore Homers Workes rich Iewels to surmount This no Eutopia is nor Common-wealth Which Plato faign'd Wee bring Your Kingdomes health By true Receits which You will rellish well If Humours ranke by Physicke You expell In pithy fresh Conceits Your mind may ioy When sundry Troupes of weightie Cares annoy Musae Charites hoc Opus de Aureo Uellere Orphei Iunioris manibus traditum ad Pedes Potentissimi maximae spei Magnae BRITANNIAE Regis humillimè submittunt Magne Monarcha licet scriptis ab Apolline magno A Patre Praeceptis perpoliare tuo Nec Polypragmatici pollentes munere fandi Nec tibi deficiant Cognitione graues Ne de digneris tamen haec Documenâ—aprobare Quae tibi nunc Orphei mittimus hausta manu Non Aurum Gemmasque tibi sed ditius Auro Et gemmis dignum Principe portat Opus Vota Precesque Deo viduae Munuscula Christo Regibus egregijs placuere Libri Carolus Historiam Cominaei Quintus amabat Sub Ceruicali deposuitque suâ— Nec minus Iliados Proles animosa Philippi Inter bellandum saepe legebat Opus Non hîc Eutopiam non hic Phantasma Platonis Regi nil praeter materiale damus Dulce reale tibi cuius Mens obruta Curis Multiplici rerum mole vacare neguit To the indifferent Readers IVdicious Readers in this busie time I know you will wonder how I dare bring forth new Proiects shadowed vnder a glorious Title to reforme Errours and to restore Trading when men of farre greater vnderstanding doe find themselues puzled grauelled and almost at their wits end accounting the taske to exceed all the labours of Hercules The presumption I confesse is great Yet when I had called to mind that Action of Diogenes how he tumbled vp and downe his Tub very laboriously at such time when all his Neighbours prepared themselues for Armes I resolued likewise to do somewhat and by toffing too and fro the barrell of my Conceits albeit barren and inferiour vnto many thousands in this Kingdome to encourage others to lend their hands vnto the Publicke prop if not perpetually to secure it yet for a time to stay it vntill their wisdomes had concluded on stronger meanes Among many Remedies which I haue heere produced perhaps they may light on some not to bee contemned At the least those which are Thriftie will con mee thankes for reprehending of multiplicities of Law Suits and Prodigality Both which do keep our State in an vnder ballance The one vice disunites our hearts from the harmony of Concord making vs vnworthy of the Communion of Saints and consequently of the Lords Table and the other disperseth our substance that wee cannot yeeld sufficient supplies to saue the honour of our Countrey What a masse of treasure doe we yeerely spend in forreigne Commodities What abundance of Silkes doe we consume on our backes What a deale of Gold and Siluer lace while the wary Spaniard who hath the Indies in possession contents himselfe with his owne Fashion and lesser moderation both in Apparell and Diet. The Dutch they follow no extrauagant Attires Euery man is distinguished in his Ranke some by wearing a Copper Chaine others a Siluer and the Nobler of Gold In France the meaner sort of women weare Hoods of Taffata other of Satten and the better of Veluet No man intrudes into anothers vocation But with vs Ioane is as good as my Lady Citizens Wiues are of late growne Gallants The Yeoman doth gentilize it The Gentleman scornes to be behind the Nobleman Yea many are not ashamed to goe as braue as the King And if a Wiseman chance to taxe them for their prodigall humour They will answere that it is for the credit of the Kingdome which indeed is a most weake excuse for what redounds to the publike damage and losse ought not to be termed honourable as not safe nor worthy for a discreet Inhabitant to vaunt of Such gaudie sights neuer last aboue a nine dayes wonder nay sometimes one only day like your Pageants and then the memory becomes stale their Silkes out of fashion But the example like a Leprosie is transferred from the Court to the Citie from the Citie to the Countrey Of these and many other abuses which our State had need to looke into I purpose in this Treatise to discourse submitting the necessitie of their Reformation to the Higher Powers consideration as is meete and conuenient In the first Part I will endeuour to remoue the Errours of Religion in the Second the Diseases of the Common-wealth And in the Third Part I will discouer the certainty of the Golden Fleece which shall restore vs to all worldly Happinesse To the vncharitable Readers or Deriders of our GOLDEN FLEECE MY Masters You that slight the first Lesson of the Psalmes you that plot at home like craftie Crowders torcape the fruits of all painfull Trades without wetting your Cats feet though the Fish bee neuer so dearely prized you I say who reposâ— your chiefest Felicitie in playing on the Violl of Fraud and in idolizing a painted Strumpet come not at Colchos nor presume yee once more then Tantalus to touch the Golden Apples of our Hesperides There lies a Couple of Dragons in the way Pinge duos Angues sacer est locus The Place is not for you They that labour not with sweate shall not taste of our Sweete Keepe yee then at home like Clinicall Apes to your Clogges As a blacke Sheepe among some of you is accounted a perillous beast no lesse
Saint Peter points not to bee questioned by Earthly men or else by the motion of his owne Transcendent and neuer erring Braine wee know not nor matters it much to speake off for Ipse dixit his Godhead will haue it in his reuerend regard vnto these remote Flocks of his sent ouer his Holy Legat to me and my Brother of Yorke to prohibit all Religious Persons of what qualitie soeuer from thenceforth to defile their sacred bodies with those imperfect animals called Women aswell because they might follow their bookes the better not caring for the vanities of this transitorie world as also lest like New Fues they might tempt vs to taste what God had forbidden that is Iealousie Anger Deceit Simony and Pride to compasse meanes for their haughtie minds After much difficultie we executed his Holinesse good will and pleasure Neuerthelesse this Seditious Sectarie not onely openly with opprobrious words but with an infamous Libell hee presumed to taxe our Holy Father of Errour or Heresie if hee durst for this Diuine Ordinance The Contents of his Libell are these That it was a grieuous torment for a Priest to put away his wife because shee was his darling affirming that the Bishop of Rome made an il Decree and wisht him to beware hee dyed not in so great a Sinne. That his Holinesse forbad that pleasure now in his old age which he loued in his youth That Mapes defended his Errour by the authoritie of the Old and New Testament citing Zacharie the Priest to be the Father of Saint Iohn Baptist and that S. Paul allowed a Clergie man to be the Husband of one Wife That it became a Priest better to marrie then to borrow or deflowre his Neighbours daughter Niece or Wife And in Conclusion hee was so impudent as to require all Priests to bestow together with their Sweet Hearts a Pater noster a piece for this his goodly Apish Apologie His Maiestie smiled to heare the Conceit And thereupon caused the Pronotarie to reade the Libell as Walter de Mapes had framed it who with an audible voice did recite as followeth O quam dâ—lâ—r anxius quam tormentum graâ—e Nobis dimittere quoniam suaue O Romane Pontifex statâ—isti praâ—e Ne in taâ—tâ— crimine moriaris caue Non est innocentius imo nocens verè Qui quid facto dâ—cuit studet abolere Et quod olim luuenis voluit habere Modo vetus Pontifex studet prohibere Giguere nos praecipit vetus Testamentum Vbi Nouum prohibet nusquam est inuentum Praesul qui contrarium donat Documentum Nullum necessarium his dat Argumentum Dedit enim Dominus maledictionem Viro qui non fecerit generationem Ergo tibi consulo per hanc rationem Gignere vt habeaâ— Benedictionem Nonne de Militibus Milites procedunt Et Reges à Regibus qui sibi succedunt Per Locum à Simili Omnes Iura laedunt Clericos qui gignere crimen esse credunt Zacharias habuit prolem vxorem Per virum quem genuit adeptus honorem Baptizauit enim nostrum Saluatorem Pereat qui teâ—eat nouum hunc Errorem Paulus Coelos rapitur ad superiores Vbi multas didicit res secretiores Ad nos tandem rediens iâ—struensque mores Suas inquit habeat quilibet vxores Propter haec alia Dogmata Doctorum Reor esse meliuâ— magis decorum Quisque suam habeat non proximorum Ne incurrat odium iram eorum Proximorum Foeminas Filias Neptes Violare nefas est Quare nil disceptes Verè tuam habeas in hac delectes Diem vt sic vltimum tutius expectes Ecce iam pro Clericis multum allegani Nec non pro Presbyteris plura comprobaui Pater Noster nunc pro me quoniam peccaui Dicat quisque Presbiter cum sua Suaui CHAP. VIII Walter de Mapes is commanded by Apollo to defend his Positions against the Pope and Becket who accordingly obeyeth and prooues the lawfulnesse of Clergie-mens Marriage both by the Testimonie of the Scripture and of the Ancient Fathers AFter the Pronotarie had ended Apollo commanded Walter de Mapes to defend his cause who thus began I am glad Most Noble Emperour that my Aduersarie hath cited mee to defend my Cause in this judicious Court where Bribes blindnesse of Affection and Passion cannot wrest the infallible reasons of Truth as oftentimes wee see fall out in worldly Iudgements Heere I need not feare the Popes Thunderbolt of Excommunication And therefore with a resolued countenance and a minde vndaunted I will proue out of the Holy Scriptures and by the authoritie of the Primitiue Church that wee Clergie-men may and ought to marrie as well as others By the Old Testament it is euident that the Leuits as Aaron Phinehes Eleazar Zadock Samuel and Zachary were married men Saint Peter himselfe as we reade in the New Testament was likewise married for our Sauiour Christ cured his Wiues Mother of an Ague Saint Paul aduiseth a Bishop to be the Husband of one onely wife and in another place auoucheth that it is better to marrie then to burne Yea and Christ himselfe auoucheth it to be a very hard matter for any man whatsoeuer to continue chast except it were giuen him from heauen as a special gift as rare a Miracle as a blacke Swan or a white Crow And shall we expect such miraculous and rare sightes in these tempestuous times when the Church it selfe hath much adoe to steale out of Babylon When the purest of vs all doe feele tumultuous Hurliburlies in our members striuing and strugling to ouer-master the faculties of our Soules As we are men we know our vnresistable frailties We must acknowledge our naturall Infirmities or else we are Liers and the Truth dwels not in vs. How much better then were it for vs to ioyne in lawfull Marriage then to stay as stale Batchelers and hypocritically to take vpon vs that taske which our weake Tabernacles cannot support Sometimes wee saue those Soules by Marriage which perhaps might proue lost were they not our wiues By these wee beget children whom we traine vp and graffe into Christ. We enioy this happinesse oftentimes in our wiues and children that by our examples and societie they shine as Starres heere on Earth giuing light to them that sit in darknesse we encrease the Kingdome of Heauen and heere in this World wee leaue no scandall behind vs as the vnmarried Romists doe by their Stewes and stolne pleasures Haue not we power to lead about a Sister aswell as the rest of the Apostles This Tertullian one of the first Latine Fathers auerreth in these words It was lawfull for the Apostles to marrie and to lead their Wiues about with them in their iournies What plainer instance can there be then Saint Pauls aduise to Bishops and Deacons to content themselues with one Wife apiece hauing children in subiection For if a man knowes not how to rule his owne house how shall
his lamentation and comforted himselfe It is in vaine and too late for a man to seeke the reuersing of the diuine Iudgement when he hath not the Grace to goe to the Physician before he fall sicke It is a sacrilegious sinne in the Pope to make men belieue that it lieth in his power to redeeme any mans soule from the place where the Almightie hath seated it seeing that hee cannot adde one yeere more to his owne life then is allotted him by the course of nature nor borrow one minute of an houre to allay the pangs of his owne death The very Best haue enough to doe to saue their owne soules without presuming to vndergoe a fruitlesse labour for another man Yea though these three men were among them Noah Daniel and Iob they should deliuer but their owne soules by their righteousnesse saith the Lord God Seeing that Iesus Christ by his death and Passion hath satisfied his Fathers Iustice and makes continuall intercession for the Penitent let none despaire nor trust any other besides this powerfull Mediatour CHAP. XI Gratian the Canonist conuents the Waldenses and Albigenses before Apollo for celebrating diuine Seruice in their Country Language and not according to the Rites of the Romish Church Zuinglius defends their cause by the Authoritie of the Scriptures and of the Primitiue Church Apollo pronounceth a definitiue Sentence against the Pope on the behalfe of the Waldenses and Albigienses NO sooner had Apollo refelled the vse of Popish Pardons inuented of purpose to make good the old saying that Purgatory is a very pick-parse but Gratian the Canonist framed a supplicatioÌ„ against the Waldenses and Albigienses wherein he shewed that whereas Ignorance was the Mother of Deuotion and thereupon the Church of Rome to retaine true hearted simplicitie in the bowels of her children had like a politicke Mother forbidden the reading of the Scripture in their Countries language to the intent that green-headed people sowgelders and base Mechanickes should not dispute of diuine Mysteries which surpassed their vulgar capacities yet those rude mountanists Montanae belluae presumed to vnlocke the cabinet of the Bible and to reade Gods Seruice in their barbarous Tongue Whereby much euill contentions and continuall bangling arose of late yeeres among Christians which otherwise might haue lyen couered as fire vnder ashes Zuinglius a notable Diuine of Suitzzerland being deputed by the Waldenses Albigienses to defend their cause stood vp and said with what face can you O Gratian blame these honest men for seeking the surest meanes of Saluation Who will still stand groping in the darke that may enioy the free light of the Sunne Haue not they soules to looke vnto aswell as the Pope himselfe and his Cardinals In reading the Word of God Faith increaseth And the Gifts of the Holy Ghost multiplyeth in relenâ—ing hearts So that Peace Vnitie and Loue as a â—uster of Grapes doe spring vp together and beare downe the wrangling opposites Neither is it any new Religion which they professe For all your Chronicles can testifie that these people haue departed from the Romish Church and proclaymed the Pope to be Antichrist aboue three hundred yeers before Luther was borne And for the reading of diuine Seruice in a more familiar language they haue the Scriptures for their warrant and the Primitiue Church for a patterne The Prophet Dauid pronounceth that man blessed which studies the Lawes of the Lord and therein exerciseth himselfe day and night Saint Iohn recommends them to the weaker sexe and children as appeares by his Epistle written to the Elect Lady and her children Saint Paul protesteth that hee had rather speake fiue words to bee vnderstood then ten thousand in a strange language And in another place he prayseth Timothy that hee knew the Holy Scriptures of a child Saint Basill in his infancie was instructed in the Bible by his Nurse Macrina Saint Ierome extols Paula a learned Matron for teaching her Maides to vnderstand the Scripture Theodoret speaking of the ancient Christians in his time You shall saith he see euery where the chiefe points of our Faith read and vnderstood not onely of our Doctors but also of shoo-makers Smiths and weauers and of all kind of Artificers not onely of our learned women but likewise of them which get their liuing by their Needles and of Mâ—id seruants not onely of citizens but also of Husbandmen insomuch that you shall be 〈◊〉 among us ditchers and Heardsmen arguing of 〈◊〉 Trinitie of the Worlds creation and of other deepâ— points of diuinitie Saint Chrysostome called for his Eloquence the Golden mouthed Doctour exhorteth all men to reade the Scriptures Heare me all yee Laymen get yee Bibles which are Physicke for the Soule Or at least wise prouide your selues of the New Testament Saint Paul prophesied that Antichrist should bee consumed with the Spirit of the Lords mouth What is the meaning of this but that hee must bee condemned by the Word of God declared in the Canonicall Scripture Euen by this Testimony the Sword of the Spirit at the bright brandishing whereof the Romish Clerkes runne away like Cowards and flye from them as if they were their mortall Enemies relying in stead of God Spirit vpon the Spirit of man which speaking without such immediate Reuelations cannot but Erre and grossely Erre The consideration of this weightie point enforced Doctor Fisher Bishop of Râ—chester in his Booke against Luther to wish for some other meanes to put downe the Protestants then the Holy Scriptures Therefore quoth he when Hereticks contend with vs we must defend our cause by some other helpes then by the sacred Scripture In this they verifie the effects of that wonderfull Booke which Saint Iohn in the Reuelation auerred to be as sweet as Honey in the mouth but afterwards bitter in the belly that is to say sweet to read because it promised euerlasting life but for all that bitter in the stomacke when Crosses came to bee digested when they were to forsake the pomps and vanities of this seducing world and specially when that counsell of our Sauiour came to be put in execution Sell all that which thou hast and come and follow mee No wonder then that the Pope and his Cardinalls delighting in temporall glorie cannot abide to try their Controuersies by the euidence thereof but with the hazard of some poore Schollers liues they send them abroad as Frogs out of the Dragons mouth to croke and crake of Antiquitie and Traditions but in no wise to contend with vs by the Bibles Testimonie This Booke proues indeed very bitter to their stomacks who hunt after worldly Preferments While the Bodies of the two Testaments lay despised moth eaten and shut vp in their libraries the Great Men of the world after their massacring in the Cities of spirituall Sodome and Aegypt sent Gifts and Presents the one to the other in token of gladnesse So iocond were worldlings as long as they might doâ—
smelt out your drift and banished your Iesuites to requite some part of your hospitalitie to strangers in that for the space of a whole yeere and better you restrayned their Embassadour at Lisbone from entring into your Hypocriticall Church And as he wrot to Damianus a Goes such was your insolencie that by no meanes you would admit them to communicate nor keepe companie with you as if they were the arrantest Heretickes of the world The Romish Church much agrieued that the Patriarke of Alexandria had preuented her in a Suit which shee had cunningly canuased and almost brought to perfection pleaded that all the world ought to be vnder her Gouernment For our Sauiour Christ after his Passion said that all Power was giuen vnto him in Heauen and Earth And this Power with the keyes did Hee before his Ascension into Heauen commit vnto Peter Which Soueraigne Authoritie after Peters death rested like the Spirit of Elias on Eliza the Prophet vpon the Successors of Peter For proofe of which Princely preheminence shee alledged the testimonie of Pope Gregorie the ninth who flourished in the yeare 1225. how God made two great Lights in the firmament of Heauen that is to say of the Catholicke Church the which two Lights are the Pontificall Authoritie and the Regall Power whereby men might know that there is as much difference betwixt Popes and Kings as betwixt the Sunne and the Moone At these words the Patriarke reioynd and said these arrogant words of yours pronounced now in your drooping and declining Age doe decipher you to be like an old Bawd and gracelesse Strumpet Was not the cure of Soules sufficient for you but you must also domineere ouer their bodies and more ouer their Purses This last is the cause of your discontent How doth the Spirit of Saint Peter rest on you more then the Spirit of Saint Matthew or Saint Philip rest on mee or my Aethiopian Clergie By that similitude Caiphas might vaunt that he had the spirit of Aaron But their Glorie ought not to countenance our Infirmities Neither as Saint Chrysostome said is the Place able to sanctifie the Successor nor can the Chaire make a Priest Saint Peter was of a higher Function then a Pope an Apostle to trauell from one place to the other hauing the charge of the Circumcision as Saint Paul of the Gentiles Hee was not tied to any one peculiar City O I would that both of vs were able to follow his godly steps and to labour vp and downe the world in conuerting of Idolaters and to preach nothing but Christ crucified without collaterall Mediators and worldly respects of Dignities Pompes or in hunting for Superioritie Gaine and fat Benefices Saint Peter had no Gold nor Siluer to giue as himselfe told the Creeple in Salomons Porch Hee wore no Triple Crowne but reioyced in the Crowne in his Masters thornie Crowne the Crowne of Martyrdome Hee wore no filuer Crucifixe but in his heart hee bore the contemplation of the bloudie Crosse which day and night hee earnestly beheld He taught his conuerted Flock to bee subiect vnto Kings The Pope exalts himselfe aboue all Kings aboue the Generall Councels Saint Peter would not suffer Cornelius to kneele vnto him The Pope expecteth that euen the mightiest Monarchs should kisse his Feet Et mihi Petro. Saint Peter willingly endured reproofe at the hands of Paul But who dares rebuke the Pope and tell him of his faults Saint Peter acknowledged the rest of the Apostles for his Brethren and Fellowes The Pope allowes of no Patriarch nor Bishop to be his equall nor of any Clergie man to be made but by his Authoritie Saint Peter and Saint Paul preached that Christ was the Head of the Church as the Husband of the Wife and for that end hee sent the Holy Ghost as his Vicar generall to direct the Soules of the Elect in spirituall mysteries during his residence in Heauen without apointing any Earthly Potentate or visible Head to execute that high Office and left their bodies to the Gods of the Earth to bee tried as Gold in the fornace It is the Soule the noblest part of man which hee takes most care of Why should He then ordaine a visible Head an ambitious Pope to domineere nay to tyrannize ouer that Iâ—uisible Part What neede any other Head as ministeriall ouer our Consciences He that ouerlookt the seuen Golden Candlestickes that is the seuen Churches in the Reuelation and further promised the presence of his God-head I am with you to the Worlds end no doubt but hee will supply the place of a spirituall Head and infuse both spirituall nourishment into our Soules as also afford food and necessaries to our bodies though not according to the vaine desires of flesh and bloud which gape after superfluities yet enough to content nature O miserable state of Rome In what danger lyes thy Soule Saint Bernard long agoe reprehended this aspiring humour of the Romish Clergie And yet such is the force of tempting Gaine dolosinummi that if Moses himselfe and the Prophets arose from the dead they would not heare them as long as they spake against their worldly profit At first you beganne saith he to vsurpe as Lords ouer the Clergie contrary to Saint Peters admonition and within awhile after against Saint Pauls counsell who was Peters fellow Apostle yee got the rule ouer the Faith of men Nor yet doe yee stay heere but yee haue gone further and obtained a peremptorie dominion ouer Religion it selfe What remaines now but that yee climbe on high to bring into subiection the very Angels of Heauen Apollo very well approued the Catriarkes reproofe of the Romish Church and fell into such detestation of her intolerable ambition that he made this speech against her Three things haue wrought this absurditie in the Religion of the Westerne Christians the one hapned by the Opinion of the Popes extraordinarie Power imprinted in mens minds by their Ghostly Fathers that his Holinesse as Saint Peters Successour cannot erre in matters of Faith The second and most craftie that all men whatsoeuer who beleeue not in the Catholick Church which you must perswade your selfe to bee onely the Romish are vndoubtedly in the state of Damnation The third are the lyes of Purgatorie the which being at his dispose as Iudge Iayler made euery man specially the melancholick to take heed of angring him or any of his tribe as on the contrarie to appease his humour with Gifts and the buying of his idle Pardons But now my Beloued of Par nassus the vaile is taken from his painted face and you shall see and read in his eyes the affections of his heart And least some of you bee not so quicke sighted as others I will briefely runne ouer the two first causes of his Greatnesse After our Sauiours death for the space welnigh of three hundred yeeres the Christian Religion was so persecuted by the Romane Emperours specially at Rome it selfe
and in the neerest places adioyning vnto Rome that no Ecclesiasticall Policie could stand on foote nor erect publicke Churches and consequently no Mitred Bishops to solemnize or order the affaires of that spiritual Common-wealth in any complete forme no more then at this day we see in France a few places onely by their Ciuill Warres tolerated Specially in Paris the chiefe Citie they of the Reformed Religion cannot haue any but by permission about two leagues from the Citie they are allowed their Diuine Seruice The like though not so openly those ancient Christians were tolerated to enioy priuately in their Houses as in hugger-mugger at Rome the Capitall Seate of that Empire In processe of time Constantine the Great attained to the Empire who for some causes and principally because he would bee a neerer Neighbour to the Northerne Nations and also to the Persians who infested his State with sundry inrodes and hostile inuasions he was constrained to remoue the Imperiall Seate to Constantinople leauing the Bishop of Rome some power at old Rome whereby in his absence hee might as a Reuerend Prelate with his graue and Christianly exhortations retaine the Citizens in their Alleageance In this sort these good Bishops continued loyall to their Prince and subiect to their Command and to their Successours in the Empire vntill the yeere of our Lord 606. about which time after a great contention for the Primacie betwixt them and the Patriarch of Constantinople which then was called New Rome Phocas by the murther of his Lord and Master Maurice the Emperour hauing gotten the Soueraigntie made Boniface the Third Supreme Bishop aboue all other Bishops and to that end sent forth a Decree that all the Churches in his Empire should obey him as their Soueraigne Bishop which Iurisdiction he held onely in Spiritull matters After this the Emperour Iustine Iustinians Sonne raigned who sent Longinus as his Deputy into Italy to settle the confused state thereof after the expulsion of the Gothes who altered the forme of Gouernment in Rome and abrogated the Senate and Consulary Dignities which till that time continued and carried with it a glimpse of the ancient Maiestie of the Romane State and in steed of them appointed one Principall Gouernour whom he called an Exarch or Viceroy This innouation ministred an occasion to the Lumbards to enter into Italie And then the Citie of Rome felt new troubles But at last Theodoricus King of the Goths by the Popes Counsell remoued from Rome and erected Rauenna to be the Head Citie of his Kingdome and there keeping his Royall Court gaue room to the Popes to flourish in Rome Sometimes they tooke part with the Emperour some other times with the Lumbards accommodating their fortunes warily to the strongest parties liking Thus they continued vntill the Emperour Heraclius his time who being oppressed by the Persians Saracens and Arabians vnder Mahomet was so farre from looking into the affaires of Italy and into the Popes aspiring designes that he found much adoe to defend his neerer territories from those bloudy Enemies and Infidels The Popes watchfull to take aduantage partly by their Religious carriage among the common people and partly by Rewards got themselues to be equall in Power with the Kings of the Lumbards And then Pope Gregorie finding himselfe reasonable strong assaulted Raâ—enna the chiefe Citie of Italie and tooke it But being presently expulsed out of it by Astulfus King of the Lumbards hee was reseized thereof againe by succours sent vnto him from Pipin King of France After Astulfus death the Pope falling at ods with Desiderius the sonne of Astulfus hee sent for aide to Charles the Great King Pipins Sonne who in proper person came into Italie tooke Desiderius Prisoner augmented the Popes Dominion and at his motion crowned himselfe Emperour of the West at Rome At which time he againe to requite his good will enacted that from thenceforth the Bishop of Rome as Christs Vicar should neuer more bee subiect to any Earthly Potentate And whereas before that time they were themselues confirmed Bishops by the Emperour at Constantinople now by this new Emperour of the West they began to be of themselues and by their wits got the Emperours to be inuested at their hands This Pope was Leo the third And this notable Accident and alteration fell out about 801. yeares after Christ. After Leo his decease Pope Paschale after the example of his Predecessour Leo who had wrested the nomination of the Pope from the people of Rome and also the confirmation from the Emperour at Constantinople caused those Priests of the Citie who had elected him as the next neighbours to be enobled with a glorious Title and to be called Cardinalls Thus in lesse then two hundred yeares after their Supremacie obtayned from Phocas in spirituall matters the Popes aspired to a Supremacie in temporall affaires not so much for their hypocriticall holinesse as indeed for the Dignitie and repute of the Place and Seat their Citie of Rome hauing beene the Lady of the world and the eyes of all men being fixt on that Place brought at length most Princes of Christendome as Factions grew betwixt them to make profitable vse of their friendship either to appease their Aduerfaries or vnder colour of their Excommunications and Saint Peters keyes to oppresse one another Yea and that which was most strange as Machiauell obserues in his Florentine Historie King Iohn of England vpon the dissention betweene him and his Subiects yeelded himselfe at the Popes dispose when hee durâ—â— not shew his face in Rome by reason of the Factions of the Orsini and Columneses and of the Guâ—â—ses and the Gibellines but was faine to translate the Papacie to Aâ—inion in France Whereby our Politicians may gather this remarkable Rule that things which seeme to bee and are not such in very deâ—d are more feared or regarded afarre off then at home by reason of the vncertaine knowledge which strangers haue of other mens states Thus may all good Christians note by what meanes the Church of Rome arriued to her Greatnesse and how like a Foxe by little and little the Pope crept vp to the double Supremacie which Saint Peter and the blessed Apostles neuer once dreamed nor would our Sauiour Christ by any meanes accept of the Temporall Sword For hee vtterly defied the Deuill when hee motioned vnto him of an Earthly Kingdome And when some purposed afterwards to make him King he forsooke that Coast. To conclude this point of the Popes Supremacie Pope Hildebrand whom some call Gregory the seuenth after much contestation with the Emperour and his Gibellines was the first which triumphed ouer him about one thousand yeeres after Christ. Of whom an ancient Historiographer thus testifieth To this man only doth the Latin Church ascribe that she is free and pluckt out of the Emperours hands By his meanes she stands enriched with so much wealth and Temporall Power By his meanes shee stands inriched with so much wealth and
Phisicians to take care ouer all the English Sailers which from thenceforth should hazard their liues to the Indies He likewise commanded the East Indies Company to be more bountifull to the poore Widowes whose Husbands chanced to miscarry in their seruice Lastly his Maiestie caused the London Merchants to ioyne together for the prosecuting further of the Northwest passage and for the honour of those braue spirits which had already aduentured their persons in the discouery to ingraue on a brazen Table these verses following and the same to place as a Frontispice on the Delphicke Palace Orbis in Occiduâ latitat via parte sub Arcto Ducit ad Eoum quâ— magis apta mare Dux Frobisherus Dauis Hudson et inclitus ausis Buttonus validis hanc petiere viam Cambria non tantum sed et Anglia laudibus effert Te Buttone suis aequiparátque Dâ—ako De quot te memorem saluum euasisse periclis Sint testes Indus Maurus IeÌ„rnus Iber. Non glomerata tibi Glacies imperuia ferro Non Hyemis longae nix numerosa nocet Quin tunc vlterius transisses altera naui Obuia succedens sireleuasset onus Albioné mque nouam nobis incognita Meta Tum benc vulgasset per fretanostramaris Neere to the Pole there lurkes within the West A shorter way to saile into the East Braue Furbisher Danis and bold Hudson Sought out this way with the valiant Button Not onely Wales but England rings his name And with great Drake compares our Buttons fame Though Ireland Spaine India and Affrick rage To beare the brunts of his stout Pilgrimage Yet they will prize him more when more they know How he endur'd a winter deep with ' Snow For eight moneths space besides the Icy hills Which Natures eares with strange amazemeÌ„t fils And if supplies had come in his distresse New Pillars he like those of Hercules Had raisd but with Plus vltra in the place Where Drakes new Albion waites for Britaines race CHAP. 8. The Merchants of Lisbone doe complaine on the English and Hollanders for trading into the East Indies for Spices Drugs and other Commodities Apollo reiecteth their complaints and aduiseth how they may saile thither with lesser inconueniences then heretosore APollo hauing giuen order to the Inhabitants of Great Britaine to set forwards some Shippes for the discouery of the North west passage word was presently brought to the Portingals that his Maiestie had interessed the Protestants in the Trade of Spiceries Whereupon the City of Lisbone sent to Parnassus foure of their most substantiall Citizens where being arriued they made meanes by Osorius one of their learned Bishops to haue a full Audience of their matter the next Court day which fell out on the fift of Iune last 1626. as Menante the grand Post-master deliuered the last weeke at Paris But Mercurius Gallobelgicus affirmeth otherwise that this weighty cause was discussed on the ninth of Iune Such is the disparity of iudgements and inequality of reports that wee cannot rightly be informed by any of these Currents concerning those passages which happen in our neerest times How much lesse then shall we credit Historiographers of elder ages which haue left vs the occurrences of many memorable affaires which ought to serue as mirrours to posterity Howsoeuer most true it is that the East Indy Cause was decided before the sunne entred into the Tropick of Cancer in this Moneth of Iune last The ground of the Plaintiffes suit was fixed most vpon the Diuision which Pope Alexander the sixt made betwixt the House of Castile and the House of Portingall about 120. yeares past that all the whole world then newly discouered or to bee discouered should equally be shared betwixt them both the East Indies to belong vnto the Portingals and the West Indies to the Castilians the same to haue and to hold to either of the said Nations their Factors and Agents for euer warranted contra omnes gentes Vnder colour of which authenticke Patent they freely inioyed the same vntill the bold English and Hollanders lately intrâ—ded into their Liberties and haue vsurped many of the Coasts in those rich Countries Apollo not wont suddenly without mature deliberation to order causes of such high consequences sent for Peter Martyr the Author of the Decades and asked him how that Partition became ratified Peter Martyr now a member of the Corporation of Parnassâ—â—s and not daring to conceale the verity of that businesse from the sincere Head of the vertuous Society answered that indeed such a Capitulation was treated of betwixt those Princes and that iust as the said Commissioners intended to diuide the whole world by certaine Lines and imaginary points in the Globe they were quite put out of their agreements by a Knauish Boy who at that time accidentally bathed himselfe in a riuer neere vnto them as they debated of these Lines and hearing the Commissioners varying and wrangling about the drawing of these new Lines he turned his backe side vnto them and wished them to forme the same equally as if they should delineat from the Center of his Ano and so taking the same for a patterne the one halfe should appertaine to the one and the other halfe to the other Vpon which ridiculous interruption the Commissioners being abashed and ashamed that a Childe should touch so seriously vpon their Masters ambition they departed leauing the partition vnperfect Apollo perceiuing that the Portingals drift was to ingrosse the whole Trade of Spiceties as a Monopoly preiudiciall to others of the Christian Profession vtterly misliked their a spiring and greedy purposes and after some bitter exprobration of their Couetousnesse hee framed this speech vnto them In going about to appropriate the whole world to your selues yee seeke to ecclipse the power of the Omnipotent to forestall the wonderfull Art of Nauigation and by keeping backe the Protestants to let the Mahumetans still to ioyne with you in this beneficiall Trade I confesse your Nation deserues to be commended for your discoueries of the Cape of Good Hope vnder Vasco de Gama But afterwards for you to ingrosse into your hands more Coasts and Trades then yee are able to mannage is meere auarice and a wrong to your Creator who happily by these your Neighbours aduentures may in time to come discouer as yet more vnknowne Countries and settle in those remote places the word of God euen beyond New Guiny where more Noble Nations doe yet reside then yee haue found out What greater glory can arriue to this part of the world then to search into the vttermost parts of those Southerne Regions In all ciuill Countries the Inhabitants must as well looke into the Artificiall waies of acquiring wealth as into the naturall meanes abounding in the places of their abode This consists in Corne Cattell Wooll Lead Tinne or in the like Commodities which are ordinarily and without much Art deriued from their natiue Seates The other depends on their industry and more curious skill to work vpon those materialls as