Castello Rodrigo Signior Gondomar if there remaine any more newes from England impart it freely we are I hope of one minde Quoth the Arch-bishop of Toledo I haue heard that since this little time of respite and freedome wherein the Catholique Religion hath taken breath a little there haue beene many miracles done in England Yes assuredly very many quoth Gondomar I heard it credibly reported for a truth that St. Patricke visibly appeared to many Religious Priests and Friers at his Purgatory This is as true as St. Francis cate a Spider and scratched her againe out of his thigh confirming and preaching vnto them dayly prophesing moreouer a great time of percution ere long to befall vpon them Moreouer our Blessed Lady appeared to an English mayd arraied as bright as the Sunne with the Moone vnder her feete whereupon she became wholy to be conuerted Catholique No doubt quoth the Duke of Medina Coeli many of this Nature are meere impostures what thinke you my L. Arch-bishop No question quoth Gonzales de Cordua I cannot be perswaded that that which they call the holy Blood of Boxall which the Bradanders and all the Netherlands visit in Pilgrimage and euery yeare lookes as red and fresh as if it had beene taken from the body but yesterday can be the very blood of Christ Nor that a young married wife shall haue a child the same yeare if she can stride ouer at once Saint Rombauts breeches at Mechlin Nor that as many of the Hollanders hold that Mary was buried at Hueclom for which cause it hath beene in times past a place by Pilgrimes much frequented since we hold her Assumption into heauen for quoth the Arch-bishop Signior Gonzales these are Contraria in eodem obiecto you are a Souldier and you know for the most part they are none of the deuoutest men I wish you rather modestly and piously with the Church that all these things are true Abuses may creepe in by accident but neuer to be publickly allowed by the Sacred Authority of the Church No how chanced it replied Gonzales that a Painter of Shertogenbosch my Lord of Gorbhendonck gouernour of the Towne I my selfe haue often seen the picture though neuer worshipped it told me the tale beeing deadly in loue with a faire and beautifull Lady neere to Pirroy Huesden and being to drawe our Ladies Image for a Chappell either in St. Iohns or some other Church in the Bosch The Church of Rome like one of her Images take off the golden coate of ceremony vnderneath it is rubbish or a rotten block to insinuate himselfe the farther into this Ladies fauour drewe her picture with her young sonne in her armes which he hung vp for our blessed Ladies picture and is at this day worshipped with great deuotion as if her selfe were discended from heauen and were there in person I cannot beleeue quoth the Arch-bishop there was any such thing if there were so long as it brings in good store of mony to the poore Priests of the Church it may easily be endured besides if these things should be ouer narrowly looked into it would hazard the credit of the Catholicke Church betraying to the vulgar and ignorant her greatest mysteries and as it were pulling off her fairest plumes expose her naked to vulgar scorne and contempt But the D. of Escalono who had sitten silent this good while now stepping vp sayd the end of our present assembly is not to trouble our selues about these by discourses and triuiall matters now it stands vs in hand to looke to our selues to prouide money men and all necessaries for the warre with all speed holding it fit to call home our Embassadour who I beleeue hereafter is like to get no better answere concerning our affaires with England then Mendoza did of Henry Cary Baron of Hunsdon and Lord Chamberlaine in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth who beeing commanded by the Q. to giue him his answere she denying him accesse by reason say the English his demaunds were insolent and vnreasonable told him the Queene hath commanded me to answere you my answere is Setting your Oranges and Limmons aside a figge for your Embassage his meaning was sauing for sause for their Hennes and Capons they could liue neither caring for vs nor our Country A Banquet sent out of Spaine to Prince Charles not long since It seemeth quoth Villa Hermosa they care not much for that neither for when as a various and a delicate Banquet such as Spaine afforded was sent ouer whether by your selfe my L. Olivares your Lady or some other to the Prince of Wales I heard that the Prince touched not any whit of it but the figges and other iunkettings were giuen some to one some to another and at last refused euen of Boyes and Pages for feare there should be dropped in a figge or two worse rellished then their fellowes Then Castello Rodrigo stood vp and sayd Spice the English are so bufie at home to prouide for themselues and happily to offend some body else whom yet we know not let vs also timely prouide least we be to seeke paries cum proximus ardet and like true hearted Patriots and loyall Subiects to our Catholique King and Country euery one sincerely and freely deliuer his opinion and reasons how our Religion our selues friends and allyes might be best secured in case the storme should fall on our heads for this was the maine end of our meeting Then quoth the Duke of Medina Signior Gondomar since you are best acquainted with the state and affaires of England giue your aduise what is best to be done whither to haue open warre with them to wind them vp still with new pretences and ouertures of the Match or to entertaine a seeming league of amity and vnity and the Infanta to take her Fortune else where For the first quoth Gondomar I vtterly disallow it that we vpon no apparant ground Spaine vnwilling to be at oddes with England and probable reason should prouoake so potent and irreconcilable a Nation who are content to let vs alone so that they may enioy their peace and quiet you know the danger of awaking a sleepie Lyon but hereof by the way I will tell you a pretty and a pleasant accident of a sleepie dogge that happened at my beeing in England one D. W. well knowne about Paules and Feete-streete in London a place whereto I many times resorted for some priuate occasion finding his Dogge a great huge Mastiue lying fast a sleepe by his Kitchin fire A tale of D. W. Dogge sayd to a friend that stood by my Dogge is fast a sleepe I will to wake him go hallow in his eare hee no sooner began to hallow but the Dogge vsed to no such alarmes leaped vp and laying his forefeete on his Maisters shoulders tare him downe on eyther cheeke from the eyes almost to the mouth Let vs by no meanes hallow in the eares of the English For first we are not so
moysture are plaine simple nothing so religious contemners withall of the glorious ceremonies of our Church wherewith we haue drawne more Heathen in eyther India to Christianity in one yeare then they can with their Lutheran and Caluinisticall Sermons in all their liues This very selfe same thing quoth Gonzales I once vrged by way of argument to an Earle of Germany who was a professed Lutheran Heritique and his reply herein was so are fooles and children taken with bells gilt pouches and colours and our Ladies and faire Gentlewomen we see oftentimes woed and wonne onely with a braue out-side on the back of a base knaue when an honest man and of deseruing parts is reiected in a plaine and ordinary suite of cloathes and not held worthy the looking after They talke as they are quoth Gondomar I am sure these drew more to my little priuate Chappell in Holborne then their best Preachers of Sermons could doe to any Church they had But quoth the Duke of Hijaz it may be they hate vs for the same cause that France Germany Italy and the rest of the Countryes of Europe for that many of vs are discended of the Moorish race wherefore we are termed of them in Italy Marani and of other Moros Blancos and Nue Vos Christianos For indeede it was but in the yeare 1492. when Granado was recouered from the Moores Mahomet sirnamed the Little and sonne of Muley Albohaceu being King thereof though Toledo and Cordona long before and it may be they hold vs still infected with Moorish mindes and a spice of their manners though they are assured wee are Christians yea and the most Catholique too I heare quoth Signior Gondomar it is obiected in their now present Parliament that in all treatises for the space of these two hundred yeares Spaine hath dealt with the English fide punica neuer kept touch with them in any serious capitulation but euer ayming at her owne ends vsed theyr aliance and freindshippe but as a stale or stalking-horse ouer their backes to shoote at others or serue her owne necessities for the present and hereof their Antiquaries they say haue found many presidents Among others they affirme and proue to the preiudice of our Treaty that Charles the fift was first himselfe bethrothed to Queene Mary and I know vpon what tricke and policie he vntied himselfe againe and vsed the meanes to conferre her vpon Prince Philip his Sonne But the very truth is they carry a vindictiue resolution against vs euer since our intended conquest of them in 88. and peraduenture the powder-plot in 1605. which yet seemeth Manere alta mente repostum Indeed Henrie the 4. of France sirnamed the GREAT laboured at one time a reconsiliation betweene vs but he found the rootes of eithers discontent so deepe and the sore so vnsaluable that hee gaue it ouer in the end Touching mine owne person I was generally hated I confesse of the common people for no other cause I imagine then for the great grace and fauour I was in with his Maiestie vnto whom I had free accesse at all times and his gracious eare to any reasonable suite or request I could demaund the particulars of the Seruice I did to the King my Master whom God long preserue I thinke are not knowne vnto you I omitting no one houre or minute of time wherein I did not benefit either him by my seruice my selfe by experience or a freind by a good turne For during the time of my abode in England and whilest I lay in London I got partly by the meanes of well affected freinds and partly by mine owne experience for in sommertime vnder the colour of taking the ayre I would take vew of the countrie I had perfect knowledge of the estate of the whole Land for there was no Fortification Hauen Creeke or Landing place about the Coast of England but I got a platforme and draught thereof I learned the depth of all their Channels I was acquainted with all Sands Shelues Rocks Riuers that might impeach or make for inuasion I had perpetually in a Role the names of all the Ships of King Iames his Nauy Royall I knewe to a haire of what burthen euery ship was what Ordinance she carried what numbers of Saylors who were the Captaines for what places they were bound which were in repaire and fit for seruice and which not I knewe the strength of the Tower of London what Armour Ordinance small shot and powder it might afford You knowe moreouer my Lords I acquainted the King my maister with Sir Walter Raleighs intended voyge to Guiana and euery particular thereof when it was but in embroyne and when he himselfe vowed onely three were acquainted with his purpose and resolution but the fourth should neuer know what he intended vntill he had set footing in America yet I say I knew what he aimed at what courses he ment to hold where to land what places he meant to surprise what forces he carried and by what way he resolued to returne with all which particulars as I haue already said I acquainted you long ere he went and he was no sooner gone but I was assured I had his head at my deuotion to take it when I listed hauing sufficient matter to alledge against him and at last though his treason for which he stood condemned many yeares before was the hatchet yet the hand was mine that gaue him the blow for it concerned vs aboue all the rest in case we should fall off from England and burst out into our old enmitie to make away with him who would haue proued the onely Boutifeu and Cendiarie of the world in stirring vp the hatred of the English and other Nations against vs he being a darling of our late deadliest enimie Queene Elizabeth and one of the last men to be borne of those great spirits and experienced Captaines the time of her raigne produced His Majesty I humbly thanke him tooke especiall notice of this seruice of mine and as it was told me gaue me great thankes for it aboue the rest I was no lesse diligent for the discouerie of the Inland then for the Shores and Sea-coasts For there was neuer a Sheire in England but I better know the estate power and qualitie thereof then the Inhabitants euen the best of them themselues did I could in particular relate the nature of the soyle what power of men and horse they were able to raise who were the cheife and of most abilitie and credit in the countrey who the most antient Gentlemen what they were worth in their reuenues and estates how they stood affected in Religion who were Puritanes and who Catholiques and among Catholiques who stood for vs and who for such there were were indifferent or against vs. And which moreouer is of equall consequence there was not a Sermon preached at Paules Crosse or indeed in any other Church of the City or place in the Kingdome that did but touch the hemme of my maisters garment
or the Treaty of the Match a whit since he found here the greatest content he could deuise he had a sight of the Lady Maria la Infanta his Mistris whose selfe knowne and seene exceeded her fame he was entertained and attended vpon by the most compleate and generous Nobles of Europe and had that entertainment no Nation could afford the like Lastly Maiorem habemus fidem ijs quae occulis vsurpamus quam quae auribus haurimus Quoth the Duke of Escalonia the effect hath fallen out quite contrary for the English report since their comming home they neuer came into a baser Countrey in their liues where they could get meat neither for themselues nor their horses Great want of victuall prouision in Spaine nor saw so much as one handfull of grasse in two hundred miles riding and if they dined at one place they were faine to goe 30. or 40. miles ere they could get any thing to their supper He that surfers are a Spaniards Table trust me I will pay for his physicke and then perhaps a peece of leane Kid or Cabrito a Tripe Tone's or such like indeede I remember when the Prince lay at Madrid wee were faine to send seauenteene miles off for a Calfe for his Highnesse dyet as for Mutton we may kill none without especiall Licence from the King for fish our Riuers affoord none and wee being most temporate our selues how should our dyet agree with their stomackes who are accounted the greatest feeders of the World I verily beleeue indeede quoth Gondomar that those places they call in England East-cheape and Smith-field Barres kills and vtters more Beefe and Mutton in a month then all Spaine cats in seauen yeares which plenty our men meeting withall at our first comming ouer into England and since some who attended Don Iniosa as I lately heard did ouer eat themselues and died shortly after The poore and miserable surface of our Country The Princes going ouer in person was happy for England quoth Escalona the scarcitie of victuall and hardnesse of lodging was not all the Prince of Wales by comming in Person discouered our plot and found how faire soeuer wee pretended wee meant nothing lesse when he thinking as also did the King of Great Brittaine his Father nothing had beene wanting to the absolute consummation of the marriage but the Rites of the Church he found all as Raw and as backward as he had beene all this while in a dreame and no such matter euer thought of so that he found the Honnor of our glorious entertainment to be but as a delicate sawce to help digestion The Marques of Castello Rodrigo then stepping vp said I will adde one thing more and whereof if he liues he vowes not to be vnmindfull of and that is as I am inform'd Adde moreouer the digging vp of tho bodies of our buried dead casting them into the Sea some affronts done him by the Clergie as that rude and barbarous putting him out of a Church which his Highnesse came in to view the arresting and taking away of a young youth a Page who attended I think on Maister Mounteague in a manner from his heeles which young Gentleman they say cannot be heard of to this day with that insolent and affrican pride of restraining him from that liberal accesse and conuerse not denied elsewhere to a meane person with the Lady Maria Infanta his Mistris which Princes by their his owne right may Challenge he being equivalent in birth and the rarest endowments of body and minde to any Prince whatsoeuer in the world with whom in all his time of his being here he had not aboue twice talked and then before either the Queene or your selfe Signior Olivares or some other if he had any thing to say afterward it was by vs to be penned to his hand and to be spoken before witnesse we must assuredly think and expect that so great and eminent a Prince and the darling of that Nation howsoeuer he could wisely smoother his discontent among vs in Spaine we may one day perhaps finde the fruites of our double dealing and the effects of his haught and incensed courage well knowing how like a young Lion though yet in his Denne and scarce acquainted with ranging his teeth and nayles are growne to that length that he is past iesting or playing withall Indeede my L. Olivares you are much blamed for that discouery and light you gaue to Buckingham of our designe The Infanta by her Faherts will bequeathed to the Emperors Sonne and the secret and tenor of the last Kings will wherein he charged vs not to match with England But rather to hold a faire Treaty with them hauing as you all know bequeathed Maria the Infanta to the Emperours Sonne so that now the English suppose themselues manifestly deluded Quoth the Duke of Sesa they know it well enough and I beleeue wee shall finde them so sensible of it that wee had beene better to haue playd faire then to hazard the loosing of our rest by such an encounter Now I pray you let vs take into our considerations the mischeifes which are like to follow First it is thought herevpon they haue called a Parliament which consisteth of the King Prince all the Lords Spirituall and Temporall or the Gentry and Commons of the ablest iudgments and vnderstanding in the Land vnto this Parliament the King they say hath wholy referred himselfe not onely for the examination and redresse of all abuses and misdemeanors at home but for the discussing and searching into all plots and practices of others abroad The Vnity sweet consent of the King his people in this present Parliameent obserued that may seeme any way to preiudice the quiet and well gouerned estate of his Kingdomes without interposition or mediation so that the King and people goe all on and together with that alacrity and constancy in prouiding for the good estate of the Kingdome as the like hath no beene seene these nany yeeares Prince CHARLES himselfe being there early and late assiduus accubuus amongst them whom I am informed with the Duke of Buckingham wee haue our prime and principall opposers A diffiernce betweene the Duke of Buckingham and Count Olivars which the Papist giue out though falsly to be the first occasion of the breach of the match I must confesse quoth Count Olivares there fell a difference betweene the Duke of Buckingham and my selfe which some haue rashly and inconsiderately giuen out to be the onely cause of this breach for they say before that time all things went forward in as faire a way as might be Indeede quoth Toledo the Catholikes of England haue so giuen it out laying all the fault vpon the Duke of Buckingham who is not guiltie of any such thing I will excuse him that peece was hammered vpon our owne Anuile Buckingham is a Noble Wise and Generous Prince vpon whom the King his Maister hath deseruedly conferred his grace