who haue been forward in my cause who haue plentifullie bestowed their wealth to maintaine mee and who haue not feared to dye to doe mee good And shee perswading that Trueth sent her to direct them hath so much preuailed with a great number that howsoeuer for other faultes in the bloodie woundes of an afflicted conscieuce there is none either so careles without remorse or so profanely wicked without feare but that relenting at the faultes which they haue done remaine grieued yet falselie suborned by her meanes neither the most fatall warres dragging the infants from their mothers breasts drawing them from out their wombes slaying them in their cradles rauishing their wiues and daughters wasting their countries burning their houses defacing their temples violating their sepulchers performing all crueltie forgetting all curtesie to those that were borne amongst them nor the ciuill slaunders in the time of peace performed against them in malicious manner who sought my prosperitie aboue their owne safety these and such like I say and if ought else can bee thought of greater then these are are done and without remorse vpon the false surmife of true Religion Iudge now if euer creature of my innocencie and I may boldly stand to iustifie my own integrity hath had greater cause to complaine of wrong more iust reason to suspect violence more true grounds of vndoubted feare then I that haue sued and am not heard haue lowdely spoken and not regarded haue infinitelie deserued and not rewarded It is obiected against me that the first murder was committed by my meanes that Cayn had neuer laide violent hands vpon Abel if in religion he had not been farre more righteous And if the Persians had not supposed that to bee prophane which the Greekes beleeued to bee most holy Xerxes had not come from Asia to Grecce he had not spoyled their townes burnt their temples and done them thousand wrongs but falsely supposed by my meanes Thus discord grew betwixt the Egyptians and the Hebrues and both contended which should bee my followers but if I had not been proudly confronted with a base strumpet and that my honour had not been therein hazarded wherein it was infamie to cōtend I had quietly rested though with some disgrace and had liued contented though with losse of credit Nay rather giue me leaue womanlike to complain though hopelesse without reliefe of wrongs offered to my person in stead of offering I haue suffered in stead of doing I haue receiued such manifest violence such apparant wrongs such secret disgraces such open iniuries as when I shall make report what I haue indured for my names sake the red sea shall disagree as once it did and part a sunder the Sunne shall be amazed as sometimes it was and stand still Nay shame shall darken it and it shall hide it selfe to heare the reports but what I haue suffered at first I was put to flie out of Aegypt with sixe hundred thousand besides women and children pursued by Cencres the King of Aegypt and if heauen in the middest of my distresse had not made the raging sea to be a drie land so many had perished for my sake But then I must needes confesse after a tempest came a calme for humiliation I had honor authoritie for feare and in stead of Aegypt I possessed Canaan and although the power of my almightie from whence I came casting a snaffle into the mouth of the red sea made him that he durst not attēpt to doe me violence yet I liued not long in the land of Canaan but like a Nightingale I had thornes to awake me to keepe me singing and soone after false she that tearmed herself by my name caused dissention amongst her children brought me in daunger by my owne followers thē were my fauorers diuided together with Roboam and Ieroboam their Kings not long after was I with Israel cut off from the house of Dauid and first transported into Assyria where I remained captiue then with Iuda making my habitation within Ierusalem I was pitifully afflicted lamentablie spoyled cruellie taken by Nabuchadnezzar the King of the Assyrians who pulled downe her walles burned her temple the Kings pallace tooke away the golden vessels dedicated by Salomon to my vse put out Sedechias eyes bound him with brasen chaines and spoyled the bookes of my lawe which after miraculously were restored by my Scribe Esdras thus was I handled by the Greekes Alexanders successors ruling in Syria who would haue compelled my people to haue yeelded to their maners especially that proudly famous and so tearmed King Antiochus who tooke the ornaments and vessels of the Temple which had been restored by them of Persia ruinating againe Ierusalem new built forbad my burnt offerings sacrifices and such like to deface me and make me basely an exile to the Greekish ceremonies neither was I onely thus handled by them but those who at this day are my sworne enemies I meane the Romanes who extended their Empire into that corner where I dwelt placing their Images within my Temple setting their Eagles ouer my portals from whence proceeded abundance of superstitions but I had been throughly wounded before that by my owne countrimen at Christs death who had giuen mee so great a blow as that in iustice for my sake they were sacked by the Romanes and to this present wheresoeuer they abide they are poore practising base trades as Usurie and Broaking made subiect to extreame tributes paying continual tasks and yet without houses lands or other possessions not retaining so much as the shadowe of a Common wealth since that I cruelly was banished frō amongst them yet notwithstanding all the calamities which they suffered could not keepe them from contending amongst the Christians they grounded their false poynts vpon the old Testament so that after al this they were chased from France England Spayne by reason of blasphemies which they vomited out against Christ Iesus thus the Mahometists tearmed my people Miscreants vowed themselues for their sworne enemies And howsoeuer these were harmes which in the weaknes of my fauourers I could not defende without flight yet if among Christians themselues I had not been pursued with as great hatred at this time I should not neede to haue complained of wrong But now seeing bloudie warres haue happened betwixt those that were my owne children where I their mother intreating in most kind tearmes was not free from daunger nor could exempt them from spoyle let the world iudge if euer any receiued greater wrong thē I haue suffered The Greekes and the Romanes both contended so long for my fauour till both were content to forsake me quite and to make me perish if it had been possible for vndoubtedly I had dyed but that I was immortall Arrius came from Aegypt to sheath his sword within my
periods of time he disanulleth changeth and altereth their estates as it pleaseth him This sheweth Salomon plainly where he sayth Because of Iniustice Kingdomes are translated from one place to another for the sinnes of the land some after others are made Princes and by reason of a wise and vnderstanding man the Empire is more durable Thus wee may see the reason of the contrarietie in respect of the chaunge of the periods aboue mentioned Master Peucer treating the difference of them sayth that three sorts of sins are noted in the holie scripture which principally cause the ruines changes of a common wealth Impietie ruinating the Church Iniustice corrupting the Common wealth and Lecherie destroying the familie with which Pride is intermedled their seueral harmes redound vnto al for this cause Intemperancie Pride mixt is noted by the Poet to bee most speciall for the subuerting of a state Nam caetera regna Luxuries vitijs odijsque superbia vertit Aristotle ascribing the chaunge of Empyres to sinnes comprehendeth them all vnder this one word of inequalitie the difference of the degrees of honor and dignities and that for vertue although not for religion But the causes and occasions going before these chaunges consist in the manners and actions of men which all are not of the same sort but exceeding diuers And therefore the same author addeth and reproueth the former opiniō that states are troubled by diuers meanes I take it here not a thing impertinent seeing the subiect of our matter to stay a little and examine somewhat the opinion of some authors which are willing to set down rules to iudge of the happenings for the euents and chaunges of Common wealths Amongst others Plato ascribeth not this either to a celestiall influence nor to the motion of starres but to the dissolution of Harmonie This is his opinion but wee finde at this day a great contrarietie amongst the late writers for the true vnderstanding of Plato his mind and chiefly of the word Harmonie Master Iohn Bodin is of that minde that this Harmonie is to bee vnderstood of tunes melodious sounds For the better interpretation whereof and the more to confirme his opinion in the fourth booke of his Politicks he hath made the forme of a Triāgle with certaine numbers thereupon to groūd a musicall harmonie and so apply it to Plato his opinion Wherein he is reprehended by Master Augier Ferrier Lord of Castillon who making the distinction of the word Harmonie to put away all equiuocatiōs sayth that the word Harmonie is a generall terme applied to all things well beseeming and to all good proportions to all Common wealths well framed to all families well ordered and generally to euery thing iustly and orderly disposed of perfect measure and of fine accorde So the Phisitians call the best constitutions of bodie The Musitians take the word otherwise and referre it to tunes melodious soundes and so Plato saying that Common wealths come to ruine when the harmonie faileth that is to say when the policie the lawes the order the vnion of the inhabitants is broken vseth the word in the first signification for it is then that a way is open to troubles seditions whatsoeuer And speaking to Master Bodin thinke you sayth he that Plato vnderstood that of tunes melodious sounds which Plato neuer thought of concerning the change of Kingdomes and Common-wealths And giuing another reason against the former interpretation hee saith that all proportion is not song or melodie although otherwise it bee a harmonie for his good structure and equall figure he alleadgeth onely this place for the defence of the true vnderstanding of that which Plato wrote and of the word Harmonie for concerning the maine poynt Bodin himselfe is of that opinion that changing or preseruation of Common wealths no way depends on the Harmonie of soundes But a man ought more to feare it when the citizens begin to stray from the naturall harmonie of good lawes wel ordered and from manners rightly disposed to lawes customes and maners vnlawfull wicked and pernicious although he denyeth not that Harmonie of sounds hath a great force and effect to chaunge a Common wealth for sayth he we haue a memorable exāple of the Cynethian Common wealth in Arcadia which hauing forsakē the pleasure of Musicke soone after fell to seditions and ciuill warres attributing the effect to Musicke to appease and mollifie a people so barbarous and sauage By meanes whereof he confesseth that this causeth the naturall harmonie of well agreeing lawes which causeth mē to continue in good and perfect order and thereupon followeth the preseruation of the Common wealth It is verie likely that Musicke hath a great force to appease the minds of men as diuers examples may giue vs witnesse namely of Saul and Pythagoras who as well before as after his sleepe vsed a certaine Musicall and melodious Harmonie And as Censorin speaketh Vt animum sua semper diuinitate imbueret To furnish the minde with the diuinitie of it The same author sayth that Asclepiades the Phisitian vsed ordinarily a musicall harmonie to call furious and phreneticall spirits to their own nature and there upon is it common sayth he Ut legionibus in acie dimicantibus metus mortis classico depellatur in nauis metu vel vt facilius laborem sufferant à vectore Symphonia adhibetur Yet notwithstanding he teacheth vs that Musicke at this day hath not the effect to withstand the sedition of our age because she hath lost much of her anciēt nimblenes by reason whereof Musicke is not esteemed of all equally in generall On the other side we may obserue the opinion of those who would iudge of the chaunge of Kingdomes although they are founded vpon a ground ruinous as those who build vpon the Horoscopies of townes thereby to iudge of Common wealths Imagining that some Planets and fixt Starres are the workers and contriuers of the worldes aduentures of which by reason of their incertitude I will not speake as being a thing meerely ridiculous to referre the acts manners of men cities and particular euents to any such cause Others as curiously obseruing the same matter concerning the state of kingdomes haue not onely noted the yeares but the moneths as Master Iohn Bodin who saith that if we marke the great and notable changes of states and kingdomes we shall finde the most parte to haue been in September in which moneth the lawe of God gaue his beginning to all the world and for better confirming his opinion hee giueth diuerse examples amongst others the great victorie of Augustus against Marc. Anthonie which happened the second day of September being a contention for the greatest Empire that euer was Paulus Aemilius changed the great Empire of Macedoma into many popular estates and sent King Perseus prisoner to Rome obtaining
to appeare oftentimes the euēts which resemble the true that should happen and hereupon he forgeth these false predictions But seeing that by the effects of celestiall bodies the vnlearned themselues are able to iudge of their force and vertue notwithstanding from all antiquitie there hath been found contrarietie of opinions amongst them who will iudge soundly in Astrologie wherefore it shall not bee impertinent to this purpose to handle a word or two for the examining of the certaintie or vncertaintie of them thereby the better to vnderstand this which I haue in hand the rather because Astrologie it selfe is placed amongst Diuinations Some of great learning would whollie make it frustrate and exclude it from the liberall Arts as teaching vs prestigious false surmises vnder trueths colour Some are so foolish that they giue vnto it the force of gouerning the whole world namely all that which may happen to men not daring to attempt or vndertake any thing in the world without the fauour of the starres and celestiall bodies Others that haue better iudged of it haue not ascribed vnto them an absolute power but an intermediate vertue amongst the rest The reason of such as wholly contemne the Art without ascribing vnto it anie vertue or force at all is grounded vpon the vncertaintie of it as being onely builded vpon vncertaine coniectures without the true demonstration of things whervpon onely trueth depends But those that do auouch the vertue of them suppose in the first place that God sayd in the beginning that he made lights that he placed them in the heauens to separate night from day and to be for signes and seasons for dayes and yeares From this place they reason thus that Nature made nothing in vaine since that all creatures are made for some certaine end but these creatures day lie doe the same workes by their order and course appoynted them of God and the end of that which they doe is their operation now the starres doe by the order of nature that which the Art of Astronomie saith hath bin found out by experience and afterward approued by many reasons Then the end of the starres is that for which they were created Likewise the demonstrations of things are taken from celestiall causes and their effects obserued of a long timed experience by the influence intension remission accesse and recesse of starres for euen as in the seede the vertue of those things is hid which it bringeth foorth euen so in the starres is hid the force of that likewise giuing the effect of a naturall elementarie change which is incontinently perceiued of them who before haue searched by supputation the caelestiall motions and haue attained by long experience to knowe the course of things with the euents and effects The reason is for euen as wee iudge of the force of things which wee feele by their effect euen so wee iudge of the force of Starres by the experience we haue from the long reach of their effects And although their force being hid vnto vs is not so apparantly discouered and clerely seene notwithstanding the ordinarie signes shew them and the common obseruations of long experience make thē to bee easilie knowne so that those who haue this foresaid experience may easily foretell by an euident coniecture the ordinarie effect of the Starres But thereby to foretell of the natiuities of men which the Greekes cal pronosticon Geneseon that which may happen vnto them in such a yeare or such a day it is hard for a man to giue credit to them so that it be not for the searching of naturall causes in that manner as wee haue spoken before For as Master Beza speaketh in a certaine epistle of iudiciall Astrologie If any one would haue foretolde that the Empyre of Augustus should haue endured so long it should likewise haue beene necessarie to haue diuined what should haue happened of Brutus Cassius Lepidus and Anthonie his aduersaries which would haue brought a man into a labyrinth not easely auoyded So likewise speaking of the vsage of the former searching hee referres them onely to complexions and dispositions of bodies by meanes whereof one may iudge if such a man will become melancholicke or whether he will be subiect to such or such sickenesses This opinion is confirmed somewhat by that of Diogenes the Stoike notwithstanding the Phisitians themselues are able to iudge of all things aboue mentioned by signes and Symptoms more certaine and yet there of the profite is not great Others who vnder a shewe of religion haue contemned the Astrologicall science alledge for reason the place of Ieremie saying Let them stand and saue thee the Southsayers of heauē which gaze on the starres and cast the moneths to tell thee of things to come yet notwithstanding the true meaning of that place is no whit to condemne or detest the foresaide science but onely the superstitious abuse of it which hath been brought in by little and little by those who by meanes of their Diabolicall artes and vnder the hope of some base gayne haue corrupted the true knowledge of it Others erroniouslie haue sought out all the secrets of the world by meanes of caelestiall causes in such sort that continuing in the same superstition they are at the length fallen into so great abuse that they will gouerne all their actions according to the course and demonstration of Starres preferring their Pronostications before Gods promises From hence proceedeth the superstitious elections of workes good or bad gouerned according to the twelue signes of heauen in like manner the dayes fortunate and vnfortunate with the angles and circles forged by the Philosopher Pythagoras to knowe by the composition of numbers and letters which it conteined intermediating the obseruation of the day of the moneths and the Planets all that any man desired to know To conclude from hence is it come to passe that some are perswaded that the soules abide in the Moone others were perswaded that as soone as she lost her light she was inchaunted and for that cause in olde time they were wont to sound Trumpets Tabrets Cornets and other instruments to remedie that to the intent to driue away those inchauntments or as Lipsius vpon Tacitus saith Ad leuandos lunae labores To ease the moone of her trauailes Plutarch Liuie others haue made mention also of it And Iuuenall saith Cum frustra resonant aera auxiliaria Lunae Furthermore many haue adored and acknowledged the Planets for their gods chiefely the Sunne whereunto all the gods of the Panims may bee referred and agree as Macrobius noteth and as Histories are full The tractes and steppes as it were of this Idol-madnes may appeare in the lawes of the Romans Titul de Coelicolis Iudaeis Likewise in the Scripture in the 7. and 47. chapter of Ieremie God conuert all those who yet worship
the Poets song Claudianus O nimium dilecta Deo cui militat aether Et coniurati veniunt ad classica venti On the other side GOD reuealeth sometimes the truth of things to come by the meanes of some men who are of good life and fearing God wherein the dreame of Mardocay concerning Queene Esther his Neece of Aman as it is written in the booke of Hester shall serue vs for example In like manner the dreame of Anthonie the Hermit who dreamed that he sawe hogs which pulled down the Altars with their feet and awaking sayd that the Church of God should come to bee spoyled and wasted by whoremasters adulterers c. as afterward it came to passe Philip Melanchton noteth this prophesie against the voluptuous life of the Monks Priests Many such like dreames may be found out in the course of histories Now these dreames whereof wee haue spoken and all such as are of the same sort are acknowledged for good by the conformitie which they haue to the will of GOD and to the trueth of the dreame as God himselfe hath taught vs in the 23. of Ieremie saying The Prophet that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame and he that hath my word let him speake my word faithfully c. Furthermore the histories of all ages do teach vs that God manifesteth sometimes the trueth of some things by the meanes of inspiration onely without dreame which fashion of prophesying is put in the second degree of prophesies and this he doth when as one perceiueth waking somthing which entreth into his soule which he may vtter to the praise of God and his workes wherein God vseth such persons as it pleaseth him And although it may seeme needles to haue many prophecies by reason that by many visions and diuine reuelations continued in the holy Scripture wee are alreadie assured of Gods trueth and good pleasure yet notwithstanding histories besides experience haue declared vnto vs that we haue such daylie and that God neuer ceaseth to send aduertisements to men bee it by dreame vision or any other meanes to make them knowe his will to the intent to guide and gouerne them according to the same as well for the preseruing of Empires as of his people and his owne Church Then for example of such aduertisements and diuine inspirations whereof wee now speake wee haue that of the Christian Schoolemaster in Antioch with Lybianus the Sophister when as Iulian the Emperor and also the Apostata went against the Persians who demaunded what thinkest thou that the carpenters sonne doth The other answered him the Creator of all thinges whome thou scornefully callest the Carpenters sonne is making a Cofin to intombe Iulian and soone after the newes came that Iulian was slaine The most admirable foresight of the Philosopher Cratippus although he were a heathen deserueth to be accounted amongst diuine predictions who then when as Pompey demaunded of him if he were vanquisht in a iust cause and a farre better one then his enemies answered that a state and common wealth vitious and corrupt required a gouernour to bee a Monarch and that so the periods of Empires were fatall that the Common wealth of the Romans should change at that instant as afterward it happened to an absolute Monarchie The prediction of Saint Iohn the Euangelist is not amisse for this purpose who being in Ephesus and going to the Bathes founde in the same place Cerinthus the Sophister blaspheming the name of God hee hearing it said vnto his companions Let vs goe hence for this house will presently fall vpon the blasphemer and his auditors hee was no sooner gone but the house fell to the grounde vpon Cerinthus and his company We reade also in Iosephus that in the time of Herode there was a number of Pharisies who refused to sweare to the Emperor for that cause they weare constrayned to paye a great summe of money as a recompence which was payed for them by the wife of one Pheroras in recompence thereof one amongst them reuealed a certaine secret vnto her which hee said was inspired vnto him from God namelie that God had determined in his secret counsell to roote out Herode and all his race and that the end of his kingdome was at hand as afterward it happened But it cost the Pharisies deare to haue foretolde the death of Herode for hee made them al to be put to death before Like examples to these may easilie bee founde besides in histories heere and there in holy Scriptures which I omitte for breuitie sake The late Chronicles testifie of Iohn Husse Martyr that hee tolde before his death that the kingdome of the Pope should by little and little come to ruine and vtter decaye and that out of his ashes and cynders there should rise a Swan which should not bee rosted in the same sorte as that Goose was rosted speaking of himselfe for the worde Husse in the Bohemian tongue signifieth a Goose. He foretold also that his aduersaries a hundred yeares after his death should come to answer both God and him M. Peucer speaking of the same prediction saith that the effect followed for after the Synod of Constance till the beginning of the disputatiōs of M. Luther were counted a hundred yeares At the selfe same time was fulfilled the third and last period of the 500. yeares then that darknes of errors wherewith Gods Church had been dimmed began to be dispersed and vanish away The trueth of such like inspirations are knowne by their endes as the Prophet Ieremie testifieth saying The Prophet that shall foretell of peace when his speech shall come to passe then such a Prophet shall be knowne that the Lord sent him In truth principally then when it is perceiued by diuerse circumstances that the effect wholly dependeth vpon the will of God by reason of the changing of matters of importance which we see to happen likewise wee see that God serueth himselfe with whom it pleaseth him guiding and gouerning their spirites for the execution of his works according to his good pleasure For example of our times there is extant the prediction of one Paule Greber which hee made of the estates Common wealths of Europe of the house of Burgonie and of the Lowe Countries who amongst other things which he foretold whereof many haue come to passe he named the succession of the King of Nauarre to the Crowne of France in the yeare 1589. and proceeding further in the course of that matter hee promiseth greater things to the King of Nauarre and of the good successe which hee shall haue in his affaires and of the Lowe Countries that they shall speedilie bee deliuered from the tyrannie of Spaine in one worde as the prouerbe is Halcionia promittit But comming to the yeare 1590. hee telleth of the death of a great and mightie king enemy to the former
which death saith hee shall happen in the yeare 1590. But concerning any certaintie or true coniectures in numbers either of yeares or such like wherein Master Bodin others are too curious I let them passe as matter impertinent and things of too nice nimble coniecture Then by the difference of dreames whereof wee haue spoken before by the distinction of their kinds likewise by the generall exposition of diuinations lawfull and vnlawful it may be vnderstood and easily knowne how to applie them to the alteration and chaunge of a Common wealth There be also other sorts of Diuinations besides these but because they cannot serue to iudge of the change of states by requiring a whole treatise themselues being most learnedly handled of others I haue determined wholly to let them passe as onely purposing to note out the principall and generall rules seruing for this purpose But as of all the meanes and rules which haue been obserued from antiquitie to confirme the iudgement concerning the chaunge and fall of a Common wealth there is none necessarie although God sometimes permit things to fall out according to their naturall course therfore it becommeth vs likewise to attend patiently the ende the euents of all things as God hath determined in his immutable counsell without presuming too farre by too great a curiositie vnbeseeming our blind and dull capacities And although by reason of our weaknes wee cannot sound the vnderstanding of the depth of those predictions which GOD hath made sometime by one meane sometime by other yet notwithstanding wee must not cast aside his threatnings seruing to aduertise vs of what must happen to the intent to auoyde the scourge of his wrath nor yet esteeme them as necessarie and that God cannot turne them to good but on the contrarie wholly rely vppon his mercie which is infinite towards them which repent in fit and conuenient time consider what wee haue obserued by discourse of histories and according to our capacitie touching diuinations in this kinde lawfull and vnlawfull to the intent that by their difference it may bee the better iudged what shall happē for the chang and ruines of Common wealths and of the estate of Realmes and Empires not to the intent to set downe certaine rules whereby to diuine generally of things to come against the might and authoritie of God or to giue occasiō to some to relye vpon superstitious and foolish vanities but to the intent to iudge by things past of thinges to come and by that which hath bin of that which may bee according to the naturall course appoynted vnto all things by God himselfe The chiefe kindes of Diuination vnlawfull 1. By obseruation of the flying of foules Deut. 18. 10. 2. By obseruation of Dreames Leu. 19. 3. By Sorcerie or lottes Deut. 18. 4. Per Pythones by inspiration of the diuell Leuit. 20. 5. By false and counterfeit apparitions of the diuell 1. Sam. 28. Effecta nulla futura per se cognosci possunt ab vllo Intellectu praeterquam à diuino cui omnia sunt praesentia Zanch. de oper lib. 6. cap. 2. ENGLAND TO HER THREE DAVGHters Cambridge Oxford Innes of Court and to all her Inhabitants IF from the depth of intyre affection I take vpō me to deale more plainely then your honorably augmented dignities will well permit or from too feruent a loue ouerweyingly valew you at too high a rate perswade your selues if these be my faultes that the name of a mother hath a priueledge to excuse them both and howsoeuer a mother to her daughters might more fitly speake in secret and not hard yet seeing my naked trueth desires not to shroude it selfe from my greatest enemie I challenge those kingdomes that haue had children to be witnesse of my talke and if either there be folly in me for to loue so much or fault in you to deserue so little then let thē blame me of too blind affection and accuse you of not deseruing and so speedily from Fames book will I cancel out your praise and recant my loue to a mothers shame But if I iustly fortunate haue high cause to commend you Europe for your sake hath greater cause to commend mee then may I not lawfully with a mothers loue shew the affection of a grandmother to commend your children And although my reuenewes are such as I cannot giue you large patrimonies yet from my mouth shall the whole world take notice to giue you eternal praises The time was and happie time may I say when in the glorie of my age in the prime of my youth in the honor of my dayes in the fame of my desert in the multitude of my friends I matched with Sigebertus sometimes my louing husband and howsoeuer my behauiour was farre from lightnes my manners from loosenes and my modestie from the least suspect yet I was taken in the corrupt mindes of some fewe to be too familiar with Cantabrus the K. of Spayne the supposed father of Cambridge my eldest daughter but to excuse my selfe though there was no cause I protest I was free from such adulterie lawfullie married to Sigebert by him was be gotten my eldest daughter Cambridge and the suspitiō only proceeded from this that Cantabrus seeing me happie for so sweete a childe was desirous to christen it and calde it Cambridge and after from Athens sent for some to nurse her Then after Sigebertus death sweete daughter sigh that he died so soone for legacies farre greater would he haue left thee courted deuoutly I matched at last wearie of my widdowhood with worthie Alfred of him sweet daughter Oxford was thou borne and howsoeuer some shadowes of discord haue bin betwixt you two a thing vsually incident to your sex which of you might challenge the first place yet I must needes confesse this I liued long comforted only with one childe doubting I should haue been aged and past childbearing and then to my perpetuall comfort sweete Oxford was thou borne And howsoeuer thy elder sister may challenge that she hath liued longer yet cā she not boast that either I haue loued her better or that she her selfe hath deserued to be loued better More fruitfull Oxford hast thou bin neither herein doe I cōmend thee but more proudly iealous Cambridge of thy honor hast thou been yet both of you so deare to me so equally beloued so worthily accounted of so walled with priuiledges so crowned with all kinde of honor as both vnequall to bee compared with each other may in the highest tearmes bee preferred before the most famous that Europe hath thē striue not betwixt your selues but both be vnite together ioyne hands and if famous Alexandria that sometime liued with high honour who now lieth buried in her own ashes were flourishing to make comparison let her knowe that within your walles howsoeuer you reuerēce hers for their age are many as famous as
Prince her subiects that most cruelly by the meanes of her own countrimen These were they who iustly conuicted of treason by lawes made 200. yeare since in the time of Edward the 3. do openly but wrongfully boast that they haue suffered for religion yet I may say this that such as repenting their follie shewed a sorrowe and were willing to performe amendment were pardoned a thing not to be expected in so great a fault although iniuriouslie some of them haue not been ashamed to say that neuer religion was persecuted more then vnder the most vertuous peaceable milde mercifull religious gouernment of Queene Elizabeth nay I can confidently say this that in stead of punishing those who haue not offended she hath suffered many to keepe their religion stil to liue without danger of law and such as haue professed themselues to be Romish Catholiques aske but that graue and reuerend father Nicholas Heath somtimes Archbishop of Yorke and Lord high Chancellor of England he must needes confesse and vndoubtedly would doe it if he now liued that he tasted of his Soueraignes clemencie in so great a measure that those who for religion tearme her to be cruel are such as seeke by all meanes possible to defame her gouernment Pole the Bishop of Peterborough Cutbert Tonstall a reuerend graue man VVhite Oglethorp Thurlbie VVatson Turberuile Fecknam such as all of them had been zealous against mee yet she pardoned them their liues because they had not traiterously sought hers for since the beginning of her raigne to this present day there is no man able to proue howsoeuer some haue bin malicious to affirme the same that Queene Elizabeth hath for religion onely put any to death of the Romish sectaries It were long for me to repeate things alreadie sufficientlie knowne wherein Rome hath so malitiouslie dealt to suborne her Iesuits that from them this 36. yeares England hath had the greatest cause to feare the subuersion of her whole state Pius the fift vngodly and cruell in this poynte intended to free the subiects of this land from their allegiance to their dread Soueraigne a thing abhorring against diuinitie a matter neuer heard of with any of my followers and hated euen of the heathen themselues who neuer tasted of my trueth to graunt pardon and openlie to auouch it to subiectes and against their Prince and to English men against their owne countrie it is such a faulte as former time neuer thought of the age present dooth abhor and shall make thereat the dayes insuing to be astonished it were too lamentable to be thought of Religions superstition should make any so fearefull of the Popes authoritie Fraunce howsoeuer thou art now distracted into small peeces yet in the daies of thy second Henry thou hadst little feare of the Popes Bulles when impatient of his proude and vsuall vsurping within thy territories thou didst not onely by edict decrees parliaments proclamations disanull his supreame authoritie but denied him stoutlie those yearelie reuenewes which he exacted out of thy dominions And Philip thou which now gouernest Spayne and fondly intendest to be the worlds Monarch what minde then didst thou beare against the Pope when sending with thy Duke of Albanie an Armie into the coasts of Italy thou spoyledst their towns destroyedst their fields sackedst their cities and with thy canons girt them within the compasse of their owne walles This shewed to the world how little being offended thou esteemedst of the Popes Bulles and thy father that worthie Charles the 5. tooke Pope Clemence captiue and the whole Colledge of Cardinals made him pay for his ransome 400000. Duckets valued the Cardinals at a higher rate And least thou which art openlie my professed enemie shouldest thinke that Englands Elizabeth wanteth presidents of her countrie valiantly to withstand and scornfully to make account of the roring of thy Bulles remember but the time of Queene Mary a gracious Soueraigne if she had not been blinded by thy meanes when thou wert offended with her cosin Cardinall Pole and in disgrace of him sent vnto Petie a begging Frier the Cardinals Hat she crossed thee in thy purpose and made small account of thy great threats I could alleadge the worthie Henry the 8. regestred in Honors Catalogue to liue for euer how couragiously to aduance me he shaked off thy seruile yoake and exempted his subiects from the Romish tyrannie But to let these passe as matter apparant without proofe I must needes complaine of two notorious enemies such as in the daies of peace haue done me the greatest wrong that euer woman suffered and least wondering thou stande amazed how this should be in the land of knowledge in Elizas raigne I meane the prophane Atheist and the zealous but falsely Puritane And although I poore Religion am not so good a states man that willingly I intermeddle with matters of the common wealth yet I must say thus much in the true defence of my selfe that since prophane Machiuell hath obtained so much credit amongst the greatest states men of all Europe Atheisme hath perswaded the world of my death tolde Princes that there was no religion Can any counsell bee more pernicious to a Common wealth more dangerous to a Countrie more fatall to a Prince then onely to relie in causes of greatest importance vpon his owne wisedome to seeme to haue that religion in shew which he neuer meaneth to imbrace in trueth to preferre Heathens before me to ascribe felicitie to fortune and not to vertue and true religion And these with diuers others of like impuritie that prophane A theist broched vnto the world which was no sooner drunke by the states of Europe but some of their kingdomes haue come to ruine Nay I will take vpon me without presumptiō to prophesie thus farre that the greatest kingdom that Europe hath the most mightie people that euer was and the most famous common wealth that euer florished shall all of them by contemning religion become desolate And howsoeuer I will not presume so farre proudly to make with Bellarmine temporall prosperitie a note of the true Church seeing she is ordained to suffer many calamities vnder the hands of tyrants yet I dare say thus much that religious Princes while confidently in a good cause they haue fullie relied vpon Gods assistance they haue notablie triumphed ouer all their enemies thus in the old Testament Abraham Moses Iosua Gedeon Samuel Dauid Ezechias Iosias and the Machabees all triumphed ouer multitudes of their enemies because I howsoeuer contemned by prophane Machiuel was the sole conductor of all their armies thus almost as Moses did Pharaoh in these latter times Constantinus ouercame Maxentius The like might bee spoken of Theodosius the elder of whome Theodoret maketh honorable mention of many priuiledged fauours he obtained for his true profession thus in the
graced Anthonie deserueth immortall praise from the haÌ„d of that diuine Lady who like Corinna conteÌ„ding with Pindarus was oft victorious Sir Dauid Lynsay Matilda honorably honored by so sweet a PoeÌ„ Diana Procul hinc procul ite profani England to be defended by schollers Your learned Doctors Cherish your youth The fault of Vniuersities England too kind She speaketh not to those that haue fled the land Rome altered The commoÌ„ wealth miserable that hath her foes within her selfe Excesse of these times Not safe for a countrey to bragge of wealâ—h if the Spaniard know it The fault of Empires Lawes for sobrietie the sinewes of a Kingdome Plentie and ease the Ca kers of a Kingdome Proud Kingdomes must fall How Rome fell Loose pleasure begets treason Discord vntieth the armour of a common wealth Happy daies Miserable state that is so Let the traitors accuse me if they can A thing done in other countries Yet these no causes to be rebellious Discorde Whom God keepeth in despigth of them A thing ofteÌ„ attempted Lybels No Iland caÌ„ remember greater benefits to her inhabitants Elizabeth No pen able to praise sufficiently No land so many Graue and wise Counsellers hath England still had The streÌ„gth of a kingdom are lawes and their execution the meanes to expell feare from her subiects England may iustly glory of her three daughters 1. CaÌ„bridge 2. Oxford 3. Innes of court Note this A thing miserable when the Vniuersities are poore A wicked policie An vndoubted truth The Spaniard Pope Frenchmen Scots and all laugh at our discord The cause of discorde A Kingdom can not stand without inequalitie The moderation of inequalitie Lamemtable times Greece perished by discord Beware true English meÌ„ Dangerous cause of vuion The praise of inequalitie Equality not to be hoped for of strangers Low countries dangered by emulation Discord * And chalenge him 1594. If Christians ioyne not together A true rule Note A thing to be respected As some haue done A thing lamentable If we our selues be vnited A thing too miserable if it should be so England can not perish but by English men The Spaniard is foolish to hope so Note this Trust him not Giue him an inch he will take an ell An vsuall policy at this day Offered to Iudas to betray his Master True English men Truth in a few is often victorious Ualour begets loue As still you haue beene Note this Dangerous to ioyne with Spaine Fraunce poore by warres Not so faithfull as they should be Why Spaine is so constant in her free offers No great ods betwixt theÌ„ if they had equall peace Beware of them both To Parry Babington c. Lopez executed the 7. of Iune 1594. Spaine not onely an enemie for religion Too great simplicitie to thinke so Take heede by others Inconstancie in religion is the mother of Atheisme The Spanish colonie Note this An exhortation to England Spaniards like Iewes Spanish Haman They preteÌ„d Religion but intend trechery Absolon a right Spaniard Take heede trust theÌ„ not Let Spaine answere Note this Note this Impossible to be so Let the Spaniard credit me S. George Fides Hispanica God himselfe will punish traytors Note this O happie England if this happen Discord fatall to great attempts The late mortalitie more lamentable then the losse of Aegypts first borne Religion brought froÌ„ heauenly loue Religion falsly accused Religions Apologie Religion no true cause of miseries in a common wealth Note this Mans ignorance makes false religioÌ„ Superstition Religion and superstition at continuall warres In England many religious fanorers Harmes for religion grieue not either the dooer or the sufferer Miserable blindnes So doth Romoaldus Scotus Superstition is most zealous Among the Atheists of this age Afalse accusation of religion Xerxes Zealte false Religion impatient of an indignitie The wrongs are infinite which religion hath suffered for being called relig Religion hath had coÌ„tinuall and great enemies Anno mundi 1517. God knoweth how to deliuer his Affliction may endure for a time but deliuerance is not farre from Gods church So the fier for the three children Superstition maketh dissention in the Church Libertatis amor stultuÌ„ quid decipis orbem â— King 24. 2. Chron. 36. Religion still perfecuted How Gods enemies seek to deface all parts of religion The Romans enemies to religion The Iewes sinne the cause of their punishment Iewes Vsurers A miserable state where there is no religion Many of theÌ„ still persist in their sinnes Religion in great danger amongst her owne friends Contention the ground of Atheism Arrius and so Heretikes grow mighty in the middest of contentions Heretikes neuer want followers Constantius an Arrian 105. Bishops Arrians Holar contra ConstaÌ„tium Alex. Athan Iudge if religion haue not suffered wrong Religion no where safe in earth A famous victory After King of France Godfrey of Bolloygne Whereof sweet Tasso song Martyrs all Religion hateth discord England the seate of religion The happines of England by religioÌ„s meanes The discorde of other countries England in peace Peace the child of religion begetteth plentie that kils the grandmother England note this In the dayes of our dread Soueraigne Essex Willowbie Norris Sir Francis Uere c. A false slander to make traytors Martyrs Neuer martyr was a traytor Iustitia Britannica Campia Martyrium Anvsuall fault Gregorie 13. Pius 5. Sixtus 5. Exceeding pittie Miraculous preseruation of Gods Church I feare to thinke of it Iusticia Britannica A greater number Stapleton Parsons This can not be denied In Queene Maries time Slander is neuer tongue tied In their libel against the English Iustice Papa pius moritur quintus res mira tot inter pontifices tantum quinque suisse pios Leaue giuen to Parsons Campion by Gregorie 13. 1580. April 14. to interpret the bull of Pius 5. Henry the 2. King of Fraunce his edict against the Pope Anno. 1550. King Philip once feared not the Popes Buls Duke of Albany with an armie against the Pope 1527. Whom he kept in Adrians tower 7 moneths Let the Pope marke this Cardinall Pole offended with the Pope Henry the 8. shaked off the Pope Religions enemies The Atheist and the Puritan so called Religion no states man but of counsell with theÌ„ Dangerous for a Prince Machiuell confuted States in Europe ruinated by Machiuell A certaine prophesie Note this Relig Princes doe still triumph Gen. Exo. Ios. Iudg. King Machab. Aug lib. 5. de ciuit cap. 25. Cap. 26. Lib. 5. histor cap. 24. Socrat lib. 7. histor cap. 18. Euagr. lib 4. histor cap. 16. ibid. cap. vlt. By sundry Doctors of great learning Brownists a sect to support Atheisme As since they haue written in their bookes Ambr. Catharinus Archiep. CoÌ„pusonus Ioh. Molanus Ioh Boterus Anonymos Petrus Corotus Posseuinus Iesuit Learned Puritans By wise authoritie and learned answers L. Archb. of Canturbury Bancroft Bilson Sutcliff Hooker c. A true fault in Englands Church Cruell patrons pittie the church hath not the fauour of an ordinarie ward Loyaltie vrgeth her benefits Loyaltie can not abide to heare of treason or sedition Understanding misled begets treason What is rebellion What men are traytors False pretenses in traytors and rebels Note this As may appeare by the six articles written in french Sir Iohn Cheeke wrote of Sed. Alex. Neuill Euer bad things haue good pretenses So may I say to the English traytors By Ket A thing vnlikely and impossible Reade the chronicles Mercy vndeserued Peace to enemies but not to traytors With open enemies out of her selfe Rome fell by clemencie to traytors If we can not suffer the lie much lesse treason An exhortation A necessary caueat Mercy often cruell Not safe to trust a traytor Charles the fift Some of the nobilitie Note this A thing lamentable What loyalty hath done Plutar. in lib. de exiâ—io 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Enuied of other nations Lourdane 7. Learned Iudges Serieants Counsellers As they account it Tell it not in Gath c. The ancient and graue counseller The misery of captaines Elius Spar. Loyaltie vehement against treason Traytors coÌ„pared with Uerres God A happie sight 4. King 15. Iudg. 4. 23. Iudg. 5. 20. 21. So the Spanish fleete In confutat Summarij Rat. Against my L. Keeper others The conclusion
plentie in the middest of tirants For religion in the middest of Atheists Nay it neuer hath been nor neuer shall be therefore resolue thy selfe that howsoeuer some within my borders doe heartilie desire and earnestlie expect a freedome of their conscience yet these are neuer so foolish to thinke it possible to be obtained by your meanes nor so profanelie wicked to admit of so bad a cause And although some few and I perswade my selfe they are very fewe may be found perhaps as either being Atheists without God or Iewes without Christ or monsters without naturall affection who can bee content to pearce my bowels through my Princesse side and so let forth my peace or laie violent hands vpō mine anointed to make my children to eate themselues yet resolue thy selfe and vainelie foolish to resolue otherwise that the most estranged Englishman from naturall loue who hath lost his affection by long trauaile or the loose stchristian I harbor who hath lent his affection to all pleasure or the most desperate whom need and extremitie haue made careles or the deuoutest Catholicke whom deceiuedlie zeale and conscience haue made religious shal euer so farre estrange them selues from an English minde So much be alienated from my long bred loue And lastlie so cruellie to wish me euill That they would open my gates to strangers Prostrate my wealth to the Spaniard and exchange my peace for most cruell tirannie Nay if they were all in armes and had vowed to admit a stranger and the stranger readie as perhaps you were 1588. to accept by policy what you intended to keep by crueltie yet if I should but frowne as discontented say quid agitis And name but England the worthie loue of me deriued from their forefathers would so farre pearce into the English harts that their swordes drawne forth against mee their mother would speedilie bee sheathed in you their murtherers for if in all ages sauing onelie in this last and amongst you faith and promise hath been religiouslie obserued to their verie enemies then can you thinke they will falsifie the same to mee that bred them And as for you who haue surpassed the false punicane gaining that brand of trecherie which once was Carthage due resolue vpon this poynt that hee which punished the faith broken to the Turkes at the Popes perswasion by them of Hungarie by putting to flight Sigismund the Emperor and slaying Cardinall Iulian the Popes Legate who brought the message hee I say shall neuer suffer so great an iniurie vnpunished to me their mother Let me then in kindenes perswade you my deare countrie men that if trecherie be most odious thē that especiallie which ouerturneth a Common wealth if ingratitude bee hatefull both to God and man then that which is of children to their mother if credulitie bee a fault and argues want of experience then to trust a stranger a false dissembling and deceitfull tirant must reproue vs of great leuitie loue peace then loue my peace follow vnitie but within my walles for if neither inequalitie of condition emulation of partakers nor religion ought to disunite vs then this onely remaineth for you that you be vnited with loue amongst your selues tyed with affection towards your mother bound with a sacred reuerence towards your Soue raigne and carried with a wise suspition towards a stranger so shall prosperitie bee mine inheritance plentie the legacie bequeathed to my meanest friends and England as a citie at vnitie within it selfe thus shall the vnion of Iuda Israel make the people round about them to quake and tremble this made Rome to cōquer Africa the Greekes to preuaile against Xerxes the Princes of Europe to preuaile against the Turke at Lepantho which victorie had been farre more glorious if vntime lie discord had not fallen amongst them Thē banish this vnite your selues yeeld not to gilded colours and false pretences whether of religion or of friends or of promise and especially with them whō we know to be our enemies let vs bring against glittering hate-working gold the anciēt magnanimitie of braue Fabricius who would neuer bee moued by the offers of King Pyrrhus Thus ought you couragiously to vnite your selues if you loue the glorie of your conquests the sweetnes of your libertie the happines of your quiet the liues of your wiues and children and if none of all these can moue you yet thinke that I weepe for your sake the milke that sometime was your foode that I sweate for your feare the bloud that bred yours that I sigh for your cause the ayre that gaue you breath And as for my owne part sillie destressed as I am I haue considered the threatnings of God against my subiects liues the tokens sent me not long since the wonders that heauen shewed the lowde speech that the dumbe creatures vsed and all onely for this end that I fearing might perswade you and you perswaded might make mee to liue without feare yet I relie not so farre vpon Astrologicall reason as vpon the strange starre 1572. the Comets that haue appeared since the great thunder 1584. the terrible Earth-quake the first of March the same yeare the strange inundations not long since the fearefull mortalitie that hath hewed downe my tallest Cedars and moued as it were the lesser plants yet I take these to bee meanes to humble me least in pride of courage I ouerweiningly doe loue my selfe And now daughters seeing I grow faint I will cause two to speake in my behalfe committed to me from eternities bosome Religion and Loyaltie daughters hearken and these briefly shall speake vnto you RELIGIONS SPEECH TO ENGLANDS CHILDREN AT what time Loue brought mee from Eternities bosome and commaunded me like a Queene to dwell in earth I then easelie foresawe which I now finde that all harmes miseries wants tragedies and what else soeuer the worlde deemeth hatefull should bee falsely supposed to proceede out of my wombe and seeing I haue now liued so long till I finde it trew pardon mee to make mine apologie thus farre that since the day of my first birth since I first shined weekely in these coastes since the time I was called as I am by Religions name I neuer caused either Kingdome to be desolate Prince to bee distressed people to despaire or any priuate persō to be malecontent In deede I must needes acknowledge thus much that at what time I was sent into earth sinfull man by reason of his immortalitie desirous of a deitie and not able by the weakenes of his vnderstanding to admit of me forged vnto himselfe a false cruell irreligious vaine proud superstitious strumpet and fondly deluded tearmed her by my name then seeing her to haue such prerogatiue finding her to rule ouer so many subiects and fearing shee would banish mee to Heauen from whence I first came wee haue been still in continuall warres I found those