euery day caste vpon vs or ere we can loke for theym euen so we woll with thankfull hart shew our selfes to see and fele his godly goodnes And where as suche his fatherly loue is moche aboue our desertes that yet we agnise it and as moche as in vs lieth endeuour our selfes aboundantly to thanke hym for it God is neuer wery of doynge good to man but when eyther he woll not se it orels seing it refuseth to thanke hym accordyngly Can he aske lesse for soo many his benefittes then a fewe bareyn thankes which do plesure onely to hym for this cause that he therby is made redy and moch prouoked to laade vs with some newe kyndenesse with some newe benefyttes with somme newe his gyftes He ofte layeth sore to his chosen and elect people forgetfulnes of his benefitis toward them commandynge in sondrye places Moses Iosue Esaies Hieremias Ezechiell with the reste of the prophetes to reherse his goodnes shewed to them and their vnkindnes vttered vnto him thynkynge as I take it that nothyng coulde sooner brynge them to loue hym than thofte remembraunce of his benefytes nothynge more allure them to repentance and chaunge of lyfe than the iuste reproche of their vnthankefull harte in suche a throng of his giftes I purpose nat to stande longe in olde places of scripture and yet I canne nat without some hurte of my matter lette all examples alone wherfore I wyl vse a few in place of many Moses callyd all Israell to hym and sayde in this wise to them ye haue seene what god dydde vnto Pharao for youre sake what he dyd to Pharao his host and al the reste of his seruauntes ye haue sene many myracles many straÌ„ge wonders and yet god hath not giuen you hartes to feele his goodnes eyes to see his tender loue ouer you ne eares to here of any of bothe I haue led you forty yeres in the wyldernesse and yet youre clothes are not worne ye hadde neither breade ne drynke and yet to thintent ye shoulde remember god to be your lorde in lackynge bothe you were peyned neyther with hunger ne thyrste Sehon kynge of Hesbon and Og kynge of Basan came with myghty power agaynst you They are slayn and you the lordes of their landes and possessions c. God also doth expostulate with the people of Israell by his messanger Hieremias saying What vnfaithfulnesse founde your forefathers in me that they departing from my lawes and loue folowe lightnes vanite They haue not ones sitheÌ„s their deê‘ture thought in their hartes where haue we left the lorde the lorde that brought vs out of the lande of Aegypt the lorde that ledde vs throughe the wyldernes through the deserte a rough drye and deedly lande a lande that no man had passed before and where no manne hadde dwelte I brought you into a land passynge full of pleasure adourned with gay and gorgious buildinges you enioyinge the fruites and commodities thereof went and defiled my land and brought myne heritage to abhomination The pristes them selfes they were euen thenne as many of ours be nowe sayd not ones where is the lord The sheperdes offeÌ„d against me the prophetes do seruice vnto Baall and folowe suche thynges as can do them no seruice Esaias in many places doth also commemorate god his benefites toward the chyldern of Israell God doth shewe hym selfe verye gladde and wonderfull desyrous to employe his benefitis vpon them that seke to giue him thankes for so doing and can scarse be brought to leue such as he hath ones taken to his fauour For though their synnes be great and their offences many yet as long as he may beare with them he sticketh not to forgyue so they be not dangerous and coy of theyr thankes Dauyd lacked no sinnes as al meÌ„ know that traueil in scripture he lacked none yet he had euer one y t forgaue him al. And not only forgaue him al but stil laded him with new benefitis Dauyd forgottethe not this synguler goodnesse of god towarde him he suffereth not goddis loue to make any ende with hym he styll encreaseth his fauour not so moche by any merites as by praisynge the vndeserued loue of god Loue not solde vnto hym for workes but gyuen hym that he therby might worke His psalmes wel testifie that he doth acknowledge what god dyd for him He syngeth oft thankful dities vnto god as among many other thus in the second of the kynges The Lorde is my rocke my castel my deliuerer God is my strength and in him wol I trust God is my shelde my fortresse my refuge O my keper kepe thou me from wrong I wyl praise the call vpon the o lord so shal I be kept froÌ„ myn enmies Who so listeth to reade all that foloweth may when he wyl I haue shewed hym the chapiter I muste nowe folow present occasion and talke a whyle with my countraye ¶ Englande haste thou no cause to folow Dauid to make himnes and dities of thankes vnto god when wolt thou perceyue goddis loue towarde the if thou yet perceyue it not Whan wolte thou gyue hym or to vse a more apter terme whan wylte thou paye him thankes if thou nowe denye thy selfe endetted to hym Thou must confesse dette thou canste nat denie it without thy greatte shame There be to manye wytnesses for thy nay to take any place All nations wonder at thy felicitie All men knowe what ieoperdies thou hast escaped howe nighe sorowes brinke thou hast ben brought and straight howe sone thou haste ben made gladde I wylle not calle to remembraunce thynges past many yeres syns marke but the procedinges of god with the and thin these foure or fyue yeres Waye well the accidentes the chaunces the progresse and th ende of thinges that haue fortuned and than Englande see whether thou haue not mo causes to thynke that god tendereth the helthe welthe and honoure of thy gouernour and oure dere and dredde soueraygne lorde than euer Israell hadde to thynke so by kinge Dauid or any other He must be well sene in feates of armes that shall fynde a place open to wound hym whom god is buckeler vnto God wolle not suffre his purposes to be altered Man maye seke to destroy that god wolle haue saued but he shall doo as moche as they that seke to make stronge rockes fall with a knocke of theyr hedes For as these labour folyshely and doo but breake theyr owne braynes so do they that thynke to pull downe a prynce whome god hath chosen to reigne ouer his people bothe declare their folye and alsoo the goodnesse of god in preseruynge whome he loueth There is none that trewely serueth god that can say he hathe bene in distresse and nat founde succour at his hande and yet compare theym all with our moste fortunate prynce they haue all founde him no more propence and redy to helpe them then he hath ben to helpe his highnes God lefte not his
AN INVECTIVE AYENSTE the great and detestable vice treason wherein the secrete practises and traiterous workinges of theym that suffrid of late are disclosed made by Rycharde Morisyne A preface to the reders I DOVBTE NOT gentle reders but that if ye haue ben conuersante in old histories so perceyued both howe many moo prynces haue ben endaungered by treason of theyr famylyer seruauntes then by open warre of theyr enemyes and also sene what ende they come to that venture vpon so daungerous an enterprise ye woll thynke my labour not euyll employed whiche tendeth hole to this ende that all subiectes ones being brought into hatred of treason maye at the laste fall in loue with their duetie and seke truly to serue where god hath appoynted theym so to doo For as the incommodyties that treason bryngeth into a common welthe be excedynge many and are ofte tymes the vtter vndoyng of ryche and welthy realmes so that kyngdome must nedes prosper and flourishe where all men stryue who may best do his duetie best serue his countrey in that god and his souerayne lorde hath callyd hym vnto We haue hadde ofte experience howe euylle they spede what infamye commeth to them what ende they make whiche at any tyme attempte treason against their soueraigne lord and kynge These whiche of late lost their honour landes and lyues are not the fyrste that haue bene moued with to many benefites to become traytours no nor yet the fyrst that came to shamfull death for soo foule an enterprise They haue companyons which though they be not able to goo cheeke by cheke with them yet they comme nat farre behynde ¶ Perennius a man that had receiued wonderful many benefites of Cōmodus themperour where as he sawe but oone aboue hym thynkyng that he myght by treason brynge hym downe and sette vp hym selfe trayterousely conspired the deathe of Commodus his lorde and maker ¶ Plautianus an nother of all men mooste bounde to Seuerus the emperour soughte also to dystroye hym not that euer he hadde receyued any iniurie or displesure at his handes but that the blynd desyre he hadde to the Empyre wrought moche more in him than coulde al themperours benefites ¶ Seianus as moche bounde as any of thother two euen vpon lyke cause thought to haue slayn Tiberius themperour his lorde and mayster But they came euen to suche ende as dydde the Marques the lorde Montacute and suche other as by their exaumple teache all men that be nat yet werye of their lyues and honestie to be ware of treasone Certaynely who so wayeth how hard a thing it is to enter with any manne in treason howe full of ieoperdies howe fewe there be that a manne maye truste howe soone menne maye be deceyued takynge some to beare them moch greatter loue than they do howe no experience can soo vtter one man his hart to an nother that in suche a case he may leaue lyfe in his handes he woll I suppose moche wonder to see any man thoughe the fyne for it were but the losse of goodis so madde to venture vppon treason Many chaunces make treason whan it is kepte most secrete to appere An harte that stylle feleth the stinge of treason must nedes at one tyme or an other make the tonge and countenance parttakers of his grefe ¶ Lucilla syster to Commodus the Emperoure hadde appoynted oone Quintianus to slee her brother This traytour waited for the Emperour at the entrynge in to the Amphitheatre and whenne he sawe Comodus all moste come to the place where he intended to haue slayne hym his hande his tongue his gesture his countenaunce coulde suffre his harte to be no lenger hyd No he hauinge his dagger redy naked cryed out before the Emperour camme vnder the strooke This the Senate sendeth the. Uppon whiche wordes he was taken and Commodus nothynge hurt ¶ Likewyse Marcus Antonius of Uolterra was set to kyll Laurence Medices and had so done but that he cried before o traitour which voyce saued Laurence and disclosed as many as were of that conspiracie ¶ The same mornynge that Brutus and the reste of his felowes hadde determyned to slee Iulius Cesar it so chaunced that Cesar commened a greatte space with Gneius Popilius oone of those that had conspired his deth Brutus and many mo of his companions were bye and were caste into suche a feare that they wyste neyther what to doo ne what to thynke They all were a frayde lest Popilius had vttered the treson vnto Cesar and wolde euen there haue set vpon hym sauinge that they perceyued Cesar his coūtenaunce nothynge moued ne his colour any thyng altered And yet if Cesar had redde the letter that was delyuered hym not halfe an houre before his deathe he hadde knowen his enemyes counsel and myght haue broughte them all to theyr confusion ¶ The daye before that Sceuinus thoughte to haue slayne Nero he put an olde rustie daggar that hadde layne longe by hym to gryndynge He made his testamente he made all his bonde men free he gaue euery one of thē a certayne somme of moneye he caused rollers to be made to wrap woūdes in by which tokens Milichius his seruaunt gathered he wente about some naughty pourpose and so accused hym vnto the emperoure Sceuinus streyghte confessed that his intente was to haue slayne Nero. ¶ This I brynge in not so moch to shewe that treason woll out as to make men see howe god plucketh wyt and prudency from malyciouse traytours He hath done so where treason was intended ayenst Nero one of the worst prynces that euer the worlde had and trowe traytours he woll suffre Henry the eyght his chosen king a prynce that chyefelye aboue all thinges hath soughte and seketh to sette forthe his glorie to restore his holy worde to put downe hypocrysie to banishe idolatry finally to bryng this ones to passe y t al his people may be as they ar called that is trewe chrystians Rede this lyttell inuectiue that foloweth I truste by thynges past ye shall perceyue it very vnlyke that any traytour here after maye or can hurte his highnes Ye shall see who is his gracis protectour from what daungers he hath preserued hym and therby gather an assured affyaunce that traytours can but worke their owne confusion when so euer they seke to do his highnes any displeasure God hitherto hath wonderfully troden downe his graces enemyes styll shewynge hym selfe to be of his syde if he be so stylle as our trust is he wol be euer be traytour who woll he knoweth his ende ALL BE IT I acknowlege my self neyther so able as I am wyllynge neither soo meete as I am redye to write in such a matter as I nowe haue taken vppon me yet trustynge where my wylle is to doo welle that thoughe I faylle of thanke I shall nat mysse of pardon I can nat but admonyshe al my countray men in so plentifull an occasion that as the benefites of god be great straunge and almoste
of it by dethe They be of lyke no small peynes that make the pacient glad to slee his body and damne his soule for the arrydance of theÌ„ But yet as I sayd he had no outwarde tormeÌ„tis no racking no manicles no he was put in fere of none of al these peines but enforced by god as I take it and as he hym selfe sayde at the barre it was frankely vttered not onely ayenste his brother and cousyn but ayenste suche as whan they came to the barre graÌ„ted them selfis giltie without any verdite of quest But of these last I wyll nothing speake all be it I take them to be as worthy eternal infamy as the fyrst but great men of byrth bicause blode is disteined by treson their family taken froÌ„ them ar those that ought to be set forth in theyr colours It is I saye again a wonder to se one brother bring an other moche loue being betwene them and no cause of hatred to his deathe It were a wonder surely if one had not taken the matter in hande whiche can when him lust bothe vanquishe nature and trede the deuyll with his hole power vnder his fete They two kepte those treasons vnder locke and key God is and euer hath beÌ„ lorde of nature conquerer of the deuyll and can compel both when hym lusteth to set forth his glory But nowe where we see whose goodnes it is that treasons are knowen and traytours made awaye lette vs not forgette to gyue hym thankes that thus waketh and in maner wayteth to saue vs harmeles Is it possible that a maÌ„ not forced shoulde swere vppon a boke hym selfe to be a traytour hym selfe of al men to be most worthy deathe Syr Geffrey hath ofte taken this othe So hath Croftes and Colyns also the other all the tyme of theyr arraynement stode styffe with castyng vp of eies and handes as though those thynges had ben neuer herd of before that thenne were laide to theyr charge The Marques of al the rest stack hardest and made as thoughe he had ben very clere in many poyntes yet in some he staggered and was very sory so to do nowe chalangyng the kynges pardon now takynge benefytte of the acte and when al wolde not serue he began to charge Geffrey Pole with frensye with foly and madnesse It is moche to be noted what answere Geffrey made to the Marques in this poynte Some men saythe Geffreye as I here laye to my charge that I shulde be out of my wytte and in a frensye Trouth it is I was out of my wytte and in a great frenesy when I fell with theym in conference to be a traytour disobediente to god false to my prynce and enemye to my natiue countraye I was also out of my wytte and stryken with a sore kynde of madnesse when I chose rather to kil my self thaÌ„ to charge theÌ„ with such tresons as I knewe wolde coste them theyr lyues if I dyd vtter them But our lorde be thanked god wrought better with me then I thought to haue doone with my selfe He hath saued my soule at the leste the knyfe wente not so farre as I wolde haue had it gone his goodnes it is that I haue not slayne my selfe his mercye that I was delyuered frome that frensye of kyllynge my selfe his worke that I haue declared my self my brother the Marques with the rest to be traytours And where I thought said Geffrey rather to haue putte my soule in hasarde for the sauing of these men god I thanke hym so wrought in me and so chaunged my mynde that if I had had tenne brothern yea tenne sonnes I wolde rather bringe them all to this perylle of deathe than leaue my countreye my souerayne lord and myn own soule in suche daunger as they al thre stode in if I had kepte these treasons secrete Let vs lette vs dye we be but a fewe better we haue accordynge to our desertes thaÌ„ our hole couÌ„trei to be brought to ruyne O what a lorde is god whom can a traytour trust whan one brother is so desyrefull to vtter an others treason yea whan y e traytour hym selfe no man compelling hym vttreth his own treson whom may we trust whaÌ„ we our selues desyre to disclose oure selues Treson can not lye longer hyd thaÌ„ while it ripeth for yf it be ones melowe the sauour streight for the moste parte bewrayeth the howrde Geffrey hath neuer bene taken for any plesant or sage talker his witte was wont to serue his tong but so so I dare say they that were the wisest of the kingis moste honourable counsayle dyd moch woÌ„der that day to here him tel his tale and loked for nothyng lesse than that he shulde haue soo handlyd him selfe God is a meruayllous god he can make bothe whan him lust and whom he wol eloqueÌ„t wise pithie He can make the toÌ„ges of the domme serue his elect whan his wyl is The Marques was styffe at the barre and stode faste in denial of most thinges layd to his charge yet in som he foyled and staggerde in suche sorte that all menne might see his countenance to auouch that that his tonge could nat without moche foltring deny But at the scaffolde whan he sawe mens othes with a multitude of wytnesses taken and his sturdy denyall not to saue his lyfe he began eyther to waye dyshonour lesse than he dyd at the barre or els to thynke that dishonour standith in doing traitrously rather than in confessyng of it whan it is knowen to be so deathe at hande taught him and his felowes to prouyde for the safetie of their soules and to leue the regard of honour there on the scaffolde with their bodies They dyd all thre acknowlege their offences towarde the kinge and desyred all men that were there present to pray god to forgyue them They be gone our lorde I truste which gaue them repentance wol also take theym to his mercy and yet saue their soules The thinge they feared is come vppon them they might not tary the tyme they plowed treason they sowed sedytion noo meruayle yf they reape deathe Wherefore let vs whyche in one houre haue escaped so many sorowes so present calamities so imminente mischeues saye as Iudith sayd whan she retourned â–ª with Holofernes his heed in her lappe Laude and praise be giuen to the lord that forsakest not them that put their trust in the. Let him be gloryfied for euer of vs that vncalled is thus preast and redye to defend them that were nigh the brinke of pardicion and sawe it not vntyll he plucked them by the sleue Hitherto ye haue hard how traytrously these vnnatural traitours enteÌ„ded you haue sene how the goodnes of god as wel nowe as in many other thynges hathe preserued the kynges hyghnes brought his enemies to shameful death now this thinge remaineth alone what cause coulde moue them that were so moche bounde to theyr lorde and mayster to fall into such horrible treasons He liueth not I dare say that can finde any iuste cause for any subiecte to be a traytour to his soueraygne lorde And I am well assured all men that haue any spot of honestie in them wol thinke these worthy to be taken for traytours yf they had but ones thoughte hurte vnto his personne of whom they had receyued so many benefyttes There is no cause yet me thinketh I fynd one whiche although it be not iuste yet is it of suche strength and efficacie that it can worke almoste no lesse then it dyd in these I say and thynke who so euer is of theyr opinioÌ„ in matters of relygyon that he can loue the kynges hyghnes noo better then they dyd â–ª who sâ—â— is a papiste an enemye to goddis worde he may well lacke power or stomacke to vtter treason but he can not lacke a trayterous hart what so euer he be that thynketh the byshoppe of Rome supreme hed of our church of Englande can neuer beare the kynge suche an harte as a trewe subiecte oweth his souerain lord No I saye more he can in no case loue his highnes he can not chose but be a traytour It is to be sorowed and lamented greatly that noble men woll thus fondely caste them selues away great wonder greater pitie and greatest shame that they hauing the word of god in theyr owne tonge woll not yet lerne what a kynge is and what a bysshop what lordes owe vnto th one and what they may requyre of thother My purpose was to haue handled a good sorte of places whiche I haue gathered out of the scripture doctours both makynge for the mayntenance of the kynges supremytye and also shakynge downe that arrogante and vsurped power of the bisshop of Rome I had soo done but that I sawe this boke some what with the longest and well perceyued y t thother wold haue ben moch longer then this is I haue differred it for a while but god wyllynge I woll as sone as I can for the seruice I owe vnto nobilitie and the rest my contrey men followe that whiche god wyll prycke me to thoughe feble wyt and weake power drawe neuer so fast backe In the meane season I humblye beseche all men so to take these my labours that I maye with courage set vpon thother whiche as they woll be moche greatter so my truste is they shall be moche more profytable They maye so be and shall so be if it please hym whiche worketh all that well is wrought vnto whom be all honour al glorye for euer and euer Amen Londini in aedibus Thomae Bertheleti typis impress Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ANNO. M.D.XXXIX Deut. 29. Hierem. 2. Cap. 22. 3. Reg. 19. Daniel 6. Iudic. 6. Iosue 5. Iudith â–ª 13.