of Pisa and many learned personages haue adiudged it to Katherine Dutchesse of Bragancia in Portugall The sonnes of Katherin Dutchesse of Bragancia 1. The Duke Theodosius 2. Edward 3. Alexander 4. Philip. the lawfull daughter of the Infant Don Edward brother to the mother of his Catholike Maiesty which Katherine is at this day yet liuing and hath foure sonnes good and sound Catholikes learned wise goodly and couragious Gentlemen and two o◠three daughters And the Vniuersity of Pauy hath adiudged it to Raynuncio now at this present Duke of Parma the sonne of Mary the eldest sister of the said Katherine the said Mary being deceased a long time before her Vncle Henry I suppose that I haue most cleerely and sufficiently shewed the tyranny which all Spaine hath endured and suffered vnder the predecessors of King Philip the Catholike and as for that which the West Indies hath suffered vnder himselfe as also all the rest whereof hee doth write himselfe Lord by what title and pretence they haue beene gotten it is well knowne euen to the little children who doe openly cry and speake of it in the streetes and both Naples Sicily Millan Vtreich Guelders Zutphen and other the Prouinces of the Low Countries and the Countries of high Almaine all which haue beene tyrannized by him and his Auncestors doe manifestly proue and verifie it so that it seemeth vnto me that I haue made good and sufficient proofe by these Histories and examples that tyranny is the first and principall heritage of his Catholike Maiesty euen of Don Philip of Austria and that it is as proper and naturall vnto him as laughter is vnto a man and that it belongeth vnto him properly and inseparably Wherefore now that wee haue made knowne his tyranny me thinketh it would not be amisse nor impertinent to our purpose most Christian Kings to entreat somewhat touching his cruelty for asmuch as Spaine did neuer yet find his like or equall as the flesh and bloud thereof hath too too well tried and had the experience All Bookes all men and euen his owne mischieuous and wicked actions Of the cruelty of King Philip. doe euery where yeeld open and abundant testimonies of his cruelty If Iulius Caesar as it is reported of him were cause of the death of more then a million of men they which haue beene acquainted with the cariage behauiour of this tyrant will confesse that he hath been the death and destruction of a farre greater number Caesar was extreamely grieued to see Pompey his enemy dead And as Antigonus when his sonne Alcinous presented him with the head of Pyrrhus slaine at the entry of the City of Argos did sharpely reproue him Plutarch Filiumque nefarium barbarum vocauit calling him a wicked and barbarous sonne so Caesar in imitation of his example seeing the signet and the ring of Pompey did of pure compassion fall a weeping in so much as he was resolued to make warre vpon Ptolomey because he had slaine Pompey traiterously and hee did so much that hee caused him in the end to be the instrument of his owne death See hereafter Philip on the contrary doth not onely not grieue at the death of his seruants friends cousens nephewes brother sonne and wife but hee doth reioyce and triumph at the same yea he doth procure and aduance it giuing great summes of money excessiue rewards and great honours vnto the executioners and ministers of his cruelty and for the satisfying of his pernicious ambition when there is any thing whatsoeuer be it neuer so little that toucheth him he maketh no exception of persons be it Pope Nuncio Bishop Monke or other Ecclesiasticall person hee poysoneth them all without feare of God or shame of man The Translator Of his seruants and friends he hath caused to be made away the Counties of Egmont and of Horne the Lord Mountigny and the Marquesse of Bergues with many other Noblemen and Gentlemen whose bloud is yet fresh in remembrance the Prince of Orange Marke Anthony Colonna Don Iohn de la Nuca great Justicier of Arragon the Duke de Villa Hermosa the Marquesse de Fuentes Don Iohn de Luna c. his Cousin the Emperour Maximilian his Nephewes by his Sisters Don Sebastian King of Portugall and Don Alexander Farnese Duke of Parma Don Iohn Duke of Bragantia his brother Don Iohn de Austria his sonne the Prince Charles his eldest sonne his wife Isabel Sister to the three last Kings of France deceased Pope Sixtus the fift Alexander Formenti Nuntio in Portugall sent thither by Pope Gregory the 13. as he was on his returne towards Rome in his passage through Castile The Archbishop of Toledo Of Bishops Monkes and Ecclesiasticall persons Don Bartholmew Carrance Archb. of Toledo of whom we haue lately spoken being his owne master a man of so great authority and excellency that by the space of many yeeres Spain hath not brought forth his like This good Catholike was the cause of his imprisonment so strict and so long as all the world knoweth this good Christian in imitatiō of Nero did persecute this personage with most notable hatred and rigour till such time as for verie griefe and sorrow he died at Rome the Doctor Frier Hector Pinto Prouinciall of the order of S. Ierome in Portugall and ordinary professour of the holy Scriptures in the Vniuersitie of Coimbre whose great learning is sufficiently witnessed by the most godly and graue writings which he hath sent into the world being imprisoned in Portugall by the commandement of his Catholike Maiestie some of his friends who were well affectioned to the Castilian partie did earnestly intreat and perswade him to retract and recant that which he had publikely read and preached and to declare that his said Maiestie was lawfull heire of the said Realme of Portugall the which he would not doe notwithstanding all the prayers and perswasions of his said friends to whom he made this answer That which I haue sayd I haue sayd true it is Hector Pinto his speech touching King Philip his vsurpation of Portugall that Philip hath not any right in the succession of this Crowne but inuading and intruding vpon the same in such sort as he hath done without staying till the cause were lawfully and orderly heard and decided he hath committed violence and tyrannie and therefore J for my part doe not acknowledge him for my king but rather for a tyrant and vsurper Whereupon his friends gaue him to vnderstand that this would be a verie dangerous thing for him to maintaine for said they they will leade you away into Castile bound hand and foote and fettered in iron and there wil they make you languish away in misery and in the end th re to die without all hope euer to see Portugall againe Whereunto he answered Little doth that trouble me howbeit that it be an extreme griefe vnto mee to end my daies out of my deare countrey and that
then his owne proper safety and that the Princes of Italy doe seeke his friendship and amity which I hope they will doe continually in regard of the publike good that may ensue thereby he iudgeth and not amisse that it may turne to his domage and detriment and that it may be an occasion to breake off the course of his great designes and enterprises Viz. The House of Austria which is indamaged by the Turke For this cause doth hee reioyce at the losses and misaduentures of the Christians notwithstanding that the mischiefe doe light vpon his owne flesh and bloud in so much that the prosperity of the Infidels maketh him the more proud and haughty And this is it that hath made him so hardy The Embassador of Venice ill intreated by the Castillian as to giue ill entreatie to the Embassadour of Venice if it be true that is reported if hee be not hindred ere long hee will giue worse entertainment to all other without any exception of persons Hee thinketh that Almaine and Italie especially in their afflictions and troubles will haue need of his helpe and assistance by reason whereof he is perswaded that they will not resolue themselues to follow and fauour the partie of the most Christian king by meanes whereof hee shall bee well able to effect his affaires in France If hee had beene disposed to hinder the Turke from making warre in Europe hee might very well haue done it by molesting and disquieting him in the East Indies as the true and lawfull kings of Portugall haue done Hee needed haue done no more but haue ioyned with Xatama the great King of Persia the friend of the Portugals for to keepe the Turke in awe and within compasse Infinite are the praises wherewith Historiographers haue celebrated the victory which D. Stephen de Gama a Portugall The victorie of Stephen de Gama against the Turkes Gouernour of the East Indies did obtaine against the Turke vpon whom hee made warre for that effect and purpose This battell was fought at the foot of Mount Synay Gama made many knights at the foote of Mount Sinay after which the said Gama made many Portugals knights for bearing themselues valiantly in that battell amongst the which there were two of speciall marke who being issued of noble parents did leaue behind them an immortall memorie of their honour and glorie The one of them was called Don Juan de Castre The victory of Don Iohn de Castre who afterwards being Viceroy of the said East Indies did get that famous victory which you may read of in the life of the king Don Emanuel in the which with lesse then foure thousand Portugals he defeated an infinite number of enemies and put to flight Moiecatan Constable of Cambaia who being sent by the king Mamud his Lord and maister with foureteene thousand men to succour the citie of Diu which held the Portugals besieged within the Castle he was constrained to leaue 300. of his men dead vpon the place hauing lost the Guydon royall with all their baggage Iuzarcan the yonger a great Lord in those parts was taken prisoner and Raman the Gouernour of the said citie which was great goodly and populous was there slaine and the Portugals made themselues absolute Lords of the citie Of this valorous Captaine Don Iuan de Castre who is now at this present in France is the grand child and he also hath beene as faithfull to his king and countrey as the said Don Iuan his grandfather The other of those two knights was called Don Lewes de Altaida Don Lewes de Altayda afterwards Countie of Aâ—ouguia who being in Almaign at the battle which the Imperialists gaue to the Duke of Saxonie and the Princes of his partie Anno Dom. 1548. 24. Aprill Charles the fift did him great honour by reason he surmounted all the rest in that iourney and recouered the imperiall Guydon which the enemies had once gained in so much that the Emperour gaue him all the honour of this victorie according as himselfe wrote vnto Don Juan the third king of Portugall his brother in law Don Lewes de Altaida Gouernour of the East Indies the first time and cousen German who had sent him thither for his Embassador and this noble man was twice Viceroy of the East Indies First in the life time of Don Sebastian at which time hee defended it against all the forces of Asia both Moores and Paynims had made a league against the Portugals who both by defending themselues an assailing of their enemies did purchase perpetuall and immortall glory Don Lewes Viceroy the second time Afterwards being made Viceroy the second time after the death of the King Sebastian during the raigne of King Henry and knowing that the people of Portugall had chosen and appointed certaine Gouernours to gouern and defend the realme after the death of the said Henry and that they had named ceâ—taine Iudges also to decide the cause touching the difference vpon the succession of that kingdome he said openly I for my part will not yeeld vp the Indies to any other His saying touching the possession of Portugall and the East Indies then to whom the Realme of Portugall shall be adiudged Insomuch as some say that they which followed the partie of the Castilian knowing well that the Iudge would neuer admit him to the succession of Portugall and being drawne on by the counsell perswasions and faire promises of the Castilian himselfe which were sent vnto them ouer land adde hereunto the notable diligence and industrie which he vseth in all his affaires They caused the said Lewes to bee made away with poyson so died that valiant and faithfull Portugall Don Lewes de Alcaida poysoned and there succeeded him in that gouernment a most vngratefull and notable Traitour who presently after deliuered vp the Indies to the enemy To the intent the happy memory of Don Stephan de Gama might be preserued there is an Epitaph set in a Pallace builded by Gama himselfe after his returne from the Indies neere to the towne of Setuval in Portugall which in the Portugall language though somewhat glossely is thus written Quem Cauelleyros armou O pé do monte Sinay Stephan de Gama his Epitaph Vâ—io acabar aquy That is to say He which made so many Knights At the foot of Mount Sinay Here as you see now doth he lie But to our purpose At this day Philip hath more force more puissance and many more commodities to hinder the Turke on that side of the East Indies from making warres in Europe then all the other kings of Portugall haue had heretofore Howbeit as that is not the way to aduance his ambitious desires so cannot he abide in any case to heare thereof For though it were a good deede and well done yet it will not be any helpe vnto him towards the preseruation of this his Monarchy of Portugall which he hath vsurped with so many
common and publike good and many great Lords and Princes with them against Charles the fifth The communalty of Castile in armes against Charls the 5. by reason of the great excessiue and new exactions and imposts laid vpon them the Embassadors of the said Princes and of many Cities and Townes of Castile came to the King of Portugall Don Emanuell praying him that hee would vouchsafe to take and acknowledge them for his vassals and Subiects The true amity of Emanuel King of Portugall to Charles the 5. for that they were desirous to haue him to their King and Lord but he would not onely not receiue their offer but he gaue them good counsell and admonition shewing them how they ought to conforme themselues in obedience to their King And to other of the Princes Cities and Townes of Castile which taking part with the said Charles came vnto him likewise for his ayde he gaue them both money artillery powder and other munition for the warre Some say that the said King Don Emanuell did lend them 500000 duckats and many peeces of artillery which was an occasion that they which were risen in armes did fall to an accord and agreement with their Prince Anno 1522. and thereof it ensued that Charles the fifth did againe vsurpe the Realme of Nauarre which Mounsieur Andrew de Foix had before restored and set at liberty the King Don Emanuell neuer suspecting nor doubting of any such matter intended by him And Philip now likewise for his part hath rewarded Portugall with the like good turne as hee hath done the like to France and now lately a great part of Christendome to whom he was not meanely bounden When the said Charles the fifth passed to Goletta in the yeere 1535 who tooke it The taking of Goletta with 22 other ships of warre That did the Gallion Cagafuego of Portugall which the King Don Iohn the third had commanded to accompany the Infant Don Lewes his yonger brother How came it to passe that the same Charles the fift tooke the Towne of Tunes The taking of Tunes the capitall and chiefe City of the Realme of Lybia was it not with the assistance and ayde of the said Infant and his Portugals The taking of Pignon de Belles by the Portugals Who was it that tooke Pignon de Belles with the residue not aboue 35 yeeres since for the King of Castile euen Francisco Bareto Generall of the Gallies of Portugall and the Captaine Diego Lopez de Sequeira his Nephew with the Portugals of his company The warre of Granado finished by the Portugals Who finished and gaue an â—nd to the oppression of Castile in the behalfe of the Granadians that were reuolted in Granada in the yeeres 1566. 67. and 68 That did 7 or 8 thousand Portugals send for a succour by the King Don Sebastian Philip King of Castile knoweth all this full well and that is the cause that he laboureth and paineth himselfe with so grear care and diligence to keepe this Monarchy of Portugall pretending not onely to vsurpe it to tyrannize ouer it and to plucke it by force and violence out of the hands of the Portugals but to take from them also their honour their glory and their valour for hee seeth well that hauing the Portugals on his side hee shall be able by their meanes to satisfie his ambitious humour and yet shall they not haue the honour due vnto them for their prowesse but hee attributeth all to the generosity of his Castilians So hath he tyrannized and doth yet still tyrannize ouer the honour of the Arragonnois the Catalans the Valentians the Nauarrois and other the Nations of Spaine and onely his Castilians which cary the name of Spaniards and are so called by those that are ignorant and know not the difference that is between the seuerall Nations of Spaine they I say are those Lyons those Tygers and conquerours of the World But we will come to the conclusion of this part of our Treatise touching Portugall the most precious and chiefest pearle of his Crowne It was my chance to be one day in his company with a personage of great estate who is daily at great charges and doth spend good store of duckats to haue notice and intelligence of that which passeth abroad in the World and hee did assure me for a certaine and vndoubted truth that one of the greatest fauourites of the King of Castile did demand of him this question What should be the cause that he suffered Freezland A question moued by a gentleman to the King of Castile and many Townes of other Prouinces of no small importance to be lost and to fall into the hands and into the power and subiection of Heretikes by meanes whereof they were constrained to forsake the true Religion a thing worthy to be lamented onely to succour the Princes and Townes of the League and to entertaine the warre a foote still in France Whereunto the King smiling answered Let them alone let them take Freezland and all the rest The answer of the King of Castile that which most toucheth me is the keeping of Portugall which if I doe as I hope I shall I will cut them out so much worke and giue them so much to doe in their owne Countrey that they shall not easily come neere mine and I doubt not at length but to haue the rest also for know this that if I keepe and possesse Portugall in peace and quietnesse they shall not onely not be able to liue without me but I shall make them in the end to be my subiects and to become tributaries vnto me and therefore let it not grieue you to see what is lost for all will be recouered well enough in time and leaue the care thereof to me alone The French Translatour Philip seeing himselfe Lord of so great a Monarchy doth aspire by all meanes he may to the Realmes of France and of England and of other Prouinces and hee doth reape so great contentment in his ambitious thoughts and purposes that hee cannot but discouer his conceit in that behalfe insomuch that not onely they of his Councell but his particular priuate Souldiers doe know it After the taking of the I le of Terceras the Captaines which accompanied the Marquesse de Santa Cruce in that iourney said openly Now that we haue all Portugall England is ours and by liitle and little wee shall gaine France also For proofe whereof wee haue neede of no other witnesse then that which his owne Writer Conestagio saith in continuing his Historie before the taking of the said Terceras where he hath these words Conestagio lib. 7. in fine But the King hauing so lately gotten the possession of Portugall and seeing the Portugals not yet very quiet he thought it best to pacifie that Realme before he intended any other enterprise And he said that by keeping his men in armes in those quarters hee should bridle not onely Portugall but
him actually and that he would pardon all in generall Whereunto Don Anthonio made him this aunswer God defend that he should commit so great a fault Don Anthonio full of conscience and that he had rather die in an hospitall then to doe a thing so hainous wicked vniust and against his conscience for that the lawes had taught him thus much that he might not contract for that which appertained to another For when he was chosen at Sautaren he had then sworne and afterwards againe at Lisbon when he was confirmed King by the deputies of the cities and townes of Portugall which came thither to take their oath for their allegeance and to doe him homage that he should neuer accord nor fall to any agreement with the enemy without leauing Portugall in her full and perfect libertie This may serue to shew how much better a Catholike and how lesse ambitious the King Don Anthonio was then King Philip. And as touching his choller and his hatred or charitie that may appeare by this which followeth in that there haue beene many men who haue oftentimes offered to Don Anthonio to kill Philip neuerthelesse he would neuer giue them any entertainment Most christian speaches of D. Anthonio alledging that Kings are the annoynted of the Lord and although quoth he my cousin King Philip blinded by ambition and tyrannie do persecute me and do seeke to take my life from me yet will not I be content nor consent for all that that any man for the loue of me should attempt to take his life And whosoeuer shall dare or aduenture to do it let him looke to himselfe that he come not into my hands For though his sins do so blind and bewitch him as that they make him shew himselfe a Saul against me yet I for my part do protest before God to shew my selfe a Dauid towards him A certaine man on a day demaunding of him a fauour for the good newes which hee brought him for he had assured him that King Philip was dead he aunswered him halfe in choller My good friend doest thou not know who it is of whom thou speakest vnto me hee is my cousin germane bring me newes that I haue eight or ten thousand faithfull men and well armed with good and sage Captaines and all things necessary to restore Portugall to libertie and I promise thee in the word of an honest man to make thee so rich and so honourable in my Realme as no Gentleman shall go beyond thee go go learne to know the disposition of Princes Now my masters what thinke you of these examples do you now see what reason I haue to say that the King Don Anthonio was more Catholike and lesse ambitious then the king Philip that he was a man without choller hatred but contrarywise full of charity I pray you therefore for the loue of God that from henceforth you would resolue your selues with a sound and vncorrupted iudgement a pure conscience and without any inueiglement or indiscreet zeale to embrace the good and to reiect the euill If he be dishonest luxurious licentious I say nothing in that behalfe for that is not the butt or ende of our treatise and I beleeue that the Prince of Orange in his Apologie hath said something touching that matter and the infamous rumour and detestable report which hath runne and doth yet runne throughout the world doeth say much to that effect God giue him the grace to know himselfe and to conuert and to render to euery man his owne before his death better then he hath restored that which as is reported his father at the hower of his death commaunded him to render and to restore againe Now most humbly I beseech your Maiesties to hold me excused for hauing beene so large in this matter because I haue not done it without good cause knowing that to come to the butte and end of my purpose it was very needfull and did much import me to haue sayd that which I haue done This is a thing proper and conformable to the law of God and agreeable to the nature of charitie to bring them into the right way that wander and goe astray and to discharge and cleare the innocent though it bee to the dammage and displeasure of the wicked Most excellent Princes If the reasons which I haue alleadged and the histories which I haue quoted bee not sufficient to perswade you and to vrge you speedily with one accord and consent to make a good and gallant army and to send it into Spaine not onely to make present resistance against the force of the Castillian to breake the course of his desseignes to beate downe his pride and to ruinate his puissance but also to bridle him in the time to come I shall bee enforced to beleeue that God hath forsaken and abandoned you because of your sinnes both publick and particular and that he hath depriued you of all iudgement and vnderstanding to the intent you should not see that which concerneth you so neare and which is aboue all thinges most needefull and necessary for your safety In such sort that being fo inueigled and as it were wholy amazed you will come to fall into a bottomlesse gulfe of most blinde darkenesse and consequently into vtter destruction and totall ruine Conceiue I beseech you and comprehend that which I say vnto you and consider it intentiuely for in that you haue within these few years past contemned or neglected to make a voyage into Portugall and haue not vouchsafed to yeeld neither succour nor fauour vnto the Portugals your friends you haue therefore at this time in Fraunce the Castillians your enemies From hencefoorth it shall be better for you and more expedient that the warre be made in Spaine and not in Fraunce and you shall receiue farre lesse discommoditie in destroying the territories of the Castillians with fire and sword then to see the townes and territories of your owne taken wasted and spoyled The Translators encouragement to these most worthie Princes The inward affection which I haue vnto your Maiesties the loyalty which J owe vnto your seruices and the desire which J haue to see the augmentation of the good and prosperity of Fraunce besides my age and long experience in matters of estate do giue me the assurance and hardinesse to aduertise you by the way of something concerning the matter here spoken of by the Author I had of late certaine intelligence by letters from some of my friends that the King of Tartaria now raigning whome the auncient Historiographers and Cosmographers do call Magnum Can Regem regum Dominum dominantium that is The great Cham King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is said to be a most prudent braue ard warlike Prince hath determined for the great deuotion which he beareth to his great Prophet Mahomet whose sect he professeth to passe with great forces to Mecha in Arabia and there to seaze vpon the bodie of
foretold and as it were prophecied as the prinâ—ipall counsellers of estate both in Fraunce in England can well testifie both all this which is come to passe in this behalfe and hath also foreshewed all that which hath beene lost in Fraunce and to what end and issue things will grow at the last if there be not some better order taken in these affaires And I beleeue that if they were demanded the question they will tell you how I haue passed away my time with as great griefe and discontentment as a man possibly might do to see the enemy daily to prosper and to waxe more proud and arrogant by your owne proper sufferance consent and wilfulnesse for this cause I am in a manner wholly resolued to leaue and abandon the conuersation of men to retire withdraw my selfe into some solitary mountaine Notwithstanding because I know and am acquainted with all that hath befalne for these 50 yeeres last past in the greatest part of Europe I doe therefore tell you as one that hath had experience of these matters that as yet you may recouer if you will all that which hitherto you haue lost and both deliuer your friends and bridle your enemies And you may take such order that the time to come shall be more happy and fortunate vnto you then the time already past hath beene And moreouer I doe assure you that sithens the losse of great part of Christendome wonne by the Turke the late losse of the most part of Germany the hereditary possession of the King of Bohemia all Switzerland with the great hazard of losing all the Netherlands who are now striuing for breath against the King of Spaines mighty powers now in the field which I for my part doe thinke to haue proceeded from the very hand of God as of your louing Father who by a fatherly loue doth chastise you to the end you should awaken you out of your security and negligence I haue beene euer since resolued to set downe in writing that which I haue so often pronounced by word of mouth to so many persons of speciall marke and quality before that euer they did entreat me thereunto And this is the cause that if this my writing doe not produce that publike good and that effect which I desire I protest that from henceforth I will for euer hold my peace and be silent Neuerthelesse I most humbly beseech your Christian Maiesties and all the Princes and Potentates of Europe and all the great Lords and Officers of the Crownes of England and of Fraunce that it would please you to descend into your selues and at your leisure according to your accustomed prudence and wisdome to consider that good fortune and felicity doth not consist so much in the conquest and subduing of great Seigniories and large dominions for the time present with an intent to leaue the same to your successors but rather to assure confirme and preserue them for the time to come to your children and posterity to the intent that when it shall please God to call you hence they may quietly and peaceably enioy them in peace and tranquility without any trouble disquiet or hinderance For it is a farre greater vertue to preserue and keepe that which is gotten then to get and purchase new things daily Non minor est virtus quà m quarere parta tuêri The poore Pilgrime beaten by Time and pesecuted by Fortune P. Ol. I am resolued to make warre vpon the Castillian wherein if you also will beare a part assure your selfe you may account me as one of your most faithfull and surest friends But if you once grow to any termes of peace and amity with him then seeke you some other with whom ye may deliberate vpon that matter AN EXPLICATION OF THE PILGRIME VPON THE PROVERB IF THE COCKErell had not come the Cock had not bene taken And of the loyaltie of Auila and Simanchas in Castile and of Celorico and the Castell of Coimbre in Portugall Item What the diuersitie is betweene the King of Castile and of Spaine and who they bee whom wee call Castillians and what is vnderstood by Cities and Townes HEnry the fourth King of Castile of whom wee haue before spoken being at the point of death If the Cockerel had not come the Cock had not beene taken named foure Executors of his Testament to gouerne the Realme after his death and to marrie his daughter the Ladie Iane two of which Executors to wit Don Aluaro de Estugniga Duke de Areualo and Don Diego Lapez Pacheco Marquis de Vâ—llena ioyning with the Archbishop of Toledo named Don Alphonso Carrillo Don Bertrand de la Cueua Duke de Albuquerke the Maister of Calatraua Don Rodrigo Telles Giron Countie de Vâ—egne Don Iohn Telles Giron hif brother Marquisse of Calis Don Alphonso de Aguilar and manie other great Lords with foureteene Cities of Castile sent vnto Don Alphonso the Affrican King of Portugall praying him that he would take to wife the said Queene Dame Iane the which the King of Portugall accepted against the willes and good liking of many of his Realmes who would not by any manner of meanes haue to doe nor meddle with the Castillians By reason of this mariage in the yeere 1475 Don Alphonso went into the Lands and Countrey of his said wife where he had many encounters and combats with Fernand King of Arragon the Husband of Jsabel the pretended Queene of Castile and with his people till such time as they encountered in the battell which was foughten neere the City of Toro The battell of Toro in March 1476 which was ordered in this manner the King Alphonso had made one Campe of the Lords and Nobles of the Realmes of Castile and Leon with some Portugals the Prince Don Juan his sonne who was come to the succours of his Father had made another Campe of his Portugals without any Castillians mingled amongst them The King Fernand made also two campes the one of the Castillians which tooke his part and his wiues and the other of Arragonois the Catalans the Valencians and such other peoples and Nations as were the subiects of his owne Realmes and Seigniories whereof himselfe was Lord and commaunder Fernand encountring with Alphonso defeated and ouercame him and hauing taken his Guidon royall made him forsake the field and to betake himselfe to flight But the Prince Don Iuan gaue in and charged so resolutely vpon the Castillians that he made them to flie and hauing slaine many of them vpon the place he tooke a great number of prisoners and himselfe remaining whole and entire with his Forces did with singular hardinesse and magnanimity assaile Ferdinand also the vanquisher of his Father and making him to flie did recouer againe the Guydon royall which the said Alphonso his Father had lost The History of Portugall saith that the Prince did great honour vnto a Knight which saued the said Guydon and gaue him an yeerely rent or annuity of
Portugall hee vsed this speech vnto him Captaine Ferras I would gladly know what should be the cause that made you to follow the partie of the French against me seeing wee are of one and the same Nation for albeit you be a Portugall and I a Castillian yet are we both Spaniards The Colonell made him this answere Sir when the Portugals doe trauaile abroad out of their owne countrey whether they be rich or poore their onely end and scope is to get them honour and reputation For mine owne part I had the meanes to liue honestly in my countrey like a Gentleman neuerthelesse being resolued to see the world I began to cast my account with my selfe what course I were best to take Hauing made my reckoning I conceiued with my selfe that I should purchase me more honour by bearing Armes against the greatest Captaine of the World then in taking of his part to serue against any other and for this cause I tooke Armes against your Maiestie The Emperour smyling sayd I beleeue that this is not the cause but rather the old rancour and hatred which the Portugals beare to the Castillians Portugall answered him againe in great choller Sir An excellent answere of a Portugall to Charles the 5. I sweare vnto your Maiestie That neyther for good nor for bad I trouble not my minde with the Castillians not so much as to thinke of them The Emperour making semblance as though this answere did content him did embrace him many times and often but hee iudged of the Portugall as his affection led him for hee had enough of the bloud of a Castillian by his mothers side to make him to hate him A little Leauen c. And thus may you see the vntruth of Conestagio His Historie is well written and in a good style but most false and full of passion for hee both reprehendeth and iniurieth all those of whom hee speaketh yea euen King Philip himselfe in whose fauour hee wrote it and for this cause principally it was forbidden in Portugall But leauing Conestagio now that we haue shewed how the Castillian Nation is much more maligne and peruerse then all the other people of Spaine I will tell you one thing worthy to be noted ere wee proceed which doth more neerely touch the Portugall Nation than any of the rest that is That all those Nations generally are so desirous of libertie that they doe seeke by all meanes possible to obtayne it being readie to receiue euen the Deuils themselues if they would be readie to further and fauour them in the same And yet if any strange Nation should passe into Spaine to any other end they would vse the vttermost of their endeuours to stop their passage and to hinder their entrance making little or no reckoning of their liues and much lesse of their goods and substance When I doe speake of causing strange Nations to passe into Spaine I must tell you thus much That they shall be much more welcome and finde better entertainment of the people of the Countrey when they shall be mingled many and diuers Nations together then if one should goe thither alone for that this diuersitie will take from them all conceit and suspition which they might otherwise haue that their comming were to make a conquest of their countrey and not to procure their libertie and freedome and so they would vndoubtedly receiue them ioyfully and with all assurance In like manner if the Tyrant should commaund them to goe to the warres out of their owne countrey especially if it were for their Religion they would serue him more faithfully then did Auila and Simancas in Castile or Celorico the Castle of Coimbre in Portugall For proofe hereof The meaning hereof is expounded in the end of this Treatise you may remember how in the yeere 1588. the King of Castile in his Fleet and Armie by Sea that came vpon the Coast of France sent two Regiments of Portugals each of them consisting of eight hundred men or thereabouts The loyaltie of the Portugals These forces notwithstanding that in regard of his vsurpation of the countrey they were enemies to him yet hauing promised to serue him faithfully in this voyage in the fight which they had against the Englishmen and Flemings they did make such proofe of their valour that they did farre excell all the rest of the Army in prowesse and deedes of Armes and they alone did more for the seruice of the King of Castile then all the residue of his Allyes insomuch that there was none of them who had command and gouernment in the Army that were receiued with honour by the King Catholike saue only the Portugall Colonels Portugall Colonels in the Armie of the yeere 1588. namely Gasper de Sousa and Antonie Perera The which Perera before that time had serued and fought most valiantly for the defence of the libertie of his Countrey and for the seruice of his true and naturall King against the said King of Castile at such time as hee entred into Portugall with a mightie Army to inuade it In the yeere 1582. when Don Aluar de Bassana Marquesse de Santa Cruce did encounter vpon the Sea with the Lord de Stroce those which fought best and shewed themselues most valiant was the Marquesse de Fauare Marquesse of Fauare a Portugall most true and faithfull to his Countrey and to his King and by whose counsaile and aduertisements a certaine great and excellent seruitor of the estate and of the King Don Antonio had his life preserued besides certaine other Gentlemen his countreymen Who tooke the Ship called the Reuenge The taking of the Reuenge of England belonging to the Queene of England euen Don Lewes Coutigno a Lord of Portugall who before time had beene most true and faithfull to his Countrey and for the defence of his King fighting against the Duke de Alua had receiued many mortall wounds in the battaile of Alcantara the same day that Lisbon was lost which was in the yeere 1580. and the 26. of August And for the more distinct and cleare demonstration of the truth of this matter I will recite vnto you a most true Historie In the yeere 1589. Don Anthonie King of Portugall accompanied with the Englishmen and Hollanders made a Voyage into Portugall and casting anchor in the Hauen of Penicha they of the Castle began to play with their Ordinance vpon the armie but the Captaine of the Castle Anthonio de Arauio a Portugall being ascertained that the king Don Anthonio was in that armie he forbad the Cannoniers to shoot any more and caused a white Ensigne to be put forth vpon sight whereof Don Anthonio commanded that euery man should goe on shore and take their way towards the Towne the which they did not without some resistance made by certaine companies of Castillians who in the end were forced to retyre with the losse of some of their people The first that arriued to the Towne was
the County of Essex a Prince of the bloud Royall of England and one that was adorned with many morall vertues This Lord comming to speake with the Captaine of the Castle which was vpon the Wall one of his companie sayd My Lord the Earle of Essex is come hither by the commandement of the Queene of England in whose name hee commandeth to haue the Castle rendred vnto him The Captaine answered him Philip King of Castile hath committed the keeping of this Castle vnto me and for the same I haue done him homage in regard whereof I will defend it against all those that shall seeke to dispossesse me of it and I will not yeeld it vp to any person saue to the King Don Anthonio because his it is and I acknowledge him onely for my King and Lord and if he be not in this armie as hath been told me that he is I would aduise that euery man doe retyre himselfe otherwise I shall cause you all to loose your liues Vpon this word the Countie of Essex retyred himselfe to the Sea side and there went to meete him the Lords Scipio de Figueyredo Vascoucelles late Gouernour of the Terceras and Anthony de Brito Pimentell and other Gentlemen Portugals of the Kings trayne who vnderstanding by the Count the speech of the Captaine went on directly to the Castle and assured the Captaine that the King Don Anthonio their Lord was come thither Within a while after the King arriuing there and calling the Captaine who knew him by his speech hee made him this answere Sir I come to open the gates vnto your Maiestie The port being opened he kneeled downe before the King and kissing his hands The yeelding of the Castle of Penicha deliuered him the Keyes of the Castle This is most true that if he would haue held good the English armie had not bin able to haue taken that Castle it was so well furnished and prouided of artillerie and all things necessarie for besides great store of Iron peeces there were 85. of Brasse All these examples doe shew euidently how faithfull the Portugals are to them to whom they haue once promised and plighted their faith and fidelitie And for as much as I know that your Maiesties haue conceiued an opinion of me as of a person giuen to be somewhat curious and who is acquainted with the accidents which passed in this Voyage and that your Maiesties haue a desire to vnderstand what was the cause why Don Anthonio did not continue in Portugall and what made him to render vp this Castle and other places which were impregnable and to returne into England with his armie without doing any other act of any worth and with the losse of the greatest part of his companie with which he was embarked I will briefely recount the successe of this Iourney crauing many particularities because to count them all it would require much more time then is requisite for the finishing of this Treatise I say then that as God when he chasteneth humbleth great Estates and Monarchies doth suffer and permit for the sinnes of the people such as are like Pharao's Nabuchodonozors Caligula's Nero's and Dioclesians vsing them as his executioners and hangmen as Attila called himselfe the Scourge of God and Tamerlan the Wrath of God so it seemeth he hath permitted that K. Philip should be his minister the executioner of his wrath anger and that in his secret iudgement beyond all apparance of humane reason his will is not yet that Portugall should be deliuered and set at libertie for it is not possible that men should be so blinded to their owne losse and destruction as they were in this Voyage if the Diuine puissance had not blinded them by taking away the vse of their sence and vnderstanding The greatest part of the Armie was embarked at Douer The declaration of the Portugall Voyage in the yeere 1589. the 24. of March and from thence went to Plimmouth From thence they departed all together the 29. of Aprill at which time perceiuing their numbers to be greatly diminished by the contagion that was amongst them in stead of taking the direct way to Portugall they set their course for the Groine where the most part of the souldiers died and all the best Canoniers insomuch that their forces were much abated and they gaue thereby good leysure vnto the enemie both to send fresh men into Lisbon and to draw out of Portugal those who were any way suspected as they did indeed take from thence more then an hundred Lords and Gentlemen of marke Noble men taken out of Portugall by the Castillian who were all of them very contrarie to him and by their absence were greatly missed both of their King and countrey They came to the Groine the sixt of May where they were till the twentieth on which day they did againe take shipping and set sayle towards Portugall where they tooke land at Penicha the sixe and twentieth From thence hauing left in the Castle certaine souldiers with Anthonie de Brito Pimentell aboue named who is the chiefe of the House of the Pimentels of Spaine and about 800. sick men they tooke their way the Generall Drake by Sea and the Lord Generall Norris by Land with 35. or 40. horse and some 6000. foot so ill armed that a good part of them wanted their Swords and there was not of them aboue 50. Corslets the cause whereof was want of Waggons and Carriages for to carry them ouer the land and the souldiers themselues were constrained to carry their powder on their shoulders Besides many of them at their departure out of their lodgings had left their Pikes and some their Harquebuses loading themselues with pots bottels of Wine which they found there in great abundance Wine marreth all the which in very truth did the more hinder and endomage them for by meanes hereof they fell into diuerse diseases and died in great numbers the English Nation not being accustomed to drinke Wine alwayes their Beere is not so strong a kind of drinke The day following 3. leagues before their arriuall to a Towne called Loires Vedras the keyes of the Castle were brought to the king Don Anthonio which Castle is so strong that 20. men with necessarie munitions may keepe defend it against 100000. All the way along to Lisbon which is 60. good miles there was not one Castillian that durst appeare and 7. horsemen English did put to flight 60. Castillians From thenceforth many Portugals came to kisse the hands of their King in great abundance notwithstanding for that they came without armes hauing beene before disarmed and for that there was no body of whom they might get or haue any neither for loue nor money howbeit that they brought with them good store of siluer purposely to that effect they did the most part of them returne againe to their owne houses and there could not be armed of them aboue one thousand foot and
amisse that the Moores should be in feare but it were more meet that the King your Maister did vnderstand to what end this Armie is leuyed for in very deede it is for Portugall The most Christian king and all the Princes and Potentates of Europe haue great reason to hinder that the Portugals doe not accord with the Castillians and that they giue them no occasion to lose the hope of their libertie And if the King Catholike my Lord doe make himselfe Maister of that Realme as hee verily hopeth for hee holdeth it in a manner as alreadie wrought and practised hee will bring to passe that not onely the most Christian King shall be inferior and tributarie vnto him but also all the other Princes of Europe shall bee subiect vnto him especially the seuen vnited Prouinces of the Low Countreyes and the Pope with all the Court of Rome shall doe nothing but what seemeth good vnto him because hauing added vnto his Empire the Monarchie of Portugall who can be able to resist him For this reason it will concerne the most Christian King and all other Christian Princes to ioyne themselues together as in a common cause for that otherwise the King my Maister will make himselfe Lord and the vniuersall Monarch of all the World whereby they shall be his subiects and wee shall be his slaues and vassalls perpetually This that wee haue here left recited doth prooue that which was before spoken and therefore to returne to the matter in hand I say in the fifth and last place that whensoeuer a great and puissant army shall be raised to passe into Spaine be the charge neuer so great if it do nothing else then wast and spoile the countrey and take some few cities and townes and if in regard thereof the Castilian be enforced to call home his forces which he holdeth in these parte of Europe for his owne defence though the comming of those his forces should cause our army to retire yet I should hold this for a very great benefit because that which cannot now be done with an hundred will then be done with ten men and the charge and expences will bee still lesse and lesse But it may be that some of your Maiesties subiects will say vnto me that this is a matter of great difficultie and at this time especially very hard to be done for that hauing the enemy here at hand euen at our backes there were small reason for vs to transport our forces into foraine parts This a good doubt and may be some trouble to men of a shallow and small vnderstanding and such as haue little iudgement to discourse vpon the state of matters but to them which know the depth and ground of things it will carry no apparance of danger But to the intent the trueth may the better appeare let vs reason together each with other by way of demanding and answering as is vsed in the Schooles A discourse or reasoning betweene the Author and a Frenchman touching the passing of an Armie into Spaine The Subiect Be it so if you please for I will heare you with a right good will The Pilgrim Say then what is it that you thinke will endamage you Subiect The enemy with his forces and with his intelligences Pilgrim But if you finde a meane to disnest him from hence who then can hurt you afterwards Subiect No body Pilgrim Doe then as I haue told you and without doubt the enemy will be gone from you Subiect That cannot bee Pilgrim Wherefore Subiect Wherefore say you How would you that we should goe into a strange and foraine country to warre vpon others and leaue our owne country in the power and puissance of our enemies If we send our forces into Spaine as you would perswade vs we should be vtterly vndone as I haue giuen you to vnderstand Pil. Good God how are you without iudgement and vnderstanding Take that which I tell you as I speake it and not as you conceiue it and answer me to one question categorically If there were now an armie raised to goe into Spaine to the making whereof let France spare some foure or fiue thousand men England three or foure thousand the Estates of Holland Zeland Freezland and all the rest of their Allies two or three thousand besides ships of which they haue great store and let some other Princes Potentates and Common-weales disburse some proportion of money for the aiding and furthering of this enterprise to these adde three or foure thousand Zwitzers or Lance knights and then tell me shall France bee vnprouided or shall England be dispeopled or shall the Estates be vnfurnished of men and shipping and without meanes to keepe the Seas or shall the other Princes and common-weales be reduced to such misery that they shall be vnable to hold their ordinary course in their affaires and proceedings but rather as they may well spare twice so many men to furnish them to passe into Spaine out of the seuerall Kingdomes and yet they are sufficient to imploy greater forces into other his dominions in the West and neuerthelesse powerfully maintaine their owne Sub. No I think not so Pilg. Why then doe you not that which concerneth you so neere and whereof dependeth the whole and onely remedy of your mischiefe and misery and wherein you for your part haue a greater interest then any of the rest Sub. Marry sir to make vp these thousands of men which you speak of there must be had great store of mony which will as hardly be had as they that haue it will be loth to depart with it Pilg. O how blind is this people and how deuoyd of counsell and prudence is this nation O that they would be wise and that they would vnderstand and prouide for things to come Our towne which the enemy may take to morrow next doth it not import vs more then 300000. crownes which is the most that wee shall neede for the furnishing of 4. or 5. thousand men If after the taking of Laon and the reducing of so many good townes there had been imployed 200000 crowns which are demanded for this enterprise it may bee you should haue had by this time more then three milllions in your purse and you should not haue lost al these towns in France of so great import Cambray Dourlan Calice Ardes Amiens and many other places with your great Admirall and so many braue gentlemen and Captaines which are now dead would stil haue liued to speake in French Moreouer doe not excuse your selfe and say for your discharge that a man cannot diuine what will follow for you haue beene too too much forewarned of matters as they haue fallen out and there is yet liuing a Lord one of the Councell who at Fountaine Belleau in May 1595. did by all meanes he could possibly deuise perswade the vndertaking of this enterprise alledging so many reasons and so euident that he plainly shewed how greatly it did import France
all Spaine and France it selfe also and it may be hee would not otherwise haue failed to haue sent a good part of those forces euen for England at the least for Ireland Portugall the principal cause of all the warres By those last words aboue vsed by the King and the former recited examples may be easily discouered not onely the ingratitude of this peruerse and vn pleasing Catholike but wee may also collect and gather that Portugall is the principall cause of so many warres so many murthers and mischaunces and that if the same were wrung out of the hands and power of this tyrant the most Christian King and the other Princes of Christendome should dwell in peace the Potentates and common wealths of Europe should be in rest the Cardinals at Rome should not be at his direction nor the elections of the Popes at his will and pleasure ouer the which he doth so tyrannize that in each of them he maketh himselfe the first person and as the saying is preferreth himselfe before the holy Ghost There is neuer any election of a Pope How Philip doth germandise the elections of the Cardinals and Popes but he nameth some three foure or fiue persons to the end that the Conclaue of Cardinals should choose one of them was there euer seene greater impudency or presumption that a mortall man should dare vsurpe Gods office Ha most Christian King it is the part of your Maiesty to defend and maintaine the soueraigne and chiefe Bishops they are in their possession to be defended and preserued by the most Christian Kings of France and to that end haue they endowed them with so great priuiledges liberties and prerogatiues Banish therefore and driue away Sir this monster breake the head of this Serpent tame this Lyon and deliuer the Church from this so tyrannicall seruitude and hard captiuitie Restore vnto your pupils their wonted peace and liberty to the intent they may with hardinesse chastise the euill and vicious and without feare reward the good and vertuous How often haue the soueraigne Bishops desired to honour and doe good to some persons in recompence of their vertues and merits and to correct others for their vices and haue not beene able to performe either the one or the other Oftentimes against their wils haue the Popes permitted the wicked to triumph and more often haue they consented that the good should endure afflictions Who did better deserue to be made a Cardinall if I may not say Pope then that famous learned man Doctor Martin Aspilcueta of Nauarre Martin Aspilcueta a Nauarrois whose memory shall be eternall both for his doctrine and for his holinesse and vertue Neuerthelesse onely because Philip could not abide him for defending against him the cause of that reuerend Prelate Don. Fra. Bartholmew Carrance Fra. Bartholmew Carrance Archbishop of Toledo a religious person of the order of S. Dominicke Archbishop of Toledo and for maintaining also with many and strong reasons that the Portugals ought of right to choose their King by election and for prouing by most firme and infallible arguments that his Catholike Maiesty did possesse the Realme of Portugall by vniust and tyrannicall title was therefore thrust out of all and dyed in the estate of a poore and simple Priest Who did euer in all reason deserue better or more worthily to be strangled and burnt then N and yet because Philip would haue it so hee liueth still and triumpheth Wherefore most humbly I beseech both your Maiesties euen for the honour of GOD wherein your selues haue more interest then any other that you would vouchsafe to attend this matter of so great importance and that you would vndertake to leuy and make ready a good Armie to passe into Spaine and to consider withall how great is the prudence the industry and subtilty of this common enemy that your Maiesty would regard his actions his ambition and his tyranny that you would awaken and grow to a resolution knowing that you haue so great a tyrant to your Neighbour as of himselfe alone is greater then all others that euer were or which now are in the World Tyranny as natural to Phâ—lip as is laughter to a man all of them set together and who hath gotten like his predecessors all that which he possesseth by pure and plaine tyranny which is indeede so proper and naturall vnto him and doth belong vnto him as properly and vnseparably as laughter doth to a man Giue me leaue I pâ—ay you to proue that which I speake by most cleere and certaine Histories to the intent I may take away all occasion from those who are addicted to ill speaking and to deceitfull dealing to thinke or take me for a lyar for this that I say may be verified by all the Historiographers of Spaine both ancient and moderne which are worthy to be credited or haue any truth in them some of which doe liue yet at this day and it is no long time since they made their workes and imprinted them with the fauour and at the costs and charges of the said Philip. And this I will endeuour to proue as briefly as I can and I will shew how in all the Realmes and Prouinces which the King Catholike possesseth in Spaine whereof I my selfe being a Spaniard doe know somewhat hee possesseth and holdeth them by tyranny committed many times and often And for as much as to proue that which I intend it shall suffice to touch onely that which hath happened since the 380 yeeres last past I will not speake of any thing that hath befalne before the yeere of Christ 1217. Castile tyrannized â—he first time Henry King of Castile the sonne of Alphonsus the noble dying left his eldest sister Blaunch Queene of France which was the mother of S. Lewes who was then but two yeeres old Garibay lib. 22. cap 41. and his Father who was not yet King of France was occupied in the warres of England whither hee was called by them of that land against their King called King John who was reputed for a tyrant Henrie being dead as is sayd his youngest sister named Berangera the wife of Alphonsus King of Leon with her sonne Fernand encroched vpon the possession of the Realme of Castile and vsurped it against the right of the sayd Blanch her eldest sister and consequently against the sayd S. Lewes her nephew Fernand being dead Alphonsus his eldest sonne called Emperour of the West because some of the Electors of the Empire had elected him whereas the residue had chosen Richard the brother of Henrie the third King of England made an accord with the sayd S. Lewes the cousen German of his father touching the succession of Castile in this manner That Fernand the eldest sonne of Alphonsus should eâ—pouse Blanch the daughter of the sayd S. Lewes with condition that the children borne of that marriage should inherit Castile Of them twaine were issued Alphonsus and Fernand who were
be engrauen with this superscription Philippus Hispaniarum Rex wherein hee imitated the sayde Fernand his great graund-father who tooke so great paines to gaine or rather to vsurpe this honourable title that many strangers of forraine natioas did liberally giue it vnto him who neither knew nor would vnderstand what aduantage the same would bring vnto the tyrant and what detriment the nobilitie peoples and prouinces of Spaine should suffer by allowing the same title vnto him So that herein may bee seene most apparantly the notable tyranny of the predecessors of the king Catholike now raigning who after they had for a while suppressed the right of others to the intent themselues might tyranize ouer those Realmes yet would afterwards seeke againe to reuiue and to retaine that very right and title which they had before most iniuriously vsurped A thing certainly which may induce vs rather to sigh and to lament then to conceiue any pleasure and delight to see the Princes of the earth which beare the name and title of Catholickes to bee neuerthelesse so bad Christians and so insupportable tyrants as is this Philip the King of Castile Which is the cause that all the Ecclesiasticall and regular persons of Portugall doe hate him so extremely that when the commandement was giuen them that in certaine of their prayers and in their Canonicall houres they should expressely pronounce the name Philip for the King knew well that vnder the name of King vsed indeterminately they did in their hearts vnderstand and pray for Don Anthonio They tooke his commandement in so ill part that they could not bee brought to doe it But in the end they seeing themselues pressed by the commandement of the Bishops and Prelates they did at length pronounce his name but with such disdaine and in dignitie as I am ashamed to speake it notwithstanding because these matters doe well concurre together and it is not from our purpose and besides because hee that shall rehearse them is not to be blamed for the reciting for that hee is bound to represent them onely in manner and forme as they were done I haue determined to recount vnto you two examples concerning this matter of the which we doe now intreat The Archbishop of Lisbon hauing giuen out and published the Kings commandement afore mentioned through out all the Churches of Lisbon in the yeere 1582. the first of Ianuary vpon the day of the three Kings next ensuing a certaine Curate as he was saying a solemne Masse in his Parish Church with great pompe and solemnity and the Church full of people when hee came to the end of the prayer which is vsually said after Gloria in excelsis in singing of these words Et Famulum tuum regem nostrum that is thy seruant our King he suddenly stopped and turning himselfe towards the Deacon and Subdeacon he spake vnto them with loud voyce Tell me tell me how call you this Diuell And they answering him Philip he named Philip and so went on with his Masse At the same time it happened that a religious person of the order of S. Dominicke making mention of the King in a certaine prayer without naming him by his name of Philip and being commanded by his Prelate vnder paine of contempt and disobedience that he should name him by his proper name he then repeated it saying Et Famulum tuum regem nostrum Philippum Ducem Albensem Sanchum de Auila Rodericum Sapata caeterósque omnes diabolos c. That is to say And thy seruant our King Philip the Duke de Alua Sancho de Auila and Rodericke Sapata and all the other Diuels When I rehearsed this vnto a Nobleman of good account with whom I communicated the greatest part of this discourse hee wondered greatly vsing this exclamation Iesu doe the Priests and Religious persons of Portugall thus hate his Catholike Maiesty This is a strange thing and I maruell much that they hating him so extreamely and being of such strength and puissance in their Countrey for the most part of them are Noblemen and Gentlemen and some of them great Princes that they doe not cause the people to rise in armes against that Tyrant I answered him the cause is for that albeit they haue neuer so iust a cause to take armes yet the Portugals are a people of great patience and sufferance towards their Prince and they doe also goe to the warres with so ill a will howbeit that being once in the warres they proue very good Souldiers that they had rather goe to hanging Neuerthelesse if they should once rise against the Castilian they would defend themselues in such manner that hee should neuer more be able to suppresse them The whole substance of the matter is that they doe once grow to a resolution and that they set hand to the worke which if they once doe I beleeue that they will make as great a wall betweene Portugall and Castile as they of China did in times past make betweene them and the Tartarians and if it were but onely to content the soule of their King Iohn the second Iohn the 2. the scourge of the Castilians named The man and King of peace named The man and King of peace who was the scourge and plague of the Castilians and of him is yet spoken that old prouerbe Jf the Chicke had not come the Cocke had beene taken This Prince knowing the manners the life and the tyrannicall actions of the Castilian was wont to say that hee did greatly desire to see betweene Portugall and Castile The griefe and discoÌ„tentment of King Iohn the 2. of Portugall a wall feared vp so high as might reach vp to Heauen protesting that the thing that most grieued him in this World was for that the Sunne did first passe by Castile before it came into Portugall and that which made him quite and cleane out of all patience was because he knew not how to remedy it The Nobleman to whom I recounted all these things giuing me great thankes said vnto me Certainely I am very glad and doe thanke you heartily for acquainting me with these particulars which are things worthy to be remembred and such as I haue not at any time heard or seene written But I doe not vnderstand quoth he what should be meant by that prouerbe aboue mentioned If the Chicke had not come the Cocke had beene taken as that also which you haue spoken of the loyalty of Auila and Simancas in Castile of Celorico and of the Castle of Coimbre in Portugall and of the King of Castile and the Castilians and of the Cities and Townes Monsieur quoth I againe I would gladly declare the same vnto you but I feare lest I be blamed for making such long digressions for I am so well acquainted with the disposition of men that I am not ignorant in how many parts of this my discourse they may accuse me in that behalâ—e and therefore I pray you to suffer me first to make an
his said Prophet This Sophie of Persia being ascertained of this enterprise whom the Authour in this his treatise nameth Xatama presently dispatched away certaine Embassadours to Constantinople to the great Seignior of the Turkes with whom for these manie yeares of late he hath had great warres and continuall enmitie to pray him that hee would ioyne his forces with his to the end they might both of them ioyntly resist and withstand the puissance of the Tartarian shewing him also the danger which both the one and the other of them might incurre to the losse of their estates by hauing to their neighbour an enemy so sage and puissant I would to God your Maiesties would now consider that if these considerations do fall into the vnderstanding of a Barbarian how much more ought they not to bee wanting in men of iudgemeot and vnderstanding and I would your Maiesties would ponder aduisedly how much it importeth you not to suffer the greatnesse of the Castillian your next and nearest neighbour Ioyne your forces with your Confederates and take in hand this enterprise in such sort as you may deuide the power and monarchie of the enemie I doe not say that you should send to pill ransacke them which are vnder the yoke and commaund of the enemie God forbid for this would turne as much to his good and profitâ— as to our hurt and domage because by our pilling and sacking of them wee shall giue them cause who now hate him deadlie and can not abide not onely him nor so much as to heare him named for the defence of themselues and to bee reuenged of their domages and our extorsions done vpon them to ioyne themselues with our enemie and to serue him with loue and fidelitie and contrarywise to prosecute and pursue vs with extreame hatred doing their worst that they may against vs in such sort that wee losing our friends who now desire to assist vs shall purchase them for our enemies and they will aspire nor seeke nothing more then our ruine and destruction On the contrarie in steed of mortall enemies which he hath now of them shall finde them to be his friends to ayde and assist him to the maintainance of his ambition and tyrannie And this is that which hee doth seeke and desire shewing himselfe in the meane while like a most wylie Foxe and to this effect he will not spare to giue money liberally because of the good that may redound thereof vnto him This is a thing most certaine that hee desireth extreamly to see them made poore and ruinated whom he feareth c. I am fully perswaded that fewer words then these will suffice to giue your Maiesties to vnderstand how much it importeth you to preserue and desend people that are malcontent and afflicted in miserie and how much mischiefe may ensue by giuing them cause of scandall and offence That which we ought to doe in this case is to trauell by all meanes possible to set foot in Spaine and to fortifie our selues within it gathering and drawing vnto vs such as are scandalized and ill handled by the enemie and to receiue them with humanitie and curtesie so did William the Conquerour gaine the Realme of England the which also in the same manner Henrie the seuenth did afterwards get likewise Many others haue done the like yea and your Maiesties also who if you shall seize vpon some places in Spaine you shall make your owne peace with honour profite and aduantage This which I say is not to contradict that which many desire without considering what is expedient and necessarie to a matter of so great importance but rather to shew how your Maiesties may doe without any losse and detriment and to the best profit and aduantage of your Realmes yea and of all the common weale of Christendome The holy King and Prophet Dauid as a most politike and wise man counselleth vs to pray to God for those things which are needfull to the peace of Jerusalem that is the Church militant consequently wee are commaunded to do it Primo rogate quae ad pacem sunt Ierusalem Pray for the peace of Jerusalem Secundo Fiat pax Secondly Let peace be but the world shall neuer haue peace till Spaine be deuided in virtute tua That is to say in such sort as we may not loose one iote of our estate honour reputation and integritie and other things of like nature and qualitie whereof I will surcease to speake any further because I will not trouble the discourse of the Authour And for my part surely and in my conscience I am halfe in a doubt whether I should laugh or weep at this so great and extreame a blindnesse neither more nor lesse then Hanniball did seeing the destruction of Carthage And if it bee well considered that this laughter proceedeth not but of the great griefe and sorrow which I haue at my heart I beleeue assuredly that it would bee to more purpose then all your teares cries and lamentations and I will then say of you as Hanniball said of the Carthagenians You weepe you sigh and you lament to see your townes taken your countrey ransacked spoyled your children brethren kinsfolkes countrimen and friends slaine and killed and your goods wasted and lost you know all of you how to remedy it and confesse that you know it and yet there is none of you that will resolue nor shew himselfe forward for the publike common good as well as for the particular good of euerie one and there is none that either speaketh or talketh of it saying let vs free our countrey let vs succour our friends let vs cast out and driue away our enemies I will doe this or that I will giue thus much for the publike and common good of my countrie Are you so straight laced for so small a matter which should redeeme you and set you altogether in peace rest and quietnesse and which should deliuer your friends who will serue you as a rampier or bulwarke and will cast your enemies out of your prouinces and will driue them into a corner where they shall feare you more then they doe now scorne and contemne you I am sore afraide that before many daies be past you will confesse you wept hitherto but for trifles in comparison of that which is to come I pray God you doe not follow the steps of Antiochus who seeing himselfe vanquished by the Romanes for want of following the counsell of Hanniball was greatlie astonished but all too late And hee then esteemed Hanniball not onely sage and prudent but also euen as a Prophet for that he had foretold him all that which afterwards happened vnto him Awake therfore I pray you and consider well vppon that which I counsell you for your good and that he which doth aduise you to it doeth desire it as your poore seruitour and friend who hath as great a care of your safeties preseruation as of his owne and who hath often