agreement which mighte ensue thereof mighte be attributed rather vnto the bountye and liberalitye of the Kinge than to any righte or equitye that we mighte looke for of dutye This Kinde of dealing was cause sufficient why this treaty ceassed vntill suche tyme as Mounsieur de Champaign sent a letter vnto Mounsieur Charles de Boisot Gouernour of Mydleburch the tenure whereof follweth her-afterword forword with an anuswere thereof made by his Brother MouÌ„sieur Lois de Boisot being marked with A. and. B. But vnderstanding that he was absent by reason that he was sent of a message into England from his excellency he thought best him self to make a voyage vnto Vtrecht whether it were to assist his brother in lawe Mounsieur the Coente de la Roche towardes the obteyning of a pardoÌ„ then published as him self sayd or for some other pryuate affayres of his owne I know not But this I am sure of that when he caÌ„me thither he talked at landge of the matters aforesayd with MouÌ„sieur de Sainct Aldegond who remayned then prisoner as with one whome he fownd yet still so affected to the furtheraunce of our peace as that he requested moste earnestly that notwythstanding the difficulty before rehersed yet the pursute of a thinge so necessary for our publique weal might not be left of vpoÌ„ suche a soden Herein he made promise on the behalf of the Prince of OreÌ„ge and of the Estates of Holland and Zeland that they would rather be coÌ„teÌ„t to leese soÌ„me parte of their owne right than seek to vsurpe any thing vpon the Kings Maiestie for the which cause it was thought good to ymploy the forenamed prisoner who presently was sent to RoterdaÌ„ towards his excellency to treat vpoÌ„ exchaunge of prisoners to th end that ther with all he might woorke somme good effect in the matters before rehersed Prouided alwayes that he tooke great regard to the aucthority of the King and that no poynts of religion weare in any wise mencioned It hapned also that Signeor Ian de Mattenes MouÌ„sire de la Rinicre and the Aduocat TresloÌ„g caÌ„me a litle befor this by lyceÌ„ce also vnto RotterdaÌ„ for certeÌ„ particuler affaires as thei said had by by coÌ„mitted vnto them a specialchdarge to deale with his excelleÌ„cy with the foresaid Estates touching soÌ„me good meane of pacification The aunswere that theis estates gaue vnto theÌ„ followeth hereafter woord by woord and is marked with the. C. But as it appeareth this aunsuere pleased not MouÌ„sire de ChaÌ„pagni Wherefore during the abode of MouÌ„sier de S. Aldegonde as yet in RotterdaÌ„ he wrote a letter vnto him to the same effect declaring therein his minde more at large This letter likewise followeth in order and is marked with D. hereupoÌ„ yt followed that MouÌ„sier de S. AldegoÌ„d treated yet soÌ„what furtherwith the foresayd Estates in such ernest sorte as that they weare coÌ„tent to make their coÌ„plaiÌ„t vnto the Kings Ma. in forme of supplicatioÌ„ with owt attributiÌ„g the name of the Estats there vnto which of duti beloÌ„ged vn to theÌ„ and also with owt making any mecioÌ„ of any point of religioÌ„ but only requesting most huÌ„bly that it wold please his Ma. to set order in al things by his owne anothoriti and by the general aduice of the estates but first that it would please him to cause all the strauÌ„gers which troubled the conutrye to auoyde from thence submitting theÌ„selues in all things besids to any suche order as his Maitstie and the Estates generall shoulde thinck moste meete for them as appeareth by ther request which is marked with the letter E. the which request the forenamed Mounsieur de S. Aldegond caried him self vnto Mounsieur de Champagini to MouÌ„tsort yelding him self agayne in to his prison at Vtrecht But with in a while after MouÌ„sieur de ChaÌ„pagni hauing bene at the court in Bruxels sent backe the foresayd request vnto Mounsieur Iunius Gouernour of the Vere who together with MouÌ„sieur de Carnes had remayned in hostage at Mountsort for Mounsiur de S. Aldegond during his absence and by that meanes also were admytted by MouÌ„sieur de Champagni to treat of this matter as may well appeare by a letter he sent to Mounsire Iuniê° which followeth likewise marked with F. wherupon the sayd Iunius made him an aunswere by writing agayne as appeareth with the markes of G. and H. We leaue the rest vnto the good reader to coÌ„sider of desyring God te geue vs the grace that all may redouÌ„d vnto his glorye and the edifying of his Churche A. To Mounsire ' M. Charles Boisort my very freend Mounsire Boisot the great league of amytie which hathe been betwene M. de Granuill and M. Thresorier our fathers whome God pardon the frendeship of the Cardynall my brother and myne owne goodwil towardes you which still I obserue inuiolable with my Ladies your sisters and with all the rest of your freeÌ„des here haue caused me osteÌ„tymes to be sorye for your absence and greeued for your troubles Now therefore sythence that his Maiestie at this present sheweth a great desier of the peace and tranquillitye of these lowe countries and a great affection that all suche as haue absented them selues from his fauour should returne agayne vnto his good grace the which thing I assure you I haue both wished for long and also procured to my power in all tymes and places conuenient for that purpose and synce that I my self by the appoyntmeÌ„t of his excellency am come vn Vtrecht of purpose to conferre with my Brother in lawe Mounsire ' de la Roche touching the bringing home againe of theis loste sheepe All theis things and our old frend ship considered I thought good to write vnto you to theÌ„d that throwgh your furtheraunce aunswering to my well meaning we might endeuour owrselues to deliuer this poore cuÌ„ntre from those great miseries which we se embra se it on euery side promising vnto you by the faith of an honest man and tru freeÌ„d to straine my self to the vttermoste of my power therein and to procure for you if you doe here any notable seruice towardes the bringing aganie of this people to the obedience of his Maiestie not only a full restitucion of that which was yours but also peradueÌ„ture a good reward and this dothe he will me to offer vnto you vpon so good a grownde as in myne opinion neither you ought to refuse nor the Townes which are reuolted froÌ„ his seruice to omytt And if I had any meanes to conferre with you I woulde not doubt but wee two shoulde make so good an entrance into those matters as that not only your self and those townes but also agreat many of others should finde better fruit thereof then youe wolde thinck for I haue fownde bothe better accesse and creditt then I can tell you by writing and also a singuler bownty in the Gouernour that now is at all tymes when any speache hapneth betwene him
please your Maiestie to cause these straūgers to be drawen away from hence and by fre communication and aduise of the natural Estates of this Country being generally and lawfully called together to set and establish some such good order pollicie and rule as the saide Countries and subiectes of your Maiesties may from henceforth be the better mainteyned in one vnity and assured trāquility and voyde of all troubles and incōueniences that are to come hereafter Moreouer consideringe that at the length by the cōtinuaunce of these present warres nought els can be hoped for than the pillinge dissolution and vtter destruction of your Maiesties Countryes on euery side and so much the rather for that wee see thinhabitaunts therof to giue themselues euery day more and more vnto th'exercise and feates of armes forgetting quite and laying aside their wonted trafique and trade of Marchaundize And sure it is that men by nature are most commōly enclined to all kinde of licentious libertie that warre bringeth with it in such sort that by longe vse and practize of the broyles in warre such rigour and hatred will encrease daily amōge your Maiest subiects one agaīst another as that it is to be feared least all trades trafiques Marchaundizes and saylinges will be cleane left of to the great hinderance of your Maiesties seruice The saide suitours do most humbly craue that it will please your Maiestie to haue regard thereunto with all clemency so much the rather for that all other prouinces and Countries adioyning bordering being by your Maiesties auctority discharged from the combensome multitude of all straung souldiars may presently by your good prouision lay aside all armes surcesse from all enmitie so as the meeting and cōuersatiōs of this country may be restored againe with all surety And that being reconciled th' one to thother they may enioy with quietnes their auncient possessions patrimonies by the obtayning whereof the saide Oratours will not faile to performe on their partes all the duties of good and faithfull subiectes to your Maiestie c. To Mounsire M. Iunius Atauere M. Iunius I did not a whit miscaste my accompte when as at oure laste beings together in the presence of your self and M. de Carmes I did declare vnto Monsire de Monte Saint Aldegonde that I feared greatly lest the writing which he brought frō Rotterdam would find but litle fauour in the court For from the time that I first arriued there vntill this houre hauing tried in euery corner how it might be taken I finde that the opinions of all men here do so farre differ frō the desiers of all mē there as I dare not deale any further therein and therefore I thought it best to sende you this letter together wyth the selfesame request that M. de Mont S. Aldegond brought vnto me annexed thereunto to whom I would not write for that he may receiue no papers without perusing neyther could I write into your quarters but by the same cōdicions As I haue declared vnto you before this time so do I thincke at this present that som other forme of writing had bin more fit for all parts For albeit that that which he brought was in the maner of a supplication as in deede all subiects ought to do towards their Prīces Yet this which they of Holland Zeland haue offred is to farre besides the quallitie that should be loked for in that respect For first formost they would that the king should disarme himself that he should not be serued but with such as they like not considering at all that it lyeth in his power both to take or leaue armes when hee himself listeth Who knoweth what is conuenient for his subiects and his affaires better than himself or who can tell better then he what kinde of people will serue his turne best for the profit and commoditie of the same Whereas in deede it is not permitted to subiectes no not in a good cause to take armes but by the appointment of their Lord neither to call in any straungers as those of Holland and Zelande haue done therefore their faulte is so much the more greuous inexcusable in taking theym vppe against their Prince or against his officers which is al one since that they be ordained by him to represēt his person to occupie his place because he himselfe cannot be in all places at once But forasmuch as they haue offēded already by entering into armes of their owne priuate auctoritie and by taking the kinges Townes wherof or of the restitutiō wherof they make no mention at all in very deede in steede of their demaunding of that thinge at his Maiesties hand which they of your side oughte to performe if reason mighie take place they should trust to the clemency of their Printe and referre themselues wholly thereunto On thother side it seemeth also very straung that subiects wil seeme to inforce their Price to follow their appetite in assembling of Estates yea and that generally amongst a sorte of Seignories which in degrees iurisdictions customes haue nothing in common but onely neighbour hode th' one with thother In deede they haue one Lord who oftētimes hath giuē them leaue to talk at their pleasure for their owne benefite about their affaires not meaning that this his bounty shoulde bee wrested vnto any preiudice against himselfe for it seemeth certaine by the request of this assemblie that they woulde make lawes and keepe him as Warde Of all other pointes which I passe vnder silence whereof neuerthelesse I haue oft giuen my verdite that his Maiesty may not in any point yeld vnto I will reherse no more at this present Of all those matters I talked at lardge with Mon. de Monte S. Aldegonde Neuertheles the great desire that I had to do some good as touchinge the quietnes of this Countrie if God woulde permitte and his earnest requiringe that I woulde not lightly leaue of from this enterprise haue made me to do the best that I can althoughe I dispaired of any good issue before I began Surely I am sory besides the generall cause euen in particuler for such as I thought very well of And for the frendship that I haue borne vnto the house of Mon. de Monte Saint Aldegond I would haue wished that he had concluded somewhat more touching the affaires of Mons le Count de Bossu For after that report was made here of the aunswere that was made touching that matter by M the Prince of Orenge vnto M. de Monte S. Aldegonde it was determined here that vppon my comming it should proceede no further since that the good Seignior de Bossu is neuer a whit the better I haue thoughte it good to make this rehersall vnto you of all that is paste since I retourned from Mountforde partly to let you vnderstande of my foreward good will and partly to aduertise you to seeke other meanes that were more expediente for the pacification of
by our predicessours but only by this vnitye Howe cometh it to passe that at feastes and publique places the townes prouinces haue bin alwayes called together by publique aucthority but only to shewe the vnity of the poore countrie euen as Grece did by the assemblye at their Olimpiades Is not the name of the Base Almaignes or Flemings as the Spaniardes do cal vs at this day cōmon vnto vs all The speache althoughe it be distinctly of diuers sortes yet is so common amongst vs that in the self same townes they be vsed equallye The iurisdictions owt of owr soueraigne court doe they not almoste generally proceed from Machlyne and all spirituall processes Doe not they of auncient custome proceed eyther from Coleigne or from Maians What shoulde I say more than that owr whole countre is but one Circuyte or Prouince of the Empire Doe you then thinck yt so straūge that an Imperial Circuyt shoulde assēble estates iointlie cōsydering that shoulde otherwise seeme monstruous if one Prouince should be assembled withowt the rest But paraduenture you will say that this warre in the respect of Brabant is no Ciuill warres the which sayeng no man of Iudgement will affirme And if there were none other thing to alledge but that owr King and the Emperour Charles had made al their Edicts and Plackartes of Religion in generall to all the prouinces weare not that a sufficient Argument to confute your saying that they haue nought in cōmon the one with thother yea rather is it not a full iustification of the request of those of Holland and Zeland in that point if you will be ruled by right and reason Quod omnes attingit ab omnibus probari debet for if the rigowr of those Placartes laid vpon all theis Prouinces in generall hathe caused a generall alteracion of the people Why shoulde not we assemble and call together the generall estates of theis prouinces to remedye suche inconueniences as generally doe light vpon vs all And sure this is the better cōfirmed by those two causes that you alleadged for the which Princes in tymes past were wont to assemble generall estates that is to witt the benefit of their Coūtrie and the vveale of their affaires For they coulde neuer be better spoken of than at this present when we treat not of one simple benifitt but of the whole saffetye of owr coūtrie and especiall restitucion of his Maiesties dignitye Wherefore if euer there weare cause to assemble estates in generallitye surely now there is greater cause soe to doe than euer ther was This notwithstanding if I may speake of myne owne hed witheowt thaduise of the Estates and Townes in theis partes I doe thinck that if the King or his counsell be offended with this generallity they will be content to haue agraunt from his Maiestie that they may lawfully assemble the states only of Holland and Zeland and that it will please hym to ratifie that which they shall find by sounde coūsell and deliberaciō to be fit for his Maiesties seruice and for their coūtries saffetye Considering that herin as I haue said they haue had agreater respect to the Auctorite of the King than to any thing els But it seemeth that there is some other hiddē cause which moueth you to be so suspitious of this assembling of estates in that you saye that this request seemeth to be made as it vvere to tye him to a lavv and to kepe him as a vvarde I cannot beleue but that this proceedeth rather of some ill grounded conceytes or sinister suspicions of suche in the court as cannot disgest owr simple peticion than of your owne good iudgement or aduise I cannot be parswaded that you can digresse so farre from all reason For surely you know well ynoughe howe that the moste true and legittimate power and dignitie of all kinges monarches and Emperours the greatest vnitye prosperitye of all people and prouinces dothe especialie cōsist and principally depende vpon the assemble of estates euē as it appeareth in Almaigne in al other Kingdomes Prouinces which are wel quietly gouerned For those assembles which we call Edictes in the comon wealthe are euen the same which in the churce of God were called counselles the which owr aūcestors holy fathers doctors in the Primatiue churche helde in suche reuerence estimacion as that they ordeigned that frō half yere to half yeare or at the furthest from yere to yere generall Sinodes should bee called as often as any necessitye required Whereunto they euer had a moste soueraigne recourse vntill suche tyme as that the great power of the Popes did subdewe the Sinodes by their absolute aucthoritie against the which owr forefathers at mani tymes and especiallye in the coūcell of Basil did moste openly resist They ordeigned that from tenne yere to ten yeares a generall counsell and Synode should be called thorow owt all Christendome wherūto the Pope himself shoulde be subiect Which thing was so odious vnto the ambicion of the successours of that Pope as that to their power they haue hindred euer since the assēble of the councelles so farr foor thas that in the great necessitye of Christendome and at the earnest solliciting of the Emperour Charles the councell of Trent was at length called and prolonged almoste by the space of 30. yeres after with a 1000. Kindes of delayes excuses to delay the same After that likewise in the councell of Constaunce Thoan the 32. one of the 3. Popes that were degraded at that tyme being accused of 50. articles at the least and all those cryminall sighing sore aunswered thus that besides all those faultes he had cōmitted a greater offence that was for because that he had suffered suche a free councell to be called as him self was bounde to be ruled by the reby he him self was with great infamye deposed I doe alledge all this to showe that it is the parte of Tyrantes only to mislike generall assemblies and that all good Princes Kinges and Emperours haue alwaies desicred theis diettes and assemblies as all good prelates haue to their power procured the assemble of Synodes and councels in the Churche of god For this is certein that whereas many doe assemble together and consult whether yt be for the affaires of the cōmon welthe or of the churche of God there ordinarily is God him self president sendeth his goodspirit lightninge moste commōly the eyes of a nomber in suche cases as paraduenture one alone or a fewe cānot discerne awhit Wherefore me thineketh that in this case they of Hollād Zelād haue declared what great confidence they haue in the mercifull gouernment and clemency of the King in hauing set be fore his face the true and only meane to pacifie the troubles of this countrie For synce that in any wise they muste make no questions of Religiō what coulde they in this worlde offer with more humilite and better right than to submit thē solues to the Iudgement of
is to be maintayned by all the iust and rightfull executers of it for if the Lawe be not maynteined the life of the whole common wealth is lost This mayntenaunce of the Lawe no man doubteth vvhether it ought to bee or no for it is th ende vvhy Counsellers vnder magistrats are appoīted yea it is the cause of placing the highest Magistrate hymselfe So that to maintayne the Lavv is iudged meete by all men if the Lavv be iust But whether the Law may be mayntayned agaynst the Highest Magistrate or no that is the doubt For here upō this maintenance of Law is called resistāce and is called Rebellion This question doth imply a contradiction for it importeth that th one is agaynst thother no man can serue two Maisters so stādeth the vvhole case in the righteousnes of the Lavv which for the present purpose is presumed to be most iust most holy VVhy then The Person that is agaynst this Lavv goeth aboute to disanull that that is most iust and most holy laboureth to bring in that that is most vniust most vnholy For touchinge his owne person the question and debate standeth not but for thinforcing of the subiects to the same VVHY then there is no doubt but as it is confessed of all mē both that neuer knew God and of them that do professe God that iustice is to be maintayned against iniustice Godlines against vngodlines God against the deuill els were the law no law neither the subiect a subiect being as I sayd before a person licenced to liue in liberty of law Thus by the nature of Gouernment the subiection it is euidente that the rightest Magistrate may be resisted this resistance is truly a maintenaunce of Law equitie and so to be termed and vntruly and vniustly called Rebellion For these words of rebellion and suche like cannot iustlye bee vsed but where the wyll of the Ruler and the law are concurrent and agree in one By this that hath bin saide of the Gouernment it selfe ensueth a right aunswere to the cause of resistāce Nothing may cause resistance to the Magistrate but the maintenaunce of righte and equitie for there is no equitie in this that the will of the subiect should stand for a lawe to the Prince where the subiect thinketh it vnmeete that the wil of his Prince should stande for a law of his subiection This is against Iustice distributiue which the Heathen teach in their common wealth flatly against the rule of GOD Thou shalte not do to thy Neighbour that thou vvilt not haue don to thy selfe SO then he that hath law maintaineth the law is resisted on which part soeuer he be he that resisteth the law is a rebell and traitour whosoeuer he be for the law is the life of the cōmon weale And the consideration of resistance stādeth not in the person vnlesse hee haue the law with him if he be not Lex loquēs he is not resisted but resisteth But euery man may not resist They onely that are made keepers of the Lawes to thē it belōgeth otherwyse there would be a confusiō and euery man encroche vpon an others office The shedding of bloude is murther in euery priuate man but if a Magistrate do it he doth it lawfully and is excused before man and doth his dutie to God For hee beareth not the sword in vaine IN sum where the kind of Gouernment is tempered by Law the Prince hath aswell to liue by law as the subiect if the Prince wil breake this Law which is iust enforce an obedience to a law vniust against the will of the Subiects the law may be maintayned agaīst him by such as are appointed from God the law to be Gardians kepers of the law But the case of the Prince of Orenge his associats stādeth in the same termes The king with whom he hath to deale had auctoritie Temperatam Laegibus hee was sworne aswel to the keeping of those lawes and bringing in of no new as the subiects vvere if hee brake his othe they vvere quit of all obedience This appeareth in Forma iuramenti vvhich hee toke at his Ioyous entraunce This othe Lavv vvas broken by brīging in a nevv lavv of Inquisition vvhich tended to the vtter supplāting of the Prince and states of the country vvhich notvvythstanding they endured for a season vsing al dutiful meanes by complaints made from the counsell states at diuers sōdry times as are to be seene but coulde haue no redresse in deede though oftentimes they had faire promises VVhen iustice could not be had by vvay of iust complaint from the Coūsell States the Prince States toke the maintenaūce of the lavv into their ovvne hands and so retaine it by Iustice reseruing the auncient liberties lavves to the benefite of all the subiects so that none cōplayneth of wrōg done vnto him but the will of that Prince who woulde his will shoulde preuaile agaīst Law to the subuersion of the whole state as appeareth in their Records Therfore this maintenaunce of law by the Prince of Orenge is right against the breaker of Lawe and bringer in of Tyrannie the Spanish kinge They say brīger in of Tirāny breaker of Law for that contrary to his oth wherby both he all the Erles of Holland Zelād haue bin receiued into that gouernmēt no otherwyse but vpon those condicions limitted to them by their said oth he altereth the whole state of gouernmente leaueth no law but his own wil so vseth himself as though he had neuer bin sworne nor taken the countries vvith condicion but had entred as an absolute conquerour Farre inferiour therin to Heathē barbarous Prīces VVe read of Cyrus the greate Monarche of the Easte that aboue all his singuler vertues which purchased him so greate a Fame as euer any Prince had hee had this in him that he suffered all Natiōs vnder his Monarchie to enioye their owne Lawes customes liberties religion and made no alteration against their wills The like we finde recorded of Alexander the Greate who vsed himselfe after the same sort in all his cōquests contenting him onely with the Soueraignties ouer the Natiōs which he subdued without any alteratiō of their Estate And did not the auncient Romaynes walke after the same sorte whē they subdued any Nation to their obediēce Did they euer alter the state of any coūtry which they conquered enforce their people to receiue their lawes and Religion VVhat course vsed Iulius Caesar in his Conquests of Fraūce ▪ Did he chaūg any one iote of the state of those Citties which he conquered Thus was the behauiour of those barbarous Princes euen in their Conquests such moderation and equitie vsed they euē in the middes of their fire sword The kinge of Spaine came not in by force he was receyued by curtesie receiued as a Patrone and Protectour of their liberties and vpon
and me touching the appeasing of those callamities vnto the which I pray you to geue eare and to accompany nay zeale with yours which if you doe I doubt not but by the grace of God we shall worke agreat good turne vnto this coÌ„mon weale M. Boisott I recommend my self hartely vnto you and commyt you to God whome I pray to sende vnto you your harts desyre and vnto vs alla good end of all our afflictions From Cantecroi this 14. of Iune 1574. Entirely your best frende I. Perrenot B. To Mounsire M. Perrenot my very frende Mounsire de Champagni your letters of the date of the. 14. of this moÌ„neth which you sent to my brother are hapned to my haÌ„des which in his abseÌ„ce I haue opened and red reioysing very muche to find therein the desier that his Maiestie hathe now of the quâ—etnes of his couÌ„try and that he would haue his subiectes return againe into his good fauour â–ª which you say that bothe he hath wished foâ— loÌ„g synce and your self haue procured to th'utmoste of your power Whereas you desier to seâ— my brother applye him self if it weare possible to the ioyning with you in zeale towarde the helping of his poore countrye out of those myseries that on euery syde compasse it about promysing your aid and endeuour vndeâ— the othe of a syncere honeste man and trew freÌ„de and that his Maiestie dooth offer him noâ— only a restitution of his owne but also a good rewarde which courtesie neyther he shall doâ— well in refusing neyther the reuolted Townes in reiecting And whereas you wishe for hiâ— person to conferre withall assuring him of the good hope you haue in the singuler bountye of this new gouernour To all theis thinges my brother if he were present myght make aunsuere at large with the consent of the Prince of Orenge But forasmuche he is absent I wil say no more but that this zeale of his Maiestie in desyring the peace and quyetnes of his subiectes is a noble and worthie suche a Cristian prynce as he is and that no man wolde be gladder nor better content therewith than the Prince him self as at your comming to Vtrecht yowr self shal very well perceiue and vnderstand by yowr brother in law the Conte de la Roche whoe knoweth very well what hath already passed froÌ„ him in communication hereof and also by letters written in that behalf But this dare I say of myne owne hed that in my simple iudgement there is no meanes to appease theis troubles but only by drawing of theis straungers owt of owr countrye For they are suche a kinde of people as bothe by hearesay in tymes past and by proofes in tymes present we finde to be no men of their worde nor suche whose promises any man may trust For alwaies they finde somme bypathes to escape by following therin the manner of the couÌ„sell of Constans wherof they pratle daily Wher vpon I may conclude that at their handes there can be no assuraunce looked for so longe as they remayne in the countrye I did send your letters vnto his Excel to th eÌ„d he mighte bothe see and know the great desire you say you haue of the wellfare of owr countrie requesting you M. ChaÌ„pagni to coÌ„tinew that good zeale that you pretend to beare to owr quyet Prayng God to geue vnto you the coÌ„tentmeÌ„t of your mynde and vnto vs an easement of owr afflictions From Mydleburche this 17 of Iune 1574. Entyrely your good frend Lois de Boisott D. The aunswere of the Estates to the Questions propounded AS towching that which hathe ben propouÌ„ded vnto the Estates of Holland Zeland concerning the troubles of this present warres how to bring the same to a good sure passe for the rest quyetnes of the couÌ„trie the saffety of his Maiesties subiectes Theis Estates doe openly declare that they weare neuer of opinion nor be at this present of taking any weapons in hand in any cause that mighte be preiudicial against his Maiestie his countrye or prouinces but that they in acquitall of their bownden dutie and chardge with intent to coÌ„serue the reputacioÌ„ highnes of their seignories Lorde ships together with their Priuileges othes rightes worthy customes and liberties of their countri and subiectes haue been constrayned to with stand by mayne force the harde Gouernment tyrannie violence of the duke of Alua and of the straungers his adherentes who by vnaccustomed exactions and oppressions of the poore subiectes haue troubled owr comon welth not seeking for any thing els than by their Insolencie to make them selues Masters of his Maiesties country subiectes and by that meanes to bring them into perpetual boÌ„dage to the great preiudice bothe of his seruice of their maintenauÌ„ce as the fore said Estates haue heretofore declared and protested in suche sorte that they wil not at this present make any articles of pacificatioÌ„ with his Maiestie whome they haue allwaies heretofore sought to obay and serue in all humilitye as their liege Lorde and Prince but like humble suters they request that yt wil please his Maiestie like a good father to haue regard vnto the pouerties afflicions of theis his lowe couÌ„tries with a mercifull eye to th eÌ„d that they may bee brought againe to vnitie quiett and libertye to traffique as they were wont to doe The which will bothe aduaunce the dignitie of him self encrease the prosperitye of his subiectes And certenly this cannot be brought to passe so longe as theis straingers shal be suffred to exercise their force and tirannie whose gaine and proffit dothe more consist vpon troubles and disordres than in any good gouernment of the countrie For they be suche persons as naturally are moste sludious of their owne particuler proffit Loe here the speciall cause and mocion of this warre Wherfore it may please his Maiestie to cause theis straungers to retyre them selues and afterward by a franke communication together with the aduice of the generall estates of the countrie dutifully assembled to set so good order pollecy and gouernment amongst vs as that the Subiectes of his Maiestie may from hencefoorth assure them selues from all perrils and inconueniences that may happen vnto them And forasmuche as of wee may speake franckly noughte els can bee looked for by the continewance of this warre but only a dispeopling a solitarynes and an vtter Ruyne of all his Maiesties countries in theis partes specially for because that the more thinhabitantes therof doe geue them selues daylie to thexercise of Armes cleane forgettinge and laying aside their woonted traffique and trade of merchaundize the lesse good is to bee looked for at their hande For wee se ordinaâ—â—l to what lycentious lyues and liberties soldiers are commonlye inclyned By meane whereof it is to be feared least there will happen a moste domageable and daungerous diminishing of all kinde of traffique and merchaundize bothe by sea and land redownding to the vtter shaking of his Maiesties
these your calamities And thus I leaue prayinge to God M. Iunius that he graunte you that which is for your health From Anwerpe this xviij of August 1574. Your frend to his power Iohn Perrenot ¶ To Monsire my Lord the Barō of Renare of Aspremont Seigniour of S. Loup and of Champagny Gouernour of the Citie of Anwerpe SIr I haue receiued not lōg since your Lordships letter dated the xiiij of August iogether with the request of the Estates and townes of Holland and Zeland which Mōsire de Monte S. Aldegonde brought vnto you at Mountford all the which I deliuered presently into their handes I found that they marueyled greatelye were perswaded that the reasōs alledged within your letter were in no pointe sufficient to reiect and send back their foresaid request after such a sort the which peraduenture might very well haue serued to haue done some greate good Wherefore seinge themselues to be so handled not like subiectes or vassals of the king as they haue alwayes shewed themselues especially where there hath bin any question of the honour preheminence and greatnes of his Maiestie but rather like to the greatest Infidels Turkes or Iewer that liue in the worlde yea and like enemies sworne againste his Maiestie they haue hereuppon cōcluded that they are not hereafter to hope for any good at their hāds who seeke by such meanes to abuse the name of the K. to their vtter ruine and confusion And therefore they haue agreed by Counsell and determined amongest themselues to imploye their whole power to seeke oute other meanes by which they maye better prouide for their surety hereafter againste that so barbarous iniquitie and tyrannie of those whoe couer their owne priuate passions wyth the cloake and collour of the name of the Royall Maiestie Protestinge that since of themselues they haue no accesse to the eares of his Maiestie and are likewyse forestalled from that meanes which both by God and mans lawes hath bin euer graunted to the vilest fellons traytours disloyal rebels that either are or euer were in the worlde surely they seele themselues to bee forced by such excessiue wickednes and tirāny to seeke for such meanes as shall please their good God to put into their handes Desiring you that you wil be a witnes to all the worlde how that they haue presented the foresaid request and thereby haue satisfyed some part of their dutie And so maye you moste truly excuse and iustifie them if any question do arise hereof And to th end that your Lordship may know the grounde and cause of their complainte and wherefore they thincke themselues so extremely iniured by the sendinge backe of their foresaid request I haue thought good to gather together in forme of discourse the principall Articles of all their cōplaint vpon your last letters the which I mēt to haue sent you before this time but that I wayted for your mans comming to me for my aunsweare to yours whoe beinge come receiued his dispatche without any long staying Desiring you wel to consider and thinck of the reasons and groundes alledged by them vppon your said letter I haue annexed them hereunto but so neuertheles as that this my writinge maye in no pointe be preiudiciall to the saide Estates and Townes or to their resolution For my zeale is good for the quiet of the coūtry my affecliō great to do your Lordship seruice Well I will remit my selfe vnto the discourse wherof I pray you excuse the lēgth and impute the fault therof either to my vnabillitie or els to the difficulty of th'affayres that are treated of therein Thus recommending my selfe most humbly c. He that would be glad to take away the stoppe that hindereth me frō doinge agreable seruice to your Lordship I. Iunius de lenghe H DISCOVRSE SIR first men may thinck it straunge that the opinions of your Court ingenerall haue bin so farre alienated from those agreements which our men did most desire that as your letter mencioneth you durste not once open your mouth any further touching that matter For it is altogether vnlikely that you whō I haue accompted alwayes and do accompte to be a noble gentleman desirous both of the preseruatiō of his Maiestie and of the quiet and tranquillitie of the common weale haue withdrawen your self from a busines so much importing the seruice of the king and the generall quiet and safety of the whole country vppon the opinion of certaine priuate men and of small countenaunce in the court For therein you should not onely do wrong to that noble minde and valiaunte courage which I haue alwayes seene in you but also it mighte be a discredite to the greate duty and truste you owe to his Maiestie Wherefore I saye that their opinions of whom you spake haue proceeded from certaine of the priuie Councell in these estates vpō whom the king hath reposed his chiefest confidence touchinge the gouernment and rule of these Coūtryes The which Councellours are sworne to reueale make knowen euery thing which in their cōsciences may any way bee preiudiciall to the kinges highnes or commoditye They make vs thinck assuredly that you haue not conferred at all with thē of any such matter for if they had receiued any incklinge at all thereof of necessity it muste haue come to the kinges eares or at the least to their eares who had full power and auctoritie to deale therein Wee cannot comprehend nor imagine what should so much coole your courage and make you afearde to preferre openly our requeste the which of necessitie as you know must come to their vnderstanding And the rather because that with you they doe altogether condempne and mislike the doinges of certaine confederate gentlemen who preferred the like suite vnto Madame de Parma in the yeare 1566. especially because that they did not rather vse a meane more ordinary either by some of the Estates or els by some one principall man in the Courte who in their names might haue exhibited their supplication and not to haue aduaunced themselues so boldly and in such maner as they did Notwithstandinge by this your example you seeme to allow and iustifie them For you say that if the Courte cannot digeste a supplication or suite it is great folly for any one man thoughe of auctoritie as your selfe is to take vppon him the preferringe vppe of anye suche matter but rather by sendinge it backe againe to incurre all daungers which maye happen for wante of exhibitinge the same in conuenient time But whereas you saye that you haue not broken the matter to any mā but onely groped their mindes a farre of surely it seemeth to be nothīg answerable to that professed zeale and great affection you haue alwayes seemed to beare vnto the Mat. of the king good of his coūtrie The which in my iudgemente seemeth most manifest in that you were aserd to present a request so expedient both for the king and his countrie Wherfore if the euent
bloudy warres betweene the three Henries Fredericke and Philip and an insinite nomber of other Emperours agaīst the Popes of Rome but for because that the same Emperours woulde not obey their Commaundementes sometimes when they willed them to make warre in all hast vppon the Sarrasins sometimes when they woulde haue them leaue of that title which they had receiued by succession of their auncestours sometimes when the Popes themselues would be put in possession of certaine townes and territories which they said they should inherite as the patrimony of S. Peter and finally vppon any cause that it pleased them to picke whereof all the Chronicles and Histories be filled And what was the cause why Pope Alexander marched in publique place vppon the necke of the Emperour Fredericke Barbarossa adding thereunto many wordes full of reproche and shame And what is the cause againe why euen at this day they make the Monarks and kinges to kisse their feete but onely in signe and token of subiection which they claime as due And presently if they be not obeyed they thunder againste them and pronounce absolution vnto all their subiectes although they reuolt frō that fidelitie which they owe of duty Wherfore seing that the kīg is so much subiect to the Pope of Rome whō in no wise we cā acknowledge to be our superiour since that he feareth so much his thūdrings excōmunications How can you either say or beleue that his Ma. doth cōmaūd absolutely amōgst vs what he listeth himself specially in such a matter wherin the Pope pretendeth to haue more interrest than any man aliue I beseech you if the king woulde here our requests finding thē grounded vppon good reasons were willing to graūt vs the exercise of our religiō do you thīck that it were lawfull for him so to do Your selfe haue tould me very plainly that if the king would cōdiscēd to any such matter you would take armes agaīst him cause to your power the whole coūtrie to rebell And this I am sure your self wil not denie to haue said whē I was with you at Mountford Wher thē remayneth the fre auctoritie of the king to cōmaund where is the greatnes of his Ma. yea rather what becommeth of his liberty of your Maxime that no subiecte may take armes in hād without the appointmēt of his king lord seing that one only vassal wil to his power cause al his Estats to rebell if that the aduice opinion of his Maiesty touching the cause of his Coūtry subiects shal not agre with his cōceite But I am contente to pardon you herein consideringe the zeale which you beare to the Romishe Religion vppon condition that you will imagine that oure zeale which we beare vnto our Apostolicall Religiō of the Gospel is not a whit lesse althoughe peraduenture it is nether so plausible in mans capacitie neyther so profitable to them that maintaine it Yet haue we examples very freshe of the Emperour Charles of noble memorie who escaped very hardly from beinge excommunicated by Pope Paulus 3. for that hee graunted vnto the Almaynes but onely the Interim which was almost conformable in all poincts vnto the decrees of the Pope And I pray you what ado was there when he willed that a generall Councell shoulde be called in Almaine where the Almaynes might be harde in free disputacion And finally was it not the Pope that constrained him to make warre vpon the Christiās and did oftentimes threaten him with thundringes if he wente not to worke with speede in such sort that the Emperour was constrayned to couer the pretence of his warre with the cloke of rebelliō to th ēd he might draw vnto him Mawrice and th' other Princes which were confederates of the Smalcaldiens I speake nothing here of the holy Inquisition of Spaine nor of the Prelates of the Counsayle which be of the Popes creation and haue made a solempne othe vnto him neuer to agree to anye matter that they shall thinck to be preiudicial to the aduaūcement of the Sea of Rome but that they shall reueale the same and resist it with all their power Who seeth not how that our king is so possessed with them as hee is not able by anye meanes in the world to iudge any thīg in this matter contrary to their opinions aduice vppon paine of being condempned for a rebel vnto the sea of Rome Howe then can that be true where you say that wee make warre vppon the king Take away once the respect of the Pope and his Prelates and bringe to passe that either the king himself be not subiecte vnto him or els that he be content that we may be free from his lawes and then shall you see how soone and how soundlye wee will yeld our selues vnto the perfect obedience of our king naturall Prince as to one annointed of God himself to do vs right Iustice And if you esteeme this to be vtterly vnreasonable and that you meane to make the minde of oure Prince to be at the commaundemente of other mennes willes do not maruaile I pray you if we pretend to be no rebels in seeking that he maye gouerne vs by his absolute Auctoritie withoute receyuing lawes from others I come now to that other poinct where you say That it is a very straung thing for subiectes to force their Prince to assemble Estats at their pleasure Surely this seemeth very wonderfull considering that you cannot be ignorant how that the king himself by his owne pure will hath tyed himselfe thereunto as to the firmest ground and surest staffe whereuppon his auctority power Regall doth chiefly yea I may say onely leane rest For seing the Estates in a fourme of politique gouernement are none other thing but the chiefe and principall heads of the people representing the body of the multitude What thing is there that can bee so naturally vnited vnto a good king who desireth to be both father and Pastour of his people as are the Estates of his Country Euē as for exāple there is nothing that hath such affinity with the head of a mās bodye as those members which are called vital for that they be the chiefest Instrumēts by the which the vitall spirits proceding from the braynes to diuers sinewes are communicated in generall to the whole body and to euery member and by the which likewyse euery member retayneth his perfecte vnity and naturall knitting to the body Euen so a good king being the head of his people doth by the meanes of his Estates communicate and imparte vnto the whole body of his cōmon wealth not onely his fauoure grace priuiledges whereby he keepeth them in vnitie but also his bounty Iustice and wisedome from the which as out of a quicke fountaine do springe good lawes Ordinaunces whereby the people are still gouerned in good discipline as it were in the liuely being and naturall motion of the same This is the cause why our auncestours excelling in