with all my spirits the attentiue mind of your Maiestie for when I shall haue demonstrated that all the Reasons of the Manifest are ill grounded and false and what the truth of the businesse is it shall together appeare that the Gauses of said Manifest cannot bee other then those aboue specified The Reasons drawne to excuse the Rebellion of the Valtelines are reduced to two Heads Religion and Tyranny Vpon these are made great Amplifications but all is affirmed without proofe A manifest signe that it is spoken without foundation Concerning Religion it is said that the Grisons vtterly haue taken from the Valtelines the libertie of Conscience and haue procured that all should be infected with Heresie shewing in euery occasion fauour to Heretiques and the contrary to Catholiques vpon some of whom they haue inflicted most cruell and infamous death onely in hatred of the Religion I repeate not euery particular It is sufficient to take this Maxime to which all other matters are reduced and in the Manifest may be distinctly read Concerning Tyranny it goeth painting out a kind of gouernment of the Grisons in the Valteline like to that which hertofore Verres vsed in Sicily and to speake more modernly like to some practised as well by the Ministers of your Maiestie as of your Predecessors in their States of Italy as by this discourse you shall fully vnderstand perhaps with some notable benefit to your poore Subiects who are waiting some ease from your Royall hand But before wee discourse particularly in these two points it is fit to consider That the Grisons though diuided in two Religions Roman and Euangelique may it please the diuine Maiestie that in time they may all agree in the vnitie of the true Apostolique yet in all matters in respect of the publique good of the State thee haue constantly stood vnited in the politique Gouernment With which Concord they haue so many yeares maintained themselues free Princes vndependent of other and highly estemed of all For which cause wee know with how much diligence and charge many great Princes haue sought their friendship But of late yeares in this part some Ministers of your Maiestie malignant to see them colleagued now with France now with Venice moued with an immoderate zeale of your seruice to which they supposed that such Confederations might bring somepreiudice and iudging it most important to your Crowne that you onely should haue the free passage through the straights of the Valteline into Germany and that to all other Princes they should at your pleasure bee shut haue gone contriuing Inuentions and insiduâ—us Artifices to diuide the Grisons as well in the politique gouernment as in Religion to the end they might easily slide into vtter ruine To this effect the late count de Fuentes Gouernour of Millan erected that Fort which to this day beares his name so preiudiciall as nothing more to the State of the Grisons Hauing first with money corrupted some of the chiefe of that Countrey to the end that if the Lords would oppose themselues they should with various Arts be disturbed as it came right to passe by the labor of Io Baptista Preuosti Pompeio Rodolfo Planta Nicholo Rusca and others noted in the Manifest of the Grisons of the yeare 1618. Instantly after which Don Pedro de Toledo Gouernor of Millan in the yeare 1617. did attempt to make a perpetuall league with the Grisons vpon Articles molded by the Lord Alfonso Casale Ambassador of your Maiestie in that Republique after his owne fashion In which there was nothing inserted in the fauour of the Grisons but a delusory promise to demolish the fort of Fuentes wherewith it seemed to him that they should condiscend to all other things how contrary soeuer to their libertie The same men who did fauour the building of the Fort did not faile to aduance also this Confederacie perswading many that by al meanes it ought to be embraced but the crooked practises of these Patriots Enemies of their Countrey being to the Grisons discouered they would not accept these Capitulations but forming a luridicary and Capitall Processe against these Rebels they found so many Machinations treasons and other wicked Actions by them wrought that proceeding to Iustice it was requisite with Banishments and death to giue them deserued punishment From that time till now that they remained exiled aided with money by the Ministers of your Maiestie with which they proceeded maintayning fresh practices with their friends and adherents and corrupting many others they haue sollicited continually to sowe dissention among this people thereby to raise some insurrection as finally hath succeeded in the Valteline The truth of all this is clearly collected from the forealleaged Manifest of the Actions of the Grisons in the yeare 1618. to which Credit cannot be denied as the Ministers of your Maiesty desire seeing the things therein related are matters of fact and iuridically approued where these affaires haue beene handled without passion or respect of persons as euery dispassionate mind by the reading thereof will iudge The intent then of your Maiesties Ministers was not to establish a Confederacy with the Grisons which had it bin so they would haue procured by lawfull wayes vpon Conditions reasonable as other Princes vsed and not by interuention of particular persons corrupted with gifts and vpon Articles so vnsauory as among them are seene But their purpose was so cunningly to frame them that they should not be accepted because being promoued by the factious party of men corrupt and reiected by the sound part dis-interressed and louers of the publique good there might arise a discord sowed by this art to cast these people into Confusion so that from their diuision according to the Gospell the desolation of the State might follow For the Ministers of your Maiestie fomenting one part against the other did hope to oppresse both the one and the other and highly to merit of you by enlarging in what way soeuer your Empire This Artifice O Sacâ—ed Catholique King to disunite Subiects from their Princes to send them into destruction is most proper and practised by the Ministers of your Crowne and who would here recount how often and in what maner they haue plotted disunion in the Kingdome of France should weaue a large Historie The French Lords doe well know it and it is a common opinion amongst them who best vnderstand the Affaires of State that if all the Hugonotts of France should bee reduced to the Catholique Religion the Spanish Ministers would therewith be grieuously displeased seeing that of them they make principall vse as of most deare friends to embroile that Kingdome whensoeuer they haue any doubt that the French may moue his forces to the dammage of Spaine And they doe glory not to feare at all the Armes of his most Christian Maiestie not because the are inualid but that they know the way to keepe them busied at their pleasure in his owne house Which therefore being well considered might
which cannot bee killed at one blow Great preparations at mighty expences giue too great warning are subiect to many accidents and hazard too much reputation And if one State know any one Designe that may much annoy the Enemy it is like the other is not ignorant of their owne weaknesses Wise Gamesters play not all at a Cast the By often helpes the Maine Therfore both rule example hath taught vs that Spaine is more easily wasted then any part of their Christian Dominion conquered while the streame of money is open and vndiuerted But if this long and sure course threaten also a reciprocall Consumption yet that warre in Europe will bee most profitable for vs which shall be made nearest our owne Kingdome both for the keeping our forces vnited and at hand and for the easinesse of supplies in all Euents and out of Europe by a Roiall Action it is not impossible at one stroke to behead the Indies To oppose them in their Counsels we must first obserue what they are Pierre Mat. Espagne practiquant tousiours sa vieille maxime de se maintenir par la querra de ses voisins Sedition separation and disunion are the dangerous weapons wherewith they prepare to themselues easie Conquests and these Arts haue their first efficacie vnder the pretence of Treaty then is the Spaniard most to be suspected Tacit. because they know how hostibus prodere prima belli tempora and if they can raise any iealousie or variance to remoue any one all are weakned rebusque turbatis malum extremum discordia accessit The contrary then which is a firme and constant League is onely powerfull and able to arrest them In the Colleagued warre of the Common-wealths of Greece against the vnited power of the Spartans some of the Confederates who lay next the danger beginning to wauer this sentence of their common safetie was giuen Polib vnicam spem superesse video omnibus agri sui longum tempus possidendi si Epaminondae consilio vsi omnium temporum omniumque rerum societatem sinceram inter se colant To hope to diuide indivisibile is lost labour the Designes of Spaine are one vnited in the head in genere generalissimo the House of Austria which cannot be distracted They haue no other maine and important adherent but the Pope and his Ecclesiasticall Dependents and these also make but one and meet in the Center concurring in common and mingled ends And they greatly erre who suppose that it is euer possible to finde a Pope vnpartiall for Spaine or to fauour any other Prince against them Let Vrban the Eighth serue for an example rais'd and fed by France yet fallen to their enemies per ragione di stato One fresh and pregnant instance will discouer both this vnitie and the aduantage of Spanish Counsells When the Treaty of Madrid for the liberty of the Valteline was not performed and roundly pressed by the French some difficulties remaining to prolong the possession the Forts of that Vally were by consent deliuered to the Pope tanquam communi Patri in Deposito This seemed very equall but the French were ouer-reached For they hoped vpon the iustice of their Cause and that a sentence would timely be giuen for them which was impossible For the Spaniard was content that the Deposition should remaine for euer to his vse and he knew that the Pope by accepting it was engag'd neuer to surrender to the Grisons because the spirituall Father could neuer deliuer his Children behold another title to the subiection and will of Heretiques and if the French should at last vse force his Holinesse was doubly intangled both in honor and conscience to vnite with Spaine to maintaine his Depositation This the French did not foresee and fel vpon a disaduantage to recouer it from the Pope a matter of dangerous consequence Who at last takes Armes in the Cause as the World knowes But when both the Pope and Spaine saw such a generall storme and Colleguation and foresaw that there was no remedie but to lose it by Armes which being victorious might quarrell with Millan or finde new obiects of their disdaine they resolued rather to surrender it and to seeme to yeeld to Iustice. But who must doe it The Pope by no meanes can consent to deliuer part of his flocke to wolues so his Ambassage protested in France therefore by secret conniuence and agreement the King of Spaine doth suddenly seale the old Articles and makes the Transaction before Barbarini shall arriue to saue the Popes honor For a temporall Prince may saluâ conscientiâ restore Heretiques to their temporall rights which the Pope a higher pretender ouer soule body and goods cannot doe By this cunning they hope to separate the Princes vnited the quarrell being in outward appearance ended and by this Intelligence it is euident that the Spirituall and temporall serue one another and take turnes and shift Interests for mutuall aduantage But if examples proue not categorically let it be considered that the spirituall and temporall Monarchies affected by Rome and Spaine haue such mutuall interest and affinitie and are so woven one within the other that though natural affection or other respects of gratitude may for a time retard perhaps striue against an open declaration yet when necessitie exacteth a resolution the essence and mystery of the Papacie will preuaile It must forsake father and mother and cleaue to this double supremacie for Rome and Spaine must stand and fall together To proceed when the Romans first transported their Legions into Greece they were called in by diuision to restore that shew of liberty to a part which they absolutely tooke from all Greece Separation and disunion by them fomented opened a Port to a Dominion which vnited was like their Phalanx not to be broken And certainly this day the Spaniards haue more hope to diuide the Princes colleagued then to vanquish them To which vse they haue two dangerous Instruments Money for the Traitor and a Pope for the Conscience It is obserued that Spaine will buy Treasons dearer then other Nations doe Faith Omne scelus externum cum laetitia habetur Tacit. And another noteth that with a bit of parchment the Pope will reduce any Kingdome to him disobedient to the State of Nauarre when the true King Iohn Albret and Queene Katherine were expelled l'excommunication du Pape Iules 1. Pierre aquant eu plus de forces que les armes de Castille Math. And they are not ashamed to glory with Philip of Macedon another oppressor that the victories gotten with words are more sweet then those of the Sword For euery Souldier can fight and share the honor but Arts and deceits of Treaties are onely proper to the Prince and his Counsell I will not enter into a search of the Treaties of Spaine nor how they are maintained I will not censure Equivocation nor rip vp our owne wounds onely I may haue leaue to note that anciently
is the way to riches and he that buyes an office pretends to haue right to sell it in selling Iustice as it was once said of that good Spanish Pope who by force of money ascended to the Chaire did dispence for moneyes all Rights of the Church Emerat ille prius vendere iure potest Here I could open the eies of your Maiesty with a like abuse in your own Court and tell you that los Alguazileâ— or as we call them Marshals or Captaines of Serieants pay for that charge fiue or six thousand Ducats Los Escriuanos or Notaâ—ies of Magistrates pay some eighteene some twenty thousand Crownes los Alcaldes or speaking in our owne Idioms the Criminall or Ciuill Iudges doe not pay a certaine summe but they neuer climbe to that degree without bestowing large donations vpon the Fauorits of your Maiestie What may then be said of Gouernours and Vice-Kings which you send into remote Prouinces All the Court doth know and the Prouinces are not ignorant that no man gratis doth obtaine these honours but they all passe in the Common way Your Maiestie may well beleeue that your Ministers are not so zealous of the weale publique profusely to expend their owne to goe and wearie themselues to gouerne others though in the most eminent dignitie Whence you may firmely collect that they propose to disburse at Interest and so prouide that the poore Subiects pay them an annuall Tribute not of fiue tenne or twenty but of a hundred for a hundred and sometimes a thousand and that at the end of their Gouernment they doe leuell the Capitall I could read in Cathedra vpon this matter as that which I haue seene with mine owne eyes and whereof in part to my great losse haue had experience But being a publique thing it behooues not that I wearie my selfe therein I returne then to the Tyranny of the Grisons Pompeio Planta aboue mentioned did vsurpe the power of Magistracie in the Praefecture of Forstenau binding all the officers not to intermeddle in any Cause of Importance without his knowledge or of Redolpho Planta his Brother This man who was Prouinciall Captaine of the Valtoline Criminall Iudg of Zernez of the bordering Communities did vsurp the power of Magistracy of the three Leagues exercising therein most great Tyranny in generall and against particular men and did arrogate to himselfe to iudge the lawes and to choose them onely Iudges who to him were pleasing and whosoeuer would not concurre with him was sodainly depriued In which course attempting to doe violence in the vpper Agnadina hee was the cause that six persons did loose their liues He did falsifie the Statutes and ordinances of the Countrey in his Iurisdiction adding and diminishing them as to him it turned best to accomâ—t He dâ—d binde the Sâ—biects in many Communities and free Prouinceâ— with various corruptions and presents to elect into many offices men vpon him dependant Of which his followers he after made vse to breake the lawes to excite Commoâ—â—ons against honest men and to gouerne all with violent Tyranny 〈◊〉 his owne disposition Vpon delicts oâ— little consideration hee gaue most rigorous sentences Conuerting them after into great Ransoms to whosoeuer would redeeme his vexations When he had punished some Delinquent he found occasion to entangle many Innocents saying that the guilty had accused them oâ— Confederacy or somewhat else and enforced them if they would auoide his persecution to compound with him in great summes of money In Agnadina he did shâ—rpen 〈◊〉 quarrells and factions euen amongst Kindred fomenting them with men and 〈◊〉 whereof followed many wounds and many deaths What auaileth it particularly to recount the Tyrannies vsed for many yeares by him and his Brother in Agnadina Valteline and other places And who is able to search the truth of infinite others practised by their adâ—erents and followers In summe Pompeio and Rodolfo Planta haue beene Tyrants themselâ—es and Heads of Tyrants from them and by them all those Cruelties of the pâ—oâ—le whâ—ch in the Manifest written in the name of the Valtelinâ—s 〈◊〉 exaggerated haue proceeded without contradiction they are too true we doe not deny them But let it availe to speake the Truth and who by your fauour are 〈◊〉 bâ—t factious mâ—n and Dependents vpon the Ministers of your Maiestâ—e From whom haue they receiued the monies to support then Tyrannicall Authoritie but of the Ministers of your Maiestie who hath constantly comforted them in their wicked Actions but the Ministers of your Maiestie Then it must necessarily bee concluded that the Ministers of your Maiestie are they who haue seated Tyranny in the Valteline and in other parts of the Grisons following the same designe aboue mentioned to breed Confusion Disunion and finall destruction of those People to the enlargement of the States of your Maiestie and all these workings haue beene carried in a manner so artificiall that though the Grisons did see many things ill done they could not apply a remedie because they knew not from whence the euill did arise So great was the Tyrants power that there was none found who once durst witnesse a truth But at last when it pleased God to bring it to light the Grisons did not neglect to vse all diligence to dig vp the euill by the Roote The Brethren Planta's fled Conscious of their owne Iniquitie whereby not being able to apprehend them they were punished in such sort as was possible by most sharpe exile Looke vpon the writing so often alleadged of the Acts of the Grisons where more distinctly euery particular may be read But for a demonstratiue proofe of the aforesaid matters all the world doth know how these Brothers Planta's after their banishment were alwaies fauoured and sustained by the Ministers of your Maiestie how at their Instigation and with their helpe they wrought the insurrection of the Valteline and how as yet they negotiate worse actions Here are three things fit to be aduised your Maiestie The one the Deceipt which is obtruded by your Ministers The other the Reproach which they bring to your Roiall name by insidious Complots which they alway extend to other Potentates The last is the Impudence wherewith they seeke vnworthily to wound the name and reputation of good Princes against whom they haue often prouoked the Predecessors of your Maiestie and sometime your selfe and still doe attempt earnestly to induce you to actions little reasonable making you beleeue not that they are only iust but holy Vpon this first we shall haue little cause of discourse seeing from the fore-alleaged matters it is euidently collected that the Grisons doe not nor haue not tyrannised their Subiects neither concerning Religion nor in the politike life That all the Tyranny which was vsed in their State was treacherously induced by the Ministers of your Maiestie and that the Rebellion of the Valtelines was not free and voluntary in them but practised procured and in a manner enforced by those wicked Arts I haue
held in what manner to giue him audience His name was already changed to Don Gabriell di Bona-Ventura his Instructions drawne by a Iunto for the purpose and thus hee was shewed abroad defrayed by the King and his Message published that hee was imployed to offer Peace and friendship from the Turkish Emperour When this Scene was acted he was sent backe with true Letters of Don Christofero di Mora and the Secretary Catagna to the great Vizier and for his better securitie a safe Conduct and Credance was giuen him signed by the King Yoel Rey. Passing by Sicily by Catholique Order Forty Turkish Slaues were deliuered him to present at the Port in earnest of the Spanish and Ottoman amitie Letters also of credit for good summes were furnished to enable him to spend procure answer from the Grand Signior and fauour of the Vizier Mufti and other of the great Officers With which Orders and Armes being arriued at Constantinople he vsed all meanes with all men to induce an acceptance of the Peace vrging and demonstrating the earnest affection and desire of the King of Spaine to conclude it But this practise being discouered by the Ambassadors resident at the Port and others not too well affected to Spaine the falshood was made appeare and Don Gabriel by the great Vizier was clapt in prison as a Counterfeit and Impostor In a few moneths this Vizier was displaced and another aduanced to his Office and as it is a common rule with them to runne a contrary course to their fallen Predecessors without examining the merits or causes this Iew was set at libertie and all his actions and Letters approued as true and authenticall And thereupon Petition made to the Grand Signior to enforme the Negotiation and by the counsell of the new Ministers it was admitted and accepted and answer granted to the King of Spaine that seeing hee had shewed so much affection to peace and to enter into a sincere Correspondence with the Port especially by the charitable liberty of so many Mahometans freely presented that the Gates of the Ottoman Empire were alway open to whomsoeuer did seeke their friendship and that Ambassadors might securely come to treat and conclude it With these Letters to the Catholique King and others to Don Christofero di Mora and the Secretary Catagna from the Vizier Don Gabriel was dispeeded with two Messengers of the Port by the way of Wallachia to the confines of the Empire purposing to take his iourney through Germany But Rodolphus being then in warre with Sultan Mehemet he was stayed and examined on the Borders To free himselfe he fained that he had Letters to the Emperour whereupon all his papers were seized and sent to Prague His Imperiall Maiesty very discontent and iealous of such Treaties betweene Spaine and Turky without his communication and in such a Coniuncture gaue order that the Iew should be brought to Vienna and kept in close Prison vntill he had some advice from Madrid The Catholique King finding diu non latêre scelera to saue the honor of his priuate Designes denyed the fact forsooke and protested the poore Don Gabriel who miserably there ended his life conassai mala-ventura It may be collected that the Spanish ends of this Treaty were such as durst not abide the light seeing they might not bee trusted to the nearest friend and it was iudged great modesty to be ashamed and the part of a good Christian to renounce secret practises with Turkes by the mediation of Iewes but of an ill Master to leaue and abandon his Seruant Such Vessels in the hands of Princes are formed for honor or dishonor as their interests counsell them In later times the extraordinary Ambassadors of the Emperour treating at Constantinople the frontire Affaires and accidentall Breaches another ouerture was by them made in the name of the King of Spaine and the best argument â—sed was that the world knew but two great and Imperiall Families Austria and Ottoman who if they were reconciled might make another Diuision of East and West The rest it is more humanitie to conceale then Christianitie to negotiate This last yeare a Bolognese was sent from the Vice-King of Naples in pursuit of the same Designe and counterfeit Letters printed in Spaine with a Catalogue of impossible presents pretended from the Grand Signior to beg peace and spread abroad to add reputation to his Armies as if the world would tremble at a smoake And though this Engine returned fruitlesse yet Spaine is not hopelesse They know the ease and aduantage they should draw by securitie on this side to haue all their Gallies at libertie to shut vp the Straights to hinder traffique and to succour Genoua and their Garrisons of Calabria and Sicily free to be imployed in their other necessities And here it cannot be ouer-passed that while Spaine did negotiate this Peace doubting not to effect it the same instruments were imployed with monies and Letters to excite the Cossacques though in preiudice of the Peace of the King of Poland allyed to the House of Austria by a double mariage to inuade the Bospherus that the Armado of the Grand Signior might necessarily be kept in the blacke-Sea for defence whereby the Spaniard by a fine Art doth enioy halfe the fruits of the Peace without obtaining it These are a modell of the wayes and counsels of the Spanish Monarchy If the King of Spaine enuied his Brother the Conquest of a Mahometan kingdome and treat vnderhand with the Turks without respect or knowledge of the Emperour If he sollicit the seeds of a warre between Poland and the Grand Signior vnder the colour of a peace without care of the vtilitie of that Crowne so neerly to him allyed It may be concluded that ambition of vniuersall Monarchy is onely able to extinguish all obligations both of Religion and blood Because Si violandum jus est Eurip. imperijgratia violandum est alijs rebus pietatem colas If the first step to this sole Empire be the Conquest of England as the Designes of the Enemy from whoÌ„ some lessons are best taught and their Counsells to their owne ends doe clearly demonstrate and the resolution of diuers Iunto's haue laid for a foundation It is happy for England to fore-see the blow and to prouide timely to preuent it and not be bound to the disaduantage of making a desperate Bett when the aduersary shall call and the game irrecouerable These Demonstrations admitted for true the next Consideration will be by what meanes most effectually and virtually to worke a iust defence Wherein if the Ends Counsells and Wayes whereby Spaine hath in few yeares aduanced bee obserued they will reflect a true light vpon the contrary how they may be humbled The end of Spaine is Vniuersall Monarchy conformable to the Romans in all but the noble contempt of Treasons Herein and in Counsells they haue aduantage of vs. It must then be concluded to oppose this end wee must resolue the like and
produce a contrary effect For if the most Christian King shall once resolue himselfe to carry the warre abroad he shall rest most secure and quiet within his owne Kingdome The great and warlike mindes of the French Nobilitie borne to Armes and Enterprises cannot lie wasting in Idlenesse While they haue not elsewhere to bee exercised it is no wonder that at home they may be easily excited to tumults But if they shall bee imployed in foraine Actions they will runne greedily to victories and glory of which they are most ambitious And will desire like wise men that their owne Country should rest in peace to bee the more able with their Sword to subdue others not will they suffer themselues to bee disturbed by the treacherous machinations of them who affect their ruine But this is spoken by the way by occasion of the like stratagem at present used among the Grisons the which seeing it hath begunne to take effect in the Valteline the Gouernour of Millan is leâ—pt into the field not with intent to fauour but to oppresse the party risen yet to giue another relish Preposing still this axiome of Machiauell that feined Religion doth much aduantage the Actions of Princes hee would make the world beleeue that he was moued with pietie to take the protection of the miserable Valtelines oppressed as saith the Manifest in Religion and politike life Of which two things it is now requisite distinctly to entreate The Grisons doe pretend that if God when hee created man left him in the state of free will the Conscience ought to be free no man being able to take away that which is the gift of the Diuine Maiestie They esteeme their Condition to be most wretched and miserable who are violently forced to professe to beleeue that which their Conscience truely doth not beleeue and therefore they require libertie of Religion They are diuided into Roman and Euangelique euery one followes that part to which his Conscience enclineth him Euery one doth beleeue hee beleeues well and sinnes mortally when he doth transgresse from that ancient Institution wherein he was borne and bred Violence is done to no man In the publike Gouernment aswell the one as the other doe participate without any Distinction Now the Ministers of your Maiestie say as may be read in the Manifect that the Professors of the Romish Religion haue no more libertie to follow their true saith because the contrary faction doth tyrannously oppresse them And here they alleage many violent Actions which if in case some are true certainly they are not happened but for grieuous Iniuries and offences first done by the Romanistâ— to the Euangeliques but the truth is that the most part of them are false the effect to this day hath shewed it to be most false that euer the Euangeliques did attempt to oppresse the Romanists Vpon which for better illustration wee will with reason discourse a little in the fauour of truth These two Factions Roman and Euangelique either are equall or the one is superiour to the other If they are equall euery one doe persist in their own opinion it being certaine that in their Diâ—ts called by them Dritture the Ministers of the one and the other equally are assistant of necessitie it must bee said that when any thing is handled which doth preiudice the one or the other there can neuer be any agreement But seeing they doe accord as it appeares by the Diett of Tosana in the yeare 1618. in which so many Rebells as well Romans as Euangeliques without all respect were punished Then it must be concluded not to bee true that they practise one to preiudice the other Then it is false that the Euangeliques doe oppresse the Romanists But who shall say that the one is too strong and doth persecute the other How is it that in so many and so many yeares that part hath not vsurped the absolute dominion If the Roman preuaile how doe â—hey consent that their Clergie men should bee châ—stised and as your Maiesties Ministers affirme in despight of Religion If the Euangelique be superiour how can it stand that putting to death the Arch-Priest of Sondrio and exiling the Bishop of Câ—ira for being of the Roman Religion afterward they admitted another Bishop and another Arch-Priest of the same Religion And why did they condemne only those two and not many other good and truely religious men of which in that State there are multitudes Let it bee then said not to be a truth that the Euangeliques doe persecute the Romanists And if the aforesaid Clergie-men haue suffered the trespasses by them committed in communem patriam did cause that with Common consent aswell of the Catholique Romans as of the Euangeliques they haue beene punished as it is notorious by the aforementioned writing of the yeare 1618. And that it was not done in the hatred of Religion may more clearely from this be discerned that amongst the accused and condemned there were many more Euangeliques then Romans Whence it is euident that with all integritie and without any respect those of the Euangelique faction haue onely aymed not sparing themselues at the administration of Iustice And Rodolfo Planta that then was banished as is knowne to all men was not onely an Heretique but a principall Head of the Heretiques With two things about this Subiect the World is greatly amazed and scandalized The one that the Ministers of your Maiestie in the Manifest printed by them for the Valtolines haue dared to giue the title of a true Martyr of Christ to the Arch-priest of Sondrio a man blood-thirsty and a Traitor to his Prince whence it appeares that onely for being their fauourer he obtained the merit to be Canonised for a Saint The other is that they haue alwayes held so strict Intelligence with Rodolfo Planta and other principall Heretiques and haue fauoured and stipendiated them both before and after their Banishment and haue made vse and yet doe vse them continually in matters very indecent Neither doe they make at all scruple of Conscience thereof though they publikely proclaime themselues Protectors of the Religion and perpetuall Enemies of all Heretiques If the wonder and Scandall bee iust I remit it to the Righteous Iudgement and prudent mind of your Maiestie I expect that conuicted with the force of these reasons some should step forth and say That when notwithstanding the Euangeliques doe not seeke to oppresse the Romanists and doe suffer euery one to liue to himselfe yet by all meanes it is requisite to extirpate the ill race of Heretiques Enemies to holy Church I vnwillingly enter into this particular but of force the matter requires that somewhat therein bee spoken I doe beleeue and I thinke am not deceiued that to punish Heretiques the Ecclesiasticall authoritie is necessary How then will the Ministers of your Maiestie intermeddle in that which to them appertaines not And who will not say that greedinesse to vsuâ—pe the State of others doth moue
Conscience Antonio de Leua discoursing Gio. Boteras detti memorabiâ—â— l. 1. by occasion with Charles the fift Emperour concerning the Affaires of Italy did perswade him to put to death this and that Prince and to take possession of their States and to make himselfe Lord of all The Soule answered the Emperour What replied Leua hath your Maiestie a soule then renounce your Empire This was truly too shamelesse an Impietie of Leua such I am sure as none of your Ministers would dare to propound to your Maiestie for knowing the great goodnesse of your most Catholique minde they should be sure to incurre your Roiall Indignation But it doth not therefore follow that they preserue not in their heads the same rules and that they doe not thereby gouerne all their Actions and thereunto conformable addresse all their Counsells the which are so much more dangerous in as much as they couer them vnder holy pretences as at present in the warre against the Grisons Wherefore your Maiestie hath so much more cause to feare and to take heed and so much more reason to accept in good part this Aduertisement But to returne to our Matter Let your Maiestie consider that to punish Heretiques as already I haue said is not the office of a secular Prince And therefore your Ministers doe ill to put their Sickle into anothers haruest and so much the worse because they know it And to deceiue the world they make it lawfull without the Pontificall authority to aduance he standard of the high Priest to iustifie a warre which they know to be vniust Wherefore his Holinesse whose Iurisdiction is directly offended ought not and cannot beare it And if hee haue and doe suffer many other things in the end a long abused patience is conuerted into a iust anger Besides let your Maiestie be aduised that all Heretiques are not to be treated as Rebells with extreame â—igour but onely those who borne within the wombe of the Church by their owne malice haue reuolted these which are borne nourished and brought vp in the Sect of their Parents it is true they erre but vnder an excuse of well doing they erre it is true but they knowe not their errour they are more worthie of Compassion then of penalty they deserue helpe and not punishment Multum enim interest inter illos qui in ignorantia sunt Chrisost. 1. Math. Homil. 49 c. in ignorantia perierunt inter â—os qui in veritate quidem nati sunt propter aliquod autem mundiale scientes ad mendacia tranâ—ierunt perierunt in cis pereunt Illi enim forsitan aliquo modo habebunt remissionem isti antem nullam remissionem habebunt neque in hoc sâ—culâ— neque in futurâ— quoniam ipsi sunt qui blasphemauerunt in Spiritum Sanctum Illi enim iudicandi sunt quia veritatem non quaesierunt isti autem condemnandi quia spreuerunt Leuior enim culpa est veritatem non apprehendere quam contemnere apprehensam Let Preachers then be sent to instruct them let gentle meanes be vsed that they may hearken vnto them Let praiers be continually made for them and after leaue the care to God to illuminate them in the holy â—aith seeing that faith is the onely guift of God which he freely giues not giuen by Mars nor by the meanes of warre God did command that the Foxes which destroyed the Vines should be taken Cant. c. 2. not slaine Capite nobis Vulpes parnulaâ— quae demoliuntur Vineas Et si iuxta allegoriam S. Bernard tom 1. In Cant. ser. 46. Ecclesias Vineas Vulpes Hereses seu potius Haereticos ipsos intelligamus simplex est sensus vs Hâ—retici capiantur potius quam effugentur capiantur dico non armis sed argumentis quibus reffellantur eorum errores Ipsi vero si fieri potest Ecclesiae Catholicae reconcilientur reuocentur ad veram fidem haec est enim voluntas eius qui vult omnes homines saluoâ— fieri ad agnitionem veritatas perâ—emire And a little after Quod si reuerti noluerit nec conuictus post primam iam secundam admonitionem vtpote qui omninò subuersus est erit secundum Apostolum deuitandus This is the way ô Sacred Maiestie to proceed against Heretiques which this holy man doth teach and not that by the rigor of Armes which your Ministers practice Esteeme it a truth that to vse crueltie against Heretiques doth euer make them more peruerse And if this in no place should be done much lesse there where Heretiques and Catholiques are together mingled with libertie of Religion because our persecutioÌ„ of them for Religion doth teach them to do the like as well for preseruation of their own which they esteeme as good as we doe ours as for the securitie of their States liues From which so many losses haue hapned to the Church of God that it is a consideratition worthy of many teares Poore Germany into what state is it reduced by this occasion which perhaps but why do I say perhaps certainly certainly had bin in much better estate if therewith other proceedings had been vsed I call not England to witnesse the storie is too notorious What hath ruined Flanders but a will to introduce with too much rigor the Spanish Inquisition And the Citie of Naples for the same cause hath it not fallen into generall tumult which if it had further proceeded to day by Gods grace it remaines Catholique that perhaps we had found with all that noble Kingdome full of heresie May it please the Diuine Maiestie that the present warre against the Grisons proue not a fire of faith and Religion in all Italy The Deuill hath prepared the wood the Ministers of your Maiestie haue kindled the flame If presently there be not some ready to extinguish it this paper God make me a liar which some will esteem foolishnes others call malignitie will perhaps be found a Prophesie from heauen But of this enough hath beene said let vs proceed to the rest The second head of Tyranny doth follow Great matters are related in the Manifest printed in the name of the Valtolines But seeing there is not one particular case obiected nor any thing proued it might be said the whole is false but wee will not vse that aduantage because wee know many things are most true Lucio da Monte with the money of forraine Princes supplied him by Pompeio Planta to the summe of two thousand florens distributed among particulars did procure the office of supreme Prouinciall Iudge of the Grison League binding himselfe to administer that charge not according to right and Iustice and the libertie of his Country but conformable to the will of the said Planta Whence it is confirmed for truth that the Gouernment was conferred vpon him who did offer the greatest price that from thence a thousand Tyrannies did proceed against the goods and liues of the Subiects there is no cause to doubt seeing this