Part of a Letter from an English Jesuit the first of it nothing to the purpose take as followeth Good Father THe inclosed to my Lord I pray you read and take it as written to your self c. The Lord Seatoun in whose house I sojourn sometimes salutes you Of the affairs of the Catholicks here I leave it to them to write and relate by whose means these Letters shall be convey'd My Lord Seatoun hath an c c It may be he means some eight miles East off Edinbrough upon the South shore of the Fyâ—th viz Cokeny-Haven Haven of his own which may be hereafter very commodious for our purpose Commend me I pray you to F. Barth Pere c. Mr. Dudley Ilper Knight and John Thules which upon some sudden pushes of persecution have made their repair hither are in health and salute you And Mr. Syal a Priest dyed here lately in Edinbrough Love me and pray for me I beseech you all Solito And if you send any into these parts let them come furnisht with as ample faculties as you may Let them enquire for one Mr. Jonas which will be a token betwixt us Our Lord bless us and send us to meet once ere we dye Yours ever most assured Joan. Cecilio Seytoun this 2 of Octob. 1592. A Letter from the Earl of Angus to Mr. William Creichtoun MY most affectionate commendations premitted this present is onely to know of your well fair and friends and of the estate of matters where you remain and to shew a testimony of my good affection towards you For God be prais'd if you were in this Country I could do you greater pleasure then I was able to do before albeit good-will lacked not at any time as you know The a a Mr. George Ker. bearer hereof can inform you of such things as occur with us for we are daily subject to alteration you may credit him as my self for so his vertues do deserve It is not needful that I trouble you with his commendation seeing he is to you that he is you know his honesty and good intention and the causes of his departing to whose sufficiencâ—e referring the rest my hearty salutations and my bed fellows with all our company young and old remembred unto you and your company commits you with them to the protection of God Yours ever to his power Anguss Edinbrough the X of October MDXCII Mr. James Gordon sent also a Letter to Creichton under counterfeit and false names which runs thus The Superscription To his assured friend b b William Creichton George Crauford Trusty friend AFter most hearty commendations your friends who are here have directed this c c George Ker. Bearer to you for full resolution of all your affairs in these Quarters we have delaid overlong I grant but he will shew you the cause of all The best is that next you use all expedition in time coming against the next Summer otherwise you will loose credit here with your d d i. e. The confederate Romanists Factors If you come you will finde more friends then ever you had but otherwise you will finde fewer because the next Summer many are bound to other Countries and will not stay for you any longer Haste hither some word to your friends that we may put them in good hope of you and they will tarrie the longer The Bearer is an honest man and verie sufficient you may credit him as my self I should have come with him my self were it not that I was perswaded that you would remain satisfied with our Answer and because I had a stop from Flanâ—ers As the Bearer can shew you you have gotten all that you e e i. e. The Blanks desired therefore make haste The Bearer is come unto you on his own charge therefore you must have respect to him The last Messenger that you sent came behinde hand here and hath got no satisfaction as yet because nothing could be gotten here and we could finde no man but this that would pass on his own charge and I fear if he had not undertaken it on his own expences you should not have receiv'd an answer so soon and therefore you should intreat him the better We look for your self here shortlie and I would that you brought the rest of your f f i. e. The Spanishe â—y friends with you that are beyond the Sea For if your g g 〈…〉 in the 〈…〉 Copy purpose pass forward they must be also present otherwise we must come and h h i. e. be foâ—ced to flâ—e the Coâ—untâ—y visit you All other affairs of this Countrie I will commit to the Bearer who is faithful Your i i â—he 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 wife and your i children commend them unto you and look to seâ— you shoâ—â—lie If I or k k 〈…〉 bâ—â—â—umby Sandesoun your friend receive any silver from the Bearer you shall be advertised by another Ticket how much it is and subscribed with both our hands The rest I will refer to the Bearer God preserve you ever from all evil Your most affectioned to his power a a i. e. James Gordoun J. Christesoun At Dundee the XX of November M D XCII There was a Letter also writ by Robert Abircrumbie the Jesuit to the said Creichton under false names part of which take as followeth To his trusty friend b b Will. Creichton George Crauford AFter my due and humble salutations and offer of service I grieve and lament heavilie the slouth and negligence your c c The Catholicks Merchants have used in answering of your last suit you proposed unto them For apparentlie if they had made answer in due time our d d The Spanish Army wares had been here in due time with our great profit and consolation The stay and stop of the matter apparentlie was lack of expences that no man would of his own charges take that voyage in hand yea some craved a thousand Crowns for his expences So the matter was once whollie given over and almost clean forgot until it pleas'd God of his Divine Providence to stir up this e e Dr. Ker. Bearer to take the matter in hand on his own expences as he hath been ever bent in that Cause not onely to spend his goods but also the thing that is more dear to him that is his life Therefore I think he should be more acceptable as also for the affinitie of bloud for both his Grand-mothers were Creichtons And as for wit and abilitie in treating of those affairs he is not inferiour to any of your Merchants which you desired as you will perceive by experience God willing And albeit that he of his couragious liberalitie and Zeal to the Cause hath taken the matter in hand on his own charges yet all your friends in these Quarters think it were reasonable that all should be repaid him again cum usura with promotion till any other accident
not de jure to wit whether the Pope might justly in this or that occasion excommunicate or depose this or that Prince upon these or these causes or whether precedent Popes have done well therein or no then might some of those reasons which you say your Friends do alledge be admitted into consideration to wit whether it would be in aedificationem or destructionem do hurt or good be profitable or improfitable or whether the causes be sufficient or no for without cause none holdeth that the Pope may depose or whether the due form of admonition touched in your Letters were observed But for as much as the Question is de Potestate of the See Apostolick power what it may do upon any cause or against any Catholick Prince whatsoever these considerations of temporal hurt cannot enter Besides these I have conferred the matter with Cardinal Bellarmine and sundry others of great Learning and Conscience and all are of Opinion in this case that the form of the Oath as it lyeth is Heretical and no way may be admitted by him that will not deny the Catholick Faith I have had occasion twice to speak with his Holiness the first in company of Mr. Thomas Fitzherbert where we proposed certain manners of Mitigation suggested by Friends c. Where to his Holiness answered That as for any actual using Censures against his Majesty he meant not but rather all courtesie but as for the Authority of the See Apostolick to wit for using of Censures he was resolved and would rather loose his head than yeild one jot The second he being informed that some Priests did seem to incline to the taking of the Oath he answered He could not hold them for Catholicks c. What an enemy this Parsons was to his Native Country we may discourse of hereafter onely at this time we shall go no farther than what belongs to the Popes power now in hand yet we may observe by the by that whatever he writ he never put his own name to it but sometimes false ones and sometimes onely two Letters which he commonly alter'd in every new Pamphlet stuft up onely with evasions resolved to let the Romanists know what he meant but would never acknowledge any thing to be proved against him yet an indifferent Judge will acknowledge his hints to be bold enough In one place thus he tells the Learned Morton You know that deposition of Princes is an effect of Excommunication P. R. Quiet and sober reckoning pag. 64. and can never happen by Ecclesiastical Authority but where Excommunication hath gone before And I would ask M. Morton in good earnest out of his Divinty when a Christian Prince is lawfully excommunicated and shut out from all society of Christian Communion and he persists Impenitent how can he be head of a Christian Common-wealth for so much as he is no member nor hath any place or part at all in the whole body the head-ship being the chief part of all others In another place he telleth thus his own Principles from his learned Opponent Catholick Subjects do believe that in some cases there is power Id. Pag. 80. left by God in the Church and the Head thereof the Bishop of Rome over Princes to use not onely spiritual Censures for restraint of Exorbitant Excesses but Temporal Remedies also either directly or indirectly when urgent necessity of the Common-wealth should require All Catholick Subjects also of other Countries do hold and acknowledge Id. Pag. 81. this Doctrine In another of his Books against the foresaid Oath of Allegiance to the objection that some Roman Catholicks had taken it he thus answereth The judgement of a Catholick English-man in a Letter touching the Oath of Allegiance p. 18. § 30. I cannot but in charity assure my self that they being Catholicks took the said Oath for so much as concerneth the Popes Authority in dealing with Temporal Princes in some such lawful sence and interpretation as being by them expressed and accepted by the Magistrate may stand with the integrity and sincerity of true Catholick Doctrine and Faith to wit that the Pope hath not Authority without just cause to proceed against them But concerning the general Question to deny simply and absolutely Ib. Pag. 19. § 31. That the Pope is Supream Pastor of the Catholick Church hath any Authority left him by Christ either directly or indirectly with cause or without cause in never so great a necessity of the Christian Religion to proceed against any Prince whatsoever Temporally for his restraint or amendment or to permit other Princes to do the same This I suppose was never their meaning that took the Oath for that they should thereby contradict the general consent of all Catholick Divines and confess that Gods Providence for the Conservation and Preservation of his Church and Kingdom upon earth had been defectuous for that he should have left no lawful Remedy for so great and excessive an evil as that way might fall out And if you look but a little a Id. P. 85. § 25. farther you will see where the Shoe pincheth and that to deny the Popes power to depose Kings is one of the main reasons they have against this Oath the Affirmative being one of the greatest Pillars that upholds their puissant Hierarchy right or wrong And in another of his b Temperate Ward-word p. 53 54. Pamphlets you will see him close with Cardinal Allen Sanders and suchlike against Princes in behalf of the Popes power over them Nor need we question his attributing this Authority to the See of Rome when he alloweth the same to the People not onely telling them that they may Rebel against c See his R. Dolemans conference about the Crown but depose their King too and it may be worse of which in its due place But enough of Robert Parsons at this time unless he were better And if we consult some others abroad we shall finde d Con. in 2. 2. D. Tho. pag. 63. § 151. Johannes Wiggers e Com. in 2. 2. Aquin. Quest 12. art 2. Hieronymus de Medicis the Dominican f In 2. 2. D. Tho. in Summario Conclusionum d. 57. conclus 2. Luisus Turrianus the Spanish Jesuit g Com. in 2. 2. Quest 1. art 10. disp 8. Johannes Malderus Bishop of Antwerp and h De potestate Ecclesiastica fol. 154. Potest Papa jure optimo à gradu dignitate sua omnem Regem Principem dejicere non solum propter Heresim Schisma propter quam vis aliam sceleâ—osam impietatem verum etiam propter secordiam negligentiam ad regendum ineptitudinem si praesertim ejusmodi sit ut Regnum periclitetur Christianorum Johannes Antonius Delphinus allow that Kings may justly be deposed and that by the Pope and to these we may add Carolus Scribanius the Dutch Jesuit under the false name of i Amphitheatrum Honoris lib. 1. cap. 12. Clarus Bonarscius
the Church of England Likewise I must confess that the Course we held was so pleasing to such as saw it or were informed of it by those that they trusted as it proved very gainful unto us all that were Priests We had out of Question procured unto our selves very great Favour Credit and Reputation So as it was no marvail if some young Gentlemen as Mr. Babington and the rest were allured to those strange attempts which they took in hand by Mr. Ballard who was an Agent amongst us They saw as they supposed for both Mr. Babington and divers of his Company were oftentimes at the Exorcisings that we had a great commandment over Devils which prevail'd greatly with them as I think It would have been a very strange thing I am perswaded that we could not have wrought men at that time to attempt which was prudently foreseen by Father Edmunds of purpose as I am resolved in my conscience to prepare the hearts and mindes of Catholicks by those practices that when such forces as were intended should have come into England they might have been more readily drawn by him and us to have joyned their forces with them And this is that I can say concerning the occasions or inducements that such matters were taken in hand at the time articulated Now as touching the substance of the general Interrogatory it self I have perused the several Examinations and Confessions of Sara Williams and Friswood her Sister of Anne Smith and of Richard Mainy Gentleman and am fully perswaded that they have deposed the truth in such points whereof they were examined belonging to their pretended Possession and Dispossession The effect whereof is that they were drawn by our cunning carriage of matters to seem as though they had been possess'd when as in truth they were not neither were there any of the Priests ignorant in my conscience of their dissimulation nor the parties themselves as now it appeareth of our dissembled proceeding with them After I had been my self first at one of their Exorcisings it was my chance to lye that night with Mr. Thomson a Priest and a great Actor in those matters at his chamber by the Spittle and falling into some conference about it I used some such words as though I doubted whether the party were actually and really possessed For I my self being not acquainted with any plot devised by Fa. Edmunds or any other spake my minde somewhat more plainlie then I perceive Mr. Thomson well liked of His answer to me was in effect that He being my friend did earnestly wish me to cast forth no such speeches whatsoever I did think For quoth he the matter is judged to be so by Father Edmunds and some others that are Priests Besides such Catholicks as have been present at such fits have received it for a truth that the parties are possess'd And although I for my part will not make it an Article of my Creed yet I think that Godly credulity doth much good for the farthering of the Catholick Cause and for the defacing of our common Enemies and their proceedings Or to this effect Not long after also talking with Mr. Stamp at the Lord Vaux his house in Hackney concerning these matters and demanding of him seriously his opinion what he thought of them his answer was That they were things of such importance as would farther the Catholick Cause more then all the Books that had been written of late years about the controversies in Religion with the Protestants With which answer I seemed to rest contented because I saw thereby he was not willing to enter into any plainer course with me For although both my self as I said before and so I think of the rest did know that all was but counterfeit yet for as much as we perceived that thereby great credit did grow to the Catholick Cause and great discredit to the Protestants we held it lawful to do as we did c. Anth. Tyrrell June 25. 1602. Mr. a Foot out of the snare New shreds to the old snare Hold fast Gee will afford you more hints of their cheats and juglings whither I refer the Reader and the b Pag. 64. F. Author of Father Paulâ— life writes against such Stage-play-Exorcisms or Puppy-Devils But to prosecute our History the Queen was seldom without dishonourable attempts against her Don Bernardin de Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador in England and afterwards a busie blade for the Covenanters in France here he disingeniously forgetting his place falls a plotting against the Queen and incourageth others to it for which he was forbid the Kingdoms and so sneak'd into France But we shall presently meet with another Ambassador more unworthy then the former and this is l'Aubespine the French Ambassador then lying in England one wholly given up to the Guisian faction Nothing will serve him but the murther of the Queen to effect which he tâ—mpers with one Mr. William Stafford a Gentleman of good Relations And at last by his Secretary Trappie deals more openly and plainly with him promiseth him not onely Riches but great Honour and special favour with the Pope the Duke of Guise and with all Catholicks whatever Stafford refuseth so bloudy an enterprise but tells him of one Moody then in Prison as one desperate enough for any designe Moody is talk'd with gladly undertakes it provided he might be freed out of Prison They consult of the manner Moody propoundeth Poyson or a bag of Gun-powder laid under her bed and secretly fired But neither of these pleas'd Trappie who better discover'd his meaning by wishing that such another bold fellow might be found as was that a Bâ—ltazer Gerard who pistosâ—d William Prince of Orange in Delfe anno 1584. 10 of July Some say that he was instigated by some Jesuits to perpetrate this murther However Orange deserved better at Gerards hands having shew'd him some friendship and favour Gerard was taken and suffer'd death without any repentance or signe of grief for his fault Burgundian who had kill'd the Prince of Orange Mr. Stafford having consider'd with himself the heinousness of this Treason goeth and reveals it to the Queens Council whereupon Trappie is seiz'd on just as he thought to have pass'd into France and upon examination confesseth all Upon this the Council sends to speak with the Ambassador he b Jan. 12. 15â—â— waits upon them they tell him the reasons wherefore they secured his Secretary l'Aubespine rants against the Council and pleads the priviledge of his place Stafford and Moody are brought in confess the Treason and positively accuse the Ambassador as the Instigator He on the other hand at first denyeth it then pleads that had he known it yet being an Ambassador he ought not to discover it unless it be to his own Master After some discourse Cecil Lord Burghley gravely admonish'd him to beware how he committed Treason any more or forgot the Duty of an Ambassador and the Queens Clemencie and that he was
Nevers he posts to Rome though contrary to the Popes desire and growing daily more jealous of the Leaguers intentions is very sollicitous for a perfect Agreement and Accommodation writing several times to Cardinal de Bourbon not to press too much upon the Kings patience and at last being fully convinced that the Guises had more a private Interest then a publick good in their thoughts quite forsook them and their Cause and joyn'd with the King The King in the mean time somewhat inform'd of the troublesome and warlike designs of the Covenanters was persuaded to consult his own security and therefore by a publick Decree forbids all raising or gathering 28 March together of Souldiers unless by his express Command and Authority commanding all his good Subjects at the ringing of the Toquesaint the Alarm bell to fall upon the said Souldiers as declar'd enemies But the Leaguers proceed cunningly and vigorously having strengthned themselves as they thought pretty well were resolved to make an open Rupture according to their former determinations To which purpose they overpersuade Cardinal de Bourbon to quit the Court under colour of keeping Lent at his Archbishoprick of Rouen so he went to Gailon a Palace belonging to that See in higher Normandy where a great company of the Covenanters of Picardy waited upon him and for his more pretended security conducted him to Peronne where the League was first framed as aforesaid and here he was met by the Dukes of Guise Mayenne Aumale Elboeuf and other Covenanting Nobles where a large Declaration is drawn up in his Name whom they call the First Prince of the Ploud and subscribed by him the substance of it is as followeth In the Name of God Almighty King of Kings be it known unto all c. That a design to subvert Religion hath been the cause of the late troubles That it is fear'd the King dying childless the Church and Kingdom may be ruin'd over which they are resolved never to let an Heretick sway the people being bound neither to admit or obey any Prince but of the Roman Religion That to hinder all mischiefs some remedy is to be applied That the great preparations of the Huguenots are sufficiently understood That it is also not unknown but * * Chiefly â—â—ming at the Duke of Espernon some people have so possest themselves of the Kings affection that they have as it were seiz'd upon his Authority and excluded those who ought to be more near him That these Favourites or Minions have got the chief Governments and Places of Trust whereby they may command all by Land or Sea That they have imbezell'd the Kings Revenues thereby making themselves more powerful and obey'd to the great oppression of the people which daily increaseth That though the Amendment of Abuses was hoped for at the meeting of the Estats at Bloys yet Private Interests spoil'd all That these Abuses are now grown so great that the Kingdom is almost ruin'd by them the Clergy surcharged and despised the Nobles debas'd abus'd and ruin'd and all the people in a manner beggar'd and impoverish'd by strange Taxations c. Therefore We CHARLES de BOURBON first Prince of the Bloud assisted with the Princes Cardinals Peers Bishops c. being the best and soundest part of the Kingdom DECLARE that we have sworn and faithfully promis'd to continue in Arms till the Church and Roman Religion be establish'd in her former Dignity the Nobles enjoy their Privileges the people eas'd the new Taxes abolished the Parlements left to their wonted freedom and liberty c. These and such others are the causes of our Arming which by these necessities is made justifiable though otherwise we should disclame such courses and so believing we cannot have a more honourable Funeral then to die in so holy and just a cause Yet protesting that we do not intend any thing against the King but on the contrary in defence of his Person Life and Estate being willing to lay down our Arms when he shall remedy these evils in doing of which he shall be more honoured and obeyed by us That seeing the Laws and their good Intentions are clear enough therefore they will not force the King to declare a Successour though in so doing the Nation might hereafter be eas'd of Troubles and Factions about it That as they have all a grand Veneration for the Queen-mother so they hope she will have a good opinion of them Humbly desire all people to assist them in this their good design and to have a favourable construction of their actions Protesting never to lay down Arms till we have accomplish'd all these our desires and so desire all good Romanists to assist them in their Prayers and Devotions CHARLES Cardinal de Bourbon At Peronne 31 March 1585. But this Declaration was drawn up and confirm'd by the Cardinal some time before and also Copies of it sent abroad by the Leaguers the better to confirm their Party for I meet with a Letter sent by the Dukes of Guise and Mayenne to the Parlement of Province meaning Aix the chief City of that County where that Parlement sits in which they tell Memoiâ—es de Nevers vol. 1. them That they have sent the copy of the said Cardinal de Bourbons Declaration to them by which they might perceive how unwilling they were to take up arms yet that in the quarrel they were resolved to venture life goods friends too exhorting and adjuring that Parlement to assist them telling them that as they shall aid those who joyn with them so they will endeavour the ruine of those who oppose their League Your most Affectionate Servants HENRY de LORRAIN CHARLES de LORRAIN Joinville 19 March 1585. As for the Declaration it self it was rejoyned to by the King in another well and cunningly worded endeavouring to answer all their Objections desiring them to lay down their arms and admonishing all his Subjects not to believe their idle pretences but to confide in and joyn themselves to him But it was not words that were to befriend the Covenanters so they draw their Forces together rendezvouz at Chalons in Champaigne whither the Cardinal Bourbon is conducted to them by the Duke of Guise with as great demonstrations of Honour and Joy as could be the better to insnare and bewitch the old man whose Name and Interest they wero to make so much use of And now Guise tampers again with Nevers assuring him that all things go better and better desireth his speedy assistance and is much troubled that Rochette one of his cunning Agitators is taken and carried prisoner to Paris fearing thereby some of their Plots may be discover'd Yet they look upon themselves strong enough to defie any opposition having muster'd about 12000 men expecting daily Recruits of German and Spanish Forces hir'd to joyn with them and thus fortifi'd they seize upon several strong places As for the King he is at a stand what to do not having strength
Lordships and all my Possessions for ever to be disposed of at your pleasure They received me in that manner and promised as from your Highness to keep and save the said Castle and Haven during the service of your Grace Notwithstanding my Gracious Lord Conclusions of Peace were assuredly agreed upon betwixt Don Juan de Aguila and the English a fact pitiful and according to my judgment against all Right and Humane Conscience Among other places whereof your Greatness was dispossest in that manner which were neither yeelded nor taken to the end they should be delivered to the English Don Juan tied himself to deliver my Castle and Haven the only Key of mine Inheritance whereupon the living of many thousand persons doth rest that live some twenty Leagues upon the Sea-coasts into the hands of my Cruel Cursed Mis-believing Enemies a thing I fear in respect of the execrableness inhumanity and ingratefulness of the Fact if it take effect as it was plotted that will give cause to other men not to trust any Spaniard hereafter with their Bodies or Goods upon these Causes My Lord in that I judg this dishonourable act to be against your Honour and Pleasure as I understand by your last Letters that came into Ireland considering the harm that might ensue to the service of your Majesty and the everlasting Overthrow that might happen to me and poor people such as might escape the Sword of our Enemy if any should I have taken upon me with the help of God to offer to keep my Castle and Haven from the hands of mine Enemies until further News and Order come from your Highnesse I have sent my Son and Heir being of the age of five years as a pledg for accomplishing your will in this behalf and for the performing of my promise past unto your Greatness I would not omit my self in person to come and visit your Highness but that I fear our Warrs here would grow weak in respect of my absence for which cause my self and the rest of our men of worth have sent in haste with Intelligence unto your Greatness our loving Friend Dermond Odrischall in respect of our confidence in him our knowledg of him and the continual endeavour we see in him towards this Catholick Warr as from us all And for as much as we could not conveniently write all that we wish unto you we humbly beseech That he may be heard as from us all as if our selves were present and to hasten helping-News that shall rejoice us and our people and afterwards to speed your gracious help unto us for the sooner the better whilst our Enemies are not in readiness And until the coming of News from your Grace unto us I will have in a readiness where the Service shall require the number of One thousand men and I will upon my knees pray the merciful God to give unto your Grace long life with health of Body and Soul and all happiness and so do commit you to the safeguard of the Omnipotent Dunboy viz. Beer-Haven the xxth of February 1602. Donnell Osulevan Beare Other two Letters he wrote also to the same purpose one to the Earl of Carazena Governour of Gallicia and the other to Don Pedro Zubiar in which he gave this notable boast viz. That his Ancestors maintained the Credit and Calling of good Gentlemen these Two thousand and six hundred years sithence their first coming out of Spain And to keep Dunboy he resolves nor did he want encouragements the Spaniard sending to the Irish relief Twelve thousand pounds and Ammunition and other Necessaries and O-Donnel writes this Letter to O Connor Kerry WHat News are here the Doctor and Dermond Odrischal may largely report unto you but of this one thing you may be fully assured That the King will not omit the winning of Ireland if it cost him the most part of Spain His Majesty doth send you Money and Munition I pray let our information of you be found true and your service encourage Our King to further merit you I pray you send me the relation of the News of our Countrey in such sort as if there be any bad it be concealed from the Spaniards and known to me Where the Deputy with the Queen's Forces are occupied or where they are in Garrison At the Groyne xxiv of May 1602. Your loving Friend Hugh O-Donnel And Owen Mac Eggan the Popes Apostolical Vicar in Ireland thus writes to Richard Mac Goghagan in Dunboy This Mac Eggan was newly return'd out of Spain and came along with the Spanish Supplies He was by the Pope made now Bishop of Rosse Master Richard I Commend me unto you being very glad of the good report I hear of you whereby I cannot but expect much with God his assistance in that lawful and godly Cause of you I am sorry but it was not my luck to conferr with you and with the rest of your Company and inform you of all the state of the matters of Spain But upon my Credit and Conscience there is no greater piece of Service now in hand in all Christendome for the King of Spain than the same that ye have How great it is to God and necessary for our Countrey-affairs ye know Moreover within few days you shall have relief of men come to help you thither out of Spain The great Army of Fourteen thousand men are forth-coming you shall all be as well recompenced both by God and by the King's Majesty as any Ward that is in all the World again Have me I pray commended to all and especially to Father Dominick and bid him be of good Courage There comes with the Army a Father of the Company an Italian for the Pope his Nuncius in whose company I came from Rome to the Court of Spain and there he expects the Army's coming hither He shall give all a Benediction yea I hope within your Castle there spite of all the Devils in Hell From the Catholique Camp this present Wednesday 1602. Your assured Friend Owen Hegaine In my Sacrifice and poor Prayers I will not fail but commend you and your good Cause to God Our Ship did arrive three days agon and our Letters are come to the King by this time Nisi Dominus custodierit Civitatem c. In the mean time Sir George Carew layeth siege to Dunboy which was held out very desperately yet at last it was stormed and all kill'd or executed except Sixteen Twelve of which were chief followers of Tirrell and for whom he bare a great respect upon which account they were saved some days For Tirrell offered to do any service that lay in his power to purchase their Lives and Liberties 'T is accepted a stratagem is propounded in effecting of which he also should be pardoned But this he refused offering to redeem them with Money But to be false to his Master the King of Spain or to betray the Catholique Cause he never would as he said Upon which seeing no good to be
the good News presented Sir Lewis with a great Gold Chain The Legendiaries will tell us of several men speaking after their heads were cut off and Turrianus the Jesuit will make Clemens several years after he knew that St James was dead yet to write an Epistle of Instructions to the said St. James And Osborn here doth much follow the same wonders by telling us that this story is testified by Cardinal D' Ossat whereas that Cardinal was dead above a year before the Powder-Plot hapned Another mistake he hath saying That the Pope laught at the Flattery whereas Cardinal * Les Ambassades Negotiations par Caesar Ligny l. 3. p. 450 Perron who was the man that told the Pope of the Spanish Ambassy for England saith his Holiness was displeased at the Hypocrisie But to return What was the extent of this Treason and how many were assistants to it is difficult to discover Certain it is that some of the Nobility were suspected imprisoned or fined or call'd in question for not coming up at that time to Parliament About this time they sent over Sir Edmond Baynham to Pope Pius V. And Father Parsons Rector of the English Colledg there orders the Students to pray For the Intention of their Father Rector which made some of them wonder what could be the meaning of such an unusual Prayer not knowing what his Intention was But being afterwards informed of the discovery of the Plot Sixteen of them abhorring such jugling and bloody Designs forsook the Colledg slipt into France some of them turning to the Church of England whither they came Guido Faux himself had been also with the Pope and consulted with the aforesaid Parsons and it is affirmed by the voluntary Confession of Vid. Bp. Audrows Respons ad Apol Bellarmini c. 5. pag. 113. a Jesuit That at this time there were three Bulls procured from the Pope and ready upon this occasion and should have been published had the Powder done the intended Execution but that failing they were supprest In the Netherlands Hugh Owen an English Traitor was made acquainted with it highly commending the Contrivance and so did William Baldwin the Legier Jesuit in Flanders who some years afterwards was apprehended at Basil in Switzerland as he was in disguise stealing into Italy He was sent into England where he laid some years in the Tower and at last was delivered at the desire of Gondemar the Spanish Ambassador whose Cunning did sometimes out-master the Court-Policy As for Baldwin he dyed at Omers in September 1632. About this time in Spain lived as Legier for their Cause Arthur Creswell who after his turning Jesuit call'd himself Joseph Creswell the only man as Sir Edward Coke said he ever heard of to change his Christian Name he was informed of the Powder-Plot and liked it so well that he came into * Tho. Sponcer's Hist of the Gunpowder Treason p. 72 73. England at this time to act as 't is said his part in this glorious Action but he was so wise as to haste back again for his own safety and dyed afterwards in grief and discontent at Gant 1623 having for many years endeavoured the disturbance of the Kingdom As for Portugal Thomas Robinson who belonged to the English Covent at Lisbon affords us this Observation Henry Flood a Jesuit Anatomy of the Eng. Nun. at Lisb p. 3. Margin who afterwards lurked in England as chief Agent for the transporting of Nunns to Bruxels Graveling Lisbon or any other place This Flood caused the Jesuits at Lisbon to spend a great deal of Money on Powder on a Festival-day a little before the Powder-Treason in England should have been effected thereby to make experience of the force thereof and also perswaded one John Haw a Merchant whom he had perverted and divers other Catholicks to go over into England and to expect their Redemption there as he calls it a while How long this Conspiracy had been on the Anvil is hard to say Mr. Cambden layeth the foundation of it on the Popes Breves 1600 that were sent over to exclude King James or any other that should not maintain the Roman Religion And Catesby himself laid the greatest force and confirmation upon them For when in conference Father Garnet seem'd to desire that the Pope's consent might be obtain'd Catesby answered That he took that as granted by the Pope in his Bulls or Breves before for said he if it were not lawful to receive or repell him the said Bulls or Breves do import then is it lawful also to expel or cast him out And it appears by the Confessions of Faux and Thomas Winter that in the first year of King James 1603 the Plot was more fully agreed on and the blowing up of the Parliament-House by Powder concluded from which time till its discovery they continually had their Agitators and Councils to promote the Cause and carry on the Work with all vigour and secresie What number of them were engaged in it in England I know not nor did there appear above an hundred in a Body but that others had some hints or notice of it is more than probable And it was observed that that very morning viz. November V. the Romanists at Rowington went to Warwick and rang the Bells And the same Night Grant with some others went to the Stable of Warwick-Castle took away the Horses thence rid two miles off to Norbrook Grant's House where Rockwood's Wife Morgan's Wife with some others of the same stamp met to rejoyce with them for the downfall of Heresie encouraging their Husbands to go on encrease their Forces and fight it out to the last Nor need we suppose that their Priests and Jesuits in England were idle in this grand Affair which had been so long in hammering amongst them We meet with Hammond the Jesuit very active not only encouraging them to Cruelty but also after it was discovered to confess and absolve at one time about Twenty of the Rebels at Robert Winter's Honse Greenwell alias Tesmond another Jesuit was so zealous in this holy Cause that when he knew the Plot was known he call'd Father Hall a Flegmatick Fellow because he thought him not active enough to advance the Rebellion and in this fury hurried himself down into Lancashire to see what troubles he would raise there by falsly declaing as he went along That there was a design to cut all the throats of the Romanists Yet was the said Father Hall alias Oldcorne a Jesuit eager enough for the Plot encouraging Mr. Littleton with the justness of the Design however the Event was Instancing how the Turks sometimes beat the Christians and that the Eleven Tribes of Israel were twice overcome though God himself had commanded them to go and fight against Benjamin Rich. Carpenter's Sermon Novemb. 5. 1662 pag. 11 What need we trouble our selves with Father Thomson the Jesuit who used to vapour to his Scholars at Rome how oft his shirt had been
Designs are carrying on Queen Elizabeth dyed and King James succeeded in the Throne who granted a general and full pardon for all former Treasons to all who would take them out under the Great Seal and amongst the rest Garnet also took out one under the Name of Henry Garnet of London Gentleman He Catesby and Tresham had a little before employed Christopher Wright into Spain to give advertisement of the Queen's death and to continue their former Negotiation with Winter But now perceiving the Spanish King cold in the business he well considering the peaceable entrance of King James how firmly he was setled in the Throne how often he had undertaken against England but without success and now how his Treasures were much exhausted Catesby therefore thinks nothing like some lusty Plot at home and at last this Gunpowder-Treason is concluded on which if it took effect might raise such Troubles and Garboils in England that amongst the several Interests the Romanists who would stick together might play their own Games well and by assistance from beyond Seas secure their Cause if not command the Crown In this one scruple seem'd to stick by Catesby for considering that at this general blowing up some Romanists could not be kept from that slaughter it being impossible to keep all they wish'd well to from going to the Parliament-House without probability of a discovery Upon this doubt Catesby repaireth to Garnet propounds unto him the case asking Whether for the good and promotion of the Catholique Cause against Hereticks the necessity of time and occasion so requiring it it be lawful or no amongst many Nocents to destroy and take away some Innocents also To this Garnet answers affirmatively declaring That if the advantage were greater to the Catholick part by taking away some Innocents together with many Nocents then doubtless it should be lawful to kill and destroy them all as we must not forbear the storming of a Town though some Friends be in it who with the Enemy might be slain Now they are os opinion That the Design is so secret that there is no probability of its discovery yet Garnet seem'd to wish that the Pope's Consent were had but Catesby is of opinion that the will of the Pope is sufficiently manifest by his former Bulls positively against King James his Government or Rule In May 1605 fell out certain Broils in Wales by the Romanists In June doth Greenwell the Jesuit consult at large with Garnet about the Treason but this as he pleaded was under the disguise of Confession Now also was held a great Consultation or Conference between Garnet Catesby and Tresham concerning the strength of the Romanists in England that they might inform the Pope of it In August Garnet sent Sir Edmund Baynam to the Pope whom he * Abbot Antilog fol. 176. b acquainted with the Powder-Plot under the vizard of desiring his Holiness to command all English Romanists as they say to cease from any farther Commotions as they * Cambden Eliz An. 1586. gave out in Babington's Treason knowing that such little troubles or endeavours would but hinder their Design now wholly trusting to the Powder-Blow which would be past before Baynham could end his business at Rome and return the Pope's Answer and if discovered this might bespeak Garnet of a a peaceable humour In September Pilgrimages and Devotions are appointed to be at Saint Winifrides Well in Flintshire in Wales under which pretence their Prayers Meetings and Consultations might advance the Cause In October doth Garnet meet the rest of the Plotters in Warwick-shire at Coughton bordering upon Worcester-shire to which place they resorted from all Counties In November the first Garnet prayed openly for good success and amongst other Expressions used this part of an Hymn Gentem auferte perfidam Credentium de finibus Vt Christo laudes debitas Persolvamus alacriter From us this Faithless people Lord destroy That we due praise may give to Thee with joy Speed * L. 10. §. 55. and from him * Pag. 13. Spencer tell us That these Verses were made by Garnet but by a great mistake for they are part of an old Hymn formerly used sometimes in the Church on All-Saints day but then especially aiming at the * Jud. Clichton Elucidatorium Eccles l. 1. fol. 72 73. Turks and Saracens but here we need not question strongly designed against the Church of England which it may be was the occasion that Garnet did afterwards upon more serious thoughts fear that this Hymn would be objected against him But of this I make no great matter seeing he prayed but according to his Church and may carry a good as well as a bad sense yet besides this he exhorted them to and pray'd for a good success Others of them were taught thus to pray for the downfall of Heresie and the prosperity of their Designs alluding to the working in the Myne and the blowing up of the House Prosper Lord their pains that labour in thy Cause day and night Let Heresie vanish like smoak Let the memory of it perish with a Crack like the ruin and fall of a broken House On the sixth of November early in the morning Catesby and his Confederates being met together and perceiving all discovered resolved to make the best of a bad Market sent a Letter to Garnet then ready at Coulton near unto them earnestly entreating his help and assistance for the rising of Wales and the perswading as many as he could into Arms. Greenwell the Jesuit was with him and so valiant for the Cause that he posted down into Lancashire to stir up as many as he could But Garnet seeing all discovered his heart now fail'd him and so consults his own security But a little after Garnet and Oldcorn the Jesuit were apprehended in Mr. Abington's House at Henlip in Worcester-shire being immured and closed up in a stack of Chimneys the way or passage into the Cave or Vault where they lay was an upper Room by taking up the half-pace before the Hearth whose wooden border was made like a Trap-door to pluck up and down and then the Bricks were laid in their Courses and Order again Garnet was * 28. Marâ—ch 1606. Tryed Condemned at Guild-Hall in London and executed * 3. of Mayâ— at the west end of St. Paul's Church-yard where he appeared in a Troubled and an Amazed Condition still prying and peeping about for a Pardon though Henry Mountague Recorder of the City pitying his perplexedness assured him there would be none granted And thus dyed Henry Garnet Provincial of the Jesuits for whose Life * Gualt Chro nicorum Vol. 4. pag. 1190. one tells us that the Spanish Embassador offered Thirty thousand Florences The Jesuits have taken a great deal of pains and confidence in behalf of this their Brother Garnet whom they will have to dye a Saint and Martyr what ever come of it for they will not allow of one bad man to have been
so much to search out the truth as to expose another party Well the same Pamphleter proceedeth to tell us that h Id. pag. 93. If we mark well we shall find that in this last Century of years there hath been more Princes Deposed and Murthered for their Religion by these Protestants of Integritie then have been in all others since Christ's time by the Popes Excommunication or the attempt and means of Roman Catholicks i Id. pag. 98. By all which it is plain that Rome is so far from being the Author and Fountain of these Rebel-Doctrines that all Loyalty is in the Reputation of these Protestants of Integritie Popery For he would make you believe of the Romanists that they a Id. pag. 104. are to fight onely with Prayers Arms against Princes have no warrant Quis est Judex si Rex transgreditur Conditiones Regni solus Deus Who is Judge if the King transgresseth the Conditions of his Kingdom onely God Navar. Cunerus and all the Catholick Doctors that ever I have seen agree perfectly in this same sentence But who so bold as blinde Bayard And therefore whence must these Treasonable Doctrines Opinions and Practices come he will tell you and hopeth you will as freely credit him b Id. pag. 110. From Rome it cannot be for its Doctrines with the Opinions and Practices of all its Doctors are quite contrarie and all that is said against that Church in this particular is meer Calumnie And so much for this shameless Libel which is since well Answer'd by the Reverend Dr. Peter du Moulin the Learned Son of a Learned Father T. C or be who it will that was the Author of Labyrinthus Cantuariensis will by no means allow the Romanists to hold any disloyal Assertions His words are c Preface Neither doth Mr. Fisher or any of his Profession allow or use any such nets as the Relator viz. Archbishop Laud mentions that is they neither practice nor hold it lawful to dissolve Oaths of Allegiance to depose and kill Kings to blow up States for the establishing of Quod volumus c. But I would know of the Author for what things they do allow them And in another place he thus undertakes to Apologize for the Popes d Labyrinth Cant. p. 226. § 7. Nor did the Popes ever attempt or so much as pretend to bring the Emperours under them in Civil Affairs which is another aspersion the Bishop layeth upon them Gregory VIII and Innocent III were indeed very prudent men and worthy Champions of the Church to assert her just Liberties but they never endeavour'd to subject the Emperour to themselves in Temporal matters And Mr. Serjeant according to his usual way will thus in a few Idle words vindicate the Popes e J. S. Answer to Dr. Pierce's Sermon pag. 116. Nay but the Court of Rome trod upon Crowns and Scepters An Hyperbole fetcht from the Horns of the Moon When where what Crowns and Scepters Another who undertook to answer the said Sermon would gladly thus cleer the Romanists f The Primitive Rule before the Reformation in the Afternoons Exhortation pag. 18. We Catholicks declare Kings to be free from any Coercive power from their own Laws and Subjects to which they are not bound civiliter but naturaliter onely for if once a Coactive power be allowed Ex coactione sequitur saltem paritas summitatis divisio as the Civilian speaks and Kings once compell'd by their Subjects are no more Scripture-Kings Gods Kings Titular Popular Kings onely For Gods Kings saith Otho Frisigensis being above all Laws are reserved to the Divine judgement hereafter they may not be punished by the secular Laws g Id. pag. 20. As for Catholicks and their fidelitie to Kings none speak it more none advise or practice it more in all secular obediences then the Roman Pastours and the Catholicks in their Communion h Id. pag. 22 23. Yea so far is this Sea Apostolick from frequent practices of that nature upon Kings viz. to depose them of which the Reformed Churches are so guilty that it is evident more Rebellions have been rais'd against Princes for Religion onely in this last Reformed age in a few Protestant Countries then have been rais'd by Catholicks for any cause whatever in seven Ages before throughout all Christendom And whereas this Indirect Power of the See Apostolick is so much traduced as derogatorie from the Rights of Kings the Histories of this last confused Age do manifest that even this Power is and hath been rather a Fortress to Princes against their Rebellions Subjects Yet Id. pag. 22. he is unwilling to speak too plain and therefore tells us that as for the Popes Indirect Power over Kings in Ordine ad Spiritualia to Censure and Deprive Kings I leave that Question to be decided by the two Supreme Powers viz. Pope and King when occasion shall be for it And then probably our Author will declare for the Pope as some Priests did in Queen Elizabeths time anno 1582. Lastly for in these assertions a man might be endless one in his Animadversions upon Dr. Bates and his Elenchus Motuum in which the Doctor is sometimes partial or faulty this a Elenchus Elenchi pag. 17 20 21. Animadvertor I say will by all means have it to be an old and false Calumny to think that the Romanists were not always the best Subjects But words are cheap and why did he not Answer my positive proofs against it as well as make b Id. pag. 26. use of my Book to shew the villany of our Non-conformists and by them to insinuate a discredit of our Church of England to those beyond Seas who through ignorance may suppose the Presbyterians to be true sons of our Church But what they cannot answer some make it prudence to pass by with silence and then the Gentile Romanist who seldom troubles himself with reading any thing but what makes for himself faileth not to vapour that his Champion hath got the day putting most of his confidence in the Title-page seldom or never examining the honesty or exactness of the Writer Thus self-interest perswades and then assures him of the Conquest so that with him to write against the Church of England is the same to confute and confound Thus we see how they would cunningly bear the people in hand what peaceable men they are what good subjects they are and always make a noise of their Obedience and Loyalty as a main Argument to perswade our Kings to embrace their Religion But as for us of the Church of England alas we are nothing but Traytors and Rebels Treachery and Sedition being the chief Articles of our Faith whilst at Rome nothing is taught but peace and loyalty And if we must believe Father Parsons we must thus know the difference of the two Religions for with the Romanists out of England c Three Convers of Engl. part 2. pag. 581 582. All Modestie
may give you an hint what little credit may justly be given to such Tales and when men have trapt any as Impostures so oft in lying and cheating they have small reason to believe them in their other Stories or Actions And besides these Forgeries when we consider what compact jugling and delusions there may be and that the Devil also may have a hand in the imployment as also some may have their Natural causes we should not so easily believe all to be gold that glistereth nor every thing we see or hear to be a Miracle wrought by God since b 2 Thessal 2. â— Antichrist himself must deceive by signs and lying Wonders Though as I have no power to hinder Almighty God from working Wonders so have I no Authority to deny that he doth do any by his faithful Instruments and I am apt to believe upon good Reason that the Church of Great Britain since the Reformation may glory and triumph in this blessing as well as their fellow-Christians beyond Sea CHAP. IV. Their Idle Extravagant and Prophane Titles and Prerogatives appropriated to the Pope HAving hitherto seen how lavish they are in the commendations of their inferiour Christians those but as it were fellow-Subjects or of the same rank in obedience with themselves what lofty strains and towring Encomiums may we expect when they advance to magnifie their Lord and Master their Infallible Judge and what not If in any thing they observe Sir Philip Sidneys Rule If the man such praises have What must he that keeps the knave And if when several of their Wits have strain'd themselves to compare the great Cardinal a Many of which you may finde collected together in a Quartâ— Book call'd Scriptorum Galliae Maledicentiae Adulationes Impiae Anno 1635. Richelieu to God Almighty for Power and Wisdom though he hath not hitherto been held one of the greatest Saints we may not hope for less Blasphemies to be produced to the honour of their Roman Bishop whom they fancy to command Heaven and Hell and so at his pleasure to dispose of their souls to either of those places But that good Emperour b Volaterran lib. 23. fol. 266. Alexander Severus rejected all such cogging Claw-backs As c Ant. Panormita de rebus gestis Alphonsi Alonso that wise King of Aragon did not onely hate but several times punish his flattering creenging Courtiers whom he justly call'd the Plague of Princes it being a truth not easily denyed that next to such a Treason as Presbytery the dissembling fawning Favorite is the discredit of his King and the ruine of his Country What the Popes have done by way of command to others to proclaim to the World the Commendations Strength Power Vertue and Authority of his Holy-Chair would be a task too tedious and difficult to search exactly and throughly into Yet that such endeavours have been somewhat Ancient appears by Augustinus de Ancona now better known by the name of Triumphus who above three hundred years ago was commanded by Pope John XXI or XXII to write a Treatise to this purpose which he did where he boldly maintains that no d De Potestate Ecclesiasticâ— Quest 44. Art 1. law can be made to binde Christians but by the Popes Authority as of old the Israelites received none but by the Intercession of Moses Nor is this all but he makes all the world to be so much the Popes Right and Inheritance that he expresly gives us this Caution of Interpretation of some Facts in History viz. That if we meet with any Emperours to have given any e Id. Part. 1. Quest 1. Art 1. Temporal Priviledges or Lands to any Popes as they say Constantine did to Sylvester we must here understand that they did not at all give that which was their own to give but onely forsooth restore that which had formerly been taken away from them by Tyranny and Injustice Or if on the contrary we read of any Popes to have given off any such Temporal Benefit we must then suppose that it was done more for peace-sake then really to give to others a true Title to them Fine Rules if they were true to keep all Jurisdiction and Territories in their own clutches But alas they are too simple and childish to be imbraced by any but fools and suchlike Papal Scriblers Not long after him we have a trusty Spaniard Alvarus Pelagius Confessor to Balthassor Cossa call'd John XXII or XXIII who writ a large Book in part to vindicate his Master by many then held an Antipope This Alvarus amongst other things affirms that no Emperour must be held to rule a De planctu Ecclesiae lib. 1. cap. 13. justly who received not his Power and Authority from the Roman Church especially after Christ had granted all Rule and Government to St. Peter which seems a pretty Paradox as if the Church at Rome by right ruled all the world before ever St. Peter was ever there or held as Supream there or for ought that I know before any other Christian in that City had any abode Nor will that which followeth any whit mend the matter viz. that every Pope hath all the same or as much power upon Earth as Jesus Christ himself had and that the Pope is as a God to the Emperour Some years before this Vrban the Sixth and Clement the Seventh bandying for the Popedom the Christians not agreeing which of them was the true one insomuch that the Kings themselves were also divided from which troubles it may be he might expect some disadvantage However it was he had one Johannes de Therano his Chamberlain who upon his command writ a Book to lessen all Temporal Authority in Princes in which he very finely evades these words Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods by affirming that these words of Christ have place onely for a time viz. until his Ascention and that after his Ascention they are of no force or value proving it from this Verse b Joh 12. 32. When I shall be lifted up from the Earth I will draw all men unto me which he interprets by all Kings and Kingdoms to be under the Popes jurisdiction a bundle of such strange Assertions that c Tom. 2. pag. 232. Coquaeus himself seems almost ashamed of them But to go on long before any of these above five hundred years d Anno 1131. ago in a Council at Rheimes some one or other for his certain name I finde not made a learned and wise Sermon as he thought in commendation of the Pope telling his Auditors that he was greater than Moses greater than any Angel greater than Solomon nay except God there is none like unto him either in Heaven or Earth And that this might carry the more credit with it they have foisted this into the Works of e Sermo ad Synod Rhemens beginning Grave est quod mihi injungitur St.
say to him Why do you so since his power is such as to dispence beyond Law it self and so of Injustice can make Justice either by correcting or changing the Laws or Rights and b Dist 34. c. Lector Gloss dispence too against the Apostle Their Canon-Law brags that Constantine the Great call'd the Pope a c Dist 96. c. Satis evidenter God But their extravagant Gloss speaks out more plainly in these very words d Credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papam Conditorem c. Extra Joh. XXII Tit. 14. de verborum significat cap. 4. Cum inter nonnullâ—s Gloss Sect. Declaramus prope finem OUR LORD GOD THE POPE Because e Warn-word to Sir Fran. Hastings's wastward Encount 1. c. 2. Sect. 10. Father Parsons affirmeth he could never finde any such expression though he saith he sought much for it I have been the more exact and plain in the Quotation as also to confute f Apol. pro Hen. Garn. Andraeas Eudaemon-Johannes and some others who are apt to perswade their Readers that there is no such thing to be found at least in those Copies that they can meet withal for confutation of which take this Catalogue of Editions which I have met withal in which they will finde the said words expresly set down Lugduni Lutet Paris 1526 1522 1556 1561 1559 * 1585 1572 * 1601 * 1584 * 1612 Several of which viz. those you see here noted with the Asterisks were Vid. Pet Moulin vates lib. 5. cap. 6. printed after Pope Gregory the Thirteenth had corrected the Canon-Law and were as they confess printed and publish'd according to the Roman Copy by Authority of the said Pope And it may be from suchlike wicked expressions as this that abominable Varlet Francois Ravaillac drew this Blasphemous Doctrine g Parceque faisant la guerre contre le Pape c'estoit la faire contre Dieu d'â—utant que le Pape estoit Dieu Dieu â—stoit le Pape Pâ—ocez Examen Confessions c. du Fâ—ancoâ—s Ravaillac pag. 39. Is Casauban Epâ—st ad Front Ducaeum pag. 14 The Pope is God and God is the Pope And therefore supposing that Henry the Fourth of France would make War upon the Pope he thought himself obliged to murther the said King lest he should fight against God that is the Pope However though I cannot say that the wisest of them think the Pope really to be God yet this I am certain of that they commonly paint one so like the other with a Triple Crown and all other Pontifical Garments that you can scarce know whether they designed it for the Picture of God Almighty or the Pope But others would have us to think that he is not really a God no more than he is really a man but something or other between both according to our Country-man in their h Gloss g Clâ—mâ—â—t in Proem Gloss â— Papa Papa stupor Mundi Qui maxima rerumes Nec Deuses nec homo quasi neuter es inter utrumque Pope the worlds wonder greatest in all the world Nor God nor Man but between both thou' rt Purld And now can we think that they give these almost-almighty Titles and Power to his Holiness without sure grounds and good cause And that of all Reasons and Authorities the Canon-Law which hath been so carefully composed and so often revised by their wisest ones doth not afford the best No surely and therefore for a taste take some of their invincible Arguments and those too for more Authority framed by the Popes themselves and so infallibly true Can any deny that the Pope hath all a Extra Com. de Major Obed. c. Unam Sanctam Temporal as well as Spiritual jurisdiction seeing the Apostles said b Luke 22. 28. Behold here are two Swords and Christ answered That it is enough Which is also sufficiently testified by Christ's saying Peter c Job 18. 11. Mat. 26. 52. put up thy sword into the sheath What need any man question the d Extra Com. c. Unam sanctam Greg. de Major Obed c. Solitae Popes Authority to depose Kings seeing God told the Prophet Jeremiah saying e Jer. 1. 10. Behold I have this day set thee over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down to build and to plant Is it not as plain as a Pike-staff that there is but one Supream Authority in the World and that that is the f Extra Com. c Unam sanctam Pope because God g Gen. 1. 1. created heaven in the Beginning for it is not said in the plural number in the Beginnings And therefore he that believes not that the Pope is the Chief must be an Heretical Manichee Again is it not impudence to deny the h Greg de Major Obed. c. Solitae Pope to be above any Emperour be he East or West seeing God himself decided long since the Controversie by creating i Gen. 1. 16. two great Lights viz. the Sun and the Moon whereby he did plainly demonstrate that the Pope is as far above the Emperour as the Sun is greater than the Moon And for the Kings they are no more to be compared to the Pope than k Dist 96. c. Duo sunt Lead is to Gold Upon the strength of these Authorities and mighty Reasons though not a Rush to the purpose their Writers vapour with his Holiness over all poor Hereticks l Comment in c. Oportchat pag. 48. Sect. 9. Rodericus Cupers thinks that those who deny the Popes Temporal and spiritual Supremacy deny also the Gospel and the great m Sum. Patt 3. Tit. 22. c. 5. Antoninus of Florence that he hath power not onely on earth but in Heaven and Hell Doctor n Tract de jurisdict part 4. cent 1. cas 56. Sect. 1. Marta saith that he is Judge of all men in the World And so any may appeal from their secular Judges to him He being the o Ibid. Sect. 8. Fountain and Original of all Temporal jurisdiction and having all the Power that p Id. cap. 25. Sect. 20. Christ had q Quodlibet VI. Quaest 23. fol. 369. a. Henricus à Gondavo with his Commentator Marcus Vitalis Zuccolius and r De Potestar Rom Pont. l. 2. c. 9. Sect 7. cap. 10. Alexander Carerius with a multitude of others are great sticklers for this his Authority and the later of them tells us that it is the common opinion of all their Divines and Canonists Nay Stephanus an Arch-bishop in one of their Lateran Councils applauded the Opinion That the Å¿ Concil Edict Regia Tom. 34. pag. 449. Pope was above all Power both of Heaven and Earth One tells us that he is not onely the Judge but the t Jo. Rubeus in Bonifac. VIII pag. 216. Spouse of the Vniversal Church and the Arbitrator of Heaven and Earth u Isidor
Whether the Pope have power to discharge any of her Highness Subjects or the Subjects of any Christian Prince from the Allegiance or Oath of Obedience to her Majesty or to their Prince for any cause V. Whether the said Dr. Saunders in his Book of his visible Monarchy of the Church and Dr. Bristow in his Book of Motives writing in Both of them affirming that Kings may be deposed by the Pope allowance commendation and confirmation of the said Bull of Pius the Fifth have therein taught testified or maintain'd a truth or a to falshood VI. If the Pope do by his Bull or sentence pronounce her Majesty to be deprived and no lawful Queen and her Subjects to be discharged of their Allegiance and obedience unto her and after the Pope or any other by his appointment and authority do invade this Realm which part would you take or what part ought a good Subject of England take The Answer of Mr. Luke Kirby LUke Kirby To the First he saith that the Resolution of this Article dependeth upon the general Question whether the Pope may for any cause depose a Prince Wherein his Opinion is that for some causes he may lawfully depose a Prince and that such a sentence ought to be â—beyed II. To the second he thinketh that in some cases as infidelity or such-like her Majesty is not to be obeyed against the Popes Bull and sentence for so he saith he hath read that the Pope hath so done de facto against other Princes III. To the third he saith he cannot answer IV. To the fourth that the Pope for Infidelity hath such power as is mentioned in this Article V. To the fifth he thinketh that both Dr. Saunders and Dr. Bristow might be deceived in these points in their Books but whether they were deceived or not he referreth to God VI. To the last he saith that when the case shall happen he must then take counsel what what were best for him to do Luke Kirby John Popham Da. Lewes Thomas Egerton John Hammond Mr. Thomas Cottoms Answer THomas Cottom To the first in this and in all other Questions he believeth as the Catholick Church which he taketh to be the Church of Rome teacheth him And other answer he maketh not to any of the rest of these Articles By me Thomas Cottom Priest John Popham Da. Lewes Thomas Egerton John Hammond Mr. Lawrence Richardsons Answer LAwrence Richardson To the fifth he answereth that so far as Dr. Saunders and Dr. Bristow agree with the Catholick Doctrine of the Church of Rome he alloweth that Doctrine to be true And touching the first and all the rest of the Articles he saith that in all matters not repugnant to the Catholick Religion he professeth obedience to her Majesty and otherwise maketh no answer to any of them But believeth therein as he is taught by the Catholick Church of Rome Lawrence Richardson John Popham Da. Lewes Thomas Egerton John Hammond Mr. Thomas Ford's Answer I. THomas Ford. To first he saith that he cannot answer because he is not privy to the circumstances of that Bull but if he did see a Bull published by Gregory the Thirteenth he would then deliver his Opinion thereof II. To the second he saith that the Pope hath Authority to depose a Prince upon certain occasions and when such a Bull shall be pronounced against her Majesty he shall then answer what the duty of her Subjects and what her right is III. To the third he saith he is a private Subject and will not answer to any of these Questions IV. To the fourth he saith that the Pope hath Authority upon certain occasions which he will not name to discharge Subjects of their Obedience to their Prince V. To the fifth he saith that Dr. Saunders and Dr. Bristow be learned men and whether they have taught truely in their Books mentioned in this Article he referreth to answer to themselves for himself will not answer VI. To the last he saith that when that case shall happen he will make answer and not before Thomas Forde John Popham Da. Lewes Thomas Egerton John Hammond Mr. John Sherts Answer JOhn Shert To all the Articles he saith that he is a Catholick and swerveth in no point from the Catholick Faith and in other sort to any of these Articles he refuseth to answer John Shert John Popham Da. Lewes Thomas Egerton John Hammond Mr. Robert Johnsons Answer I. RObert Johnson To the first he saith he cannot answer II. To the second he cannot tell what power or authority the Pope hath in the points named in this Article III. To the third he thinketh that the Pope hath authority in some cases to authorize Subjects to take arms against their Princes IV. To the fourth he thinketh that the Pope for some causes may discharge Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to their natural Prince V. To the fifth he saith the Answer to this Article dependeth upon the lawfulness of the cause for which the Pope hath given sentence against her But if the cause was just then he thinketh the Doctrine of Dr. Saunders and Dr. Bristow to be true Whether the cause were just or not he taketh not upon him to judge VI. To the last he saith that if such deprivation and invasion should be made for temporal matters he would take part with her Majesty but if it were for any matter of his Faith he thinketh he were then bound to take part with the Pope Robert Johnson John Popham Da. Lewes Thomas Egerton John Hammond Mr. John Harts Answer I. JOhn Hart. To the first he saith that it is a difficult Question and that he cannot make answer thereunto II. To the second he saith that her Majesty is lawful Queen and ought to be obeyed notwithstanding the Bull supposed to be published by Pius the Fifth But whether she ought to be obeyed and taken for a lawful Queen notwithstanding any Bull or sentence that the Pope can give he saith he cannot answer III. To the third he cannot answer and further saith that he will not meddle with any such Questions IV. To the fourth he saith he is not resolved and therefore he cannot answer V. To the fifth he saith he will not deal with any such Questions and knoweth not whether Saunders and Bristow have taught well herein or not VI. To the last he saith that when such a case shall happen he will then advise what becometh him to do for presently he is not resolved This he did acknowledge to us after he had fully perused the same but refused to subscribe to it John Popham Da. Lewes Thomas Egerton John Hammond Mr. William Filbee's Answer I. WIlliam Filbee To the first he saith the Pope hath authority to depose any Prince and such sentences when they be promulgated ought to be obeyed by the subjects of any Prince But touching the Bull of Pius the Fifth he can say nothing but if it was such as it is affirmed to be he doth allow
in this cause he is as fierce as any of them and his great Animosity against there formed Religion his Native Country and his legal Soveraign might prompt him to it and much more and with these do consent o De sacro Eccles principatu lib. 2. c. 12. fol. 63. Johannes Blasius p Theolog. Moral Tom. 1. v. Dominium pag. 393. v. Apostasia p. 5. Franciscus Ghetius and that ancient Jesuite q Tom. 4. Part. 3. Tract 4. § Tertiam potestatem pag. 410. Alphonsus Salmeron r Potest eum excommunicare subditosque illius à juramento fidelitatis absolvere ab illius obedientia eximere atque ea non est Tyrannica vel usurpata authoritas sed legitima à Christo instituta illi concessa ad Regimen optimum Christianae Reipublicae Len. Coq Exam. Praefat. Monit Jacobi pag. 55. pag. 103. Leonardus Coquaeus indeavouring to confute King James is very earnest not onely for this Papal Authority in absolving subjects from their obedience to their respective Princes but also would gladly perswade him and others to think that this is neither a tyrannical nor an Usurpt Authority but a lawful one granted to him by Christ But King James would not be caught with such Chaff and a King that knoweth himself to be absolute must have a strong demonstration to the contrary before he 'll throw himself upon another mans mercy When a man 's nurst up in an error he will commonly swear to it and though of all Authorities or Decrees the Canon-law hath the least reason in it yet where men must think as they are bid we need not wonder when we see the chiefest of the Romanists with r Disquisit Clerical Part. 1. pag. 282. § 109. Johannes Maria Bellettus ſ In decretal de Haereticis c. 13. Panormitan t Summa de Eccles c 14. Propos 5. Cardinal de Turrecremata u De jure Personarum extra Eccles lib. 4. cap. 52. § 1. Antonius Ricciullus x Repet in clem ut clericorum de Offic. Ordi § 40. Stephanus Aufrerius and y De Cathol Constitut Tit. 46. § 73. Jacobus Simanca with may others to affirm to the world this absolving power to lye in the Pope since besides other reasons 't is one of the best Cards in the Pack that Rome hath to keep up her greatness Whether Albertus Pighius read with these Spectacles or no I know not but 't is very probable that something else besides true reason did a little sway him in this case And though considering his time he had more judgement and learning than an hundred of your dull Canonists yet we see him run with the rest to embrace an error though for his so doing he saith he hath the consent of the Church for about Necesse est ut Impia heretica sit illa ejus sententia qua affirmat esse haereticum ut possint subditi absolvi à juramento fidelitatis quo ante adstricti fuerant suis superioribus fidelibus Alb. Pigh Hierarch Eccles lib. 5. cap. 15. fol. 266. eight hundred years and so concludes that to think that the Pope cannot quit Subjects from their Obedience and Allegiance due to their Kings is both Impious and Heretical Nor is this strange since a greater than he and no less than z Quam cito aliquis per sententiam denuntiatur Excommunicatus propter Apostasiam à fide ipso facto ejus subditi sunt absoluti à dominio ejus juramento fidelitatis quo ei tenebantur D. Tho. Aquin 2. 2. Quest 12. Art 2. Thomas Aquinas doth allow that Subjects may be sometimes quit from their Allegiance and Oaths to their Kings and to him consents a Theolog. moralis Tract 1. cap. 7. conclus 5. Petrus de Ledesma and the Commentators upon him such as b Com. in 2. 2. D. Tho. Quest 12. Art 2. Hieronymus de Medicis c Com. in D. Tho. 2. 2. Quest 1. Art 10. disp 8. Johannes Malderius and others so that we need not doubt its validity amongst them Nor is it any wonder to see d De libertate Christ lib. 1. c. 14. Johannes Driedo e Rosella Casuum verbo Haereticus § 11. Baptista Trovomala f Apologie pour Jehan Chastel Franzois de Verone g De justa Hen. III. ablicat lib. 1. cap. 5. Dr. Boucher h Discussio decreti Concil Later pag. 46. Leonardus Lessius under the false name of Gulielmus Singletonus i Le Relationi Universali part 2. lib. 4. pag. 124. Giovanni Botero yet the more wonder in him because a great and understanding States-man and several others to be so much for the Pope as to allow him Authority to absolve Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance when they have no less than the famous Cardinal Perron to be their Champion and with him the Nobility and Clergy in France and this cause of the See of Rome to be by him boldly maintained publickly in a long Speech to the third Estate the occasion of which we have spoken more at large in the former Chapter In this Harangue the Cardinal endeavours Harangue faite de la parte de la Chambre Ecclesiastique en celle du tiers Estat sur l'Article de serment 'T is printed amongst several of his other Works les diverses Oeuvres and in Recueil General des Affaires du Clergé de France Imprim à Paris 1636. Tom. 1. pag. 295. to prove at large that subjects might be quit from their Oaths of Allegiance and Obedience due to their Kings nay that Kings might sometimes be deposed of which formerly As for the first viz. That Subjects might be absolved from their Oaths of Allegiance made to their Kings he saith That a Les diverses Oeuvres p. 599. Toutes les autres parties de l'Eglise Catholique voir mesme toute l'Eglise Gallicane depuis que les E'choles de Theologie y ont esté instituées jusques à la venué de Calvin tiennent l'Affirmative ascavoir que quand un Prince vient a violer le serment qu'il a fait à Dieu a ses subjets Les Prince-la peu estre declare dechen des ses droits comme coulpable de Felonie envers celuy a qui il a fait le serment de son Royaume c'est a dire envers Jesus Christ Et ses subjets absous en Conscience au tribunal Spirituel Ecclesiastique du serment de fidelite qu'ils luy ont preste que ce cas-la arrivant c'est a l'authorite de l'Eglise residente ou en chef qui est le Pape ou en son Corps qui est le Concile de faire ceste Declaration Et non seulement toutes les autres Parties de l'Eglise Catholique mais mesme tous les Docteurs qui ont este en France depuis que les E'choles de Theologie y ont este instituees ont tenu l'affirmative Ascavoir qu'en
his Rebellion hath too much of Atheism in him to be a true Christian Thus would these men make the condition of Kings to be like that of Damocles with a drawn Sword hanging over their heads by a slender thred His and the Kingdoms settlement to lye at the mercy and alteration of every hot-brain'd Zealot For let him be of whatsoever Religion yet we see he shall not please and that which should have no Arms but Prayers and Tears must be made a pretence to prove the Devil a Saint and Treason an Article of Faith We have formerly seen how the Romish Favorites do hugely contend in behalf of their a Extra Com. l. 1. Tit. â— c. 1. Unam Sanctam Canon-law that the Pope is b Jer. 1. 10. set over the Nations and over Kingdoms to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down But as if this were not enough to overcloud the Authority of Kings they will allow the people also the power to trample upon their Princes by deposing them and this in few words is acknowledged by c Jus deponendi abdicandi e solio Reges ac Principes non solum Ecclesiae sed interdum populis competere ratione exemplis ostenditur Rut. Benz. Comment in Canticum Magnificat lib. 3. cap. 27. dub 6. pag. 134. Rutilius Benzonius Bishop of their Miraculous Loretto Leonardus Coquaeus endeavouring to prove that the Pope hath power to depose Kings in one place brings his Argument by way of comparison that if d Examen Praefat. monit p. 102. Parliaments do sometimes depose Kings why may not the Pope much more do it And in another place speaks more plain That e Imo judicarem quod non expectata sententia Summi Pontificis posset talem Principem a subditis deponi Id. Pag. 49. without the Pope the subjects themselves may pull their Kings from their Thrones But I warrant you that King James against whom he wrote would never be converted by this French-man Here we have the Brabantine Jesuite Martinus Becanus keep a great deal of clutter about the old worne-out Argument of a mutual compact between King and People and so he would conclude that if Kings do not keep their Promises to their Subjects then the Controvers Angl. p. 133 134 135. people may slip their necks out of Coller and throw by their King and something to this purpose he affords you an old Rime Frangenti fidem fides frangatur eidem But this in this case is a false rule with us being no compact nor the parties equals so that do but translate his Riming Proverb to agree with the cause in hand and we shall see the consequence to be false Don breaks his Troth burns my poor house what then May I his slave go and burn his agen This used to be common Logick to the borderers or Moss-troopers but we see ours if held affirmatively cannot prosper in a setled Kingdom But he goeth farther yet to extol the power of the People affirming that when a King is deposed though there Plus dicam in haec re voluit concensus populi ut etiamsi superesset legitimus haeres cui Regnum deberetur hoc palam omnibus constaret tamen si populus praetermitto legitimo haerede alium delegisset ille alius fuisset verus Rex Mart. Becan Controv. Angl. pag. 120. remaineth a lawful Heir to whom the Kingdom of right doth belong and this too apparently known to all yet if the people do chuse another and throw this Heir aside the other so chosen is the true King Almost an hundred years ago an English-man who calls himself John Rastell Master of Arts and Student of Divinity then living at Lovan a A brief shew of the false wares packâ— together in the named Apologie of the Church of England fol. 9â— wrote against Dr. Jewel in behalf of Dr. Harding or rather as himself saith gathered out of Dr. Hardings Book and if so about this cause take both their Opinions For whereas every Common-wealth is greater than the Prince which governeth it and may depose the same upon lawful cause and whereas Riot and doltishness are causes sufficient so to do as making the Prince unable to govern it well it followeth consequently that if the whole Estate of France deposed Chilperick and erected Pipine there was NO FAULT committed in so doing Now certainly you would think that this Chilperick was a strange Tyrant or that his wickedness must be so great that 't was no fault to take the Crown from him and give it to one of his Subjects that had no right to it nor is this all but the Kingdom by this means changed from one Family to another But we shall finde his enormities not to deserve such punishment that he wanted discretion I believe but then they might have given him an assistant and as for his inclination b Hist de' personaggi illustri Religiosi lib. 3. cap. 18. Essenda di natura piâ— Egli menò vita Angelica Paolo Morigi tells us that he was Godly and peaceful and when he was put into a Monastery that he led an Angelical life Whether there was such an English-man or no as this John Rastell I know not because Pitseus maketh no mention of any such and doth tell us besides that c Pag. 764. William Rastell amongst other things wrote several Books against Bishop Jewel whosoever be the man 't is not much to our purpose though William the Lawyer would have given more credit to the cause though for so doing would somewhat have encreas'd the wonder those who are so much addicted to our Common-law not troubling themselves so much with the Romish Politicks or the niceties of the Schools And so much for Rastell and his friends Doctrine d Recognit lib. de laicis cap. 6. Bellarmine tells us that Martinus ab Azpilcueta the famous Spanish Lawyer was of Opinion that the people never transferr'd their power so much upon and into the Prince but that in some cases they might resume it again from him And of the same judgement doth the Cardinal shew himself in one place that if e Videmus in â—ebus publicis temporalibus si Rex degeneret in Tyranâ—um â—icet sit Caput Regni tamen a populo deponi eligi alium Bellar. de Concil l. 2. c 19. the King turns Tyrant the people may depose him and chuse another And again that f Pendet a consensâ— multitudinis constituere super se Regem vel Consules vel alios Magistratus ut patet si causa legitima adsit potest multitudo mutare Regnum in Aristocratiam aut Democratiam e contrariâ— Bellarm. de laicis lib. 3. cap. 6. 't is the consent of the people that constitutes Kings or other Governments over them and so if cause be given they may turn â—he Kingdom into an Aristocracy or Democracy or the contrary g Defens fid
force the friends of Sergius being there more powerful Formosus to get himself eas'd of these troubles and enemies sends privately to Arnulfe and invites him to his assistance  892 Guido or Wido Duke of Spoleto in Rome is crown'd Emperour by Pope Formosus for which he confirmed those Donations pretended to have been formerly given to Rome Arnulphus having rais'd a potent Army marcheth into Italy and at last gets before Rome it self which he summoned to yeild but they refuse upon this layeth siege to it and several times attempted to take it but to no purpose being still beaten off At last he became Master of it by an unexpected accident which was thus  893 Lambert Son to Guido his Father yet living was also declared Emperour by the same Pope a An. 904. But Baronius though he doth confess this yet will not let him begin his Empire till after the death of Lewes the Fourth Son to Boson viz. An. 904. But upon what account he doth this I know not But b Vid. Jo. Gualt Chron. Chronicorum tom 2. pag. 163. Onuphrius makes him the sole Emperour after the death of his Father Guido viz. 894. But in another c De Regn. Ital. An. 896. place he will not let him be Emperour till 896 and then Crown'd by Pope Stephanus A d Lepusculus Car. Sigon de Regno Italiae an 896. Leveret or young Hare being one time got neer the Army and affrighted with the noise of Souldiers ran towards the City  894 Guido or Wido dyeth in Italy a party of the Souldiers in a frolick ran after her the Roman Watch seeing them run so siercely towards the City and not knowing the cause thought they came to assault the City and ran away The Germans seeing this opportunity made up to the Walls which some of them presently sâ—al'd whilst other with a Ram batter'd down the Gate And thus they enter'd the a Uâ—bs Lâ—onina so call'd by Leo the Fourth who compassed it about with a Wall that it might not lye open to all Invasions An. 848. 〈◊〉 vit Lâ—onis the Fourth Vatican and so took the City Sergius fled but all his partakers who opposed Arnulfus were slain without mercy    Arnulphus being conquerour had himself Crown'd Emperour with a great deal of pomp in St. Peters Church by Pope Formosus and the Romans take this Oath of Allegiance to him 896 899 b De Regno Italiae Carolus Sigonius saith that in this year Lambert was anoynted Emperour by Pope Stephanus the Sixth having declared the Coronation of Arnulph to be voyd and null c Testor Deum omnâ—sque Devos per Divina Mysteria juro me quoad vivam fore in potestate Imperatoris Arnulfis neque Lamberti aut Matris ejus rebus fauturum neque ut dignitatem alâ—qâ—am adâ—pâ—scantur aâ—t hanc â—bem servitute premant operam daturam Sigonius de Regno gâ—orâ—â— An. 896. I profess before God and all the Saints and swear by the holy Sacraments to be a true Subject to the Emperor Arnulf so long as I live and never to favour the party of Lambert or his d Agestruda Ageâ—trudâ—s or â—ngultrude Mother or to assist them to the obtaining of any dignity or to their bringing this little City into Bondage    This done Arnulf quits Rome and Pope Formosus dyeth after whom Bonifacius the Sixth sits a few days and then Stephanus the Sixth who was an Enemy to Formosus and all his actions wherefore they say he presently calls Lambert to Rome whom he creates Emperour and declares the Coronation of Arnulf by Formosus to be voyd    Sigonius loco cit  898 And for the better confirmation of Lambert in the Empire as about this time we are told how Pope a Coquaeus Antimorn tom 1. pag. 477 478. John the Tenth or the Ninth call'd a Synod of LXXIV Bishops Lambert himself being also there at Ravenna In which amongst other things Arnulph is declar'd no Emperour and Lambert held for the onely Caesar and if so then it must be either in 898 or the next year as is probable from the sitting of this Pope John according to Onuphrius About this time Arnulphus quitted this world    Lewes the Fourth Son to the Emperour Arnulph his Father being dead was solemnly elected by the Germans at Forchaim in the Bishoprick of Bamberg in Frankenlandt he was but very young and so had Governours or Tutors appointed for him and he was Crown'd at Aix by Hatto the Tenth Archbishop of Mentz 900 900 Lewes the Fourth Son to Boson Earl or King of Province was call'd into Italy to oppose Berengarius of whom formerly and by Pope Benedict the Fourth was declared Emperour   An. 904. Berengarius and he had some fighting but at last Berengarius cunningly as some say seis'd upon him at Verona pluck'd out his Eyes of which he dyed   presently after viz. 904. Historians do now and then mightily mistake these two Leweses one for another and sometimes by their grand errours about these other divided Emperours the History of these times are very obscure   a Anno 904. § 2. Baronius tells us that this Berengarius enter'd Rome with a great Army and commanded Pope John to Crown him Emperour which accordingly was done but no sooner was he gone from Rome but the Pope desireth Lambert to come thither whom he publickly Crown'd for Emperour and having call'd a Synod at Rome and the business proposed the Coronation of Berengarius was declared void but that of Lambert was pronounced legal and so they held him for Emperour By the by take one story of Equivocation Adelbert or Albert Earl of b By some old Authors Babenberg Bamberg in Franconia rebell'd against the Emperour and in this broyl slew Earle Conrade Lewes besiegeth him in Bamberg but after many attempts found no probability of taking it or him Upon this the aforesaid Hatto Archbishop of Mentz perswades to policie and undertakes the plot Hatto goeth to Albert in his strong Castle of Bamberg promiseth Serar Hist Mogunt p. 671. Rosse p. 140. his pardon however to restore him safe again to his Castle Albert goeth out with him towards Lewes but being gone no farther than the next Village Theurstat Hatto pretends the conveniency of dining Upon this they return to Bamberg dine and then go to ask pardon of Lewes whither being come as a Traytor he is condemn'd to death Albert challengeth Hatto of his promise who replyeth That he had kept it because he had once return'd him safe and sound to his Castle And so Albert was beheaded but how Hatto dyed Authors will not agree  904 Lambert Son to Guido though he had formerly been declared Emperour yet Baronius will not let him begin to Rule as Emperour till this year being just after the death of Lewes the Fourth Son to Boson Lewes the Fourth of
Henry is not punished against whom he rants to the purpose The Legats again endeavour a peace and therefore they try Henry to see how far he would yeild To whom the King replyed That for his part for the love he bore to the Pope and Cardinals he would permit the Archbishop Thomas to return in peace § 67. to his See and dispose of his Church and all things thereunto belonging and because there had been long contention about the Customs he said That he and his Children would be content with those which his Ancestors had enjoy'd And yet if this condition of peace did not satisfie Archbishop Thomas he affirmed he was ready to stand to the determination as well of the Bishops of England as those beyond Seas as of Roan Baieux and Le Mans And if this were not yet enough he would submit himself to the judgement of the Pope with this Salvo that he would not impeach his Childrens right for during his own life he was content that the Pope should abrogate what he pleas'd But yet could not these condescentions do any good All these indeavours failing Lewes the Seventh King of France undertook the business he and Henry being now made friends and in this he behaved himself so wisely that he had wrought pretty well upon Thomas and so having procured a meeting Thomas § 85 86 humbled himself at the feet of Henry saying I commit to your determination the whole controversie which hath been the cause of dissention between us still excepting the honour of God Which last reservation greatly troubled Henry Thomas always making use of such Salvo's that render'd all but conditional and so void when himself fancied Henry at this turns to the King of France saying See my Lord if it please you let any thing not fit this mans humour and he presently condemneth it as contrary to the honour of God whereby he challength not onely his own but also whatsoever belongeth to me But that it may appear that I withstand not the honour of God nor yet of him i. e. Canterbury I make this offer There have been many Kings of England my Predecessors of greater or less Authority than I am and there have been many Archbishops of Canterbury before him of great worth and holiness what therefore the more eminent and virtuous of his Predecessors have done to the least of my Predecessors let him allow the same unto me and the Controversie shall be ended Upon which followed great Acclamations that the King had humbled himself enough Thomas holding his peace the King of France said My Lord Archbishop will you be greater than other holy men will you be greater or better than Peter what do you doubt loe peace is even at the door At last Thomas fell a commending his Predecessors but that they had left something for him to do and then extol'd Peter for resisting the Tyrant Nero with the loss of his life c. Thus the Peers of both Kingdoms England and France seeing no good to be done with him turn'd all against him imputing the want of peace to his a Imputantes arrogantiae Archiepiscopi impedimentum pacis Bar. an 1168. § 87. Arrogancie one Earl protesting he ought to be cast out of France as he had been out of England nay the very Courtiers who had been Mediators for his peace did now in his presence deeply charge him that he was b Semper superbus elatus sapiens in oculis suis propriae semper sectator volunta sentencia c. § 88. always proud high-minded wise in his own conceipt a follower of his private fancie and opinion Adding moreover that it was an exceeding mischief and great damage and danger to the Church that he was ever made a Governour thereof and that the same being already partly ruinated by him would now be quite overthrown Yet they tell us that the King of France presently alter'd his opinion and countenanced Thomas as much as ever All these indeavours failing the Pope once again undertook the year 1169 business and so sent two Nontio's Gratian an Vivian to take up the Controversie but when it came neer the conclusion they could not agree about the formality of the words and so returned as wise as they came Yet did not the Pope give over but sent two other Simon and Bernard who earnestly perswaded Thomas to humble himself to his King and so to please him with prayers Baron an 1169. § 39 40 43. and ready service And to work more upon him the King of France the Archbishops Bishops and other Lords there present earnestly advised him to the same Thomas seeing no remedy and all against him condescended to their desires went to King Henry and kneeling down submitted himself to God and the King but still with this reservation of the honour of God and his holy Order But this Henry rejects as imperfect alledging that Thomas by that Salvo would upon any occasion exclude the honour of his King However Henry declared that he required nothing of him but that he as a Priest and Bishop should before them all truely promise without any deceipt to observe the Customs which the holy Archbishops of Canterbury had observed to their Kings and which Thomas himself had once promised him to do But Thomas would consent to nothing without such Salvo's as formerly mentioned which conditional obedience so vext the King that he affirmed Thomas should never enter England till he had done to him as he ought to do and had undertaken to observe what others had observed and what himself had formerly promised And thus broke off this business And the truth is the King might have some reason to be more and more incensed against Thomas who instead of seeking the favour and friendship of his Soveraign had excommunicated his chief Friends and went so far against others that there was Speed § 32. scarce found in the Kings own Chappel and presence such as might perform the wonted Ceremonies And besides did daily threaten an Interdict against his whole Dominions and had done it but that some more prudent over-perswaded him to the contrary and the Pope himself thought it best to lay his commands on him not to do it till farther Order But this was not all for they proceed yet more and more to vex his Majesty For he being now about fifty years old and seeing the uncertainty of obedience and not knowing what the pretence of Church-authority might do to his Children if he should dye excommunicated as it was daily threatned him or not in favour with the Pope as he might suspect upon Thomas his account Upon these and other reasons he rosolved to settle his Succession by the Coronation of his Son Henry now fourteen years old This resolution being made known the Pope thought that now year 1170 he might compel the King to admit of Thomas or neglect the Coronation under the pretence that that Ceremony belong'd of right to
away the Sword III. That he was unfit to govern the Kingdom then the Earl of Benevent took the Scepter out of its hand IV. That therefore he was deprived justly of his Royal Throne then was the Statue thrown down from the Seat with many unworthy and outragious speeches by Diego Lopez brother to the Earl of Placencia This done the other Lords with Henries young brother Alphonso who had stood a little off as spectators mounted the Scaffold took and lifted Alphonso upon their Shoulders crying out Castile Castile for the King Don Alphonso so the Trumpets sounded and they all went to kiss his hand as their true King Poor King Henry received this news patiently saying with the Prophet Esay I have nourished and brought up children and they have despised me But although these treacherous and disloyal servants have so wrong'd and scorned me by the Statue which they have degraded and thrown away all respect and duty which they owe unto me yet they cannot keep me who am the true King from having strength and courage to chastise and disperse them For I hope in our Lord Jesus Christ who is the just Judge of Kings that their wickedness shall be destroyed and mine innocencie made known to the whole World And then considering how many Places and Nobles revolted from him and the powerfulness of his enemies he would oftentimes say Naked I came out of my Mothers Womb and the earth must receive me naked no man can become so poor as he was born And if God doth now chastise me for my sins he will comfort and preserve me hereafter for his infinite power killeth and giveth life hurteth and healeth giveth kingdoms and taketh them away lifteth up Kings and throweth them down again even as he pleaseth Yet did not the disconsolate King absolutely despair but sent to all places he had any hopes in to assist him against the Rebels and amongst the rest Don Garcia Alvares de Toledo Earl of Alva de Tormes was very active for his service In the mean time the Conâ—ederates lay siege to Simancas upon the River Duero in Leon which was valiantly defended by Don Juan Fernandes Galindo and other Royalists And here the very boyes and Lackeys shew'd their zeal against Rebellion for understanding that the Archbishop of Toledo was the chief of the Faction in deâ—ision of him and the League they made an Image representing him which they named the New Don Opas the Apostate The Reader may here understand by the by that about the years 712 713 714 Julian Governour of Ceuta in the Streights on the African shore falling out with his Lord Roderigo the last King of the Goths in Spain in revenge joyns himself with the Moores with them enters Spain routs his Prince and by this treachery the Moores became Masters of all that Continent excepting the mountanous parts in las Asturias Biscay and Navar and so retain'd it for many hundred years till by degrees they were beaten out And thus was the name and rule of the Gothick Government lost In this wicked treachery against their own Country and Christian Religion was as a principal Actor Opas or Oppa Archbishop of Toledo who joyned himself with unbelieving Moores to the shame of himself and the loss of Christianity in those parts And this is that Don Opas to whom these boys alluded The Image of the Archbishop being in all sort prepared one of the boys sat down as Judge and the Treason being palpable commanded the Image to be imprisoned and at last pronounced sentence against it thus Whereas Alphonso Carillo Archbishop of Toledo following the steps of the ancient Bishop Opas the ruine of Spain for that he had betray'd the King his Natural Lord rebelling against him and detaining his Money Towns and Fortresses which he had committed to him is therefore condemned to be drawn up and down the streets and publike places of Simancas a Trumpet to go before proclaiming that the King did command this justice to be done to the Traytor Opas as a recompence due for his Treacheries and Treasons and that then it should be burn'd This sentence pronounced aloud we need not question but the young Judge was obey'd in every thing Then was the Image carryed out of the Town attended on with above three hundred boyes and burned with a great deal of triumph in the very sight of the Confederates Army which at last despairing of taking the Place rais'd the siege King Henry we may well suppose was not idle having in a little time got an Army of near upon an hundred thousand men This vast strength terrified the Leaguers so they fell to private plots and instigated one Juan Carillo to kill the King but this Carillo being taken prisoner in a skirmish and perceiving he could not live long by reason of his wounds was sorry for what he had undertaken desired to speak with the King ask'd pardon of him had it confess'd how his life was sought after and revealed to him other wicked practices against him and the next day Carillo dyed of his wounds The King with his potent Army might have quel'd all before him but through his love to peace and carelesness he lost all opportunities allowed of a Conference where it was concluded that every man should lay down his Arms and return home a Truce to continue for five Months and that in the mean time Commissioners should treat of a Peace Thus the King lost his cause his Army by his negligence wasting and slipping away Nor did the Confederates disband according to promise De Villena watching all occasions to see if he could get the credulous King into his clutches In the mean time Don Alphonso led a miserable life with the Leaguers and suspecting either their bad intentions or the success of his cause would willingly have agreed with King Henry and go to him but they kept him strictly threatning to a Petiturum veneno nisi râ—â—aret Jo. â—arian l. â—3 cap. 9. poyson him if he receded from his Government Both parties now seem'd weary so another peace is clapt up but very dishonourable to the King considering what an Army he lately had But this quiet lasted but a while they flee to Arms both Armies meet by Olmedo in Old Castile where the Archbishop of Toledo appears in his Arms upon which he wore his white Stole poudred with red Crosses The Battel is fought and both parties year 1467 cry victory but the Kings party daily wasted insomuch that most forsook him and like a private Gentleman hew as content to skulk up and down accompanyed with some b Mariana cap. 11. ten horsemen At last after some trouble Alphonso dyeth about XVI years old upon this the Confederates consult about a new Head they generally year 1468 agree upon Donna Isabella his Sister send to her to accept of the Government and they would proclame and Crown her Queen She upon good advice refuseth all such profers declaring her obedience to
King hath not behaved himself according to his duty for he hath accommodated himself in his behaviour more of the affection of our a a Sâ—r Jâ—hn Maitland Chancellor who is of the faction of England and abuseth the credit he hath with the King then according to the instructions given him He hath not presented nor made mention to the King of Colonel Simpills letter whereof I have caused the Copy to be presented to his Majesty by the Earl Bothwell as if it had been sent to him with another of the said Colonels to himself which he received from Thomas Tyrie at his arrival who hath reported to the said Chancellor as that Seigneur Don b b Dâ—n Bernardino de Mendâ—za the Spanish Ambassador in France to carry on the Spanish interest and League against the French King Bernardino spake to him in Paris to the disadvantage of the Chancellor Also he hath reported to the King that my Lord c c He means Mr William Chesholme Uncle to Sir Jameâ— and Mr. John Bishop of Dumblane being returned thither spake to your Highness and to others many things to the great prejudice of his d d The King Highness And it is believed also that he is the cause of the suspition which was conceived of the coming of the said John Chesholme newly to the said Bishop However it be the other reports aforesaid which he hath made have not served to conciliate but to alienate the affection of the King of the Chancellor and many other Hereticks from the said Seigneur Don Bernardino the said Bishop and Catholicks here that have to do with them As for my self although I speak not willingly to the disadvantage of any whatsoever chiefly of them whom I have recommended as I did the said Thomas Tyrie to the said Don Bernardino yet I will prefer the love of the truth to men and would not by concealing thereof bring prejudice to the common good nor to the fidelity that the one oweth to the other and especialy to that we owe all to the King of Spain and your Highness to whom I am presently servant particularly addicted by the obligation of five hundred Crowns of e e The Scotch calls it 500 Crowns of â—eâ—il fee and forty for monthly entertainment which it hath pleas'd your Highness to give me freely in the name of the King of Spain not being required for my part nor other thing for my particular to this present By reason whereof I am the more bound to give your Highness most humble thanks and to endeavour my self to deserve by my most humble and faithfal service as well the said entertainment as the recompence it hath pleas'd your Highness to promise me of your grace and favour The said gift of your liberality came well for my purpose seeing by reason of the danger of my person it behooved me to augment my ordinary train for my greater surety which I was not able longer to have born out without help For from all the Lords of Scotland I have not retain'd but a part onely of the money which I spent travelling for the advancement of this Cause in Spain with his Catholick Majesty and with your Highness in the Low-Countries As for the four hundred Crowns imploy'd for the deliverance of Colonel Simpill out of prison I have put it in Count with the residue which I disbursed of the first sum according as it hath pleas'd your Highness to command me The Earl of Morton to whom I have given consolation by writing in prison hath instantly prayâ—d me also by writing to remember his most affectionate care to your Highness finding himself greatly honour'd by the care it pleas'd you to have of him By the grace of God he is no more in danger of his life by way of Justice it being impossible for his enemies to prove against him any thing which they had supposed in his accusation as also the Kings affection not so far alienate from him as it hath been heretofore And in case he were in danger or that it were requisite for the good of our Cause presently to deliver him we can at any time get him out of prison However in the mean time we wait the Kings pleasure towards his liberty oâ—â—ly to avoid all pursuit that they would make if we deliver him by extraordinary means When in the Kings Name they offer'd him his liberty if he would subscribe the Confession of the Hereticks faith he answered He would not do it for the Kings Crown nor for an hundred thousand lives if he had them to loose and hath offer'd to confound the Ministers by publick disputation I shall sollicite the Lords his friends to procure of the King his liberty very soon for he imports more to the good of our Cause then any of the rest by reason of his Forces which are near England and the principal Town of Scotland and the ordinary Residence of our King as also he is a Lord the most resolute constant and of greatest execution of any of the Catholicks It is no small marvel considering the means the Hereticks have to hurt us and their worldly wits so far passing ours and their evil will and intention against us that me subsist Truely we cannot but attribute the effect thereof to God who when the certain news of the returning of the a a The Spaenish Armado being beat a gâ—eat part of them fled Noâ—h wards round about Scotland and so â—eturn'd home by Ireland Army of Spain by the back of Ireland was dispersed through the Country and the Hereticks of the Faction of England triumphed and the constancie in the outward profession of the Earl of Huntley and others was alter'd caused the Earl of b b Archibald Deuglas Earl of Angâ—s dyed at Smeâ—â— near Dalkeith Jaly 1588 supposed by witchcraft or other evil means Angus to dye who was the chief of the English Faction And the same time grew some dissentions amongst the Hereticks by reason of some Offices which some pretended to usurp above others at Court And by the instant prayers and holyperswasions of two Fathers Jesuites converting to our holy faith two Heretick Earls of the chiefest of Authority amongst them the one whereof is called the Earl of Arrol Constable of Scotland converted by Father Edmund Hay the other called the Earl of Crawford converted by the foresaid Father William Creichton They are both able and wise young Lords and most desirous to advance the Catholick Faith and your enterprises in this Island which they are determin'd to testifie to his Catholick Majesty and your Highness by their own Letters which by the Grace of God I will send by the first opportunity In the mean time they have required me to make you offer of their most humble and most affectionate service promising to follow whatsoever the same Jesuites and I shall think good to be done for the conservation of the Catholicks and to dispose and faciliate the
execution of your enterprises here which they may do more easily then they that are known to be Catholicks whose actions are ever suspitious to the Hereticks for their Religion whereof these two Earls have not yet made outward profession but in that as in the rest they submit themselves to our will and to what we think most expedient The said Fathers of that company do profit very much in Scotland and so soon as any Lord or other person of Quality is converted by them they forthwith dispose and incline their affections to the service of the King of Spain and your Highness as a thing inseparably conjoyn'd with the advancement of the true Religion in this Country If I had commandment from your Highness I would give them some little Alms in your name to help them and eight others whereof four are also Jesuites and the other four are Seminary Priests of Pont a Mousson in Lorrain which are all the Ecclesiasticks that produceth so great spiritual fruit in Scotland and acquires to you here such augmentations of your friends and servants After the parting of Colonel Sempill from hence the Lords sent Letters with the foresaid Father Creichton and other Gentlemâ—n after the Army of Spain to cause it land in this Country but it had taken the way to Spain few days before their arrival at the a a The 〈…〉 where â—â—â—iâ—hten thought to meet the Fleet Islands where it had refreshed it self so that it was not possible for them to attend on it They of this Countrie who are of the Faction of England were in a marvellous fear during the uncertainty of the landing of the said Armie and confess'd plainlte that if it had landed here they had been utterly overcome The Earl Bothwell who is Admiral of Scotland and as gallant a Lord as any is in the Countrie although he make profession of the new Religion yet is he extremelie desirous to assist you against England having waged and entertain'd all this Summer under pretence to order the Isles some Troops of men of War which together with his ordinarie Forces should have joyned with yours if they had come hither He suffers himself to be peaceablie guided by me notwithstanding the diversitie of our Religion and hath often times said that if the Catholicks would give him suretie to possess after the restitution of the Catholick Religion two b b Viz. the Abbeys of Coldingham aâ—d of â—else Abbies which he hath that he would even presentlie be altogether one of yours He intends to send Colonel Halkerstoun to accompanie certain Captains and Gentlemen to Spain and almost four hundred Souldiers all safe from the shipwrack in our Isles And because they are in great necessitie he is purposed to furnish them with Ships Fictuals and other things necessarie to testifie thereby to the King of Spain the affection he hath to do him most humble and affectionate service And if we think it good hath offer'd himself to go to your Highness in the Low-Countries and by your advice afterward do the like to his Catholick Majestie of Spain But hereupon we will advise what is most expedient If we may always be assured of him he will be as profitable for the good of our Cause as any Lord in Scotland for he hath great dependance about this Town which is the principal of Scotland as also upon the Frontiers of England He hath offered to maintain and defend me against all that would attempt any thing against me We have chosen for every Catholick Lord a Gentleman of the wisest and faithfullest Catholicks and best beloved of their friends to serve them in Council and to meet at all occasions to resolve upon the most expedient courses that may concern the good of our Cause according to the will and intention of their Lords who have obliged themselves to approve and execute their resolutions and in no wise to contradict the same and by that means we hope to proceed with greater securitie and effect then we have done heretofore They shall never know any thing of our Intelligences there nor our final intentions but according to the exigence of the affairs which shall be in hand and that superficiously and without discovering our selves too much Your Highness shall understand by the particular Letters of the Lords what remaineth to be said to you by these presents by reason whereof I will make an end most humblie kissing your Highness hands and praying God to give you all the good hope and felicity you desire Your Highness most humble and most affectionate Servant Robert Bruce From Edinbrough this XXIV of January M D LXXX X. At the same time with this some of the Nobility in name of all the rest as this Letter also testifieth writ to Philip II King of Spain which take as followeth SIR WE cannot sufficiently express by speech the great grief we have conceived being frustrate of the hope we have so long had to see the last year the desired effects which we hoped of your Majesties preparations And our displeasures have been so much the greater that your Naval Armies should have passed by so near us without calling upon us who expected the same with sufficient Forces for the peaceable receipt and assistance thereof against all enemies in such sort that it should have had no resistance in this Countrie and with our support should have given England work enough At least if it had come in to refresh it it had preserved a number of Vessels and Men which we know have perished near our Isles and upon the Coasts of Ireland and had discovered an incredible numâ—er of friends in full readiness to have run the same fortune with it in such sort as we dare well affirm it should not have found half so many in England for all that is spoken by the English Catholicks a a Refugit thair saith the Scotch Copy fled into Spain who by emulation or rather by an unchristian envie too much lessen our power of aiding you thereby to magnifie their own onely and make themselves to be able to do all so to advance themselves in credit with your Majestie and such as are about you but the experience of this their passage hath sufficiently testified that they have not shewn themselves in such numâ—â—r to assist your forces as we have done And therefore your Majestie as most wise as you are should if it please you make such account of the one as not to neglect the other and so serve your self with both to the designe you aim at without hazarding your Forces for the particular of the one or the other We refer even to the judgement of some of your own subjects who have been here the Commodities and Landing in these parts where the expence bestowed upon the Equipage of one Galiasse shall bring more fruit to your service then you may have of ten upon the Sea And we may assure your Majestie that having once six thousand here of
And his Countryman Paulus Melissus seems as it were to bestow his whole time in her c Poet. Germ. vol. 4. pag. 342 418 425 428 440 441 443 452 462 468 478 486 493. praises and at last endeavours to go as high as his wit could reach so far will he have her above all other Goddesses d Id. pag. 475. Te Venerem te Junonem te Pallade quisquis Dixerit haud abs re dixerit ille puto Quin idem Charin Musam te dixerit imo Musa es Musarum tu Charitumque Charis Ignoscas Regina minus quam par sit aequum Dicenti laudis copia quanta tui est Divitiis Juno forma Venus Indole Pallas Dote Charis cedit nomine Musa tibi Junones Veneres Charitas Musasque Minervasque Omnes una simul tu superare potis Cui culper si te Divis ex omnibus unam Natam Pantheiam virgo Britanna loquar Amongst the Belgians e Poet Belg. vol. 2 pag. 681 718 719 721 Janus Gruterus so famous for his Learning is her great admirer And of later days f De laudibus vica Elizabetha Adolphus van Dans hath wrote a whole book in her Commendations Nay Johannes Bochius of Bruxels who was so inveterate against her Government and Religion that he assisted Richard Verstegan in the composing of his lying and bloudy Theatre yet cannot let her pass without this grand applause g Poet. Belg. vol. 1. pag. 800. Pallas Juno Venus nemorosae in frondibus Idae Discrimen formae cum subiere suae Inter formosas si tu Dea quarta fuisses Vicisses reliquas O Dea pulchra Deas Quam Juno jejuna foret quam pallida Pallas Quam Dea vana Venus quam Dea sola fores How ready she was to answer Ambassadors and other people in several Languages on the sudden Historians do h Edm. Howe 's enlargement of Stow pag. 813 814 815. testifie at large But one thing I finde Recorded of her which is not usual that when three Ambassadors viz. the Imperial French and Swedish addrest themselves to her at the same time she on the sudden i Rog. Ascham Epist Sturmio answer'd each of them in different Languages the first of them in Italian the second in French and the third in Latine k Epist dedicat ad artem Gram. Vossius l Hist Belg. l. 1. Meteranus m Lib. 82. l. 119. Thuanus and a world of other Learned Writers have weilded their Pens in her Commendations and though some Popes have endeavoured as far as in them lay to over-cloud her Reputation by commanding the Commendatory expressions in her behalf to be dasht out of n Index librorum Prohibitorum Cambden and some other Writers yet I finde Pope Sixtus V a very Zealous Assertor of his Pontifical Chair to bestow upon her and Henry the Fourth of France this following noble Character a Persaepe auditus est cum dicerat toto orbe se unum virum â—oeminam videre dignos nisi labe sectaria infecti essent qui Regnarent quibus cum ipse de ingeâ—ribus rebus consilia quae animo agitabat communi caret Navarrum Elizabetham Reginam intelligens Aug. Thuan. Hist lib. 82 and Perefixe Hist Henry le grand part 1. That amongst all the Princes of the world he could finde but two viz. Queen Elizabeth and Navar setting aside their opinions in Religion who were worthy to Rule and with whom he could most fittingly consult and take advice Having thus somewhat hinted on her Commendations and at last brought the Pope himself to be an Advocate for her Discretion Prudence and good Government we may now the more exactly perceive where the Shooe pincheth and what is the cause of the ill will against her Not denying but that she as well as the best of Monarchs might have some miscarriages and oversights in such a long Raign as she continued especially since the Earl of Leicester and some others had the Fortune to sway in her time it being granted that Robert Dudly was as great an Oppressor as ever breath'd for a Favourite and so let him and all such never be mentioned but with ignominy As for her Religion whether Haeretical or not As the Question is too large to be here discuss'd so is it nothing to the purpose seeing Religion doth not intitle one to Kingdoms nor is Dominion founded in Grace a Pagan having as much right to his Goods and Territories as the best of Christians to what is his As to her personal concerns no question but she thought her self in the best and surest way to her Salvation And as she was a Princess of great Ingenuity and Parts understood many Languages read many Books and was so studious as to translate some her self out of Greek Latine and French so we need not doubt but thus furnisht and industrious in Learning she was able to give a good account of her Religion and to vindicate it and her self And as for Religion as it related to the publick it hath had famous Champious and Martyrs to justifie it and to wipe off all the pretended blots of Schism and Heresie which malice or ignorance could throw upon it for a farther proof of which it being not material to my History in hand I shall refer the Reader to Bishop Bramhal Bishop Morton Dr. Hammond Mr. Hooker Mr. Mason and suchlike Learned Defenders of our Church Certain it is that every Kingdom is supream within it self and 't is as true that the Religion in England was reform'd in a peaceable and legal manner by the greatest Authority in it viz. the Prince Parliament and Convocation of Divines Regulation here did not begin at the wrong end it was not carryed on by any b Vid Chr. 〈◊〉 Câ—ta 〈◊〉 Relig. â—â—ag 11. Rebellious Leagues or Covenants The Soveraign was free and not fought to a compliance and as we may suppose the reasons to be just so are we certain that it was acted by the highest Authority in the Kingdom which is according to the Laws of God and Mâ—n and the practice of other Potentates both ancient and modeâ—â— As 〈◊〉 â—he alteration it self we may suppose it was done with dâ—e â—â—â—sideration being acted by such a considerable Body and Authâ—rity and not on a sudden but by degrees as they found just occasion to reject and admit And as on the one hand we may suppose it was agreeable to the Majority of the Laity considering it past their Representives the Parliament nor opposed by any considerable number after so year 1559 may we justly conclude it conformable to the sentiments of the Clergy seeing that the Parishes Headships of Colledges and Halls in the Universities with the Prebendships Bishopricks and the other Dignities of the Church in England and Wales did then amount to the number of very neer ten thousand Yet of all that number of Preferments adding to them the Lord
disobedience to these Acts and the other Laws of the Realm And the several designes and plots against her to take away both her Kingdoms and Life might not onely oblige her to look to her self but also move her to a greater severity then she was naturally addicted to Yet hitherto it was not death for Priests or Jesuits to be in England if they did nothing else But some XIV years after this the Queen and Parliament supposed they had Reason to b 27 Eliz. cap. 2. Enact it Treason and Death onely for being found here yet they were so far from catching any one in a Trap or without warning that by the said Act they all had time given to transport themselves freely without any Attachment with liberty to take Ship at what Port they pleas'd the time allotted them being forty days after the ending of that present Session of Parliament Nay farther that if any were sick then upon security they might remain in the Kingdom six Months longer and then to depart And all this was more favourable then the Protestants received from Queen Mary Let us also add that those whom she had in prison she sent over upon her own charges and with kinde usage so far was she from thirsting after bloud as some would have her for confirmation thereof take one Certificate of twenty Jesuits and Priests and one Gentleman sent from the Tower of London Marshalsee and Kings-bench TO all Magistrates Officers and Ministers within the Realm of England or elsewhere to whom it may any wise appertain This may be to give certification that we whose names are here under-written who were imbarked at the Tower-wharfe of London the 21 of January 1584 and there received into the charge of Mr. a a One of the Yeomen Ushers to the Queens Chamber William Bolles and Mr. b b A Skinner of London Antony Hall by Commission from their Lordships and other her Majesties most honourable Privy-Council Have been by them the said William Bolles and Antony Hall very friendly and honestly intreated and with careful diligence safely conducted transported and conveyed to the Province of Normandy and by them left this third day of February according to the English Computation in the year of Christ 1584. Which said Bolles and Hall have in Our presence paid the c c Matthew Sâ—â—uâ—t Master of the d d Call'd the Mary Maâ—tin of Câ—lchâ—ster Bark which Transported us for the whole Fraught and Victuals in the Ship for the time of our remaining aboard And generally so well us'd us in all respects that we cannot but acknowledge our selves much beholden to them and fully satisfied in having been committed to the charge of so courteous Officers sith the case standeth so with us that we are banished our Country contrary to our desires wherein we take no little grief of minde For Testimony whereof we have hereto set our several hands this present third of February 1584. a a The first Jesuite that came into England he was son to the Epigâ—ammatist Jasper Heiwood b b Disputed with Dr. Jo. Rainolds John Hart William Tedder Arthur Pits Richard Slake Richard Norris c c Return'd into England call'd Bishop of Calcedon and wrote William Bishop d d A Jesuit return'd into England and wrote some Books Thomas Stephanson Christopher Tomson John Barnes e e Continued Sanders de Schismate ungrateful to the Queen Edward Rishton James Bosgrave Samuel Coniers f f Return'd into England wrote for the Oath of Allegiance William Warmington William Hartlie g g Return'd and executed at Mile-end Green 1588. William Dean h h Return'd executed at Lancaster 1560. Robert Nutter i i Return'd wrote in behalf of the Secular-Priests John Colleton k k Return'd wrote several Books was the chief man in putting out the Doway Notes on the Old Test Thomas Worthington William Smith Henry Orton Gentleman The next year also the Queen sent over XXXII more Priests and Jesuits and with what civility and kinde usage they were Transported I shall refer you to l Chron. fol. â—10 col 1. Stow or Howe 's for their own Certificate But to proceed we might shew at large even by the Confession of Romanists themselves that the Queen did nothing against the said Romanists but even what she was necessitated to do for the preservation of her self and Kingdom of which two or three instances will not be amiss William Watson a zealous Roman Priest and one who afterwards suffer'd for Treason confesseth how the a Quodlibets pag. 265. Pope plotted her destruction and that as he hinteth by the Instigâ—â—on of some English before which Her Majestie used us kindely for the space of the first ten years of her Highness Raign the State of the Catholicks in England that while was tolerable and after a sort in some good quiet Such as for their conscience were imprisoned or in durance were very mercifully dealt withal the state and change of things then considered some being appointed to remain with such their friends as they themselves made choice of others were placed with Bishops and others with Deans and had their Dyets at their Tables with such convenient Walks and Lodgings as did well content them They that were in ordinary Prisons had all such liberty and commodities as the place and their Estate could afford them Yea even thus much and more doth Parsons confess in his Philopater as also Father Creswell in his Scribe to the like effect b Id. pag. 266. How great quiet the State and Court was in for twelve years space no talk of Treasons or Conspiracies no Jealousies nor Suspicions no Envie nor Supplications no fear of Murtherings nor Massacrings no question of Conscience nor Religigion all lived in quiet content and right good fellowship was amongst them c. and then he confesseth that the Jesuits were the cause of the Laws against them Agnus Dei Medals Holy-grains c. He goeth on thus c Pag. 267. 268. I held directly that both her Majesties Laws and Proceedings against all sorts of Catholicks have been milde and merciful the opinion and judgement of her Highness in Religion one way and their foresaid practices against her another way duly consider'd The same Romanist having almost above measure commended the Queens d Id. pag. 274 276. Wisdom and Government seems to wonder why the Priests should be molested and though he saith their Afflictions have been extraordinary yet he also acknowledgeth so also hath the cause thereof been extraordinary and so far beyond the accustomed occasions of persecution given to any Prince in Christendom or Monarchie that is or ever was in the world to this hour unless the PURITANS of Scotland which P. 277. may in some sort equal the offence here to be set down as rather it is to be wondred at all things duly considered that any one Catholick is left on life in
great hopes of their deliverance from their Queen by reason of the great helps and forces they expected from beyond Seas And the better to strengthen their own party and gain Proselytes in England they fell a conjuring and playing the fool with the Devil perswading some simple people that they were possest and then forsooth they must be Exorcised and to carry on the designe what abominable cheating and ridiculous tricks they used may be seen by the b See a Book callâ—d A â—â—eclaraâ—ion of Egrâ—â—â— us Popish Impostutes in casting out of Devils The Author of â—â— was D Som. â—a sâ—et after Bishop oâ— Norwâ—â—h and at last Archbishâ—p of York Examinations of the parties themselves And yet to this day do we finde many fond people deluded by these Exorcising Stage-playes by which cheats these Gypsies in Divinity gain to themselves the favour of good lodging and dyet and the disposal and impoverishing sometimes of the Estates of their too credulous Patrons And to these Hobgoblin-Mountebanks we may add such Miracle-Mongers as the simple Irish Priest who in 1663 pretended to do pretty feats in England and in the latter end of July the same year was so confident as to appear at Oxford where several Diseases crouded to him all which he undertook to cure with half a dozen words of false Latine but to little purpose God-wot yet had he the formality of a Scribe to write down the names places of abode Trades and Diseases of the Patients which for ought that I know may hereafter when the storie 's forgot and the parties dead be publish'd as an excellent preservative against Heresie and a confirmation of their Cause That in these sort of Exorcisms there lurks also a Rebellious Devil may appear by the Confession of one of their own Priests Anthony Tyrrel written with his own hand and avouched upon his Oath 25 of June 1602 part of which take as followeth In the year 1584 I and John Ballard Priest since executed with Mr Babington and the rest coming together from Rome through Burgundy found there a great press of Souldiers and were advertised that they were to serve under the Duke of Guise When we came to Râ—an we heard then directlie that the said Preparations were against England The same year as I remember Mr. Creighton a Scotish Jesuit was taken at the Sea and after brought into England who by the occasion of certain a a This William Creichton is the same who acted in Spain for the Invasion of Scotland and at his return into Scotland was taken by the Dutch the Papers which he had he tore and threw over-board but the winde blew them back again into the Ship Sir William Wade with a great deal of pains laid them together again whereby he found out the dâ—signe of the Pope Spaniaâ—d and the Guiset to invade England Writings which he had was driven to confess at large as I have been informed what the whole Plot was and how far both the Pope and the King of Spain had ingaged themselves in it Here of I doubt not but that sundrie Catholicks in England had sufficient notice from beyond the Seas and especiallie Mr. Edmunds alias Weston the Jesuit who was then the chief as Mr. b b He was afterwards executed as a Traytor in the Gun-powder-treason Garnet as I take it is at this present and therefore could not be ignorant of such important matters wherein principal men of his own societie was ingaged Not long after my coming into England in the year 1585 Mr. Martin Aray a Priest meeting me at the end of Cheapside as I was turning to enter into Pauls Churchyard took me by the hand and whispering me in the ear bad me Be of good cheer for that all things went now very well forward The King of Spain quoth he is now almost ready with his Forces to come into England and we shall be sure to hear some good news thereof very shortly Wherefore it standeth us now in hand that be Priests to further the Catholick Cause as much as possibly in us lyeth or to this effect And this was the State of that time nourished as I well perceived with great hope of some great alteration by the means before express'd About the time of Mr. Arayes aforesaid Communication with me Mr. Edmunds alias Weston had latelie as it was reported cast a Devil out of one Marwood Whereupon he the said Mr. Aray at the time before mentioned did highlie commend unto me the Exorcisms of Fa. Edmunds saying that he the said Edmunds would make the Devils themselves now confess that their Kingdom was neer at an end Vpon the pretended dispossession of the said Marwood sundry other Priests moved thereunto I am perswaded by the instigation of Mr. Edmunds or for that they meant to shew their zeal in imitating of him did take upon them to Exorcise and cast Devils out of divers persons viz. a a These viz. Sara and â—â—â—swr a Williams â—rne Smith â—nd Richard Mainy confess'd all the Pâ—â—â—sts legel â—e main with them Sara and a Friswood Williams William Trayford a Anne Smith a Richard Mainy and Elizabeth Calthrop whose Neck was found broken at the bottom of a pair of Stairs as the brute went then amongst us When I saw this Course I liked it well and was my self an Actor in it and did well perceive that it was the matter whereat Mr. Aray had aim'd when he told me that It stood us Priests in hand to further the Catholick Cause as much as possibly we could And indeed our proceedings therein had for a time wonderful success I cannot in my Conscience esteem the number fewer that in the compass of half a year were by that means reconciled to the Church of Rome then five hundred persons some have said three or four thousand As touching the several manners of dispossessing the said Parties and of their fits trances and visions divers discourses were penned amongst the which I my self did pen one Mr. Edmunds likewise writ I am perswaded a quire of paper of Mr. b b This Mr. Richard Mainy did under his own hand â—nd upon â—â—th confest at larg all their â—â—gâ—ing and cheaâ—ing tricks with him Mainy's pretended Visions for he thought as it seemed to have wrought some great matter by him but was disappointed very ridiculously c. We omitted not the Relicks and Bones of Mr. Campian Mr. Sherwiâ— Mr. Brian and Mr. Cottam to have some little Testimony by implication from the Devil to prove them holy Martyrs We that were Priests were thereby greatly magnified by Catholicks Schismaticks and weak Protestants the two former being confirmed in the Roman Catholick faith and the third sort thereunto reconciled as hath been before mentioned And that cannot be denyed but that in the Course which we held with the said pretended Demoniacks many occasions were given and aptly taken to scorn and deride the Orders and Service now established by her Majesties Laws in
sed ista loquuti sumus secundum ea quae nobis exterius patent Faxit benignissimus Salvator noster ut reliqui hoc horrendo justitiae supernae exemplo admoniti in viam salutis redeant quod misericorditer hoc modo coepit benigne prosequatur ac perficiat sicut eum facturum speramus ut de erepta Ecclesia de tantis malis periculis perenâ—es illi gratias agamus Considering oftentimes with my self and applying my whole understanding unto these things which now of late by a just judgment of God are come to pass I think I may with right use the words of the Prophet Habakkuk I have wrought a work in your days which no man will believe when it is told him The French King is slain by the hands of a Friar for unto this it may justly be compared although the Prophet spake of another thing namely of the Incarnation of our Lord which exceedeth and surmounteth all other wonders and miracles whatsoever As also the Apostle S. Paul referreth the same words most truly unto the resurrection of Christ When the Prophet said A work his mind was not to signifie by it some common or ordinary thing but a rare and notable matter worthy to be remembred as that of the creation of the world The Heavens are the works of thine hands And again He rested the seventh day from all the works which he had made When he saith I have wrought with these words the Holy Scriptures are wont to express things not come to pass by casualty fortune or accident but things befallen by the determined providence will and ordinance of God as our Saviour said The works which I do you shall do also and yet greater and many more such like in the holy Scriptures And that he saith that it is done in times past herein he followeth the use and order of the holy Prophets who for certainty of the event are wont to prophesie of things to come as if they were past already For the Philos say that things past are of necessity things present of being things to come only of possibility For which certainty the Prophet Isaiah long before prophesying of the death of Christ hath thus spoken He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb before his shearer so opened he not his mouth And this whereof we speak at this present and which is come to pass in these our days is a famous notable and almost incredible thing nor done or atchiev'd without the particular providence and disposition of Almighty God A Friar hath kill'd a King not a painted one or one drawn upon a piece of paper or a wall but the King of France in the middest of his Army compassed and environ'd round about with his Guard and Souldiers Which truly is such an act and done in such a manner that none wil believe it when it shall be told them and perhaps hereafter it will be held but for a fable That the King is dead or slain is easily believed but that he is kill'd after this manner is hardly to be credited even as we presently agree unto this that Christ is born of a woman but if we adde of a Virgin then according to natural reason we cannot assent to it even so we easily believe that Christ died but that he is risen again from death unto life is according to humane understanding impossible and therefore incredible that one is awakened again out of sleep extasie or a swound because it oft happens so according to nature we naturally believe but to be risen again from the dead it seemeth so incredible unto flesh that S. Paul disputing at Athens of this point was disliked and accused to be a setter forth of new Gods so that many as S. Luke witnesseth did mock him and others said We will hear thee again of this thing Of such things therefore which befall not according to the Laws of Nature and the ordinary course thereof speaketh the Prophet that none shall believe it when it shall be told them But we give credit to it by consideration of the Omnipotency of God and by submitting our understanding under the obedience of Faith and the Service which we owe unto Christ By these means this that was incredible by Nature becometh credible by Faith Therefore we that believe not after the flesh that Christ is born of a Virgin yet when it is added unto it that this was done supernaturally by operation of the Holy Ghost then truly we agree unto it and faithfully believe it So likewise when it is said that Christ is risen again from the dead as we are onely flesh we believe it not but when it is affirmed that this was done by the power of Divine Nature in him then without any doubting we believe it Even so when it shall be told us An infallible Comparison that such a mighty King was kill'd by a poor simple and weak Friar and that in the midst of his Army environ'd with his Guard and Souldiers to our natural reason and fleshly capacity it will seem incredible or altogether improbable yet considering on the other side the grievous sins of the King and the special providence of Almighty God herein and by what accustomed and wonderful means he hath accomplish'd his most just judgment against him then most firmly we believe it Therefore this great and miraculous work we must ascribe onely to the particular providence of God not as those who refer all things amiss unto some ordinary causes or unto fortune or such like accidentary events but as those who more nearly observing the course of the whole matter easily see that here in this befell many things which could in no wise have been brought to pass without the special help of God And truly the state of Kings and Kingdoms and such like rare and weighty affairs should not be thought to be governed by God rashly and unadvisedly In the Holy Scripture some are of this kind and none of them can be referred unto any other thing but unto God the onely Author thereof yet there are none wherein the Heavenly operation is more seen then in this whereof we speak at present We read in the Maccabees how Eleazar offered himself unto a sure death to kill the King who was an enemy and persecutor of the people of God For in the battel espying an Elephani more excellent then the rest whereon it was likely the King himself was with a swift course casting himself in the midst of the troops of his enemies here and there making a way per force gâ—t to the beast went under her thrust his sword into her belly and so flew her and she falling upon him kill'd him Here we see some things as to zele valiantness of mind and the issue of the enterprise not unlike unto ours though in the rest there is no comparison to be made For Eleazar was a souldier exercis'd in weapons train'd up in
June him By this time the City began to be in great want by reason of the Kings cutting off all assistance from them therefore to encourage the people Cardinal Pietro Gondy Bishop of Paris 't was made an Archbishoprick 1622 pittying the poor had all the Church-plate turned into money for them the Legat caused all his own Plate to be melted and coined Mendoza the Spanish Embassadour promised them six score Crowns a day in bread and of all his Plate he left himself but one Silver Spoon the Ladies and richest Nobles sold their Houshold-stuff Jewels and Ornaments the Legat also got fifty thousand Crowns for them from the Pope But all thâ—se helos were not enough for two hundred thousand persons then in the City provisions growing so scarce that a Bushel of Whâ—at wa 〈…〉 for one hundred and twenty Crowns the flâ—sh of Horses Dâ—gs Asses Mules c. are publickly vended but the poorer sort wanting moneys to buy such daintiâ—s were forced to feed upon such Hâ—rbs and Grass as tâ—ey found in the Yards Ditchâ—s and along the Ramparts whicâ— maâ—e them â—iâ— in hâ—aps yet were the Chieftains as if thâ—y wâ—re related tâ— the old Saguntines so far from yiâ—lding that they caused several to be exâ—cuted for desiring Brâ—ad or Peace Anâ— here we need nâ—t trouble our â—elvâ—s with the stories of former great Famines as of Hierusalem amongst the Turks 1595 in Poland and Bohemâ—a 1312 in Transylvania 1604 at Leyden 1574 at Sancerre and Rochel of Pegâ— 1598 of Caifung in China 1642 and several others since as is confess'd by all this Famine at Paris was not inferiour to any of them many being forced to make bread of dead mens bones and not onely feed upon Skins Tann'd hides c. but men eat one another and some women their own children and we may justly suppose a grand scarcity when there was but one little * Mem. de la Ligue tom 4. p. 332 333. Dog in all the City which the Dutchess of Montpensier kept for her self and refus'd two thousand Crowns onely for its brains though it was to preserve the life of Monsieur d Orlan one of her friends In short above twâ—lve thousand died of very Famine yet did the people really think themselves Holy Martyrs for dying in so good a Cause At last the King for mere pity permits as many to depart the City as would at one time there crauled out above four thousand glad they were delivered from such a misery then he sent Pasports to the Scholars Churchmen Ladies and even to his greatest enemiâ—s In the mean time the King presseth more upon them taketh S. Denis 7 July the Leaguers before their yielding it up having * d'Aubigne tom 3. l. 3. c. poison'd the Wells the better to dâ—stroy the Kings Forcâ—s at which siege the King himself was so vigilant that he â—atâ— on horse-back forty hours together Being entered S. Denis in the Presence-chamber were two Franciscan Friars Ant. Colynet p. 476. and another Priest sâ—iz'd on in the habit of Gentlemen who being imprison'd and strictly examin'd confâ—st that they were three of the six and twenty who had sworn the Kings death for which they were hang'd Then the King assaults and takes the Suburbs of Paris which so startled the Leaguers that they desire a Treaty onely to spin out time daily expecting relief the King grants it but their Propositions are so extravagant that nothing is done However the King having now the Parisians as it were by the throat the Doctors of Sorbone are at their wits end suspect the Integrity of the Legat grew angry at the Pope for not affoarding them more assistance and in this pet and fury drew up a Letter to be sent to his Holiness but the City was so closely besieged that the Letter and Messenger were seized on and so never got as far as Rome which the better to shew what fears jealousies and distractions they were possest with at the writing of it take as followeth as I meet with it then translated into English out of the Latin Copy Most Holy Father By those continual Letters partly touching the cruel and lamentable slaughter of our most Christian Brethren which your Holiness at sundry times hath received was easily to be known that all France hath fixed her eyes onely upon the See of Rome the Cause concerning the state of the whole Church and therefore the rather because it hath been always the chiefest refuge of those that were afflicted for the defence of Religion in their greatest misery and extremity Besides the good report that we daily hear of your Holiness Zele Wisdom Sincerity Justice and Hate of all Ungodliness did not a little increase our hopâ— the tokens whereof being brought unto us were very severe against all the wicked as are the heavy Censures and Sentences pronounced by your Holiness own mouth against the Hereticks and Politicians of our time and the Orations made in the sacred Assemblies of the Cardinals which we read with a great desire being now printed and also because there is ordain'd a Council of most reverend Cardinals for the redress of the state of France and favourable and Fatherly Letters written to the Princes and Magistrates of this Realm and moreover to many of sundry degrees and qualities whereby we perceive that your Holiness did commend and approve our purpose and enterprize promising us all aid and assistance to the furtherance thereof And lastly the sending of your Holiness * * Card. Caâ—etan Legat through such long and dangerous ways being a man of great parentage and singular wisdom with the full consent of all the most Honourable Council of Cardinals nothing more comfortable and to be desired in this our general and common grief We of our side for to encourage the hearts of the common people have caused to be printed in both the Languages that every man might understand them those Letters the which with great commendation of our College the renouned Cardinal of a a Nephew to this Pope Sixtus V. Montalto hath vouchsafed to send wherein was specified that your Holiness Legat was sent with men and mâ—ney and that the onely and chiefest care of your Holiness was touching this Realm how best to refresh and succour the afflicted and distressed people thereof that therefore we should not doubt but that your Holiness will out of hand in this our distress send us sufficient relief The private Communication of your Holiness Legat did also confirm your singular good will and affection towards us and the exquisite eloquence of b b Tâ—e old Translâ—tor might as well have said The Bishop of Asti Hâ—â— name was Franciseo Panigâ— rola He was an â—â—quâ—nt Pâ—ea her aâ—â— came into France with Gaecano the Lâ—gat Astensis did greatly enlarge and commend it in the Pulpit Wherefore we cease not daily to publish and declare unto all the world this your great benefit so ready and certain and are
not afraid with a wonderful contentment to assure our selves in our publick and private communications of your Holiness favourable inclination towards us But seeing that our grief daily increaseth and that honest and godly men daily sustain and receive hourly great loss and damages that it lacketh but little but that we God punishing our sins in his heavy judgment begin to feel the ruine of the State of France and which worse is the uttermost decay and overthrow of Catholick Religion the people beginning to waver and to be removed from their accustomed constancy suspecting that the goodwill of your Holiness and the Credit and Authority of your Preachers and which is more not without our great grief almost esteem little or nothing of the Legacy of the most renowned Cardinal Cajetan that wheresoever we can turn our selves are importun'd and wearied with these continual complaints that our want is not relieved by the plentifulness of the See Apostolick and that these fifteen moneths somewhat more or less being spent in hoping and Watching the foresaid Legat hath not had or used a particular power of Excommunicating and Deposing therewith to bridle and subdue all the ungodly and enemies of the Church of what Quality or Condition soever they be seeing that as yet no special Excommunication of Henry of Bourbon and his Favourites hath been published which long ago should have been done they say before they being hardened in their impiety would have despised it so that it is very easie to persuade unto the weak wavering and discontented people being already discouraged with long wars with poverty and need almost dismayed and dead that which the Politicians whisper in their ears namely that your Holiness either favoureth Henry of Bourbons side or at the least will not contraid or displease them or else that you make but a small account of our affairs and that to content the minds of honest and good men your Holyness hath sent your Legat as to Adversaries void and destituted almost of power and money and therefore being infected with the pestilent policies of this time for this the wicked ones seek to persuade endeavoureth to please both Parties and therefore cease not to affirm that your Holiness hath excogitated and invented onely these delays And to that intent * * Francis Duke of Luxenburg a strict Roman Catholick sent to Rome to see if he could get the Pope and King Henry reconciled 1589. Luxenburg the greatest enemy of the Catholicks hath been received at Rome with such humanity and was entertained so liberally and in great dissimulation excluded but afterwards most friendly recalled again unto whom they say your Holiness hath promis'd that Navarre should be used favourably and that another shall be sent the first Cardinal being called back again in a most honourable Legacy Moreover we are not a little grieved that some of the better sort astonished and dismayed through the imminent dangers unto the Catholick Religion and wearied with long delays foreseeing partly the issue of our affairs by the present state thereof begin to confess that which is true to have an ill opinion of our actions and to interpret all things to the worst And further to testifie that which we have seen we know that not long since out of Italy Letters have been written in plain words by men of Authority and Account whose Credit was never yet suspected in like or greater matters that in vain we look for money and assistance from the See of Rome because all things are not done there plainly and sincerely as they should be Whereby as much as we can guess it is probable enough that all things stand in danger of Schism and that a most perilous fire unless God provide otherwise is already kindled to the overthrow of the whole Church O what a painful and troublesom striving and wrestling sustain we against those noisom rumours and tidings O with what a great labour is this to be drawn again out of the peoples minds if in any wise it can yet be rooted out again which if it go further and take faster hold we pray your Holiness to judge what shall at the end become hereof and likewise to consider if there can be any cross more grievous unto honest and good-zeal'd men then this so that not without cause our lives are unto us altogether unsavoury and unpleasant And although we invent certain probable causes of your Holiness delay therewith something contenting the peoples minds and easing their griefs notwithstanding we cannot satisfie our selves herewith ceasing not to bewail these long delays but chiefly when we remember the words of the Poet saying A wound which at first was to be cured with ease With lingering is come a dangerous disease But this is far worse that all things almost are come into an extremity as much as any mortal man is able to judge and which is worst of all now every one saith that this is come to pass through the negligence of the See of Rome and we are not able any longer to disprove their objections To no other end tend our daily and mighty Meetings and Assemblies with the most renowned Cardinal Cajetan and his Assistants whereof they will perhaps complain unto your Holiness inquiring importunately and with full Assembly daily desiring to know what there is done at Rome as touching our matters and the occasion that we are kept thus long in suspence and if there be yet any hope left where to rest upon which as often as we do and bring home nothing else but the common answer and always one song namely that his Holiness hath a great care of our affairs and that he will never abandon our Cause being our most loving and careful Father very wise and expert in that he hath to do and that ere long will quench this burning Fire and that he hath not in vain ordain'd this worthy Legacy and such like things many more We see and not onely we but every particular man that this is told us but to drive us off as those that mask their faces with mirth and cheerfulness but being sifted narrowly this which the Poet saith fitteth them of right In sight they feign good hope and mirth in countenance bear But pinching grief in heart and mind closely they wear Of what mind thinketh your Holiness we should be or how to repose any trust in those answers which are altogether without substance and frivolous Well to what end soever this Council tendeth this generally we fear that whiles you in lingering seek for fitter opportunity and in the mean time the Romans take council * * Meating paâ—is Saguntum shall be assaulted and won and your Instruments and Engines of war as Brutus said shall come too late after the battel In the mean while the * * Henry IV. Heretick prospereth in his succeedings and the unconstant people speak well of him but we must often with grief approach near unto the gates of
Doctors of Sorbonne were wonderfully terrified but he not willing to lose them quite knowing such men to be dangerous enemies amongst the people waited upon them himself gave them good words told them all was pardoned and Justice satisfied which he ratified by an Edict At the same time he also decreed year 1592 that upon pain of death no more Councils Meetings or Conventicles should be had any way except the Ordinary one of the Union with the sense of the lawful Magistrates which being registred in full consent of Parliament put an end to the power and greatness of the Sixteen and somewhat spoil'd and cool'd the designes of the Spanish Ministers And an Oath was also drawn up and read in Parliament for all the Souldiers in the City to take the better to keep them in Obedience Whilst these things were acting Pope Gregory XIV dying Innocent IX succeedeth him who allowed the League fifteen thousand Ducats a month desiring them to fall to work and chuse a King of the Roman Religion aiming as 't is thought at Cardinal Bourbon the Head of the third party but what his other designes were his * 30 Dec. death after a two months Popedome would not let be known And after him succeeded Clement VIII The Parliament at Rouen now puts forth a severe * 7 Jan. 1592 Edict against any that shall adhere to Henry of Bourbon as they call'd him yet the prosecution of the League was somewhat hindred by the Jealousies arising betwixt Parma and Mayenne the latter fearing to be out-vapoured by the Spaniard was not so averse as formerly from an Agreement with the King to carry on which the great Statesman Villeroy who as yet kept himself with the Leaguers and du Plessis Morney the Kings faithful friend had divers meetings but the Covenanters Propositions were so high and lofty getting all into their own hands leaving his Majesty a meer shadow that it brake off without any determination though the King was willing to grant much to be at rest and quiet This Treaty was presently made known thinking to do Mayenne a displeasure and so it did both the Spaniards and Leaguers being offended at him in offering to treat without their consent or knowledge and so made jealous as if intended to leave them in the lurch But on the other side the King gain'd not much by the bargain the Romanists who followed him next that it should be carried on by an Huguenot viz. Morney began to have the same suspicions of His Majesty And in this zeal and humour having consulted themselves they forthwith gave Mayenne to understand that it was fitting for the common safety that all the Romanists should be united and so to require of the King to change his Religion within a prefixt time and then they would acknowledge him otherwise they would joyntly proceed to the Election of a King of the Roman persuasion for such an one and none other they would have Adde to this Pope Clements favour of the League allowing it 15000 Ducats a moneth exhorting them to chuse a new King of the Roman belief alledging none to be capable of a Crown but one of that Religion commanding the Nuncio Cardinal Piacenza to forward the Election Upon all these and other such like considerations the King is perplext beyond measure now clearly perceiving that all of them were gone to that height of Conditional Subjection as never to receive him for King unless he would be of their Religion nor was his force sufficient to oppose The case is hard but a Kingdom is not to be lost yet the war goeth on vigorously on both sides In the mean time the Pope having sent to his Nuncio in France to hasten the calling of the States General that a Catholick King an enemy to Hereticks and a Defender of the Church might be chosen the Duke of Mayenne took heart fancying that the Pope might aim at him year 1593 and thus entertaining some thoughts of being King he resolved to convocate the States General the Spaniard would have it at Soissons that Parma might the sooner assist or awe them from Flanders the Duke of Lorrain desires Rheams where his greatest Interest lay but Mayennâ— thought Paris best his own Authority being greatest there by his former weakening the Sixteen In the mean time all care is taken by them to exclude Henry and nothing could thwart them more then his turning Romanist of which they had some fears several earnestly solliciting him to it To prevent this October 't is spread abroad how unlawful it is for any to desire his Conversion how it is against Divine Civil and Canon Law the Decrees of the Popes Mem. de M. de Nevers vol. 2. pag. 634. the Fundamental Law of the Kingdom the Holy Union c. and therefore conclude that those who propose or endeavour such a thing are wicked Citizens unstable perjur'd Politicks seditious Disturbers of the Common-weal favourers of Hereticks suspected of Heresie Excommunicated ought to be driven out of the City lest they should corrupt the rest And those of Chaalons having put forth a * 18 Novemb Decree against Cardinal de Piacenza the Popes Nuncio as also the Popes Bulls as they did formerly against Pope Gregory XIV Those of the Parlement of Paris publish an Act whereby they Declare the said Decree of Chaalons null of none effect or force being published by those of no Right or Authority to be a Parlement being Schismaticks Hereticks Enemies to God and his Church disturbers of the State and publick peace of the Kingdom Order the said Decree as full of Scandal Schism Heresie and Sedition to be torn and burnt by the Hangman Forbid any to receive or obey the said Decree Injoyn all to honour and obey Pope Clement VIII and acknowledge his Legat. Affirm that their intended General States design nothing but the Preservation of the Roman Religion and to choose a true Christian Catholick French King Forbid any to hinder or molest the members coming to the said meeting of States DU-TILLET Paris 2 Decemb. 1592. Accordingly to summon the said States-General the Duke of Mayenne 1593. 5 Jan. Publish'd a large Declaration in which he undertakes To Vindicate himself Desireth the Romanists to unite That though the Leaguers had too much cause to desire the late Kings death yet they had no hand in it it being a blow from Heaven That Navarre could not be King because an Heretick Obedience being only founded upon the of the Roman Religion So they cannot be blamed for their Actions nor can be Rebels seeing they fight only against Hereticks and their Associates who have despised the Popes Bulls and Admonitions c. And so throwing an odd blot upon the King concludes To this the Popes Legat Piacenza thinking that of Mayenne'â— not plain and severe enough added another Declaration Desiring all to be obedient to the Pope who will never assent to an Heretical King or the ruine of the Church
in the Dukedom of Bar and in the Diocess of Toul in Lorrain who throwing off his Cowle or Hood and under the disguise of a Beggerly habit being found in the Court upon examination giving no good account and Convict by Testimony was also condemn'd and suffered upon the Wheel Such like murtherous designes of the Friars occasioned many Poems against them amongst the rest upon the stabbing of Henry III. who is said to have loved them most affectionately thus one of them concludeth Jamais il n'y eut Roy par qui la Moinerie Respectee fut plus par qui plus cheria Si les Moins ainsi tuâ—nt leurs grands amis Bon Dieu que ferent ils à leur grand Ennemis Never did King carry more kinde defires Than Henry unto all sorts of Fryers If Monks to friends will give such deadly blows Good God! what will they do unto their Foes Thus much for the French Popish Solemn League and Covenant by Retorting of which is enough to stop their mouths concerning our late Rebellions seeing The Romanists there safely pretended the danger of Religion as well as our Presbyterians did They entred into a Solemu League and Covenant as our Non-conformists did They forced their King to take it and it is not unknown what our villainous Long-Parliament would have done and what the impudent Schismaticks in Scotland did do They spred abroad that their King was an enemie to their Religion and in this were worse then our Puritans who though they slandred our King yet had it rather been a scandal for him to have been of their schismatical perswasion They had their Priests and Jesuits sacrilegiously to abuse the Pulpit and People with their seditious lying and treasonable Discourses as our Rebels had their blasphemous Lecturers ignorant and impudent Tub-Thumpers and 't is hard to tell which of these Covenanters were the greater Villains though I 'le grant ours to be the greater Dunces They falsely gave out that many thousand Huguenots lurk'd in Paris to kill them thereby to incense and inrage the people as our Puritans did of God knows what Cavaliers and Papists mustred under ground and such like tales They had their several Juncto's and Cabal's as ours had their Committees c. They null'd and made void all their Oaths of Allegiance as ours did They declared that Allegiance was but Conditional viz. to a Romanist as ours did to a Covenanter They made many Oaths in behalf of Conditional Subjection and Rebellion as out late Zealots did They had their Doctors or Divines of Sorbonne to countenance and vindicate their wicked Actions and to declare for good whatever they would have them As ours had their Club of Assembly of Divines to prove new Governments and King-opposing to be by Divine Right and Predestination They made Banishment and other Penalties for those who would not take and subscribe their Oaths as our Rebels did for their Covenants and Engagements They had their particular Processions and such like Set-pieces of Devotion to crave Divine Aid and Assistance as ours had their monthly Fasts to desire God to bless their sins and Rebellions as also their Thanksgiving like the old Irish who used to thank God if by Theft or Robbery they had got a good booty They had their Oaths of Abjuration as well as ours had They would pardon and authorize all those who acted for their cause as ours could indempnifie one another some may think with as much right or true Authority as the * Mer. Casubâ—â—'s Necessity of Reform p. 75. French Priest consecrated the Sacrament in the name of the Devil They call'd their League against their King Loyalty and ours thought as well of the Covenant They would have the Council of Trent revived as ours would the Covenant Directory and Presbytery and such like schismatical and treasonable Principles Some of them would have their Chieftain Mayenne to be King as others in England would have had Oliver As their Mayenne would not take upon him when offered to him the Title of King because his Interest was not then sufficient to vindicate it and so would only be Lieutenant of the Crown of France thus Oliver upon the same account refused the Kingship but would be Protector of England They commended Guise and Mayenne as the only Prop of their Church as ours by their Addresses did sacrilegiously magnifie Oliver and his son Richard They had their Rump and secluded Members as well as we but in this the French were worst of the two they turning out honest men whilst ours excluded only Conditional subjects i. e. Traitors so one Knave turn'd out another They sent to the Popish Princes large Complaints against their King as ours with their Schismatical Assembly against King Charles I. to Holland and Geneva They would alter limit put out and in as they pleased their Kings Council as our Puritans desired to do in England They would take away the Kings Negative Vote and make the States superiour to him so would our Roundheads here They sent a Letter to desire Protection and Assistance from Spain an enemie to their King and Countrey as the Scotch Covenanters did from the French King Lewis XIII against their King Charles I. as appears by their Letter subscribed by their Chieftains They in Triumph conducted Guise and his friends into Paris as our Presbyterians did the five Members c. to the affront of King and Government They by their Tumults forced their King to flee from his chief City and Court Paris as our Puritans did King Charles I. from London for his own safety When their King offered them and their General Mayenne Pardon Favour and desired a Peaee they reject both it and him as ours did with King Charles when he offered the same to them and their General Essex They censure all who sided with the King and sat at Tours or Chaalons as ours did those who sat at Oxford as a Parliament They broke the Kings Great Seals making new ones as ours also did They declared it Treason to aid or favour their King as the English did They murthered any who sided with their King as well as our Rebels here They defaced all the Kings Pictures and Statues as the Phanaticks did here They had their Women of all Qualities to promote their Cause by their Love-tricks and Contributions as the Puritans in England had their Wives holy Sisters and zealous Ladies hurried along with as much Chastity and Religion as Honesty Moderation or Loyalty They renounced all obedience to Henry III. and his Queen ordered he should not be prayed for as our wicked Presbyterian Long-Parliament declared the Queen a Traitor renounced the King by their abominable Votes and Declaration of Non-Address and it was afterwards death to pray for him They often attempted the death of Henry IV. contrived and procured the Murther of Henry III. as ours designed King Charles's death in the Isle of Wight and at last murthered him on the
nominatim et in specie reservamus Non obstantibus quibusvis Constitutionibus et Ordinationibus Apostolicis nec non Privilegiis Indulâ—iâ—â—t literis Apostolicis eidem Duci et Senatui aut quibusvis aliis pâ—rsonis in genere vel in specie praesertim quod interdici suspendi vel excommunicati non possint per literas Apostolicas non facientes plenam â—â— expressam ac de verbo ad verbum de Indulto hujusmodi mentionem ac alias sub quibuseunque tenoribus et formis et cum quibusvis etiam deroâ—atoriarum â—â—rogatoriis aliisque efficacioribus et insolitis clausulis ac irritantibus et aliis decretis ac in specie cum facultatibus absolvendi in casibus nobis et Apostolicae sedi reservatis illis quovis modo per quoscunque Romanos Pont. ac Nos et Sedem Apostolicam in contrarium praemissorum concessis confirmatis approbatis Quibus omnibus et singulis et aliis supra expressis eorum tenores praesentibus pro expressis habentes hac vice duntaxat specialiter et expresse derogamus caeterisque contrariis quibuscunque Ut autem praesentes nostrae litterae ad omnium majorem notitiam deducantur vobis et cuilibet vestrum per easdem praesentes committimus et in virtute Sanctae Obedientiae et sub divini interminatione judicii nec non sub Inderdicti ingressus Ecclesiae ac suspensionis a Pontificalium exercitio ac fructuum Mensarum Patriarchalium Archiepiscopalium et Episcopalium perceptione quoad vos Fratres Patriarchae Archiepiscopi et Episcopi an etiam privationis dignitatum beneficiorum ac Officiorum Ecclesiasticorum quorumcumque quae obtinueritis ac etiam vocis activae et passivae ac inhabilitatis ad illa et alia in posterum obtinendi quoad vos filii vicarii et alii supradicti eo ipso incurrendis aliisque arbitrio nostro infligendis poenis districte praecipiendo mandamus ut per vos vel alium seu alios praesentes litteras postquam eas receperitis seu earum notitiam habueritis in vestris quisque Ecclesiis dum major in eis populi multitudo ad divina convenerint ad majorem cautelam solemniter publicetis et ad Christi sidelium notitiam deducatis nec non ad earundem Ecclesiarum vestrarum valvas affigi et affixas dimitti faciatis Et ulterius volumus ut praesentium transumptis etiam impressis manu alicujus Notarii Publici subscriptis et sigillo personae in dignitate Ecclesiastica constitutae munitis eadem prorsus fides ubique habeatur quae ipsis praesentibus haberetur si forent exhibitae vel ostensae quodque eadem praesentes sive illarum Exempla etiam praefertur impressa ad Ecclesiae Leteranensis et Basilicae Principis Apostolorum et Cancellariae nostrae Apostolicae valvas et in acie Campi flore ut moris est affixae et publicatae eosdem Ducem et Senatum ac alios quoscunque praedictos vosque etiam universos et singulos respective perinde afficiant ac si eorum ac vestrum cuilibet personaliter directae intimatae et praesentatae fuissent Datum Romae apud St. Petrum sub Annulo Piscatoris die XVIII Aprilis M. DC VI. Pontificatus nostri anno Primo M. VESTRIVS BARBIANVS Anno a Nativitate D. N. Jesu Christi M. DC VI. Indictione quarta die vero XVII Mensis Aprilis Pontificatus Sanctiss in Christo Patris et D. N. D. Pauli divina providentia Papae Quinti anno ejus primo supradictae litterae earumque exempla impressa affixa et publicata fuerunt ad valvas Ecclesiae Lateranens ac Basilicae Principis Apostolorum et Cancellariae Apostolicae nec non acie Campi flore ut moris est per nos Christophorum Fundatum et Joan. Domenicum de Pace Apostolicos Cursores Petrus Aloysius Peregrinus Cursorum Magister The Venetians perceiving the Popes malice and indiscretion by this Paper Interdiction first order'd that every one should have recourse to his prayers then to testifie their sensibleness of the wrong done them recall'd home Duodo their extraordinary Ambassador at Rome but to prevent an absolute Rupture they let Nani their Ordinary Ambassador stay Then was command given to all Ecclesiastical Parsonis not to publish or permit to be publish'd or affix'd in any place any Bulls or Breves And by Proclamation it was commanded that whoever had any Copy of the former Breve or Interdiction against the Serene Republick should bring them unto the Magistrates all which were obey'd and such a multitude of Copies brought in that it was a wonder that so many had been printed and carefully or seditiously spread abroad The Pope informed of the Venetian Proclamation against his Breve call'd home his Nuncio and sent a dismission to Nani their Ambaffador at Rome who accordingly return'd to Venice In the mean time the Pope expected that his Breve or Indiction would do wonders for his cause especially he doubted not of three things I. That the Priests and such like Ecclesiasticks would forth depart from the Venetian Territories II. That the Cities and the people seeing themselves thus deprived of Church Offices and such like Duties and benefits would run into Sedition and so force the Senate to give the Pope satisfaction III. That the Nobility and Senators themselves upon this occasion might be disordered and divided by which he doubted not of a Conquest But in all these he found himself deceived and the Duke to prevent the worst publish'd his Manifestoes or Letters which you may read in * Goldastus which he caused to be affix'd in publick places In them Monarch Rom. Imper. Tom. 3. he Vindicated himself and the Senate in what they had done and in their carriage towards his Holiness Declared that the Breve was against all law and equity against Scriptures Fathers and Canons praejudicial to Secular Authority the liberty of the State the peace of the people and to the scandal of all the world Therefore Pronounced the said Breve unjust void null and of none effect nor to be obey'd or observed by any Commands all Ecclesiasticks within these Dominions to continue the celebration of Divine Service Now multitude of Pen-men are imploy'd of both sides every one writing according to his Fancy or Interest but those of Rome were the most violent throwing all manner of Lyes and Slaunders upon the Republick that their malice could Invent and in this they thought themselves not culpable because they thought the Venetians now to be the most wretched of all people insomuch that Cardinal * Baronius looks upon them as Pagans Pâ—râ—enaâ—â— ad Râ—â—â— b. Venet pag. 41â— Id. pag. 64. and Heathens without the fold of Christianity tumbling into manifest perdition and so far gone hat he cannot upon any account * wish them well And so great Authority had the Papal Interdict with some of the Religious That the Jesuits and Capuchins intended to obey it though contrary to the Command of their Prince and Senate
As for the Jesuits the Senate demanding their Answer they return'd that they might continue the Divine Offices their Sermons and Confessions according to their Custom For upon notice of the Interdict they had sent Achilles Gaillardi a Paduan noted Jesuit the Author of some meditations to represent unto the Pope what good Services they might do his cause if he would permit them to stay in the Venetian Dominions For the Nuncio before his departure from Venice had been very busie with the Jesuits the chief of whom then in the City being Possevino and Bernardin Castorio noted Authors But the Pope understanding the badness of Example if such a famous Order submitted not to his Breve sent them an Express to depart Now the Term of the XXIV days appointed in the Monitorie approaching the Jesuits were required to give their final Resolution who return'd an Express refusal to say Masse which being retorted upon them as a base Equivocation they replyed it was not contrary to their former promise because the Masse for the Excellency of it is not comprehended under the words of Divine Offices The Senate seeing themselves thus abused by these people commanded the Jesuits speedily to depart their Dominions Upon this the Jesuits suddenly collected a great summ of money from their Devoted ones so packing up as fast as they could in the Evening they departed the City each one carrying the Host at his neck intimating that Jesus Christ departed with them as they took Bark the people cryed out against them Go with a vengeance and come no more hither Before their departure they had hid their richest Ornaments burn'd great quantity of writings and there was found in their Colledges a good number of Cruses to melt metals which left some blot upon them though Possevino indeavour'd to vindicate them from any design of gold or silver At their Colledg in Padua were found many Copies of a writing containing XVIII Rules under this Title being drawn up and commanded to be believed by their Founder * vid. Exerâ—icitia Spirituália Ignatius Loyola Regulae aliquot servandae ut cum Orthodoxa Ecclesia vere sentiamus In the Seventh whereof there is a Prescription to take heed how men press or inculcate too much the Grace of God And in the Third it is ordain'd That men must beleeve the Hierarchical Church although it tell us that that is black which our eye judgeth to be white The Senate having thus wisely given an hint of their Resolutions by their dealing with the Jesuits Put forth an Order that all Ecclesiasticks who would not continue Divine Services should retire out of their Dominions Upon this the Capuchins with whom the Nuncio and Jesuits had tamper'd very much resolved also to depart and intended to go according to the Jesuits Instructions to them out in Procession with the Sacrament thereby to stir up the people to Sedition who have most affection to this Order pretending to great poverty Innocency But this solemnity was hindred by Authority So in the morning celebrating one Masie eating up all the Eucharist they concluded the Office without giving Benediction to the people and then departed and so did the Theatins and the reformed Franciscans But it was observed that the Capuchins in the Territories of Brescia and Bergamo where were no Jesuits to seduce them did not depart but remain'd Obedient to their Governours celebrating Divine Service for which honesty and loyalty they were bitterly persecuted by their superiors at Rome with Excommunications and other Censures Now began a fierce dispute amongst them Whether all the Sacraments administred by the Priests that staid contrary to the Interdict were nullities or no Whether it was lawful to adore the Eucharist shewn by such Priests And Whether it was a Mortal or Venial Sin to hear Masse celebrated by such Priests Of these every one judged according to his Interest as is usual in such cases In the mean time the Jesuits by their Instruments did what they could to stir up Sedition in the State and so did other Ecclesiasticks ingaged on the Papal faction but the Senate by their prudence prevented all and being perfectly united amongst themselves kept the people in a true Obedience to them The Quarrel growing dayly greater and greater each party addressed themselves to the respective Princes in Christendom to render their cause chear and legal the Princes desiring and perswading a Reconciliation every one of the Romanists offering to be Mediators The Pope troubled that the Venetians would not stoop to his humour invented another Plot whereby he thought to make some Divisions amongst them And this it was He publish'd a Jubilee whither he invited all Christians granting Indulgences Absolutions and Pardons to all but those of Interdicted places By this Strategem he fancyed that the Venetian people seeing themselves thus deprived of such blessing and graces would disobey the Senate and run into Sedition And the better to carry this on the Jesuits gave notice that though the people were excluded in the general yet they had power from his Holiness to grant it to such of them as would observe the Conditions by them propounded amongst which were these Not to go to Masse Nor to approve the reasons and actions of the Senate But all these plots did the Pope little good Nor did their orher lyes against the Republick as if it had renounced the Roman Religion and become Lutherans or Protestants avail them any thing The Pope seeing the bad event of all these designs sends to Philip III. King of Spain to desire his Assistance The King returns an Answer that he had desired an Accommodation but seeing the Honour of his Holiness concerned he would assist him with his forces which he had also signifyed to his Ministers in Italy This Letter was received at Rome with the greatest joy and Triumph Imaginable the Spaniards vapouring of their meritorious actions to the Pope But others gave different Censures of the Letter some thinking it procured by the Authority of the Duke of Lerma the then great Favourite of Spain who ruled King and all things else But others believed that the design of it was not as it appear'd really for war but thereby to render the Venetians more submiss and tractable for a peace However the Count de Fuentes the Catholick Kings Governour at Milan seemâ—d very forward in Preparations upon which the Venetians thought it not sâ—tting to be behind so that now both parties seem'd running into a War both Pope and Duke drumming up men and making all things ready for Offence and Defence Whilst these preparations went on the better to disorder and weaken the Venetians the Marquis de Santa Croce having received the Papal Benediction by his Nuncio departed from Naples with XXVI Spanish Gallies and at Messina received the addition of XIV more thence secretly sailing along entred the Golf of Venice fell upon Durazzo a City in Albania belonging to the Turks which he sack'd and returned
Tyranny and Ingratitude both to your Followers and Country are inexcusable and intolerable You separated your self from the Vnity of Christs mystical body the Catholick Church You know the sword of Extirpation hangeth over your head as well as ours if things fall out otherwise then well You are the Cause why all the Nobility of the South from the East part to the West you being linked into each one of them either in Affinity or Consanguinity are not linked together to shake off the Cruel Yoak of Heresie and Tyranny with which our Souls and Bodies are opprest All those aforesaid depending of your resolution and relying to your judgment in this Common Cause of our Religion and Country you might forsooth with their help and the rest that are combined in this holy Action not 〈◊〉 defend your self from the Incursion and Invasion of the English but also by Gods Assistance who miraculously and above all expectation gave good success to the cause principally undertaken for his Glory exaltation of Religion next for the restauration of the ruins and preservation of the Commonwealth expell them and deliver them and us from most miserable and cruel Exaction and Subjection enjoy your Religion safety of Wife and Children Life Lands and Goods which all are in hazard through your folly and want of due Consideration Enter I beseech you into the Closet of your Conscience and like a wiseman weigh seriously the end of your actions and take advice of those that can instruct you and inform you better than your own private judgment can lead you unto Consider and read with attention and setled mind this Discourse Isend you that it may please God to set open your eyes and grant you a better mind From the Camp this instant Tuesday the sixt of March according to the New Computation I pray you send me the Papers Isend you assoon as your Honour shall read the same O Neale The Lord Barry answered him Nobly and Loyally upon which they fell upon his Lands and Vassals doing what mischief they were capable of acting And the better to credit their wicked cause the chief of them wrote a Letter to Pope Clement VIII slandering the Queen and her Government and so desired the Pope to send out a Bull or Excommunication and deprivation against her as Pius V. and Gregory XIII had done before The Paper it self runs thus Sanctissime Pater CUm superioribus annis Dei summi nutu et voluntate excitati ad recuperandum hoc Regnum ab Anglorum gravissimo jugo qui et Religionem et Regionem vi et Tyrannide multis seculis occupavere id nunc tandem post multa pericula extant lata pro majore parte excussimus sanctitati Vestrae exponimus quod prima nobis et praecipua fuit cura perpetuoque erit statum Ecclesiae hic fere extinctum in integrum restituere et collapsum redintegrare ita apud nos judicantes nostrarum partium esse vitam ipsam omnemque substantiam nostram in eo augendo impendere id quod libentiori animo praestare conamur ut non dicamus cogimur quia nisi tempestive communi malo in utroque statu occurserimus nobiscum deterius longe actum fuisset quam Turcae solent agere cum sibi subditis Christianis adeo ut vel fuga esset consolend vel hic mors obeunda Rebus itaque in angustias has redactis ad quem majore spe jureque accedere cujusque opem implorare possumus ac debemus quam ad Te Pater Spirituum in Terris ut filiis spiritualibus misere adhuc afflictis jugoque longe graviore crudeliore quam Pharaonico attritis adsis Quod nos speramus a pietate tua consecuturos exemplo omnium afflictorum qui ad Sedem tuam in talibus aerumnis accedentes opem atque desideratiorem exitum fuerunt consecuti Ad Te igitur communem omnium afflictorum praesertim fidei causa laborantium pium benevolum Patrem tanquam ad unicum nostrum Refugium tutissimum Asylum consugimus fusisque lachrimis humiliter petimus ut nostros gemitus audiat vota suscipiâ—t ac postulatus concedat ut eorum ora obstruantur franganturque vires qui oderunt Sion ac impediunt diruta Jerusalem denuo reaedificari moenia ubi fi nobis credere dignetur tua Sanctitas nunquam Antecessores nostri ex tempore quo Regnum hoc in manus Anglorum devenerat adjutores fuerant quam nos sumus ad fidem a nostro Apostolo Sancto Patricio traditam suscipiendam ad eamque proh dolor in his partibus fere extinctam hactenus pene sepultam excusso jam pro parte Anglorum jugo exsuscitandam promovendam augendam amplificandam quia nihil aliud in his votis habemus quam videre Dei gloriam et fidei Orthodoxae propugnationem Annuere itaque dignetur vestra Sanctitas nostris Petitionibus qui pretis honoribus commodis quibuscunque diem ulteriorem vivere non desideramus quam videre Dei Ecclesiam toto Orbe florentem Petimus autem imprimis ut ad majora fide incrementa illis sedibus vacantibus in hoc Regno ii qui vita moribus literatura praeficiantur quosque nobiscum Reverendissimus Corcagensis ac Cloanensis Episcopius nominavit ac commendavit tanquam Idonei Pastores ad Dei gregem verbo exemplo instruendum ne indignis qui sine Ordine fortasse summa cum Authoritate Ambitione sese animarum curae nisi ingererent nisi occurreretur aditus pateat Quod ut petamus movemur propter summam animarum jacturam quam ob Pastorum paucitatem in utraque Monioniae Provincia qui undecem Episcopatus sub Metropoli Cassilensi complectitur excipimus enim Reverend Corcagen Claoneum qui senio labore jam pene est confectus nostri potiuntur hoc eo confidentius petimus qui quod electi consecrati ad nos dimissi fuerunt a vestra Sacro sancta sede ad vacuas hiis in partibus sedes occupandas a nobis pro viribus iisdem Dei gratia defendantur ut gregibus sibi commissis tuto invigilare queant Insuper desideramus ut quemadmodum felicis Recordationis Pius Quintus Pont. Max. contra Reginam Angliae ejusque fautores Bullam Excommunicationis ediderat Nec non Gregorius XIII eandem continuaverat ac vim habere in bello Giraldinarum indicavit similem quoque sententiam ad hoc bellum promovendum ad felicem exitum deducendum Sanctitas vestra emittere dignetur ac generatim Sanctitati vestrae affectu quo possumus maximo Regnum hoc vestrum a te solo post Deum dependens nosque humiles tuos subditos una cum Procuratoribus praesentium latoribus quos pro nobis nostro nomine deputamus quique fuse veraciter omnia quae in hoc bello gessimus adjuti eorum opera doctrina viva voce aperient plenius Deprecantes ut sancta vestra indubiam illis fidem
for the University thither was he sent and entred into Baliol Colledg in Oxford but in what year I cannot tell In 1564 I meet * Lihb Matriâ— Antiq. Oxon. with three Parsons in that Colledg two of them Batchelors of Arts and one an Vndergraduat who comparing the time with the Customs of that Colledg must be this same Parsons In the year 1568 he was admitted Socius Sacerdos commonly call'd Chaplain-Fellow and so went into Holy Orders though but Batchelor of Arts. In the year 1573 he took his Degree of Master of Arts and in the next year viz. the 13 of February 1573 4 he resigned or quitted the Colledg But the manner how he left that place hath not hitherto been agreed to on all hands * A brief Apology fol. 193 194 c. himself to keep up his credit will tell a fair Tale and endeavour to lay some blots upon Dr. Bagshaw on the other side the * Answer to the brief Apol. p. 32 33 c. Doctor though a great Romanist undertakes to clear himself to confute Parsons his story and to render him faulty enough Seeing these were both then Fellows of that Colledg and both afterwards turn'd zealous Romanists yet Enemies and could understand this story best yet finding them in different Tales and so not willing more to believe than to dis-believe either I shall take the story from a third hand who was also Fellow of this Colledg and afterwards Arch-bishop of Canterbury but when he wrote this following Letter which I transcrib'd from the Original was Master or Head of University Colledg To my worshipful loving Friend Mr. Dr. Hussye at Mr. Haiden's House who dwelleth at the Sign of the Tunn in Watling-Street Give these YOV write unto me to know what is in record any way against Mr. Parsons and I return you here inclosed word for word so much as is in the Register of Baliol Colledg In the Resignation as you may see he had written Sponte coactus but now it is Sponte non coactus being blotted out and non being set * * Thus non et over Which I am deceived if it be be not alter'd by some body else of late in as much as I am verily perswaded that since my coming to the Colledg I have seen it Sponte coactus which although it carry a contradiction yet intimateth that he resigned against his will The particular reasons whereof no man can tell better than Dr. Turner now dwelling in Fetter-lane or Dr. * * In the Proctor's Book I find one Tho. Hyde proceeded Master of Arts the same year with Rob. Parsons viz. 1573. Hide of Sarum for as I take it they were both present at his Removing The causes and manner of his giving over as far as I could ever comprehend were these * * Christopher Bagshaw admitted Fellow 1572 let the Colledg 1582 was made Priest in France lived a while in the English Colledg at Rome proceeded Doctor some say at Padoa A. P. Reply p. 1â—6 others at Paris and was one of the Faculty at Sorboune He was active against the Arch. Priest in the stirrs at Wishich He lived to be very old Bagshaw being a smart young man and one who thought his penny good Silver after that he had his Grace to be Batchelor of Arts was with some despight swindged by Parsons being Dean of the Colledg Hoc manet altâ— mente repostum And Bagshaw afterward coming to be Fellow was most hot in prosecution against Parsons It was the more forwarded by Dr. Squire 's displeasure who was then Master of Baliol Colledg and thought himself to have been much bitten by vile Libels the Author whereof he conceived Parsons to be who in truth was a man at that time wonderfully given to scoffing and that with bitterness which also was the cause that none of the Company loved him Now Dr. Squire and Bagshaw being desirous of some occasion to trim him this fell out In the year 1572. Parsons had been Bourser and being joyn'd in Office with one Stanclit a very simple Fellow he took the advantage of the weakness of his Colleague and falsified the Reckonings much to the damage of the Colledg as also deeply polling the Commoners Names whereof there was store in the Colledg and withall not sparing his own Scholars By all which means it was thought that he had purloin'd One hundred Marks His Office expiring at St. Luke ' s Tide there were some that between that and February 1573. scanned over the Books being moved thereto by the secret Complaints of some of the Commoners their Scholars and finding it apparent as also being now certified that he was a Bastard whereas it is the first quality there required by Statute That every Fellow should be Legitimo Thoro natus they proceeded to have his Expulsion solemnly Where by the way you may add that Parsons was not of the best fame concerning * * Dr. Sutclyf's Blessings on Mount Gerizzim pag. 288. Incontinency as I have heard some say who lived in Oxon at that time but whether that were then objected against him I have not heard Parsons being put to this push in the Colledg Chappel and ways sufficient concurring to expel him and in truth no man standing for him maketh humble request That he might be suffered to resign which with some a-do was yeelded to him and then he wrote as you have here inclosed Afterwards before the Assembly broke up he entreated that his giving over might he conceal'd by reason that it would be disgraceful unto him with all men but especially with his Scholars and their Friends and for these causes humbly prayed That he might keep his Scholars Chamber c. and be reputed as a Fellow in the House the matter being concealed from all the Boys and the younger sort in the House which then in words was yeelded unto and that other Decree which now you see razed was enacted for the time but afterward was soon crossed as you may behold And soon after their coming out of the Chappel by Bagshaw's means a Peal of Bells was rung at Magdalen Parish-Church being the Parish wherein Balliol Colledg standeth the reason of which ringing as it was imparted to some few to be to ring out Mr. Parsons so generally it was not known to the world or in the Colledg which gave occasion to this farther jest When Parsons was expell'd he was one of the Deans of the Colledg and so by his Place was to keep Corrections in the Hall on the Saturdays The next time therefore of Corrections which was the day of Parsons his Expulsion or soon after Dr. Squire causeth Parsons to go into the Hall as Dean and to call the Book and Roll c. and then cometh Dr. Squire himself in and as if it had been in kindness to countenance him but in truth more profoundly to deride him he calleth him at every word Mr. Dean and desireth him often to
power to absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof Which I acknowledg by good and full Authority to be lawfully ministred unto me And do renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledg and swear according by these express words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words without any equivocation or mental evasion or secret reservation whatsoever And I do make this Recognition and Acknowledgment heartily willingly and truly upon the true Faith of a Christian So help me God A. B. Unto which Oath so taken the said person shall subscribe his or her Name or Mark. King James doubted not but that all honest and good Subjects would Apol. for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 49 50 51. submit to this Oath Because as he said that he that shall refuse to take this Oath must of necessity â—old all or some of these Propositions following I. That I King James am not the lawful King of this Kingdom and of all other my Dominions II. That the Pope by his own Authority may depose me if not by his own Authority yet by some other Authority of the Church or of the See of Rome If not by some other Authority of the Church and See of Rome yet by other means with others help he may Depose me III. That the Pope may dispose of my Kingdoms and Dominions IV. That the Pope may give Authority to some Forreign Prince to invade my Dominions V. That the Pope may discharge my Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to me VI. That the Pope may give license to one or more of my Subjects to bear Arms against me VII That the Pope may give leave to my Subjects to offer violence to my Person or to my Government or to some of my Subjects VIII That if the Pope shall by Sentence excommunicate or depose me my Subjects are not to bear Faith and Allegiance to me IX If the Pope shall by Sentence Excommunicate or Depose me my Subjects are not bound to defend with all their power my Person and Crown X. If the Pope shall give out any Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation against me my Subjects by reason of that Sentence are not bound to reveal all Conspiracies and Treasons against me which shall come to their hearing and knowledg XI That it is not Heretical and Diabolical to hold That Prinees being Excommunicated by the Pope may be either Deposed or Killed by their Subjects or any other XII That the Pope hath Power to absolve my Subjects from this Oath or from some part thereof XIII That this Oath is not administred to my Subjects by a full and lawful Authority XIV That this Oath is to be taken with Equivocation Mental Evasion or secret Reservation and not with the Heart and good will sincerely in the true Faith of a Christian man Now whether there was just cause for drawing up and imposing of such an Oath King James can tell you best himself And first that the Romanists had no reason to contrive his ruin he declares at large in these words But now having sacrificed if I may so say to the Manes of my late Apol. for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 18 19 20. Predecessor Q. Elizabeth whose Government and Moderation he vindicates I may next with St. Paul justly vindicate my own Fame from those innumerable Calumnies spread against me in testifying the truth of my Behaviour toward the Papists Wherein I may truly affirm That whatsoever was her just and merciful Government over the Papists in her time my Government over them since hath so far exceeded hers in Mercy and Clemency as not only the Papists themselves grew to that height of pride in confidence of my mildness as they did directly expect and assuredly promise to themselves Liberty of Conscience and equality with others of my Subjects in all things but even a number of the best and faithfullest of my said Subjects were cast in great fear and amazement of my Course and Proceedings ever prognosticating and justly suspecting that sowr fruit to come of it which shew'd it self clearly in the Powder-Treason How many did I honour with Knighthood of known and open Recusants How indifferently did I give Audience and Access to both sides bestowing equally all Favours and Honours on both Professions How free and continual Access had all Ranks and Degrees of Papists in my Court and Company And above all How frankly and freely did I free Recusants of their ordinary Payments Besides it is evident what strait Order was given out of my own mouth to the Judg to spare the execution of all Priests notwithstanding their conviction joining thereunto a gracious Proclamation whereby all Priests that were at liberty and not taken might go out of the Countrey by such a day my General Pardon having been extended to all Convicted Priests in Prison whereupon they were set at liberty as good Subjects and all Priests that were taken after sent over and set at liberty there But time and paper will fail me to make enumeration of all the benefits and favours that I bestowed in general and particular upon Papists in recounting whereof every scrape of my Pen would serve but for a blot of the Pope's Ingratitude and Injustice in meteing me with so hard a measure for the same Yet for all these Favours His Majesty in another place tells us That The never-enough wondred at and abhorred POWDER-TREASON Monitory Preface to all Christian Monarchs p. 6 7 8 9. though the Repetition thereef grieveth I know the gentle-hearted Jesuit * His Majesty alludes to Parsons Letter against his Book call'd The judgment of a Catholick English man p. 6. §. 10. Parsons This Treason I say being not only intended against me and my Posterity but even against the whole House of Parliament plotted only by Papists and they only led thereto by a preposterous zeal for the advancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that even at their death they would not acknowledg their Fault but in their last words immediately before the expiring of their breath refused to condemn themselves and crave Pardon for their Deed except the Romish Church should first condemn it And soon after it being discovered that a great number of my Popish Subjects of all Ranks and Sexes both Men and Women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused Notion and an obscure Knowledg that some great thing was to be done in that Parliament for the Weal of the Church although for Secrecy's cause they were not acquainted with the Particulars certain Forms of Prayer having likewise been set down and used for the good success of that Great Errand Adding hereunto That divers times and from divers Priests the Arch-Traytors themselves received the Sacrament for confirmation of their Heart and observation of Secresie Some of the principal Jesuits likewise being found
guilty of the foreknowledg of the Treason it self of which number some fled from their Trial others were apprehended as Holy Garnet himself and Oldcorn were and justly executed upon their own plain Confession of Guilt If this Treason now clad with these Circumstances did not minister a just occasion to that Parliament House whom they thought to have destroyed couragiously and zealously at their next sitting down to use all means of Trial Whether any more of that Mind were yet left in the Countrey I leave it to you i. e. the Emperors Kings and Princes to judg whom God hath appointed his highest Deputy-Judges upon Earth And amongst other things for this purpose this Oath of Allegiance so unjustly impugned was then devised and enacted And in case any sharper Laws were then made against the Papists that were not obedient to the former Laws of the Countrey if ye will consider the Time Place and Persons it will be thought no wonder seeing that Occasion did so justly exasperate them to make severer Laws than otherwise they would have done The Time I say being the very next sitting of the Parliament after the Discovery of that Abominable Treason The Place being the same where they should all have been blown up and so bringing it freshly to their memory again The Persons being those very Parliament-men whom they thought to have destroyed And yet so far hath both my Heart and Government been from any bitterness as almost never one of those sharp Additions to the former Laws have ever yet been put in execution And that ye may yet know further for the more convincing these Libellers of wilful Malice who impudently affirm That this Oath of Allegiance was devised for deciving and intrapping of Papists in points of Conscience The truth is That the Lower-House of Parliament at the first framing of this Oath made it contain That the Pope had no power to excommunicate Me which I caused them to reform only making it to conclude That no Excommunication of the Pope's can warrant my Subjects to practise against My Person or State Denying the Deposition of Kings to be in the Pope's Lawful Power As indeed I take any such Temporal Violence to be far without the limits of such a Spiritual Censure as Excommunication is So careful was I that nothing should be contain'd in this Oath except the Profession of Natural Allegiance and Civil and Temporal Obedience with a Promise to resist all contrary Vncivil Violence This Oath now grounded upon so great and just occasion set forth in so reasonable Terms and ordain'd only for making of a true distinction between Papists of Quiet disposition and in all other things good Subjects and such other Papists as in their hearts maintained the like violent bloody Maximes that the Powder-Traytors did And in another place His Majesty tells us to the same purpose viz. That this Oath Was framed to be taken by my Subjects whereby they should make Apol. for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 3 4. clear Profession of their Resolution faithfully to persist in Obedience unto me according to their Natural Allegiance To this end that I might hereby make a separation not only between all my good Subjects in general and unfaithful Traytors that intended to withdraw themselves from my obedience but especially to make a separation between so many of my Subjects who although they were otherwise Popishly affected yet retain'd in their hearts the print of their natural Duty to their Soveraign And those who being carried away with the like Fanatick Zeal that the Powder-Traytors were could not contain themselves within the bounds of their Natural Allegiance but thought diversity of Religion a safe pretext for all kind of Treasons and Rebellions against their Soveraign Which godly and wise intent God did bless with success accordingly For many of my Subjects that were Popishly affected as well Priests as Layicks did freely take the same Oath whereby they gave me occasion to think the better of their fidelity and likewise freed themselves of that heavy slander that although they were fellow-Professors of one Religion with the Powder-Traytors yet were not joined with them in Treasonable Courses against their Soveraign Whereby all quietly-minded Papists were put out of despair and I gave a good proof that I intended no Persecution against them for Conscience Cause but only desired to be secured of them for Civil Obedience which for Conscience Cause they were bound to perform But the Devil could not have devised a more malicious trick for intetrupting this so Calm and Clement a course than fell out by the sending hither and publishing a Breve of the Popes countermanding all them of his Profession to take this Oath thereby sowing new seeds of Jealousie between me and my Popish Subjects by stirring them up to disobey that Lawful Commandment of their Soveraign which was ordain'd to be taken of them as a pledg of their fidelity His Majesty here alludes to Pope Paul V. who upon the coming out of this Oath sends out a Bull or Breve against it forbidding any of the Romanists to take the said Oath The manner of their procuring and how the English-Romanists in this juncture behaved themselves take as followeth No sooner was the Oath and Act of Parliament published but there Vid. Rog. Widdrington's Theological Disputation Epist Dedicat to Pope Paul V. §. 6. was a great and long Consultation held at London by the Priests assisted by Mr. * Whose Title ran thus George Blackwell by the grace of God and the Ordinance of the Sea Apostolick Arch. Priest of England George Blackwell their Arch-Priest what they and their Friends ought to do in this case At last Blackwell did conclude that this Oath according to the plain and common understanding of the words might with a safe Conscience be taken by the Romanists and with him agreed a greater part of the Priests who went then to London to assist at this Consultation But this Compliance was opposed by certain Jesuits and some other Priests from whence arose all the stir and controversie which afterwards made Divisions amongst them concerning the taking of this Oath Nor is the Dispute yet ended The Jesuits and their Faction resolving not to be bafled would carry the business with a high hand to which purpose they threatned to procure a Breve from the Pope to hinder the taking of the said Oath Blackwell and his party fearing the worst with all haste dispatched a Letter to Mr. Nicholas Fitzherbert an English Priest then flourishing in Rome fully relating to him how the case stood amongst them earnestly desiring him to deal effectually with some Cardinals that the Pope might be perswaded not to send over any Breves against the taking of the said Oath which would but encrease their Trouble and render the Divisions wider But it seems the Jesuits were too quick and powerful for the other Priests for their Letter came too late and to no purpose it being determined
at Rome that a Breve should be drawn up and sent the main Procurers of which were supposed to be Cardinal Bellarmine and Father Parsons the later of whom as a fore-runner of the Breves sent a Letter into England part of which take as followeth About some four or five Months ago it was consulted by seven or eight Id. cap. 10. Sect. 2. §. 53. 54 55 56. of the Learned'st Divines that could be chosen to give their judgment of it i. e. the Oath Their Reasons are many but all reduced to this That the Pope's Authority in chastising Princes upon a just Cause is de fide and consequently cannot be denied when it is call'd into controversie without denying of our Faith nor that the Pope or any other Authority can dispence in this For if the Question were de facto and not de jure to wit Whether the Pope might justly in this or that occasion Excommunicate or Depose this or that Prince upon these or these causes or whether precedent Popes have done well therein or no Then might some of these Reasons which you say your Friends do alledg be admitted into Consideration to wit Whether it could be in aedificationem or destructionem do hurt or good be profitable or improfitable or Whether the Causes be sufficient or no for without cause none holdeth that the Pope may depose Or Whether the due form of Admonition touched in your Letters were observed But forasmuch as the Question is de Potestate of the See-Apostolick Power What it may do upon any Cause or against any Catholick Prince whatsoever these Considerations of temporal hurt cannot enter Besides these I have conferred the matter with Cardinal Bellarmine and sundry others of great Learning and Conscience and all are of one opinion in this case That the form of the Oath as it lieth is Heretical and no way may be admitted by him that will not deny the Catholick Faith I had occasion twice to speak with his Holiness the first in company of Mr. * Kinsmanto the former Nic. Fitzherbert Thomas Fitzherbert where we proposed certain manners of Mitigation suggested by Friends c. Whereto his Holiness answered That as for any Actual using Censures against his Majesty he meant not but rather all Courtesie But as for the Authority of the See-Apostolick to wit using of Censures he was resolved and would rather lose his Head than yeeld one jot The second He being informed that some Priests did seem to incline to the taking of the Oath He answered He could not hold them for Catholicks c. Thus we see how the Plot was carried and how zealous the Pope and his Assistants were against the taking of this Oath as if it were enough to overthrow their whole Religion Though King James did assure them and the World That no decision of any one point of Religion was intended in this Oath For saith he as for the Catholick Faith Can there be one word found Apol. for the Oath pag. 63 in all that Oath tending or sounding to matter of Religion Doth he that takoth it promise there to believe or not to believe any Article of Religion Or doth he so much as name a true or a false Church there And as for St. Peter's Primacy I know no Apostle's Name that is therein named except the Name of JAMES it being my Christian Name Neither is there any mention at all made therein either disertis verbis or by any other indirect means either of the Hierarchy of the Church of St. Peter ' s Succession of the See Apostolick or of any such matter But however as if this Oath quite overthrew the Roman Religion and rendred the Pope no more powerful than his Predecessors were in the first Three hundred years out comes a Breve from his Holiness right or wrong expresly commanding the English not to take the said Oath upon any means whatever Part of which take as followeth Dilecti filii Salutem Apostolicam Benedictionem MAgno animi moerore Nos semper affecerunt Tribulationes Calamitates quas pro retinenda Catholica fide jugiter sustinuistis Sed cum intelligamus omnia hoc tempore magis exacerbari Afflictio nostra mirum in modum aucta est c. Non potestis absque evidentissima gravissimaque Divini honoris injuria obligare vos Juramento quod similiter maximo cum Cordis nostri dolore audivimus propositum vobis fuisse praestandum infra scripti tenoris viz. Ego A. B. c. Here was inserted the Oath it self Quae cum ita sint vobis ex verbis ipsis perspicuum esse debet quod hujusmodi Juramentum salva fide Catholica salute animarum vestiarum prastari non potest cum mulâ—a contineat quae fidei saluti aperte adversantur Propterea admonemus vos ut ab hoc atque similibus Juramentis praestandis omnino Caveatis Quod quidem eo acrius exigimus a vobis quia experti vestrae fidei Constantiam quae tanquam aurum in fornace perpetuae Tribulationis igne probata est Pro comperto habemus vos alacri animo subituros esse quaecunque atrociora Tormenta ac mortem denique ipsam constanter oppetituros potius quam Dei Majestatem ulla in re laedatis c. Praecipimus vobis ut illarum Literarum verba ad amussim servetis simpliciter prout sonant jacent accipiatis intelligatis sublata omni facultate aliter illa interpretandi c. Datum Romae apud S. Marcum sub Annulo Piscatoris x. Kal. Octob. 1606 Pontificatus nostri Anno secundo Dearly beloved Sons Greeting and Aposiolical Benediction THE Tribulations and Calamities which you have continually sustained for the keeping of the Catholique Faith hath always afflicted us with great grief of mind But for as much as we understand that at this time all things are more grievous our Affliction hereby is wonderfully encreased c. You cannot without most evident and grievous wronging of God's Honour bind your selves by the Oath which in like manner we have heard with very great grief of Heart is administred unto you of the tenor following viz. I A. B. c. Which things since they are thus it must evidently appear to you that such an Oath cannot be taken without wrong to the Catholick Faith and the salvation of your souls seeing it contains many things plainly contrary to Faith and Salvation Wherefore we admonish you That you do utterly abstain from taking this and the like Oaths Which thing we do the more earnestly require of you because we have experience of the constancy of your Faith which is tried like Gold in the fire of perpetual Tribulation We do well know that you will cheerfully undergo all kind of cruel Torments whatsoever yea and constantly endure Death it self rather than you will in any thing offend the Majesty of God c. We command you That you do exactly observe the words of those Letters and
end if it had not been by the instigation of their zealous Priests and Jesuits though born Subjects such as were Father Archer White Ractor Mulrony Leinagh c. Mahonne O Dullany a Priest Edward Raghter a Dominican A Continuation OF THE HISTORY OF THE Romish Treasons AND USURPATIONS BOOK X. CHAP. I. Divers Plots against Queen Elizabeth and King James Rawleigh's Designs against King James The Life of Father Parsons THIS Century might afford us several dismall Contrivances against the Crown and Prosperity of Great Britain but of some I shall but slightly touch as being commonly known and in others I must not be too critical and open lest I should offend against Sir Walter Rawleigh's Prudential Rule Not to follow Truth too near the heels lest she should kick back and strike out my Teeth And here I might speak at large of the several Designs as well of Puritan as Papist to hinder King James from his true succession to the Crown of England as sometimes endeavouring to make him odious to Queen Elizabeth to prevent her declaring for him as by telling her of the King's intimacy with Clement VIII which they endeavoured to year 1599 make out to her by a Letter of his to the said Bishop a thing had it been true might not have deserved such a Censure as Deprivation seeing the Pope may be as civilly treated with as other Potentates a thing not to be denied by any but an Impertinent Puritan or an Irrational Enthusiastick But they hoped that her Jealousie of Religion augmented by her Age and some Expressions in the Letter might perswade her to make Mountains of Mole-hills and in such a pet to declare some other to the Crown which as some hoped might have brought such troubles upon the Kingdom that in the hurry a Romanist might have slipt himself into the Throne to which so many pretended But she was too wise to be cheated by such Toys presently she perceiving the drift she suspected the cheat And a meer forgery it was in respect of King James though his knavish Secretary Balmerinoch * Propenderet animo ad Religionem Romanam Rob. Johnston Hist Rerum Brit. p. 448. one warping towards Popery had given some ground for such a story For he by the Instigation of his Kinsman Sir Edward Drummond a Romanist had penn'd a Letter to the said Clement VIII in favour of the Bishop of Vaison a Scotch-man for his preferment to a Cardinalship which by shuffling in among other Letters to be signed the King had hastily a dangerous oversight where are knavish Secretaries set his hand to the other sealing it with the Royal Signet entrusted to him by his Office Queen Elizabeth by the by challenged King James with this But he protested his Innocency by denying any such thing so did James Elphingston Lord Balmerinoch who also got Drummond to forswear it Raleigh and other Enemies to the Scotch Title could then proceed no farther though they had used such Interest at Rome as to get a Copy of it which they shew'd to the Queen as the Original and she to Mr. David Foulis the King's Agent who satisfied her Majesty by proving to her by the Testimony of her Stationers that the Date of the Letter was older than the stamp or mark of the Paper whereby it could not be the Original and so might be a Cheat as well as a Copy But afterwards * Mat. Tort. pag. 47. 1608 1609. Bellarmine retorting this Letter to the King Balmerinoch was farther examined and tried who confest all was condemned of Treason and as a Traytor to be beheaded but by Queen Ann's Intercession was pardoned A man he was of good Parts but especially knew how to filch pilfer and embezel Church-Lands and if it should be possible for a covetous man as he was to be honest yet 't is certain that he who robs God and the Church can never be a Friend to the King but for his own Interest Queen Elizabeth is now old and weak cannot live long so 't is needless to attempt any more against her Person whose death they daily expected and it might anticipate their quickest Designs No man's right and succession to the Crown is so much fear'd as that of King James and therefore to prevent Him must be the main Care and Contrivance There was one Francis Mawbray Son to the Laird of Barnebowgall who had lived some while in the Infanta's Court at Bruxels he they year 1601 say undertook to take this rub out out of the way by killing the King to which purpose he intends for Scotland but taketh England in his way At London one Daniel an Italian Fencing-Master discovers the Plot to the Queen she for a further trial hath them both seiz'd on and sent into Scotland Mawbry supposed guilty is cast into Edenburgh Castle whence thinking one night to escape out of a Window by his Bed-sheets which proving too short he fell upon the Rocks and so dyed his Body was hang'd for some time then quartered and fixt upon the Gates and several places of the City This failing another Design is in hand In Italy Ferdinando I. the Grand Duke of Tuscany by the intercepting of some Letters discovereth a Plot to take away King James his Life by Poyson The Duke who had formerly been a Cardinal moved with the Fame of the King's Learning and Virtue and it may be had some hopes of his Conversion upon the former false Letters resolved to discover and prevent it At this time Mr. Henry Wotton sojourned in Florence and was well acquainted year 1602 with Signior Vietta the Duke's Secretary upon whose Commendations Wotton is pitched on to be the Messenger The Letters and excellent Antidotes against Poyson such as were not then known in Scotland were delivered to him who disguised under an Italian Garb and Name of Octavio Baldi hasteth to Scotland cometh to the King discovereth himself and the Conspiracy and after some stay returneth to Florence He was afterwards Knighted by King James and famous for his Learning Languages and Embassies In these Designs against the King's right to the Throne Pope Clement VIII was not wanting who intended the Crown for some of his Friends Card. D'Ossat Let. 191. 268. 272. And perceiving that some in England were tampering to promote the Interest of the Lady Arabella in this case he thought it best to deal warily He had a mind that the Duke of Parma should enjoy the Crown but this upon better thoughts he supposed would not be feasible by reason that Arabella's Interest might be too strong And therefore Parma being married he casts another way about and thinks upon Cardinal Farnese younger Brother to Parma who being unmarried might be wedded to Arabella and so did not question by their joint Forces and Interests to carry the Crown To carry on this business nothing was thought more convenient than to unite all the Romanists in England that their Cause might not suffer by any dissentions amongst
themselves about this Succession And seeing Experience had told them That their Clergy had a great awe and authority over the Laity so it was best then to have all their Clergy to be of the same mind and to prosecute the same Ends and they hoped that their Laity would not then be divided To which purpose they conclude of an Arch-Priest who should have a Jurisdiction over the rest who were to act according to his Rules and Instructions And in these Designs Father Parsons was a main Stickler and Contriver the Pope also had drawn up some Bulls and sent to his Nuncio in the Netherlands to divulge and spread them abroad at convenient time wherein he declared That not any though never so near in * Quantum cunque propinquitate sanguinis niterentur nisi ejusmodi essent qui fidem Catholicam non modo tolerarent sed omni ope ac studio promoverent more Majorum jurejurando se id praestituros susciperent c. Bull. Clement VIII blood should after Q. Elizabeths death be admitted to the Crown but such an one as would not only tolerate the Roman Religion but would swear to promote and resettle it and that in the mean time Cardinal Farnese might in this Island have the greater Vogue the Pope made him Protector of England as he was of other Countreys Nay rather than fail the same Pope had * 1597. D'Ossat Let. 87. formerly exhorted the French and Spaniard to unite invade England and divide it between them Nor did they neglect to instigate the Family of the Pools to have a right Yet for all these Attempts and other Endeavours of the Jesuits Winter Desmond and such like who plotted His Exclusion upon the death of the Virgin Queen Elizabeth he was proclaimed and received as the undoubted King James I. of England but of Scotland VI. However no sooner is he set in the Throne but an odd medley-Plot is agitated against him composed of such variety of Religions and Interests that it seemed to puzzel the World that such a wise man as Raleigh should be in it but that they knew Discontent would thrust a daring Spirit upon any thing to satisfie it self The main Ingredients of this Conspiracy were Henry Brook Lord Cobham seem'd to be Protestants George Brook his Brother Thomas Lord Gray of Wilton a Rank Puritan William Watson the Author of the Quodlibets where he rants dapperly against the Jesuits for their Treasons and Plots Romish Priests William Clark who had writ against Father Parsons for the same Crimes Sir Griffin Markham a Zealous Romanist Sir Walter Raleigh a States-man and Soldier and troubled with no more Religion than would serve his Interest and turn Count Arembergh Ambassador from the Arch-Duke of Austria Zealous Romanists Matthew de Lawrencie a Merchant but an Instrument employed by Arembergh And some other such like Their Designs were To set the Crown on the Lady Arabella or to seize on the King and make him grant their desires and a Pardon To have a Toleration of Religion To procure Aid and Assistance from Forreign Princes To turn out of the Court such as they disliked and place themselves in Offices Watson to be Lord Chancellor George Brook Lord Treasurer Sir Griffin Markham Secretary of State Lord Gray Master of the Horse and Earl-Marshal of England For more security Watson draweth up an Oath of Secrecy But all is discovered they are seiz'd on examined and tryed The two Priests plead James is not King because not then Crown'd But that excuse is declared idle most of them are found guilty and condemned Watson Clark and George Brook were executed the rest reprieved Gray dyed in the Tower the last of his Line Raleigh was beheaded 1618. the rest discharged of Imprisonment but dyed miserably poor Markham and some others abroad but Cobham as we are * Oshorn's Traditional Memoires of K. James p. 12 told in a Room ascended by a Ladder at a poor Womans House in the Minories formerly his Landress dyed rather of Hunger than a natural Disease I need not here speak how their * Respons ad Edictum Reg. § â—6 Card. Allen's Answer to the Execut. of Justice p. 185. Priests endeavoured to amuse the people with what Troubles there would be at the death of Elizabeth nor how to alienate the Crown they published to stir up many Titles and Pretenders divers Pamphlets as Lesley Heghington Creswell Crag a Scotch Jesuit but his Book was burnt and never printed And we are told That the Jesuits were entreated to * Is Casaubon Epist ad Front Ducaum assist in this Plot but they desired to be excused as having another Design in their thoughts which some think was meant of the Gun-powder-Treason And to all these Contrivances Father Parsons was no bad wisher OF this Parsons seeing he then made such a noise in the world and § 11. § is by those of his Order commended as one of the most holy men of his time whilst others though Romanists will look upon him no otherwise than the greatest Villain then living in the world I shall say something here the better to inform Posterity 'T is true the Industrious Dr. Thomas James almost LX. years ago undertook to write his Life and therein to set down nothing but what the Priests and Romanists themselves writ of him which accordingly he did but it containing more of Satyre than History I shall make little or no use of that Collection now so rarely to be met with for they were all bought up by the Jesuits themselves it is call'd THE JESVITS DOWNF ALL. Some Romanists have boldly asserted Parsons to have been a Bastard begotten by the Parson of the Town Stockgursee in Somersetshire and therefore call'd Parsons though they say his right name was * Or Cubhuck A. P. A Reply to a Libel call'd A brief Apol. p. 324. Cowback and this hath been in a manner generally believed But to do him what right I can I shall not be unwilling to allow here some mistakes as to the place and though upon enquiry I am informed that those Parish-Records are now lost whereby I cannot satisfie my self as well as Manifestation of folly f. 89 I would yet I shall in part be guided herein by himself and other Enquiries He was born at Nether-Stowey in Somersetshire a Vicarage in the year 1546. His Father a Blacksmith was once an Enemy to Rome but was as they say reconciled to that Church by Alexander Briant who was executed and his Mother dyed at London in the same perswasion They had XI Children this Father Parsons being the middlemost He was Dr. Sutclyf's Blessing on Mount Gerizzin p. 220 288. instructed in the Latin Tongue by John Hayward or Haywood once a Monk or Canon-Regular of the Abbey of Torr who came out of Devonshire to be Vicar of Stowey he was held a notable Twinger and suspected as kind enough with Parsons Mother lying at her House Thus fitted
some accusing Dr. James his Jesuits downfall him of Forgery Cheating Cozenage Corrupting of Registers and Records Robbing of Libraries and many other such like Crimes which may be found in the Writings of the Romish Priests themselves Besides those Books mentioned by Pits Ribadeneira or Alegambae he hath writ several others as Leicester's Commonwealth which was then by some jeeringly call'd Green-Coat because it was then commonly spread abroad in Green Covers It was a Book full of railing yet the Earl was bad enough A Memorial for Reformation or a Memorial or Remembrance for them that shall live when Catholique Religion shall be restored into England And this is its true Title though some do commonly call it The High Council of Reformation for England c. It is a Book that Parsons Manifestation of folly cap. 5. saith he was almost twenty years in compiling It was never printed Parsons being very cautious of having of it seen the design of it was to find fault with former Laws and Governments all which he undertook to alter and mend Some Romanists have found fault with him as if in it he designed to run down all other Orders and to advance the Jesuits But Parsons undertakes to vindicate himself In short somewhat to understand the Design take the Division of the Book thus This Book had Three Parts 1. The whole Body of the Realm jointly which consisteth of Ten Chapters 2. The Clergy containing The Clergy in general Then Bishops Priests Religious men Churches Schools and Universities particularly having Seven Chapters 3. The Temporality or Laity containing Prince with his Council Nobility and Gentry Commons all of inferior rank as Husbandmen Servants c. Inns of Court Law containing Five Chapters He wrote it in the * Lor di Banco Bizzarrie Politiche pag. 27. 28. English Tongue as one saith and if any where to be seen probably in the English Colledg at Rome And I suppose it is the same which * Parson 's Three Conversions of Eugl. Part â— Vol. 2. pag. 396. himself once quoteth with his Latin Title De Reformatione Ecclesiae Anglicanae per aliquot Capita He * Id. Part. 3. Vol. 1. pag. 321 351 369 several times mentions his Writings in Certamen Ecclesiae Anglicanae by which Book is meant Concertatio Ecclesiae Catholicae in Anglia in which he concludes the First Part The Second Part was for the most part writ by Gibbons and Fenn which was gathered together and published by John Bridgman a Jesuit There is in Baliol Colledg-Library a thick Quarto Manuscript call'd Controversiae nostri Temporis in Epitomen reductae It was given to that Colledg by John Bayly Doctor in Divinity formerly Fellow of Exeter Colledg There was also one John Bayly who succeeded Christopher Bagshaw in his Fellowship of Baliol Colledg 1582 but whether related to the former Bayly I know not This Dr. Bayly was eldest Son to Lewis Bayly Lord Bishop of Bangor the Book as much as I can gather by comparing is all writ with Parons his own hand and the Learned * Censura lib. Apocryp Praelect 2 Coll. 22. Dr. John Reynolds saith Parsons was the Author of it I have heard it also said that he wrote a little Book De Sacra Scriptura and that it was in the foresaid Library but upon search I find no such thing there and may suppose it a mistake the former Manuscript at the beginning treating of that Subject He scarce put his Name to any of his Books but for the most part insignificant and impertinent Letters sometimes false Names as John Howlet * W. C. Reply fol. 73. a. Perneus Doleman and such like And thus much for Parsons whom as good * Rob. Abbâ—t Antilog fol. 14. â— Authority tells us Pope Clement VIII call'd Knave the Jesuit Fitzherbert looked upon as an Exact Hypocrite the Secular Priests as the worst of Villains and whose Doctrine and Actions against his own Soveraign and Countrey were notoriously bad In short He was born 1546 or 1547 Admitted Fellow of Baliol Colledg 1568 Was Master of Arts 1573 Left the Colledg 1571 4 Studied Law and Physick in Italy 1574 Admitted Jesuit at Rome 1575 Return'd into England with Campion but made haste out again 1580 Made Rector of the English Colledg at Rome 1587 Return'd from Spain to Rome some say in hopes of a Cardinal's Cap 1597 Dyed at Rome and is honour'd in the Cell with a long and noble Epitaph 1610 CHAP. II. I. The Gunpowder-Treason II. The Life of Father Garnet with the story of his Straw THE Narrative of this Conspiracy commonly call'd the Gunpowder-Treason being generally known and related at large as well by Forreigners as Natives I shall be the shorter in it year 1605 The sum of it take thus A Club of Romanists vext that a Toleration was not granted resolved to resettle their Religion by the ruin of the King and Kingdom To this end many Plots had been contrived against Queen Elizabeth and King James But they failing a more desperate is pitch'd on and this was With one Blow to destroy King Queen Princes Bishops Nobles and Commons who were not of their Perswasion This is concluded feasible by blowing up the Parliament-House where they or their Representees meet To this purpose Piercy hireth an House adjoining intending by that means to undermine it which Mine being stuft with Gunpowder and other Materials would not fail of Execution But first they take an Oath of Secrecy in an House behind St. Clements Church without Temple-Barr The OATH You shall swear by the Blessed Trinity and by the Sacrament you now purpose to receive Never to disclose directly or indirectly by word or circumstance the matter that shall be proposed to you to keep secret nor desist from the Execution thereof until the rest shall give you leave This done they went into a more private Chamber heard Mass and received the Sacrament from one William Gerard. In short To work they fall and in some time had wrought under a little Entry to the Wall of the Parliament-House under-propping it with Wood as they proceeded But at last occasion offering it self they hired a Convenient Cellar just under the House into which they conveyed Thirty six Barrels of Powder over which they laid a Thousand Billets and Five hundred Fagots with some Stones and Iron Barrs Things thus fitted they expect the day of the Parliaments sitting which from time to time had been put off till the Fifth of November In the mean time they consult how to seise on the Prince Henry if he should not be at the House As for Charles Duke of York after King Charles the Martyr Piercy undertook to surprise him whom with his Brother Henry they resolve to dispatch out of the World yet the better to bring their Ends about they thought good to center their hopes in one of the Royal Blood and this must be the Lady Elizabeth afterwards married to the Palsgrave whom they
would bring up and marry according to their Interests thinking thereby also to oblige many of the Nobility to their Cause upon hopes of having her to Wife and with her the Crown She was now at Comb the Lord Harrington's House in Warwich-shire where to secure her they contrived a great Hunting-Match to be the Sixth of November on Dunsmore-Heath under which pretence many Romanists would meet well Appointed and surprise her by force As for a present supply of Moneys Sir Everard Digby promised Fifteen hundred pounds Mr. Francis Tresham Two thousand pounds and Piercy all that he could get of the Earl of Northumberland his Kinsman his Rents which was about Four thousand pounds They also contrived how to keep the Slander of such a Villany from themselves and Religion so determined to throw the Crime upon the Puritans a sort of people bad enough of themselves that we need not load them with other mens Faults by declaring them to be the Traytors who blew up the Parliament To carry on which false report they had framed a Proclamation which they had got printed and ready for publishing upon the Sign given which they supprest and burnt upon the discovery though some of them by chance came to view and were seen and read by Dr. Parker Dean of Lincoln Sir W. Ellis Recorder of the said City and other persons And the better also to get the same Credit with the people Keys Brother-in-law to Mr. Pickering had a few days before either borrowed or bought the swift Horse well known in London and thereabouts of Mr. Pickering of Tichmarch-grove in Northamptonshire a noted Puritan whom they also designed to kill upon which Faux having fired the Match and Touchwood leading to the Train was to escape as they bore him in hand but their design was to kill him at his taking Horse for Pickering's Man which the people would easily believe seeing the Horse so well known to them and the multitude once perswaded of this would be more facil to joyn with them under notion of doing Justice upon such supposed Traytors and Wretches They also consult how to keep the Romish Lords from going that day to Parliament the better to strengthen their Cause by their preservation But in the height of all their hopes and expectations a discovery is made thus Some of them supposed by Monteagle to be Piercy but Bishop * Ans to Sir Ant. Weldons Court of K. James pag. 73 M. S. Goodman saith it was Tresham who wrote the Letter having a great affection to the said Lord Monteagle Son and Heir to the Lord Morley had a mind to preserve him also from the intended slaughter So one Evening a Letter sealed is delivered in the Street the Strand by an unknown Fellow to one of the Lord's Foot-men charging him to deliver it with care to his Lord. Monteagle opens it finds it without Date or Subscription writ with a very bad hand and in a stile he knew not what to make of thus My Lord OVT of the love I bear to some of your Friends I have a care of your Preservation therefore I would advise you as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance this Parliament For God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time And think not slightly of this Advertisement but retire your self into your Countrey where you may expect the Event in safety For though there be no appearance of any stir yet I say they shall receive a Terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurts them This Counsel is not to be contemned because it may do you good and can do you no harm for the Danger is past as soon as you have burn'd this Letter and I hope God will give you the Grace to make good use of it To whose holy Protection I commend you Monteagle wondred at the Letter and its delivery and thinking it might relate to some mischief thought it his duty to make it known so away he goeth to White-Hall shews it to the Earl of Salisbury then Secretary of State who tells some other of the Privy-Council of it and the King being returned from his Hunting at Royston they deliver it to Him His Majesty having seriously considered it and all other circumstances concluded that it might relate to some Design to blow up the Parliament and in this jealousie ordered the Rooms and Vaults about the House to be searched which was done the night before the Sessions when in the foresaid Cellar under the Lords-House were found the Barrels of Powder and at the door standing Guido Faux booted and spurr'd with a large Dark-Lanthorn now to be seen in Oxford Library with Matches Tinder-Box and other Materials for his Design Faux was presently carried to Court and examined where he appeared sturdy and scornful maintaining the Design to be lawful That James was not his King because an Heretick was sorry that the Plot fail'd and that he had not blown up the House with himself and those who were sent to search affirming That God would have had the Plot conceal'd but it was the Devil who reveal'd it At last Faux himself confest all that he knew of the Treason Thus far discovered the King suspecting some Commotions or Risings sent with all speed to prevent them by timely notice by Lepton and others This was that Mr. John Lepton of York-shire who rid so often betwixt London and York in one Week viz. in May 1606 who though he won his Wager yet was a Loser never getting his winnings Piercy Wright c. who now lurked about London to expect the fatal Blow informed of the discovery take Horse making what haste they can to their Companions appointed to be at the Rendezvous on Dunsmore In brief according to their abilities they run into open Rebellion but to their own Destruction The High-Sheriffs with other Magistrates and Loyal Subjects so hunting them that they were either all dispersed slain or taken and the chief of them afterwards condemned and executed Mr. Osborn whose Observations and Principles are not always approvable Memoires of K. James pag. 38. tells us that his Catholique Majesty sent an Agent on purpose to congratulate King James his great preservation A flattery so palpable as the Pope could not refrain laughing in the face of Cardinal D'Ossat when he first told it him Thus he This Agent was Don Juan de Mendoza who brought very rich Presents with him Whether it was Flattery or Hypocrisie or no is no great matter it being the custom of Princes though Enemies to use such Ceremonies And I can tell him farther That a little after the Plot a sudden report being spread that King James was kill'd and Sir Lewis Lewkenor then Master of the Ceremonies being sent by the Council to certifie the Forreign Minister of the King's safety and health Don Pedro de Cunigo the Spanish Ambassador at London seemed almost mad for joy and for