in a second Army for the withstanding the invasion on that side and not saues it us onely but renders it to bestow in undertakings of profit which we were wont to spend upon defences We haue another valiant Nation to assist us whose service in Low Countrie warres hath often and alwaies given this testimony of their affection and faithfulnesse even in Queen Elizabeths time that in every Nationall quarrell between us and others which hath often happened and very remarkeable betwixt us and the French they haue voluntarily and brauely sided with us making the danger common both to themselues and us which was drawn out but particularly against the English The joyning of Scotland hath made us an intire Iland which by nature is the best fortification and the most capable of all advantages of strength that by Art can be added unto nature wherby we may at one the same time be able both to undertake any action abroad and defend our selues at home without either much danger or great cost Secondly by reason his Majestie hath the neighbourhood of the powerfulst nation by sea that now is in the world at his devotion a people by nature more worthy of credit with us then any other the use of whose neighbourhood our own histories will commend unto us if we enquire of the ages past even then when they wanted that power and knowledge in their industry which they now haue as well in matters of peace as warre the memories of those times will tell us that we seldome undertook any great thing without them in so much as our losse of France may probably be in part imputed to the breach we suffred in their friendship and though they were then of the same Religion with England as likewise now they are yet the present condition that we doe both of us stand in for point of Religion doth place us in an estate of better assurance with them then the conditions of those times did for then considering no main Nationall separation in the Church Religion was but a common bond unto them and inclined them to particular side where now it hath the motiue in it to make defence with against an opposite Church in such a Nation as hath drawn both of us into one and the same cause in quarrell as well of policie as of Religion And lastly their Army is the best Millitary Schoole of the world from whence our Land-services may be sufficiently appointed at least with Officers Now for the hearts of our people and the wealth of our Kingdome though it may be some of his Majesties ill-affected subjects could be willing we should distrust our own strength when we receiue these two points into our consideration yet for the first the occasion wherof they haue derived from our difference in Religion I may say the wrath of God hath been evident against them in the confusion of their plots One thinkes it should be a horrour to them for to think of attempting any farther that way for those of them that haue made a covenant with bloud wee stand not either in fear or need of their numbers but we may both spare and suppresse them And farre be it from me to think that many men of those that hold no communion in the Church with us should giue other Nations the cause to say that in England are the false men that take up Gods weapons against him and their own vveapons against themselues in favour of a forraign Ambition that makes the pretence of Religion but a port hole to lay his Artillery out at or his scaling ladder to assault by Now the second point touching the vvealth of the Kingdom if I should call the Councell of Spain it selfe to giue judgement in the cause I should need no better sentence to condemne their opinions vvho think the King of Great Brittain poor their Master knows it vvell enough he shall finde it otherwise vvhensoever hee shall undertake to attempt us or vvee them Now for Spain his Majestie there though accounted the greatest Monarch of Christendome yet his estate being enquired throughly his roote vvill bee found a great deale too narrovv for the top of his Dominions are so farre in distance asunder as they cannot giue reliefe time enough one to another upon an alarum vvhich is the reason he is more povverfull to assault then defend and therfore are compelled to haue continuall Garrisons of that charge he is unable to maintain he hath more to doe vvith shipping then any other Prince and yet hath fevv men at his devotion but by extreme charge and those of vvorst sorts his poverty hath therfore appeared in the mutenie of his Lovv Country Armie for vvant of pay vvhich vvas great cause of his ill successe there and I cannot see how his estate can be much better now then it vvas For though it be true that his charge is somevvhat lesse yet it is likevvise true that his Subsidies in Spain be also diminished as vvell in respect of insupportablenesse as of indisposition of his Revenues out of the Indies decaied And indeed but for his Indies he vvere the poorest Prince in Christendom Novv it serues the better for the finding his vveaknesse or strength to inquire vvhether he be able to stand upon the termes of defiance and yet hold his Indies I think not for his Majestie of Great Brittain joyning with the States of the Vnited Provinces is of power to raise Armadoes the one to block up Spain the other the Indies the least successe that may be hoped for out of this enterprise the cutting off his returne would beggar him the feare of this project was the thing that stopped his Greatnesse to the Vnited Provinces when hee departed with his pretence of Soveraignty to them and that feare is an Ague he is not yet cured of This is a right design and a great one such a one as I wish we had the treasure and valiant bloud of our Ancestors to bestow upon for the expence wherof we haue nothing to shew now but two poore Ilands Iarsey and Garnsey And to say the truth in that case if all the Ilands or Lands that belong unto the Crown of England were offered to his Majestie I should not giue my advice to receiue them much lesse to conquer them Now for the disposition of the Low Country men I assure my selfe there cannot be a thing more desired then they to joyn with his Majestie in any undertaking especially in this for they are sorie they understood the King of Spaines weaknesse so little in Queene Elizabeths time when her Majestie so much affected their joyning with her and that now they know it his Majestie being greater in power will yet suffer such an enemy to all Christian Princes chiefly to those of his Majesties Religion to creep into his bosome For all the greatnesse he hath he holds by the curtesie of his Majesty and to that end Courts it he knows he were undone else To
is necessary for the warres yet say I all this is nothing when the quality and condition is wanting which giveth form and essence to all enterprises which is mony which the Kingdom of England no lesse through the scarcity of Revenues as by the charge of ordinary expences is brought unto which they shall never be able to recover by their Trades and Commerce if the use of the sea be taken from them and therfore will never be able to supply expence of a defensiue Army Royall when it hath scarcely enough to supply their own necessaries especially against so great and magnificent a Prince as your most Catholike Majestie who embraceth within the circuits of your Dominions the whole Diamemeter of the earthly Globe and possesseth more land at this day then all the Monarchs and Republiques of the world haue A most opulent Prince in Armes Men Mony Souldiers Captains Shippes Victuals and all other provision of warre and a Prince who like a Moderator or Arbitrator seemeth to hold in his hands the bridle of Empire both of the sea and land And wheras it may be objected that the Gallies which doe you no service in that expedition being vessels of great consequence in battels by sea your enterprise of Portugal and of the Iland if it did not quite remoue it yet did it much abate the superstitious credulity of ours that those Vessels are not good at any time to passe the Ocean withall as if there were no faire wether in that sea in the Summer or that fair weather were abortiue in shipping there is no doubt but that Gallies may securely passe and hazard themselues in that Sea in the Summe for three moneths And those that will object the contrary by the overthrow of the Sea there let them be contented to obserue well that the same Anchor met not with no inward but outward occasion in the sea of that overthrow For Caesar ignorantly could not discern the time of the Moon which was then in the full and being mistaken by reason of her 100 much humidity doth use to disturb not onely the Ocean but all the coasts and the dominion shee holdeth of the salt waters And therfore in respect of the great honesty and equity accompanying the cause with it so honourable and godly life as the planting the Christian faith and religion no obstacle can be sufficient to stay the force of divine power serving under the standerd of Christ and therfore most weake and but a shadow shall all humane helpe bee which shall oppose it selfe against the will of the great Arbitrator But such are the pretentions of your Majestie over this Kingdom and such the obligations wherin you stand bound for the recovery of your own the title of Grandfather and Predecessours of famous memorie as there is no enterprise so peculiar and proper for you to undertake as this for that you goe not onely to possesse your selfe of the right which you haue to this Kingdome but likewise to make your selfe the most famous King that ever was in the memory of all the Princes of the world adding by this meanes unto the Crowne of Spaine a Kingdom so illustrious so mightie and so famous By the relation of this Spanish project against this State of England most Illustrious Prince may well appeare unto your Highnesse that the Spaniard himselfe well knows that there is no way for the expectation of his further Greatness no great possession of the high Monarchy which he himselfe alledgeth that he already enjoyeth but the conquering of this I le and adding it to the Crown of Spain and therfore if he had any other meanes to attain to this by him so violently longed for then by a peace why should not your Majestie thinke that the peace hee meanes to make with you at this time is for that purpose and for no other intent And therfore my good Lord I cannot as one standing upon the firme land gaze upon the shipwrack of my Countrie being so doubtfully tossed and floting in the dangerous sea of dissention betwixt peace and warre with one that will make a peace with you for no other end and purpose but that hee may bee the better able to make warre heerafter against you But to cast out the last anchor hold of my selfe which is boldness and freeness of speech to you my most renouned Soveraign to prevent if I can these extreme and certain dangers wherein both your Selfe your States and glory of the English and Scottish names are likely to be plunged when the Spaniards ability shall be such as there shall bee no let but his good nature to insult over you which howsoever your Highness or others think contrary will in foure or fiue yeares if he enjoy his Indies be brought to passe Surely my gracious Soveraign I am of opinion against Phillip of Spain in the behalfe of my Countrie as that noble Common-wealths man Demosthenes against Phillip of Macedon in behalfe of the Athenians which no doubt hath much affinity with our case at this time For Phillip seeing whilst he had warre with Athens at which he principally aimed hee could never overcome the other Provinces of Thebeans Lacedemonians Thessaliars Phocians O intans and the rest and till they were overcome he could never get Athens began to take another course which was to bribe with mony and gifts Councellours or Orators of that State to be of his side and by that means to be secure from the forces of that Republique or Commonwealth till he had by one and one overcome the rest But good Demosthenes perceived him by and by and warned the Thebeans of that Treason but these traitors of Phillips Faction being grown great in the Citie by meanes of the bounty they had daily received for rewards of their treason as also the Athenians were then as we are now not willing to hear of any warres or change to be brought against them which alwaies these Traitors joyn with the multitude in assuring them that Phillip of Macedon meant them no harm was the onely cause that all the other Provinces aforenamed were overcome but also the noble and stately Citie by him and Antèpator his successour And therfore since that like examples whilst the world doth last will bring forth like effects I will be of Demosthenes minde if since we cannot shunne the warres with Spain either at this time or hereafter when he hath made himselfe more strong either by the conquest of his neighbours or otherwise that you should begin with him whilst you haue the advantage of him and then you shall by proofe finde how profitable it will be unto you when you must needs doe a thing to doe it with a courage and cheerfulness And forasmuch as there is no man of another minde but that we shall haue the King of Spaine by so much more our mighty enemy the greater Princes suffer him to be Oh why be we so backward or why linger you oh noble King the
but think us all one people then how can we imagine that these people haue freely given themselues to the Spanish obedience and acknowledge him for their Lord and King when they never so much as heard that there was such a man or Nation Againe from Capi culli formia all the land that runneth and maketh the stange of Anian and the Netherlands therof whose bounds and limits are never discovered the Spanyard hath not so much as once seated himselfe to make himselfe known whereby there might bee any likelyhood that they had acknowledged him for their Soveraign And for us to beleeu that the Spanyard is Lord of such whom he hath never seen nor known nor they him were a manifest sign of a strong faith in us And there were no way for any man to make me beleeue Miracles sooner then by making me beleeue this for after the beliefe of this I should never doubt of any miracle though he should tell me a thousand in a day So that if this title come not by consent of all in generall he neither ought to write himselfe Lord of the whole Indies nor debar other Christians from conquering or trading in those parts where the Spanyard hath neither residence nor Seigniory nor command If he challenge right by conquest and consent then must he claim no more then he hath by conquest and consent obtained As for example all that part of the West Indies which at this day is scatteringly inhabited by the Spanyards and Portugals is almost contained in two Tropicks excepting the two small Villages of Saint Augustine and Helena in Florida the Province of new Biscay Northwards and fiue Villages or Townes neere the River of Plate called Sancto Sprinto Saint Anna the Citie of Ascension Saint Fee and Fuvirnan lyeth halfe way betwixt the mouth of the river of Plate and the Mine of Polossie and in the South Sea beyond the Tropick in the Kingdome of Chelix the Townes or Villages of Coquenbo Persco Saint Iago la impe villa del Lago And therfore if the Spanyards haue nothing to doe any further either to the Northward or to the Southward what reason hath he to forbid any Nation to conquer or dwell there But if hee should admit you I think it not convenient that your Majesty should be so satisfied for so should you doe your selfe and other Christian Princes great wrong for his Townes and Castles are so divided and such masses of land and Kingdome betwixt them which he hath no right nor dare to enter as being duely considered by your Majestie hee ought not to claime no more then he ought to claime the Kingdome of France because his Fort of Graueling is of one side and South Arabia on the other France being in the midst between them or to claime France because his Frontiers in Italy bound it on the one side and Spaine on the other or to claime the Iland of the Venetians and the Turks in Levant for that Cicilia and Sardinia and a few others belong to him that stands in that sea Or claime all the Ilands or Shoares in Barbarie for that he hath a Castle or two in the Straits and another in Libia These Countries they never lay claime to because they are in the eye of the Christian world which would make us rise up in Armes against them for their foolish arrogancy if they should pretend it But in the unknown parts which haue been familiar unto us whose light by the iniquity of the time and troublesome warres in these parts haue to us been hidden although to the Ancient well known where they began their foolerie Betwixt the Castle of Argiue in Libia and the Iland of Macoa in the river of Canton in the Kingdom of China the foolish Portugals say all is theirs when many a hundred Kings as absolute and powerfull in regard of people as any King in these parts dwelleth betwixt and admit the Portugals by way of petition or bribes to dwell in some place by the Sea side and trafique with them neither dare they lay claim to any Kingdome but onely to such Fortresses Factories and Villages on the Sea side as perforce and favour of the Iland they are permitted to dwell in as most excellently appeareth by answer of Charles the fifth made unto the Embassadours of Portugal anno 1522 when they came to require and beseech him that his subjects the Spanyards might not trade nor commerce as then they did in the conquest or navigation of the Portugals who after a most peremptory and noble answer of his part told them he knew no reason neither would he suffer them that his subjects should be prohibited freely to passe into any Country where the hope of gain offereth it selfe and that if the Portugals in the cause of their Trade should doe any violence to any of his people either in their persons or goods he would be revenged neerer home meaning upon the Kingdom of Portugal With which answer at that time the Lucitans were forced to depart Which answer if it should please your Majestie to returne upon the Castilians themselues at this time I know no reason how it can any way be bettered having so good a president as their own King against the Portugals upon the same subject But for the Portugals where all their strength is seated I mean upon the coast of Malubor where they haue more Fortes and Castles then in all India besides the Kings doe so pen and lock them up in their Garrisons and Fortes as they can haue nothing the Countrie yeeldeth but by their friendship procured by yearly bribes As for example to the King of Cathaie they pay an yearly tribute of 256000 Reis to the King of Pimenta .. Reis to the mother of the King of Pimenta yearly 36000 Reis to the King of Pargnan yearly 72000 to the King of Manfata yearly 72000 Reis To Carto Babua the proper name of a man of account upon that coast an yearely tribute of 42000 Reis to the Teratates which are brethren and Kings an yearly tribute of 72000 Reis All which summes or tribute are imposed upon the King and Custome of goods brought from these parts As for their credit and reputation amongst these Heathens it is so small either for feare they haue of them or loue they bear to them that when we and the Hollanders pay no custome for goods bought and sold there they make the Portugals pay 30 per hundred we going free before their faces and they paying before ours By this your Majestie may well perceiue what base account the Princes in those parts make of them there and yet these vain-glorious Woodcoks will be very angry with us if we will not beleeue when they say that all the East Indies is theirs and they haue conquered it In selfe manner most renowmed Soveraign stand the Kings of the West Indies with the Spanyards both in the South sea upon the Kingdom of Cheley Reta Peru and others as at