the yeare 1559. hee left none of his Netherland subiects for anie cause of innouation in anie thing anie whit disgusted but in as great tranquilitie as euer they had bin Hee left behind him in those countries no Spanish Gouernours nor Soldiers but gaue the particular gouernments to the nobilitie of the countrie it self and the generall Gouernment of them all vnto his naturall sister the Duchesse of Parma beeing of the same countrie borne what wrong in anie respect was heer donne them who complayned of anie wrong why was not the good peace and reciprocall loue between this King and his Netherland subiects continued who began the breach what actions of innouation caused it proceeded it from this Prince or from the Netherland people When no thoght nor cogitation was in this Kinges mynd of anie breach between him and his subiects in the yeare of our Lord 1566. certayn of the rascalitie beeing suggested by seditious preachers those preachers set on by some of nobillitie litle better then bankrupt they begā in moste rebellious rage to fall to the robbing and spoyling of Churches The Duchesse of Parma beeing at Bruxelles when the newes of his outragious and generall sacrilegious theft was broght vnto her was much amased there at and demaunded of the Earle of Barlamont who then was present what they were that had donne this where vnto he answered her in French Ce ne sont que de Geus which is asmuch to say in English They are but rogues or rascalles The Churche robbers and those that set them on woork whereof some were gentlemen thogh much vnwoorthie of that title having gotten knowlege how the name of Geus was giuen them did foorth-with accept of the name and wore in stede of brooches on their hattes litle wodden dishes to betoken beggers dishes some of that sorte did afterward weare fox-tayles in their hattes in steed of fethers so as it seemeth they took a glorie in this woorthie name for they also caused a print or stāp of a cock to bee made at whose mouth the wordes Viue les Geus par tout le monde were set down which is asmuch to say as Liue or florish may the rogues ouer all the world the paper printes or pictures takē from this stamp were set vp in all howses taphowses and tauernes where they frequented heer hence it cometh that in all the low countries this kynd of people do vnto this day beare the name of Geuses howbeit they haue since bin taught to call themselues The Reformed but protestants they neither do or euer did call themselues Heer haue you the originall and begining of the breach between the King of Spayn these his Netherlād subiects And as touching their beeing oppressed and wronged by the King of Spayn and in danger to bee brought vnder the seueritie of the Spanish inquisitiō The blame that the King of Spayn heerin deserueth is that hee was so much ouer shot that when hee heard of their breaking down of Alters Images in Churches of their robbing and carying thence of siluer Chalices patrens cruets candlesticks lamps reliquaries with the tapistrie and whatsoeuer they might make monie of euen to the verie belles in the steeples he had not comended it to be wel donne and sent them rewardes for so dooing so haue let them runne on euē to the taking of the crucifix out of the Churche and hanging it on the gallowes as they did at Gorcum in Holland an acte that albeit the diuel Iewes and Geuses could take pleasure in yet would verie Turcks and Mahometanes be scandalized to behold it Now because the King of Spayn had sworne at his beeing in the Netherlandes to defend the Churche and Ecclesiastical persons in their ancient Christian priuileges and that hee apprehended Churche-robberie to be theft he so much wronged these people as to send the Duke of Alua to punish this theft which as I take it was as litle wrong as to hang a minister for stealing of a book of Martirs out of a Parish Churche in London Tawney-scarf You haue heer sayd somthing but the Duke of Alua was not satisfyed with the hanging and punishing of a number of these but hee soght to haue broght in and intruded vpon them the Tirannons inquisition of Spayn which was a meer innouation such as the priuileges of the countrie could not beare Red-scarf The Duke of Alua had neuer charge from Spayn nor neuer intention of his own to bring an inquisition into the Netherlandes this is but a meer calumnie which hath bin giuen out spred abrode hy the seditious to foster the obstinatie of the people But had the inquisition bin broght into the Netherlandes it had but returned from whence in long fore going yeares it came for you must note that the inquisition was neuer invented or broght vp in Spayn or there euer intended for Protestants seeing it was in the world manie ages before euer the world was acquainted with the name of Protestants or with anie such kynde of people as Protestants are for the Emperor Charles the great who liued about 800. yeares past did first promulgate and put it in practise and the cause was that after the Saxons in their countrie of Saxonie Holland and those annexed prouinces beeing at that tyme partes of the Nether Saxonie had bin brought from Paganisme to Christianitie this pious Emperor having greatly furthered it hee had no soouer turned his back by reason of his beeing empeached with warres in other partes but these Saxons turned from Christianitie back agayn to paganisme and for such Apostataes and forsakers of the faith hee ordayned an inquisition the memorie whereof gaue example that some ages after it was renewed and put in practise in Spayn for such moores Iewes as having receaued the character of Christe fel back agayn to Mathometisme and Indaisme and albeit this inquisition was neuer intended as before is sayd to haue bin renewed in the Netherlandes yet paraduenture it might haue prooued as necessarie when signes appeered of the good disposition of some there aswel to Mahometisme as to Iudaisme for diuers that are yet lyving haue seene written vpon the targets or rondasses which some of these Geus gallants did beare their resolution there vnto in these woordes Rather Turkish then Popish which is in effect rather Mahomet thē Christe and Hollanders reporte themselues that some of their countrimen haue bin so edified in the present Synagogue of Amsterdam that they haue relinquished their Christianitie are become lewes for defect of an inquisition had not anie thing sayd vnto thē for it nor must they where profession is made of such cōscience libertie that euerie man may chuse what hee wil belieue or whether hee will belieue anie thing or nothing But this may seeme the lesse wonder whēthere haue bin found among these geuses a companie that marched vnder the ensigne of the deuil for so was the ensigne called because there were depicted
him it was no other then for dooing her good Tawney scarf That mee thinkes is impossible Red scarf Impossible onlie to good and gratefull myndes The King of Spayn in her sister Queen Maries tyme did her no lesse good then the saving of her lyf and experience hath often shewed that there are some kynd of people that can neuer abyde those that they are verie deeply beholding vnto because they think the obligation of gratitude to bee a bondage whereas want of gratitude when it consisteth in the wil and not in the power is monstrous and not humayn Tawney scarf That the king of Spayn saued her lyf can hardly bee prooueed for albeit shee was imprisoned in her sisters tyme yet shee was neuer broght to anie publyke triall and so there was no saving of her lyf needfull shee not beeing by law found giltie Red-scarf If it had come to that it had gon hard with her but the King of Spayn preuented it and thereby not onlie saued her lyf but also her honor Tawney-scarf But how is this prooued Red-scarf That there were diuers conspiracies of treason in her sisters tyme is evident that shee was apprehended and put in prison vpon them is evident that shee was the onlie hope obiect of the conspiraâ—ors is evident and that some of them accused her is also evident for religion her troobles were not because shee made profession of the religion of her sister and daylie heard Masse Some cause there must bee of her apprehension which must also bee some great cause for no small cause can vrge the calling in question and apprehension of the sister of a Queen regnant and her next and apparent heyre But I wil leaue the belief of this to your own leasure pleasure when you shal haue better thoght vpon it or better enformed your self about the matter Tawney-scarf I accept of that libertie but in the meane tyme I must tel you that I must yet put you to your trumpes about the greatest and moste important cause of Queen Elizabethes our natioÌ„s fauouring assisting the Hollanders which was the cause of religion they professing with vs one same Ghospel Red-scarf I doubt whether they professe with vs one same Epistle but one same Ghospel I am sure they professe not Tawney-scarf I pray what differs their Ghospel froÌ„ ours Red-scarf Is there no difference between Protestants and Puritanes Tawney-scarf Not much Red-scarf Why haue wee then so much coÌ„tended about so litle a difference why haue so manie bookes bin written by those of the one and the other syde one against another why restraints of preaching why imprisonment of somanie of the bretheren why punishments with death and exile Tawney-scarf I graunt you some seditious and vurulie tounged fellowes haue smarted Red-scarf Had it bin wel donne to defend such Tawney-scarf No. Red-scarf More then such our countrimeÌ„ defeÌ„d in Holland for your Gomarists in Holland those I meane that are of the States peculiar religion are more seditious and vurulie tounged followes then are our English Gomarists I meane our Puritanes who are iust of the same inward illumination of spirit as are their deerest bretheren the Gomarists of Holland differing onlie in name but not in mynde or nature Heer at home you seeme not willing to defend such vurulie tounged fellowes yet you go from hence into Holland to fight for them But these fellowes are yet more vurulie tounged then our Puritanes for they go farther then to the making of Pettie Popes and Pettie Antichristes of our Bishops Seeing they wil make whosoeuer it bee beeing a mortal creature taking vpon him the name or title of Supreame head or gouernor of the Churche to bee no lesse then an Idol and those that giue vnto him such title to bee no lesse theÌ„ Idolaters Behold what one same Ghospel this is with the Ghospel of Queen Elizabeth seeing the Hollanders thereby do make herself an Idol and all her clergie and magistrates Idolaters and I pray consider whether pietie or conscience could moue her to defend that Ghospel and religioÌ„ abroad which shee persecuted at home as holding it to bee vngodly seditious marck but the absurditie heerof But how had Queen Elizabeth seen her self rewarded if these good Ghospellers had in her tyme so wyde opened their budget as to let her see their making making of herself an Idol her prelates who Puritanes did but make Pettie Popes pettie Antichristes to bee no better then Idolaters Tawney-scarf I pray let vs alter our discours and talck no more of these matters Red-scarf That in deed is the best remedie to auoyd reply vnto a matter wherevnto no reply can bee found But I pray giue mee leaue to end the matter I am about and then wee will fall to what other discours you wil. Fawney-scarf Me thinkes their hath enough alredie bin sayd to turne a mannes appetyt froÌ„ Holland cheese Red-scarf But I am verie desyrous to let you vnderstand the effects of your endeuours to the end you may the more esteeme the value of your deserts And perhaps I may say somthing that the companie heer present hath not as yet heard of therefore may out of curisositie receaue contentment therein Tawney-scarf Mee thinkes you cannot say woors of the Hollanders then you haue alredie donne therefore the best may follow seeing the woorst is gon before Red-scarf Bee it better or bee it woors you may please to accept of it as it is seeing it is the residue remayning behynd belonging to the former matter You must vnderstand that I am not ignorant that manie of our nation who deuote themselues to the seruice of the Hollanders think their endeuours directly employed for the maintenance of one same religion with that of England wherein I haue heer cleerly prooued them to bee deceaued But now will I go further and as cleerly prooue vnto you that you do aswell defend Lutheranisme Anabaptisme and Iudaisme as the Holland Religion that you supposed to haue bin all one with yours You must consider that the Holland rebelles at the beginning of their rebellion to the end they might fortefy themselues with all sortes and sectes made open profession that according to the Ghospel all men oght to haue their consciences free and that no man for his religion oght to bee called in question or troobled by meanes whereof the religions and beliefs in Holland are grown to bee infinit euerie maÌ„ making choyce to bee of what religion hee list and if hee list not chuse anie of the relâ—gioÌ„s that are alredie made to his had hee may make one of his own deuysing and draw as manie vnto it as hee can hee may leaue it of and make or chuse another in steed thereof or leaue all religious and bee of none if he please and boldly make his profession so to bee But the high Powerfull Lordes the States notwithstanding they allow all this freedome to the generalitie yet they allow free
therein the Diuelles clawes which ma◅ie that are yet lyving haue seene displayed in the town of Liere in Brabant at such tyme as it stood out in rebellion against the King so may you now see how rebellion against the king rebellion against God do concurre toge ther for where as ancient good Christians having bin taught by the example of the moste glorious Christian Emperor Constantinus Magnus to fight vnder the signe of the Crosse these new contrarie Christians abhorring that signe haue more deuotion to the clawes of the deuill a well deuysed and befitting ensigne for such as foght vnder it Tawncy-scarf I wote well there is in Holland free libertie of conscience allowed to all and free exercise of Religion allowed to some but of anie their enclyning to Mahometisme or to Iudaisme or of their marching vnder the deuilles clawes haue I not heard Red-scarf Where free libertie of conscience is allowed why may not euerie one belieue as him list what shal restrayn him If you doubt of the Hollanders making difficultie of turning Turckes do but enquire what they haue don at Tunis where they haue fal◅e to Mahometisme by whole shipfulls at once and afterward to mend the matter haue taught the Mahometanes of those partes the laudable science of Piracie for the more affliction of Christians and as for Iudaisme such as lyke there of and lyke no swynes flesh or can bee content to forbeare the eating thereof may bee circumcised when they wil and then speak as much blasphemie against Christ as the devil wil direct them to do Thus haue I heer shewed you what great wrong the King of Spayn hath donne this people and what great cause they haue to complayn of his breach of their priuileges which is alwaycs in their mouthes albeit they would neuer vouchsase to produce anie one old priuilege for the robbing of Churches I haue also shewed you where the inquisition began and the cause why it was first put in practise in Saxonie afterward in Spayn the name whereof is now asmuch put in practise in Holland in continuall pamphlets preachings as is the name of a Bulbegger to make litle children afrayd Tawney-scarf These bee thinges I haue not to do withal Red-scarf But these bee thinges that belong to the purpose heer to bee alleaged Tawney-scarf The Hollanders were and are our neer neyghbours freindes and therefore Queen Elizabeth saw great reason to vphold them against her potent enemie the King of Spayn Red-scarf Before I come to discours about Queen Elizabeths reason for taking the Hollanders partes giue mee leaue I pray you to speak a litle of the blynd ignorance of our vulgar multitude heer in England to the end you may consider of the reasōs why they hate the Spagniard loue the Hollander to see how well wisely this loue hatred is founded That England and Spayn haue anciently remayned in great amitie together Histories Chronicles wil witnes and the diuers alliances and mariages often made between those two countries can also giue testimonie thereof True then it is that the great breach and hostillitie between England and Spayn began but in these our dayes let vs now see consider why how it began to wit whether by Spayn or by England King Phillip the second of Spayn as all the world knoweth did vpon the death of Queen Marie his wyf giue place and quiet entrance vnto Queen Elizabeth for further proof of his desyre of continuance of peace and amitie with her hee freely gaue vnto her all Queen Maries Iewelles they iustly belonging vnto himself hee also kept his Ambassador lidger in England as the sayd Queen kept hers also in Spayn profeising out wardly vnto him all loue and amitie and yet this not-withstanding shee permitted secretly and vnderhand the transporte of Artillerie and Munition of warre to the Moores of Granado to enable them to rebel iust about the verie same tyme that the Netherland rebellion was determined to bee begun that thereby thee King of Spayn might haue his handes full by beeing thrust in-to two warres at once both which shee vnderhand furthered but more the warre of the Netherlandes then that of Granado because of the redier comoditie Soon vpon the contryving of this plot when the King of Spayn to appease the Netherland broyles in the beginning had sent the Duke of Alua with forces into those partes and after his arryuall there sent him a supply of 600000 crownes some affirme it to haue bin 800000. shee ceazed vpon this monie in the west parte of England and having gotten it into her handes did therewith assist his Netherland Rebelles whereby his monie ordayned to haue serued himself against his rebelles came to serue his rebelles against him and bred besydes this a farre greater inconvenience for it was the cause why the Duke of Alua demaunded the tenth pennie of the countrie peoples goodes whereby they became the more alienated and apt to rebellion Some yeares after this Captayn Drake was employed from England to the west-Indies where hee robbed the King of Spayn of about a million and a half of his treasure These and sundrie other wronges and detriments were donne by the sayd Queen vnto the King of Spayn at such tyme as either had their Ambassadors the Ministers of peace in each others countrie they professing to each other loue and amitie The King of Spayn dooing against the Queen of England no acte whatsoeuer to the contrarie whereas she contrariwise continued to do against him vnderhand as manie wronges as she could besydes those great notorious wronges heere mentioned But when these grew so frequent that the smart vnto the King of Spayn became intollerable and so manifested vnto the world that all other Princes and people took notice thereof how was it possible that it could stand with the honor of a King and of such a potent King as is a King of Spayn stil to continew to put vp wronges as fast as shee continued to do them hee was therefore at the last moued to the preparation of his great Armada naual of the yeare of our Lord 1588. the memorie whereof by the incessant clamours of Puritanical enemyes of peace hath possessed more place in the heades of the inconsiderate vulgar multitude then the manie great wronges that enforced it But thankes bee vnto God our peacefull King Iames coming to the crown and wel knowing how matters had passed did to the great happynes of the Realme salue vp this sore from further festering wherevnto hee found Spayn most redie and willing and wel content to let pas and forget all English iniuries for to giue the Spagniaerds their due certayn it is they are men that are not of vnreconciliable revengefull natures nor such long entertayners of desyre of reuenge as some other nations are sayd to bee And this appeereth manifestly in this nation more thē in others for notwith standing all fore going hostillitie between Englishmen
and Spagniards both by sea and land and enuasions euen in Portugall and Spayn it self whereof people may remayn more sensible then of an vnefectuall Armada yet hath not anie English Ambassador or anie other of the English nation bin by Spagniards in Spayn barbarously abused but I am ashamed euen for the honor of our nation to repeat how Spanish Ambassadors and other Spagniardes haue bin vsed in England As for the sundrie benefits which the commerce and traficque between England and Spayn hath broght vnto our countrie and nation I doubt not but manie of our marchants seafaring men and others wil confesse and farre more profit and benefit wil no doubt ensue the moste honorable and great alliance now expected But let vs come to our good neyghbours and friendes the Hollanders and consider of the gratefull goodnes and benefits which wee reap by them that thereby wee may know how wel and wysely wee are aduysed to esteem them for our good Neyghbours and friendes and so friendly sticking vnto them That wee haue for aboue these fiftie yeares taken their partes is sufficiently known that the people of England haue often tymes generally smarted by the great pressures and parlamental payments imposed vpon them by Queen Elizabeth to vphold these friendes and neyghbours withall is lykewise wel enough known as also that great boundance of English blood hath bin shed in their quarrel an infinite number of Englishmennes lyues lost whose courage and valour was woorthie of more honor then in their base and dishonorable seruice could bee deserued and now when all comes to all they are so farre from honest ciuillitie that they will not acknowledge anie friendship donne them and therefore can they not entertayn anie thoghts of obligation or gratitude nay they dare playnly tel vs that wee are beholding vnto them which is asmuch to say as that they expect gratitude at our handes Tawney scarf In deed I must confesse I haue heard them affirme that our assisting them was to free our selues from warre in our own countrie by meanes of Spanish enuasioÌ„ which may carrie some reasoÌ„ Red-scarf But what reason was there why wee should haue anie feare of Spanish enuasion then onlie for our taking their partes against their true and lawfull Soueraigne the King of Spayn Tawney-scarf I must remayn your debter for the giuing you a reason heerof vntil I am able to do it Red-scarf But I must tel you further that they do not onlie deny all gratitude where it is due and vniustly claym it where they ow it but passing further beyond the limits of reason and humanitie they discouer themselues to bee such monsters as to beare a verie diuellish hatred both vnto our nation and to our moste gratious Soueraigne himself Against our natioÌ„ their actious declare it against our Soueraigne their vilanous tounges Of their moste vile and contemptible vsage of our nation in the East-Indies I shal not heer need to speak the letters written by our marchants and others from thence do declare it Their vsage of vs in Groon-land and the vndooing of our long continued trade in Muscouie I wil also omitt but wee fynd that they are the verie caterpillers and desroyers of our comon welth by all the wayes and meanes they can deuise for they haue not onlie by meanes of their corespondent countriemen conueyed and drawn by stelth our gold and siluer out of the Realme but they haue broght the whole Realme in a generall decay of traficque to the empouerishing and vndooing of thow sandes of the inhabitaÌ„ts as all that deal in clothing in all partes of the Realme wil confesse As for their vilanous speeches against our Soueraigne I could name vnto you that Englishman who passing not long since between Rotterdam and the Hage and hearing some of those varlets speake il of his Maiestie which hee beeing an EnglishmaÌ„ could not endure hee as it became him did in good manner reprehend them for it but straight-wayes a couple of them drew their knyues vpon him to haue stabbed him and so had they donne had they not bin hild kept back by others there present wee haue a proverb that it is better for some to steal a hors then some to look on What detriments endure wee by Spagniards where do they bynd vs hand and foot and cast vs ouer Indian rockes lyke dogges Where vndo they our trade how empouerish they our countrie where raile they vpon our Soueraigne Are wee in our right wittes I wonder when wee resolue to go to shed our blood for those that suck our blood when wee fight for those at home that kil vs abroad mee thinks purging with Heleborus were fitter now a dayes to bee taken in vse of our countrimeÌ„ then the smoak-drinck of driueling Tobacco Tawney-scarf For Godes loue le ts haue no more of this least you driue mee in a desperate mood to turne Spanish with you and so discredit my self with my friendes that expect mee in Holland Red-scarf Nay Sir you should by your so dooing giue a good ensample for those friends to follow Tawney-scarf I haue serued some yeares alredie in Holland and haue past my woord and promis to some friends of myn there to return back vnto them agayn to the seruice of the States Red-scarf I could then wish that both you and they would resolue to serue them as they oght to bee serued such tricks I meane as might revenge some of the vilanies and wronges they haue offred vs. Tawney-scarf I gesse at your meaning but it concurres not with my resolution you know theare is a precept that willeth to do good for evil Red-scarf That is wel donne where evil is thereby amended but your dooing good where you do it makes evil become woors But let mee now returne to speak somthing of Queen Elizabethes reason to take the Hollanders partes And first I must tel you that Queen Elizabeth did neuer take their partes vpon compassion of their cause in regard of anie wrong which shee knew the King of Spayn to do them for shee could not but know them to be as verie notorious rebelles as euer were anie in the world therefore was her assistence not giuen because shee loued them but because shee hated the King of Spayn and so made vse of them as the instruments of her hate Tawney-scarf Then must there bee cause why shee hated the King of Spayn and hating him shee had reason to favor and foster those that hated him as wel as her self Red-scarf I pray Sir for the instruction of my ignorance tel mee the cause why shee hated him Tawney-scarf The cause I cannot tel you but cause I must imagine there was Red-scarf You can know no iust cause nor anie man els but you say you must imagine there was a cause but this must is not forcecible vnlesse it were a cleere case that neuer anie man were causelesly hated But to tel you the true cause why in deed shee haâ—ed