A glasse of the truthe TO THE REDERS ⧠To the gentill reders and syncere louers of truthe YOu shall haue here gentill reders a small dialoge betwene the Lawyere Diuine wherin if there lacke suche eloquence suche dryfte of argumentes and conueyance of reasons as parauenture ware requisite and as ye shall desyre yet we shall moste entierly pray you that where we be nat sufficient to supplye the same to content your selfe with this our rudenesse declarynge the pure truthe alone whiche you shall be right sure to fynde in this poore treatyse For here haue you no newe allegatyon of mans inuention or imaginatioÌ„ but onely taken of the scripture of god of the counsels and ordinances of the churche vniuersall of mooste auncient popes and other holy doctours wryttinges with the factes and authoryties of blessed men besyde withoute wrythinge or wrestynge of any of them beyng taken of whome and of none other I am sure you will say it is to be estemed for a most assured truthe Prayenge you most benigne reders that tho some wolde saye that they be nat truely alleged rather to gyue credence to so many approued vniuersities whiche affirme our allegations to be true than to the asseueration of any other specially of some fewe affectionate persones whiche do or may endeuour to denye the same And nowe therfore to tell you the very truthe this same is the grounded cause why this lytell worke beareth his name whiche is the Glasse of truthe For it is plainly the same clere glasse within the whiche ye shall see and beholde if ye loke well and leysurely in it the playne truthe of our mooste noble and louinge princis cause whiche by vnmete and vnkynde handelinge hathe hytherto had so ouerlonge a staye The whiche doutlesse if we well considre is moche more our hynderance than his For his lacke of heyres male is a displeasure to him but for his life tyme as lackinge that whiche naturally is desyred of all men to haue childerne But our lacke shall be permanent so longe as the worlde lasteth excepte that god prouide For tho we haue a female heyre whiche is bothe indued with moche vertue grace in many dootes and gyftes yet if a male might be atteyned it ware moch more sure if we well perpende and pondre many vrgent wayghtie causes Amongest whiche this one is depely to be forsene that if the female heyre shall chaunce to rule she can nat coÌ„tinue longe without an husbande whiche by goddes lawe muste than be her gouernour and heed and so finally shall directe this realme But who that shulde be with the contentement of the subiectes me thinketh it were harde to excogitate For proximitie of blode is to great a lette to some otherwise mete for that purpose except we wolde be so beestly to put our necke eftsones in the snare of this erronious prohibited errour whiche is and hathe ben alwayes detested by the moste parte of all the famous clerkes of christendome The punisshement whereof were to terrible to be suffered and also to abhominable to be harde of emonges christen folke On thother side to other some it were daungerous leste we shulde make theÌ„ superiours to vs ouer whome we clayme superioritie seynge the manne must rule the woman Others outwarde mete personages our sklender wittes can nat comprehende And as touchinge any mariage within this realme we thinke it were harde to deuise any condigne and able person for so highe an enterprise moche harder to finde one with whome the holle realme wolde coulde be contented to haue him ruler and gouernour Wherfore we thinke the establysshement of titles is nat so surely rooted nor yet so entierlye mainteyned by the female as by male Whiche well consydered syns the vnion of all titles do remayne and be collocate in him onely we oughte of duetie if oure wittes may thereto extende to excogitate all wayes to vs possible howe we might atteyne the succession of heyres male And that way ones founde erenestly with celerite to putte in vre in no wise sufferinge this wayghtie vrgent cause to be lenger differred or delayed by those whiche do but vsurpe to them selfes an honoure and vayne glory contrary to many generall counsels and their owne lawes also as more playnly shall appere in this litell treatise of truth For els accordynge to an auncyent prouerbe Mora trahit periculum To longe abode is causer of moch daungere we might be moche indemnyfyed and hyndered Farthermore you shall in this Glasse see howe that nowe it ought to be ordred after our simple iugementes so to haue a good and perfitte ende moste for his honour and quietyng of conscience for oure great welthe for the prosperite of this his noble realme And nowe this same is the truth of whiche scripture saieth Magna ueritas et fortior prae oiÌ„bê° non est cum en quicque iniquum 3. Esdrae 4. That great is the truth of strength and power of boue all with it there is none iniquite none ylle dealynge none obstinate and frowarde bablynge no malicious backebytynge no sclaunderous and factious enforsinge This is the sole truth lefte vntill her selfe Without all vayne ostentation without inuentinge or borowynge of ydell titles and inscriptions withoute colourynge dissemblynge pretense and all outwarde paintynge Ye shall fynde here the mere truthe as we truste withoute all malignyng rayling gestyng and detractynge of them that of truthe no suche haue deserued the whiche it may be your lotte to see and here some where els Moche more we might induce to sette forthe and adourne this Glasse of truth before you saue that the processe folowyng shall sufficiently and moche better perfourme the same to the which I hooly remitte you euermore mooste hartely prayenge you godly myldly without all yll affection to emprynte well in youre hartes this mere and syncere truthe and so to folowe it that you may do a thinge acceptable to the pleasure of almyghtie god and contentation of our souerayne and prince And thus fare ye well in god louing brotherne A DIALOGE THE LAVYER. We semeth it is wisely and truely saide that the right way is euer the nerest waye likewyse the playne way moste sure to trye all maner of truth by THE DIVINE I thinke that it be true whiche you speke but you speke so obscurely that I wotte nere what you meane therby If you meane it by the ymitation of Christ That our sauiour Christ is the ryght and playne waye whiche beareth wytnesse of him selfe sayeng I am the ryght way I am the true way and I am the perfyt lyfe thanne are you in the right And if you meane the playne waye to be moste sure bycause that Christe saieth he is the dore by whiche we muste entre in this youre sayenge canne nat be amended whervnto god him selfe exhorteth vs also by his prophete sayeng ye christen meÌ„ loke ye iudge a right THE LAVYER. The better for my purpose
prerogatiue or preeminence Howe the quenes sayeng can not proue by the law shal nat make faith in an other mans cause whiche nothynge apperteyneth to him Wherfore there can be no reason ne lawe to maynteyne that the quene in her owne cause shuld haue credite and be beleued or yet her sayeng regarded in that behalfe And assuredly to speke it is impossible by due and laufull profe to proue true this her sayenge by her selfe in dede at this houre seynge that she hath bene knowen syns And as for wordes it is to open in lawe that the husbandes attestatyon makynge for the mariage is to be preferred to the womans deniall in that case So that if there were no more but prince Arthurs owne sayenge the lawe willeth that credytte shulde be gyuen to him nat to her And if she wold go about to proue it by recordes it is to be cōsidered How vnlikely shulde be her recordis testimonye that they which she wolde nowe bring to testifi this her nat to be knowen must be of those which were here present with her Which were sent than purposely rather to testifi the cōtrary For it was at that tyme the thinge which her father mother bothe moost desired to here of succession of theyr two bodyes and to vnderstande that bitwene them was carnall copulatyon Whereby it may euidently appere what so euer they nowe saye that they came than rather to approue the contrary than that which she wolde bringe them to testifie nowe For who can thinke that they which brought the doughter of their kinge to be maried vnto the sonne and heyre of a king wolde than seke for wayes wherby they might after proue that she ware nat carnally knowen by him that they brought her for And I reken that nother she nor eke her witnesse can make in this matter any due proue admithable in lawe seyng also that one of the parties is deed who to make answere had as moche interest as she to denye it THE DIVI I knowe nat your lawe but me thinketh you speke reason that we shulde take for the truthe whiche is laufully approued for truethe what so euer the partie say to the contrary Consideryng that truthe as ye haue declared dependeth vpon the trewe approbacyon in the lawe and nat vpon the bare demonstration of the acte THE LAVIER You take it right And therfore if my father mother bothe wolde denye me to be their sonne I shall if I haue laudable testimonye proue the contrary al though they wil neuer so ernestly both defend mainteyne their denial alleagynge that they knowe the truthe better than all the worlde after as they do in dede But their knowlege helpeth nat where no fayth is to be gyuen to thē And the question is nat what they know but what is to be bileued None to be beleued in his owne cause A iuuene cupido credatur reddita uirgo And truly no man is to be beleuid in his owne matter And as one sayd may a man bileue that a mayden accōpanieng with a yonge mā of lust being no let thervnto shal returne as she was a mayden Meanyng beleue it who that wolde for he wolde nat Prince Arthurs and the quenes conuersation togyther in bed and house beinge both of lauful age with these other probations tofore rehersed so clerely setteth forthe the truthe of carnall knowledge that the quenes asseueration to the contrary nor yet her dissemblynge profes if she haue any can blemysshe the same in any vpright true or indifferent mans opinion Wherfore I meruel that other she or any that maketh pretense of loue towarde her wyll allege or cause to be alleged so mere an vnprouable excuse in so hie a cause The doinge wherof to my iugement hath greatly derogate bothe her their credite not onely in this case but in all other also THE DIVIN These thinges be so pythily spoken set forthe that they can not be auoyded Wherfore sins the truthe fauoreth our princis cause so moche lette vs his subiectes than not omyt nother our zele ne yet our obediēce to hym accordinge to our allegiance nor our duetie to god in assistinge the truthe Our office and duetie to god and our kynge as is the part and office of a true christen man For surely we oughte by our alleagiance to defende him and his doinges agaynste all maligners bothe in wordes dedes For againste maligners god hym selfe exhorteth vs by his prophete whan he sayeth Be not desirous to folowe the malignere Beware maligners Than syn we be forbydden to folowe them in general termes and generally cōmanded to auoyde them moche more he forbyddeth vs in that is agaynst our prince and soueraine Principi populi tui non maledices exo 22. \ In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas Ec. 10. Alas what ingratitude ye and that vnnatural were in vs if we shulde other wise do Or howe coulde we wyl or desire of our prince that poynte of kyndnes as towarde vs our causes which we refuse vnto him warde Howe myght we desire of hym not to be lyght in creditte whan he hereth complaynte of vs whan we be so light to beleue all tales inuented ageynst hym his most rightuous intent Or howe can we be so bolde to desire his grace of his most hye goodnes fauour and to assist vs in our ryghtuous causes whan we do not frankely assiste hym ye offre vs to lyue and dye in this his iuste cause matter THE LAVYER. Me thynketh this matter toucheth vs as moche almoste as him Sauynge onely his conscience But as for the worlde moch more For in his time no man can interrupt him Our moste louing princis true endeuoure is moche more for vs than hym nor there is no besines in title But afterwarde if the ordre be not set bi him or that he dye it is harde to say howe many shal repent it Wherfore I thinke of both it is more requisite for vs than for him to haue this mattre at an honorable ende THE DIVINE But howe might that be THE LAVYER. Mary I thynke that the way might be founde well ynough if the hole heed body of the parliament wold set their wyttes and good wylles vnto it For no doubt but that it ought to be determyned within this realme as plainly ynough it appereth bifore THE DIVINE Surely you say well For me thynketh the succession of this realme ought nat to be ordered by forreins For if it shulde and we to accepte the same they were rulers and orderers of this realme An abusion intollerable and nat the king his parliament And than doutlesse this realme were as euyll in condition as sclaues of Turkes whiche I pray god defende it fro For seynge that there is nothyng to be determined but the faute of beynge knowen or nat knowen which I thynke is euidently ynough proued alredy there is no place so
precedynge or folowynge the acte as age of the two parties conueniente and lykely there vnto with conuersation in bedde and other place at libertie for that acte Wherevpon the lawe concludethe for a truthe the acte of copulation to haue ensued so in other cases of lyke fashion THE DIVI Why syr if this be thus as ye saye than shall it lytell auayle the quene to alledge That the quenes allegynge to the cōtrary nothyng auayleth that she was nat knowen by prince Arthur For sure I am ther be witnesse as I haue harde say of the noblest mē of this realme that knew prince Arthure the quene at the tyme of their mariage and knewe them bothe to be of competent age feete apte prone to that naturall acte bedded to gether at sondrye tymes lyuynge at libertie in one house beynge no lette or impediment in lawe why they shulde nat but many prouocations of nature why they shulde accomplysshe their natural desire in that be halfe THE LAVYER. I thynke the quene wyll neuer erenestly alledge that matter which hath nat only no probabilite of truth but also that beinge proued whiche you speke of that is to say the mariage liuinge beddinge and cōuersation together of her and prince Arthure a plaine conclusion to the cōtrarie THE DIVINE There be many mo specialtes than these that go nere the matter For some men of great house say and as I am enfourmed depose vpon theyr othe that prince Arthur dyd report hym selfe vnto them Prince Arthurs owne reportes that he had carnally knowen her And that at diuers tymes to some at one tyme to some at a nother so that his sayenges were many times reiterate Whyche me thynketh gyuethe moche greatter faythe in so moche that it is not to be thought that al these tymes he shulde speke for ostentacion and bostynge of hym selfe onely For at some tyme of these it doth appere by attestacion of credible folkes wherof some were his seruātes nere about him at that tyme that he spake it for mere necessite demaundynge and desyrynge drinke incontinently vpon his great labours in the mornynge very erely to quenche his thyrste answerynge whan the question was asked hym why sir and be ye nowe so drye Mary if thou haddeste bene as osten in Spayne this nyghte as I haue bene I thynke verely thou woldest haue ben moche dryar Another thinge there is more whiche hath a meruelous apperaunce in it to declare that she shulde be knowen by prince Arthure and that is this Incontinent after his dethe the name of a prince belonged to hym that is nowe our souerayne lorde and kynge excepte his brother had chyldren so without creation or any other solemnite streight waye so to be called therby Whiche if it shulde nat so haue folowed shulde haue ben a mere iniurye illated by his father to hym without some other meruaylous great consideration So it was his brother beinge dede vpon suspicion that she hadde ben with childe and beynge also certifyed by the princes counsell that they and she bothe thoughte the same 〈…〉 for what cause the name of prince was differred our 〈◊〉 the name of prince was differred from our souerayne lorde that nowe is by the space of a moneth more in whiche tyme it was likely the truth to be knowen And so me thinketh there can be no more vehemēt nor almost a playner trial of her to be knowen than this beinge with al well considered howe wel auisedly the noble king his fader dyd always procede in all his actes dedes Ye a thirde there is also wherby it can nat be denied but that this her ostētacion affirmation is nothinge true And that now is euidently proued by an instrumēt called a Brefe whiche she by her selfe or her proctour produced in publyke iudgement before the Legates in her defence bycause our soueraynes counsell founde fautes in the bulle whiche were sufficient in lawe as lawyers do affirme thoughe the pope might dispense as he may nat īdede to annihilate fordo the mariage bitwene the king and her For where one of the fautes whiche the kinges counsell foūde was that after the dethe of prince Arthur in suinge for dispensation the atteyned a bull wherof the suggestion was not true Beinge in one place as it was saide in the bull Forsan cognitam as who sayeth may fortune knowen Whiche maketh a doubte of that thynge whiche she knewe well ynoughe before And thereby it may well be coniectured that she feared to telle the trewthe lest that the pope perceyuynge that she had bene knowen by prince Arthoure wolde neuer haue dispensed with this lattre maryage Or elles in dede if she had nat be knowen she neded nat to haue putte in these termes at all And thereby emonges other thinges the kinges counselle thoughte that this bulle was subrepticious and noughte bycause the trewe meanynge of the supplycatyon was nat purely and trewely declaredde in the same She thanne fearynge that by this faulte and other whyche were founde in the sayde Bulle she shulde fayle of her purpose dydde accordynge as tofore is sayde in her defence exhybyte this brieffe thynkynge thereby to take away al these doubtis whiche were founde in the Bulle and specially that of Forsan cognitam But in this as scripture saith obscurati sunt oculi eorum Both her eies her coūsels were blynded For wher they went about to hele some smal soores they opened a great woūde in the Brefe confesse cognitam without Forsan which is to say that she was knowen without parauenture Howe the brefe which was purchased for fautes in the bul manyfestely sheweth that she was knowē by prince Arthur Whiche maketh as me thinketh to euident a profe that she shulde be knowen by prynce Arthure so plainly sheweth it that it can nat be denyed For nowe if ye marke it well it is confessed bothe by hym her though she liste to say nowe the contrary that in iugement THE LAVYER. I meruaile than that men wyl yet doubt whether it be true or no that the law approueth so for truth where these probations appereth so playne THE DIVINE I will tell you why Bycause her grace sayth her selfe that she was nat carnally knowen and she sayth that she knoweth it better than al the worlde beside THE LAVYERE It can not be denied but that she knoweth it best of folke nowe liuing But prince Arthur whan he lyued knewe vtterly as wel as her grace Who hauing no cause why at that tyme to say otherwise than the truth she nat denieng at that tyme that same said than the cōtrary of that the quene nowe alledgeth whan it maketh moste for her purpose so to say beinge wytnesse in her owne cause and partie for her owne defence without any matter to iustifye her so sayenge sauynge onely her sole suche allegacion One mans or womans sayenge singular be he or she of neuer suche dignite auctorite