Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	prince_n	war_n	3,016	5	6.3180	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07033	A pithie, and most earnest exhortation, concerning the estate of Christiandome together with the meanes to preserue and defend the same; dedicated to al christian kings princes and potentates, with all other the estates of Christiandome: by a Germaine gentleman, a louer of his countrey.; Ad potentissimos ac serenissimos reges commonefactio. English	Marnix van St. Aldegonde, Philips van, 1538-1598.	1583 (1583)	STC 17450.7; ESTC S107814	25,937	82

be troden vnder the Popes feete could not neuerthelesse mollifie their mindes without suffering great iniuries tollerating notable abuses Let him suppose that the Pope wanteth no occasions to arme the Spaniard to the destruction of the Germaines seeing that they which be of his owne religion do not onely not oppose them selues against the protestantes but also daily enter a legue amity and firme alyaunce with them Let him coniecture that the spanierds not beeing able to subdue Germany to their own dominiō neither to reduce it to the Popes obedience vnlesse to that end they contract amity with the rest eyther in respect of ancient allance or by right of protection or for feare of their armies it is necessary for the Germains to stande to one of these conditions namely either to ioyn with the spaniardes in the conquest of their fellow cuntry me or els vniting their whole forces together to take armes against thē for the deliuery of an Germany out of their bondage This vnles they doe spedely take in hād so vsing the occasiō of the affairs of the low coūtries doe cutte off the encrease of the Spanish power they shal hereafter in vain each after other endeuour to turne away the force of their tyrannie Certainly most noble princes the King of Spains power is great and yet is it such that as by your sufferance I had almost said slouth the foundations therof haue sprong and growen forward so may it again by your vnion as easily be shaken and finally with small labour by your power and concorde be brought to vtter subuersion For all the Prouinces of his obedience do lie separate a great way each from other whereby their victuals may easily be cut off their forces debarred and their strength vtterly ouerthrowen in case you will but of your selues helpe your selues and not suffer Italy by a list running thorough the middest of Germany to be ioyned with Flaunders A matter so much the easier for you to compasse for that you see euidently how al nations do abhorre their great tyranny and attend no other but opportunitie to free themselues out of their bōdage Neithe are you ignoraunt with how weake a power and with what a handfull of men or smal beginnings the Prince of Orenge hath wasted brought to naught their great enterprises consumed their mighty armies what a while the low countries destitute of al aide and bereaued of succour haue borne the brunt of so mighty a Prince also in what daunger within these fewe yeares Don Iohn of Austrich of late daies the Prince of Parma were of being driuen out of all the said low countries with their whole power yea that at that time had not sundry prouinces by reason of ciuil dissention departed from the general vnion the Duke of Aniow through peruerse counsail let slip his good fortune which he possessed they had not only abādoned Flanders but also peraduēture limited their dominions with the Pirinean mountaines So that as you are not to cōtēne their might suffer it thus to growe on so haue you no cause most noble Princes to fear the greatnes therof or to dant you frō valiant defence of your selues or reuenge of the common liberty The king of Spains power can not greatly hurt you if in time you see to your businesse If you neglect not the warres of the low coūtries if through your authority you vndermine al Billies purposes concerning the riuer of Ems if you represse the fiery ambitiō of the Duke of Bauier togeather with his exceeding affection to the king of Spain if with the most christiā king if with the right excellēt Queen of England al other christian princes and potentats you do earnestly cōsider of some necessary meanes to suppresse this their ouer great power and authority But if contrariwise you suffer the inhabitauntes of the low cuntries your next neighbours through the spanish power almost wasted yet to be cōsumed with the strēgh of Germany if you hould your peaces when you see the inhabitants of Cleueland Iuliers Coulogn euē quake for fear at the precepts of the king of Spain if you force not the inhabitāts of liedge to ayd the cōmō enemy with money munition wepons as hitherto they haue opēly don If you bridle not the vile ambition of the Duke of Bauier but suffer him to ioyne the Archbishoprick of Coulogn electorial dignity to his authority If you restraine him not from ioyning his forces with the spanish to the destruction of Flanders and exclude not the spaniard frō al the hauens of the Ocean sea doubt not but Flāders being brought vnder the yoke Germany deuided into factions France consumed in ciuil wars or with drawn into sundry opiniōs diuers affections the terror of the spanish name waight of his empire wil become a mighty tēpest ineuitable inundation which hauing piersed the causies ditches bāks wil shortly be sufficient through the fury of his ambitiō to incroch al christēdō togither Against which procedings if any man wil thē oppose himself either by force or otherwise he shal though to late finde that which in the beginning of our discourse wee haue set downe namely that fit opportunitie to doe well being once escaped vs which wil neuer be recouered either by intreaty or compulsion wil cry vengeaunce against vs and bring vppon vs that plague which our rechlesnes and negligence doth deserue This prognostication I beseeche God to turne from all Christendom especially from Germanie my sweete countrie most earnestly desiring him in the name of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST that he will vouchsafe in his holy spirit to assist all your counsails most noble princes of thempire you al other christian Kings Princes and magistrates and therewith so gouerne conduct and frame all your enterprises and determinations that you may conclude vpon and put in execution whatsoeuer shal seem most iust profitable requisite and necessary for the benefite of all Christendome the glory of his holy name and the wealth and saluation of his people FINIS

the same is willingly deceiued flattring himself hath no care of his own honor liberty or life For first the desire of gouernmēt is vn satiable like to a flaming fire which the more stuf mater that it findeth the further it doth stretch and extend it selfe wasting all as it goeth Againe who seeth not that by this manifest vsurping of Portingale euē in the face of the whol world the king of Spaine meaneth not to submit himselfe to any lawes rytes or capitulations whatsoeuer For if he had thought himself to haue had any right in the sayde succession why did he by force preuent the lawes or by fire and sworde the holy decree of the ludges wherfore hath he abused King Antony the Queene mother to the most christian King the Duke of Bragrance euen the Prince of Parmats sonne and to be briefe all those that pretended any title to the sayd kingdome Shall we then yet thinke that either conscience iustice or equitie can take place in him who so euidently hath declared that in matter of gouerment he will not take or measure his right other then with the power and force of his armies that hee who with his money hath armed the Turke against the Venetians so turned that storm from himselfe vnto his confederates in Ciprus can thinke himselfe bound vnto any couenants treaties or agreements whatsoeuer That that mans fierie ambition who hath not kept any couenants with the inhabitaunts of Grenado the Indians or Flemings any longer then he founde them profitable to himselfe cā be stayed by any bonde of league or confederacie of aliance Either what conscience right or lawe can binde him who by the principles or precepts of his religion together with the Byshopp of Romes authoritie thinketh himselfe released from all bondes of fayth or promise shall we hope that he who coulde not by any bonds of mariage be restrayned frō Incest for any loue or duetie of matrimony absteine frō adultery for any naturall loue forbeare parricide or for any sworne fayth refrayne from periurie being besides so ambitious as all men know so desirous to enlarge the bounds of his Empire so far transported with pursuit of reuenge may by any proposition of equitie right lawe or Iustice be cooled and brought to reasonable order in whatsoeuer matter As if it were not as lawful for the Bis of Rome to dispēse by his Bul as wel with the lawes bounds and limits of kingdomes and Prouinces as with the bands of matrimony and faith so solemnly sworne But to what purpose is it for vs to think vnder pretence of law iustice to moderate that mans ambitiō who hath bene long resolued that he hath lawfull and iust title to inuade other mens kingdomes and if he may to bring the same into his subiection For among all princes potentates and Christian common wealthes who is there against whō he thinketh not him selfe long since to haue had sufficient and iust cause to moue warres He will accuse the King of Fraunce that he did not onely not hinder his brothers attempts in Flanders but also ayded him with men money and Weapons and so beganne the warres That in the behoofe of the Queen his mother he hath in warlike maner assaulted the Ilandes apperteining to his obedience fought with his nauie and not onely receiued harboured Don Anthony his enemy supposed rebel in his kingdome but also aided and assisted him both with men and money also that he succoured the low countries asmuch as possibly he could To the Queene of England he will alleage that first by the Popes Bulles she is denounced an heretique and therevpon excommunicated then that in diuerse dealinges both by Sea and by land she hath shewed herselfe to be his enemie that in her dominions she hath harboured and ayded his enemies with men munition money and shippes that she hath fauoured Don Anthony in all his enterprises and that vppon euery opportunity she hath intercepted his nauie and treasure comming from the Indyes Amongest the Germaine Princes some he wil accuse for succouring the Prince of Orenge and others for their parsonal presence in the Flemish wars Against some he wil raise controuersies in respect of their territories by means of the Bishop of Frisenguen against others for the preeminence of the electorate generally he wil accuse al to be either heretikes or to be confederate with those that haue shaken of the Bishop of Romes obediēce whome altogether the Pope will as heretofore he hath done command to be by force reduced to their dueties And I pray you is not al this sufficient to serue for a very good colour to make him who accounteth of all the Popes precepts as of heauenly reuelations And of his excommunications as of celestiall thunderboltes to assaile them Who of him selfe is a sworne enemy to religion abhorring it as the plague of the worlde who in all his counsailes purposes practises and leagues that euer he made hath no other meaning but to roote it out and quight to suppresse it and who being the most ambitious prince aliue doth yet protest that he had rather lose all his dominions and dignities then leaue any sparke of this religion vnquēched And to be brief who maketh no more accounte of the Germaines then if they were Turkes Sarazens or Moores Yea will not the Pone thinke himselfe to haue as full power after his thunderbolts of excommunication to exhibite Germany as a pray to king Philip as had his predecessours to giue it to his Father the Emperour Charles Pope Paule the thirde and his predecessour Clement the feuenth did threaten Charles the fifth with excommunications because hee thought it requisite to pacifie the trouble arising in Germany for matter of religion rather by the aucthoritie of a general councell then by proceedinge by force of armes yea in the ende with their thonderboltes of excommunication they droue that good prince for still he relented to them to such an exigent that as an extreame remedie he was forced to make wars with al extremitie And shall we now think that the Pope do want means to perswade the king of Spaine who of himselfe is sufficiently inclyned that way that he hath iust cause by meere strength to reduce them to the faith of the Romishe Church If any man thinke that the feare hereof toucheth no more but the protestant princes also that they which still haue perseuered in Popery need not doubt or mistrust any thing Let him call to mind that the Henries Ottoes Frederickes and other most mightye and in all commendable vertues most excellēt Emperors your predecessors most noble princes did in their daies professe the same faith religion with the popes and yet coulde not escape their thonderbolts and most wrongfull excommunications But that some of them see their Empyres translated and gyuen to forraine princes Others came bare footed and bare headed to aske them forgyuenesse and submitting them selues to

ouercome with the necessity of his own affaires seemed to find it somwhat reasonable so suffered the reuoking of the said bandes out of the countries to the end with them to keepe and defende the passages of Italy Spaine togither with his houlds in Affrica against the ordinary incursions of the ●urkes and Moores being neuerthelesse fully resolued as himselfe could not but cōfesse which also the Spaniaras in their writings haue testified vpon the first commodity to returne the saide garrisons who with armes open force should blot out the iniury supposed to be wrought againste the Spanith name and with a more stricte bonde should bridle and restraine the ouer great liberty and authority of al these prouinces For the compassing thereof there fel out nothing more fitte and apparant then the Kinges constant and perpetual desire care and zeale earnestly strictly to establish the Romish religion in the lowe Countries which caused him in all his letters written out of Spaine ordinarily to accuse the Duchesse of Parma and the chiefe Lords and Magistrates of the country that they were not earnest enough in these causes saying that he well perceaued that vnlesse they vsed more violent remedies then afore tyme the Romish religion woulde soone be extinguished throughout Flounders which for his part he woulde neuer permit but rather to hazarde whatsoeuer lands and kingdoms he yet possessed Wherefore that he willed and ordeyned that the rigour of the edicts and placards of religiō shuld be executed without dissimulation and that they should not vpon any whatsoeuer occasion be moderated qualified or in anye wise mitigated but rather that their strictnes shoulde be augmented and increased to that end that they shuld create new Bishops whom they should make inquisitours for matters of Faith that Granuel Archbishop of Mali●es a little before become a cardinal who by reason of his intollerable ambition and inordinate desire of gouernment had incurred the malice of al estates should be made head and president of that colledge that to the end the sayd bishops might more diligently attend to the said inquisitiō some of the spoiles of diuers Abots other Prelates of the countrey whom they accused to be to negligēt in persecuting punishing of the heretiks shuld be distributed among them with al that the hearing of all causes if neuer so smallye they pertained to matter of religion should be reserued to them whervpon euen at one time by one means al sorts of people of the said cuntries were greuously offended The princes great Lords could not patiently suffer the administratiō of the affaires to be taken from them cōmitted to one Granuel a new mā a stranger The nobility coulde not like that authority ouer their liues goods shuld to the preiudice of their country customes be cōmitted to vnknown beggerly base persons who coueting their goods tresurs might easely find means to accuse betraye them The magistrates rulers of cities and towns did murmure that the iudgments priuiledges of the cuntry cōtrary to the kings oth so solēnly sworn shold be taken frō them put into the hands of rascals such as besids were by oth bound to a forraine prince the pope of Rome and had already giuen out sufficient testimony proofe of their cruelty couetousnes To be briefe the whole cominalty generally complained that in stead of sheepheards they were committed to the custody of rauening wolues cōtinually gaping after their goods so that sundry merchants determined to seek new habitations in forrain countries which diuers of thē did indeed al these things being rehearsed to the king in sundri suplications peticions messages ambassages the states instātly requiring that by such innouatiōs so faithfula people to their princes might not be forced any whit to deminish their accustomed obediēce so far was he frō giuing audiēce or harkning to their peticions that contrariwise obstinatly refusing all their demands he would that euē the decrees of the counsel of Trident whereby in maner al the lawes customes of the cuntry were infringed should be published throughout the said prouinces And in deede by that meanes hee foūd the cōmodity of the time so lōg looked for For in case his preceptes tooke place the aucthority of the inquisitours once established and the lawes and customes of the countrey infringed it would be no hard matter to put to death all such as had either aucthority or countenaunce among the people and so also the Spanishe garrisons together with a new forme of regiment might easely be brought in but contrarywise if herein they refused to obeye his decrees as there was no other likelihood considering how al sortes of people were by these demaundes oppressed then necessarily must insue both tumultes and disorder for the pacifiyng whereof the Spanish garrizons must needes be returned and so how so euer the world went the obstinate reiecting of the Kinges commaundement should as a matter of Treason minister cause sufficient to chastize the people with fire and swoorde Neither was he deceiued in the euent of this counsaile For some of the chiefe Nobility hauing exhibited a certaine request into the Court wherein was prooued that the kinges commaundement concerning Placards was not onely pernicious to the common wealth but also daungerous to them selues requiring therefore that the publication of the sayd Placards might cease vntill the king were informed of their demāds by suche notable persons as to that end should expresly trauail to his maiestie the people thereby conceiuing hope of greater liberty tooke vppon them and peraduenture somewhat more then was requisite openlye to professe the reformed religion which the king and Spaniards did so greatly detest and abhor This so honest and aparant occasion ministred vnto the king means first to condemne such of the nobility of treazon as had exhibited the sayde request and so to execute the ambassadours which by the gouernesse cōmandement went vnto him then vnder the conduct of the Duke of Alua to send the old spanish bandes into the low countries to the end vnder pretence of religion to put to death al such of the chiefe lords nobles of the country as coulde not brook their demeanures to establishe paines of death against al good men to entangle the people with charges impostes grieuous bondage to erect fortresse castles in their towns and finally to depriue the estates and magistrats of al aucthority the nobility of al dignity preeminence the people of their substāce welth the towns of their lawes customes priuiledges freedoms and finally all the prouinces generally of their auncient honor dignity power so to open a way to the counsell so long before taken for the establishing of the seate of their premeditated wars in the low countries Al which things the world knoweth so wel as also how the Duke of Alua hath endeuored to bring thē to effect that I shal not here neede