CERTEIN LETTERS VVHERIN IS SET forth a Discourse of the Peace that was attempted and sought to haue bin put in effecte by the Lords and States of Holland and Zelande in the yeare of oure Lorde 1574. ALSO A SVPPLICATION put vp by the said States of Hollande and Zeland and other places of the Low Countryes to the King together with the aunsvvere and a Reply vppon the same and diuers other particularities PSALME 28. O Lord God take me not away with the wicked nor with them that commit iniquitie which speake peace to their neighbours imagine mischiefe in their harts IMPRINTED AT LONdon in Fleetestreate by Thomas Marshe ANNO 1576. TO the intent to giue some lighte to suche as are not acquainted with the state of the affayres and controuersies of Hollande and Zelande and to stoppe the mouthes of malicious aduersaries which ceasse not to reporte al maner of vntruth and reproch of the noble valeaūt and vertuous prince the Prince of Orendge his adherēts of the iust case which they maintein here is translated a short Discourse of the orignial cause and ground of their entering into Armes togither with a nomber of weyghtie substantial reasons wherby they iustifie their doing by good conscience and equitie And it is the rather set forthe at this tyme because some of the parties and authors therof bee now here as Mounsieur Sainct Aldegond and Moūsieur Champagny and others who may iustify the same as neede shall requyre to the open mainfestation of the truth with out further trauel Read with aduisemēt and iudge indifferently as the righte of the matter shall leade the. Sum Dea quae rara paucis Occasi◠nota To his very friend E. B. esquier affectionate friend and deuotiste seruaunt vnto the fayre and vertuous Lady the Countesse of Culenberghe THis olde prouerbe as cōmonly all other hath his groūd vpon knowē experience Malus animus malamens an euill affection maketh an euill construction Men wrest or driue the interpretaciō of doings to the frame of their owne coceits which they deriue from the fauour or disfauour that they haue settled in their owne perswasions It is not vnknowen what extraordinary discourses what priuate fansies in common meetīgs are daily made of the case of our neighbours in the low Country Such maner of debatinge where cōtrary opiniōs haue distracted you seeme to be the cause of your question wherof you desire to be resolued in your letters You coulde not haue written to a man more indifferent than I am who am as farre from parcialitie as he that loueth that is to say preferreth neither party before other but our country before thē both I do therefore as I wish you to doe set the pin of the beame eauen and examine the weight of either skale Let vs then cōpare the sides and begin with the sharper that we maye haue the milder ending First I will call to minde what th one of those sides obiecteth Secondly what thother aunswereth And thirdly what to drawe to concerne our selues In the matter of obiection let vs see what strength it hath in iustice In the matter of defence let vs see what weight it hath in equitie And for the matter of Our selues let vs see what necessity what commodity what right and what facilitie it is said to beare to draw vs to any side It is sayd by some which are loth that Spaine should be weaker or Englande stronger that the Prince of Orendge his adherēts are rebels in Armes agaīst their natural Prince and maintayners of a most daungerous president against all Princes To this is aunswered on thother part as in this booke you shal see discoursed that there is difference of the bande maner of their subiection from other None of them holdeth that a king maye be shaken of by his subiects but they all saye that Lords electible vpon pacts conditions are also reiectible accordīge to the same pacts cōditions specially in Dominions subiecte to the ciuill lawes which are not the Lawes of England The order of eche state is to be regarded not all States haue kings Some haue other formes of gouernment Not all kingdoms haue like maner of admissions or receyuings of kings Som follow natural succession of bloud some Choise some Lot or chaunce Some kings or rulers haue simple absolute power some limitted circumscribed Therles of Holland and Zealand as is well knowē many examples haue proued at their Ioyous entree that is to saye at ther receyuinge to inauguration or seisen of their Estate be bound by oth to prescribed pacts orders whereby not onelye their forme of rule is bounded but also vpon diuers points the subiects homage allegiance expresly discharged And that discharg in fact hath bin executed by such fact say they the auncesters of the Prince himself that now chargeth them haue bin receyued The Prince and states of that Country alledge the othe of their Earle the precise forme of assoylmēt vpon his breach of their Priuiledges they produce one chiefe point that they ought not to be pestered with gouernaunce or garrison of straungers they recken vp thintollerable outragious manifest oppressions done vpon them and the euident practise to bring that free Nation to most vnsufferable seruitude they shield themselues vnder the liberty right of Nature the prouision of agreements the othes of their Princes their power of refusall vppon their Princes periurie wyth many like matters whereof they make the worlde Iudges by their many Protestacions Apologies Iustifications Supplicatiōs to the states of th empyre other meanes alwayes seuering their case from other subiectes of Naturall and absolute Kinges FOR say they in their case of resistinge the Kinge these things are to be considered the nature of the Gouernement and subiection the cause of resistance and thirdly the maner of the resistance The nature of the Gouernment the subiection stādeth in these two considerations VVhether it hee Merum Imperium that all thinges may be done Pro voluntate Regnanti◠or it be Moderatum which is Temperatū Legibus wherein the Ruler hath his rule prescribed him which way to rule the Subiect a Paterne described him which way to obey If the Gouernment be Merum absolutū then is the Person inferiour a slaue and no subiecte For in all due subiection there is Taxis which is neuer in Voluntate If the Gouernmente be Temperatum then is thinferiour a subiect and no slaue IN all subiection there is an honest liberty giuen by Law it self whereby all Actions and Pleas in Lawe are as open to the subiect as to the ruler for the maintenaunce of truth and equitie In slauerie there is none such because he is not to be measured but by the will of the Ruler which howsoeuer it turneth is his right he hath no actiō of Appeal or Plea to the contrary Then it followeth that the Law is the rightest Auctoritie and the same
bloudy warres betweene the three Henries Fredericke and Philip and an insinite nomber of other Emperours agaīst the Popes of Rome but for because that the same Emperours woulde not obey their Commaundementes sometimes when they willed them to make warre in all hast vppon the Sarrasins sometimes when they woulde haue them leaue of that title which they had receiued by succession of their auncestours sometimes when the Popes themselues would be put in possession of certaine townes and territories which they said they should inherite as the patrimony of S. Peter and finally vppon any cause that it pleased them to picke whereof all the Chronicles and Histories be filled And what was the cause why Pope Alexander marched in publique place vppon the necke of the Emperour Fredericke Barbarossa adding thereunto many wordes full of reproche and shame And what is the cause againe why euen at this day they make the Monarks and kinges to kisse their feete but onely in signe and token of subiection which they claime as due And presently if they be not obeyed they thunder againste them and pronounce absolution vnto all their subiectes although they reuolt frō that fidelitie which they owe of duty Wherfore seing that the kīg is so much subiect to the Pope of Rome whō in no wise we cā acknowledge to be our superiour since that he feareth so much his thūdrings excōmunications How can you either say or beleue that his Ma. doth cōmaūd absolutely amōgst vs what he listeth himself specially in such a matter wherin the Pope pretendeth to haue more interrest than any man aliue I beseech you if the king woulde here our requests finding thē grounded vppon good reasons were willing to graūt vs the exercise of our religiō do you thīck that it were lawfull for him so to do Your selfe haue tould me very plainly that if the king would cōdiscēd to any such matter you would take armes agaīst him cause to your power the whole coūtrie to rebell And this I am sure your self wil not denie to haue said whē I was with you at Mountford Wher thē remayneth the fre auctoritie of the king to cōmaund where is the greatnes of his Ma. yea rather what becommeth of his liberty of your Maxime that no subiecte may take armes in hād without the appointmēt of his king lord seing that one only vassal wil to his power cause al his Estats to rebell if that the aduice opinion of his Maiesty touching the cause of his Coūtry subiects shal not agre with his cōceite But I am contente to pardon you herein consideringe the zeale which you beare to the Romishe Religion vppon condition that you will imagine that oure zeale which we beare vnto our Apostolicall Religiō of the Gospel is not a whit lesse althoughe peraduenture it is nether so plausible in mans capacitie neyther so profitable to them that maintaine it Yet haue we examples very freshe of the Emperour Charles of noble memorie who escaped very hardly from beinge excommunicated by Pope Paulus 3. for that hee graunted vnto the Almaynes but onely the Interim which was almost conformable in all poincts vnto the decrees of the Pope And I pray you what ado was there when he willed that a generall Councell shoulde be called in Almaine where the Almaynes might be harde in free disputacion And finally was it not the Pope that constrained him to make warre vpon the Christiās and did oftentimes threaten him with thundringes if he wente not to worke with speede in such sort that the Emperour was constrayned to couer the pretence of his warre with the cloke of rebelliō to th ēd he might draw vnto him Mawrice and th' other Princes which were confederates of the Smalcaldiens I speake nothing here of the holy Inquisition of Spaine nor of the Prelates of the Counsayle which be of the Popes creation and haue made a solempne othe vnto him neuer to agree to anye matter that they shall thinck to be preiudicial to the aduaūcement of the Sea of Rome but that they shall reueale the same and resist it with all their power Who seeth not how that our king is so possessed with them as hee is not able by anye meanes in the world to iudge any thīg in this matter contrary to their opinions aduice vppon paine of being condempned for a rebel vnto the sea of Rome Howe then can that be true where you say that wee make warre vppon the king Take away once the respect of the Pope and his Prelates and bringe to passe that either the king himself be not subiecte vnto him or els that he be content that we may be free from his lawes and then shall you see how soone and how soundlye wee will yeld our selues vnto the perfect obedience of our king naturall Prince as to one annointed of God himself to do vs right Iustice And if you esteeme this to be vtterly vnreasonable and that you meane to make the minde of oure Prince to be at the commaundemente of other mennes willes do not maruaile I pray you if we pretend to be no rebels in seeking that he maye gouerne vs by his absolute Auctoritie withoute receyuing lawes from others I come now to that other poinct where you say That it is a very straung thing for subiectes to force their Prince to assemble Estats at their pleasure Surely this seemeth very wonderfull considering that you cannot be ignorant how that the king himself by his owne pure will hath tyed himselfe thereunto as to the firmest ground and surest staffe whereuppon his auctority power Regall doth chiefly yea I may say onely leane rest For seing the Estates in a fourme of politique gouernement are none other thing but the chiefe and principall heads of the people representing the body of the multitude What thing is there that can bee so naturally vnited vnto a good king who desireth to be both father and Pastour of his people as are the Estates of his Country Euē as for exāple there is nothing that hath such affinity with the head of a mās bodye as those members which are called vital for that they be the chiefest Instrumēts by the which the vitall spirits proceding from the braynes to diuers sinewes are communicated in generall to the whole body and to euery member and by the which likewyse euery member retayneth his perfecte vnity and naturall knitting to the body Euen so a good king being the head of his people doth by the meanes of his Estates communicate and imparte vnto the whole body of his cōmon wealth not onely his fauoure grace priuiledges whereby he keepeth them in vnitie but also his bounty Iustice and wisedome from the which as out of a quicke fountaine do springe good lawes Ordinaunces whereby the people are still gouerned in good discipline as it were in the liuely being and naturall motion of the same This is the cause why our auncestours excelling in
profits there is no end And among other this is the greatest that they vvill not like Ireland be chargeable but a most Noble encrease of reuenevves to the Crovvne able at their ovvne charge to defende themselues vnder her Magisties name protection and to serue the Realme of Englād a Nauie ioyned with her Maiesties Nauie and mariners able to hold and driue from Sea all Princes in Christēdom Finally Safety Riches Strēgth and honour For right their offers say they make it apparent both by discent in her Ma. if the holder against his oth vvil stand vpon discent alone electiō by the States vpō breach of othes pacts on thother parte rightfull conquest vppon iust causes for so manifest iniuries perils a conquest I say yet with a sweete and easye yoke to the people willing to receiue it For facility is to be marked saye they their owne offer the readinesse of the people to embrace their owne strēgthe to haue stand thus long alone the distracting of the aduersary all cōmodious opportunities delyuered by God him self And to all these good meanes the moste glorious acte to releue the Church of God against Papists the violators and enemyes of publike naturall and Christen fayth the great meane to appease the controuersies of Christendome for Religion Adde also the noble pollicy fitnes to enter into vniuersal league of Christians against the Pope Popish conspiracies the aide of so noble a Prince the Prince of Orenge so able so worthy and so likely a man to serue Christendom against the Empire of the Turcke tyranny of Rome the greedy ioye of her Maiesties people to follow her pleasure in pursuing of such a noble enterprise Thus you see what I haue heard say on all sides I leaue to you the iudgment of all these conceits I leaue to Counsellers the gouerning of vs all by the best aduises and directions who I doubt not in their wisedoms do see the best in this Parliamēt cā lack no help of consent sinewes that this Realme cā giue And I leaue to God the guidinge of harts successes But beside all that I haue noted before as the opiniōs of other this you shall take as mine owne full beleuing that it is not in our will to haue peace by lettīg them alone when the aduersary tarieth but to subdue them that he may aduaūce himself agaīst vs But to hold warre further of both in place and time is novv offered to her Maiesties Election Peace she cannot haue sure by peace And one notable matter I hear of they be most desirous that England will receiue them but rather then they will returne to their old thraldome they will creepe vnder the yoke euen of the Muscouite or Turke himselfe Much rather will they yeld them to Fraunce that hath now so many armies ready to take hold of thē if Englād reiect thē That consequence may proue ill for vs And I do not take it certaine that Fraunce shall for euer haue ciuill warres It maye be that God after the bloud of so many Martirs wil giue peace to his Church in Fraūce You see ther is but one life betwene them the successiue raigne of many tollerabl◠Prīces If God should bereaue the world of the present French king sodenly or otherwyse blesse Fraunce wyth an other or that the Kinge of necessity yelde to a firme peace How easly vpon our refusal vvill the alliaunce of the Prince of Orenge wyth the house of Fraunce draw Holland and Zeland to Fraunce O merueylous aduauncement of Fraunc◠by sea and land Shall they be lords o◠Trafique Lords of furniture of Shippīg ▪ Lords of great many shippes goo◠harborowes that most is so greate◠so neere vs I pray God it neuer be tha◠may be so daungerous ⧠To the Reader LIKE AS in time paste oure aduersaries haue alwayes frō the beginning pickte quarrels against our cause with intente to procure a greater mislike thereof in all mennes mindes and to that effecte haue framed many fayned slaunders in layinge to our charge that wee are not onely fallen awaye from the fayth but also become rebells against the Maiestie of the Kinge of Spaine oure soueraigne and naturall Prince to th ende that vnder the shadowe of such fine coulours they mighte both blemishe the eyes of the simple sorte which are altogether ignorante of the cause and also seeme closely to couer their owne disordinate greedines of gaine euen to the face of the wysest vnlesse they bee the better acquainted wyth those affayres Euen so wee ascertaine oure selues that they will not sticke by all meanes they maye hereafter likewyse to practise the drowninge and vtter suppressinge of all such true dealing as doth nowe but begin by litle and litle to come to lighte They publishe and proclaime althoughe moste vntrulye that wee are the persōs that will giue no eare to any agreemente be it neuer so reasonable and that we endeuour our selues to seeke nothing els but how we may maintayn this ciuil dissention and dangerous warres within oure owne boosome although it procure the vtter destruction of this our poore Country and all for oure pleasure they say because wee are minded to bend our wills appetits to crosse his Maiestie Thus do they still cauil VVherfore to th end that none may hereafter by giuing to light credit to their false reports so much abuse themselues as to condēne those that are innocentes and to iustifie such as bee most cruell enemies to iustice VVee thought it most necessary after many supplications at diuers sōdry times exhibited vnto his maiestie yet once againe to publish this our last request made vnto him therwithall to lay before your eyes all such meanes as haue bin made on our parte for the appeasinge of this warre as ye may most plainly perceiue by seing of such letters as haue bin written on eyther part to that effect without adding or deminishing any thing therin to th ēd that euery man may iudge without any suspicion according to the truth of the matter Meaning thereby most manifestly to show forth both in whō lyeth the originall cause beginning of this warre also who is most to be blamed for that we attaine not vnto a perfecte peace and vnity Moreouer that we haue alwayes acknowledged the kinge of Spaine to be oure Soueraigne Prince and liege Lord as one giuen vnto vs of God to rule and gouerne vs with all iustice and equity according to such contractes as we weare both bound vnto and according to such aunciente Rights Vsages Liberties and Priuiledges as hee hath bin most solemply sworne vnto and that we haue alwayes had our recourse vnto him most hūble and with al due reuerence For albeit that some pretending a fayned desire of quietnes and vnity in our Country haue priuately perswaded vs that in oure treaty of peace wee must looke especially to the obseruing of two points that is to witte