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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04224	The vvorkes of the most high and mightie prince, Iames by the grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. Published by Iames, Bishop of Winton, and deane of his Maiesties Chappel Royall; Works	James I, King of England, 1566-1625.; Montagu, James, 1568?-1618.; Elstracke, Renold, fl. 1590-1630, engraver.; Pass, Simon van de, 1595?-1647, engraver.	1616 (1616)	STC 14344; ESTC S122229	618,837	614

as ye haue heard For that is the office properly belonging to God and besides that the soule once parting from the body cannot wander any longer in the world but to the owne resting place must it goe immediately abiding the coniunction of the body againe at the latter day And what Christ or the Prophets did miraculously in this case it can in no Christian mans opinion be made common with the diuel As for any tokens that they giue for prouing of this it is very possible to the diuels craft to perswade them to these meanes for he being a spirit may he not so rauish their thoughts and dull their senses that their body lying as dead he may obiect to their spirits as it were in a dreame and as the Poets write of Morpheus represent such formes of persons of places and other circumstances as he pleases to illude them with Yea that he may deceiue them with the greater efficacie may he not at that same instant by fellow angels of his illude such other persons so in that same fashion whom-with hee makes them to beleeue that they mette that all their reports and tokens though seuerally examined may euery one agree with another And that whatsoeuer actions either in hurting men or beasts or whatsoeuer other thing that they falsly imagine at that time to haue done may by himselfe or his marrowes at that same time be done indeed so as if they would giue for a token of their being rauished at the death of such a person within so short space thereafter whom they beleeue to haue poisoned or witched at that instant might he not at that same houre haue smitten that same person by the permission of GOD to the farther deceiuing of them and to mooue others to beleeue them And this is surely the likelyest way and most according to reason which my iudgement can finde out in this and whatsoeuer other vnnaturall points of their confession And by these meanes shall we saile surely betwixt Charybdis and Scylla in eschewing the not beleeuing of them altogether on the one part lest that draw vs to the errour that there is no Witches and on the other part in beleeuing of it make vs to eschew the falling into innumerable absurdities both monstrously against all Theologie diuine and Philosophie humane CHAP. V. ARGV Witches actions towards others Why there are more women of that craft then men What things are possible to them to effectuate by the power of their master The reasons thereof What is the surest remedy of the harmes done by them PHILOMATHES FOrsooth your opinion in this seemes to cary most reason with it and since ye haue ended then the actions belonging properly to their owne persons say forward now to their actions vsed towards others EPI In their actions vsed towards others three things ought to be considered First the maner of their consulting thereupon Next their part as instruments And last their masters part who puts the same in execution As to their consultations thereupon they vse them oftest in the Churches where they conueene for adoring at what time their master enquiring at them what they would be at euery one of them propones vnto him what wicked turne they would haue done either for obtaining of riches or for reuenging them vpon any whom they haue malice at who granting their demaund as no doubt willingly he will since it is to doe euill hee teacheth them the meanes whereby they may doe the same As for little trifling turnes that women haue adoe with he causeth them to ioynt dead corpses and to make powders thereof mixing such other things there amongst as he giues vnto them PHI. But before ye goe further permit me I pray you to interrupt you one word which ye haue put me in memorie of by speaking of Women What can be the cause that there are twentie women giuen to that craft where there is one man EPI The reason is easie for as that sexe is frailer then man is so is it easier to be intrapped in these grosse snares of the diuell as was ouer-well prooued to be trew by the Serpents deceiuing of Eua at the beginning which makes him the homelier with that sexe sensine PHI. Returne now where ye left EPI To some others at these times he teacheth how to make pictures of waxe or clay that by the roasting thereof the persons that they beare the name of may be continually melted or dried away by continuall sickenesse To some he giues such stones or ponders as will helpe to cure or cast on diseases And to some hee teacheth kindes of vncouth poysons which Mediciners vnderstand not for he is farre cunninger then man in the knowledge of all the occult proprieties of nature not that any of these meanes which he teacheth them except the poysons which are composed of things naturall can of themselues helpe any thing to these turnes that they are employed in but onely being GODS ape as well in that as in all other things Euen as God by his Sacraments which are earthly of themselues workes a heauenly effect though no wayes by any cooperation in them And as Christ by clay and spettle wrought together Iohn 9. opened the eyes of the blinde man suppose there was no vertue in that which he outwardly applied so the diuel will haue his outward meanes to be shewes as it were of his doing which hath no part or cooperation in his turnes with him how farre that euer the ignorants be abused in the contrarie And as to the effects of these two former parts to wit the consultations and the outward meanes they are so wonderfull as I dare not alleadge any of them without ioyning a sufficient reason of the possibilitie thereof For leauing all the small trifles among wiues and to speake of the principall points of their craft for the common trifles thereof they can doe without conuerting well enough by themselues these principall points I say are these They can make men or women to loue or hate other which may be very possible to the diuel to effectuate seeing he being a subtile spirit knowes well enough how to perswade the corrupted affection of them whom God wil permit him so to deale with They can lay the sicknesse of one vpon another which likewise is very possible vnto him For since by Gods permission he laide sickenesse vpon Iob why may he not farre easilier lay it vpon any other For as an old practitian hee knowes well enough what humour domines most in any of vs and as a spirit he can subtillie waken vp the same making it peccant or to abound as hee thinkes meet for troubling of vs when God will so permit him And for the taking off of it no doubt he will be glad to relieue such of present paine as he may thinke by these meanes to perswade to be catched in his euerlasting snares and fetters They can bewitch and take the life of men or women by roasting

any penance for the same And that ye may know that more Iesuits were also vpon the partie Owldcorne the other Powder-Martyr after the misgiuing and discouery of that Treason preached consolatory doctrine to his Catholique auditorie exhorting them not to faint for the misgiuing of this enterprise nor to thinke the worse thereof that it succeeded not alleadging diuers Presidents of such godly enterprises that misgaue in like maner especially one of S. Lewes King of France who in his second iourney to the Holy-land died by the way the greatest part of his armie being destroyed by the plague his first iourney hauing likewise misgiuen him by the Soldans taking of him exhorting them thereupon not to giue ouer but still to hope that GOD would blesse their enterprise at some other time though this did faile Thus see ye now with what boldnesse and impudencie hee hath belied the publiquely knowne veritie in this errand both in auowing generally that no Iesuite was any wayes guiltie of that Treason for so he affirmeth in his booke and also that Garnet knew nothing thereof but vnder the Seale of Confession But if this were the first lye of the affaires of this State which my fugitiue Priests and Iesuits haue coyned and spread abroad I could charme them of it as the prouerbe is But as well the walles of diuers Monasteries and Iesuites Colledges abroad are filled with the painting of such lying Histories as also the bookes of our said fugitiues are farced with such sort of shamelesse stuffe such are the innumerable sorts of torments and cruell deathes that they record their Martyrs to haue suffred here some torne at foure Horses some sowed in Beares skinnes and then killed with Dogges nay women haue not bene spared they say and a thousand other strange fictions the vanities of all which I will in two words discouer vnto you First as for the cause of their punishment I doe constantly maintaine that which I haue said in my Apologie That no man either in my time or in the late Queenes euer died here for his conscience For let him be neuer so deuout a Papist nay though he professe the same neuer so constantly his life is in no danger by the Law if hee breake not out into some outward acte expresly against the words of the Law or plot not some vnlawfull or dangerous practise or attempt Priests and Popish Church-men onely excepted that receiue Orders beyond the Seas who for the manifold treasonable practises that they haue kindled and plotted in this countrey are discharged to come home againe vnder paine of Treason after their receiuing of the said Orders abroad and yet without some other guilt in them then their bare home-comming haue none of them bene euer put to death And next for the cruell torments and strange sorts of death that they say so many of them haue bene put vnto if there were no more but the Law and continually obserued custome of England these many hundred yeeres in all criminall matters it will sufficiently serue to refute all these monstrous lies for no tortures are euer vsed here but the Manacles or the Racke and these neuer but in cases of high Treason and all sorts of Traitours die but one maner of death here whether they be Papist or Protestant Traitors Queene Maries time onely excepted For then indeede no sorts of cruell deathes were spared vnexecuted vpon men women and children professing our Religion yea euen against the Lawes of God and Nature women with childe were put to cruell death for their profession and a liuing childe falling out of the mothers belly was throwen in the same fire againe that consumed the mother But these tyrannous persecutions were done by the Bishops of that time vnder the warrant of the Popes authoritie and therefore were not subiect to that constant order and formes of execution which as they are heere established by our Lawes and customes so are they accordingly obserued in the punishment of all criminals For all Priestes and Popish Traitours here receiue their Iudgements in the temporall Courts and so doe neuer exceed those formes of execution which are prescribed by the Law or approued by continuall custome One thing is also to bee marked in this case that strangers are neuer called in question here for their religion which is farre otherwise I hope in any place where the Inquisition domines But hauing now too much wearied you with this long discourse whereby I haue made you plainely see that the wrong done vnto mee in particular first by the Popes Breues and then by these Libellers doth as deepely interest you all in generall that are Kings free Princes or States as it doth me in particular I will now conclude with my humble prayers to God that he will waken vs vp all out of that Lethargike slumber of Securitie wherein our Predecessors and wee haue lien so long and that wee may first grauely consider what we are bound in conscience to doe for the planting and spreading of the trew worship of God according to his reuealed will in all our Dominions therein hearing the voice of our onely Pastor for his Sheepe will know his Voyce Iohn 10.27 as himselfe sayeth and not following the vaine corrupt and changeable traditions of men And next that we may prouidently looke to the securitie of our owne States and not suffer this incroching Babylonian Monarch to winne still ground vpon vs. And if GOD hath so mercifully dealt with vs that are his Lieutenants vpon earth as that he hath ioyned his cause with our interest the spirituall libertie of the Gospell with our temporall freedome with what zeale and courage may wee then imbrace this worke for our labours herein being assured to receiue at the last the eternall and inestimable reward of felicitie in the kingdome of Heauen and in the meane time to procure vnto our selues a temporall securitie in our temporall Kingdomes in this world As for so many of you as are alreadie perswaded of that Trewth which I professe though differing among your selues in some particular points I thinke little perswasion should moue you to this holy and wise Resolution Our Greatnesse nor our number praised bee GOD being not so contemptible but that wee may shew good example to our neighbors since almost the halfe of all Christian people and of all sorts and degrees are of our profession I meane all gone out of Babylon euen from Kings and free Princes to the meanest sort of People But aboue all my louing Brethren and Cosins keepe fast the vnity of Faith among your selues Reiect 1 1. Tim. 1.4 questions of Genealogies and 2 Ibid c. 4.7 Aniles fabulas as Paul saith Let not the foolish heate of your Preachers for idle Controuersies or indifferent things teare asunder that Mysticall Body whereof ye are a part since the very coat of him whose members wee are was without a seame And let not our diuision breed a slander of our

often haue heard already and the in-dwellers of the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life before the foundation of the world was laide of this wondering yee heard before they shall wonder I say at this beast which was to wit in great power and is not to wit in a maner as ye presently heard and yet is I meane doeth stand though farre decayed from the former greatnesse 9 Take good heede vnto this that I declare vnto thee for herein shall the trew wisedome of men be tried to wit in knowing by this my description what particular Empire and Tyrannie I speake of And the seuen heads of this beast signifie aswell seuen materiall hilles whereupon the seate of this Monarchie is situated as also seuen kings or diuers formes of Magistrates that this Empire hath had and is to haue hereafter 10 Fiue of them haue beene alreadie one is presently and makes the sixt another shall follow it and make the seuenth but it is not yet come and when it comes it shall remaine but a very short space 11 And this beast which was to wit so great and is not for now it is decaying as thou presently hast heard it is the eight and yet one of the seuen for this beast which rose out of the ruines of the fourth Monarchie as ye heard before in respect it vseth an hereticall Tyrannie ouer the consciences of men by that new forme of Empire is different from any of the rest and so is the eight and yet because this forme of gouernment shall haue the same seate which the rest had and vse as great Tyrannie and greater vpon the world and shall vse the same forme in ciuill gouernment which one of the seuen vsed therefore because it is so like them I call it one of the seuen 12 And the tenne hornes which thou sawest signifie tenne Kings to wit the great number of subalterne Magistrates in all the Prouinces vnder that Monarchy who haue not yet receiued their kingdome for vnder all the diuers sorts of gouernments that shall be in it except the last and hereticall sort these subalterne powers shall be but in the ranke of subiects but they shall take their kingly power with the beast to wit at the very time that this Apollyon shall rise out of the ashes of the fourth beast or Monarchie the kings of the earth shall become his slaues and subalterne Magistrates whereas the subiects were onely the power of that Monarchie before so as the hornes or powers of this beast were but of subiects before it was wounded but after the healing of it the worldly kings and rulers shall become the powers and hornes of it 13 These shall haue one counsell and shall giue their strength and power to the beast to wit these kings shal all willingly yeeld obedience to Babylon and shall employ their whole forces for the maintenance of that Monarchie and the persecution of the Saints 14 For they shal fight with the Lambe in his members albeit all in vaine for in the end the Lambe shall ouercome them because he is Lord of lords and King of all kings and these that are with him and followeth him are called Chosen and Faithfull 15 He also said vnto me The waters that thou saw this Whore sit vpon are the peoples multitudes nations and tongues that haue subiected themselues to her Empire 16 But as touching these ten hornes thou saw thus farre I foretell vnto thee although that for a time these kings shall be slaues and seruants to Babylon and shall be her instruments to persecute the Saints the time shall come before the consummation that they shall hate the Whore who abused them so strongly and long and shall make her to be alone for they shall withdraw from her their Subiects the nations that were her strength and shall make her naked for they shall discouer the mysterie of her abominations and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire to wit they shall spoile her of her riches power and glory and so destroy her 17 But doe not thou wonder at this for God gaue them in their hearts to wit permitted them to be abused by her for a space that they might doe what pleased her and consent to all her vnlawfull policies and pretences and giue their kingdomes vnto this beast vntill the words of God might be accomplished to wit they shall submit their very Crownes and take the right thereof from her vnto the fulnesse of times here prophecied At what time God shall raise them vp as ye heard to destroy Babylon for the hearts of the greatest kings as well as of the smallest subiects are in the hands of the Lord to be his instruments and to turne them as it shall please him to employ them 18 And this woman or Whore which thou sawest is that great citie and seate of this Beast or Monarchie which beareth rule ouer the kings of the earth as thou hast heard alreadie But although it be one seat yet diuers and a great number of kings or heads thereof shall succeed into it one to another all vpholding an hereticall religion and false worship of God and one forme of gouernment as the fourth Monarchie did out of the which this did spring as ye haue heard CHAP. XVIII ARGVMENT The sorrow of the earth for the destruction of the Popedome The profite that worldly men had by his standing The great riches and wealth of that Church The Pope by his Pardons makes merchandise of the soules of men Heauen and the Saints reioyce at his destruction albeit the earth and the worldlings lament for the same ANd then I saw another Angel comming downe from heauen hauing great power so that the earth shined with his glory for so soone as God by one of the seauen Angels who had the phials had more plainely described vnto mee this woman sitting on the beast then he did before hee now appointeth this other Angel who is Christ to declare vnto me and proclaime to the world as is signified by his comming downe to the earth for that cause the iust condemnation of Babylon according to her sinnes 2 And hee cryed out with a loude voyce saying It is fallen It is fallen Babylon that great Citie and it is made the dwelling place of vncleane spirits and the habitation of all vncleane and hatefull fowles to wit it shall be destroyed and that great Citie the seate of that Monarchie shall be desolate for euer euen as it was prophesied of Ierusalem 3 Because all nations haue drunke of the Vine of her whoredome and the kings of the earth haue committed whoredome with her and the Merchants of the earth are become rich by the great wealth of her delights in so great a worldly glory and pompe did that Monarchie shine 4 And I heard another voyce from heauen to wit the voyce of the holy Spirit saying Goe foorth from her my people to wit all the chosen

factious seruants Tacit. eod 1. An. Teach obedience to your seruants and not to thinke themselues ouer-wise and as when any of them deserueth it ye must not spare to put them away so without a seene cause change none of them The ground-stone of good gouernment At. 5. polit Tacit. in Ag. Dion li. 52. Xent in Ages Isoc in Sym. et ad Ph. Id. de permutat Cic. ad Q. frat Pay them as all others your subiects with praemium or poena as they deserue which is the very ground-stone of good gouernement Employ euery man as ye thinke him qualified but vse not one in all things lest he waxe proude and be enuied of his fellowes Loue them best that are plainnest with you and disguise not the trewth for all their kinne suffer none to be euill tongued nor backbiters of them they hate command a hartly and brotherly loue among all them that serue you And shortly maintaine peace in your Court bannish enuie cherish modestie bannish deboshed insolence foster humilitie and represse pride setting downe such a comely and honourable order in all the points of your seruice that when strangers shall visite your Court 1. King 10. they may with the Queene of Sheba admire your wisedome in the glorie of your house and comely order among your seruants But the principall blessing that yee can get of good companie Of Mariage will stand in your marrying of a godly and vertuous wife for shee must bee nearer vnto you Gen. 2.23 then any other companie being Flesh of your flesh and bone of your bone as Adam saide of Heuah And because I know not but God may call mee before ye be readie for Mariage I will shortly set downe to you heere my aduice therein First of all consider that Mariage is the greatest earthly felicitie or miserie that can come to a man according as it pleaseth God to blesse or curse the same Since then without the blessing of GOD yee cannot looke for a happie successe in Mariage yee must bee carefull both in your preparation for it Preparation to mariage and in the choice and vsage of your wife to procure the same By your preparation I meane that yee must keepe your bodie cleane and vnpolluted till yee giue it to your wife whom-to onely it belongeth For how can ye iustly craue to bee ioyned with a pure virgine if your bodie be polluted why should the one halfe bee cleane and the other defiled And although I know fornication is thought but a light and a veniall sinne by the most part of the world yet remember well what I said to you in my first Booke anent conscience and count euery sinne and breach of Gods law not according as the vaine world esteemeth of it but as God the Iudge and maker of the lawe accounteth of the same Heare God commanding by the mouth of Paul to abstaine from fornication 1. Cor. 6.10 declaring that the fornicator shall not inherite the Kingdome of heauen and by the mouth of Iohn reckoning out fornication amongst other grieuous sinnes that debarre the committers amongst dogs and swine Reuel 22.25 from entry in that spirituall and heauenly Ierusalem And consider if a man shall once take vpon him to count that light which God calleth heauie and veniall that which God calleth grieuous The dangerous effects of lust beginning first to measure any one sinne by the rule of his lust and appetites and not of his conscience what shall let him to doe so with the next that his affections shall stirre him to the like reason seruing for all and so to goe forward till he place his whole corrupted affections in Gods roome And then what shall come of him but as a man giuen ouer to his owne filthy affections shall perish into them And because wee are all of that nature that sibbest examples touch vs neerest consider the difference of successe that God granted in the Mariages of the King my grand-father and me your owne father A domesticke example the reward of his incontinencie proceeding from his euill education being the suddaine death at one time of two pleasant yong Princes and a daughter onely borne to succeed to him whom hee had neuer the hap so much as once to see or blesse before his death leauing a double curse behinde him to the land both a Woman of sexe and a new borne babe of aage to raigne ouer them And as for the blessing God hath bestowed on mee in granting me both a greater continencie and the fruits following there-upon your selfe and sib folkes to you are praise be to God sufficient witnesses which I hope the same God of his infinite mercie shall continue and increase without repentance to me and my posteritie Be not ashamed then to keepe cleane your body which is the Temple of the holy Spirit 1. Cor. 6.19 notwithstanding all vaine allurements to the contrary discerning trewly and wisely of euery vertue and vice according to the trew qualities therof and not according to the vaine conceits of men As for your choise in Mariage respect chiefly the three causes wherefore Mariage was first ordeined by God and then ioyne three accessories so farre as they may be obtained not derogating to the principalles The three causes it was ordeined for are for staying of lust Mariage ordained for three causes Arist 7. pol. for procreation of children and that man should by his Wife get a helper like himselfe Deferre not then to Marie till your aage for it is ordeined for quenching the lust of your youth Especially a King must tymouslie Marie for the weale of his people Neither Marie yee Id. cod for any accessory cause or worldly respects a woman vnable either through aage nature or accident for procreation of children for in a King that were a double fault aswell against his owne weale as against the weale of his people Neither also Marie one of knowne euill conditions or vicious education for the woman is ordeined to be a helper and not a hinderer to man Accessory causes of mariage AEg Ro. 2. de reg pr. The three accessories which as I haue said ought also to be respected without derogating to the principall causes are beautie riches and friendship by alliance which are all blessings of God For beautie increaseth your loue to your Wife contenting you the better with her without caring for others and riches and great alliance doe both make her the abler to be a helper vnto you But if ouer great respect being had to these accessories the principall causes bee ouer-seene which is ouer oft practised in the world as of themselues they are a blessing being well vsed so the abuse of them will turne them in a curse For what can all these worldly respects auaile when a man shall finde himselfe coupled with a diuel to be one flesh with him and the halfe marrow in his bed Then though too

glimmering twi-light of Nature yet howsoeuer their profession was vpon this ground haue they all agreed That when either their Religion their King or their countrey was in any extreme hazard no good countreyman ought then to withhold either his tongue or his hand according to his calling and facultie from ayding to repell the iniurie represse the violence and auenge the guilt vpon the authors thereof But if euer any people had such an occasion ministred vnto them It is surely this people now nay this whole Isle and all the rest belonging to this great and glorious Monarchie For if in any heathenish republique no priuate man could thinke his life more happily and gloriously bestowed then in the defence of any one of these three That is either pro Aris pro Focis or pro Patre patriae And that the endangering of any one of these would at once stirre the whole body of the Common-wealth not any more as diuided members but as a solide and indiuiduall lumpe How much more ought we the trewly Christian people that inhabite this vnited and trewly happy Isle Insula fortunata vnder the wings of our gracious and religious Monarch Nay how infinitely greater cause haue we to feele and ressent our selues of the smart of that wound not onely intended and execrated not consecrated for the vtter extinguishing of our trew Christian profession nor ioyntly therwith onely for the cutting off of our Head and father Politike Sed vt nefas istud sacrilegiosum parricidium omnibus modis absolutum reddi possit And that nothing might be wanting for making this sacrilegious parricide a patterne of mischiefe and a crime nay a mother or storehouse of all crimes without example they should haue ioyned the destruction of the bodie to the head so as Grex cum Rege Arae cum focis Lares cum Penatibus should all at one thunderclap haue beene sent to heauen together The King our head the Queene our fertile mother and those young and hopefull Oliue plants not theirs but ours Our reuerend Clergie our honourable Nobilitie the faithfull Councellors the graue Iudges the greatest part of the worthy Knights and Gentry aswell as of the wisest Burgesses The whole Clerkes of the Crowne Counsaile Signet Seales or of any other principall Iudgement seate All the learned Lawyers together with an infinite number of the Common people Nay their furious rage should not onely haue lighted vpon reasonable and sensible creatures without distinction either of degree sexe or aage But euen the insensible stockes and stones should not haue bin free of their fury The hal of Iustice The house of Parliament The Church vsed for the Coronation of our Kings The Monuments of our former Princes The Crowne and other markes of Royaltie Al the Records aswell of Parliament as of euery particular mans right with a great number of Charters and such like should all haue bene comprehended vnder that fearefull Chaos And so the earth as it were opened should haue sent foorth of the bottome of the Stygian lake such sulphured smoke furious flames and fearefull thunder as should haue by their diabolicall Domesday destroyed and defaced in the twinkling of an eye not onely our present liuing Princes and people but euen our insensible Monuments reserued for future aages So as not only our selues that are mortall but the immortall Monuments of our ancient Princes and Nobility that haue beene so preciously preserued from aage to aage as the remaining Trophees of their eternal glory and haue so long triumphed ouer enuious time should now haue beene all consumed together and so not onely we but the memory of vs and ours should haue beene thus extinguished in an instant The trew horror therefore of this detestable deuice hath stirred mee vp to bethinke my selfe wherein I may best discharge my conscience in a cause so generall and common if it were to bring but one stone to the building or rather with the Widow one mite to the common boxe But since to so hatefull and vnheard-of inuention there can be no greater enemy then the selfe the simple trewth thereof being once publikely knowen and that there needes no stronger argument to bring such a plot in vniuersal detestatiō then the certainty that so monstrous a thing could once be deuised nay cōcluded vpon wrought in in full readinesse and within twelue houres of the execution My threefold zeale to those blessings whereof they would haue so violently made vs all widowes hath made me resolue to set downe here the trew Narration of that monstrous and vnnaturall intended Tragedie hauing better occasion by the meanes of my seruice and continuall attendance in Court to know the trewth thereof then others that peraduenture haue it onely by relation at the third or fourth hand So that whereas those worse then Catilines thought to haue extirped vs and our memories Their infamous memory shall by these meanes remaine to the end of the world vpon the one part and vpon the other Gods great and merciful deliuerance of his Anoynted and vs all shall remaine in neuer-dying Records And God graunt that it may be in marble tables of Thankefulnesse engrauen in our hearts WHile this Land and whole Monarchie flourished in a most happie and plentifull PEACE as well at home as abroad sustained and conducted by these two maine Pillars of all good Gouernement PIETIE and IVSTICE no forreine grudge nor inward whispering of discontentment any way appearing The King being vpon his returne from his hunting exercise at Royston vpon occasion of the drawing neere of the Parliament time which had beene twise prorogued already partly in regard of the season of the yeere and partly of the Terme As the winds are euer stillest immediatly before a storme and as the Sunne blenks often hottest to foretell a following showre So at that time of greatest calme did this secretly-hatched thunder beginne to cast foorth the first flashes and flaming lightnings of the approching tempest For the Saturday of the weeke immediatly preceding the Kings returne which was vpon a Thursday being but tenne dayes before the Parliament The Lord Mountegle sonne and heire to the Lord Morley A letter deliuered to the Lord Mountegle being in his owne lodging ready to goe to supper at suen of the clocke at night one of his foot-men whom he had sent of an errand ouer the street was met by an vnknowen man of a reasonable tall personage who deliuered him a Letter charging him to put it in my Lord his masters hands which my Lord no sooner receiued but that hauing broken it vp and perceiuing the same to bee of an vnknowen and somewhat vnlegible hand and without either date or subscription did call one of his men vnto him for helping him to reade it But no sooner did he conceiue the strange contents thereof although hee was somewhat perplexed what construction to make of it as whether of a matter of consequence as indeed it was or whether some

my owne deed And therefore that ye may the better vnderstand the nature of the cause I will begin at the first ground thereof The neuer enough wondered at and abhorred POVVDER-TREASON though the repetition thereof grieueth I know the gentle hearted Iesuite Parsons this Treason I say being not onely intended a gainst mee and my Posteritie but euen against the whole house of Parliament plotted onely by Papists and they onely led thereto by a preposterous zeale for the aduancement of their Religion some of them continuing so obstinate that euen at their death they would not acknowledge their fault but in their last words immediatly before the expiring of their breath refused to condemne themselues and craue pardon for their deed except the Romish Church should first condemne it And soone after it being discouered that a great number of my Popish Subiects of all rankes and sexes both men and women as well within as without the Countrey had a confused notion and an obscure knowledge that some great thing was to bee done in that Parliament for the weale of the Church although for secrecies cause they were not acquainted with the particulars certaine formes of prayer hauing likewise beene set downe and vsed for the good successe of that great errand adding heereunto that diuers times and from diuers Priestes the Archtraitours themselues receiued the Sacrament for confirmation of their heart and obseruation of secrecie Some of the principall Iesuites likewise being found guiltie of the foreknowledge of the Treason it selfe of which number some fled from their triall others were apprehended as holy Garnet himselfe and Owldcorne were and iustly executed vpon their owne plaine confession of their guilt If this Treason now clad with these circumstances did not minister a iust occasion to that Parliament house whome they thought to haue destroyed courageously and zealously at their next sitting downe to vse all meanes of triall whether any more of that minde were yet left in the Countrey I leaue it to you to iudge whom God hath appointed his highest Depute Iudges vpon earth And amongst other things for this purpose This Oath of Allegiance so vniustly impugned was then deuised and enacted And in case any sharper Lawes were then made against the Papists that were not obedient to the former Lawes of the Countrey if ye will consider the Time Place and Persons it will be thought no wonder seeing that occasion did so iustly exasperate them to make seuerer Lawes then otherwise they would haue done The Time I say being the very next sitting downe of the Parliament after the discouerie of that abominable Treason the Place being the same where they should all haue bene blowne vp and so bringing it freshly to their memorie againe the Persons being the very Parliament men whom they thought to haue destroyed And yet so farre hath both my heart and gouernment bene from any bitternes as almost neuer one of those sharpe additions to the former Lawes haue euer yet bene put in execution And that ye may yet know further for the more conuincing these Libellers of wilfull malice who impudently affirme That this Oath of Allegiance was deuised for deceiuing and intrapping of Papists in points of Conscience The trewth is that the Lower house of Parliament at the first framing of this Oath made it to containe That the Pope had no power to excommunicate me which I caused them to reforme onely making it to conclude That no excommunication of the Popes can warrant my Subiects to practise against my Person or State denying the deposition of Kings to be in the Popes lawfull power as indeed I take any such temporall violence to be farre without the limits of such a Spirituall censure as Excommunication is So carefull was I that nothing should be contained in this Oath except the profession of natural Allegiance and ciuil and temporall obedience with a promise to resist to all contrary vnciuill violence This Oath now grounded vpon so great and iust an occasion set forth in so reasonable termes and ordained onely for making of a trew distinction betweene Papists of quiet disposition and in all other things good subiects and such other Papists as in their hearts maintained the like violent bloody Maximes that the Powder-Traitours did This Oath I say being published and put in practise bred such euill blood in the Popes head and his Cleargie as Breue after Breue commeth forth vt vndam vnda sequitur prohibiting all Catholikes from taking the same as a thing cleane contrary to the Catholike faith and that the taking thereof cannot stand with the saluation of their soules There commeth likewise a letter of Cardinall Bellarmines to Blackwell to the same purpose but discoursing more at length vpon the said Oath Whereupon after I had entred in consideration of their vniust impugning that so iust and lawfull an Oath and fearing that by their vntrew calumnies and Sophistrie the hearts of a number of the most simple and ignorant of my people should bee misse-led vnder that faire and deceitfull cloake of Conscience I thought good to set foorth an Apologie for the said Oath wherein I prooued that as this Oath contained nothing but matter of ciuill and temporall Obedience due by Subiects to their Soueraigne Prince so this quarrelling therewith was nothing but a late vsurpation of Popes against the warrant of all Scriptures ancient Councels and Fathers vpon the Temporall power of Kings wherewith onely my Apologie doeth meddle But the publishing of this Booke of mine hath brought such two Answerers or rather Railers vpon mee as all the world may wonder at For my Booke being first written in English an English Oath being the subiect thereof and the vse of it properly belonging to my Subiects of England and immediatly thereafter being translated into Latine vpon a desire that some had of further publishing it abroad it commeth home to mee now answered in both the Languages And I thinke if it had bene set foorth in all the tongues that were at the confusion of Babel it would haue bene returned answered in them all againe Thus may a man see how busie a Bishop the Diuell is and how hee omitteth no diligence for venting of his poysoned wares But herein their malice doeth clearely appeare that they pay mee so quickly with a double answere and yet haue neuer answered their owne Arch-priest who hath written a booke for the maintenance of the same Oath and of the temporall authoritie of Kings alledging a cloud of their owne Scholemen against them As for the English Answerer my vnnaturall and fugitiue Subiect I will neither defile my pen nor your sacred eyes or eares with the describing of him who ashames nay abhorres not to raile nay to rage and spew foorth blasphemies against the late Queene of famous memory A Subiect to raile against his naturall Soueraigne by birth A man to raile against a Lady by sexe A holy man in outward profession to insult vpon the dead nay to