Citie and in all places were receiued with so great preparation specially in the vniuersitie fower dayes before that after so Royal entertainmentes this Colledge did feare not without reason to appeare in theire Magesties presence but that the litle gift of the widow so much esteemed and commended for the good will and affection wherewith she gaue it did encorage the studentes to doe the best they could and so all thinges were put in order as aboue hath bene said wher vpon S. Bernards day which fell vpon a sunday at two a clock in the afternoone came to the Colledge 24. of the Kings Garde with theire sargeant who presently deuided the soldiars at the gates with expresse order that none should enter because their Magesties would that day enioy the Colledge alone and a litle after came the lieutenant of the Garde who placed likewise other soldiars in all the roomes which were hung with verses with charge to keepe them as they did that none were wanting The Steward of the kings howse and some other officiers and gentlemen of the Pallace vnderstanding that his M. would see the schollers chambers and the manner of theire habitation came before as the custome is and were much delited with the order and commoditie to see that neither there was wāt of any thing necessarie nor any thing superfluous but as the widow had prouided for the Prophet Elizeus a bed a table a chaire a light so they had euery one all that was commodious for his studies and rest without want or excesse About fiue a clocke or a litle after came theire Magesties to the Colledge in signe of more confidence and good will without theire accustomed garde notwithstanding they had diuers companyes both on foote and horse lodged in the Citie which comonly wayte vpon them when they goe abroade The studentes expected them in the Church in two rankes from the doore to the high altar and the Prouinciall of the Societie being at the same tyme by chaunce in the Citie accompanyed with two Priestes of the Colledge and reuested as the manner is in such solemne receiuinges attended theire Magesties at the Church doore who at theire enterance hauing receiued holy water and kneeling downe vpon two cushens of cloth of gold which theire chaplens had there prouided adoted the Crucifix which the father offered them with so great reuerence and deuotion as the English students there present were much moued to see it who as diuers of them afterwardes did confesse reioyced exceedingly to see those two Monarkes of the world prostate themselues and adore with so great pietie the Image of our Sauiour for whose cause and Religion they see them selues in banishment theire parentes robbed and imprisoned and many of their frendes persecuted and afflicted In the meane tyme others of the students aboue in the quire sang Te Deum laudamus in theire accustomed Ecclesiastical Musike which contented so much as the Duke of Lerma and other noble men that came with the king thought the singers had bene procured frō abroad but vnderstanding that it was the ordenarie musike of the Colledge and onely the studentes receiued double contentment to heare it much more when at the entrance it was told them that nothing was borrowed that day to receiue theire Magesties but onely the hanginges The King and the Queene coming to the high altar remained there kneeling while the priest ended the versicles and prayer accustomed to be sung in the like receiuing of Princes and after they rose on foot and viewed the images of the three Inglish martyrs vpon the high altar which I mencioned before and the Queene maruailing at the pictures which were in the hanginges of the church the king told her they were the tormentes where-with the heretikes put to death the martyrs in England Before they departed vnderstanding that the Relique which stood vpō the Altar was flesh of the glorious Martyr S. Alban that had endured without corruption aboue 12. hūdred yeates they both kneeled downe againe with great reuerence and the Queene besides her cushen vpon the ground to adore it as they did both with so particular affect and deuotion as I must needes confesse to your highnes I was moued aboue measure to see it and diuers others there present as after-wardes I vnderstood no lesse then I with the same consideration how king Hentie the 8. of England distroyed the holy Reliques of the glorious Martyr S. Thomas of Canterburie the honor of his kingdome and nation seing the pietie and reuerence wherewithal our Catholike kinges did kysse and adore the Relique and flesh of this holy Martyr of a forrayne countre and kingdome As they passed out of the church the schollers who were all in order placed rounde about the first court made altogether a low reuerence and afterward by two and two went forward into the hall prepared as I haue said aboue for theire Magesties who passing a long veiwed with attention the Hietogliphicks and pictures and seamed to receiue contentment with the varietie and inuention and passing on further when the king saw them continue all the way as he went in such diuersitie number for they were aboue 270. he commaunded they should all be kept and brought him to the Palace for that he would see them at leysure as he did VVhen he entered the hall the Musicians in the other roome adioyning deuided onely with a curtayn began to play vpon theire vials and virginals a very graue and pleasant song of eight partes till theire Magesties and those that came in theire company were set the schollers stood betweene the cloth of estate and the musike in there rankes or companies on the one side stood the Poetes and Rhetoricians on the other the Philosophers and in the middest the Priests diuines And that they might be the better discerned the first ranke was of the least in the second were those of middle stature and in the third the tallest and the modestie and composition of all was such as theire Magesties did particularly note it and were not a litle edified to see together so many young youthes banished for theire fidelitie to God and theire Religion who altedy had offered vp theire labors studies and liues for the conuersion of theire Countrie liuing in collegial discipline with that example which theire very presence did declare and with so great puritie and innocencie of life as strangers of different nations continuall witnesses of all theire actions doe testifie of so rare talents as the verses and ingenious inuentions a bout the walls of the Colledge did shewe and in fiue of so good education and parentage as might be seen in theire persons countenance and behauiour in so much as diuers Noblemen there present moued with this spectacle did wish they could bring vp theire children in the same māner therefore diuers principall persons of this real me haue procured very ernestly and with great offers to haue theire sonnes brought
know his error and acknowledged the true God so by the very same meanes God is glorified with the constancie of these Inglish youthes who break through so many dangers and perils because they wil not adore and follow the Idol of heresie erected in their country but rather labour to reduce it to the knowledge and obedience of the true Catholike Church The reasons and motiues which the Earle of Ponion Rostro Don Francisco Arias de Bouadilla of the Kinges Councel general gaue to the counsail of the inquisition to the counsail Real of Castilla to the counsailes of Italy the Indies and the crowne of Aragon and to the Iunta de Cortes de Castilla which in Spaine is as the lower house of the parlament in Ingland in behalfe of the English Seminary of Valladolid in April 1600. IT appeareth sufficiently how relgious and honorable a work the foundatiō of the Inglish seminaries in these kingdomes hath bin how worthy they ar to be fauored as wel by the great priuileges which his holynes hath giuē them as by the special fauours which our soueraine the Catholike king that now is the glorious memory of his father haue done them with more then heroical liberality piety at the very times when by piracy oftē inuasions of other Inglishmen theire kingdomes subiects were most endamaged declaring therewith the excellency of this work and that they had prudently considered the important reasons why it should be fauored The same likewise may be confirmed by the testimony of Cardinal Baronius one of the greatest most learned writers of this age who speaking of these seminaries saith that this age of ours is most fortunat in that it hath deserued to bring forth so many holy preists crowned as he saith with more noble crownes of martirdō thē that of S. Thomas of Canterbury seing they died not only with the same constancy for the defence of the ecclesiastical liberty as that renowmed martir did but also to cōserue and restore the Catholique faith in theire coūtry concludeth with these words let my soule depart saith he in company of these iust and glorious champions Botius also a learned and graue author in his booke of the markes of the trew Church of God recounteth these Inglish Seminaries for a most euidēt testimony proofe that our religion is founded in the truth seing it indueth those that professe it with such courage and inuincible fortitude Boterus an other author no lesse graue and learned commendeth this work as one of the most glorious that hath bin in the church of God since the Apostles time Lastly the Bishop of Tarazona that wrote the history of Ingland other prelats men of authority and great numbers of wise and learned men of these kingdomes qualifie this worke for the most noble marke and blason in matter of faith religiō that our kingdom of Spaine this day enioyeth Although any one of these testimonies were sufficient to declare the qualitie of this holy worke yet for that many principal persons haue so great estimation and desire of the continuance and increase therof as they perswade themselues the wāt of sufficēt notice to be the only cause why it is not generaly fauored and furthered of all I haue thought good to lay downe certain particular reasons motiues wher in is discouered the quality of the worke reducing them to three heades the first of piety and religiou the secōd of Christian nobility and honor and the third of commodity Motiues of piety The first motiue and the most general is that to help these seminaries is to sustaine with temporal almes the faith of Christ the spiritual good of a kingdō which so dependeth of the labours and industry of these Priests brought vp in these Seminaries that if they failed the vtter ruine and decay of Religion in that natiō would follow And therefore if it be an act of piety to repare the ruines of material temples and ransome any one Christian from the captiuitie of infidels it must needes be a far greater to build the Church of Christ and redeeme from the tyranny of heretiks these vertuous young-men of whose safety dependeth the saluatiō of so many soules in theire country as after-ward by theire meanes shal come to know and imbrace the Catholike Religion The second is that this kingdome which we succour was the first that in the whole world publiquely professed the faith of Christ and for this respect is called the first childe of the Church and the dowry of our blessed lady and in it flowrished afterwards the same faith for more then a 1000. yeares togeither in which time it brought forth many holy kinges Queenes Bishops and other glorious saintes and Martirs And lost not the profession of this faith so longe kept by any fault of the people or corruption of manners and euil life as in other countries hath hapned but by the miserable fall and infortune of King Henry the 8. and some of his children as to the world is euident by the continual resistance which the Inglish Catholikes haue made so many yeares to heresie neuer giuing it one houre of peaceable possession though it haue cost them theire bloud which they haue shed with so great constancy and courage as highy edifieth and astonisheth the whole Church of God to see it The third and more particular is that the Catholikes for whose succour and comfort these Priests are brought vp are on the one side the most afflicted with so long and rigorous a persecution and on the other the most approued with patience and longanimity and the people to whome the profession of theire religion costeth more deare them to any other nation in the world The fourth and not the least is the purity and integrity of life of these lawdable youngmen and the many tallents and graces wherewith God almighty enricheth them and the account and estimation which they haue of the holy dignitie of preisthood for which many of them renounce their inheritance which is more to be admired after they be Priests notwithstanding they know that many of theire companions sent from the Seminaries in particular from this of Valladolid are at this present in prison and that others haue bin cruelly tormented and others vnmercifully put to death by the heretiks and that the diligence which they vse in their pursute is incredible Yet for all this they are not a whit dismaid nor seeke occasiōs to spend theire time in other countries more then is necessary to furnish them selues with learning but procure to hasten theire mission to England as much as in them lyeth departing after with so great alacrity courage and comfort that they leaue theire companions and those that send them ful of admiration and holy desirs to beare them company in theire glorious entreprise The first reason is that the end and institution of these Seminaries is like vnto that which our Sauiour Christ Iesus purposed
to him selfe who as himself declareth principaly descended from heauen to recouer the lost sheepe of the house of Israel his country where he was accused by the princes and elders of his owne people as a traytor and tumultuous person that sowed sedition trobled the common wealth and that according to their lawes was guilty of death The same in proportion is the institution and end of these Seminaries and of the same crimes are the students and Preists wrongfully accused by the Inglish heretikes who likewise haue made vniust lawes against them vnder colour whereof they cōdemne them to death lastly our Sauiour Iesus Christ was apprehēded imprisoned disgraced crucified put to death in his owne country and by his owne people for hauing procurtd theire saluation and for the like causes ar these Preists put in prison slandred tormented condemned and put to death in Ingland imitating that eminent and supreme degree of charity to the which S. Iohn exhorteth vs Quoniam ille animam suam posuit pro nobis nos debemus pro fratribus animas ponere that as Christ offred his life for our saluation so should wee according to his example spend freely our bloud to saue our bretheren The sixt is the great consolation which these Priests receiue at theire returne to Ingland when they finde many of theire schoolefellowes and equales brought vp and infected with heresie only for want of the benefit of these Seminaries which they haue enioyed whereby of force must increase in them affects of gratitude to theire benefactors and theire care dubbled to recommend them to almighty God of whose names to this end they carry particular memory when they departe in their missions remaining their perpetual chaplaines during their liues and if they dy in defence of the faith theire bloud wil aske reward for them that brought them vp with so greath charity as the bloud of Abel cried vengance at Gods hands against his Brother Caine that violently shed it Motiues of honor and Christian nobility The first motiue is that this worke discouereth and commendeth greatly to all the world the true Christian nobilitie of Spaine and of the Catholiques of Ingland whereof these Seminaries shal be perpetual witnesses to al ages following seeing the very walles of the Colledge testifie to our posterity this new and straing exāple of piety religion that being actual exercise of war betweene these twoo nations these of Ingland send their children with so great confidence and no lesse peril and dainger to be brought vp in Spaine and that heere they are receiued so louingly and intreated so honorably as if they were our owne children a thing so vnsual amongst other nations in like cases that neither the memories of men nor histories record the like and is an euident argument of the great opinion which Ingland hath conceiued of the Heroycal sincerity and Christianity of Spaine seing the heretikes feare vs so much and the Catholikes so confidently rely vpon vs in theire necessities which if no other respect were doeth oblige vs in honor to maintaine conserue and increase this holy worke and to commend to al eternity the glorious memory thereof The second is that this fauour and succour is done to persons of good patentage for such they are that ordinarily come to these Seminaries who to conserue theire faith haue left theire country freindes and tēporal commodities in the flower of theire age whē others carlesly neglect theire saluation labor not only to saue their owne but also othermēs soules taking vpon thē in theire youth the same entreprise which in riper yeares the holy Apostles vndertooke and others theire followers which first planted the saith in these and other kingdomes of Christendome and here in the Seminaries these bind them selues by solemne oth to reduce theire country to the Catholike Church or to loose theire liues in the action which they accomplish so faithfully that in these few yeares almost 200. Priests haue bin put to death for defence of this glorious quarel and so their aduersaries are more afraid of this spiritual war then of any enimy how powerful so euer and they haue reason for here Christ is the Captaine and the war is not against the bodyes but against the vnderstandinges and corrupted wils of the deceiued and so as we see they go for-ward conquering distroying and making hauock of hetesy and putting to flight the enemyes of truth which no way are able to resist them and the great solicitude and extraordinary diligence wherewith theire followers and instruments procure to aprehended these Priests seruing rather for a signe then for a remidy of theire feare discouereth the infinite wisdome of God who with a few children wageth such irresistable war against the Princes and powers of darknes The third is that if it were great reputation and honor for vs our natiō by force of armes to deliuer the realm of Inglād from heresy it wil be more honorable to reduce it to the catholck church by these other meanes of spiritual souldiours whome we bring vp for this purpose The fourth is that if heretikes for a vaine imaginatiō of infernal honor ioyn handes and succour one an other as hath bin seene in the Hugonots of Fraunce the Protestantes of Almany the continual supply both of mony and men which these of Ingland for many yeares together haue sent to the heretikes of Scotland and Fraunce to the rebels of Flanders sparing no cost nor labor by which the wicked estate of heresy might be vpholdē it is most iust that the kingdomes of Spain which God hath blessed and renowmed aboue all other naions with purity and integrity of faith should haue far greater respect of this most Christian honor and esteeme it more in procuring to maintaine healp conserue the Catholik faith where it is alreddy or to restor it in those coūtries wher it hath perished and specially in Ingland which hath suffred with so great constancy so long and grecuous a persecution for defence of theire faith Motiues of temporal commodity The infinit wisedom of god hath so disposed the affaires of Spain and knit them so together with the procedinges of Ingland that the tranquility security weale publick of the one wholy dependeth of the others cōuersion for as long as heresy shal beare sway in Inglād so long wil continew the insolēt desperat dangerous practises wherewith they molest vs our countries this cōuersion it semeth God wil haue brought to passe by the ordinary meanes of preaching his holy gospel to the end al the glory may be his seing these Priests of the Seminaries haue so prosperous successe and reaped so aboundant fruit in their missions with the example of theire patience and constancy in their prisons torments and death it self with theire zeale care and diligence in the administratiō of the holy Sacraments and propagation of the truth of which plentiful haruest and continual increase of faith religion wee need no other testimony then the great cōfiscations and summes of mony which the Catholike recusantes pay euery yeare to the Queene to be deliuered frō going to the heretical seruice the many young gentlemen of not able talents which cōtinualy come to the Seminaries as sparkles of fire that fly out of that fornace of faith which God hath miraculously kindled in that kingdome where so great a number of Preists ar allredy imployed and others enter of fresh euery day and yet the Catholikes are not content but continualy cry out for more in so much that if wee could send as many as they desire and haue neede of wee should see in few yeares the conuersion of that country withal enioy the security and prosperity of these kingdomes the rest of our dominous that wee enioyed before the breach of Ingland which ioyned againe with vs in peace concord which wil neuer be durable without conformity of religion we may expect the auncient trafick again and good correspondence so profitable to both partes as the want thereof these yeares past doeth declare and to renew establish againe this confederation and freindshippe there cannot be found any other agents or solicitours so fit as these Preists brought vp in the Seminaries who as they cannot lose the natural loue to theire country so can they not but carry allwaies most tender and gratfull affection to that which nourished and brought them vp in theire tender yeares so as the fruit of theire labors infallibly wil be in fine the conclusion of true and stable peace so much desired of both parts wherewith we shall possesse security in our coasts and excuse the infinite charges spent euery yeare in the conuoy of our Indian fleetes The rebels of Flandres wil be forced to yeild seing that without the succour of England they haue neither courage nor force to maintaine theire rebellion The necessity and charges of Armados wil be ended and finally the spiritual good of that kingdom would redowne both to the spiritual and temporal commmodity of this These be the reasons and motiues which this good noble man set downe gaue to the Counsailes aboue said in behalf of the Inglish Seminaries and those which are brought vp in them with so laudable exāple as the world seeth and partly may be gathered by these relations And the memorie of these so good children must needes comfort and encorage in theire absence so Catholike parents which not only suffer for thesame faith with patient emprisonment and losse of theire goods but also depriue them selues of the ioy and comfort which parents receiue by the presence and sight of theire children for the glory of Christ and good of theire country the memory therefore of so noble parents and children shal alwayes flowish in the Church and giueth vs great hope that this longe and rigourous winter of theire persecution shal soone haue an end and a peaceable and pleasant spring-spring-time arise and that after this dark night of heresie and sinne that hath couered the auncient bewty and glory of that country the bright Sunne of Catholike Religion shal retourne againe which our Lord Iesu of his infinit mercy bring to speedy effect Amen