and conspiracies that haue beene betweene them woulde yeelde matter to as delightfull an historie as hath beene penned in our time The pretence of the kings of France to Naples and Milan First no man is ignorant of the pretention and title which the Kings of Fraunce doe pretend to the kingdome of Naples the dukedome of Millaine the County of Ronssillon and the earledomes of Artoys and Henalt for the recouery of which stil as they haue beene within themselues at quiet they haue made one attempt or other alwayes therefore one of the chiefest pollicies of the King of Spaine hath beene to finde them worke at home insomuch that though it be strange yet the Frenchmen doe very confidently write it that such was his desire to keepe ciuill dissention afoote in Fraunce that hee spared not to animate yea and sometimes secretly to help and assist with money The prince of Conde and the Admirall although all the worlde knoweth hee neither liked their cause nor religion the like they say hee offered to this King of Fraunce when hee was King of Nauarre though hee knewe hee coulde not offer it to a man in the worlde which lesse loued him But leauing these secret excusable matters and comming to open and published apparant practises Seeing that the last King of Fraunce beginning to growe strong and mightie the Protestants quiet and his Realme peaceable hee thought it high time to looke about him and therefore casting his eyes vpon the discontented humours of France hee amongest the rest made choice to vse as a principall instrument for shuffling the Cardes the late Duke of Guyse The duke of Guyse picked out by the K. of Spaine to set ciuill warr◠afoote in France a braue and valorous Prince haughtie ambitious audacious a souldier a spender prodigall popular and indebted euen vppe to the hard cares Him hee fedde with money which though not answerable to his humour for to that effect his Indiaes had beene to tithe yet it put him in such gallant humours that hee presently reproachfully gaue out amongest the people that the King was a fauourer of heretikes a scismaticke and a sorcerer and withall The audacious insolence of the duke of Guyse hee called hi himselfe Protectour of the Church of France and finally grew to so great an insolencie that beeing forbidden by the King hee durst enter into Paris putte the people in armes assaile the Kings Guardes and finally constraine the king by flight to abandon both the Citie and his Pallace of the Lonure The day of which holy enterprise was ordained by the Sorbonists to be kept holiday and called the day of the Barricades The day of Barricades The king was mightily agreeued heereat but being not able to play the Lion was contented for a while to counterfeit the Foxe vsing the matter so slily that hee drew the duke of Guyse and his brother the Cardinal to the parlement of Bloys where with faire and gentle wordes hee so finely ouerwent them in the middest of al their confidence and greatnesse that whereas they did attribute all his friendly shewes and offers to want of courage The duke of Guyse and the Cardinall his brother slaine by the king of France and feeblenesse of spirit he neuerthelesse still perseuered pretending all loue and meekenesse vntill such time as taking them at aduantage he saw them both he dead and bleeding at his feete The newes of which tragicall accident was not so much displeasing to the king of Spaine in regarde of their deaths vpon whom his factious businesse so much relied as it was pleasing insomuch that the greatnesse of their parentage the multitude of their followers and partiseans and the affections of the people considered bee knewe that there could not but ensue many great tumultuous and in a manner irreconcileable broiles Mendoza the king of Spains Embassadour in Paris to which effect Mendoza his purblinde Embassadour in Paris seruing for nothing but like the Diuelles trumpetter to set men together by the eares vsed the vttermost of his endeuour and dilligence incenfing the people to such ragefull madnesse that though murdering one an other with mutuall wounds which was the onely thing they shotte at they sawe apparantly their owne miserable calamitie and destruction yet like men troubled with a frensie abhorring all remedy and cure they grew from degree to degree into so great a fury and violence that they procured the death of their annointed king by the hands of a detestable Iacobine The king of Fraunce murdred by a Iacobine Frier whom as a late Frenchman writes they haue since in regard of that worthy exploit canonized for a martir by the name of S. Clement These things succeeding so much to the Spanish kings desire whereas before his endeuour was to nourish betweene them onely ciuill dissention and strife he now beganne to entertaine greater hopes and to aspire to the very royall diademe and monarchy of France To which end he caused his Embassadour to hire the Sorbonists Iesuites and mercenarie Friers to steppe vp into the pulpits and to insinuate to the people the necessitie of a K. especially of such a one as were mightie and of power to resist the K. of Naaurre comming then puisant in armes against them Mendoza likewise spared not himselfe to broake his masters cause by bribery and al the other best bad meanes he could persuading them his Master hauing married a daughter of France and his children being halfe French that they could not so safely throw themselues into the bosome or protection of any man as of his but in fine The Cardinal of Burbon elected king of France by the name of Charles the tenth the Parisiens liked better of his gold than his gouernment and elected for their king the old Cardinal of Burbons vncle at that time prisoner to the king that now is calling him Charls the tenth But he being neere 80. yeeres of age was scarcely so soone chosen as dead The duke of Feria sent downe to Paris Then began Mendoza to bestir himselfe again within a while likewise to help him the better the D. of Feria was sent downe but the vtmost that both could doe with infinite and profuse expence of their masters money was to get him the title of Protector of France prouided alwaies that the Spanish pistolets kept their course The king of Spaine chosen Protector of France which only kept him frō being discarded for how closely soeuer he hand led the matter the League had discouered that like a Canker hee meant to eate into their estate And therefore though they could not breake with him their businesse beeing nowe brought to a necessitie of him and of his money yet they liked not his intiteling himselfe to Britaine and sundry other his proceedings all tending to vsurpation insomuch that they helde him in so great a iealousie diffidence and mistrust that they woulde neuer suffer any of his
farther meanings and driftes Another drifte of the English fugitiues as those that do looke deepliest with greatest heedfulnes into theyr actions do verily imagine hauing by sundrie their proceedinges euidently discoured the same of which the chiefest is that as they are of all people liuing the most ambitious so seeing this beggerly seruice doeth not fit their humors they do feed themselues with an imaginatiō of the time to come I mean a Spanish or Romish world in our Countrie at which time the doubt not the long time of their exile sufferance losse of their liuings considered for so is their phrase manner of speech to become mightie and great men and to haue principall dignitie swaie and authoritie in our countrie Marie againe on the otherside considering that the most part of them are but base defamed companions of no birth or liuing and that there are in England many Gentlemen of the same religion of great qualitie and houses that wold disdain to haue such mates preferred before them in qualitie or degree They haue gone by al means possible they can about with their practises and colorable deuises to root them out so seruing their onwe turnes two waies the one to win vnto themselues the name and reputation of men of seruice the other to rid out of the waie those that they imagine wold stand in competencie with thē but God be thāked the chifest harm their conspiracies haue done hetherto hath bin to perish in their owne deuises Spies sent by them into England A little before the cōming of the Spanish fleet they sent their espials among them some that were priests in disguised garmēts with instructiōs to sound the meaning of such Gentlemen as they thought to be fauorers of their religion to incline their minds to the Spanish cause incouraging them to take armes against her maiestie to which they printed in the English tong many hūdreds of books in Antwarp barreling them vp vntil such time as the armie should haue bin landed Seditious books printed in Antwarpe and then their meaning was to haue dispersed them expryssing therin many great promises and large rewards to such as shuld assist or do any maner of seruice to the Catholike party terrifying the rest with bitter menaces In fine the whol being ful of traiterous and proud threatning speeches as well against her maiestie as against all such her faithfull subjects as should haue taken her part Likewise they obtained of the Pope the king that as many as had theyr voices in the parliament house at such time as the queen of Scotland was adiudged to die of what degree soeuer they were should be depriued not onely of their liues liuings but that their posteritie also should bee for euer disinherited and disnobled The like also they threatned in their bookes to all such as well noble men as others that shuld after the landing of the catholike armie persist in armes against the same But all this by the goodness of God hath but serued to discouer their wicked intentiōs and to animate all true Englishmen to persist with the greater loue vnitie corage in obediēce to her maiesty Turning therefore my speeches to you O vnnaturall degenerated Englishmē to those whom you shuld obey trecherous vnfaithfull and of those that you do obey cōtemned made slaues How can you indure to thirst after the destruction of so sweet a country in which you receiued your being that gaue you nouriture when you were yong Why do you abuse religion in making the same a maske to your intended treasons How can you find in your harts to seeke the destruction of so benigne a prince the subuersion of so glorious an estate by bringing into the bowels therof the barbarous armes of so insolēt an enemie who where he is victorious staineth the earth with bloud the aire with blasphemy and the heauens with his abhominable luxurious incontinēcies let Flanders Portugal Hispaniola the other princes of India be witnes The old worthy Romanes thoght it the most heroicall thing that might be to vowe themselues somtimes to death for their countrie The two Decij Tit. Liu. and euen to spend their liues in defēce of their altars temples monuments of their elders but you seek to see your coūtry bathing in the bloud of your parents kindred friends to see your cities graues temples of your predecessors consumed with fire to see your virgins defloured your women rauished and finally to bring the noblest of nations to a perpetuall slauerie seruitude yea and that of the most cruell nation that liueth a nation not fullie an hundred yeres since wholy they receiued christianity as yet are in their harts Pagans Moores frō profession of which they are onely restrained by the seuere bridle of their cruel sanquinary inquisitiō which paganisme of theirs thogh in their speeches they dare not manifest yet do they in their abhominations discouer the same If the Numantines Saguntines and Nessatians burnt their towns slew their wiues and children finally thēselues rather than they would receiue the yoake of worthie vertuous nations that assailed them What shoulde wee then do whō our vertuous ancestors haue left honored with the inuincible trophes of so many victories ouer great and mightie nations yea ouer Spanie it selfe rather than to indure the insolent wicked tiranous gouernment of that nation whom al Europe hath in horror leauing to our posteritie after vs a perpetuall seruitude and bondage as an euerlasting memorie of our cowardise But leauing this vntill a fitter time I hope that his alredy said shal be sufficient to make you cleerly plainly vnderstand that there is not to be found among these disentions partialities conspiracies treasons that sweetnesse libertie and tranquilitie of conscience which you expect looke for but rather turmoile griefe distraction of minde with a perpetuall grudging remorse of conscience scandalized with infinite examples of euill life impietie defamation periurie on the one side offensiue to her Maiestie and the state of your countrie on the other side subiected to the disdain bitter scorn of the Spaniard The Spaniarde esteemeth the seruice but scorneth the traitour who howsoeuer hee respect the seruice yet neuer regard the person of a traitour as a great noble man in Spaine spared not to tell Charles the fift when by him he was commanded to lodge the Duke of Burbon in his house at Madryle saying that he would willingly obey his Maiesty The answere of a noble man to Charles the fift but protesting withal by a great oath that he would set it a fire so soone as the Duke should be out of it for his predecessors had not built it to be an harbor for traitors Likewise when Christian var de Veque had betraied The kings recōpēce to Christiā var de Veque for betraying to him the
rich furnitures daily to supply theyr wants as well in yeelding them victualls as in satisfying all their other exorbitant demandes which are infinit of which who so denieth anie is presently reputed to be an heretik Yet al this is nothing in comparisō of that which by the Iesuites they are constrained to indure The Iesuits growen to an exceeding authoritie in the Lowe Countries who haue nowe gotten that hand ouer them that the chief magistratships places of dignitie are not granted but vnto such as shal be by their liking allowed by their authoritie confirmed Neither without theyr aduice and councel dare they determine of anie great matter concerning either gouernment or pollicie There is not anie mans busines but they must haue an oare in it The greatnes magnificence and the deliciousnesse of the Iesuites they neuer plant themselues in anie places but in the middest of goodly cities where they wring themselues into the fairest pallaces in some of them dispossessing by violence those to whom they appertained Their colledge at Antwarp belongeth to the societie of the marchauntes of Aquisgrane whō they haue excluded Likewise their colledge at Brussels is vsurped detained frō the true heires Their churches are rich and sumptuous their moueables and householde stuffe magnificent rather than decent their gardens pleasant spacious and delightfull their garmentes fine and comely theyr fare plentifull and of the best and in fine they are not tied to anie risings in the night or anie the like hardnes to which other religious orders are subiected Their first masse doth neuer at any time begin before eight of the clocke vnto the which you shal see him come attended on with nouices in as great a grauitie as the Pope himselfe when hee is in all his pontificalibus The politique institution of the Iesuits they are accounted to bee the greatest intelligencers and state-men of the world They may not according to their orders receiue anie higher officer or dignitie wherein of all other things they haue the greatest pollicie for otherwise theyr old polititians should be frō them aduanced to higher promotions which would bee great diminution to their dignitie which as they now order the matter is of such credite and reputation that they take the name of a Iesuit not to bee anie whit inferiour to the title of a Bishoppe they are not subiect to anie ordinarie nor to the controlment of anie Bishoppe or Legate whatsoeuer but onely to the prouincial or general of their order who neuer lightly comes amongst them and if he doo he is a brother of the societie and will finde no faultes for feare of scandall But the best is to see howe busie and diligent they are when they heare of a wealthie man that lieth sicke and in daunger of death They bestir thēselues whē they heare of a riche man that lieth in daunger of death This is their chiefest haruest and most Opimapraeda Then they commend vnto him the pouertie of their Colledge and the merite that he shall gaine by dealing liberally with them as beeing for euer to bee remembred in their masses as one of their benefactors The Cordeliers and they are at this presēt in processe together in Spaine about this visitation of sicke men in articulo mortis The Cordeliers are such as in England we called Grey friers of the order of Saint Frances The Iesuites saie that it appertaines vnto them because their profession is actiue and to be alwaies stirring among the flocke and to doo good to the worlde abroad whereas that of the Cordeliers is contemplatiue and so by consequence most decent that they should conteine themselues within their cloisters The Cordeliers on the other side do replie that their profession is meekenesse innocencie pouertie to do good vnto all men As for the Iesuites that they are proude ambitious aspiring entermedlers in matters of state Men of greate riches and couetous of more and therefore by no meanes to be admitted to such as lye at the point of death The Iesuites haue beene inueighed against in the publike schooles of the vniuersitie of Louaine The matter hath beene much argued of and greatly debated in Spaine All the other Doctors of religion are vehemently against them and they haue bene openly inueiged against in the publike schooles of Louaine yet notwithstanding they are so strongly backt by the king whose turne they serue againe in other matters that howsoeuer the crie go against them they holde their owne still The policie of the Iesuites in teaching of children Among all their other policies they haue one that in my iudgment is no whit at all inferior to anie of the rest For wheresoeuer they remaine they take vpon them to teach and instruct the children of chiefe men and magistrates professing to doo the same freely and without reward wherein they deale so carefully that the parents doo not account their childrens time mis-spent they in the meane time making hereof a double benefite For first they binde the fathers and parents of their children to be their friendes and fauourers secondly as for the schollers they strike into their tender capacities such a reuerence of themselues and withall doo distill into their mindes such pointes of doctrine and such an opinion of their holynesse and integritie that the same seldome weareth awaie but rather increaseth with theyr yeeres which is vndoubtedly of no small moment to the strengthning and the vpholding of their societie and faction Likewise they haue so cunningly wrought that wher soeuer they are they onely are the generall hearers of all confessions diuing thereby into the secretes and driftes of all men acquainting themselues with theyr humours and imperfections and making thereof as time and occasion serues their owne vse and benefite But by the waie seeing it comes so wel to our purpose I cannot choose but tell you a pretie storie that happened lately in the low Countries A storie of the Iesuits impietie A marchant whose name was Hamyel beeing sicke at Antwarpe of a consumption or feauer Ethicke the Iesuite knowing him to be a man of great possessions and without children presently repaired vnto him vnder colour of spirituall consolation laying before him the vanitie of this life and the glorie of the world to come With sundrie other perswasions as of all men liuing they haue their tongues most at will and withall commending vnto him their order as of all other the most meritorious perfect and acceptable to God and to which our holy Father the Pope and his predecessours haue granted more indulgences than to anie other order of religion whatsoeuer insomuch that they brought the poore man being of himselfe simple into such a fooles paradise that hee professed himselfe into their societie thinking that there was no other waie to bee saued So as before hande hee infeoffed their colledge with his land which was two hundred poūds a yere giuing thē much goods
Nothing so odious to the Italian as the gouernement of a Spaniard displeasing and contrary to the nature of an Italian Likewise hee is faine to entertaine continually a great number of gallies vppon the coast of Naples to defend those seas and shoares from the incursions of the Turke the like charge by sea and by land hee is forced to bee at in Sycilia Sardina his Cities on the coast of Affrica Portugall the Terceraes the Indies Brasile Maiorque Minorque yea and euen in his Spanish Prouinces of Biscan Galycia and Arragon as for Nauarre hee knoweth that hee holdeth them no longer than hee treadeth vppon their neckes and therefore hee layeth on loade there with his garrisons both of horsemen and footemen as well in Pampelona as the other Townes and Fortresses of the Countrey and all will be little enough and if it would please almightie GOD to blesse the indeuours of the French King And of all these his garrisons and charges hee cannot for his life diminish any beeing guiltie too himselfe of the violence of his gouernement being not further assured of them than whiles hee holdeth their heads in the bridle I will not dispute the iustice of his Titles not yet alleage the pretences whereby the Frenchmen entitle their King not only to Artoys Henalt Naples and Millaine but also to Spaine it selfe But that hee holdeth Portugall Maiorque and Minorque the Countie of Ronsillen and the kingdome of Nauarre by meere extortion and extremitie of wrong is to all the world a matter most apparant and euident insomuch that some of his owne Writers in their Apologies and defences of some of his Titles are constrained in a manner to fortifie their best reasons with the verses of Eurypides If right and iustice are to be transgrest To breake them for a kingdome then t' is best Besides all this his prouinces and dominions do stand so seuered and disunited that the very transporting of his money from one to an other as it is with danger and inconuenience so is it of it of infinite charge vnto him insomuch that I haue heard some of his Commissaries in the Low Countries sweare there is no crown of his that commeth from Spaine into those partes but standeth him in fiue ryalles of plate so great is the charge of carriage conuoyes and commissaries to deliuer and receiue the same from one place to another He norisheth factions and diuisions in most Countries of christendome His Intelligencers and Spies Withall there are fewe Realmes or Countries of Christendome in which hee entertaineth not factions and diuisions and scarcely any in which he nourisheth not a number of Intelligencers and Spies all depending of his purse with whome hee dealeth more or lesse liberally according vnto the place or meanes they haue to doe him seruice if they be entertained in Court or neare about the person of a Prince able to send him good intelligence or to doe some notable mischiefe for him His detestable pâ—actise with Lopes for the taking away of her Maiesties life hee will not sticke to come off bountefully as for example you sawe how cunningly hee had practised with Lopes that damnable Physition who like his predecessour Iudas had for money consented to betray innocent blood to whom besides the fiftie thousand crowns for which the bargaine was hee commaunded his Secretarie Ibarra to bidde him demaunde what else hee woulde so that hee would take vppon him to perfourme that which hee had promised which was by taking away her life by whome wee doe all liue to bring our noble Countrey into such a sorrowe desolation and misery as neuer anie Nation had tasted the like But it hath pleased the Lorde our God of his endlesse mercie as hee hath alwayes mightily and miraculously defended her Maiestie so likewise nowe to confound the wicked conspiratours in their owne diuellish deuises and to preuent the tragicall intended issue of theyr most barbarous and bloody practise being such as well in regarde of the secrecie of handling as the imagined facilitie of performaunce that of manie which he the diuell and their adherents haue set abroach since the beginning of her Maiesties glorious reigne neuer any to mans iudgement was halfe so daungerous the manner and memorie whereof is so fresh that the recitall of any particularities would be but superfluous Onely let vs not forget to be thankefull vnto almightie God for his mercy shewed in reuealing it nor vnto that worthie and honourable Lord by whose watchfull industrie and zealous care of her Maiesties safetie it was first suspected and finally by his wisedome and discreete handling fully discouered who although hee did before possesse the faithfull loues and vndissembled affections of as many as euer did any of his ranke yet neuer did hee although hee hath doone many thinges vertuously and nobly any thing that wonne him such reputation and applause throughout the whole Realme All men in generall and euerie man in particular acknowledging to haue heerein receiued of him a most singular and peculiar benefite All his kinsemen of the house of Austria depend chiefly vpon the maintenance of his purse But leauing this and returning vnto my former matter it is a thing notorious to al the world that the house of Austria is spredde into manie braunches of which euery one reteineth the name of Archduke But in conclusion their dignitie lordeshippe and estate is faine to rely wholly vppon his purse for there is not any thing in all this worlde that hee more affecteth than to mainetaine this house of Austria in greatnesse and dignitie and therefore vppon the death of Battor the last King of Polonia hee laboured infinitely to inuest his coosine Maximilian the Emperours brother in the royaltie of the Realme Maximilian of Austria sent by the King of Spaine into Polonia with an army sending him downe besides many secret bribes bestowed vppon the noblemen of Polonia with a mighty army of Reyters to take possession the vnfortunate successe of which enterprise as also the Archedukes imprisonment and dishonourable escape I do voluntarily omitte as beeing a thing vnto the whole worlde well knowen and altogither impertinent vnto the discourse which I haue in hand In the Consistorie of Rome hee is faine to entertaine a great number of those hungrie Cardinalles in pension and fee as well to gaine their voyces when neede requireth as also when the pontificall sea is voide to looke well to their election especially and aboue all thinges that hee whome they elect can daunce the Spanish Measures in which if after his being chosen hee shoulde chaunce not to foote it well according vnto the tune of his pipe then presently to remooue him with a Castilian Calenture A Castilian Calenture the which is a strange disease neuer lightly holding them aboue three dayes and many of them of late haue beene subiect vnto it This Pope doeth feare it mightily and that maketh him so loath to accept the French Kings
all this by the goodnes of God hath but serued to discouer their wicked intentions and to animate al true Christian Englishmen to persist with the greater loue vnitie and courage in their obedience to her Maiestie But returning againe my speeches to you O vnnaturall English-men to those whō you should obey trecherous and vnfaithfull and of those that you doe obey contemned and made slaues how can you indure to thirst after the destruction of so sweete a countrie in which you receiued your being that gaue you nuriture being yong VVhat religion must that bee that animateth you to seeke subuersion of so benigne a princesse and of so glorious an estate The olde worthie Romans thought it the most heroycall thing that might bee to vowe themselues sometimes to death for their countrie and euen to spend their liues in defence of their altars temples and monumentes of their Elders and you seeke to see your Countrie bathing in the bloud of your parents kindred and friendes to see your cities temples and auncient monuments flaming in the fire to see your virgins defloured and further to bring the noblest nations to perpetuall slauerie and seruitude yea and that of the most base wicked proude and cruellest nation that liueth a nation not yet fully an hundred yeeres since wholie they receiued Christianitie and as yet are in their heartes a great number of them Pagans and Moores from profession of which they are onely held by the seuere bridle of the sanguinary and most cruell heathen Inquisition But that Paganisme of theirs which in theyr profession they dare not shew they do in their tyranny blasphemy sodomy cruelty murther adultery and other abominations sufficiently discouer If the Nunamantines Saquntines and Nessatiagis burned their townes slew their wiues and children and families themselues rather than they would receyue the yoke of worthy and vertuous Nations that inuaded them VVhat should wee then do whome our vertuous auncestours haue left honoured with the innumerable trophies of many victories rather than to indure the insolent wicked and tyrannous gouernment of that Nation whome all Europe hath in horrour leauing to our posterity after vs a perpetuall seruitude and bondage and an euerlasting memory of cowardise But leauing this vntill a fitter time I hope this that is alreadye sayde shall bee sufficient to make you clearely and plainely vnderstand that there is not to bee obtayned the sweetnesse liberty and tranquility of conscience which you expect and looke for but rather turmoyle and griefe of minde wyth a perpetuall grudging and remorse of conscience scandalized wyth infinite and innumerable examples of euill life impietie sodomye blasphemye defamation and periurie On the other side towardes her Maiestye and the state of your country you shall be helde reputed as a traitor and of those whom you shal here serue no better who make no further reckning of any of vs than as of base people fugitiues out of our cuntry for debt theeuery of some other hainous crime or other thinking it a matter vnpossible howsoeuer we disguise the same vnder pretext of religion that any man beeing in his country of honest calling or meanes to liue should be so senselesse as to exchange the same for a condition so base beggerly and infamous as that which wee doe heere indure And so did a Spanish Captaine in playne tearms signifie to sir William Standley as they passed in the ordinary boote betweene Antwerp and Brussels But now to the third point of my Discourse cōcerning the mislike which sundry of you haue of her Maiesties gouernement and the state of your countrie at this present to seeke to transporte your selues hether as into a hauen of blisse security I will by comparing the one with the other as neere as I cā let you see the difference between thē both and so consequently your errour as neere as I can gesse by report of sundry cōming thence informed this your disliking proceedeth of two points The one that your lawes are too rigorously seuerely executed against such as professe the catholike religion The other that the aduersarie hath buzzed a feare into your heades making you beleeue that the fortes of your state are too feeble to resist so mightye and puisant an enemye as the Spanish king whose mighty treasures many dominions armies of men they magnifie to the skies and therefore perchaunce you couet to ioyne betimes with the partie which you doe thinke most aduantagious for your future security aduancement First touching the persecutions of Catholikes which our traytours here so much exclaime vpon filling whole volumes therewith aggreuating the same in tearmes most bitter and lamentable to foraine Nations Let vs see what reason they haue I would fayne demande one question If euer they did reade heare or knowe of anye one King or Queene that did with greater mildenesse of lenity tollerate or suffer within his or her dominion a sect of religion opposite to the lawes by him or her establyshed especiallye the same hauing sundrye times rebelliously attempted against their crowne state and dignity Let them looke if there be men of iudgement into the ages passed euen amongst the Heathen and into the present time among all the Princes of Europe and if there bee not any to be founde that hath dealt with the like lenity as her Maiesty hath done why then doe they so falsely slaunder her Doe they not know that shee is the sacred and annointed Queene appoynted by God to gouerne them If they doe why doe they not then with all penitencye and humility loue honor and obey her and praying to God to conuert her seeing such is their desire and not by traiterous mischiefe seek to murther and depriue her They learned not that of the ancient Christians in the primitiue church But they will say she hath executed many seminary priests I confesse she hath indeede by cutting them off preserued her realme from many diseases that rankled within the same But yet hath shee proceeded therein in so gracious and mercifull a sort that shee hath witnessed sufficiently vnto the worlde howe loath shee is to come vnto bloud so long as there is any other remedy in the worlde to bee vsed For her Maiesty knoweth her councell knoweth you and I and the whole world knoweth that the comming of these Seminaries priests and Iesuites to reconcile men as they tearme it to the obedience of the Roman Church is directly and obstinately to alienate and diuert theyr mindes from her Maiesty and to encline them to bee ready to assist any enemy eyther within or without the realme that shall colour his cause vnder the pretext of religion Her Maiesty I say and Councell and all good subiects knowing this and foreseeing the danger that might thereof insue forbade by Acte of Parliament these seminaries to enter into her realme or to vse or exercise anye such seditious doctrine limiting therwithal a time to such as were within the realme to