Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A20392
|
A dialogue or speaking together of two personages of the which, the one is the well willing comminalitie, and the other the noble and moste puyssant prince, my Lorde the Duke of Aniou Our most redoubted lord. [et]c.
|
|
1582
(1582)
|
STC 6804; ESTC S108254
|
6,084
|
16
|
¶ A Dialogue or speaking together of two Personages of the which the one is the Well willing Comminaltie and the other the Noble and moste puyssant Prince my Lorde the Duke of Aniou OVR MOST REDOVBTED LORD c. Jmprinted at London by Thomas Purfoote dwelling in newgate market and are to be sold at his shop ouer against S. Sepulchers Church 1582. The well willing Comminaltie MOst gracious lord considering that the gouernment of countries hath bene alwayes esteemed not onely amongst the Philosophers but also amongst all nations to be a matter of great waight and importance specially when as a Prince and Gouernour doth faythfully attende on the same Therefore now that we haue conceiued suche hope of your highnes we haue bene moued firstly in all reuerence to salute your highnes and thereafter as true subiectes to present and shewe all obedience My Lord the Duke My louing friendes I thanke you hartely for the loue and kindnes which you doe shewe vnto me And also do promise neuer to frustrate you nor make any default of the duetifull good confidence which ye do beare to my person The well willing Comminaltie We looke for nothing else of your highnes but for the office of a good Prince Which is to protect and defend his subiectes from all wrong outrage and violence And to loue them as the father loueth his children and the shepeheard his sheepe which doth venter his lyfe for to defend them My Lord the Duke My friendes you speake very well and I will also feruently endeuour my selfe to the same for I hope euen as you shall find me alwayes a benigne and faythfull Gouernour that I lykewise shall haue you obedient subiects for like as the father is bound to loue his children and the shepheard his sheepe euen so the shepe likewise are bound to follow their shepeheard and shew him obedience The well willing Comminaltie Your highnes shall be hereof ynough assured hauing read ouer our auncient Consequences and Chronicles Wherein euery where is to be founde the greate affection which we naturally do beare to oure lawfull Princes and Lordes But in case your highnes did vouchsafe to heare vs it woulde not seeme vnto vs to be inconuenient because your highnes shoulde haue knowledge of all thinges which is moost needfull for well to administer the gouernement of countries that we nowe speaking togeather might briefly discourse or run ouer the estate of these our lowe countries and the summe of things which theirin be passed since the beginning of the troubles vntill now My Lord the Duke My louing friendes I am very well pleased to heare the same and that more is I thinke it wholy necessary to haue knowledge thereof Bycause we might thereby in all thinges deale the more circuÌ„spectly to the welfare of the countrie and the saluation of vs all And therefore I requeste you in no wise to hide from me the knowledge of such thinges The well willing Comminaltie Seeing that your highnes doth requeste this of vs we will gladly do the same thanking the almighty god that it hath pleased him to send vs your highnes hence forward to protect and make vs free from the tyranny intended to be brought vppon vs by our enemyes Your highnes must firstly vnderstand that the king of spayne after the decese of the Emperour Charles the first of worthy memory Of whom he hath receaued all these Lowe countries forgetting the seruices which aswel his Lord and father as also he himself had receaued of these countries and the inhabitants of the same wherby specially the king of Spayne hath obtained so famous victories againste his enemyes that thereby his name and power became famous feared through all the world And forgetting also the admonition which the Emperours maiestie aforesayd had gyuen him at other times to the contrary he hath bent his eare and gyuen credit to those of the counsell of Spaine being neare him which had conceyued in their hartes and enuy against these countries and there freedomes For that they might not haue any charge to gouerne in chefe countries nor to beare the principall estates or offices as they did in the realmes of Naples Sicilia at Millan in India and at other places being vnder the kinges dominion whereof the moste part of them knewe the riches and power Which Counsell of Spayne or some of the principall thereof haue declared to this king at diuers times That it was better for his Maiesties reputation a newe to Conquere these countreys for to commaund thereouer frâ—ely and absolutely which is to playe the Tyrante according to his pleasure then to be driuen to gouerne vnder such conditions restrictions as he hath ben fame to swere in the acceptinge of the dominion of these countreys According to the which the king hath euer since sought by all meanes to bring the aforesaid countries from their ancient freedomes and vnder a Tyrrannicall gouernment of the spaniâ—rds inteÌ„ding firstly vnder the cloke of religion to putte in newe bishops in the cheefeste and moste principall Citties giuing and endewing them with adiunction and incorporation of the moste Richeste Abbyes and adioyning vnto them nine Canonicos or Regulars which should be of his Counsel Whereof the three should haue speciall charg ouer the Inquisition By which incorporation the saide Bishops which might haue beene aswell straungers as Natiue of the Countreys haue had the first places voices in the assemblies of the estates of these countreys And haue bene his creatures ready at his commaundement and deuotion and shoulde haue brought in by the saide adioyned Canonicos or Regulars the spanishe Inquisition Which hath alwayes bene as it is manifeste vnto al men so horrible and odious in these Countreys as the verye bondage it selfe In suche wise that the saide Imperiall Maiestie hauing at other times proponded the same to the countreis he did let it rest again by reason of the remonstrations which were done against it vnto his Maiestie therin shewing the affection which he did beare to his subiects But howbeit diuers remonstrations which be done vnto the King by word of mouth as well by perticuler Prouinces and Cities as also by some of the principall Lordes of the Countrye viz. The Lord of Montingni and the Earle of Egmont being sent to Spayn to that purpose at sundry times by the consent of the Duches of Parma then Gouernant ouer the same countreyes by the aduise of the Counsell of Estates and Generalitie And also that the sayd king of Spayne had giuen vnto them by word of mouth good hope to prouide therein according to their request he notwithstanding to the contrarye thereof shortly thereafter sharpely by Letters vpon his indignation coÌ„maunded to receiue the Bishops and to place theÌ„ in possession of their Bishoprickes and incorporated Abbies To giue the Inquisition her course where it thertofore had bene and to follow the ordinance of the Counsel of Trent Which was in many poyntes contrary to the Priuiledges
of the aforesaid countreis which thing being come to the knowledge of the Comminaltie hath with good reason caused occasion of great commosion amongst them and an alienation of the good affection which they alwayes as good subiects haue born to the sayde king of Spayne and his Predecessors Specially considering that not onely hee did go about to play the Tyrant vpoÌ„ their persons goods but also vpon their consciences of the whiche they thinke to be bound to giue reckoning or make answere vnto no body but only vnto God For which cause and for pitie of the sayd Cominaltie the principall of the Countreys haue exhibited a certaine Remonstration in the yeare 1565. Requesting that for to still the Cominaltie and preuent al Seditions his Maiestie should asswage these poyntes and speciallye concerning the rigorous Inquisition and punishment of the Religion shewing therewith the loue and affection whiche he as a benigne Prince did beare vnto his subiectes and for to notifie the same vnto the sayde king of Spaine more nearer and with more authoritie and for to prooue how necessarye the same was for the welfare of the countreis and to maintain the same in quietnesse to put or leaue of such nouelties and mittigate the rigor of the general Petition of the Place at in matters concerning the Religion at the request of the sayd Gouernant Counsell of the Estates and of the generall estates of all the countreys were sent to Spaine as Ambassadors The Marquis of Berghen and the Lord of Montingni afore named But in steede to giue attendaunce vnto them and to prouide in the inconueniences whiche there had bene propounded which by delaying of the remedye in due tyme according as the neede required did alreadie begin to appeare or shew themselues almost in all Countreies amongst the Congregation he by the alluring of the spanish Counsell hath caused the sayd persons which had made the aforesaid Remonstration to be declared Rebels and to be guiltie of the crime of Treason and consequently to be punnished in bodye and goodes And moreouer he thinking thereafter that the sayd Countreys were wholy subdued vnder his subiertion and Tirannye by the power of the Duke of Alba caused the sayd Lords Ambassadors to be apprehended murdered and their goodes confisked contrary to all common orders or lawes whiche alwayes haue bene inuiolately obserued amongest the most cruell and tyrannicall Princes And howbeit that the greatest troubles risen in the sayde Countries by the dealing of the sayde Gouernant and her Adherentes in the sayd yeare 1566. was agayne pacified and many driuen away whiche did vnderstand the freedomes of the countreis and the rest oppressed and subdued in such wise that the king had no cause at all to oppresse the sayd Countreis by force of Weapons yet notwithstanding to haue such an occasion which the sayde Spanishe counsell of long tyme had soughte and looked for according to the same is playnelye declared by thâ—â—… intercepted and detayned letters of Alana the Ambassador of Spayne resident in Fraunce being at that time written to the Duches of Parma for to anicâ—â—late all the Priuiledge of the Countreis and to gouern the same according to hir wil tirannically by the Spainiardes as the Jndians and the new conquered Landes He by the motion and counsell of the sayd Spainiardes shewing the little loue whiche he hare to his good subiectes contrary to that whiche he as their Prince Protector and good sheapheard was bound to do Hath sent towards the said countreyes for to oppresse them with a great armie the Duke of Alba being infamous of hardnesse and crueltie one of the principall enemies of the couÌ„trey and being for to be his Counsellors accompanyed with persons of like nature and humoures Which haue executed such innumerable deale of cruelties and tirannies vpon these Countreis that the same woulde bee to long before your highnesse here to be rehearsed And thereafter the great CoÌ„mandador whome the King of Spaine did sende to these Countreis after the Duke of Alba not for to amend ought but for to prosecute the sayde way of tiranny by a more secrete meane which haue compelled the other countreis whiche they kepte vnder the Spanish subiection with their Garrisons and built Castels for to vse all their persons and might for to helpe to oppresse them shewing notwithstanding vnto the said countreis which they did employ in their assistaunce as is aforesayd no more fauoure then if they had ben their very enimies permitting that the Spainiardes vnder the cloke that they were in sedition before the face of the great CoÌ„mandador forcibly did enter into the Citie of Antwerpe there according to their discretion to waste and spend for the space of sixe weekes at the charges of the Citizens constrayning furthermore in the meane tyme the sayde Citizens because they shoulde be discharged of the violence of the same Spainiardes to furnish to the payment of foure hundred thousand gyldrens their demaunded wages and also thereafter the spanishe souldiers vsing a greater boldnes haue aduaunced themselues publikelye to take vp their weapons agaynst the countrey thinking firstly to take the citie of Brussels and in place of the ordinary residence of the Prince of the Countreis beeing there to make their Caue of robberie whiche thing not succeeding vnto them they haue ouerthrowne the Citie of Aelst and thereafter forciblye taken sacked spoyled murdered and burned the Citie of Maestricht and Antwerpe aforesayd and so handled the same that the most cruell and Tyrannicall enemies of the Countreis can not doe any more nor worse to the vnspeakable domage not only of the inhabitants but also almost of all the Nations of the world which there had their wares and money And howbeit that the sayd Spainiardes by the counsell of Estates by whome at that tyme by reason of the death of the great Comandador was accepted the Gouernmente of the Countreis by the charge and commission of the king of Spayne were declared and published for enemies of the Land in the presence of Ieronimo de Rhoda for the outrage force and violeÌ„ce which they vsed yet the said Rhoda by his owne authority or else as it is to be presumed by vertue of some secret InstructioÌ„ which he might haue froÌ„ Spaine had taken vpon him to be the Chiefe or heade of these Spainguartes and their associated And without to haue respecte to these counsell of Estates to vse the name and authoritie of the king to counterfaite his seale and to behaue himselfe publikelye as gouernoure and Liefetenaunt of the king whereby the estates were caused to make agreement at this time with my Lorde the Prince and estate of Hollande and Zexlande whiche agreement hath bene approued and bene found to be good by the councell of the estates and lawfull Gouernours of the countreis for ioyntly and with one accord to set vppon and driue out of the countreys the Spainguartes as common enimies of the Countreys Neuerthelesse not pretermitting as good subiectes in