beloued of all these Sectes that in the end they might benefite themselues by that which most preuailed Wherupon in the Moneth of April in the yeare of our Lord 1566. in the Towne of Bruxells they exhibited vnto the Lâ— Margaret aforsaid a supplication wherin they requyred a repeale or moderation of all rigorous Placartes or Lawes made concerning Religion Let now any man of reason or iudgment consider of the lawfullnes of this demaund and whether themselues that demaunded it could with good conscience moue the same the very mouing of the demaund it selfe plainely arguing little respect or conscience in the demaunders declaring plainely that the thing they sought was for their owne endes and that taking part at the last with that Sect which came to domimere aboue the rest as in the end one must needes doe they might sticke thereunto and so by flatte and open rebellion make vp their mouthes by the ouerthrowe of the ancient Clergy that was in possession of good 〈◊〉 and huinges to which all these new Sects did beare equal hatred albeit ech or them did neuerthelesse hate one another This request being as is aforesayd presented vnto the Lady Margaret in the moneth of April she promised them to send it into Spaine and to require from thence resolution and answere tâ—ereof The request she sent but the answere they attended not but gaue fâ—â—thwith such hart and encouragment vnto the Sectaryes that within few weeks after the request was sent away they began to preach publikely in sundry Townes and Cittyes vpon a selfe assumed authority euen in despite of all Lawes and Magistrates and thereupon fell to robbing and spoyling of Churches throughout al the Countrey Vpon this the King of Spayne as a Prince most carefull of his Oath and of the good of his subiects was enforced to send into these Netherlands the Duke of Alua to take vpon him the generall gouernment which in so troublesome a world was too great a charge to be menaged by a woman This Duke ariuing in these partes in the moneth of August in the yeare 1â—67 which was the yeare following the Lady Margaret resigned vnto him the gouernement and departed out of the Countrey The Duke now being placed in the gouernement began to learne out and informe himselfe what persons they were that had conspired togeather in this busines and had giuen the onset and countenance vnto these rebellious Sectaryes and Sacrilegious Church-robbers finding the Earles of Egmont and Horne and some other Gentlemen to be culpable of this crime they were apprehended and beheaded in Bruxels But VVilliam of Nassaw Prince of Orange the chiefest Ring leader of this sedition so soone as he heard of the ariuall of the Duke got him away into Germany and by his flight declared himselfe to be guilty as by experience afterward it proued Heere now it is to be considered whether in the sight and iudgement of the whole World the King of Spaine had not all right and reason on his side to vse such meanes as he did for the punishment of such capitall offenders and to imploy the subiects of one Countrey for the chastisement of the Rebells of another when he had no other remedy And whether any King or Prince liuing in the world could in honour or iustice winke at put vp such great and capital crymes and insolencyes committed by his subiects as is a generall and publique sacrilegious Church-robbery and the spoyling of the Clergy for the preseruation of whose priuiledges he had so solemnely taken his oath and to suffer the dooers quietly to passe vnpunished to let euery man openly professe follow such new and neuer heard of doctrine as his owne fancy should inuent or of his owne choice he should best like which euen those themselues that are at this day the successours of these first rebells in some of these Netherlands doe find so inconuenient for gouernement that notwithstanding their first profession that euery man ought to haue his free exercise or Religion according to his owne conscience they do prohibite to such as they like not The Duke of Alua hauing caused iustice to be executed first vpon some of the principall conspiratours and after vpon other inferiour offenders did at last in the yeare of our Lord 1570. by order from the King of Spaine cause a general pardon to be proclaimed wherof if VVilliam of Nassaw Prince of Oâ—ange and his adherents had taken the offered benefite all further troubles had ceased but to the contrary they laboured both by secret seditious preachers as by other such like agents to spread abroad that the King of Spayne had broken the Countrey priuiledges as thogh the Countrey had had priuiledges that churches might forsooth be robbed no man called in question for it that euery man might professe what religion he listed were it neuer so naught or new the prohibiting whereof and the conseruation of Ecclesiasticall priuiledges to which the King was sworne being the only cause as to all the world was apparent why the sayd King was constrayned to send the Duke of Alua and Spaniardes into the Countrey which els had neuer beene thought of So as the true blame which the King of Spayne hath deserued is not for breach of priuileges but for seeking to restore priuiledges which his disobedient subiects had broken the which if he had not done then might he haue beene thought negligent and carelesse of his Oath but this the equity of his conscience would neuer permit I am not ignorant that some fooles haue made other fooles belieue that the King of Spayne at his departure out of these Netherlands did promise euery seauen yeare to returne thither againe and that the breach of his promise gaue cause sufficient for these his subiects to rebell This foolish allegation deserneth no answere Yet least some wiser people might be abused by fooles I â—ill leaue them to consider that there was no cause why his Maiesty should bind himselfe to any such condition his predecessors before him hauing beene free and the Countrey comming vnto him by right of succession as it did to them Experience hauing also shewed the inclination of the people to rebellion being grown proud by reason of their Wealth and new-fangled also by reason of the choyce of Religions in so much that the Duke of Alua saw it necessary to mayntayne certayne garisons of soldiers in castles conuenient fortifyed frontier places in the Countrey which he made known vnto the King of Spayne sent vnto him for prouision of money because he found the sayd King vnwilling to haue his subiects of this Countrey burdened with any more taxations thereabout But what successe heereof ensued shall appeare in the next Chapter CHAP. II. How dishonourable it was for Queene Elizabeth of England to take the HollaÌ„ders parts against the King of Spayn How she oppressed and impouerished her subiects for their sakes and endangered her owne Crowne and Kingdome BEFORE I
OBSERVATIOâ—â— CONCERNING THE PRESENT AFFAIRES OF HOLLAND AND THE VNITED PROVINCES Made by an English Gentleman there lately resident since written by himselfe from Paris to his friend in ENGLAND Printed Anno M.DC. â—â—â— THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO HIS FRIEND WORTHY welbeloued Friend you shal please to vnderstand that at my late being at the Hage in Holland I receaued your leter wherin you desire me to describe vnto you the Countrey condition of the people as also to know my opinion of their cause and quarrell against the King of Spayne about which they haue so long troubled the world Moreouer how I find theÌ„ in their thankefulnes vnto our State for so longe sticking vnto them and ayding them And what those differences are which are lately risen vp among them about matters of Religion This letter of yours I had no tyme to answere froÌ„ thence neither would the answering it there haue beene conuenient I therefore deserred the answere vntill my comming into France to which iourney I was resolued before the receit of your letter because to deale truely with you I could not any longer endure to heare the lauish and vile speaches which a sort of base vnbridled people dayly disgorged against the Maiesty of our King whereof in the ensuing discourse somwhat more shal be spoken And indeed this intollerable demeanour of theirs toward the Maiesty of so great and so bountifull a Prince and to whome they are so much beholding hath giuen me good cause aswell to looke into the iustnesse of their wars against the King of Spaine as into their in gratitude vnto the King and State of England and therby to become the more able to giue you satisfaction to the demands in your letter I must notwithstaÌ„ding confesse that since my aryuall heer in Paris I haue for some whyle deferred it for as on the one side I had a great desyre thereunto so on the other syde I found in my selfe a kind of vnwillingnes to begin it which vnwillingnes I protest vnto you proceeded of a conceaued feare to offend you when in deliuering you the very true and playne truthe of thinges as they are you might fynd me altered in mynd and iudgment from what I was when I was coÌ„uersant with you in England But considering that the true duety of a friend is with his friend to deale vnfaignedly I haue now at last vndertaken the taske so to do And in such regard must intreate you to excuse me and not to let my ignorance of the time when I coÌ„uersed with you be put in opposition against the better knowledge which experience of ryper years hath yielded me for you must think that by trauailing abroad in other Countryes conuersing with men of vnderstanding of diuers nations who in these parts are accustomed to frenesse of speach by reading the iudicious writings of such credible Authors as haue noted downe the actions of State of this time as also by the obseruatioÌ„s which myselfe haue made I haue seen as it were a mist wipâ—d away froÌ„ before myne eyes and thereby am come to discerne that which truth reason hath made manifest vnto me as I make no doubt you also will become to do when with vnpartial patieÌ„ce you will haue pleased to read what heere for your satisfaction I haue written that thereby we may agre aswel in mind iudgment as we do in ancient amity And thus leauing you to God in all kind affection I take of you my leaue You know the hand From Paris the 20. of March after this stile computation THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS A Briefe description oâ— the Country People of Holland with a true relation of the beginning of their rebellion against their â—lawfuâ—l Soueraigne Lord King Philip the second of Spayne Chap. I. How dishonoraâ—le it was for Queene Elizabeth of England to take the Hollanders parts against the King of Spayn how she oppressed and impouerished her subiects for thâ—ir sakes and endangered her owne Crowne and Kingdome Chap. II. Whether England hath receaued any benefite by defending the quarrell of the Hollanders or whether the Hollanders haue endeauoured to deserue the friendship they haue receaued from thence or haue any way shewed themselues gratefull for it Chap. III. Whether England can expect any benefite by continuing to take the Hollanders parts and whether the Hollanders do deserue the same by wishing or desiring the continuance of the State and Gouernement of England as now it standeth Cha. IIII. Of the present state of the Hollanders of the diuision among them about matters of Religion and whether respect of Religion may vrge England still to assist them Chap. V. CHAP. I. A briefe description of the Countrey and People of Holland with a tâ—uâ— Relation of the beginning of their rebellion against their lawfull Soueraigne Lord King Philip the second of Spayne HOLLAND at the creation of the world was no Land at all and therefore not at the first intended by God or nature for a dwelling place of men for it was then long after a sea and consequently the habitation of fishes Had it been meant for a habitatioÌ„ of men it had not only been such high ground that it should not haue beene continually subiect to the inundation of the â—ea but also haue beene able to haue yeelded the inhabitants bread to eate wood or stone to build withaâ—l and the foure elements would not haue conspired together to be there all naught by being naught vnto men to shew their dislâ—ke of vsuâ—pers that depriue fishes of â—heir due dwelling places Being then at the first wholy sea by reason of the flaâ—s shallows thereof â—t was partly by banâ—kes raised of 〈◊〉 and earth through the labour of mâ—n and partely by sandy downâ—s o◠〈◊〉 driuen together by the râ—ge of the waues encroached vpon gotten from the sea by the old Ancestâ—urs of the now Inhabitantes The Coâ—nâ—rey then except these banâ—kes and doâ—â—nes lyeth all as low and leuel as water hath made it In it are neither mountaynes nor fountaynes nor hath nature affoarded them within the earth the meanest of the seauen mettalles or any mineral matter at al. But what shal I speak of their want of mynes in the earth when they haue want of earth it self and yet notwithstanding their want therof are faigne to make vse of that litle they haue for their fuell and so begin to burne vp their Countrey before the day of Iudgement Grasse they haue and that is all the greatest good that their ground can affoard them and heerof butter and cheese are the wittnesses but for this one benefit they want many which other Countries haue that haue this as wel as they To say the truth I do not know any benefits peculiar to themselues whereof they may boast except only two the one is their hauing of a Country which is the fittest for rebellioÌ„ in all Christendome and the other is that by reason of
the great lownesse of their dwelling they are the neerest neighbours to the Diuel of any nation liuing vpon earth For other singularities among the people I haue noted that they are generally so bred vp to the Bible that almost euery Cobâ—er is a Dutâ—h Doctor of diuinity and by inward illumination of spirit vnderstadeth the Scripture as wel as they that wrote it Yet fal those inward illuminationâ— so different that so mety mes seauen religions are found together in one family the man of the house being of one religion the wyfe of another and the children and seruants of others but many more may there be in one house if the family be greater by reason of the great store of religions that are there dayly increasing currant for there were not more differeÌ„t languages at the tower of Bahâ—l then ther are differeÌ„t beliefs in Holland vpon which plurality of Sects a friend of myne made this Epigramme The first confusion that the VVorld besell VVas in the many speaches variation VVhen men had sought â—igh vnto Heauen to dwel By making on a Towre their habitation But to the VVorlds astonishment and griese A new confusion now is falne agayne Consisting not in language but beliefe And far exceeding seauenty sorts and twayne VVhich make their choice in this low Land to dwel VVhere they are neerest neighbours vnto hell Those of Holland the adâ—acent partes rerme theÌ„selues of the Vnited Prouinces but neuer people in this world liued in a more disunited vnity so great a confusion hath this freedome brought amongst them of euery Idiots babling out of the Bible Hell is nothing so odious vnto this people as is the Spanish InquisitioÌ„ albeit they liue in more danger of hell then of it The reason why they so much hate it is because it hateth the Babel of their belief But notwithstaÌ„ding their professed freedom of al Religions they can finde meanes without vsing the name of â—n Inquisition to depresse two Religions to wit the Oldest and the Newest that is to say the Catholike Religion and the Arminian Religion these they let not to puniâ—h in body and in goodes with imprisonment also and banishment They had rather heare blasphemy vttered against God then any word of the abridging of any their priuiledges which they conserue so inuiolably that they haue quite broken the best and abused all the others so as the reason why they stand so much vpon them appeareth to be because they would haue no body to be the breakers of them but The high powersull Lords the States themselues The words of Soueraigne authority Sic volo sic iubeo are in tollerable in their eares for their taking place before right and reason as Langenes telleth vs in his booke of Mappes printed at Amsterdam 1599. It seemeth they much affect the Storke because as they say she seeketh not to liue in any Countrey that is gouerned by a King and therefore when she coms into Europe she holds her residence most in Switzerland and Holland The regiment of a Beast with seauen heades pleaseth them best because it is a monster that ryseth out of the sea and because possibility giueth hope that any Beer-brewer or Basket-maker by vulgar coÌ„mendation of his friends may at one tyme or other be raised to the dignity of one of The powerfull Lords the States One great prerogatiue I must confesse this people to haue which they do not bragge of and this is that when at the day of Iudgement the wicked shall say vnto the Mountaines fall vpon vs vnto the hills couer vs those that be wicked in Holland because they haue no hills shall but need to cut their bankes through the sea of it self wil straight wayes ouer whelme them I am verily perswaded that if this people had been the rebels of any other King or Prince in the world then of thâ— King of Spain he would as well haue made the sea to haue holpen him to reuenge his quarell vpon them as they haue made it to assist them in their rebellion against him and that this by the sea might be brought to passe is apparent inough and the sea it selfe gaue proofe therof when not forty yeares before this their great rebellion it drowned foure hundred foure of their villages Nor would themselues omit to do the same if they might therby haue the like aduantage against the King of Spayne for in sundry places both of Flanders and Brabant they haue long since begon some practise of it to the disaduantage of the sayd King and the detriment of such of his subiects as liued vnder him in their due obedience But now to be no longer tedious vnto you in this Countrey and peoples description I wil come vnto the beginning and originall cause of their rebellion Yoâ— shall therefore vnderstand that King Philippe the second before-named departed out of these Netherlands towards Spayne in the yeare of our Lord 1559. then being in full possession of all the seauenteene Prouinces to wit of the seauen now vnited in rebelon whereof Hollâ—nd is the chiefe and the ten others The Soueraignty of all which Prouinces he receaued as true and sole heyre successiuely from his Father the Emperor â—harle the fifth who in like manner had them successiuely froÌ„ his Father to whome they likewise were descended from his Ancestours At his departure he left all these Countryes in peace plenty hauing no ciuill broyles amongst themselues nor warres with other Nations Their religion was the same wherunto aboue eight hundred yeares before they were brought when first they were conuerted from Paganisme to Christianity to the maintenance of which Religion as also of the Ecclesiasticall state in all her rigâ—ts and priuiledges the sayd King was sworne as to one of the chiefest of all other priuiledges He left for supreme Gouernesse vnder him in these Prouinces the Lady Margaret Duchesse of Parma his natural sister by the Fathers side but neither left he any Spanish Lifetenant Gouernour of any of these Prouinces vnder her nor had he any army or troopes of Spanish souldiers in al the Country but left ech particuler gouernement to the Nobility of the Country it selfe with other benefits bestowed vpon euery of them And besides the sundry benefits both in titles of honour and in riches which the aforesayd Emperour Charles had bestowed vpon William of Nassaw Prince of Orange this King Philip his sonne not diminishing but much augmenting them left him also Lifetenant Gouernour of some of these Prouinces Thus departed the sayd king Philip into Spayne without giuing the least cause of discontentment to any of the Nobility or people of these Countries leauing them all in obligation of loue loyalty in more florishing estate theÌ„ euer they were before But as prodigall seruants are wont to beare themselues in the absence of their maisters so some of this forsayd Nobility bearing themselues far aboue the limits of their meanes became greatly behind hand and
indebted thereupon attendant for some one or other remedy now in the absence of their Soueraigne Lord which might keep their estates from declyning wholy to ruine And amongst these there lurcked in the hart of the aforsaid William of Nassaw Prince of Orange as well a desyre of reuenge as of remedy for the vnderpropping of his decayed estate This desire of reuenge was not for any wronges or iniuries donne or suffred to be donne vnto him by the king of Spayne but a reuenge forsooth because the greedy appetit of his insatiable ambition was not fully satisfyed For knowing that the King of Spayne after he had receaued possessioÌ„ of these Netherland Prouinces must needs returne agayne into Spayne and leaue some generall Gouernour thereof behind him he laboured by what meanes he might both by himselfe and such of the Nobility as were of his faction that this authority might be giuen vnto the Lady Christierna Duchesse of Lorayne daughter vnto the sister of the Emperour Charles the fifth who was maryed vnto Chriâ—â—iernus the third King of Denmarcke and this Duchesse had a daughter called the Lady Dorothy and with this Lady the aforesayd Prince of Orange meant to haue maryed that by this meanes after the death of the Duchesse Christierna he might haue come to haue beene Supreme gouernour of the whole low Countries But by reason of the Duchesse of Parma her being preferred vnto this dignity his designment broken he out of coÌ„ceaued reuenge went and maryed with a daughter of Mauritius Duke of Saxony being in religion a Lutheran and with her returned agayne into the Netherlandes retayning still in his hart the maliâ—e which he had coÌ„ceaued the expectation of some occasioÌ„ of further reueng with reparation of his decayed estate Now is it to be noted that albeit Martin Luther the New-ReligioÌ„-maker of Germany dyed not past three years before king Philip departed out of these Netherlandes yet were there already by meanes of him and his disciples six seueral religions risen vp in these CouÌ„tries to wit The religion which Luther himselfe had first begune The religion of the Anabapstists The religioÌ„ of the Caluinists The religion of the Loyistes The religion of the family of loue and the religion of the Georgists of which six for your more satisfactioÌ„ I will heere giue you though briefly some particuler relation Martin Luther when he had made his reuolt from the Catholike Roman Church fynding that there were some thinges taught and obserued in the same Church that were thereto descended by ancient tradition and also deduced from the scriptures though not expressly therein mentioned thought with himself that the only way for him to draw many disciples after him was to proclayme in all his sermons and writings that we ought not to belieue or do nay thing concerning faith religion but that which was expressly comaunded and set downe in the written Word of God By this deuyce in the beginning he found great applause especially among the vulgar sort into whose handes he had thrust Bibles and Testaments translated by himself into Dutche to the best aduantage of his doctrine But it was not long after that some of these his disciples grew so subtile as to examine his doctrine by his owne rule and to see if all that he had taught them were expressly to be found in the written Word of God In which examination they found that the Christening of yonge children was not there to be found and thereupon esteeming the baptisme of children to be of no force they reuolted from him and rebaptized themselues and so began the sect of the Anabaptists After these Andrew Carolostadius one of the first and greatest disciples of Luther who with him allowed the baptisme of children although not expressed in Scripture began to dissent froÌ„ 〈◊〉 in opinioÌ„ of the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament albeit expressed in Scripture which opinion being imbraced by Zuinglius and others and afterward pâ—â—lished by Iohn Caluin left vnto his followers the name of Caluinists The Loyists tooke their name of one Loâ— by occupation a Slater and a townseman of Antwerp who was so confident in his right vnderstanding of Scripture by inward illumination from heauen that being furnished of money by certayne rich Merchantes of that citty whom he had brought to be of his Sect trauailed to Wittemberge to dispute with Luther and to conuert him to his religion but Luther finding him so to interpret the Scripture as to deny the resurrection of the dead to hold that the soules of the good are immortal and do go to God and that the soules of the euill do consume away and come to nothing and consequently that there is neither Diuel nor Hell except the hell of this world and the Men-diuels in it Luther offered rather to dispute with him with fistes then with Scripture wherupon Loy finding such harsh entertaynment returned to Antwerp again left Luther vnconuerted But hauing in Antwerp seduced and brought many to be of his opinion after he had recanted his doctrine and fallen to it againe he was finally burnt The family of Loue began by one Henry Nicholas a Mercer or Seller of Silks also of Antwerp who held among other thinges that man ought to be Deifyed in God and God hoâ—â—â—fyed in man and that men may haue their heauen first heer in this world by liuing in that deifyed loue they ought to do and heereafter in Heauen also The last of these six was the sect of Dauid George a Glasse painter of Delft in Holland This monster secretly taught his disciples that in himselfe was infused the soule of the true Messias and Sauiour of the World that he was more then Elias more then S. Iohn Baptist yea more then Christ These six sects beginning now to grow and spread themselues in sundry parts of the Countrey though some increased more then some the Georgistes keeping themselues more secret then any of the others there was now no remedy for the preseruation of the subiects from so great confusion in religion as also from the dayly increase of more Sects the great inconueniences iustly feared thereby to arise then by putting in practise the Placarts or Ordinances of the Emperour being no other then consonant vnto the ancient lawes of all other Countryes in Christendome as also for the preseruation of the Oath which the Emperour and his Son the King of Spayne had take in this Country for maintenance of the ancient established Religion and Clergy These lawes then being now begun to be put in execution and diuers of those that were of these Sects put to death but of none more then of that of the Anabaptists certain of the decayed Nobility aforesayd of which faction William of Nassaw was the chiefe seeing that all this made for them that somthing must needes come of it whereby they might fall to fishing in a troubled water sought by all meanes to get themselues
all the Netherland people began to mutter to shew a generall vnwillingnes vnto the so wide stretching of their purses the sediously affected took Occasion by her Forelockes and to the feare of this taxe added the faygned feare of the bringing in of a Spanish Inquisition One Monsieur de Lymmay vnderstanding by detayning of the K. of Spaynes money in England what hatred that Queen began to beare him posteth out of France into â—ngland where shewing his readynes to any rebellious attempt receaued such encouragement by promise of ayde from thence and such fit instructions that he came ouer into Holland and there on the first day of April in the yeare 1572. he surprised the towne of Briel the first in all the Low Countryes that set it selfe in open rebellion after whose example Flushing Enchusen and others followed Heereupon was made ouer out by England vnto these rebells by meanes of Syr Thomas Gressam threescore thousand pounds sterling to begin withall and presently after followed ouer with troopes of English forces Morgan Gilbert and Cheâ—â—er and after these againe North 〈◊〉 Caâ—aish and Norris all made Coronels and comming thither with whole regiments receaued from tyme to tyme great supplyes of money and forces from England which grew afterward so heauy that for some ease in the sustayning of the whole â—urthen it was deuised to draw the Duke of Alancon Brother vnto the French King Henry the third into Eâ—gland vnder colour of treaty of a match betweene him and Queene Elizabeth but in the end it proued an infortunaâ—e match betweene him and the Lady Belgica for he was sent ouer into the Nâ—therlands there made Anti Duke of Brabant where his successe was such as retâ—ring from thence into France with dishonour he there not long after dyed of griefe In this designement the English saw their expectation greatly deceaued For albeit K. Henry the third of France had refused to take the Hollanders parts hating them for that cause which no Kinges can loue such people yet they thought by getting his owne brother aforesayd inuested in the Duchy of Brabant he must then of necessity take his part But the matter now falling out otherwise the burden returned and remayned heauyer vpon the Queene and Realme of England then before And the Prince of Orange soon after the death of the Duke of Alanâ—on being slayne the HollaÌ„ders remayned as a body without a head vntill the Queen of England sent ouer vnto them the Earle of Leycester with great prouision both of men and money accompanyed with diuers Noblemen and Gentlemen of good accompt And albeit this Earle afterward returned into England againe yet continued she her ayding the Hollanders both with men and money vnto her dying day And it is thought by such as haue made calculation of this great and long continued charge that she so oppressed and burthened her subiects for the Hollanders wars that she had more money from them by Graunts Subsides such other meanes then had all the Kings of England from the tyme of the Conquest vnto her dayes who had the greatest warres with France And I haue heard some Lawyers affirme that she did extremly wrong her poore Subiects by sometymes pressing them and sending them perforce to her seruice out of the Realme seeing as they say no Prince by the Lawes of the Realme can compell any of his subiectes to serue in warre vnles it be for the defence of the Realme at home or for the recouery of some lost Patrimony of the Crowne abroad seeing now that Holland was neuer knowne to haue beene any part of the patrimony of the Crowne of England nor any pretence of iust war could be made by England to that end it was the greater wrong and iniustice And heere by the way I must also note vnto you that at the beginning for a long time of her ayding the Hollandâ—rs though she did disguisedly make shew of friendship amity with Spayn and had not only her Embassadour in Spayne as the King of Spayne had his also in England and in all her publike Proclamations wherein any mention happened to be made of Holland and the adiacent partes she did alwayes call them The Low Countreyes of her louing Brother the King of Spayne therby acknowledged that which she could not deny yet euen at this very time she imployed Syr Francis Drake to robbe him of his treasure in the West Indyes Don Bernardino de Mendoca remayning Ambassadour Ledger for the King of Spayne in England both then and long after yea euen at the very tyme when Drak was arriued home with his booty which was in Nouember in the yeare 1580. and being all this while an eye witnesse not only of the sayd Queenes oppressing and impouerishing her own subiects at home for the ayding of the foresayd Hollanders abroad rebellious subiectes of the King his Maister but of her sending forth also to robbe him in his owne dominions therby to ayde them vnlawfully with their Lords own treasure If now from the first to the last the deportement of the Queene of England towards the King of Spayne in the long continuance of so many great wronges and iniuryes be but indifferently considered what man though but of meane capacity can iudge but in the end he must needes be prouoked to do something against her were it but in regard of Honour he being a King so great and potent And therefore it was no wonder that after so many former yeares patience he was in the end and that also with an addition of eight yeares forbearance after the taking of his aforsayd treasure in which tyme al detriments that could be done him both by Sea Land besides the ayding also of Don Antonio the pretended King of Portugall being put in practise forced to prepare that great Armada against EnglaÌ„d by sea which he did in the yeare 1588. though with no successe And therefore as I haue heard Strangers that are indifferent to both Nations wonder very much why there should be more hatred discouered now in a tyme of peace and amity betweene England and Spayne in the English NatioÌ„ to the Spanish then in the Spanish to the English the English hauing giuen more cause a great deale for Spaniardes to hate them then the Spainards haue giuen to Englishmen So haue they likewise noted that notwithstanding the misusage in England of the Spanish Ambassadour himselfe in his own person yet the Spanish in Spayne doe not for all this misuse the Ambassadour of England the cause whereof is the discreet consideration of the Spanish Nation who can discerne this misusage to proceed from such pure-strayned Ministers as are possessed with the fury of the spirit or from the common debaushed people that doe not consider or haue not so much wit as to think when they see a Spanish Ambassadour in England that his Maiesty likewise hath an English Ambassadour in Spayne Nor yet to set before their eyes the
euer feare to be so much endomaged by Spayne as by them or that Spayne could haue so ready meanes to endomage theÌ„ as the Hollanders or could haue correspondence in either Countrey with two such turbulent factions Thus may England as well by example of the Hollanders ingratitude to France as by the deere purchased experience in it selfe cleerely behould what apparence there may be of expectation of any least benefite by their meanes since none can be found none be looked for albeit they were sought after with the lanterne of Diogenes If therefore no benefits can appeare either past or to be expected let vs then see what good fortune hath otherwise betyded such as haue beene the gretest actors in this rebellious busines whereby it may appeare to the World how their endeauours haue beene pleasing to God The first man that began the surprize and open rebellion of Townes in Holland was the aforenamed Monsieur de Lymmay This man amongst other presents which were giuen him when he was in England one was a very faire great mastiffe Dog which he much esteemed and on a tyme playing with him he bitte him so soare in the arme that he could by no meanes be cured but in the end dyed thereof starcke mad and raging in the Towne of Liege And thus came he to his death by being bitten of a Dog that had beene a wolfe vnto many Ecclesiasticall persons whose bloud without all forme of lustice or any offence by them committed he had caused to be shed aswell in the Towne of Briel which he surpryzed as in other places The next great Actor in this ill busynes was the Duke of Alancon also before mentioned This Duke after he had in the Citty of Antwerp beene inuested in the Duchy of Brabant as absolute Soueraigne fynding not withstanding that he was to be limitted gouerned by such as he accompted his subiects seeking thereupon to make his authority more absolute drew certayne troopes of his souldiers into the Town to haue surpryzed it himself being with his whole army hard without who through the resistance of the Townesmen were all put to the sword Whereupon he with his whole army the Artillery from the walles of the Towne playing vpon him was forced to retyre thence in extreme disgrace and melancholy as a defeated enemy and in the end to returne into France where considering the tricks that had by n put vpon him in England and what disgrace he had therby receaued in Flanders on the 10. day of Iune in the yeare 1584. he dyed of conceaued griefe in the town of Chasteaâ— Theiry and so lost his faire possibility of wearing the crown of France vnto which he was the apparent Heyre The next and chiefest styrrer in this busynes was William of Nassaw Prince of OraÌ„ge who because he was the Arch-rebell or principall Actor in this great rebellion of all other I hold it not vnfit before I come to speak of his death briefly to run ouer the thinges of most note in his life This Prince as in the first Chapter hath byn sayd retyred himself into Germany so soone as he heard of the Dukâ— of Alua his aryuall in the Netherlandes and albeit he came afterwards backe agayne to push forward his begun rebellion yet was he fayne to fly the second tyme into Germany from whence when he heard that the Town of Briel and one or two more were openly rebelled he came secretly backe into Holland and being in very poore and bare estate he took vp his lodging in the Town of Tergow in the howse of one Kegeling an Apothecary keeping himselfe very secret because this town as yet held for the king of Spayn as also did all the other Townes of the Country except two or three But the Duke of Alua his demaunding the tenth penny aforesayd hauing bred a generall disgust and auersion in the myndes of the people certayne scouts of rebellion were secretly imployed abroad in the Country to sound the people about their forwardnes to reuolt Which being done answere was returned that they were found to be theâ—unto ready inough so they might haue a head but who this head should be that knew they not The Prince of Orange heerupoÌ„ in whose behalfe these scouts had beene imployed called a consultation of some fyue or six irreligicus Politikes for such best fitted to be his counsellours to consider what religion he were best to be of for of all the religions now currant he could not be and not declaring himself to be of one all might hold him to be of none For he had so caryed himself vntil this day that the Catholikes held him affected to them The Lutherans to them The Anabaptists to them And the Caluinists also to them The Catholikes tooke him for their freind because they thought him not to hate their religion but indifferently well to affect it in regard that he had beene brought vp in it long professed it and had made as yet no open opposition or profession against it and for that he protested to vndergo this busynes for the mayntayning of their rightes and priuiledges and to free the Countrey from that terrible exaction of the tenth penny aforesayd The Lutherans tooke him for their frend because they held him in hart to be of their religion since he had maryed the daughter of the Duke of Saxony who was now a Lutheran in publique profession and that he must in reason keep good correspondence with the Lutherans of Germany in hope of hauing ayde from them The Anabaptists tooke him as greatly to fauor their religion because his Chamberlayne being the chiefest man about him was an Anabaptist called of his fellow Anabaptists by the name of Mardochaeus by whose meanes this Prince became greatly beholding vnto them for the loane of sundry good summes of money which he had receaued of them The Caluinists thought him assuredly their friend because he was an enemy vnto Spayne Spaniards and because he could not but see them more forward in action of Rebellion then any of the others seeing Briel and other Townes were already surpryzed by those of their Nation and Religion The aforesayd Counselours considering that this indifferent carriage of the Prince could but argue a dispersed affection might breed many iealousies and factions and wherby he could not procure to himselfe the assured affection of any one syde to sticke fast vnto him their resolution must now be taken without longer delay of which of these he would declare himself absotely to be albeit he might promise fauour and protection to the rest There was no great need of learned Deuins to dispute the matter Scriptures and ancient Fathers were not important to be looked after Faith and Conscience had heerin no clayme and Reason of State did put the Holy Ghost to silence It was therfore first debated whether it were best most for this Prince his aduantage to declare himselfe a Catholike because the face of the State
was yet Catholike To this was alleaged that if he should so do by fauouring all opposite to the Catholikes the Catholikes would therfore disfauour him seeing the other through his fauour would insult vpon them and so might there be danger of their returning to the obedience of the King of Spayne whom thev were sure was of their religion and would mayntayne them in it All which considered it was not thought fitting for him to declare himself to be a Catholike To declare himself a Lutheran was also thought vnsit because the Duke of Saxony albeit a Lutheran was yet a freind vnto the Emperour and the howse of Austria and besides the Lutherans were but flegmatike cold fellowes and too farre offto giue him assistance if need should require To declare himselfe an Anabaptist was held lesse fitting for albeit they had shewed more heat of zeale in their greater number that had suffred for their religion then any of the others yet were they but of the meaner sort of people not hauing any potent persons among them nor any forrayne Prince or State to take their partes In fine it was resolued that it was most conuenient for him to declare himself a Caluinist in regard of their stirring spirits whereof they had giuen greater proof then any of the others that there was apparence of assistance from England and of good correspondence with the Huguenots of France Vpon this resolution followed straight-wayes the conuersion of this Prince of Orange vnto Caluinian-Protestant religion and his new gayned greatest friendes so bestirred themselues that Town vpon Town rebelled especially after he had by solemne Oath sworne to mayntayne the Catholike Clergy in all their rights and priuiledges and in publike exercise of their Religion about which point yet the town of Amsterdam amongst others very precysely capitulated with him and he very seriously also protested and swore performance of the conditions which Oath notwithstanding he made no more conscience soone after to breake then he had done sundry oathes before as the great and solemne Oath which he tooke of Fidelity to the King of Spayne when he receaued the Order of Knight-hood of the golden Fleece the Oath of fidelity which he also tooke at the sayd Kings making him Lieftenant Gouernour of Holland c. besydes his sundry other perfidious breaches both of oaths and promises And because there is not any fidelity or honest dealing to be expected where there is layd no ground of Religion and vertue it is the lesse wonder that this irreligious Noble Man so caryed himself in choyce of religion Certayne it is that he was at the first a Catholike and notwithstanding that his malice had transported him so farre as to protect and shelter some most sacrylegious Church-robbers yet vpon the aryuall of the Duke of Alua and before his flight into Germany he sent for his eldest some Philip who was Prince of Orange next after him at that tyme a student in the Vniuersity of Louayne and most straightly charged him to liue and dye in the Catholike Roman Religion as the sayd Prince hath at sundry tymes to diuers persons yet lyuing protested wherby it may seem that at that tyme he had yet retayned some regard of religion and holding that for the best commaunded his sonne to remayne still therin Foure wyues he had the first was a Catholyke the second was a Lutheran the third and fourth were Caluinists which perchance was because he found no noble woman fit for him to match withall that was an Anabaptist that so he might haue had foure wyues of foure seuerall Religions yet to shew his great good wil vnto the Anabaptists albeit he could not match amongst them he gaue them vnder his hand wryting the priuiledge freedome for exercise of their religion in their own howses which they yet in Holland enioy When I consider the life and actioÌ„s of this man I wonder in my self that the blyndnes of the popular multitude could be so great as to honor and extol him so highly and to accompt him the great Patron and Protectour of their Country that was the greatest enemy therof that euer it had and who was the cause of spilling so much bloud aswell of the people of his owne Country as of other Nations and such an one as was the betrayer transporter also thereof vnto another Nation as much as in him lay who had no right or clay me thereunto To come now to touch the end of this man when I coÌ„sider I say what it was there commeth to my remembrance this saying of a Pagan Poet Tyraennous Lords that cause Landes to rebell VVithout some blow can hardly come to Hell About some foure yeares before the death of this Prince he was for his offences depriued by the sayd King of Spayne his soueraigne Lord of all the authority and power which in former tymes the sayd King had giuen him proclaymed for a publike enemy vnto the King the peace and Weal-publike of the Countrey and his goods person exposed to open violence by publique sentence In the end after some attempts to that effect the Prince perceauing what victorious successe the Duke of Parma that then vnder the King of Spayne commanded in the Netherlands now began to haue in Flaunders and Brabant he fled secretly from Antwerp where he had layne lurcking for a time vnto Delft in Holland in his Armour for it was the greatest prayse forsooth that this valiant Captayne atchieued in these warres that he did commonly put on his Armour when he was eight or ten leagues from any place of danger Being arriued at Delft where he thought himselfe in greatest safety he was vpon the tenth day of Iuly in the same yeare 1584. slayne with the shot of a Pistoll by one Ealtazar Gerard aliâs Serach a Burgundian of the age of fiue and twenty yeares a moneth after that the Duke of Alancon dyed at Chasteau-Theiry for the Duke dyed on the tenth of Iune this Prince was slayne on the tenth of Iuly next following as though his life had beene limitted by lease to last but iust one moneth after the death of the other The next of the greatest Actors in this rebellious Tragedy was Robert Dudley Earle of â—eycester who after he had beene the chiefe Commaunder of Holland in these broyles in which waâ— slaine his sisters Sonne Syr Philip Sidney a Knight worthy to haue deserued more Honour if he had serued in an honourable cause he grew weary of the Hollanders and they of him in so much that by a iustification of his worthlesse actions published in Print he was driuen to accuse blame them of breach of promise and performance of couenants made vnto him that so by laying the fault vpon theÌ„ he might repaire his owne reputation and excuse of gayning so little honour among them as he had Returning therefore with great discontentment into England he soone after sickned and dyed and as it is reported was