THOMAS CAMPANELLA An Italian FRIAR And Second MACHIAVEL His advice to the King of Spain for attaining the universal Monarchy of the World Particularly concerning England Scotland and Ireland how to raise Division between KING and PARLIAMENT to alter the Government from a Kingdome to a Commonwealth Thereby embroiling England in Civil war to divert the English from disturbing the Spaniard in bringing the Indian Treasure into Spain Also for reducing Holland by procuring war betwixt England Holland and other Sea-faring Countries affirming as most certain that if the King of Spain become master of England and the Low Countries he will quickly be Sole Monarch of all Europe and the greatest part of the new world Translated into English by Ed. Chilmead and published for awakening the English to prevent the approaching ruine of their Nation With an admonitorie Preface by WILLIAM PRYNNE of Lincolnes-Inne Esquire LONDON Printed for Philemon Stephens at the Gilded Lyon in St. Pauls Church-Yard Mr. WILLIAM PRYNNE his premonitory Epistle concerning Campanella's discourse of the Spanish Monarchy To the Ingenuous Reader THou hast here presented to thy serious perusal by an able hand a faithful English Translation of a discourse touching the SPANISH MONARCHY penned by Thomas Campanella a famous Italian Frier and second Machiavel about the end of Queen Elizabeths Reign prescribing sundry politick plots to the King of Spain how to make himself sole Temporal and the Pope sole Spiritual Monarch of the world in general and of England Scotland and Ireland and Holland in particular laid down in the 25. and â—7 chapters by sowing the seeds of division and intestine wars between England Scotland Ireland and the Netherlands eithâ—r by changing our Hereditary Kingdom into a Commonwealth or at least into an Elective Kingship and other policies there laid down to destroy our temporal Kingly Government and by broaching new Opinions and Sects in Religion and by scattering the seed of Schism and division in the natural sciences and promoting the study of Astrology to undermine our Church and Religion and usher in Popery by insensible degrees by Romish Emissaries If thou wilt but seriously peruse these Chapters and compare them with the counsels projects proceedings new models of Government and wars with the Scots and Hollanders of the late Agitators and general Council of Officers in the Army and their Anti-Parliamentary Conventicles ever since the year 1647. till this present thou wilt most clearly discern and ingenuously confess that they punctually pursued Campanella his projects to advance the Popes and Spaniards Monarchy over our three Kingdoms and the Netherlands and reduce them under their unsupportable Tyranny both in Civils and Spirituals wherein they have now made either ignorantly or affectedly such an unhappy dismal progress by subverting our ancient Kingly Government to metamorphose us into a Commonwealth which hath crumbled our formerly united Kingdoms Churches into so many opposite irreconcileable Sects Factions Parties Interests undermining oppressing each other by impoverishing our Kâ—ngdoms destroying their Trades and eating them up to the very bones by a perpetual domineering all swaying Army and intolerable endless Taxes Excises Militia's Imposts Free-quarters and all sortâ— of violences and oppressions and leaving us no legal visible Head Authority Council Parliament Governours Judicatures to which they can flie for protection or advise that unless Gods infinite mercy interpose they are in all probability ready to be invaded overcome and swallowed up by the united forces of these Combined Enemies and to incur that fatal doom which Christ himself hath predicted to every Kingdome and City in our present condition Mat. 12.25 Every Kingdome divided against it self Is brought to desolation and every City or House divided against it self shall not stand Which Campanella laying for his ground made it his Master-piece to set down straâ—agems to divide us and other Kingdoms and Nations against and between themselves to bring them first to desolation by themselves that so the Spaniard and Pope might without much difficulty seise upon them whiles in that condition which imminent danger and approaching ruine we have no probable means left to prevent but by a speedy cordial Christian union between our lawful KING long exiled Head and members and happy restitution of our Hereditary King Peers and English Parliaments to their ancient just Rights and Priviledges according to our sacred Oathes Protestations Vow League Covenant and an avowed future renunciation of all Campanella's Jesuitical Popish Spanish Counsels Plots Innovations dividings which I leave thee to contemplate Concluding with this memorable observation and passage of St. Basil the great in his Ascetica This holy Saint of God being very much perplexed in his mind at the manifold Schismes and vehement dissentions then in the Church of Christ between Christians Bishops and Ministers themselves renting the Church with opinions and practices contrary to the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ and diligently enquiring and much doubting what should be the true cause thereof at last that text in the Book oâ— Iudges coming into his mind Every one did that which was right in his own eyes the cauâ—e whereoâ— is dâ—clared in the premised words In those dayes there was no KING in Israel after some consideration and meditation thereupon he concluded not as a paradox but undoubted truth that the very râ—ason why there was then so great contention and fighting amongst Christians in the Church of Christ was the contempt of that great true and only KING of all Men whilst every one departed both from the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and did set up his own cogitations and definitions by his own authority as his rule and would rather Command against the Lord then be subject to the Lord and governed by him When I pondered these things with my self and stood amazed at this enormous impiety and would yet further search out the truth hereofâ— I was perswaded that the aforesaid cause was true in this as it was in other affairs of this life For I saw all the multitude to be a well compounded State and to Consent and Consist together so long only as obedience was yielded to some one Supream KING of them all and on the other side That dissention and division of every kind and also Polyarchy to arise from hence if there being no KING every man obtained licence to do what he pleased I have sometime seen even a swarm of Bees out of the Law of Nature to wage War and to follow their own KING in order and I have seen and read many such things of them and thoâ—e who are busied about such things know much more so that what I have said may be proved true from hence For it is the propertye and peculiar of those who regard the command of one and use one KING that they be well and Vnanimously disposed between themselves therefore all dissention and discord is both an Index and Prognostick of that contumacy wherein the Principality of one is
Turkish Empire shall be Lord of the whole Earth The House of Spain then can never attaine to any great Monarchy according to Fate but only by the adhering to Italy the Roman Empire which is the German the Right Head The King of Spain therefore is to use his utmost endeavour that he may be chosen Emperour seeing that not only God but even Human Prudence also may inform us that by that meanes he may attain to what ever his heart can wish A beginning of which thing appeared plain enough in Charles the Fifth King of Spain who being also Emperour and being assisted with the whole power of Italy and Spain overcame those of Tunis and the King of France and conquered all Germany in so much that Solyman seeing the prosperous Fortune of this Prince had good Cause to say that it behooved him to take heed of Charles neither would he though he were stronger then He fight with Him under the Walls of Vienna We see therefore that which way the Fates incline the same also goes all the rest of the Fortune and so on the other side all things must needs be successelesse that are â—aken in hand under a Reluctant Faâ—e I shall here also open another Mystery namely that all Empires according to the Prophesy of Noaâ— do descend from the Sons of Iaphet God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem and Cham shall be his Servant And from Cham are to descend none but Slaves and Tyrants who are indeed Slaves as I have elsewhere proved Wherefore the Turkish Empire comes from Iaphet by Magog and as to the Law from Sem by the Line of Ishmael from whom Mahumet descended as it hath allwaies been observed to fall out that the Northern People which are fierce and by the armes of Iaphet still Victorious have yet received Lawes and Rules from the wiser Southern People who were the Ofspring of Sem. And yet the Empire sometimes hath otherwise had a succession of Tyrants also who have descended from Cham though by the intervention of the German who is descended from Iaphet as the Spaniard himself derives his Line from Iaphet by Tubal like as concerning the Law the Roman Christianity doth derive it self from â—em in respect of Christ who is a true Sem by the Line of Isaac Seeing therefore Dominion was promised to Iaphet it belongeth chiefly to the Spaniards who are more nearly and by a firmer alliance descended from the Law-giver then the Turks and their Victorie drives on to this end that they may dwell in the House of Sem seeing that they possesse the Greatest part of Italy by the Investiture of the Pope who is descended from Sem Of whom this is no fit occasion to say any more although I willingly would do so and indeed ought I shall only add here that they cannot according to Fate come to be Lords of all unlesse they become the Deliverers of the Church and set it free from out of the hands of the Babylonians that is to say of the Turks and Hereticks Upon this account they conquered the Moores God bestowing upon them so great an Empire as their reward Now it is evident that the Church is in subjection to Babylon as long as it is Militant and I have formerly shewed elsewhere that it doâ—h yet retain the dayes of Tuesday and Friday and the moneths of August and Iuly which were theirs of the Roman Babylon and the Church now suffers most grievous Persecutions under the Babylonian Infidels both in Africk Asia and Europe and especially in Germany France England and Polaâ—d This discourse therefore is to be listened unto with attentive eares because that all the Iewish Affaires were a Type and figure of those of the Christians He therefore that shall deliver the Church out of these evills shall become the Universal Monarch because He shall perform the Office of the Christian Cyrus whom God shall raise up as Esay saith to subdue the whole World to restore Ierusalâ—m to remove their Captivity and to build a temple to the God of Heaven and Earth wherein shall be set up the Continual Sacrifice as is foretold by Daniel Esay and Esdras Cyrus also was of the Linage of Iaphet by the Medes and notwithstanding that the Turk is descended of the same stock also yet shall He not perform the Office because that He is become an Enemy by setting up another Contrary Law The French in the time of Charlemagne arrogated this Office to themselves who by their often delivering the Pope out of the hands of the Princes of Italy the Lombards and the Gotâ—s arrived to so great power that they became formidable to all and the said Charlemagne might have come to have been Universal Monarch of the World had not his sons been at Variance among themselves but had managed their Empire rightly and as they ought to have done But the discords that were betwixt the Christians and â—he following Heresy raigning at this day broke the neck of the French Empire at least took away from it all hope of ever arriving to the height of so much greatnesse But the Spaniards by being continually rooting out of the Moors became powerful but contrariwise Constantinople because it deserted the Pope and adhered to Arrius Sabellius and others came to destruction The Venetians also have by the Popes meanes arrived to a great height because that they assisted him against Frederick So that it is manifest that he that shall take any enterprize in hand under a Favourable Fate shall have all happy successe therein but on the contrary he that shall rush on upon any undertaking under a Crosse and Vnwilling Fate shall find the Event also quite contrary to his desires Which may also be demonstrated out of Reasons of Policy For he tâ—at maintaines the Popes Interest maintaines the Universal Right of all Christendom which depends upon the Pope For this Cause is accounted both a Just and a Religious one and therefore all men will take it up And the Opinion also of Religion overcomes all other causes as we â—ave already shewed elsewhere and shall further shew hereafter Add hereto that the Pope is the Universal Moderator and Judge of all things to whom all people have their recourse and yeild obedience to him as to their God and Deliverer as on the contrary the Sweden Saxon and the Constantinopolitan Princes as being enemies to and Stubborn opposers of Him are rejected and deserted by them Therefore the Office of Cyrus belongs to the King of Spain who being now honoured by the Pope with the Title of The Catholick King may easily arrive to the Principality of the whole World and we see that he hath already followed his Footsteeps in having delivered the Church heretofore out of the hands of the Moors of Granado as he hath lately done from the Hereticks of England the law-Law-Countries and France and He maintaines besides with yearly Revenues so many Bishops Cardinals and
the Parliament till that now of later times under pretext of introducing a New Religion they have taken upon them to exercise a more absolute power over their Subjects But in Antient Times the whole Kingdom of England was divided into four lesser Kingdoms as Spain also hath been anciently distributed both into many several Kingdomes both of which Countries did afterwards grow into two entire Kingdomes although it cannot be denied but that the Power of the Kings of England was never so great as that of the Kings of Spain My opinion is therefore that the King of Spain should do well to employ under hand some certain Merchants of Florence that are wise and subtle persons and that traffick at Antwerp who because they are not so much hated by the English as the Spaniards are should treat with some such of the English as are some way or other descended from some of the former Kings of England and should promise each of them severally no one of them knowing any thing what is said to the other all the possible aides that can be from Spain for the restoring of them to their Inheritances Legally descending down to them from their Ancestours and undertake to effect this for them if not as to the whole Kingdome yet at least to some part of it requiring them to engage themselves to nothing else so to give a colour to the businesse save only that they shall not joyn their forces and assist the English in setting upon the Spanish Fleet at its return from the West Indies For by this meanes each of them being puft up with hope will presently fall to question the King of Scots his Title to the English Crown and will endeavour to oppose him in it Let him also send privately to King Iames of Scotland and promise him that He will assist him to the utmost of his Power in his getting possession of the Kingdom of England upon this conditionâ— viz that He shall either restore there again the Catholick Religion for the love whereof His Mother Mary Stuart Queen of Scots refused not to spend her dearest blood and even to lay down her Life too or at least that he shall not annoy or any way disturbe the said Spanish Fleet. But then again on the other side let him under hand labour with the English Peers and the chiefest of the Parliament and egge them on to endeavour to reduce England into the Form of a Republick withal assuring them that the King of Scots when he shall have once gotten into the English Throne must needs prove a cruel Prince to them as having alwaies about him a deep remembrance how injuriously the English have heretofore dealt with the Scots Moreover let Him endeavour to strike a terrour into Queen Elizabeths friends by often putting into their heads that they will find that King Iames will revenge his Mothers blooâ— upon Queen Elizabeths friends seeing that She is like to leave behind her None of Her Own blood upon whom He might take revenge especially seeing that His Mother Queen Mary when she was now to dye seriously commended unto Him the care of the Catholick Religion and the Revenge of Her Blood The English Bishops are also to be exasperated and put into Fears and Jealousies by telling them that the King of Scots turned Calvinist out of hope and desire of the English Crown and being also forced to do so by his Heretical Barons but that when He shall once be quietly settled in the English Throne He will then quickly restore the Former Religion for as much as not onely His deceased Mother but even the King of France also have both of them very earnestly commended the same unto Him By which means it must necessarily follow that the seeds of a continual War betwixt England and Scotland will be sown in so much that neither Kingdome shall have any leisure to work any disturbance to the Spanish Affaires Or else by buzzing into their ears that in case King Iames should be possest of this Kingdom He wilâ— however be a Friend of Spain that the whole Island would be devided into many Dominions or else that it would come to be an Elective Kingdom by which means the King of it will be the lesse careful of making himself Master of other Countries and of adding them to the English Crown neither indeed though he should never so much desire it would he ever be able to do so as I have before shewed where I speak of France or else that this Country of England will be reduced into the Form of a Common Wealth which will perpetually be at feude with Scotland and that all Actions It shall undertake will be long in bringing to effect and so It will be able to do the lesse harm to Spain The Spirits of the English Catholicks also are to be rouzed up and as it were awakened from sleep and encouraged to Action for by this means so soon as ever the Throne shall be vacant the King of Spain shall come into England under Pretence of assisting them Let Him also deal with those English Nobles who are possessed of some certain circumjacent Islands lying about England that they should exercise an Absolute and full Jurisdiction each of them in their several places and have Peculiar Courts of Justice of their own distinct from those of England which very thing we read to have been Anciently done by them The Chief of the Irish Nobility also are to be dealt with that as soon as they hear of the Queens death they should new model Ireland either into the Form of a Republick or else should make it a Kingdom of it self throwing off all Obedience to the English withal promising aides to each of them in particular and that so much the rather because that in that Kingdome or Island the Catholicks and especially the Friers that are of the Order of S. Francis are very greatly esteemed and beloved There is also much greater agreement and correspondence betwixt the Spaniard and the Irish then betwixt them and the English whether it be by reason of the Similitude of their Manners or else by reason of the Clime and the nearnesse of these two Countries one to the other There are also in Ireland many Vagabond persons and such as have fled their Countries being men that are most impatient of Government and yet are good Catholicks and such as may be able to do good service in this kind as hath been shewed already But this sort of Men is not very rare to be found either in England or Scotland also These and the like Preparations may be made before hand that so soon as ever Queen Elizabeth is dead they may be immediately put into Execution For there is no man but knowes what horrid Civil Wars and what strange Alterations and Turns have happened several times in England So that what I have here proposed ought not to appear to any man as things either New or Impossible CHAP. XXVI
Perez 19. Seing that the Cities of the Netherlands were in former times and before the Wars the greatest Mart Towns in all Europe and that for no other reason but only because that the Customes of all such Commodities as were either imported thitherâ— or exported into other parts which were both infinite in number and of all sorts were but small it will therefore concern the King whiles He endeavours to reconcile these People to Himself to take this into his consideration and to recall again that Ancient Custome and in a word to restore to the Netherlands its former Happinesse and to endeavour the Continuation of the same For although these Countries have no Gold Mines of their own yet while all things were quiet with them and no noyse of war heard amongst them what by their various and inestimable Pieces of Workmanship and their admirable skill in Manufactures and other Arts they had got together so much Gold as that they needed not at all to envy either the Hungarian or the Transsylvanian Mines Neither was there any Country more Glorious rich or more frequented by Forreigners I will not say in all Europe onely but in the whole World then this was in so much that in regard of that vast immense Treasure that Charles the V. received from thence it was for just cause called by some The Emperours Indies It much concerns the Interest therefore of the King of Spain that He reconcile these People to Himself and that things may be restored to their former State and condition which is a thing that is wont to be very easily brought about And to the effecting hereof He ought not to spare either for Cost Pains Counsel or Industry 20. A Careful Administration of Justice together with Peace and Plenty of all things will contribute much to the bringing of these things about as also the Maintaining and keeping up of Religion Learning and Vertue For seeing that those that are of Religious Orders and other Learned men and Persons of Worth are the men that are as it were the Heads among the rest of the People whosoever hath These of his side he may easily draw all the rest over to him also For those of Religious Orders bear rule over the Consciences of the People as the Learned do over their Wits and those of Eminency and Worth over their Purses and Military strength Those former are looked upon for their Piety and Religion the Other for their Learning and VVisedome Those through Reverence These through the Esteem the World hath of their Parts And hence it is that what soever Those men either do or say it passes for Oracular and is thought worthy to be imbraced and followed by All men 21. The same also of a Princes being addicted to Mercy and Clemency and constantly perâ—evering in the same will stand him in very good stead if so be that it may be but made known to all men that this Gentlenesse and Connivence in him proceeds meerly from his own good Nature and Inclination but that when â—e punisheth any it is out of Necessity and his Zeal towards Justice and the love of the publick Peace Thus Nero in the beginning of his Empire by his cunning dissembling his Natural Inclinations and his appearing to be a Merciful Prince wonderfully wonne the hearts and affections of the people of Rome to him which part He acted so cunningly and to the life as that when a certain Sentence of Judgment that had been pronounced by the Judges against an offender was brought to Him to set his hand to it He sighing said O quam vellem literas non didicisse I could wish I had never known a letter 22. The Raies of some extraordinary eminent Vertue shining forth in a Prince would also be of very great advantage to Him for by this meanes he would not only oblige his own Subjects to him but even his Enemies would be won over to love and favour him examples whereof we have in Alexander and Scipio both of which gave testimony to the World of their Singular Continency and Moderation in all things as likewise in Camillus and Fabricius who both gave evidence of the Greatnesse of their Courage the one against the Falisci and the other against King Pyrrhus These sparks of Gallantry appeared also in the Emperour Conrade in his war again Misicâ— and likewise in Charles the Great who besides his diligent Observance of Religion and his endeavours to promote Learning got himself a great deal of Reputation also by his Beneficence and Liberality towards all sorts of men both the highest lowest and of middle ranke and indeed generally to all And certainly there is not a more Lovely strong and commendable Tye whereby to bind the Affections of the People to a man then Liberality and Bountifulnesse 23 But above all things it would be a businesse of very great Efficacy if that such Covenants and Agreements as have been made betwixt the King and them were but kept which yet the Spaniards have neglected to doâ— though to their Cost and the losse of their own lives For nothing doth more offend and alienate the hearts both of Natural as well as conquered subjects then when they see that those Capitulations as they call them and Articles upon which they have submitted themselvs to any Prince are altered and changed by him And we see that this being not observed by the Duke of Alva who was a Covetous and Unjust man and one that looked after nothing but his own Gain was the cause that the Netherlands began to raise such Tumults there and at length openly to rebel against the King Whereas on the contrary Alexander Farnese Duke of Parma for his fidelity in keeping his promises and Agreements which is certainly an Infallible Argument of a Constant Mind and of an Excellent Judgement got himself an exceeding great repute of Gallantry and worth among the Netherlanders And questionlesse He was a most Compleat and throughly-accomplished Souldier and served as General under a most Just King alwaies commanding an Army under Him for the service of the Church and of God sometimes following the example of Fabius and sometimes that of Marcellus 24. Neither would it be a businesse of small moment to bring in the Spanish Tongue into these Countries and to cause it to be spoken there according to the Practise of the Ancient Romans who when they had conquered any Country caused the Nation conquerd to learn the Latine Tongue Thus did the Arabians also after the example of the Romans introduce their Language into a great part of Africk and of Spain and William Duke of Normandy surnamed the Conquerour endeavoured about five hundred years since to do the same in Englandâ— But now for the introducing of a Language into any conquered Country it is necessary in the first place that the Lawes of that Country be written in the said Language and that the Lawyers Plead in that Language in all Courts of Judicature
Subjects to encline to Our King and of this we have a clear Example this day in the Wife of the Prince of Transylvania and likewise in the Duke of Savoy's and the King of Poland's Wife And the women of the Austrian Family are also all of High Spirits and are besides adorned with the Endowments of Vertue and Gravity Whereas on the contrary the Great Turk bestowing his Concubines only upon his own Slaves and Bassaes as they call them gets himself no advantage at all from abroad onely He hereby obligeth these men to be true and faithful to Him And therefore my Opinion is that it would be the best way for the King of Spain never to marry a Wife out of the Austrian Family unlesse He should thereby come to inherit some New Country because that it would be much better that those Daughters should be married abroad to Forreign Princes that so they may turn the hearts and affections of their Husbands toward the King of Spain But seeing that as hath been formerly said the Turk stretcheth forth his hand against All Men whence it comes to passe that All men in like manner stretch forth their hands against Him all whom yet he is frequently wont to delude by his Cessations from Armes and Truces for He keeps his faith with none of them it would be a businesse worth our serious consideration how this Practise of his might be turned against Himself Which that it may the easilier be effected the King of Spain should prevail with the Persians to invade Arabia with a Sufficient Army perswading them that this would be the only means of securing their Own Territories and possessing them withal with this perswasion that the Turk is the Common Enemy and that therefore he ought to be set upon on all sides to the uttermost of their power least after they have once overcome us Christians They themselves should fall to be his next Prey And thenâ— that under a Pretense of Zeal for Religion they should possesse themselves of the City of Mecha where is the Sepulchre of Mahomet who was the Head of their Empire which Designs being but once happily and Prosperously accomplished that then all other things would the more easily be brought about Let the King of Spain also take care that there may be a League made betwixt the Persian and Prester Iohn and this Later should be perswaded to send out as great an Army as he could to invade the Common Enemies the Turk's Country which Army should be carried over by the Red Sea by meanes of the Portugals Fleet or else He may send those Forces of his in by Land and that not onely to enlarge their Own Empire and Dominion but also for the Advancement of their Religion namely by recovering of Ierusalem where the Sepulcher of our Saviour Christ is which both We and the Ethiopians too have now so many Ages been deprived of Both Nations therefore ought to bend their whole Forces that way It would also be very Convenient that the Muscovite who should be perswaded to this by some Polonian Oratours should at the same time fall in upon Bulgaria and Moldavia with an Army And the King should so order the Matter that at one and the same time the Emperour and the Prince of Transylvania should fall upon him in Hungary and the Polander upon Macedonia and Mysia that the Tuâ—k being by this means so distracted may not know which part to relieve first The Georgians also should be secretly dealt withal to embrace this General Association by the Venetian Merchants and to fall upon Natolia and Trapezâ—nd or Macedonia And for the promoting of this Design it would be very convenient that every one should keep to himself what he hath got except Ierusalem only which should be reserved for the King of Spain of which Country the King also should shortly afterward by little and little get the Possession by making use of the Conveniency of the Red Sea I would also advise that the King of Spain and the Venetian together with the Pope entring into a Mutual League together should at the same time also fall upon Morea Cyprus or Egypt for which purpose such a Neapolitan Fleet as we have formerly spoken off would be of very excellent use and Advantage And afterwards they should divide such Countries and Places as they have taken and share them among themselves making the Pope their Judge and Arbitrator herein And this Association and League made betwixt the aforesaid Princes I would have to last for the space of whole ten years For by this means the Turk having his hands full at home would be taken off from making War upon the Christians in the West as he now does to the great detriment of the House of Austria And to this end it would be very Expedient that there were a League made both with the Persians and Prester Iohn for these People might very much annoy the Western Countries And this would also make very much for the Advantage of the Venetians too who stand in no small dread of the Turks whom because they are not able to match them in Power they are fain to pacifie and keep quiet by fair means and Presents There are some that are of opinion that there are two wayes by which an Association or League might be made by the Christians against the Turk if not for his total ruine yet at least to the bringing about of some very good effect And One of these is that all such Princes whose Territories border upon Turky should at one and the same time set all upon him every one of them invading that part of the Turks Dominions that lies next him not with any certain part only of â—is Forces but with the whole strength and Power that he can possibly make in the World for so all of them should enjoy an equal share in the spoiles that were taken The second and that the more Noble is if that very many several Princes would but resolve for the glory of God and the Propagation of the Church to set upon the Turk either altother from one part or else from diverse parts all at once as we read to have been done in those former Heroick times when as many several Valiant Princes out of Germany the Netherlandsâ— France and Italy some of them selling their Territories outright and others of them pawning the same gathered together an Army of above forty Thousand Men and marching with them into the Eastern Countries and there beating the Turks out of Nice the Persians out of Antioch and the Saracens out of Ierusalem they afterwards laid wast the whole East and in a short time recovered the Holy Land In which Expedition this especially is to be taken notice of that neither the Emperour himself nor any other King was either their General or so much as went along with them in it And notwithstanding that afterwards indeed the Kings of France and of England as also the
Of Poland Muscovia and Transylvania THe Kingdom of Poland is in Our time the most Potent of all the Northern Kingdomes insomuch that if it were not so divided in it self about Points of Religion as it is and were withal an Hereditary Kingdome and had a Prince that were a Native and were not Elected out of some Forraign Nation as their custome is it would prove a sufficient Terrour to the Great Turk especially if the Great Duke of Muscovia were but joyned with them But the Nobility of that Nation in whose Power the Election of the King is are very much afraid of the King's Power and for that reason They keep as hard a hand over Him as possibly they can The King of Spain therefore must endeavour as much as lies in Him that no King be elected there but such a one as is of the Catholick Religion which course hath hitherto been observed amongst them For should they chuse themselves a King that were of any other Religion He would then very easily be induced to countenance by his Authority the Northern Hereticks who do all agree in these two Points although they differ among themsâ—lves almost in all the rest namelyâ— that the Pope is Antichrist and that the Arch-Dukes of Austria are all of them such as fight for Antichrist And therefore upon any the least Occasion that could be they would be apt to joyn their forces together against both the Pope and the Emperour their Neighbour had they but any Powerful Prince to head them and to be their General which Charge none is so able to undertake and go through with as the King of Poland is For the King of Denmark is but a weak Prince and the King of Sweden lies too far off and besides is severed from Germany by the Sea The King of Spain must then in the next place by all meanes endeavour that one of the House of Austria may be advanced to the Crown of Poland or at least such a one as is some way or other allied to the House of Austria as the now King of Poland is And lastly he must be such a one as shall alwaies make head against the Turk and that should enter into an Association with the Muscovites who together should to their utmost endeavour as much as in them lies the utter Ruine and Extirpation of the Turks He must also make choyce of some of the Wisest and most Eminent persons of his Kingdom whom He shall send as Embassadours to Cracovia and who by their presence may adde Authority and Weight to the Spanish Union in the Esteem of the Electors of Poland and that may obtain of them that in case the King of Spain should have more Sons then one that theâ— They would Elect one of the Younger of them to be their King for certainly were any of the King of Spain's Sons chosen King of Poland He would never be so simple and foolish as to take upon him to govern the Kingdome of Poland according to his Own Will and pleasure as the King of France's Son endeavoured to do Besides He must deal with the People of Scandia and the Dantzickers by the means of the King of Poland who now is King of Swethland also that they would joyn together and send out a Fleet against the English as hath been said before For by taking this course the Kings expense will not be half so great as his Gains will be He must also labour that the Prince of Transylvania may in like manner enter into a league with the Polanders or else that either He or the great Duke of Muscovia may be chosen King of Poland For seeing that these two Nations are not only Neighbours to â—he Turks but do also naturally hate them they might easily be able to stop his proceedings And I am verily perswaded that among all the Northern Nations there is not any so fit and able to oppose the Turk as is the Muscovite who would but the Tartarians and the Polanders joyn with him might be able to make Incursions into the Turks Dominions and march up even to the very Walls of Constantinople Neither indeed hath Macedonia or Moldavia or Bulgaria or Thrace ever suffered so much losse by any Nation as by the Muscovitâ—s And if there were an Association contracted betwixt the King of Spain and the Muscovite either by Marriage or else by the nearer Tie of Religion brought about there by the Industry of the Iesuites it must needs prove a very advantageous businesse to Him because that Spanish Gold is among these Northern Nations of greater Estimation and Account then any thing else in the world And then must the King of Spain be very careful that as soon as ever he finds he hath wrought up the affections of these people to a Willingnesse to do him any service He set them upon some Notable Expedition or other while they are now ready for it and before they begin to cool again and repent themselves of their forwardnesse For Delay hath alwaies been the Ruine of the King of Spain's Affaires by reason that his Confederates through his slownesse in putting them in execution have alwaies had time enough to smell out the subtilty of His Designs and by this means it comes to passe that he commonly loses his labour and is at charge to no purpose The Bohemians also might be hired by the King of Spain's and the Popes Mony to joyn with the Transylvanians against the Turks because that They are in league with the House of Austria Yet when all is done there cannot be any considerable matter done in this Particular without the Assistance of the Polanders also and the Muscovites and unlesse the Emperour himself also be a Man of a stout and Warlike spirit as we shewed before when we spake of Germany and use his utmost endeavour to stop all growing Mischiefs in their very Beginings least by Delay they get head and grow so much the stronger and Intractable CHAP. XXVII Of Flanders and the Lower Germany IT is not without good cause that the King of Spain endeavours by all possiblâ— meanes that he can to recover the Low-Countries again about the keeping of that only part whereof which he still possesseth it hath cost him more Humane Blood then there is Water in it and about which He hath spent more Gold then there are stones in it And yet neither is this a matter so much to be wondred at seeing that could He but once make himself Master of those Countries again He might then very easily make himself Lord also of the Whole Earth For were this but done both France and Germany would quickly follow in spite of what ever they could do and also England it self would be utterly ruined and indeed all the Northern Nations would be much weakned and rendred utterly unable to make any resistance against Him For we see that Caesar after he had once conquered the Belgians made little account of all the rest
of the Northern Countries and so presently passed over into England And indeed there is no power that lies more conveniently and is better able to destroy the English Navy then the power of Holland and Zealandâ— for these Provinces both for the Number of their Shipping and also for their skill and experience in Nautical affairs do infinitely surpasse all other Nations whatsoever not to say any thing of the fierce nature or of the Wealth of these People For these Netherlanders have diverse Towns and Cities that are built in the very Water after the manner as Venice is built out of which Towns they may very commodiously issue out and fall upon the English upon all occasions and may be able to secure their Fleet returning from the West-Indies and so may have opportunity of carrying over Colonies thither and making Plantations and having subdued many Nations there may exercise a free Trade of Merchandise in those Countries And therefore the King of Spain must endeavour to the utmost of his power to reduce these Countries and bring them under his Obedience again which yet seems now to be a businesse of no small Difficulty and meerly through the heedlesnesse and Ill Managery of the Governours I therefore conceive it would not be amisse to reckon up here all the Errours that have been committed by the Spaniards in this particular that so they may learn to be the more wary for the future And I shall also lay down such subtle waies and means by which these People may be subdued For the Northern Nations are all of such a spirit as Naturalâ—y is addicted to a certain Licentious Freedome and Liberty in so much that no Prince shall ever be able to rule them by keeping a strict and severe hand over them without using Politick Arts and by remitting something of their Authority For these Nations by reason of their Natural Fecundityâ— are very numerous now no Multitude or Great Number is easily kept in order They are moreover of a firece disposition as being bornâ— and brought up in a cold Clime For those that are born in such cold Countries have their Natural Heat shut up close within them neither doth it in them Evaporate in small minute parts whence it is that they are full of Blood Corpulent and are full of spirits and valiant being also Lovers of Baccâ—us rather then of Venus and they are by reason of the Natural Fuliginousnesse and Mistinesse that is within them full of unsetled tumultuous Thoughts and by reason of their abundance of spirits are very prone to all Licentiousnesse being withall very suspicious and by reason of their Drunkennesse shewing little or no Gravity in their behaviour These Northern People I do not here speak of those Nations that inhabit the utmost Borders of the North are moreover full of Courage and without any Craft whereas the Southern are on the contrary full of Craft and subtlety but very fearful withal The Northern People are of a Temper of Body sutable to the Disposition of their Mind being big-bodied and full of Flesh and are full of Blood and Vigorous But the Southern are on the contrary Crafty and have Dry Bodies and are apter to run away then to stand to it in a set battle Those former are of a Plain Open Soul these other are Wily and Subtle and withal very Malicious those weare a Lions Skin These a Foxes Those are of a Boysteroâ—s and Inconstant Nature These Slow but Constant in their Actions Those are Merry but These are Melancholick Those are addicted to Wine These to Women Those are Couragious These are Cowardly Those are Licentious These are more Composedâ— And therefore These are to have more gentle and easie Laws imposed upon themâ— for they are of so free and loose a course of life as that they cannot endure to be bound in by Lawes and besides relying upon their own strength they are apt to care little for those that are their Lords and Rulers All which things we find to be quite contrary in the Southern Countries and especially in Spain which lies something near to the Tropick of Cancer beyond which are the Amphiscians having their Noontide Shadowes cast both wayes at several times of the year And therefore I say that this was the reason why they were so eager to change their Religion first because they are so addicted to Wine and use to have so frequent Feastings and Drinking-bouts whereas the Rules of Religion require a more strict life with Fastings and Abstinence And secondly because that being such as are subject to Vehement and unruly Passions they had an Opinion that they should never be able to moderate themselves in their Pleasures And this was the reason that they were so ready to give ear to the Doctrine of Luther and Calvin because that these men deny that Man hath Free Will to do either ill or well affirming moreover that God himself doth work in men both goodâ— and evil which these Northern Men being easily perswaded to believe they conceive themselves to have no power in themselves either to forbear Drinking or to abstain from Women We may add hereto that They have also longed to have an Opportunity given them of opposing the Pope and the Princes against whom Luther in his Sermons inveighed bitterly Which Course of theirs was Diametrically Opposite to that which was taken in other Countries where they easily perceived what strange Troubles and Tumults the Introducing of a New Religion was the Cause of Now the Heresies that sprung up among those of the Southern Countries were full of Speculations and had much subtilty in them whereas on the contrary those that were broached among the Northern People were very grosse For some of the Southern denied the Divinity some the Humanity and some the Plurality of Wills in Christ some of them again denied the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Word and the like Points that were both Sublime and full of Mystery But the Northern Hereticks passing by these High and Subtile Fancies fell to cry down the use of Fasting daies Vigils Penance with Auricular Confession and all those Points of Discipline that hindred the Multiplication of Blood to these we may add the Single Life of Clergy Men and many other points of this kinde which though they agree with and are very Consonant both to Reason and to the Scriptures are yet very repugnant to the Flesh and Humane Senses These men also oppose the Authority of Christs Vicar for being Men of a high courage they therefore stand stiffely to maintain their Liberty And as in Temporall Matters they are indeed under the Government of Republicks or Elective Princes and yet are no farther Obedient to them then they themselves please even so in Spiritual Matters also do they take to themselves the same Liberty And as among these Northern Nations their Commanders and Souldiers are more eminent for their strength and courage then for their Policy and Stratagems in like
Emperours Conrade and Frederick made several expeditions into those parts not for the taking in of any New Countries but only for the keeping of what the others had formerly gotten yet for all there was not any thing at all done by them worth the speaking of But now there ought to be care taken in this businesse that all may share alike in what shall be gotten for otherwise the Design would be quite spoiled and never come to any thing For as in a Clock if there be any one Exorbitant or Irregular Wheel it spoiles the whole Harmony and mutual Agreement that should be in it so likewise in all Associations if there be any Deficiency in one Part it proves to be the cause of the Dissolution of the whole Union A clear example whereof we have in the League that was made betwixt the Popes Paul III. and Pius V. the King of Spain and the Venetians which though it were managed with the greatest diligence and eagernesse on all sides that could be and with Incredible successe also yet it came all to nothing at last and that meerly for this one reason namely because that it did not equally concern the Interests of all of them that That Expedition should be so carefully undertaken and so diligently carried on For Spain hath no great advantage by any thing that is done against the Eastern People which yet is most beneficial to the Venetians in like manner as it is of litle or no concernment to the Venetians what ever is done against Africk which yet is of very great advantage to Spain And this is the reason that the Venetians who stand in fear of the Power the Turk hath in the East and the Spaniards who are afraid of their Neighbours of Algier can never unanimously go on together against the Enemy with equal courage and desires And by this means the Pope lying in the mean time in the midst betwixt them both and being forced to be at a great charge yet hath no benefit at all thereby But to return to our Present discourse again whence we have digressed There is yet another way whereby the Turkish Empire might be overthrown and that is in case that some one of His Chief Commanders in war who was at first a Christian such as were Cicala Occhiali and Scandeâ—beg should be prevailed withal by such large Promises as should be made him as namely that he should have some Christian Province given him for his reward to betray the Turkish Navy unto us if at least He have it committed to his charge or else in case he hath been appointed by the Great Turk to manage any Kingdom under him as His Viceroy he should then have the possession of that Kingdom promised him as suppose of Tunis Algier or the like For there is no doubt to be made but that such a one had rather be the Sole Absolute Lord of any Kingdom whatsoever it be and so to have the Power of transmitting it over to his Posterity then to be but a kind of Nobler Slave to the Great Turk having neither Power in his liâ—e time to give away any thing to his friends nor at his death to leave any thing to them And I am verily perswaded that there is nothing that keeps these men from attempting such a Rebellion against the Turk more then because they dispaire of ever being able to bring any such their Undertakings to effect as not daring to confide in the Christians or to rely upon them for Assistance Yet if they were but sincerely and Ingenuously dealt withal I am clearly of opinion that they might be brought to this It may also so happen that some such Gallant Vindicator of the Peoples Liberty may spring up among the Turks themselves as was Moses the Hebrew among the Subjects of Pharaoh King of Egypt and such a One in case the Great Turk should entrust him with any great Authority or Charge might questionlesse be able to do him an infinite deal of Mischief There might also a General Association be made amongst the Christians by whom He might be brought to a Pitch'd Battel as we said before and might have one or two such Notable Blowes given him by them that he should be never able to hold up his head again because that he hath not any Nobles that might relieve him in such a case And this might the more easily be done because that he hath within his Dominions an Infinite Number both of Christians and Iewes who if they but once saw him overthrown would all presently come over to Us. And yet in the procuring of such an Association as this there would be required either very much Patience in the Pope and the King of Spain or else a very great necessity that should force All of them to joyne together Now these Princes should all be bound by mutual Covenants drawn up betwixt them that every one of them should have a Proportionable Share of what soever shall be gotten by the said expedition and also that those that have gotten possession of their own share shall assist the rest also in the getting of theirs after the Example of Reuben and Dan who after they had possessed themselves of the Country that lay on this side Iordan were then to assist their brethren in the subduing of the further part of it that lay beyond Iordan There ought also to be a persuasion wrought into All and every one of these Princes that by the King of Assyria in the Scriptures is prefigured unto us the Great Turk who after he hath destroyed the Kingdom of Israel that is to say the Kingdom of the East or that of Constantinople He will then next overthrow the Kingdom of Iudah that is of the West except they repent them of their Heresy and return again into the Bosomâ— of the Church of Rome which is our Jerusalem as I have written in my Christian Monarchy and that so together with the Empire the Priesthood also will be lost and will passe over into the New World as I have there demonstrated by Political Reasons except they take the Course here set down before them And perhaps also it may hereafter so come to passe And when the Turk who is the Typical Cyrus is destroyed then shall the Church be renewed again It is therefore most Necessary that all Christendom should joyn their forces together for the destruction of this Ravenous Wolf who by his Strength and Cunning hath taken from us Two Empires and Two Hundred Kingdomes mean while that we do nothing but fall together by the Eares one with another But if this cannot be brought about the Persians must then be persuaded to joyn with the Ethiopians Muscovites and Polonians as hath been said before And I do believe also that the Great Turks Bassaes and other of his Subjects would quickly be got to fall off from him if so be they could but be once fully perswaded assured that they should each of them