THE PRESENT state of Spaine Translated out of French ET VSQVE AD NUBES VERITAS TVA Imprinted at London by P. S. for Richard Serger 1594. THE STATE OF SPAINE IT is a thing noted from all antiquitie that God hath appointed in this worlde the certayne continuance of Monarchies estats and families hath lymited the prosperity and thraledome of nations and bounded the very liues of all men liuing neuerthelesse as well in matters of state as priuate those are founde moste durable which retayne and keep the greatest perfection and excellencye from their creator Some being ordained to serue for ministers of his furie othersome for examples of his diuine bounty and grace For we see many men and sundry estates whome God hath from moste base foundations and petty beginninges raised and aduaunced to the most supreame degree of power and dignity inuesting them with mighty Empires and boundlesse kingdomes With whose power as of men little vertuous it hath pleased the almightye to serue himselfe but as with a scourge to punish the Enormous sins of his people others haue beene ratified from God aboue in this most soueraigne degree of all humaine maiesty in recompence of their holinesse of life and vnreprouable dealing among men But so soone as the one or the other beganne to forget the occasion for which they were placed in this world which was to set forth the kingdom honour and glory of God onely whome they together with all men ought to confesse to be their general Lord and father and that they haue gonne a boute by false pretextes and sinister meanes to aduaunce their owne priuat honor and glory and not that of their great Lord and maister Then God who alone raigneth whome onely we oughte to serue casteth them downe headlong destroyeth their monarchies desolateth their kingdomes and rooteth out their posterity from off the face of the earth For example the crowne of Castile aunciently a little country gouerned by Iudges afterwardes by Earles in the end by Kings created through the beneficence of Samson the fourth of that name King of Nauarre sirnamed Samson the Great was by Jsabel vsurped from the daughter of Henrye laste of that name Kinge of Castile the saide Jsabell matched in mariage with Ferdinando sonne to king Iohn of Aragon whose kingdoms encreased almost in our memory into a mighty puissaunce and state But for that the possessors therof not resting content with those blessings which God hath giuen them here on earth haue in hostile maner inuaded the Countries and possessions of other Princes they seeme at this presente to menace their own ruine as I hope to dilate more at large This Prince then ambitious if euer were any in this world amongst other his famous feates of Armes to the ende to inueigle the earle of Roussillon from Charles the eighte king of France made no bones to abandon his owne Cousin Germaine and brother in law Ferdinando kinge of Naples to the furie of those Armies whome Charles the eight marched against him for the recouery of the sayd kingdome Then during the raigne of Lewes the twelfth breaking al conditions of League and amitye forcing the degree of kindred and alliaunce which hee had with Frederick then king of Naples he confederated with king Lewes to dispossesse Frederick of his kingdome of Naples and to share it betweene them two as in effecte they did Afterwarde vnder a collour of supporting Pope Julius the second his quarrell againste the Emperour Maximilian and the kinge of Fraunce but of a troth for very feare he had of the greatnes of our king who then might haue chased him easely out of his vniust possessions which he held in Italie he entertained the Pope in deadly grudge againste him and stirred vp the king of Englande and the Switzers to warre vppon his iacke Inuaded likewise from his owne niece Catherine vnder pretext that hir husband was adherente to the French King the kingdome of Nauarre her owne proper inheritance which when he had conquested hee could find no better deuise to assure it vnto himselfe then by a false pretence protesting howe he was ready to make restitution thereof to his neece conditionally that lest he should be too much ouer seen a truce should be acorded him for a yeere with the king of Fraunce during which in liew of restoring it he fortified al places therof as much as he porsibly could razed al the rest of the citties so tresses and Cittadels making expresse inhibition that there shoulde not be any tillage of the earth at al to the end he might take away all meane of recouering the places by him vsurped and fortified in the sayd kingdome Yet this was not all For with his force hee could finely sow his subtilty and helpe himselfe with the cloake of religion to make his matters the better causing to excommunicate the kinge of Nauarre husbande to his said neece for that he had taken the parte of king Lewes the twelfth a Prince so good and so holy that as yet of vs all hee is called by none other name then a saint and a very father of the people and vpon this excommunication he sente very many preachers into the kingdom to turne the peoples harts from the obedience of their true kinge and Queene their lawful Princes And what with this matter succeeding so well vnto him and what with the death of the sayde kinge and Queene of Nauarre which hee sawe fell out soone after within eight moneths together hee suffered his young nephewe Henry their sonne to bee trayned vppe by certaine ministers in the opinion of Martin Luther and for the same effecte sent vnto him some expresly himselfe who drawing the Pope into hatred for the wronge don vnto their father to excommunicate him at the instance of his vncle Ferdinando who longe before had gaped for that kingdom it was no hard matter for them to transporte the heart of these young Princes especially that of Margaret his wiues sister to the great king Francis from the hatred of the Pope to the hatred of his very religion it selfe This is then the iust and true meane by which the Crowne of Castile hath receaued her ample encrease by annexing to it so goodly a kingdom as is that of Nauar. But what fell out afterwardes Ferdinando enioyed it a small time no more then he did the rest of al his other Kingdomes God permitting them to passe vnto another famely that his childrē both male femile who were many in number shuld die before him except onely Joan who was maried to Philip Arch-duke of Austria a generous Prince but of a very short life after whose decease she fell beside her selfe leauing notwithstanding behinde her the two greate Princes Charles Ferdinando sons begotten by the Arch-duke of her owne body This Prince Charles beeing come to the Crowne by the death of the said Ferdinando for he ruled King notwithstanding his mother Joan was aliue detained as prisoner by
him soughte by all meanes possible the alliaunce of Fraunce promised by infinite Treaties especially in that of Noyon to be accomptable for the kingdom of Nauarre which for all tha the neuer was And tasting more and more the sweetnes of cōmanding he got vnto him made speedie prouision for himselfe of the two militarie Orders of that of Saint Iames and of that of Calatraua in Spaine to the preiudice of his brother to whom they were resigned opened his eyes also to the Empire obtained it enioyed all the Kingdoms and Seigniories both left him by Ferdinando of Arragon and these which his mother the foole held likewise the Estates of Flanders and the prouinces there vnto annexed leauing his said brother only some corner of a country towards Austria wherewith after some wrangling betweene them he did as a moderate prince content himselfe being neuer afterwards much mooued against his brother new created Emperour but because he was still egging him to resigne to his son Philip now at this present raigning the estate of King of Romanes whereof he was possest to the ende Philip might to the preiudice of the saide Ferdinando his vncle succeed in the empire Ambition most assuredly is a thing greatlie detestable before God who will haue men to content thēselues with the lot which he giueth them in the earth but the pretexts which are taken of the pure seruice of God for an other subiect are worst of all and crie for vengeance before his holy face I will not say this prince Charles the first vnder collor of defending the catholike religion in Germany went about as som haue said to inuade the estate and libertie of the princes of Germany but this I will aduouch that hee and Philip king of Spaine his sonne haue employed themselues by confession of his owne men and none of his meanest seruantes the one of them yet liuing as I thinke the Seigneur de Champigny not long since high Treasurer in Flaunders brother to the Cardinal Granduel towards the protestants of Germany following the steps of the abouesaid Ferdinādo of Arragon their predecessour to cause the deceased king of Nauarre to bee instructed in the opinion of Luther to the ende to make him the further frō the crown of France from the alliance of the Frēch frō the recouery of his kingdom of Nauar. But if he who seduceth but a litle simple child be pronounced by Gods owne mouth to be of worser state then if hee were cast into the bottome of the sea with a milstone tyed about his neck what shal his iudgment be towards him who seduceth not only a child but causeth others to seducea king a whol kingdome but this not sorting so good effect as they coulde wish there were 50000. crownes sent to the king of Nauarre then besides some horses in gift to moue the war in France the which 50000. crownes for al that wer refused witnesses good ynough of this most wicked inclination vile affectiō of the King of Spain may be the Marquessat of Saluces vpon the which hee hath caused 2. seuerall enterprises to be made by his son in law the Duke of Sauoy at the first it was recouered by the sage conduct of Mounseur de Rhets Marshall of France and the pernicious league made for the ruine of al Frāce nay rather of all the Estates of Europe wee need no other testimony of his good nature and dispositon towards euerie one of vs the places borrowed in Germany from the Archbishop of Liege and Colonia there to foyst in his garrisons when hee list and to leuell right from thence at the empire to the preiudice of his coosens the children of Ferdinando of Austria vnder shew of making rāpire against the Protestants of Germanie for the good of the Catholik religion forsooth his practises past and euerie day put in vre in Italie his agents sent into Poland Denmarke England Scotland and other corners of the world say the same and wel may we liken the king of Spaine to those who detaining an inheritance wrongfullie seek by greater wronges and outrages to driue the true heirs farther from the recouerie of their owne But the iudgments of God are great his counsels woonderfull and the effectes of his iustice inestimable He suffereth according to the Apostles saying that we be cōmō lie punished by those against whom we haue trespassed The king of Spaines fathers and he himselfe haue sought by all means to ruine the kinges of Fraunce and particularlie Henry the fourth raigning at this present and by abusing the muffler of religion to recoyle this lawful successor from the crown of France whom they see full of valour and fed as they say with the bloud and marrow of the Lion ready prest one day to chalenge his iust inheritance But God who hateth him more who abuseth the holie name of religion than him who hauing bene seduced by purposed malice as our king hath hath turned from it would that this king should bee newe borne who beeing deliuered from so manie snares laide to entrappe and snare him hath receiued the Crowne of Fraunce presented vnto him by a puissant Armie who hath submitted it self vnto him with all the greatest States and honestest people of France And when Euen then when al the world iudged him by the malicious cariages and practised death of the deceased king Henry the third the farthest from the diadem thereof Germanie for her part shee openeth her eies to defend her selfe against this kinge of Spaine who as an eagle supposeth to holde already in his talēts the empire of the whole world The like doth Italie and already this building of kingdomes patched together of so many vsurpations beginneth to dissolue and shake in sunder Already the states of Holand and Zeeland knowing by the iuste iudgement of God howe wrongfully they were forced and distracted from the obedience of laqueline of Henald their Countes and lawfull Princesse who for to saue her owne selfe was constrained to forsake her estate haue puld their necks out of the yoke and made themselues free choosing rather to die then to be subiect to a Domination so intollerable as is that of the proud Spaniard The prouinces of Zutphen and Gueldres taken away from their lawfull Seigneurs by the deede of guiftes which the laste Duke Charles of Bourgundie who died before Nancie sought to get at the handes of Duke Arnald then his prisoner to the preiudice of Adolf his sonne haue slipt the coller also of his obedience and the Country of Frizelande hath don no lesse The best aduised inhabitants of the lowe Countries of Flaunders Henald and Artois held out their armes to the king of Fraunce nor onely for the excessiue impositions as of paying two shinllings for the grinding of a quarter of wheate foure shillings for a cow which is the slaughter or kept to giue milke and other such like petty taxes for which they pay full deere in Flaunders but for that
zeale but not ruled as saith the Apostle according to knowledge but what haue you done trulie you haue furnished bellows and straw to kindle the coales of our quarrel O furie O madnesse vnbeseeming your Priesthood So is it come to passe that millions of your flocks are perished with out confession without sacramentes without sepulture Of a hundred Churches scarce shal ye finde one standing whole nor in ten parishes hardlie one parish-priest if it bee not in the countries reduced to the Kinges obedience This was the matter that moued Mounsieur Vigor one of the most famous Doctors of diuinitie in France for his singular learning made by the holie Father Archbishop of Narbona to say in his sermons vppon the feast of Trinitie and S. Martin Jf God woulde so much afflict vs as to giue vs a King who were a Turke or an Heretike yet must not wee leuie Armes againste him nor warre vppon him for the great mischiefes which ensue thereupon These very words are cōtained in the books imprinted before the troubles but are maliciouslie put out in the new imprinted by the League for feare least this knife of truth shuld cut the throate of these suppostes of 1easing who could not abide so good a lesson in so good an authour But now our King is God bee thanked most Catholike and when hee were not so God who caused himself to be enregistred in the records of the Emperour Augustus when he caused the whole world to be taxed the commandement to pay the tribute vnto Caesar albeit he were a prophane Pagan the example also of Saint Paul who appealed vnto Nero a most wicked Emperour shew that the King being such as God sendeth to take the royal place is to be obeyed The examples likewise of the thirtie three Popes being all martyrs died consecutiuelie one after another haue shewed vs the same who neuer caused sword to be vnsheathed against the persecuting emperours or any other heretikes The same did S. Gregory the Pope dedicating his dialogues to Theodolinda wife to Agilulphus King of Lombards holding as yet then his paganisme that thorow the sweet perswasion of his vvife he might be brought to christianisme purchase peace vnto the church Did not Pope Leo the like prostrating himselfe at the feet of the vvicked Attilas No lesse did Pope Iohn the first of that name going from Rome to Constantinople to the Emperour Iustin to pray him to set open the Temples of the Arrians which he had caused to be shut vp fearing least the Arrians which might consume of themselues would disturb and trouble the peaceable estate tranquillity of the Church Doubt ye not also but that our holy father the Pope moued by these examples wil seeke to repaire the wrong donne vnto our king by some misinformed of his iustice or possibly caried headlong away with the Spanish passion He shall find him to bee such a one that he is the eldest sonne of the Church hee will call to mind how our king is descended from those who haue consecrated and giuen in almes to the Church the fairest flowers of their garland and the best of their good Alas His holinesse cannot do lesse for our king Henry the fourth then by one of his predecessors hath beene donne within these fewe yeares to the Quene of Sweden being excommunicated and in relapse receauing her with all ioy and gladnesse in the person of her embassadors into the bosome of the church The holie fathers haue neuer refused the penitent princes witnesse bee the peace of Constance and other decrees wherof the histories and holie Councels are fully replenished His Holinesse may see how much is enuied the share which god hath giuen our king in the earth But hee shall say to the king of Spain the greatest spiter thereof that which Pope Boniface the 8 told most wisely Albertus of Austria who by his cunning working caused himselfe to be elected Emperour to the preiudice of William Earle of Nassau then Emperour of Germanie whome he slewe in battel he shal tel him I say that hee who hath slaine the Emperour with his own hand is vnworthy to bee inuested and confirmed in the Empire For it is by his onely hand and handling that this death and slaughter is purchased in our kingdom of France wherein he went about and was willing to cause himselfe to be called king but God bee thanked hee hath lost his labour therein The holie father who was in the time of Emanuel Emperor of the East wold not once harken to the offers hee made him to cause the Greek Church to bee reunited with the Latine vpon condition that the Empire of the West being vacant by reason of the depriuation of Frederick shuld be reunited with that of the East foreseeing also that it was a matter greatly to be suspected whereby to make the vniuersall Church to depende but of one only power among men and should his Holinesse so much weaken a King or a kingdom of Frāce which is the true arme of the church to suffer all the world to be ouerflowne with a king and a prouince meer mixed with races of Moores Saracens and Gothes than with true Christians hauing more holines and respect to sacred thinges than is borne to the least village in Fraunce His Holinesse shall know that the kinges of Fraunce their peoples haue bent their forces made good for the Church then when Asia Afrike Spaine Italie and almost all the world were full of Arrianisme and heresies let him remember also and his successors may for euer cal happilie to remembrance in their holy sea how that in the year of the birth of king Philip of Spaine at this present was fatall and dismall to the holie Sea hauing therin the Army of Charles the fifth his father surprised and sackt Rome ransommed the holy father Clement and his cardinals ruined profaned the temples churches of Rome which Attilas beeing named for his inhumain cruelties the scourge of God refused to do King Henry the fourth of France knoweth right wel that he must one day giue accompt of his charge that God wil cause him to be obeyed honored and serued of his subiects as he wil obey honour and serue God Hee knoweth how the first marshall king and father of the whole worlde Adam before his fall was respected of all liuing creatures as Lord thereof but after his reuolte the verie beastes rebelled against him the Lyon began to dismember tear him in peeces the horse to kick and winch at him the dog to snarl and bite at him and so al the rest in their kinds began to bende all the vigour of their furies against him and that God hath possibly permitted the same to be done to him by some of his subiects albeit if they turn not again to their allegeance they can neuer escape the diuine vengeance because their king hath by the suggestion of his enemies wandered astray in Religion
which you shall cary newe in your cloake bagges Who shall then bee the man so miserable that will admit in our Fraunce such people whose very name is so ill receaued and odious that to name them only skarreth the little children and maketh them affrayde Alas Take heede Frenchmen it be not reproched you before God how ye haue chaced away your owne brethren to lodge among you barbarous people take heede that this curse fall not vpon your heads to be called iustlie Vipers who teares out the entrals of your own mother that is to say of your own natiue country beleeue that euerie one that wold ruine the building of Fraunce shall remaine buried in the ruines But if the lawes do punish a man for hauing slaine a man who is his like by how much more strong reason shall those be punished who do not only kill a man but procure the entire death and destruction of a kingdome The king of Spaine who here to fore said that we must come to no tretie of peace with our king being swarued from the faith ceased not in the mean time and giueth not yet ouer to assay by all meanes to make peace with his subiects of Holland and Zeland who are Lutheriens Caluinists or Anabaptistes He offreth to leaue them their free exercise of religion to let them haue their citties and gouernments in the same estate wherin they possesse thē demandeth only at their handes that they woulde but acknowledge him for their king But those States ful wel knowe to whom they appertaine and what manner a thing the Spanish domination is that this nation doth applaud as doth the Crocodile when she wil cast forth her venome or bite witnes be the poor Earls of Aignemont of Horn put cruelly to death notwithstanding their seruices done for the reducing of countries into his obedience the faith to them promised The death also procured by poison as is said to the poor Lord of Montigny the end of the poore Marquesse of Bergues and of al the Nobility which by one or other meane they race and root cleane out King Henry the fourth can wel tel how to defie all their false drifts he mistrusteth their cunning cariages for all their sending him the portraite of the infant He may too well knowe how when Ferdinando of Arragon the last Philip Archduk of Austria were in treaty of the mariage of Madam Claudi of Fraunce with Charles the fifth the father of this Philip nowe rayning and after the mariage concluded sworne and confirmed at Blois the king of Fraunce Lewes the twelfth his Lieutenants mistrusting nothing the Spainards ranne vppon them defeating two French Armies the one in Calabria vnder the Conduct of the Lord d'Anbigny the other at Cirignolla lead by the Duke of Nemours the Lord Lewes d'Armignac the chiefe commanders of the Spaniards alledging for all excuses that they had heard of no prohibition giuen them from their maister to make warres At this present the king of Spaine being of the age of sixty 7. yeares and aboue vnlustly of his person as he is doubtles seeth himselfe at the period of his subtilties cannot tel by what meanes to keepe that which he hath purloined from others his faire promises vapour away to nothing his mind is bewrayed and his counsels discouered Hee seeketh to helpe himselfe with the feebler side in Fraunce to the end to keepe vs stil in war for feare least the weaker parte through want of means should abandōn the war hee would make vs knocke one another on the heades that he may make his preie on vs afterward He goeth about to cut our throats with our own kniues and to ouerthrowe vs with our owne weapons because by his hee knoweth he cannot do it He entertaineth the warre in our country for feare least wee set vpon him in his owne And if that parte which he taketh should become the stronger he would incontinent war vpon it He is not yet come to sollicite as they call them the Huguenotes of Fraunce to rebell against King Henrie the fourth and to wage warre vpon him Let then all Princes and Potentates take heed of the enterprises and counsels of so charitable a neighbour And you Frenchmen learn to be wise by your owne harmes I adiure you all by the honour and respect you beare vnto God by the faith loue and loyaltie you owe to King Henry the fourth giuen by God vnto Fraunce sonne to your predecessor Kings issued from the loynes of S. Lewes and by the charity yee owe to your countrie and to the safetie of your selues of your wiues and of your children and to the conseruation of our religion Temples and Fortunes cease among your selues this peeuish rebellion if as yet it haue place in anie of you and reduce it to a due obedience which onely can make next after the grace of God spring againe vpon vs the blisse of our fathers and the peace and tranquillitie of their golden ages Some preach that religion is in great ieopar die that many of the fathers in the primitiue Church are dead for the catholick faith and that we must die for the same I grant it but they must giue vs the Scriptures as they are vnderstood We are already to die when they shal force vs to renounce our Sauiour Iesus Christ to sacrifice vnto Idols Then and no otherwise ought death to bee endured in this case so haue those fathers receaued it we will die before we will bee other than followers of the true Catholike and Apostolike religion Our fathers in the church fled in time of persecution none of them haue resisted kings in armes finding it better to suffer then to reuolt Our Lord also counselled his Apostles to flie in time of persecution from one cittye to an other and not to make any resistance by armes And ye the Lords of the Cleargy knowe ye that the doctrine which God hath giuen vs to you principally as a pledge of his grace hall neuer gette his perfect and resplendent brightnesse as long as these bloudy warres shall trouble the sweete streams flowing from so goodly a fountain O how the league doth well shew it selfe to be come from the lowest cauernes of hell sith it putteth diuision namely among the Catholikes who being vnited together might liuely haue set vpon the Heritikes and by faire war cut off many thousands of them Knowe that you haue neede of the materiall sword which is that of the kinge to make you liue in safety rest and iustice and to maintain this our religion which is the trew soule of the body of our estate And sure needefull it is to conserue the kingdome in his entire body without diuiding it into his mēbers for fear least by the cutting off of som one principall this soule take his flight away Behold I pray you the fruit of the preachings of some amongst you and possible albeit not all moued with a good
His Maiesty knoweth too well that hee cannot purchase the grace of God if being aduanced by him into a more eminent than they in all maner of vertuous actions Hee sheweth already by the diligence which he vseth in feats of armes that as he is far gone in the iourny of his age and ther remaining for him so many things to be done in the world the honour and labour whereof it seemeth that God hath reserued for him he wil imitate the birds of the more northen nations where the day hauing but one hower of length they flie more couragiously more swiftly then any other of the aire For he hath in a small time reduced into his obedience the most of the people of his kingdome and sheweth them by the mild dealing he vseth towards them that he hath conquered them not for his owne particular good but to bring them into their greater ease and securitie Alreadie his Maiesty doeth meditate nothing els but to make of his court the cabinet of the most excellent rarest thinges of the earth and that therein shall be found the most vertuous honest and best accomplished men of this world Vertue shall be in esteem if euer it were he pretendeth so soon as he shal haue satisfied those vnto whom his people miserable as it is hath for their follies past constrained to promise recompences quite to abolish or so to moderate the taxes that his poore subiectes shal haue cause for euer to pray vnto the Almightie for him and his memorie therefore may be sacred to all posteritie He is not ignorant how by the too great excesse of the saide taxes his people remaineth in languishing sort the nobilitie who followeth him is made poor because the Pezant cannot nor dare not till the lands of the nobility of others for fear of the said taxes by means wherof the groūd should ly barren without tillage the Nobilitie which hath no other riches but of the glebe soyl can no longer follow and serue him nor the people of the country or husbandman the verie forge of all commodities of the kingdome succour him any longer Yee then of the Nobility if there bee any of this qualitie who wil against the deuoir of his profession weare the skarfe of the League in steed of our white collour of the flowres de Luce of France what honor think you to leaue to your children to say that you haue fostered and nourished this mostrous Hydra the league which hath brought foorth vnto vs our children so many mischiefs and miseries See you that you stop vp the light and brightnes of your races vnder the sinders of your rebellion Take ye take ye the collour of your brethren and permit not that your noble race remaine vilanized stayned and spotted with treason towads your selues and towardes you countrie And you good people whose prosperity is so much different from that in which our deceased kings and fathers left you behould the surface of our poore country aunciently adorned with your goodly buildings I cānot speak this without teares nowe desert rugged and without tillage Where is this liberty promised you by the league Alas As said I thinke Theophrastus ' to the Greekes They haue put in too much vinegre where is this abolition of taxes Alas they are six fold as many as they were before Where is this restablishment of religion Alas they haue beaten downe to the grounde and profaned your churches the priests themselues taking armes haue run into a thousande villainies Consider that there is in Fraunce neither iustice nor publik force but from your king which may sauegard ye from iniury Perceaue ye not how you empouerish your selues daly and that these hunger-starued gouernors whose rebellion ye nourish will stifle you one of these daies to haue your bloud will flea you to haue your skins seeing that amongst them the richest hath nought to liue vpon if it be not vpon your substance nor any commoditie which they forge not alreadie vpon your battered Anuile Liue liue vnder your king and vnder his lawes chace far from you these hireling-preachers of sedition this miserable fierers and destroyers of our countrie it is not religion but rebellion they preach away with them The Duke de Maine acknowledgeth alreadie that he hath bene deceiued and abused by them All the world knoweth it and there is hope seeing that the Crowne as said Titus Vespatians son called for his vertue and goodnesse the delight and darling of the worlde is a gift of God bestowed on him whome hee pleaseth by his onlie hand and pure will that the said Duke of Maine will reknowledge his Maiestie for his King and will repose more confidence in him than in any other prince liuing Well hee knoweth that the Maximees of Spaine are first to make a hande of them who aide them in the Conquest of their prouinces saying iustlie that they cānot credit the faith of them who haue failed in that which they owe to their owne countrie and when all that were not so neuer was there man who followed them but is dead miserably The said Duke of Maine hath done but too much for his part when hee had had place but to reuenge the death of his brethrē wherunto K. Henry the 4. was neuer consenting If he passe further he remaneth for euer most culpable and blameworthy Let him not then let slip this good occasion whilest the time is that he may come in and yeeld himself to his king with honor making shew of the common pretext of religion of no other thing to haue mooued him to take armes and let him call to minde how hee hath to deale with a kinge of France who shal neuer be without successor to reuenge all iniuries that his maiesty may one day come to an accord with the K. of Spaine and so then by that meane this Duke may remaine oppressed and of small esteeme Let him confesse that euery Christian ought to leuell onely at the saluation of his soule the which he can neuer obtain at Gods hands nor any good for his children but in restoring vnto his kinge that which he detained vniustly from his kingdome against the dutie of a subtect a vassall and an officer to the crowne FINIS A COPIE OF SPECIALL RECORD OF THE Homage done by Philip Archduke of Austria Earle of Flanders c. to the most Christian King of France Lewes the twelft of that name in the yeare 1499. Iohn Amys Notary and Secretary to the King our Soueraigne For somuch as it hath pleased the Noble and puissant L. Monsieur Guy of Rochefort Knight Lord of Pleuuot and of Labergemant Chauncellour of Fraunce as well of his fauour to preferre mee as to commaund and inioyne me to take a copy of the receipte of an Homage done to the King our gracious Lorde in his person by the most high most puissant Prince the Lord Philip sonne to the King of Romains Arch-duke of