it go from the kynde of men they lose that state and name that nature put them in and are tourned into cruell vnnaturall beastes Nowe if vnkyndnes be such a vice in what hatred of all men ought traytours to be and traytours to theyr prynce and suche theyr prince of whom they had receyued so innumerable benefites and whiche so many wayes had declared his synguler fauour and loue towarde them ¶ For to come at the laste to the archetraytour and to speke some what of hym whom god hateth nature refuseth all men deteste yea and all beastes to wolde abhorre if they could perceiue how moche viler he is then is euen the worste of them what man wolde euer haue thought that Reynold Pole coulde haue ben by any giftes by any promotion by anye meanes in this worlde broughte from the loue whiche for so many the kynges high benefittes of all men he ought his grace the moste who wol yet beleue that knowith it not to be true that a manne so bounde to loue can hate so boūde to serue can brede traytours stire sedition intende his deathe for whome he ought with all harte to haue shedde his beste bloud rekenynge the losse of his owne lyfe well spente so that his hyghnesse might therby be preserued I wol not say from deth but from perill and danger Howe many fathers haue bene more tender ouer their sonnes than hath his grace bene in bryngynge vp the thou false Pole thou shamefull and shameles traytour from thy chyldhode euen tyll within these two yeres What letters wrote his highnes in thy fauour to the Uenetians at thy firste goinge into Italye what credyte what estymation couldest thou haue ben in there if thou haddest come alone without his gracis commendation what was in the at thy firste going thither besyde thy famylye worthye any gret estimation Thou mightest haue come with thy byrth and familie haue founde fewe there that wolde haue estemed the for them sauyng for his gracis sake His gracis fauour whom at that tyme the byshop of Rome and his adherentes honoured aboue all princis in Chrystendome wonne the thy frendes there if they may be callyd thy frendes whom thou so takest to be not knowyng who be thy frendes and who thy foes beinge thy selfe of all men moste ennemye to thy selfe Thou suffredst thy self to be callid the king of Englandes nephewe this title beinge fals wrought moche and made manye in loue with the for thy nobilities sake And yet thou gottest not so many that waye as thou dyddest by reason it pleased the kynge of his goodnes to giue the besyde thyne owne reuenues yerely an hundreth pounde out of his cofers It is a wonderfulle thinge to see the diuersitie of nature howe grate and kynde 〈◊〉 be and howe vnnaturall and vnkind some other be Many thinke them selfe to owe lyfe and all the reste to him that doth but a mean good tourne for their frende and canste nat thou receiuyng so many so great benefites thy family thy mother thy brethern so many wayes bounde to his hyghenesse auoyde treason Thou hast redde manye notable hystoryes that might haue kept thy cancred nature at the leste from treasone yf they coulde a wrought no farther in the. Howe many slaues do we rede of that haue liued with their maisters in great seruitude miserie whyche yet soo loued theyr maisters that they chose eyther to dye for theym or els to dye with theym ¶ Philotimus a seruaunt and a slaue a lyttell before his mayster dyed was made heire of all that he left Marke his true stomake thou muste nedes condemne thyn vnfaithfull fals and trayterous harte Whan the deed corps was caste into the fyre he remembring what a true seruaunte oweth to a good mayster forgate not onely the goodes that were bequethed hym but also contempnynge his owne lyfe lept into the fyre thinkynge trewe seruyce not to ende where lyfe remayneth Here as I doo nat lyke this Philotimus to hote loue or to saye as I ought his rashe deathe so I doubte nat but there be in Englande manye seruantes that wolde a thousand tymes hasarde their lyfe rather than their maister shuld be in any ieoperdy of his ¶ Marcus Antonius beinge ouercome of Augustus the emperour delyuered vnto Eros his seruaunte a swerde requirynge to be rydde ere his enmyes shuld take hym Eros toke the swerde and quickely turnyng it thought it lesse shame yea lesse hurte to kyll hym selfe then to kyl his master I coulde tary and fyll myne oration with suche examples but neyther to the Pole it nedeth nor to the suche a traytour it boteth thou hast red them as well as I yea thou knowest that very dogges vnto whome theyr mayster could neuer giue more then meate and drinke haue oft died for their master oft slayne them that slewe hym I wyll brynge in an example or two not that I thynke they can do the any good but that they maye set our thyne abhomynable vnkyndenes to thy shame confusiō It is notable that authors wryte of kynge Lisymachus his dogge whiche neuer left his lord and mayster but was in all huntynges in all warres in all ieoperdies at hande with him At the last when he saw his master deed and cast into the fyre as the maner of burial was then the dogge a gret whyle mornefully yowling and lamentynge the deathe of his mayster caste hym selfe euen into the fyre also and there died by his mayster Pliny writeth that Hiero kynge of the Syracusans had a dogge which did euen the same It is more notable that wryters leaue in memory of a Romaynes dogge whiche Romaine was put to deathe when Titus Fabinus his famylye were slayne This dogge wolde away from his maister for no strypes for no whyppynge but laye by the deed body and styll howled wonderfull mornyngely many of the Romaynes standyng about moche meruaylyng at the true faith harte that that sorye worme bare vnto his inayster At the laste when they thought the dogge hungrye one of the stāders by gaue him meate whiche he straighte caryed to his maysters mouth and left it there Shortly after the body being hurled into the floudde of Tyber the dogge lept in after and gate hold of his mayster kepynge hym aboue water as longe as he could If the lawes hadde prouyded no payne for treason were not these examples ynough to make men teare such traytors as thou arte with theyr teethe If men wolde spare the wold not dogges pursewe a beaste thus ouerwhelmed with all kynde of treason A beast so false to his soueraygne lorde and suche his souerain lord How be it if thou be as I surely thinke thou arte he is moche more thye frende that wysheth the ded then a lyue Treason can neuer lye alone in a traytours harte it hath suche a rablemente with it that deathe is pleasure if it be compared with the gripes the woundis the tossynge and turmoylyng the heauyng and shouyng that
traitours fele in their stomackes As god helpe me I can not thynke but god euen of very purpose reserueth the alyue onely bycause thy lyfe hath many mo tourmentes moche more shame in it then any cruelle deathe can haue God by thy lyfe declareth what rest thy trayterous soule shall haue after the eternall shame of this worlde For he that hath to dwelle where thou arte sure to be excepte thou amende must be exercysed with suche panges as thou arte euer in his lyfe lerne what hell hath what interteynement they haue that take vp their lodgyng there What greatter tourmente can be wyshed vnto the thaÌ„ al the world to knowe that thou by these abhomynable treasons haste cast away thy famylie whiche myghte haue continued in honour disteined thy bloud whiche before was myngled with a kinges and now is farre vnder a colyers what greater shame can comme to the then to be the dishonour of all thy kynne a comforte to al thyne enmies a deathe to all thy frendes All men that loue trouthe allegiaunce and honestie muste nedes be thyne enemyes all men muste hate the yea thy mother her selfe shall thynke her self worthy deth if she hate not the aboue all creatures All they whom frendeshyp and affinitie hadde in tyme paste knitte vnto the wyshe for no traitours dethe so moche as they doo for thyne O Pole o hurle pole full of poyson that woldest haue drowned thy countrey in bloudde thou thoughtest to haue ouerflowed thy prynce and soueraygne lorde thou thoughteste with thy traiterous streames to haue ouer rounne all to gether But god be thanked thou arte nowe a Pâ—le of lytel water and that at a wonderfull lowe ebbe Can I wysshe the any more hurt than that thou mayste lyue longe in suche shame in suche infamie as I thynke neuer traytour was in I thinke as obstinate a wretche as thou art if the falle of thy familye nothynge moue the that yet the voyce of thy countrey whiche sommetyme wisheth the deed in thy fyrst cloutes sometyme hanged sometyme in helle with thy great master the dyuelles vycar aboute thy necke were inough to make the chose a tree and there to doo as Iudas the capitayn of traytours whom thou trayterousely folowest dyd Hast not thou moch greater cause to say as Iob dyd than euer had Iob Who euer myght better say than thou who ought sooner to crie thaÌ„ thou Cursed be that day that I was borne in let that daye perish the night also in y e which it was said there is a knaue child coÌ„ceiued let that day be turned in to darknes let god neuer regarde it let neuer light shine vpoÌ„ it but euen to the worldes end be it couered with eternall darkenes Lette the dymme cloude fall vpon it let it be lapped in with sorowe let the darke storm ouercome that night let not the daye that I was borne in be rekened amonge the dayes of the yere nor counted in the monethes Let them that dispice that nigt and curse the day curse also the mornynge that folowed my birthe let it loke for lyght and see none bycause it shyt not vppe the wombe that bare me Alas whye died I not euen in my birth why dydde not I perisshe as sone as I came out of my mothers wombe why set they me vpoÌ„ theyr knees that nowe do brynge them all eyther to deathe or shame felowe to any deathe Whye gaue they me sucke with theyr brestes that now haue lefte no bloud ne life in their bodies Wherfore is light gyuen to hym that is in miserie and lyfe to them that haue heuy hartis life to them that longe for deathe and serche for it more than euer they dyd for any treasure Thou maist o wycked traytour say what thou lyste but thou canste thynke lyttel better of thy selfe thanne all thy countrey thinkith This I know thou hast causes mo than a thousande to say all this and more to The byshop of Rome his godly sowers of treson thought they had spun a wonderful fine threde and weaued a gay pece of worke whan they gate this Raynarde to play the traytour in a Cardinals apparell thinkynge ye and knowynge by their longe experience no garmente so fitte for oone that wolde take suche an enterprise vpon him This is a wede that seldome gro wethe where any good corne is but it hath the ouerhand and distroyeth it gayely He was made yea marie was he a great legate sent with moche authoritie but he retourned as wyse as they that thought he coulde haue wroughte myracles The sworde was seÌ„t to the king of Scottis before we being than encoÌ„bred with sedition and rebellyon at home this gay legate rydeth after to se whether ne were able to make the kynge of Scottes to pulle it oute of the sheath and vse it according to his intente that gaue hym the gyft was there euer beast so maliciousely sette to vndo his countrey for the whiche many menne haue gladly dyed or euer any stonye hart that so enuironned with a kynges benefites wold let none of theym enter into it so blynde that in suche a nomber coulde see none so vngrate that seinge soo many wolde be moued by none of theym What can thyn ennemies whiche are not only all englyshemen but as many as euer knewe whatte honestie meaneth what can they all wyshe the wors than that thou mayste neuer dye and euer fele that that traytours of thy sorte are sure to fele But percase as all our countrey men do deteste and abhorre this pestylent Cardinal as the vnnaturallest beaste that euer prince bestowed benefite on so fewe or none do knowe howe moche the marquese of Exetter and the lorde Montacute this traytours brother were bounde to the kynges highnes Fyrst the Marquise of Exceters father by king HeÌ„ry the .vii. most noble father to our moste dradde soueraygne lorde that nowe reygneth was for certayne treasons committed to prison where he lay in teoperdie of losse of landes and lyfe vntyll the deathe of the sayd kynge And not withstandynge there were gret and weighty matters layde ayenst hym yet our souerayne lorde that nowe is didde not only pardon hym of his lyfe and restore him to his landes and honoure but toke this his sonne into his priuie chaumber vsynge hym there moch more lyke a companyon than a seruaunt always encreasynge his landes and reuenues after suche sorte that if he hadde nat bene to vnnaturall he coulde neuer haue loued his own lyfe halfe so moch as the kynges welth honour A cruell change for most loue to reÌ„der grettest hatred O fondnes who might not haue ben content to serue suche a mayster to be subiecte to suche a prince yea what maÌ„ being th one and not thother being a subiect not a prince wolde not rather desyre to do his duetie to so noble so gentle so hygh a prince so louing a mayster then for to take frome hym his maiestie yea though he were sure to bryng
his trayterous purpose to effect But what thing doth not blinde ambitiō attempt his mouthe was euer full of these pratye sayinges I truste to see a chaunge of this worlde knaues rule about the kynge but I trust one day to gyue them a buffet he can be no subiecte that shall buffet rulers aboute a kynge no he thought to be none when he commaunded Kendall his manne to make as many men in a redynes as he coulde whiche myght serue within an houres warnynge He thoughte to haue worne the garlande when he tolde his frendes I truste to haue a fayre daye ouer these knaues that rule aboute the kyng I trust to se a mery worlde one daye But yet se howe he was deceyued god that hath wether at wyll wolde not so moche as gyue hym a fayre daye to dye in all his mirthe is ended for this worlde al ioye is paste he is gone and hath lefte to his sonne and heyre nothynge but sorowe nothynge but myserye excepte the kynge of his mercye beare hym more loue then his father dyd These be the fayre days that god sendeth vnto traytours this is the myrthe that they come to our lorde sende all traytours the lyke myrthe Surelye they that be as these were do but deceyue theym selfes if they loke for any better ende then they had God punissheth none so soone as vngrate persons bycause he wold haue vs not vngrate vnto hym And yet he hathe euermore greuously punisshed suche as shulde rebell and worke sedition against theyr hedes rulers Chore Dathan and Abiron maye make all men that canne lerne to aduoyde theyr owne hurte by theyr neyghbours obey where they ought to obey serue where they oughte to serue and not to repine ne to take vpon them rule where god hath appoynted them to be ruled You may rede howe god scurged these thre howe the erthe brake vnder theyr fete and swalowed them vp with theyr tabernacles all theyr substaunce howe they went alyue into hell there testyfyenge what punishement god hath prepared for rebelles for traytours for men disobedient to theyr hedes and rulers What loste our fyrste father Adam by his gay enterprise whiche thought to haue a fayre daye a merye tyme What loste he for ones disobeinge for theatynge of an apple a small thynge but euen all mankynd He was in Paradise a place pleasaunt beyonde all pleasures almoste all howres talkynge with god almyghty the eatynge of an apple brought him that he durste not shewe his face God cryeth to hym Adam where arte thou oute of what pleasure haste thou put thy selfe and in to what myserye I maye saye O Marques where art thou where is the fayre day thou lokedest for where is thye garlande Some men perchaunce woll saye they haue suffered for theyr trespasse they shulde nowe be at rest I answere thynges are written not so moche for malyce to the men as for the hatred that euery man oweth to treason There is no writer that can set theyr name and fame in worse case then it is All shame is in them whom treson hath defyled The raunsome of treason is more thā losse of life and goodes Mens tonges and pennes whan deathe hath done what she maye are bounde to worke ayenste traitours as moch as they may Traitours are euen styll to be rated no lesse then if they were a lyue and styll in fulle pourpose to brynge theyr tresons to passe ¶ Nowe on the other syde was the lorde Mountacute nothynge in the kynges debte was not also his mothers landes loste she a poore gentyll woman dwellynge amonge the systers of the Syon he a poore gentyll manne not hauynge a fote of lande towarde his lyuynge was it not a thynge worthy thankes to comme from nothynge to .iii. or .iiii. thousande marke lande his mother to haue this for her lyfe and he to enherite it after her decease had not this traytour cause to haue ben a true subiecte to his prynce a trewe seruante to his mayster was he not bound aboue a great sort of men to loue the kinges welthe and honour to serue his maiestye with all loyall harte and obeysaunce Myghte not this fonde or rather detestable traytour haue talked dreamed of other thynges then of the kynges deathe whiche oure lord kepe of euen as longe as nature with his helpe may maintein lyfe and all other that wold other wyse to folowe Montacute and his felowes Myght not he haue ben content with this world and the state he was nowe in leauyng his lewde prophecies of the world to come of the tyme that shoulde make hym his mery if he might tary it he might if god had not ben as contente to leaue hym as he was desyrefull to flee god and to kepe downe his worde and testament For as goddes ioye is to be with men that take ioye of his presence so beinge lefte and forsaken though his desyre be to do otherwise he leueth and forsaketh This I dare say if these men had not ben enemies to the gospel haters of goddis worde they coulde neuer haue fallen in to suche an abhomynable sorte of treasons Who knoweth not how these that are now deed howe the Marques and Montacute abhorred not only all readynge of scripture but al so all reders of it It was a cryme iudged greate inoughe for to put any theyr seruauntes out of seruyse if they were spyed with a newe testamente in theyr handes whether Reynolde that traytour put this in theyr heedes or whether god thought it best that they had chaplayns accordyng to their hartes menne desyrefull to kepe them styll from the knowlege of their duties from the light of god dis worde whiche they hated aboue all thynges I woll not discusse the sayinge is they bothe dyd well theyr partes As for Reinolde I am assured he ceased not to kepe his bretherne in errour which sent his mother word that if he knewe her to be of the same opinion that y e king is of he wold treade her vnder his fete mother his as she was What beast could vse suche langage to his mother excepte he had vtterlye forgotten the reuerence that nature techeth all creatures toward their parentes what pestilent harte reigneth in hym that hath suche a rancour to goddis worde suche a stomake ayenste the truthe Thou thou Raynolde art the very pole from whense is poured all this poison Thou haste slaine thy brother the Marques and thyne other brother was at deathes doore But for as moche as it pleased god to saue Geffreys lyfe and to tourne the vyolence of the knyfe to his saluation to the safetie of the kinges highnes and to the welthe of the hole realme the kynges grace takethe it to be goddis pleasure that Geffrey yet die not and hath pardoned hym all his offences so that his clemēcie hath saued Geffrey whome thy knauishe letters and messangers had broughte to the galowes Great pitie it is so sayth he and al the rest that euer thou
whiche alwayes enforced hym selfe to kepe his hyghnesse and all the reste of his subiectes in seruitude errour and idolatrie God hathe made him as al his noble progenitours of right ought to haue ben a full kyng ▪ that is a ruler and natruled in his owne kyngedome as other were God hath deliuered his highnes from the bondage of the byshoppe of Rome his subiectes from errors his realme from the foule sinne of idolatry Ignorāce a childe that the byshop of Rome lefte here with his monkes and friers to be fostred made strōge is takynge her leaue wolde god her passeport were made and she sente frome whens she came But she hath ben so cherished so made of in this realme that lothe she is to departe She hath many frendes and trustethe by the helpe of them to be made denyzen and soo to chaunge her apparel and to do moche more hurt in parishe churches thā euer she dyd in cloisters But I truste as god hath shewed what hurte commeth of her and hers so he wyll prouide a way to see that she and hers haue lesse to do The people begynne to know what they that be curates oughte to preache and what they arboūd to folowe and yet they do but begynne Wolde god some were appoynted to take them forthe newe lessons They haue longe sithens begon to knowe their duetie toward god their obedience to their prince the loue they ow vnto their neighbours and yet they be styll atte the begynninge For yf they were fully taught but in these .iii. poyntes I dare promyse my lyfe to lye vppon it the fruites of this knowledge shuld be such as wold enforce all christian princis to folowe the steppes of oure noble prince I remember howe kynge Iosaphat sente many of his nobles with prechers that is trewe setters oute of the worde of god throughe all Iurie and howe all the worlde feared his power after that god was preched in his king dome I truste as our moste prudente kynge ceasseth nat to sende his holsome and godly proclamations abrode that so one day men shall be sent after them to se what effecte they take what successe cōmeth of them where they worke where they be ydle where they haue fre passage and where they be stopped But leauyng newe occasions whiche leade me to newe purposes I wol returne and folowe that I toke in hande This laste sedition besyde many other commodities that it wrought in this realme hathe made the people and in especial those where it reigned moste very glad to here very desyrefull to make amendes to God and their Prince for that they offended bothe afore I haue herde dyuers men say that three or foure preachers may doo more good in the northe coūtray in two or thre monethes than hath bene done in these southe parties these two or thre yeres only bicause the people be so redy to take what so euer the preacher shall offer vnto theym soo that if the people be naught styll the faute is no more theirs for they wold fain be good They se god louith no rebellions no disobedience if god had done nothynge for the kynge sythens that tyme was not that one benefyte inoughe to bynde his grace and all theym that loue this his realme euermore to thynke vpon goddis goodnes alwayes to giue hym thākes and yet styl to thinke thankes vngyuen All bokes can shewe no suche sedition so quieted no suche rage soo peasibly asswaged and yet at the fyrste as al men lyked the ende soo was there an other thyng that men whiche fauour the peace and quietnes of our countrey thought somewhat amysse Menne were wonderfull gladde that harneys was put of and weapons layde downe but they were sorie that the deceyuers of the simple pore subiectis had after their pestilent pilgremages pardon It is ofte to be remembred howe god prouided both for the sorte deceyued and also howe vpon newe treason committed he wolde the ranke capitaynes to testifie vpō the gallowes that traitours muste come to shamefulle deathe And yet is there more euen concernynge the same matter to be marked where as it plesed the kyng of his clemency and tender loue that his grace beareth to the lyfe of his subiectes to satisfye the rigor of the lawes with a few of their dethes god hath this last sommer by strange kinde of sycknes welle declared vnto the commons of the northe that he was nat contented so fewe were punished where so many offēded And as the sicknes plagued them sore so I thynke god pycked a greate sorte in other countreys suche as he knew had hartes euyl inough thoughe their dedes were vnknowen It is not to be left vnspokē that a generall plague reignyng in al the north and in many other parties of the realme London a citie for the more parte yerely visited with great deathe hadde in maner no syckenesse in it Lette other menne laye the cause where they thinke beste I do surely suppose that as god punyshed them for their treasons soo he shewed vnto the Lōdoners that the way to haue hym mercyfull and good to theym is that that they are in though not setled yet a great part of theym well entred All be it we be forgetfull and haue styll nede of some to putte vs in mynde of goddis goodnesse toward vs yet I woll not nowe speke of the tresure whiche he gaue this realme what ioye and comforte he sent to all trewe englysshe men whan he sent vnto our soueraigne lord his dere and noble sonne oure deere and noble prince Edward I trust it nedith not I trust there be none of vs either so blynde that we see not howe moch Englande oweth vnto god for his byrth for his preseruatiō for such his towardnes as was neuer sene in chylde by al mens assent the lyke either so vngrate but he herynge of this noble princis growyng and waxing to a kynge to the sceptre of this his right inheritance woll with al his harte desyre god both to kepe hym longe frome the scepter and longer in it than euer was his father before hym I say I wyl nat speake of his grace neither of the goodnes of god powred vpon vs and all ours by his byrthe No I woll make as foule a chaunge as euer ye sawe or herde of I wolle go from hym whome the loue to god and his father reserued we ought to loue aboue all thynges and intreate of theym whome yf they were alyue all Englyshmen ought aboue al creatures to hate And yet I wyl not so gladly talke of theym as of the goodnesse of god shewid to vs by their occasiō ¶ O lorde in what danger hath the kynges hyghnesse bene these xiii or .xiiii. yeres For euen al this space there haue ben in his gracis priuie chaumber that frome tyme to time haue not only vttred the secretes of his counselle and chamber but also haue practised with his most enemyes and done what they coulde to