and vnnaturall designes by which to aduance thy Master to the vniuersall Monarchie of all Europe This thy feare hath made thee confesse but this thy flatterie and falshood will deny should not the efficacie of truth make it most apparant and pregnant Therefore to enter into the first streames from whence Spaine hath gathered the great Ocean of its Soueraigntie there is no fountaine more remarkable then the Battle of Alcazar in Barbarie where the too forward Don Sebastian King of Portugall whether slaine or not slaine ingaging himselfe too vnfortunately gaue occasion to Philip the second of Spaine to enter and vsurpe vpon his kinsmans Kingdomes to expell Don Antonio from his right and inheritance and as it is strongly supposed to cause the true King himselfe to dye in the Gallies hence he became King of all the Spaines and Portugall puld to himselfe the Soueraignetie both of the Ilands of the Canaries and of the Azores the one securing his way forth the other securing his way home from the West Indies and so made the conquest thereof more safe and vndoubded hee tooke also by the same interest many strong holds marchantable places in the East Indies so that sitting now alone in Spaine without a competitor and hauing treasure from the West Indies wherewith to pay Souldiers and marchandize from the East Indies wherwith to enrich his owne subiects what could he or what did hee contemplate vpon but the augmentation of his Monarchie Hence it came that his waare grewe violent vpon the Low-Countries and vnder the Gouernments of the Duke of Alua and Don Iohn Duke of Austria the tyrannies so insufferable that all manner of freedomes were conuerted to slaueries and the blood of the Nobilitie made only foode for the slaughter-house yea such as were remote and stood farther off from his crueltie depending vpon their owne rights and vnder the couert of their owne guards were not yet safe from Spaines conspiracies and that witnesseth the death and murther of the famous Prince of Orange the imprisonment and death of his eldest sonne and a world of infamous practises against the life of Count Maurice the last Prince deceased and against the safetie of Count Henrike the Prince now suruiuing what incrochments were daily made vpon these distressed Prouinces all the Princes of Europe blush to behold and had not Elizabeth my dread Ladie and Mistris of famous and blessed memorie taken them to her Royall protection they had long since beene swallowed vp in the gulphe of his tyrannie and none of them now liuing had knowne the name of free Princes and as this worke was begun by Philip the second so it was continued by Philip the third and is now at this houre as earnestly pursued by Philip the fourth and his sister the Archduchesse and rather with gaining then loosing so that should England but turne its face a little away from their succour there would be a great breache made in the hope of their subsisting But you will answere that if Spaine had fixed down its resolution vpon an vniuersall Monarchy they had neuer then harkned to a peace with the Nether-Lands to this thine owne conscience is ten thousand witnesses that the peace which it entertained was nothing else but a politicke delay to bring other and impersit ends and designes to a more fit and solid purpose for effecting of his generall conquest for what did this Truce but diuert the eyes of the Nether-lands which at that time were growing to be infinit great masters of shipping from taking a suruay of his Indies and brought a securitie to the transportation of his plate and treasure and made him settle and reinforce his Garrisons which then were growne weake and ouertoyled besides a world of other aduantages which too plainely discouered themselues assoone as the warre was new commenced As he had thus gotten his feete into the Nether-lands had not Spaine in the same manner and with as much vsurpation thrust his whole body into Italy let Naples speake let Sicill let the Ilands of Sardinia and Corfica the Dukedome of Millan the reuolte of the Valtoline and a world of other places some possest some lying vnder the pretence of strange Titles but come to giue vp their account and it will be more then manifest that no Signorie in all Italie but stood vpon his guard and howerly expected when the Spanish storme should fall vpon them how many quarrels hath beene piled against the State of Venice some by the Pope some by the King of Spaine how many doubts haue beene throwne vpon Tuscanie what protestations haue flowne to Genoa and what threatnings against Geneua and all to put Italy into conbustion whilst the Popes holinesse and his Catholicke Maiestie like Saturnes sonnes sat full gordgd with expectation to deuide heauen and earth betweene them O was it not a braue politicke tricke of Spaine neither was thine aduice absent from the mischiefe when the difference fell betweene Henry the Great of France and the Duke of Sauoye about the Marquisate of Saluses the King then your master vnder pretence of aiding the Duke his brother in Law sent diuers Regiments of Spaniards which were quartered some in Garbonieres some in Montemellion Sauillan Pignoroll and diuers other places about Sauoye and Piemont but when the Truce was concluded could the Duke vpon any intreatie potent or message make these Spaniards to quit his Countrie no by no meanes for they were so farre from leauing â—heir foot-hold hauing receiued dtuers commandments to keepe it both from the Count de Fuentes at that time Vice-roy of Millan from thee by priuate letters and from the King your Master by sundrie Commissions that the chiefes of those Troopes peremptorily answered the Duke that they would hould their gettings in despight of all oppositions and were indeed full as good as their words for a long time till at last the Duke inforced thereunto raised vp a strong Army and in a fewe dayes put them all to the sword I would here repeate the Spanish attempt against the Castle of Nice being the very key or opener of an entrance into the very bowels of Italie I could speake of the dangerous quarrel raisd betweene the Duke of Sauoye and the Duke of Mantoa for the Marquisate of Montferrat and how fatall it was likely to haue beene to the whole state of Italy wherein Fuentes and thy selfe shewd all the arte of practise that might be which should become the master worke-man but these things are so pregnant and apparant that they neede little discussion Let mee now awaken thy memory with some stirrings vp or practises against the Kingdome of France no lesse but more pernitious then any of the former who was the head or chiefe soueraigne after the the death of Henry the third King of France and Poland of that most vnchristian like combination intituled the Holy but truely vnholy League was it not Philip of Spaine one of your most Catholike Masters who made the great
SIR WALTER RAVVLEIGHS GHOST OR Englands Forewarner Discouering a secret Consultation newly holden in the Court of Spaine Together with his tormenting of Count de Gondomar and his strange affrightment Confession and publique recantation laying open many treacheries intended for the subuersion of England Cresce Cruor Sanguis satietur sanguine cresce Quod spero sitio vah sitio sitio PSAL. 14. VER 7. Destruction and vnhapinesse is in their weyes and the way of peace haue they not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes VTRICHT Printed by John Schellem 1626. SIR WALTER RAWLEIGHS GHOST ALthough the liberty of these times wherein your Currants Gazettas Pasquils and the like swarme too too abundantly hath made all Newes how serious or substantiall soeuer lyable to the iealous imputation of falshood yet this relation I assure you although in some circumstances it may leane too neare the florish of inuention yet for the pith or marrowe thereof it is as iustly allyed and knit to truth as the light is to the day or night to darkenesse To hold thee then Gentle Reader in no further suspence be pleased to vnderstand that some fewe dayes after the solemnitie of the Purification of the blessed Virgin according to the Roman and Spanish computation It pleased the Maiestie of Spaine Philip the fourth to retire himselfe to his delicate house of pleasure called Casa del Campo situated neare vnto the towne of Madrid or Madrill where his standing Court for the most part continually remaineth And the nearest in attendance vnto him next to the Cound de Oliuares was the Cound de Gondomar the Archenemie to the florishing Estate of our England and the Foxe whose stench hath not cured the Palsey but rather impoisoned brought into an Apoplexie many Noble and some times well deseruing English hearts Neither was the King for his pleasure retyred to this house of Pleasure but rather through the necessity of some special affaires the greatest wherof seemed to be gathered from the last attempt of the English vpon the Fort Castle of Punetall the town of Cadiz or Cales wherin though the losse was not so great or materiall as might either make the Assailant or Assailed offer Roses or Nettles vpon the Altar of Fortune yet the affront seemed to strike a more deepe impression in the hearts of the Spaniards then could be well taken away with scorne which is the ensigne of their pride or with the hope of future aduantage which only giues life vnto their Enuie and Malice And therfore now at this time in this place after many consultations held with the Earle of Gondomar whom the whole world Baptized the Butteslaue or Incendiarie of Christendome the Intelligencer Ambassadour Iesuiticall Archbishop Leadger as his practises in our Nation hath well witnessed touching some notable reuenge to be had against the State of Great Britaine being the onely Iewell on which Spaine had long since fixed her heart to make her vniuersall Monarchie euery way full and perfect he is by command from the King in the person of the Cound Oliuares to make his appearāce before the Popes Nuntio the Duke of Lerma the Duke of Cea the Duke of Infantasgo the Constable of Castila who had a speciall Cōmission signed for that purpose to deliuer vnto them all those secret aduantages which he had either by the experience of time the cōtinuall labor of his braine the corruptiō of his bribes the threatnings insinuatiōs of his Popish Priests the petulent flatteries of his Papisticall English Mistrisses dyuing into their husbāds Counsels or by any other direct or indirect meanes wonne vnto him selfe a knowledge or instruction for the alteration or subuerssion of that braue florishing British Monarchie And in this charge the C. de Oliuares according to the state and magnificence of the Spanish reseruatiōs began to make a great florish of many demure austere circumstances vnto the E. of Gondomar concerning the greatnes of his ingagemēt the high Trust reposed in his singular knowledge the infinit expectations the King and the whole State had fixed vpon the wisedom of his proceeding adding thervnto sundrie admonishments or Caueats to call into his remembrance touching many alterations in the State of Great Britaine some defenciue some offenciue since his last aboad or comercement in the same And amongst the rest as a thing of most especiall note the Cound began to repeate many relations which Gondomar himselfe had deliuered vnto him touching the generall warlikenesse of the British Nation affirming that he had heard him say that he had seene the very children and boys in the streete make their sport and play a schoole of warre and by imitation from elder knowledges to expresse in childe play the very excellencie and perfection of Martiall discipline which had summoned in him both matter of passion admiration that he had often cryed out What will the English doe euery childe will be an Hercules and kill a Serpent in his cradle This Oliuares tould him was but a small shadow or little pricke to expresse a much greater substance now in vse for since the death of King Iames of euer-liuing and famous memorie the Englishmen who for the space of twenty two yeares before had but as it were dallyed and plaid with Armes rather seeking to affect it for nouelty then necessity were now in one yeares deliberate and materiall exercise become so singular and exquisite that the Netherlands blusht to see themselues ouergone in a moment that to be made familiar in an instāt at which they had laboured to obtaine to in diuers ages Besides Oliuares assured him that he had receiued infallible intelligēce out of the Archduches Countries that a hundred odde of the best experiēced souldiers or firemen being all English were sent frō the States of the Vnited prouinces into Great Britaine to educate and instruct in Martiall discipline euery seuerall Country and Prouince in so much that the whole Iland was nothing now but a Nurcery of excellent and exquisite Souldiers To this Gondomar replyed that he had from certaine Iesuites in England receiued the like intelligence and with this addition that those excellent elected men in the Low-countries found their equall Schoole-followes nay many Tutors and experienced Masters when they came into England so that indeed their necessitie did but conuerte to superfluity and a little losse to some that were of much better deseruing Yet said Gondomar further for mine owne part though this make much for our terror amazement and that we must with Curtius leape wilfully into a Gulphe of certaine ruine ere we can hope of reuenge or triumphe yet doth this new Militarie course little moue my blood for though I must confesse the Nether-lands to be the onely vnparaleld Schoole of warre in the whole world yet the onely thing it teacheth is Forme and Fire Intrenchment and Besiegement but for the vse of the Sword push of the
Pike bringing of Grosses bodie to bodie and hand to hand the exercise of euery priuate strength and the fortune of Battles Things which the English must of necessitie be exposed vnto Hoc raro aut nunquam And therefore my Lord I tell you I more quake when I see an old Irish Commander drilling an English Company who neuer beheld an enemie but he felt his Sword and knew his Target then when I see infinits of golden fellows teaching men onely dance to the tune of Posture or framing Chimeras in their braines whether the Pike and the Bowe or the Pike and Dragoone or Pike and long Pistoll be of greater importance But of these things wee shall haue a larger time to discourse thinke vpon it sufficeth me that I knowe my Royall Masters pleasure your honorable instructions all which I will studie to satisfie onely diuers things are through other imployment laid as it were aside from my memory not vtterly forgotten therefore I beseech I may haue the respite of some fewe houres to recken with my former knowledge `and so yeeld vp the whole summe of my duty and seruice To this Oliuares seemed exceeding willing so the Earle to make choise of his best time they departed one from the other Oliuares returning to satisfie the King Gondomar taking his Litter went backe to Madrill where what contention grew betwixt him his old acquainted mischieues how euery minute hee produced new and vnnaturall Cocks-egges brooded them from the heat of his malice hatche them with the deuilishnes of his Policie and brought forth Serpents able to poyson all Europe is a Discourse monstrous and almost inexpressable I will therefore omit this mutinie of his troubled thoughts and onely pitch vpon this one accident no lesse strange then memorable wherein as in a Mirror euery eye may behold the weakenesse of a guilty thought and how easily frailty is surprised and ouercome when it encounters with these two maine enemies of our blood Feare and Amazement It so fell out that the Morning before the Noone on which Gondomar was to appeare before the designed Commissioners partly to refresh his perturbed spirits with the pure Ayre and to recollect vnto himselfe all those thoughts and circumstances which might make a glorious passage for the huge and monstrous bodie of mischiefe where withall he was that day in labour he caused his attendants to bring him in his Litter to the Prada neare vnto the Cittie of Madrill being a place of recreation and pleasure for the Nobilitie and Gallantrie of Spaine not much vnlike to our new More field walkes neare to the Cittie of London onely that this is more priuate and reserued for as ours is common to all men of all sorts so is this Prada onely but for the King the Grandies of Spaine the Nobilitie and some Gentlemen of the vppermost or best qualitie After Gondomar had in this place of recreation taken a turne or two in his Litter whether hee found his ruminations disturbed with the vneasie pace of his Mules or that he had not elbow roome enough in his Litter to giue action and grace to many of those damnable thoughts which in that houre gaue him singular contentment for the Spaniard is not of our dull English qualitie to let his words passe from him as neglected strangers or thoughts out of the compasse of his dearest familiaritie but rather as deare children or choicest friends to lend them admiration with his eyes and hands to adorne them with expectation in the shrugge of his shoulders and with a thousand other minicke gestures to make a speech that is as triuiall and vnseasoned as folly it selfe to appeare as serious as if it were a Delphan Oracle vpon some one or other of these Spanish disgusts this Fox our Earle vnkennels himselfe and makes his seruants take him from his Litter then placing his chaire the true sworne brother or at least the nearest kinsman that might be to a closse-stoole vnder the shadowe of certaine trees in a walke more reserued then the rest he commanded his attendants to withdraw themselues and he had reason so to doe for two principall respects the first least his anticke postures mumps moes and Munkey-like wrye faces might drawe laughter or scorne from his vassals or lastly least the violence of his studie and meditations might make some words fall from him which he thought too precious for another mans bosome Being obeyed in all his commandements and seated thus alone by himselfe onely guarded by his two choise friends Malice and Mischiefe he had not cald vp many euill thoughts to appeare before him when on a sodaine according to the weakenesse of his apprehension there shined round about him a most glorious and extraordinary light which might be taken rather for fire or flaming then shine or glittering and this appeared so sodainely spred it selfe so largely and increased so violently that terror feare and amazement at one instant raised vpon the heart of the Earle and with their colde qualities did so stupifie dull and contracte all his spirits that as if he had seene Medusas head the poore Don was become altogether a peece of yce or marble he had no spirit to remember there were spirits his crossings and blessings his holy water and his Agnus Dei his Monks charmes and his Iesuites coniurations were all now turnd to quaking and trembling to staring starke madnes to gaping and groaning to wante of words through strife for words and indeed to what not that might shew the singularnesse of a perplexed astonishment his night-cap throwes his hat in the dust and his haire makes his cap fly into the aire like a feather he doth reuerence but sees no Saint would faine vtter either salutatiōs or curses but knows not by what name to cal his controller In the end starting and standing vpright seeming to see what he would not see or to finde out that with curiositie which he had rather loose with the best care of his spirits stradling like a Colosses as if he neither respected present perils nor feared those which were further off he lookt as if he would look through the pure ayre and though it haue truely no colour yet was his searche so diligent that he appeared to find out a constant complexion yet all was but his new feare which neither the manner of his life which had euer beene desperate subtile and reserued the condition of the times at that time and in that place free from perplexities and incumberance the state of his affaires rather rising then declining nor his present negotiations strong enough to haue encountred with any Goliahs amazement was able now to keepe constant any one ioynt about him I haue read that the Duke of Burgundie had like to haue dyed at the sight of the nine Worthies which a Magician had discouered but our Don Gondomar is like now to dye at the sight of nothing but aire and his owne imagination for he had
euery symptome of death about him as a body trembling a stomach swelling fore-head turnd yellow eyes dead or sinking a mouth gaping what not that could say our Don is now vpon the pitch of departing They say that great Princes should neuer see the portraiture of feare but vpon their enemies backes sure I am Gondomar now sawe both feare and cowardise vpon his owne heart But why should I driue you off with more circumstance the nakednes of the truth is that as he gazed thus fearefully about there appeared or seemed to appeare before him the Ghost of Sir Walter Rawleigh Knight a Noble famous English-man and a renowned Souldier at this apparition the Earle fell downe flat to the earth vpon his face for backeward he durst not least he might giue an offence to his Surgion and yet the posture in which this Noble Gentleman appeared how euer fearefull to the guilte of Gondomars conscience yet it was amiable and louely to any pure and honest composition for he was armed at all peeces and those peeces of siluer which is the ensigne of innocence and harmlesnesse In his right hand he brandished his sword which was an instrument that had beene euer fatall to Spanish practises and had not the edge beene taken off by this Foxes subtilities I perswade my selfe by this time it had neere made a new conquest of the West Indies in his left hād be seemed to carry a cup of gold fild with blood which blood he sprinkled some vpon Gondomar and some vpon the ground vttering in an hollow and vnpleasant voyce these or the like words following Cresce Cruor Sanguis satietur sanguine Cresce quod Spero Sitio ah Sitio Sitio Gondomars attendants who had all this while a farre off beheld their Lords actions seeing him now falling downe in this trance came with all possible speede running vnto him but ere they could offer an hand to his assistance they might heare him vtter words of that strange nature and qualitie that their feares bridled their charities and they were rather willing to let him lye still bending their attētions to his words then by a too officious disturbance to break off any parte of that discourse which might either make for the bettering of the knowledge of the State or otherwise be applyed to future seruice at which these vnnaturall and abortiue accidents euer point therefore fixing their eyes and their eares constantly vpon him as he lay groueling on the earth they might heare these or like words much like vnto these proceed from his perplexed and amazed spirit Blessed soule Noble Sir Walter Rawleigh what haue I to doe with thy goodnesse or wherefore hast thou left the peacefulnesse of thy rest to torment and call me to account ere the prefixed and full day of my tryall be comed and that I must stand face to face with thee and a world of others before the greatest Tribunall I can confesse mine iniquities and that I haue beene to the King my master as Borgia Caesar was to Pope Alexander the sixt an instrument willing to take vpon me any or all manner of sinnes how odious or vild soeuer so I might but make Spaine looke fresh that those imputations which otherwise might haue drownd her might be but put into the Catalogue of my seruices though defame and curses were heaped vpon me in much greater quantities then Ossa Pelion or Pindus I doe confesse I haue beene the very Nose of the Spanish State through which hath beene voyded all the excrements both of the head and the whole body I haue beene a channell or a Common-shoare to the Church of Rome and what either Pope Priest Knaue or Iesuite could inuent I haue not left to put in practise I knew the odiousnesse of conspiracies and how hatefull they are both to God and man yet had I neuer the power to leaue conspiring I knew both that the Law of God and the law of Honour tyed Princes to detest conspiracies and had many times read ouer that notable Historie of Lewis the eleuenth and could my selfe repeate the noble and famous praises which all Europe gaue him for aduertising his Arch-enemie the Duke of Burgundie of an attempt against his person but what hath this wrought in me certes nothing but more flame and more fuell so long as my thoughts were busied with the studie and remembrance of an vniuersall Monarchie I confesse I haue many times said how euer I haue beleeued that those great ones which seeke to make away their enemies otherwise then by Iustice or the euent of warre shewes mind base and coward and that their soules are emptie of true courage fearing that which they should scorne I confesse I haue admired the goodnesse of Faritious who deliuered into Pirrhus hand the slaue that should haue poysoned him I haue made Tiberius Caesar a demy-god for answering a King of the Celtes which made him an offer to poyson Arminius That Rome did not vse to be reuenged of her enemies secretly and by deceite but openly and by armes but haue I pursued this honorable tracte haue any of my ghostly fathers the Iesuites or my masters the Inquisitors giuen examples for these restrictions no their lessons are of a cleane contrarie nature they say Flaminius was an honest man when hee made Prusias the King of Bithinia violate all the lawes of hospitalitie and vertue in the murther of Haniball but the whole Senate condemd the action for most odious accusd Flaminius of crueltie and coueteousnesse of vaine glory and of ostentation and questionlesse had they had any touche or feeling of Diuinitie or Christianitie they could not haue found any other ranke for him then that next vnto Iudas these faire paths I haue knowne but these I haue forsaken and as Flaminius was the cause of Hanibals death out of an ambitious emulation that he might in the Histories of succeeding times be made notorious and eminent for so soule an action So I must confesse I that haue the whole course of my life labourd continually in the deep myne of pollicie haue not spared any blood how excellent soeuer so I might be remembred in our after Annals for one of the chiefe master workemen which went to the building vp of the King my masters Vniuersal Monarchy And in this I must confesse most blessed soule that thy death thy vntimely to the Kingdom of Great Britane much too early death which with all violence with all the coniurations perswasions exāples that could tye bind together the hearts and bodies of Princes I did both plot pursue effect and consumate was one of the greatest masters peeces in which I euer triumphed I haue made my selfe fat with thy downefall and the blood which issued from thy wound was Nectar and Ambrosia to my soule for from thy ending I knew rightwell must proceed Spaines beginning for neuer could the Spanish King say as the French King did Iesuis Roy seul I am King