should tyraÌ„nize is a matter of no weight the retinue of your kings wiues ouerflowing all places of Iustice being no lesse daungerous to your peace than the punicke faith to the auncient Romaines And likewise that if Prudence and Fortitude be peculiar to men that Iustice and Temperance are as proper to women for which we neede no other presidents than our soueraigne Ladie whose diuine graces are as the sunne beames spred into all parts of the world as Scotland in the minoritie of her king and manie other Nations can witnesse if she and they be not vnthankefull for that benefite Philopo I gladly allow your opinion of this one and of some other of that kinde of most excellent qualitie all which notwithstanding are no swallowes to make our summer you know what the learned antiquitie both diuine and prophane haue thought of the weakenesse of this sexe whose gouernement elsewhere I reuerence as the ordinance of God and agreeing with the lawes of other Nations Yeelding therefore all due honor to your star of peace which I pray may long shine in the Church of God I will leauing that Bruenhault who according to her Nation was most daungerous for our Countrie name but one of the house de Medicis who after the comicall Poet was the calamitie of our land This Ladie hauing by the death of her husband and discretion of diuers Lords oportunitie to looke into the gouernment of her children not onely abused for desire of rule of of which she was impatient their young yeares but also the authoritie of the Princes of the blood to whom during the minority of the king the same belonged causing moreouer her sonnes for seruing her ambition to play all parts of a dreadfull tragedy in which she was a seuere actor till her last breath hauing vnto that time hid many daungers from the king which might greatly haue profited him and the realme had they bene reueiled in season which she concealed for her owne profite not one being more able to dissemble then she who had by that meane deceiued many great Princes and Captaines of her time especially the Admirall Chastilion who affirmed in all speeches of her that he greatly doubted her vnstable wit And though that wind be ill that turneth none to good yet her arts greatly auailed Spaine which she euermore regarded for preferring her particular notwithstanding the losse of her daughter before the nobilitie and common profite of France entertaining in respect thereof diuerse vpon other mens cost with the hope of many excellent titles and great Signiories the desire of which are not yet forgotten nor will be till God moderate our troubles and take compassion of our poore afflicted France Philoba Feare not Philopolis for if there were euer time to pacifie the broiles of your countrie it is in the raigne of the fourth Henry your third Henry hauing bin vnmeet to repaire the house of God being imbrued with the bloud of his Saincts Philopo I haue thought as much and therefore haue alwaies relied my self vpon the good prouidence of God which neuer faileth his people But at this one thing I tremble to behold the diunine iudgment in the Duke of Guise and late king who being companions at the great murther at Paris ended their liues in a sort the one by the others sword Of this our Bardi of one authoritie with the ancient Gauls as the Sibyllae with the reuerent antiquitie haue long since giuen some testimonie in these rithmes VVhen men that sprong of serpents teeth are slaine Then leaue O Gauls to mourne for sound of Trumpe Shall cease vvith ciuill hate and dolefull vvarre His foes shall giue him place and yeeld their roomes The most of them by stroke of others svvord He holy league shall haue vvith neighbour Ile VVhere crovvned maid shall daily pay her vovves Vnto th'eternall God her God of old For this Apollo tune thy golden harpe And sound vvith siluer quill their high renovvne You Muses still assist this goddesse praise And Fauns that hauÌ„t the vvoods vvith vvater Nimphs That often treadon pleasant greene the rounds In rounds still sing long may that Ladie liue And double do thou bashfull Ecchocrie Liue Liue. Philoba I dayly pray no lesse and should be also of that conceit for the peace of your France our realme if Egles disclosed doues but you know that factions are the porters of warre of this your kings are not ignorant whose sufferance encreased their number who would wreath their chaplets with your Fluerdelices and twist their Garlands with our Roses Philop. Nothing is more probable than which you lastly alledged as their execrable practise touching the death of the godly and valiant Prince of Conde hath to to the vniuersall hurt of the Church sorrowfully confirmed and the slaughter of the late king to an ill president for all Princes that acknowledge not their indignitie of place made apparant to all men yet is there not anie thing lesse to be feared then the effecting of their ambition for he who planted those flowers which for beautie and smell are excellent will also keepe them to their vse who are the true owners of both Philob Those speaches ended I tooke occasion fearing to abuse his time which he being alone bestoweth most religiously to depart minding as I haue giuen you some feele by this conference intermedled with diuers matter of his good meaning to the Christian publike weale to acquaint you Theopilus with himselfe who as the lightning cannot be counterfaited or glimmering of swords shadowed is neuer well perceiued but by the weight of his owne words FINIS Frossart Gieronimo Ruscelli â—el Ptolomeo Iosephus lib. 1. antiq cap. 11. 1 2 3 4 Lib. 3. Hist. 1 Diodorus Sicu rerum anti lib. 6. cap. 9. 2 Diodorus Sic. rerum anti lib. 5. cap. 2. li. 6. cap. 9. 3 4 Frossard 5 Antonio di Gueuara 6 Frossard Frossard Iohn Slei lib. 3. L'esiat des maisons illustres de France Diodorus Sicu re anti lib. 1. cap. 3. Prouerb 8. Bernard de Girard Frossard Prossard Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 9. Eccle. Hist. Sansoninus de Regnis Piero Messie Euseb. Eccl. hist. Petrus Martyr de angleria Iohan. Slai lib. 14. Philip du Comines Gen. cap. 14 L'estat des maisons ilstres de France Nic. Macch lib. 2. hist. L'estat des maisens ilstres de France Philip de Comines Lib. 2. Hist. Exodus 22. Lex Corneliaff lib. 46. titu 8. Florus lib. 2 cap. 17. 18. Luca. lib. 9. Ezech. cap. 27. Diodorus Sicu lib. 6. rerum anti cap. 9. Girolomo Ruscelli Girolomo Ruscelli Appianus Alexandrinus libr. Lâ—bico Girolomo Ruscelli in la Geo. di Ptolo. Philip de Comines Sleidan lib. 19. L'estaâ— des maisons illustres de France Diodorus Sic. Bibliothe lib. 17. Diodorus Sic. Biblioâ—â— lib. 16. Deut. 17. Num. 27.
11. lent vpon the Counties of Roussilion and Parpignan by meane of that cousining frier Oliuer Maillard I let passe with these notes that as it behooueth the kings of France to suspect the hypocrisie of friers in regard of the ambition of Spaine and Lorran so it standeth the king of Spaine in hand not to dye in Egypt no man being buried there by an ancient law of that region if his gouernement hath bin tyranous or his debts vnpaide To returne to the second part of their couetousnesse ouerthrowing the foundation of Iustice if this ground be true that nothing is profitable that is not honest these men are too deuout seruitors of the Pope he crying this Prince sweats or fetch to leape like water spaniels at the sacred dignities of kings and to enter violently their Domaines established by his diuine order who said by me kings do raigne I will iustifie it that if the right of Millaine appertaine not to the kings of France who claimed that Dutchie by Valentina grandmother to Levvis the twelfth daughter and heire to Iohn Galeazzo who had it of the gift of the Emperor Sigismund that then it belongeth to the Empire It is also certaine that the Spanish claime to the kingdome of Naples and Sicilia if the treatie at Madrick helpe not is voidable the same growing vpon the adoption of Alphonso king of Aragon by Iohn the daughter of Lancelot the son of Charles de la Paix an vsurper of those realmes which for good cause shee retracted in her life conuaied her title to Levvis the third sonne to Levvis the second sonne to Levvis the first being Duke of Aniou and before adopted by Ioan the daughter of Levvis the sonne of Robert all which were lawfully possessed of those Realmes After which Levvis the third Duke of Aniou hauing in him the right of the two Queenes and dying without issue left thē to his brother Rene who hauing no issue male gaue his interest to his brother Charles who dying likewise without issue left his title by testament to the french king Levvis the 11. in respect wherof Charles the 8. his sonne entred Italie recouered Naples where he was crowned Moreouer the Spaniard neither as king of Spaine or Duke of Burgundie hath any right to Holland Zeland and Henault the same hauing bene the patrimonie of Iaquet daughter heire to Guilliam Duke of Bauiers wife to Iohn Duke of Brabant who died without issue since which time Philip the Duke of Burgundy his cosen his heire hauing their will for law haue violently detained those prouinces Furthermore their title to Maiorica Minorica to the higher Nauar resteth vpon these doubts first that if king Philip were takē in battel or intrapped by other meanes and imprisoned during his life whether Spaine shuld be forfait to him whose captiue he were Secondly if Spaine were prescribed by the holy father who many times is implacable whether that kingdome were his who first laid hand thereon I am perswaded they would reck on these questions absurd but if the case bee altered with names it is cocke on the hoope for them clearer then the midday For the king of Aragons conquest of Maiorica and Minorica was by no other meane then by keeping the king of both in prison till his death of which wrong the king his sonne complained to Edvvard Duke of Aquitan who assured him his wars ended for Don Piero of Castile he would yeeld him all fauor possible Their chiualrie in their thieuish surprising the higher Nauarre which they hold by force of the Popes proscription is of like condition whereby it may appeare that notwithstanding these Caualeros haue their Rapiers hanging point blancke that it is their penurie at home that giues them stomake according to their name that they are Sagaces Hispani to winde or smell their neighbors cupbords abrode The late Prince of Orenge hath declared their iniurie to Don Anthonio for Portingall and God himselfe wherein we haue to boast and be thankfull hath with hautie stile penned our Apologie for England wherefore I omit both to shewe the last branch of their couetousnesse then which there is nothing that more toucheth their indignitie for if it be proper to the Lion and Tiger to pursue with incredible furie those that bereue them of their whelpes what greater beastlines can there be in man who hath reason is not borne for himselfe then contrarie to the naturall instinct of brute beastes to make his issue captiue whom nature made free as the Spaniards by selling the Indian women conceiued with child by them haue done to their great obloquie This kinde of auarice caused the Indians to practise new matter but rather it may be the diuine punishment considering the simplicitie of that people who as they could opportunely take the Spaniards powred melted gold into their mouthes vsing Thomyris words to Cyrus head in bloud now drinke your fill To returne from whence I digressed touching their qualities expressing the significations of Spaine Next to their couetousnesse their enuy is to be regarded a vice proper to men of base account and peculiar aboue all others to this nation as well by testimonie of Gaston the Erle of Foix a Prince of singular magnificence and valure who dehorting the Lords of Biern from seruing the king of Castill against the Portingall tould them the Spaniards were filthie lowsie and enuious of the prosperitie of straungers which at Iuberoth the French desiring to haue the vanward found true the king of Castill not being able in regard of their place to bring his Spaniards though 20000. to make supply by meane whereof the Lords of Biern with their retinue being 12000. were slaine As also by the Duke of Albas reproouing Countie Egmond who with the aide of our artilery from sea ouerthrew the Frenchmen betweene Grauelin and Dunkercke which victorie the Spaniard imputed onely to the Counties temerity and for recompence of his valure could not after aford him his life Hitherto haue I prooued the significations of Spaine as causes by their effects or maximes by their consequences now remaineth to speake of Tubal signifying of the world worldly confusion and ignomy Some may thinke that what hath bene said for Spaine belongeth also to Tubal but I am of another minde for as it followeth not necessarily that whosoeuer is rich is therefore proud high minded and insolent no more is it consequent that the poore are worldly confuse and ignominious many of both sorts being such whom God doth loue in respect whereof it behoueth me to handle this as the other a part to make apparant that they are no lesse confuse and ignominious than naturally poore and miserable As for these words worldly or of the world although their grosse ignorance of diuine things may be prooued thereby yet for that they belong to my Masters the Diuines I let them passe First therefore as touching confusion it is a peruerting
so called by the Mores who about nine hundred yeares past tooke footing in that kingdome and since ouerflowed Spaine About eight hundred years past another company of Mores possessed that part which they named Granado of a citie they built The next are the Vandals a people of the North calling that part after their name Vandaluzia which by loosing the first letter and corruption of speach is called Andaluzia as Arrogona hath T being before Terracona But here I must not forget a report of their own touching the etimologie of Andaluzia which is that the Mores landing in Spaine demanded a pesant driuing an asse the name of that prouince but he vnderstanding them not spake to his asse Anda luzia which is go luzia according to which the Mores named that country but to returne Of these is a like quintessence drawne as Alexander drank out of the hoofe of an horse for what vicesoeuer hath bin peculiar to any of them besides those they had in cōmon is now proper to them all As I sayd before that a simple is more perfect then a compound so affirme I that those beasts which are engendred of sundrie kinds are most cruell If a lion match with a Parde there remaineth in the issue some generositie of the parent but if the Leopard couple him self with a Tiger nothing is to be looked for in their broode but a barbarous fiercenesse The naturall Spaniard being as a simple is of a confuse and beastly conceipt of diet miserable and furious nourished to increase those humours in scarsitie but mixed with the Gothes and Vandals giuen to the euery and drunkennes mingled with the Mores cruell and full of trecherie and consequently tasting of euerie one a spring of all filthinesse The Italian hath this prouerbe that a thing begun is halfe ended and experience teacheth that after the sunne hath climed the Meridian he declineth All things haue their infancie riper yeares decrepitage and are subiect to alteration yet passe not with like celeritie to their period The Spaniards began to be of some reputation but in the time of Ferdinando and Isabella who vnited Aragon and Castilia before which they were either subiect to the Carthaginians Romans or some other nation or els so deuided into small kingdomes that they were of no force It is therefore no maruell that Antonio di Gueuara in regard of their weaknes and want of valiant personages cited in his epistle to Don Ian di Padillia a Captaine of the rebels in Spain one Cid Fernan Gonsalis the knight Tiran and in his epistle to Sir Antoni of Cuniga prior of S. Iohn named Viriato a Spaniard he being a naturall Portingall whom the Spaniard aboue all men hateth as Comines maintaineth vnlesse it be to rob him of his honor and dignitie In the time then of Ferdinando after the rapine of the kingdomes of Naples Sicilia and Nauarre were they first esteemed neither would their fortunes haue had longer life then his age had they not ben after houed vnder the wings of the eagle during which time they increased their empire with Milan and caught some heat of the Lion In their prosperity they are of the nature of gourds which ouerlooke those things by which they clime England hath yelded them the greatest countenance besides their comoditie of sheepe the King hauing for the duties of wool 30 quentos the lower contries the greatest reuenues and these two are they at which they haue first leuelled They esteme the kingdoms of Castill and Aragon to be the cheifest of their Diadem yet do the commodities of Belgia contrepois more then the weight of both the due of the prouinces being seuen hundred quentos the kingdom of Castill but foure hundred and fifty and of Aragon Catalonia but one hundred and fifty wherby it should seeme that before they had rauened Malorques Nauar Milan Sicilia and Naples that their proper right notwithstanding their mine of Guadalcanal was of no great accompt the kingdom of Naples yelding three hundred and fifty quentos and the state of Milan three hundred quentos or after the opinion of Philip de Comines six hundred and fifty thousand Duckets which cometh neere to one reckning exceeding the rest of their aunciēt Domains of Spaine I speake nothing of the States of Parma and Florence for that since their match with the house of Austria they yealded the Spaniards but the lone of some citadells Yet was the surprising of Piazenza by the Emperors lieutenāt of Lūbardy treacherous cruel the Emperors answer framed by a Spanish frier Iacobin his confessor to the Bishop of Phano the Popes nuncio who solicited the restitution thereof no lesse cautelous and dishonerable vz. that in a doubtfull or obscure title the condition of the possessor is to be preferred before the other Lo here diuinity fit for Spaine and martial pollicie of Ferdinando Gonzaga But most infamous was their attempt towardes their general lieutenāt of Belgia who had deserued better of their nation which hath bene often fatall to his house but so vse they to make happy their frends It should seeme the king of Spaine exceedeth in greatnes and reuenues the mightiest kings in Europe but remember with all that vertue vnited is stronger and being dispearsed weaker and that also many things fall betwene the vpper lippe and the cuppe That garment therefore in my conceit is most comely that is of one cloth and most strong that is least peeced How then their robe will hang together I may gesse what the euent of all will be the wiser may foresee I alledged that as all things had their risings so had they also their fall though not after one motion I gather therby and the former circumstances that the empire of Spaine declineth but my chiefest ground is that nothing which is vehement is durable To deuine of those things which are in the secret purpose of God is impietie but to vse coniectures against coniectures answereth the iniustice of their ambition no man taking hurt but by meane of him selfe I could vse an incident for this which though it may seeme of small weight yet may it haue his misterie with his act who being of base condition placed himself with out any perturbation of minde in the royall seat of Alexander which the Caldeans prognosticated to portend the death of Alexander The actors were that Bergamasco for his phantastick humors named Monarcho and two of the Spanish embassadors retinue who being about foure and twentie yeares past in Paules church in London contended who was soueraigne of the world the Monarcho maintained him self to be he and named their king to be but his viceroy for Spain the other two with great fury denying it At which my self and some of good account now dead wondred in respect of the subiect they handled and that want of iudgment we looked not for in the Spaniards Yet this moreouer we noted that notwithstanding the weight of their