for his worthynes in all Germany and now vsing the head and hand of duke Maurice and his frendes and hauyng the helpe of as many as hated the Spanyardes that is to say almost all Protestantes and Papistes to in Germany he should easely haue obtained what soeuer he had gone about But that bonde is now broken for euen this day when I was writyng this place came word to this Court that Marches Albert and Duke Maurice had fought where the Marches had lost the field and Duke Maurice had lost his life which whole battaile because it is notable I would here at length describe but that I should wander to farre from my purposed matter and therfore I in an other place or els some other with better oportunitie shall at large report the matter Ye see the cause why and the time wheÌ„ Duke Maurice fell from the Emperour And because he was so notable a Prince I will describe also the maner how he proceded in all these doyngs as I learned amongest them that did not greatly loue him And because it were small gayne to flatter him that is gone and great shame to lye vppon him that is dead for pleasyng any that be alyue I so will report on hym as his doynges since my commyng to this Court haue deserued He was now of the age of xxxij yeares well faced in countenance complection fauour and heard not much vnlike to Syr Raffe Sadler but some deale higher and well and strong made to beare any labour and payne He was once men say geuen to drinckyng but now he had cleane left it contented with small diet and litâ—e sleepe in this last yeares and therefore had a wakyng and workyng head and became so witty and secret so hardy and ware so skillfull of wayes both to do harme to others and keepe hurt from him selfe as he neuer tooke enterprise in hand wherein he put not his aduersary alwayes to the worse And to let other matter of Germany passe euen this last yeare within the compasse of eight monethes he professed him selfe open enemy agaynst foure the greatest powers that I know vpon earth The Turke the Pope the Emperour the French king obtained his purpose and wan prayse agaynst theÌ„ all foure For he in person and pollicie courage dispatched the Turkes purpose and power this last yeare in Hungary The Councell at Trent which the Pope the Emperour went so about to establish he onely brought to none effect first by open protestatioÌ„ agaynst that Councell and after by his commyng with his army to Insburge he brought such feare to the Bishops there gathered that they ran euery one farre away froÌ„ thence with such speed as they neuer durst hetherto speake of meeting there agayne And how he delt with the Emperour both in forcyng him to flye from Insburge and compellyng him to such a peace at Passo my whole Diarium shall at full instruct you And of all other he serued the FreÌ„ch kyng best who fayre pretendyng the deliuery of the ij Princes captiues and the maintenaunce of Religion libertie in Germany purposed in very deede nothyng els but the destruction of the Emperor the house of Austria for what cared he for religion abroad who at home not onely followeth none him selfe priuately in his life but also persecuteth the trouth in others openly with the sword But I do him wrong to say he followeth none who could for his purpose be coÌ„tent at one time to embrace all for to do hurt enough to the Emperor would become at once by solemne league ProtestaÌ„t Papish Turkish deuillish But such Princes that cary nothyng els but the name of bearing vp Gods word deserue the same prayse and the same end that that Prince dyd who semed so ready to beare vp the Arke of the Lord yet otherwise pursued Gods true Prophetes his word Agayne how much the French kyng cared for the libertie of Germany he well declared in stealyng away so vnhonorably from the Empire the Citie of Metz. But he thinckyng to abuse Duke Maurice for his ambitious purpose in very deede in the end Duke Maurice vsed him as he should for first he made him pay well for the whole warres in Germany as it is sayd .200000 crownes a moneth And after when the French kyng fell to catching of Cities duke Maurice tendryng the state of his countrey brake of with hym and began to parle with the good kyng of Romanes at Luiz which thyng wheÌ„ the FreÌ„ch kyng heard came within ij miles of the Rhene he straight way hyed more hastly with more disorder for all his great hast out of Germany as they say that were there then the Emperour being sicke without company and pressed by his enemy dyd go from Insburg And see how nobly Duke Maurice did which for the loue of his couÌ„trey durst fall from the FreÌ„ch kyng before he atchieued any thyng agaynst the Emperour And rather theÌ„ Germany should leese her Cities so by the French king he had leuer hassard both the leesing of his enterprice also the leauyng of hys father in law still in prison with the Emperour But as he had wit to take money pleÌ„ty of the French kyng so had he wit also to furnish him selfe so froÌ„ home as he durst first fall out with the French kyng durst also after to set vpoÌ„ the Emperour till he had brought his honest purpose to passe For there is not almost any in this Court but they will say duke Maurice did honestly in deliuering his father by strong hand which before left no fayre meane vnproued to do that humbly by entreaty which after was coÌ„pelled to bryng to passe stoutly by force And I pray you first marke well what he did and then iudge truly if any thing was done that he ought not to do For first he him selfe with the Marches of Bradenburge most humbly by priuate sute laboured for the Lansgraues deliuery offring to the Emperour princely offers and not to be refused as a huge summe of money a fayre quantitie of great ordinaunce certaine holdes of his some to be defaced some geueÌ„ to the Emperour and also personall pledges of great houses for hys good haberaunce all the residue of his life After wheÌ„ this sute was not regarded they againe procured all the Princes states of Germany beyng at the Diet at Augusta an .1548 to be huÌ„ble intercessors for him offring the selfe same coÌ„ditions rehearsed before addyng this more to become sureties them selues in any bande to his Maiestie for his due obedience for tyme to come Thirdly by the Prince of Spayne Duke Maurice neuer left to entreat the Emperour yea he was so carefull of the matter that his Ambassadors followed the Prince euen to his shipping at Genoa who had spokeÌ„ ofteÌ„ presently before wrote earnestly froÌ„ thence to his father for the Lansgraues deliuery it would not be And wise meÌ„ may say
it was not the wisest deede that euer the Emperor did to deny the prince this sute for if the Prince had bene made the deliuerer of the ij princes out of captiuity he had won therby such fauor in all Germany as without all doubt he had bene made coadiutor with the k. of Romaines his vncle And afterward the Emperor Which thing was lustly denyed to the Emperor by the Electors though he laboured in the matter so sore as he neuer dyd in any other before Fourthly this last yeare a litle before the open warres duke Maurice procured once agayne not onely all the Princes and free Estates of Germany but also the kyng of Romaines Ferdinand Maximilian his sonne king of Boeme the kyng of Pole the kyng of DeÌ„marke the king of Sweden to send also their Ambassadors for this suite so that at once xxiiij Ambassadours came before the Emperour together at Insburge To whom wheÌ„ the Emperour had geuen very fayre wordes in effect coÌ„cernyng a double meanyng aunswere that was this That it did him good to see so noble an Ambassage at once And therfore so many Princes should well vnderstand that he would make a good accompt of their sute Neuertheles because duke Maurice was the chiefest partie herein he would with speede send for him and vse his head for the better endyng of this matter But Duke Maurice seyng that all these Ambassadors weÌ„t home with out him and that the matter was referred to his present talke who was neuer heard in the matter before he wisely met with this double meaning aunswere of the Emperours with a double meanyng replica agayne for he promised the Emperour to come and at last in deede came so hastly and so hotely as the Emperour could not abide the heat of his breath For when duke Maurice saw that all humble sutes all quiet meanes were spent in vayne had to beare him iust witnes therin all the Princes of Germany First with close pollicie after open power both wittely and stoutly he atchieued more by force then he required by suite For the Emperour was glad to condiscend which surely in an extreme aduersitie was done like a wise Prince without money without artillery without defacyng of holdes without receiuyng of pledges to send the Lansgraue home honorably accoÌ„panied with at the Emperors charges the nobilitie of Brabant Flaunders This last day I dined with the Ambassadour of Venice in coÌ„pany of many wise heades where duke Maurice was greatly praysed of some for his wit of other for the execution of his purposes Well sayth a lusty Italian Priest I can not much prayse his wit which might haue had the Emperour in his handes would not Loe such be these Machiauels heades who thincke no maÌ„ to haue so much wit as he should except he do more mischief then he neede But Duke Maurice purposing to do no harme to the Emperour but good to his father in law obtainyng the one pursued not the other Yea I know it to be most true wheÌ„ we fled from Insburg so hastly Duke Maurice sent a post to the good kyng of Romanes bad him will the Emperor to make no such speede for he purposed not to hurt his person but to helpe his frend whereupon the Diet at Passo immediatly folowed I coÌ„mend rather the iudgement of Iohn Baptist Gascaldo the Emperours man and the kyng of Romanes generall in Hungary who is not wont to say better or loue any maÌ„ more then he should specially Germaines namely Protestantes And yet this last winter he wrote to the Emperour that he had marked Duke Maurice well in all his doynges agaynst the Turke and of all men that euer he had sene he had a head to forecast the best with pollicie and wit and a hart to set vppon it with courage and speed also a discressioÌ„ to stay most wisely vpon the very pricke of aduauntage Marches Marignan told some in this Court foure yeares ago that Duke Maurice should become the greatest enemy to the Emperour that euer the Emperour had which thing he iudged I beleue not of any troublesome nature which he saw in Duke Maurice but of the great wronges that were done to Duke Maurice knowyng that he had both wit to perceiue them quietly and also a courage not to beare them ouer long Some other in this court that loued not duke Maurice hauyng no hurt to do him by power went about to say him some for spight therfore wrote these two spightfull verses agaynst him Iugurtham Mauricus prodit Mauricius vltra Henricum Patruum Socerum cum Caesare Gallum He that gaue me this verse added thereunto this his iudgement well sayth he he that could finde in his hart to betray his frend Duke Henry of Brunswicke his nigh kinsman Duke Fredericke his father in law the Lansgraue his soueraigne Lord the Emperour his confederate the French kyng breakyng all bondes of frendshyp nature law obedieÌ„ce and othe shall besides all these deceaue all men if at length he do not deceaue hym selfe This verse and this sentence the one made of spight the other spoken of displeasure be here commended as men be affectioned For any part as I can not accuse him for all so will I not excuse him for part And yet since I came to this Court I should do him wrong if I did not coÌ„fesse that which as wise heades as be in this Court haue iudged on him euen those that for countrey Religion were not his frendes that is to haue shewed him selfe in all these affayres betwixt the Emperour and him first humble in intreatyng diligent in pursuyng witty in purposing secret in workyng fearce to foresee by open warre ready to parle for common peace wise in choyse of conditions and iust in performyng of couenaunts And I know he offended the Emperour beyond all remedy of ameÌ„des So would I be loth to see as I haue once sene his Maiestie fall so agayne into any enemyes handes lesse peraduenture lesse gentlenes would be found in him then was found in Duke Maurice who when he was most able to hurt was most ready to hold hys haÌ„d and that agaynst such an enemy as he knew well would neuer loue him and should alwayes be of most power to reuenge If Duke Maurice had had a Machiauels head or a cowardes hart he would haue worne a bloudyer sword theÌ„ he did which he neuer drew out in all these sturres but once at the Cluce that was to saue the Emperors meÌ„ Hetherto I haue followed the order of persons which hath caused me somewhat to misorder both tyme matter yet where diuers great affaires come together a man shall write confusedly for the matter vnpleasantly for the reader if he vse not such an apt kinde of partitioÌ„ as the matter will best affourde which thyng Plato sayth who caÌ„ not do knoweth not how to write Herein Herodotus deserueth in myne opinion a great deale more prayse then Thucidides although he wrote of a matter more confused for places time and persons then the other did In this point also Appianus Alexandrinus is very commendable and not by chaunce but by skil doth follow this order declaryng in his Prologue iust causes why he should do so Our writers in later tyme both in Latin other tounges commonly confound to many matters together and so write well of no one But see master Astley I thincking to be in some present talke with you after our old wont do seeme to forget both my selfe and my purpose For the rest that is behind I will vse a grose homely kind of talke with you for I will now as it were cary you out of England with me will lead you the same way that I went euen to the Emperours Court beyng at Augusta an .1550 And I will let you see in what case it stode and what thyngs were in doyng when we came first thether After I wil cary you and that a pace because the chiefest matters be throughly touched in this my former booke through the greatest affaires of ij yeares in this court Yet in order till we haue brought Duke Maurice as I promised you to ioyne with Marches Albert in besiegyng Augusta And theÌ„ because priuy practises brast out into open sturres I might better marke thynges dayly then I could before And so we will depart with the Emperour from Insburg and see dayly what chaunces were wrought by feare and hope in this Court till hys Maiestie left the siege of Metz and came downe hether to Bruxels where then all things were shut vp into secret practises till lastly of all they brake forth into new mischiefes betwixt the Emperour and Fraunce in Picardy also betwixt Duke Maurice and the Marches in hyghe Germany which thynges I trust some other shall marke and describe a great deale better then I am hable to doe ¶ FINIS C. Caesar. P. Iouius Polibius Phi. Comines Thucidides Homer Chaucer Titus Liuius Tho. Morus The cause of the sturres in Italy Germany Unkyndnes The brech with the Turke An horrible face The great Turke Mustapha the Turkes â—ldest sonne Brech of Italie Octauio Breach with Fraunce Pope Parma MiraÌ„dula The Popes practice Syr Iohn Gates wish Marches Albertes booke and the coÌ„tents therof Sore and iust complayntes The booke of Luice de Auila The duke of Bauiere vnkyndly handled Duke of Prusia Xenoph. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lazarus Swendy Iohn Fredericke Duke of Saxon. A noble nature * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â–ª wordes alwayes vsed in Thucidides in decidyng coÌ„mon controuersies Why Duke Maurice left hys dearest frendes and fell in with the Emperour Ambition The Turke The Pope The Emperour French kyng Duke Maurice offer for the LaÌ„sgraues deliuery Iohn Baptist Gascaldo Duke Maurice
open remedy and wanted no displeasure for inward grief Duke Ernestus Marches Albert and Lazarus Swendy sate at supper togethers as they were talkyng of the Interim the Marches soddenly brast out into a fury saying what deuill will the Emperour neuer leaue striuyng with God in defacyng true Religiō and tossyng the world in debarryng all mēs liberties addyng that he was a Prince vnkynd to euery man and kept touch with no mā that could forget all mens merites would deceiue whom soeuer he promised The Duke liked not this hoate talke in hys house and at his table but sayd Cosin you speake but merely and not as you thincke adding much the prayse of the Emperours gentlenes shewed to many and of his promise kept withall Well quoth the Marches if he had bene either kynde where men haue deserued or would haue performed that hee promised neither should I at this tyme accuse hym nor you haue sit here in this place to defende hym for he promised to geue me this house with all the landes that thereto belongeth but ye be affrayd Cosin quoth the Marches lest this talke be to loud and so heard to farre of when in deede if the Commissarie here be so honest a man as I take him and so true to his master as he should be he will not fayle to say what he hath heard and on the same cōdition Commissary I bryng thee good lucke and drancke of vnto hym a great glasse of wine Lazarus Swendyes talke then sounded gētly and quietly for he was sore affrayed of the Marches But he was no soner at home with the Emperour but word was sent straight to Duke Maurice that the Marches who was as thē come to Madenburg if he would needes serue there should serue without wages Ye may be sure the Marches was chafed a new with this newes who already had lost a great sort of hys men and now must leese hys whole labour thether and all his wages there besides the losse of hys honour in takyng such shame of hys enemies receiuyng such vnkyndnes of the Emperour The Marches was not so greeued but Duke Maurice was as well contented with this commaundement for euen then was Duke Maurice Secretary practisyng by Baron Hadeckes aduise with the French kyng for the sturre which dyd follow and therfore was glad when he saw the Marches might be made hys so easely whiche came very soone to passe so that the Marches for the same purpose in the ende of the same yeare went into Fraunce secretly and was there with Shertly as a commō Launce Knight and named hymselfe Captaine Paul lest the Emperour spials should get out his doynges where by the aduise of Shertly hee practised with the French kyng for the warres which followed after This matter was told vnto me by Iohn Mecardus one of the chief Preachers in Augusta who beyng banished the Empiere when and how ye shall heare after was fayne to flye and was with Shertly the same yeare in Fraunce The Marches came out of Fraunce in the begynnyng of the yeare .1552 and out of hand gathered vp men but his purpose was not knowne yet the Emperour mistrusted the matter beyng at Insburg sent Doct. Hasius one of hys counsell to know what cause he had to make such sturre This Doct. Hasius was once an earnest protestāt and wrote a booke on that side was one of the Palsgraues priuy counsell But for hope to clime higher he was very ready to be entised by the Emperour to forsake first his master then God By whō the Emperour knew much of all the Princes Protestants purposes for he was commonly one whom they had vsed in all their Dietes and priuate practises which thing caused the Emperour to seeke to haue hym that by his head he might the easelyer ouerthrow the Protestantes with them God and hys word in all Germany This man is very lyke M. Parrie her graces cofferer in head face legges and bellye What aūswere Hasius had I can not tell but sure I am the Marches then both wrote his booke of complayntes agaynst the Emperour and set it out in Printe And also came forward with banner displayed and tooke Dillyng vpon Danuby the Cardinall of Augustus towne which Cardinall with a few Priestes fled in post to the Emperour at Inspurg where he found so cold cheare and so litle comfort that forthwith in all hast he posted to Rome Horsemen and footemen in great companies still gathered to the Marches and in the ende of March he marched forward to Augusta where he Duke Maurice the young Lansgraue the duke of Mechelburg George and Albert with William Duke of Brunswycke and other Princes confederate met together and besieged that Citie Where I will leaue the Marches till I haue brought Duke Maurice and hys doinges to the same time and to the same place ¶ Duke Maurice NOt many yeares agoe whole Saxony was chiefly vnder two Princes the one duke Iohn Fredericke borne Elector who yet liueth defender of Luther a noble setter out and as true a follower of Christ and his Gospell The other hys kynsman Duke George who is dead Knight of the order of the Golden Fleece a great mā of the Emperour a mayntainer of Cocleus and a notable piller of Papistry Duke Iohn Fredericke is now 50. yeares of age so byg of personage as a very strong horse is scarse able to beare hym yet is he a great deale bygger in all kynde of vertues in wisedome iustice liberalitie stoutnes temperancy in hym self and humanitie towardes others in all affaires and either fortunes vsing a singular trouth and stedfastnes so that Luice de Auila and the Secretary of Ferrare who wrote the story of the first warres in Germany and professe to be his ernest enemies both for matters of state and also of Religion were so compelled by his worthynes to say the truth as though theyr onely purpose had bene to write his prayse He was fiue yeares prisoner in this Court where he wan such loue of all men as the Spanyardes now say they would as gladly fight to set hym vp agayne as euer they dyd to pull hym downe For they see that he is wise in all his doynges iust in all hys dealynges lowly to the meanest princely with the biggest and excellyng gentle to all whom no aduersitie could euer moue nor pollicy at any tyme entice to shrincke from God and his word And here I must needes commend the Secretary of Ferrare who beyng a Papist and writyng the history of the late warres in Germany doth not kepe backe a goodly testimony of Duke Frederickes constancy toward God and hys Religion When the Emperour had taken the Duke prisoner he came shortly after before the Citie of Witemberg and beyng aduised by some bloudy coūsellours that Duke Frederickes death should by the terrour of it turne all the Protestantes from theyr Religion caused a write to be made for the Duke to be executed the