peculiar to great Ulysses who having travelled through many Countreys had seen and observed the fashions of divers Nations a benefit which was much furthered by the use of Navigation which was very necessary for mankind were it onely for that God as well became the immencity of his power having created this world of almost an incomprehensible greatness having filled it with pretious things and endowed every Province with somewhat of particular navigation which is the rarest Invention that could ever have been thought on or put in practice by humane wit had brought it into so little a compass as the Aromaticks of the Molucchi though above fifteen thousand miles from Italy do so abound in Italy as if they grew there Thus ended Bias when Cleobelus rising up seeming with a low bow to crave leave to speak said thus I clearly perceive wise Gentlemen that the reformation of the present Age a business of it self very easie becomes by the diversity and extravagancy of our Opinions rather impossible then difficult And to speak with the freedom which becomes this place and the weight of the business we have in hand it grieves my heart to find even amongst us that are here that common defect of ambitious and slight wits who getting up into publike pulpits labor more to shew the rarity of their own wits by their new and curious conceits then to profit their Auditory by useful precepts and sound doctrines for to raise man out of the foul mire and dirt whereinto he is fallen what need we undertake that dangerous manifacture of making little windows in mens breasts according to Thales his advice and why should we undertake the laborous business of dividing the world into equal partitions according to Solons proposition and the course mentioned to be taken by Chilo of banishing gold and silver from out of the world or that of Pittacchus of forcing men to walk in the way of merit and vertue or lastly that of Bias that mountains should be raised higher and made more difficult to pass over then nature hath made them and that for the future the miracle of navigation should be extirpated which shews to what pitch mans ingenuity can arrive are they not sophistical fancies and mear Chimera's Our chiefest consideration ought to be that the remedy to be applyed to the undoing evils may be easie to be put in execution that it may work its effect soon and secretly without any noâ—…e and that it may be chearfully received by those who are to be reformed for by doing otherwise we shall rather deform the World then reform it And certainly not without reason for that Physician deserves to be blamed who should ordain a medicine for his sick patient which is impossible to be used and which would afflict him more then his disease Therefore it is the requisite duty of Reformers to provide themselves of a sure remedy before they take notice of the wound That Chyrurgion deserves to be punished who first opens the sick mans vein and then runs for things to close it up withal it is not onely foolishness but impiety to defame men with publishing their vices and to shew to the World that their maladies are grown to such a height as it is not in the power of man to cure them Therefore Tacitus who always speaks to the purpose if he be rightly understood doth in this particular advise men Omittere potius pravallada adulta vitia quam hoc assequi ut palem fieret quibus flagitiis impares essumus Those who would fell an old Oak are ill advised if they fall to cut down the top boughs Wise men do as I do now lay the ax to the greatest root I then affirm That the reformation of the present world consists wholly in these few vvords Premiar I buoni e punire gli scelerati in rewarding the good and punishing the bad Here Cleobelus held his peace whose Opinion Thales Mileseus did with such violence oppose as he shevved hovv dangerous a thing it is to offend such though by telling truth vvho have the repute to be good and vvise For he vvith a fiery countenance broke forth into these vvords My self and these Gentlemen most vvise Cleobelus since you have been pleased to reject our Opinions as sophistical and meer Chimera s did expect from your rare wisdom that for cure of these present evils you had brought some new and miraculous Bezoar fron the Indies wheras you have propounded that for the easiest cure which is the hardest and most impossible that could ever be fancied by the prime pretenders to high mysteries Caius Plinius and Albertus Magnus There is not any one of us my Cleobolus that did not know before you were pleased to put us in mind of it that the reformation of the world depends wholly upon rewarding such as are good and punishing the wicked But give me leave to ask you Who are those that in this our age are perfectly good and who exactly ill And I would know Whether your eye can discern that which could never yet be found out by any man living how to know true goodness from that which is counterfeit do not you know that modern hypocrites are arrived at that height of cunning as in this our unhappy age those are accounted to be cunningest in their wickedness who seem to be most exactly good and that such really perfect men who live in sincerity and singleness of soul with an undisguised and unartificial goodness without any thing of hypocrisie are thought to be scandalous and silly Every one by natural instinct loves those that are good and hate those that are wicked but Princes do it both out of instinct and interest And when hypocrites or other cunning cheaters are listened unto by great men and good men supprest or undervalued it is not by the Princes own election but through the abuse of others True vertue is known onely and rewarded by God and vices discovered and punisht for he onely penetrates into the depth of mens hearts and we by means of the windovv by me propounded might have penetrated thereinto had not the enemy of mankind sovved tares in the field where I sovved the grain of good advice But nevv lavvs hovv good and vvholsome soever have ever been and ever vvill be vvithstood by those vitious people vvho are thereby punished The Assembly vvere mightily pleased vvith the reasons alledged by Thales and all of them turning their eyes upon Periandro he thinking himself thereby desired to speak his opinion began thus The variety of opinions which I have heard confirms me in my former Tenet That four parts of five that are sick perish because the Physicians know not their disease who in this their error may be excused because men are easily deceived in things wherein they can walk but by conjecture But that we who are judged by Apollo to be the salt of the earth should not know the evil under which the present age
for that despicable commodity but that to appear in the Market with a basket full of such vile stuff would make him be laught at Apollo bad him then go give the darnel to somebody and thereby purchase a new friend the wretch reply'd he durst not present so poor a thing to any man which if he should do he should be but derided Then Apollo's fury being very much over he said if the refuse cul'd from such things as were good were not fitting merchandize for wise men and that they were neither worth selling nor giving he was convinced out of his own mouth that he had been ill advised when he undertook the business of leaving the roses which he found in the Poem by him censured to make an unuseful and shameful collection of the thorns or prickles And that in the reading of other mens labours the wary Vertuosi imitated the Bee which knew how to gather honey even from bitter flowres And that there being no sublunary thing which was not kneaded with some imperfections some bran would be found in the Works of Homer Virgil Livy Tacitus and Hyppocrates who were the wonders of writing if a man would be curious in sifting them but that he was satisfied if the flowre of his Vertuoso's Composures were currant merchandize That the defects of good Authors were conceal'd by the juditious and friendly readers and publisht only by such as are malitious And that to make profession of taking out the worst things only out of other mens writings was the office of base beetles which spent their lives with much gusto amidst the filth of excrements a thing very far from the practice of those honoured Litterati who feed advantagiously upon good things And that since his beloved Poets thought Time the most pretious Jewel which the East produced he could not well see how he could be so very a fool as to believe that they would cast away their hours in perusing his malitious detractions which they might advantagiously spend in reading the Works of Pindarus Sophocles Ovid and of his beloved Heracli This unfortunate Censurer was no sooner parted full of confusion from Apollo when he against whom the Censure was made came hastily in earnestly desiring permission that he might reply by way of Apology to his malevolent friend Apollo smiled and told him that he appeared as little wise who would by his Apology put a value upon other mens prating as Censurers appeared malitious That it was the greatest part of gross ignorance to lend an ear to the back-biting babling of those whisperers who not having sufficient parts to publish their own talents foolishly believe they may win credit by carping at others and that the Travailer who being annoi'd with the noise of Grashoppers in the midst of scorching Iuly should alight from his horse to kill them all were a very fool whereas he were wise who though he had a pair of good ears would seem to be deaf pass on his way and let them sing and burst The end of the first Century THE SECOND CENTURY The I. ADVERTISEMENT The Province of Phosides doth by her Ambassadors complain to Apollo that his Majesties Officers do not any whit observe their priviledges and are not onely not listened to in what they do say but receive a harsh answer THe well peopled Province of Phosides vvho rebelled some years ago against the ignorant and voluntarily submitted themselves to be governed by Apollo from whom they obtained such ample priviledges as those of Phosides might be said to live in a sort of liberty hath now sent her Ambassadors to this Court to complain of his Majesties Officers who do no vvays observe the priviledges granted them desiring that they may be better observed Apollo not being vvell pleased with this business referred it to the Council of State from vvhom tvvo days ago the Ambassadors received their final ansvver That the Lords of the Council did very much vvonder and vvere scandalized that the people of Phosides should understand the affairs of the World so little as not to knovv that Priviledges Exemptions and Immunities given to people nevvly purchased vvere like those cherries vvhich vvere given to little children to quiet them vvhen they cry vvhich vvhen they vvere quieted vvere taken from them The Prime Ambassador stoutly replied that if it vvere the custom of Pernassus so foully to abuse simple people Phosides vvould quickly cry again that she might be pacified vvith cherries of nevv priviledges To him Francis Guichardin Lord President of the Council ansvvered That they should do vvell first to consider their present condition for they should find that they had suffered themselves to be brought to such a point of slavery by the Citadels and strong Holds which in time of peace they had permitted to be built amongst them as if they returned to complain and cry they might be quieted by scourges without any danger to Apollo's affairs The II. ADVERTISEMENT Apollo makes use of the unfortunate Count St. Paul to frighten the Nobility in Kingdoms from rebelling against their natural Lords at the pressure of Foreign Princes APPOLLO much to his displeasure hath learnt how that some Princes that they may vanquish their enemies do not use open force as was the custom of ancient Hero's with armed men in the field but make use of fraud and cozenage whereat they are so good as they have been thereby able happily to atchieve very great enterprizes for the first arms that these draw against their enemies is shamefully to corrupt the Loyalty of other mens subjects and to incite the Nobles to rebel Apollo to remedy so great disorders gave command to Iovanni Francisco Lottoni Register of his Majesties Moral Precepts that the miserable Count S. Paul for a publique example of very great misfortune should be carried in an open chair by beggars and set before the Porch of the Delphick Temple This great Prince with his hands without fingers and so shamefully torn as they seem to be mangled by dogs is shewed by Lottoni to the people who in great numbers pass in and out through that Temple to whom he crys aloud Faithful Vertuosi lovers of learning and holy moral records take example by the calamity of this so miserable Prince who hath lost the use of his hands which God preserve still free to you and learn at the cost of others what it imports to be always pulling of Crabs out of their holes with your own hands for the advantage of other men The III. ADVERTISEMENT Great Euclid for having distated some powerful men is cruelly beaten by their Bravoes THe freshest news from Libetro brought by the ordinarry post from Ephesus bears date the fourteenth of this present moneth and they tell us that on the sixth of the same about noon Euclide that Prince of the Mathematicks was set upon by some under the Uranian Porch who beat him so cruelly with sand bags as they left him for dead Apollo was mightily disturbed at this
sed with ostentation and a certain vain-glory to appear more then what they are and not by sound and well-grounded Schollars who esteemed it a ridiculous thing good only to make the common people wonder The Petitioner replyed That if it were so he desired to better his memory by usual means Apollo said again That memory could not be better perfected then by continual study and assured him that thereby he might compass his desire The Schollar replyed again He had found the contrary For having lately been very diligent in studying Virgil the miracle of the Latin Poets he remembred but very few of those infinite delicacies which he had observed in him all which deserved never to be forgotten Apollo was not pleased with this answer for with some shew of anger not usual with him in giving audience at which times he puts on miraculous patience he bad him go study Virgil again and that he would remember much more the second time than he had done the first Then turning to those that were near him he said he hated their impertinances who having been but a quarter of an hour in a Mill would come forth as much bemealed as those Millers who keep there day and night all the daies of their life The LXI ADVERTISEMENT Juvinal refuseth a Challenge given him by Francisco Berni to contend with him in Satyrical Poetry SOme Latin and Itallian Poets fell some few daies ago a comparing the Itallian and Latin Poetry when Lodovico Ariosto thinking that the Latins did too much undervalue Itallian Poetry by too highly exalting their own said that the Itallians yielded to the Latins for the Heroick Verse which was grave and stately in the Latin tongue and did observe a delightful cadence by coupling the Dactils and Spondeas so excellently well but that in Lyrick Poetry he was of opinion they might march hand in hand together and that for what concerned Satyrical Verse the Itallians were so far advanced as in the tartness of their pleasant conceptions in the mordacity of their more grave affairs and in their easie expressing their conceits they far exceeded the Latins The Latins approved not of Ariostos opinion and said in their own defence they saw not why the Italian Poets should so much presume upon their skill in Satyrical Poetry there not being any one of them who might deservedly be compared to Iuvenal nor who durst vie with Persius Francisco Berni was present at this discourse who having gon beyond all the terms of the bitterest backbiting had so wounded even Aretines self with his cutting Verses as he bore the shamefull badges thereof in his face brest and hands This man told the Latin Poets that Iuvenal in respect of him was an ignorant fellow in Satyrical Poetry and that he would maintain this truth which he had spoken fairly and freely the first and second time and even till blood came in a bush of Bryars not only against Iuvinal but against whatsoever other Satyrical Poet yea though he had the advantage of a Commentator It is not to be said how highly all the Latin Poets were incenst at the hearing of these words who to abate the edge of this arrogant mans too great presumption and to maintain the name of Latin so much injured they had like to have used superchery to him but Horatio Venosino desirous that this question might be fairly and honorably decided appeased the incenst mindes of the Latin Poets and told Berni that he lied in all that he had said to the prejudice of Iuvinals honor and that he had slandered a Poet whose pens he was not worthy to make clean and that he in Iuvinals name accepted the challenge He therefore wisht him to appear the first day in Bellona's field with eights and thirds where Iuvinal should give him a good account of himself with his Heroick Verses in his hand This being said Berni accompanied with his brother-Poets went to arm himself and Horatio hasted to find out Iuvinal whom he acquainted with all that had past between him and Barni Iuvinal being astonished at the novelty of the business pawsed a good while then said Horatio if you have accepted the challenge in my name try you the business with him for I dare not As for Latin Poets I fear no mans face neither do I care a fig for a thousand but I tremble at the very naming of an Italian Satyrist Horatio seeing his own honor and the like of all Latin Poets in such danger encouraged Iuvinal and bad him remember that he was the Prince of Satyrical Poets and that such a one as he who had deserved the happiness to have Commentators a thing so much coveted by learned Poets ought not to be afraid of Bernies railing and told him there was no proportion to be held between the powerfull weapons of Heroick Verse between the excellent blade of the Latin tongue and the faint Italian Verse made by chance and so strictly tied to rhime as Italian Poets having their hand bound up with the cords thereof they could make no down-right blows nor lead a streight stockado as occasion should require as was clearly seen by Mauro who in the dangerous combat which he had when labouring in the bean-bean-field he was set upon by an enemy and thinking to make a full and mortal thrust at his belly his rithme forced him to give it him on his back which purchast him the name of Treachery The more the Venetian Poet incouraged and inheartned Iuvinal the more did his fear encrease The news of this challenge was by this time so spread abroad amongst the Vertuosi as it came to Apollos ears who was very much pleased thereat for he delighted exceedingly to see two Litterati buckle together in fury and wound one anothers reputation handsomly for for the most part the Vertuosi speak and write but so so in cold bloud but when heated and chafed with anger they do things beyond human wit in defence of their reputation and to purchase renown Wherefore hearing of Iuvinals backwardness he caused him speedily to be sent for and sharply upbraided his cowardliness and recommended the reputation of Latin Satyres unto him Then Iuvinal said thus in his own defence to his Majesty Sir I have the same courage that I formerly had nor do I fear to encounter a dozen Latin Satyrists I beseech your Majesty to remember that the excellency of Satyrical Poetry consists not in having a bold wit quick spirit a detracting Talent in sharp bitter reparties handsom Sonnets and ready replies but in the condition of the times wherein men live for in corrupt times the vein of Satyres is very fluent and the times wherein I lived cannot any waies be compared to the wickedness and cosenage of this present age If Berni should appear within the Lists and should assail me within the launce of modern vices such as were not known in my daies would he not drive me out of the List Apollo hearing this answer had no
Manifesto answered him presently in a writing which he published That since he had never deserved ill at Caesars hands he could not acknowledge the pardon which he said he had given him for taking up Arms against him as a favour For he who takes up arms to defend his free Countrey from a Tyrant did but what was his duty to do and did not therein misdemerit but ought rather to be commended even by the enemy And that Caesar after his victory at Pharsalia did not oblige those unto him whose lives he pardoned for he onely won the good opinion of his enemies who pardoned injuries received not injuries done unto them And if it were faults not merits which deserved to be pardoned then they who took up arms to defend the Roman liberty ought to pardon Caesar not Caesar them For the fault was his who would usurp upon his Countreys liberty the merit theirs that did defend it And that though it vexed his very soul to hear himself taxed of ingratitude by Caesar yet he was more troubled to think he should hold him for so great a villan as that though with pardon of life for so doing he could forget the injurious usurping the Countreys liberty which all worthy Senators ought to keep always deeply ingraven in their hearts And that that being onely true clemency which proceeds immediately from meer meekness certainly Caesar merited nothing at those Senators hands whom he pardoned for defending their liberties For he did it not out of any worthiness of mind but onely to secure his own Tyrannie for very well knowing that to grow cruel after victory towards the chief Senators was to incite the people of Romes publique hatred and highly to incense the prime Senators he gave other men their lives to secure his own That for his having declared him in his will to succeed in part of his inheritance he would have Caesar know that he treated not with ignorant people or such as did not very well know his deep cunning hid under that feigned benevolence and false liberality since it was not out of any affection to him that he had named him to be his heir but onely to maâ—… him lay down his Arms and to make him become an enemy to his â—…ntrey and to blot out of his mind the desire of recovering liberty a servitude which ambitious Tyrants purchase at a contemptible rate from base and avaricious Senators not from such as he who were so far from selling their or their Countreys liberty for any sum of gold how great soever as they sought to purchase it at the expence of theit blood And that the trick of basely lulling chief Senators asleep by sending them to be Ambassadors was past from Caesar into Augustus whose will and testament Tertio Gradu primores Civitatis Scripserat plerosque invisos sibi Tacit. lib. 1. Annal. was not as Tacitus had formerly but foolishly affirmed Iactantia Gloriaque ad Posteros but onely that those Senators who were his sorest enemies allured with hopes of reaping more benefit in servitude then in a free condition might become instruments to Tiberius in training him up in that Tyrannie which they were bound to make head against Brutus concluded this his writing saying That he was so far from acknowledging it a favour to have his life given him by Caesar as he would have taken it for a greater obligation from him if he had bereaft him of it since a worthy Senator cannot acquire a more glorious life then to be torn in pieces by the publike Tyrant such a Senators life being formidable unto the Tyrant for being a valiant defendor of liberty and that Tyrants gave a glorious life to such Senators as they were cruel unto whereas they asperse those with shame who too greedy of life did interchange the base benefit of their received pardon with the shameful oblivion of the injury done them in bereaving them of their publike liberty Caesar who was by nature haughty was so incenst at this answer as he challenged Brutus to a single duel in Campo Marte which Brutus willingly accepted but abhorring to fight with men half dead he bad him first go cure those wounds which he had given him in the Senat and then return to receive more with the same dagger with which he would be ready to wait upon him To this scornful answer of Brutus Caesar did as sconfully reply that the alledged impediment should not keep him from meeting him in the field for that Brutus very well knew that those his wounds were very well cured by his Nephew Augustus and by the whole Triumpherate with the corresive of proscription That therefore he should onely appear armed in the field and leave behind him those Cassii and Caschi and other swaggering companions which he was accustomed to make use of in his supercheries and foul play to men of honor To this Brutus answered That his custom was to put a great difference between enemy and enemy and that such as he fought onely with the arms of military worth to propagate the Roman Empire against the Hanibals Jugurthans Mitredates and other Foreign Princes but that Tyrants and ravinous wolves cloathed in lambs skins ought to be dealt withal with like Treachery and to have traps laid for them as is usually done for crafty Foxes The LXXII ADVERTISEMENT Certain Subjects desire their Princes that the infinite multitude of Laws which they live under may be reduced to a lesser number and that the Governors of Provinces may be forbidden to publish every day new Proclamations THe great abuse in some States is certainly much to be blamed where not onely the Princes are prone enough in publishing every day new Laws but do permit the Governors of their Provinces to run into the same error Which being often changed and all of them commencing their Government with an ardent desire to mend the world the very first week shame themselves with divulging certain new Proclamations according to their own fancies and full of those many extravagancies which use to abound in them who having framed new conceits in their brains are not so well advised as to weigh them with practice which is that true hammer whereby to discern between pure silver and false Alchymie For zeal to the publike good not regulated by a perfect judgement injures a gallant man in his reputation more then any bad intention The liberty of this manner of proceeding causeth those States wherein it is used to abound so much in Edicts Proclamations Constitutions and an infinite medly of new Laws as men live therein in great confusion it being very true that Corruptissima Republica plurimae Leges Tacit. terâ—…io Lib. Annal. a most corrupted Couâ—…rey abound most in Laws and the worst is that every Officer being resolute in the observance of such Proclamations as are by him published foolishly forgets those made by his predecessors so as the people not able to discern in this so great disorder what things
sweat and cunning industry which I have used to atchieve so important a designe are only known to thee and thou likewise knowst that by the valour of my Nation the dexterousness of mine own wit and my monies efficacy it is not many years since I sowed sâ—…ch troubles and civil Wars in France and whereupon I had chiefly grounded my hopes as that I was near compassing my desire nothing remained to overcome all difficulties but to joyn Naples to Millan which if I shall at any time be able to do I may safely say I have done the deed But since were it either through my fatal misfortune through the impossibility of the business or through the power of my cruel enemies who appeared against me the scandallous revolutions which I have been so long a plotting and sowing amongst the French are in despitâ—… of me turned on the sudden into that peace and tranquillity which it breaks my very heart to think on That I may not utterly ruine those my people whom I have almost brought to utter desolation by this undertaking which I propounded unto my self and that I may be no longer the discourse of people I now present my self before your Majesty humbly beseeching you to give me a clear answer whether that Universal Monarchy whiâ—…h I have so much set my heart upon and which is the only scope of all my actions be by the will of heaven destin'd to me and to my Nation And this I desire to know to the end that if the business prove impossible I may appease my self and set my mind in quiet or if it be feasible I may incourage my Spaniards in the possibility thereof for to tell thee the truth who seest the hidden thoughts of men by the so many hardships and sufferings which I have undergon by sea and land by the so many conspiracies and counter-plots which have been framed against me by my implacable enemies and which are framing faster now then ever I begin to be totally discouraged After this request the Temple shook and a great Earthquake followed immediately after when these words proceeded from the mouth of Apollo's Minister The Universal Monarchy shall again return to the Noble Italian Nation when she shall have banished all those intestine discords which have made her a slave to other Nations This sad answer being given the Spanish Monarchy went much afflicted out of the Temple and was very much astonished and when she saw the French Monarchy present her self before her she first past usual complements with her then taking her by the hand drew her aside and having acquainted her with what answer she had received from the Oracle she told her That since the Universal Monarchy was by the will of heaven to return again to the Italian Nation France would as soon make trial of new Cesar's as Spain should do of second Scipio's That therefore to secure themselves she thought the bâ—…st course would be to divide Italy between them She offered to teach her the same receit which as she affirms she had made happy trial of in the Indies by which they would so secure themselves from the Italian Nation as nothing should remain in the world of that wicked generation of men but the bare name Suffer me reply'd the French Monarchy to forget that unfortunate division that my King Lodovick the twelfth made lately with you and we will then speak further of this business For the French are not deceived the second time so easily as I perceive you fancy they are Then for the receit which you propose unto me to secure our selves from the Italians keep it I beseech you for your self For to rout out men from out the world to enjoy the naked earth without inhabitants as it hath been your practice to do in the Indies is a politick precept which is not found in the French Reason of State I have at my cost learn'd to content my self with a little provided it be good And therefore I ground my greatness more upon the multitude of my Subjects then upon the largeness of my Dominion And provided that my Frenchmen enjoy some satisfaction in this world I am content that others may do the like The business of agreement concerning Italy will require time and you know by experience that purgations taken to preserve ones self from apprehended malladies do often bring them the faster on I will be bold to tell you with that liberty which is proper to my nature that the business of subjugating whole Italy is not so easie a thing as I perceive you perswade your self it is For when I had the same caprichio it proved pernitious to me wherefore I believe it will prove little better to you For to my great loss I have learn'd that the Italians are a sort of people who watch alwaies how to escape out of our hands and which are never tamed under forreign slavery And though like crafty Apes they transform themselves into the customs of those Nations which rule over them yet they preserve their antient hatred concealed inwardly in their heart And they are expert Merchants of their slavery for they make you believe they are become good Spaniards by only puâ—…ng on a pair of Sicilian slops and us that they are become Frenchmen by putting on a Cambrick band But when they come to the point of business they shew more teeth then a thousand saws They are very like those greedy dames who by their alluring smiles soundly fleece their Sweet-hearts without ever coming to the conclusive point which they would be at Believe me therefore who have paid dearly for my learning of it that you shall reap nothing but loss and shame in going about to subdue Italy Philip the second King of Spain after some dispute concerning his Title enters in great State into Pernassus PHilip the second that potent King of Spain who came two months ago to this Court was not permitted to make his publick entry till yesterday The reason why was because in some Triumphant Arches which were built for him with great magnificence by the Spanish Nation these words were written Philippo secundo Hispaniarum utriusque Siciliae Indiarum Regi Catholico Italiae Pacis Auctâ—…ri felicissimo At which words the greatest part of the Italian Princes being displeased they desired they might be cancelled saying they would by no means acknowledge that peace from the Spaniards which they bought with ready moneys from the Hollanders and Zealanders This Aromatick business suffered a long dispute and though the Italian Princes did sufficiently prove that the present Peace of Italy ought not to be owned from any good intention in the Spaniards who would have wholly overrun it had it not been for that great diversion yet in the greatest heat of this contention the Queen of Italy with her wonted wisdom quenched the fire For having summoned all her Princes together she bad them leave ostentation and boasting to the Spaniards and that minding realities