advancing of their Catholike cause Now the Scots-Queen led on by her blind guides dealt most importunely with the Pope and Spaniard by Sir Francis Englefield that by all meanes they would with speed undertake their intended businesse namely the invasion of our Realme For the advancing wherof the Pope and Spaniard had resolved on these points 1. That Qu. Elizabeth should be deprived of her Kingdom 2. That the King of Scots a manifest favourer of heresie should utterly be dis-inherited of the Kingdom of England 3. That the Scots-Queen should marry some noble man of England that was a Catholike 4. That this man must be chosen King of England by the Catholikes of England 5. That this choice so made must be confirmed by the Pope 6. That the children of him so chosen begotten of the Scots-Queen must be declared Successours in the Kingdom All these things were confirmed to be true by the testimony of one Hart a Priest Who was that noble English-man that should marry the Scots-Queen was much enquired after by Sir Francis Walsingham with all diligence but not certainly found out yet there was strong suspition of Henry Howard brother to the Duke of Norfolke who was noble by birth unmarried and a fast favourer of that Religion and in great grace and favour with them All these things were discovered by this Creighton the Jesuites torn Papers as afore-said And all this their plotting and contriving of France Spaine and the Pope against Queene Elizabeth and King James for no other cause but for their Religion which they had now fairely begun to establish among their people Parry executed for Treason IN the yeare 1585. William Parry a Welch-man and Doctor of Law spake against that Law which in the Parliament then held was exhibited and called it a bloudy Law Presently after he was accused of practising the Queens death He confessed voluntarily in the Tower that having obtained the Queens pardon for breaking into the chamber and wounding one Hare for which he was condemned he being a sworne fervant to the Queen From England he went into France and was reconciled Afterward at Venice in consultation with Benedict Palmeus he told him that he had found out a way to help the afflicted Catholikes in England if the Pope or some learned Divines would approve it as lawfull The Jesuite Palmius approved it Next in France one Morgan drew him to consent to murder the Queen if it should prove lawfull This act the Popes Nuntio Ragazonius commended Parry afterward having accesse to the Queen shewed her all and not long after Cardinall Come his letter approving the enterprise Now he taketh a new resolution to perform it encouraged specially by D. Alins Book teaching that Princes excommunicate are to be spoiled of their Kingdoms and lives These with many other things Parry confessed before the Lord Hunsdon Sr. Christopher Hatton and Sr. Francis Walsingham In Westminster Hall the heads of his accusation being read he confessed himself guilty He died in the Palace-yard before Westminster Hall not once calling on the name of God At this time also Henry Earle of Northumb for entring into traiterous counsels with Paget and the Guises to invade England was cast into the Tower where he was found dead being shot with 3. bullets under his left pap the chamber door bolted in the inside A pistoll was found in his chamber and himself the author of his own death Thus from time to time the most noble Families of England have bin seduced and ruined by the false and bewitching counsels of Jesuits and Seminaries Savages attempt to kill the Queen NOw againe there was a most abominable treason conspired and voluntarily confessed by the conspirators One Gifford a Doctor in Divinity Gilbert Gifford and Hodgeson Priests perswaded one John Savage a bloody fellow to undertake to kill Queen Elizabeth To hide their mischievous intents more cunningly from the Queens Counsell who were very carefull to fore-see all danger they wrote a Book in which they advise the Papists in England not to goe about to hurt the Queen For they were to use no other weapons against their Prince then the Christian weapons of Teares Fasting Prayers and the like and most cunningly also these Foxes spread a rumour that George Gifford one of the Queens Pensioners had sworne to kill the Queen and for that cause had gotten from the Guises a very great summe of Mony The Easter following John Ballard an English Priest of the Colledge of Rhemes was come into England who had bin trying the minds of Papists in England and Scotland He had dealt with Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador in France Charles Paget and others for the invasion of England And although it seemed to be a very hard work yet he had sworne to use his utmost endeavour in it and also for the liberty of the Queen of Scots At Whitsuntide in a Souldiers habit and under the name of Captain Fortescue he had a conference in London with Anthony Babington a young Gentleman of Darby-shiere Romishly affected who not long before in France had conference with Thomas Morgan and the Bishop of Glasco the Scotch Queens Ambassadour He was drawn by them shewing him most assured hopes of honour from her to addict himselfe to them and by their meanes had favourable letters from her Ballard and Babington conferred together concerning the invasion of England but it was not deemed a thing could be done Queen Elizabeth being alive Then Ballard informed Babington that Savage had undertooke to kill her Babingtons advice was that it should not be committed to Savage alone least perhaps he might be hindered but to six resolute men of which number Savage should be one Vpon this Babington took into his consideration the Ports in which the invaders should land the confederates that should joyne in the act of murdering Q. Elizabeth and delivering the Scots-Queen In the mean time a letter was brought from the imprisoned Queen to Babington in a secret character blaming Babingtons long silence but he excused it because she was under the custody of Sr. Amice Paulet a severe keeper declared unto her that which Ballard and he had resolved before and that himself with one hundred more would deliver her The purpose by her letters unto Babington was commended and it was advised that it should be undertaken considerately and nothing should be moved before they were sure of externall forces that they should make an association as if they feared the Puritans that some tumults might be raised in Ireland while the thing should be done here That Arundell and his brethren and Northumb should be drawn to the side Westmerland Paget and others called home The way to deliver the Scots-Queen was appointed to overthrow a Coach in the gate or set the Stables on fire or intercept her as she rode to take the aire betwixt Chartly and Stafford Babington undertook for rewards to all that should give their help He had gotten unto him Edward Windsor
sufficiently supplyed with men and arms as is fit and much desired therfore I say the Lord of Hoasts abhorring and abominating such atrocious and hell-fomented blasphemies murthers and mercilesse cruelties makes his just indignation and wrath to prosecute and pursue them at the heeles giving those small and inconsiderable companies such admirable and even almost miraculous victories over them as most evidently declare the hand of the Lord to be against them and his gracious purpose utterly to supplant and exterminate such devillishly desperate and intolerably barbarous and bloody Rebels and Traitors the lively lims and lineaments of that bloody Strumpet of Rome The most bloody Massacre at Paris Anno 1572. extracted out of the French History truly and briefly related ANd now good Reader give me leave a little to seeme to digresse not so much from the matter as from the persons and places at first propounded and to looke but a little into our neighbour Kingdome of France where I say I shall only vary from personages but the subject matter the same with the former setting forth the bloody plots and conspiracies of the Popish Faction among them also against those of the reformed Protestant Religion in France and especially in that most butcherly and barbarous Massacre at Paris where it primarily and chiefly began to be cruelly acted and executed on Gods innocent lambes marked out to the slaughter before hand And thus it was in brief In the yeares 1571. and 72. Charles the ninth then K. of France the said K. the then Duke of Guise and others of the Romish Faction bearing a most inveterate hatred which was craftily concealed against those of the Religion and in speciall against the then most renowned Admirall of France whose Piety Prudence and Prowesse was such and in so high esteem of all both friends and foes also that whiles he subsisted and survived the Popish-party maugre their malice could doe nothing to any purpose to the prejudice of the cause of the Religion At last a plot was laid most craftily and cruelly under pretence of a marriage between the Prince of Navarr a noble and pious Prince of the Religion and the Kings Sister by which snare to bring the said Prince the Admirall and the rest of the heads of the Religion to the Court and City of Paris that so these heads being first smitten-off the inferiour members therof might the more easily be destroyed Under this colour I say the King invites the Admirall to the Court at Paris pretends a faire correspondence and agreement of all matters in difference 'twixt his Majesty and those of the Religion especially himselfe and the Admirall and a reconcilement also betweene this noble Admirall and the Duke of Guise In which interim one Lignerolles a French Gentleman was openly slain in the Court for discovering some secrets concerning this plot against those of the Religion and the Cardinall of Chastillon then in England and ready to depart thence for France brother to the Admirall of France was poysoned by one of his Chamberlaines and dyed therof to the great griefe of all his friends and servants The most noble and religious Admirall on the Kings invitation comes to Paris was with extraordinary fair shows of love and regall respect most welcomely entertained both he and divers others of the Religion that came with him The fore-said marriage was not long after solemnized in Paris with great pretences of joy and content on all sides expressed in most sumptuous and liberall feasts and banquets Maskes and dances the sweet innocent Princes little dreaming of such a dance to be now a leading by the King Queen-mother and Duke of Guise with the rest of their Romish bloody faction as stain'd nay steep'd all their dainties in streames of their hearts blood in so much as 't was admired to see such a seeming friendly mixture of those of the Religion with the Romish Catholiks just like so many lambs among so many greedy wolvs Now whiles every one imployed himself in such like mirth jollity divers that were sent for by the K. Q-Mother Du. of Guise that so they might be sure to be the stronger party speedily arrived in Paris the Catastrophe of all that follows having bin made not long before among them the Dukes of Guise and Anjon being the principall actors openly seen in this wicked work who resolved not to let the Admirall depart out of Paris but there to dispatch him and all such as should indeavour to defend him Now it so fell out that one morning the Admirall comming out of the Lonure and going to dine at his lodging being on foot and without least suspition of any villanie to be attempted against him as he was reading a Petition one shot at him with a harquebush the bullet wherof tooke away the fore-finger of his right-hand and hurt him in the left-arme the villaine that shot escaped by flight a horse standing ready to post him away after he had done the deed The noble Admirall being therupon brought to his lodging shewed most singular Piety Constancy and Patience under his Surgeons hands was visited by divers Lords and Gentlemen of the Religion the K. of Navarr now the K. of France his brother in law and the Prince of Conde The French K. also though a maine plotter in the work craftily complained to these Princes of the mischiefe thus happened protesting his sorrow and swearing revenge and severe execution of Justice on the offendor whosoever he were The K. himself also went to visit the Admirall making many serious and deep protestations of his high esteem of his loyalty and fidelity to his Person and Crowne alwayes and that he held and esteemed him a most discreet and valiant Commander in Arms and that therfore he much respected him with many such like French complements Immediately after the Kings departure the K. of Navarr and the Prince of Conde were certainly but very secretly enformed of the intended massacre on all of the Religion and advised as speedily as they could to get away out of Paris and to be assured that that blow given to the Admirall was but the beginning of the Tragedy but alas good Princes they so much confided on the Kings vows promises that they rejected this advise and counsel staied ther still About Saturday evening being the 23. of Aug. 1572. certain Protestant Gen. offered themselves to watch that night with the good Admirall but Teligny his son in law would not suffer them but dismissed them with many thanks little suspecting still any approaching or precipitating danger on his father Night being come-on the Duke of Guises Lieut. in this action which now at this present was to be declared to the Duke of Anjon sent for all the Captains of the Switzers and companies of Strangers which still increased into the Town shewing them his Commissions to kill the Admir and all his partakers exhorting them to be couragious in shedding of blood and making spoyle of
others on the roofes of houses and in whatsoever other places where they might be found It would be too tedious to recite at large the names and surnames of all the honorable personages of divers qualities that were then slain and butchered it sufficeth that their names are written in heaven and that their death though shamefull and despicable in the sight and presence of men of this world is precious in the sight of the Lords most holy Majesty Now let the tender hearted Christian Reader but consider and ponder in his heart how strange and horrible a thing it might be in a great Town or City to see at the least 60000 men with Pistols Pikes Courtlasses Ponyards Knives and other such bloody instruments run swearing and blaspheming the sacred Majesty of God throughout the streets and into mens houses where most cruelly they massacred all whomsoever of the Religion they met without regard of estate condition sex or age the streets paved with bodies cut and hewed in peeces the gates and entries of houses Palaces and publike places died with bloud A horrible plague of shoutings and howlings of the murtherers mixed with continuall blows of Pistols and Calivers together with the pittifull cryes of those that were murthered the bodies cast out at windowes upon the stones drawne through the dirt with strange noyse and whistlings the breaking open of doors and windows with bils stones and other furious instruments the spoyling and plundering of houses Carts carrying away the spoyles and dead bodies which were throwne into the river of Soame all red with blood which ran in great streams through the Town and from the Kings Pallace into the said river As for the King of Navarr himselfe and the Prince of Conde they were called into the Kings presence who must himselfe speak with them who with his own mouth certified them what had thus past all this while adding that he had saved their lives only upon condition that they should renounce their Religion and follow his otherwise that they must look for the like punishment that their Adherents had and should receive The King of Navarr besought the King to remember his promise of alliance newly contracted and not to constraine him in his Religion The Prince of Conde also more fervently answered that the King had given his faith unto him and to all those of the Religion with so solemn a Protestation and Vow that he could not be perswaded that his Majesty would falsifie such an authentick oath and that thereupon he had thus farre yeelded to his Majesties demands and faithfully performed what he had required of him on this assurance But as touching the Religion whereof the King had granted him the free exercise and God the true knowledge to whom he was to make an account therin for this his Religion he said he was fully resolved to remaine most constant therin and which he would alwayes maintain to be true although it were with the losse of his life This answer of the Prince set the King into such a choller that he began to call him rebell seditious and son of a seditious person with horrible threatnings to cause them to loose their heads if within 3 dayes they tooke not better counsell and indeed these threatnings and other crafty carriages in this way so wrought on both these Princes at last that they forsooke their Faith and first Love and turned to Romish abhominations Now the King perceiving that this massacre of Paris would not quench the fire but rather kindle it the more fearing least those of the Religion in his other Provinces and Townes might assemble and unite themselves together and so give them new worke he with the speedy advise of his Counsellours sent two Messengers with two severall Messages the one to the Governours and seditious Catholikes of his remoter Townes wherein were many of the Religion with expresse command to massacre them the other containing certaine Letters to the Governours of Provinces by which he pretended this Massacre to be perpetrated by the Duke of Guise and the Admirall to be murthered on a particular and private quarrell twixt them two and that the Kings honest meaning and intention was utterly against these things and seriously to maintaine his former Edict of a generall Pacification and therfore that his care and vigilancy had ceased it the same day it began and yet as my Authour recordeth in his History on the Tewsday following being the 26. of the same August the King accompanied with his Brethren and the chiefest of his Court went to his Court of Parliament and there publickly declared in expresse tearms that whatsoever had hapned in Paris was done not only by his consent but also by his commandement and of his own motion And as for his other former mentioned Message and Letter to other Townes and Provinces for the massacring of those of the Religion among them also his bloudy command herein was immediately put in execution at Lyons and many other places where the poore Protestants were murthered and massacred in most hideous and horrible manner by those mercilesse and inhumane Butchers of bloody Rome who knockt down the innocent Christians among them as so many doggs cut their throats â—â—angled their bodies slash'd off their hands with great sharp knives as on their knees they held them up to the villains praying for the sparing of their lives yea and were knowne to rip up their bellies and take out their fat from their bowels and to sell it to their Apothecaries to make medicines Thus also in those remoter parts from Paris were very many thousands of the Religion murthered without any difference or distinction either of Sex or Age. And so deeply enraged was the King and his adherents and so desperately resolved to root out and extirpate the memory of those of the Religion especially of any note or eminency that the King having at last got into his custody one Briquemant a noble French Gentleman of the age of seventy yeares one that had valiantly imployed himselfe in the Service of the Kings of France having been found in the House of the Embassadour of England then resident in France wherein he had hid himselfe whiles the greatest fury of the massacre was executed was by the Kings command put in close prison together with another vertuous Gentleman Cavagnes Master of the Requests both which Gentlemen bare great affection both unto the Religion and also unto the renowned Admirall and were themselves of great esteeme and reputation in France but the King having them now fast in hould threatned to teare them in peeces upon the rack if they would not write and signe with their hands that they had conspired with the Admirall to kill the King his Brethren the Queene and the King of Navarr But they having most constantly and justly refused to avouch so horrible a lye against their owne and their godly friends innocencies were racked and cruelly tormented and by a most unjust sentence
he might out of Ireland the north of England and Scotland also where he knew were many Papists invade England This man to help forward this great designe practised secretly with the Pope and with the King of Spain for the Havens of Biscay But the King of Spain neglected him in this desire accounting England and Scotland a morsell fitter for his own palate During this treaty of perpetuall peace this treacherous Don treateth secretly with the Scotish Queen about the marriage and the better to work his own ends took divers Towns and Castles in the Low-countries by treachery and wrote into Spain that for the invasion of the Netherlands it would be best to seize on first the Towns of Zealand before the more inland places and that England might with the more ease be first invaded The Queen in the mean while prepareth for war but God cut off this her enemy very sodainly before the fruits of his high thoughts were ripe Stueleys designe against Ireland NOt long before this time in Ireland Thomas Stucley a prodigall riotous and needy English-man discontented for that he lost the Stewardship of Wexford breathes out contumelies against the Queen and betaketh himselfe to the Pope with whom he treateth and boasteth that he will subdue Ireland with 3000. men and burne the Queens Navy Pope Pius quintus had a great opinion of him After him Gregory the 13. and the King of Spaine consulted together to invade England and Ireland at once The Pope aymed to get for his Son James Boncompayno the Kingdome of Ireland and the Spaniard chiefly to imitate the course of Qu. Elizabeth who to keep the Spaniard busie abroad secretly sent ayd to the Dutch that he might with-draw her help from the Low-countries But because the strength of England consisteth chiefly in the Navy the King of Spaine setteth the Merchants of Italy and the Netherlands a worke to hire the Merchants ships of England and so to send them away in very long voyages that the ships being from home and Stucley joyning with the Rebels of Ireland the Queens Navy might be over-thrown by a greater The Pope gave him very great Titles in Ireland and sent under his command 800. Italians the Spaniard paying the souldiers Stucley then went to Sebastian King of Portugall to intreat him to be chiefe Conductor but was perswaded by the said King and the King by Abdallas son Mahomet to go first unto the African warr where both King Sebastian and himself lost their lives And thus God overthrew their wicked counsels for that time Fitz-Morris his second attempt against Ireland ANno Domini 1579. James Fitz-Morris formerly having fled into France being pardoned for a former Rebellion in Ireland goeth now to the Spaniard and is by him sent unto the Pope to consult with him about his request which was to reduce that Kingdome by force of Arms unto Popery The Pope at the earnest sult of Nicolas Sanders an English and Alan an Irish Priest gave Fitz-Morris some mony to that intent and sendeth him back to the Spaniard from whence with his Priests 3. ships and a few Souldiers he arrived at Smerwick in Kerry in Ireland and raiseth a Fort there Thomas Courtney an English-man presently surpriseth the ships John and James brethren to the Earle of Desmond joyn themselves to Fitz-Morris who was their Kinsman The Earle of Desmond although he pretended the contrary favored them drew forces together and by this pretence of Desmond caused the Earle of Clanrickard who came to oppose them to withdraw himselfe Fitz-Morris seeing few Irish come to his aid under pretence of going in pilgrimage to the holy crosse of Tipperary went toward Conaught and Vlster to draw forces together whose horses being tired he took some horses from the Plough of William a Burgh his kinsman and being pursued by the sons of William a Burgh Fitz-Morris perceiving that told his cousin Theobalda Burgh that it was no time now to fall out about horses but to joyne with him in the businesse of rebellion for which he was come into Ireland These brethren had bin in a former rebellion but now declared unto Fitz-Morris their sorrow for it yet now fighting with Fitz-Morris to recover the horses both the brethren and some others were slain Sir William Drury was then Lord Deputy who sent for the Earle of Desmond who made a promise by his wife to the Deputy that he and his men would fight against the Rebels He dissembled long but after that Malbey had defeated John his brothers forces and had sent for Desmond to come unto him about Rekel a Town of Desmond he plainly discovered his rebellion That night the Rebels set upon Malbeys Tents but were disappointed Afterward Desmond was sent for to come in person by the Lord Deputy Pelham who succeeded the deceased Sir William Drury but excuseth himselfe by a letter sent by his wife The Earle of Ormond was sent unto him that he should deliver Sanders the Priest the Castles of Carigofoile and Asketton and to submit himself absolutely The prosecuting of him was committed to the Earle of Ormond who ruined Conilo the Rebels only refuge he hanged the Bayliffe of Youghall at his doore for refusing to take an English garrison into the Town besieged the Spaniards in Strangicall but they withdrew themselves and after were all killed and so hard he pressed Desmond and his brethren that madly they intreated the chiefe Justice to take their parts Afterward the Justice sent for the Nobility of Munster to come to him and would not dismisse them till they had given pledges that they would assist against the Rebels They made the Baron of Lixenaw yeeld himself took Carigofoil Castle killed and hanged all the Spaniards in it and the Captain also an Italian San Josephus with 700. Spaniards sent into Ireland THe next Yeare 1580. 700. Spaniards and Italians came to divert the Qu. Forces rather then to conquer Ireland they landed at Smerwick under the command of San Josephus an Italian they fortified it and called it Fort Delor but being followed by the Earle of Ormond they withdrew thence into a valley called Glammingel Some prisoners of them were taken who confest they were 700 and that Armes were brought for 5000 and that more were expected from Spain that to conquer Ireland the Spaniard and Pope had resolved and therefore sent into the hands of Sanders Desmond and his brother John a vast sum of mony That night the Spaniards and Italians returned to their Fort which so soon as Ordinance could be brought and Winter was returned with the Ships of war from England was on every side besieged and after 5 days taken The common Souldiers Italians and Spaniards were put to the sword the Irish hanged only the Captains of the former were preserved Three years after Desmond wandering like a vagabond had his arme almost cut-off by a common Souldier before he was known and after was slain Nicolas Sanders was almost famished in the Woods
a most accursed Covenant just as our Popish-Pouder-Traitors did in their damnable designe and bound themselves by an oath of Confederation and Secrecy Reily a prime Popish-Priest and others like his father the Devill compassing the Earth farre and neer to draw into their conspiracy such as had not before bin therwith acquainted as also to satisfie all scruples if any arose in any of their minds about the lawfullnesse of their actions just as Garnet that old Romish Jesuiticall Fox did with his Pouder-conspirators 1605. And wheras they falsly have masked this their most inhumane Treason and Rebellion under the Kings name pretending his authority and all they did or doe in obedience to his Majesty and tender respect to his Royall Prerogative yet it hath bin by some others of them professed that they intended to have a King of their own yea that they had one already some saying Tyrone was he others Sir Philim O Neal who hath bin audaciously and traiterously honoured with the stile of his Majesty and that they will with the assistance of Spain and France set footing in England having completed their own devillish Irish-work and after that in Scotland where all things being setled to their desires the whole forces of Ireland in way of retribution and acknowledgement of gratitude was intended as hath bin confessed for the King of Spain against the Hollanders Such mighty and invincible Conquerours had they made themselves in their owne conceipts and most bold and bloudy imaginations Unto which their horrible disloyalty and unparalleld treachery and Rebellion they added most execrable expressions of unheard of hatred and inhumane barbarity to the Subjects of the English-Nation Banishment or perpetuall slavery were the greatest favours that would have bin afforded them their generall profession being for a generall extirpation even to the last and least drop of English-blood from among them Yea and that which transcends all former extents of rage and unpattern'd wrath and malignity not so much as an English beast or any of that breed was to be left alive in that whole Kingdom And as the hearts and tongues of these most base and abhominable Traitors and Rebels were boundlesly and extremely cruell in intention and profession So it pleased the Lord for the sins of his people there to permit power unto these barbarous Rebels to act with their hands the most accursed and profane perpetrations that ever Christian eyes beheld or eares have heard of both for impiety against God and his holy Gospell and almost unexpressible inhumanity toward the true Professours therof among them blaspheming our God stripping his Servants starke naked and then bidding them goe to their God to be cloathed againe breaking into Churches burning Pulpits with extream hatred to our Religion and exceedingly tryumphing in all their impieties Dragging some Professours of the Gospell by the haire of their heads through the Streets into the Churches and there stripping and whipping them and with most cruell and taunting termes abusing them telling them if they came to morrow they should heare the like Sermon Yea so excessively impious was their hatred to the Gospell of Christ that they tooke the sacred bookes of the holy Scriptures and cast them into kennels and puddles of dirt and mire treading them under-foot and leaping and skipping on them and ô horrid impiety causing a bagg-pipe to play all the while and bidding a plague upon them saying they were the cause of all quarrels and burning some and saying it was hell-fire that was then flaming and wishing they had all the Bibles in Christendome that they might use them so And as for the most inhumane and more than Scythian cruelties of these Irish Canibals and most barbarous blood-sucking Tygres of whom we may most properly say as Jacob did of his bloody sons Simeon and Levi in their massacre of the Shechemites Gen. 49.7 Cursed be their anger for it was fierce their wrath for it was cruell Yea certainly more cruell than ever any eye did see or ear did heare yea I say past the most exquisite historicall expressions of any ancient or modern Relations witnes their stripping stark-naked men women and children even children sucking their poore mothers brests whereby multitudes of all sorts ages and Sexes in the extremitie of that cold season of frost and snow have most lamentably perished women being dragg'd up and downe naked women in child-bed drawne out thence and cast into prison one delivered of a child while she was hanging one ripped up horresco referens and two children taken out of her and all cast unto and eaten up by Swine One stab'd in the brest her child sucking An infant cruelly murthered whom they found sucking his dead mother slain by them the day before A child of 14 years of age taken from his mother in her sight cast into a Bog-pit and held under water while he was drowned Together with many other yet more horrid hideous and more than savage or beast-like barbarities too terrible for me any farther to relate but may be more fully found in that most lamentable Remonstrance of this Irish-Rebellion and all there proved by testimonies on Oath wherunto I referr the Reader Which makes me call to mind that old observation proverbially spoken of Ireland which is That no poysonous Serpent will live on Irish-ground which how true in the historicall meaning I know not but now I am sure 't is most false in the mysticall meaning of it for here it seems that Satans Serpentine seed a brood of most poysonous native-Serpents Adders and Snakes of villany and cruelty doe live yea and thrive there also but I trust but for a season for certainly the Lord the most righteous Judge of all men and severe revenger of all wrongs will not suffer such horrible impieties and unpattern'd cruelties to goe unpunished but will undoubtedly ruinate such a pestilent generation of Romish Vipers and Babilonish blood-suckers as these are which he hath already most blessedly begun First by his most gracious and timely discovery of their main plot the taking of the City of Dublin which was indeed the Master-peice of their intended Epidemical mischief but prevented I say by the Lords great mercy and good providence in a most strange manner by a native Irish Gentleman one M. Owen Mack-Connell once Servant to that pious and most worthy Gentleman Sir John Clotworthy and this also by a most remarkable way and worke of the Lords speciall providence as is more particularly and punctually related in the preamble of Irelands Tears to which I referre the Reader And secondly by the Lords most glorious and victorious over-powring the out-ragious power and petulancy of those barbarous miscreants now in open Rebellion by the hands of a very small remnant of poore Protestants there among them who by reason of the most unhappy distractions and unnaturall civill-discords raised up among us in England by the Popish Faction also and their Pontifician abettors cannot be by us so
A DISCOVERY OF THE POPES PRIDE AMBITION and CRUELTY In a Tyrannicall Barbarous and Bloudy manner exercised on Emperours Kings and Kingdomes The Miseries Ruine and Desolations by them brought on the Christian world WITH Their vitious and unchaste lives their wicked practices for obtaining the Popedome by Murthers Poysonings c. By J. V. LONDON Printed for William Raybould at the Sign of the Unicorn in Pauls-Church-yard 1651. The Contents PHilip the second King of Spain his offer of Marriage with Q. Elizabeth rejected The practice of the Guises with the Q. of Scots against the Crowne of England The Rebellion of the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the Pope sends Letters to the King of Spaine and K. of Portugall to send an Army to invade England Leo Dacres joyning with the Rebells indevoureth to deliver the Q. of Scots after a sharp conflict with the Lo. of Hunsdon is put to flight Iames FitZ-Morris of the House of Desmond raiseth Rebellion in Ireland Thomas and Edward Stanley with others conspire against the Queene Don Iohn of Austria his perpetuall but treacherous Edict for Peace Stucley his designe against Ireland turned another way by the K. of Portugall Iames Fitz-Morris his second attempt to reduce Ireland to Popery San Iosephus an Italian sent by the Pope and K. of Spaine with 700. Spaniards and Italians into Ireland Campian Sherewin and others comming into England taken and condemned for Treason Somervile his desperate attempt against the Queenes Person Mendoza the Spanish Embassador thrust out of England for practising with Throgmorton and others to invade the Land D. Parry for practising the Queenes death executed Savage and others their attempt to kill the Queene The French Ambassador his plot to kill the Queene The Spanish Armado in Anno 1588. D. LopeZ his attempt to poyson the Queene Squires practise to poyson the Queenes Saddle Tyrone his Rebellion in Ireland Garnet Catesby and others their attempt for Invasion of England The Hellish Gun-powder Treason Sir Griffin Markham and others their conspiracy against King Iames. The present bloudy Rebellion in Ireland The cruell Massacre at Paris The Murther of Henry the 3d. The Murther of Henry the 4th Gentle Reader THou mayest evidently see by this ensuing discourse what are the fruits and effects of Popery how the Popes have kindled the fier amongst all the Princes and States of Europe and like Balaam the false Prophet troubled us with their wiles cursed the Church and State of England and by their Incendiaries the Priests and Iesuites for effecting their owne pernicious and divellish designes have stirred up one Nation against an other and all Christendome against the English tainted many a great House and endangered their Lives and Estates to the ruine of great and Noble Families in this Kingdome Plots Conspiracies and Attempts of Domestick and Forraigne Enemies of the Romish Religion against the Princes and Kingdomes of England Scotland and IRELAND c. THose which make descriptions of large Countries in small Tables offend not against truth though somewhat against quantity so Pliny telleth us Notwithstanding with much convenience ease to the beholder and truth of observation things are presented to our eyes in those little draughts that the very places themselves being viewed with great trouble and losse of time cannot yeeld more benefit to the most diligent oftentimes not so much Wherfore especially because the Argument cannot be now unseasonable for the abridgement of the Commentaries of large Histories is not unlike Maps of Kingdomes I have here collected out of divers Authours which have severally handled parts of this subject into one The chief conspiracies and attempts against the Kingdomes alone and immediately of great Brittany and Ireland or els mediately through the sides of the Princes of these Countries by Traytors at home or abroad of the Romish Religion or forraigne Enemies by treacherous courses of those of the same bloody superstition The beginning I make the first time of Reformation of Religion here in England under Queen Elizabeth and the extent unto this present yeere I begin no higher then Queene Elizabeth because the Reformation of Henry the eight was but in part and the other of King Edward was an interrupted one by the sudden succession of his sister Qu. Mary the rather because for ought we know there was no great matter plotted against this hopefull young Prince that was not rather from ambition if there was any such then from a desire of subverting Religion Not but thaa the Enemies of our Religion and Kingdome had us then in their minds but other wayes there were before bloody and desperate practises were to be taken in hand to be first entred into of lesse difficulty and more hopefull successe And these are the steps the adversaries of our Religion use to tread who thirsting after England labour first to bring us back to Rome by striving to make our selves hate our own Religion and leave that God which brought us out of the Land of Aegypt bewitching us with glorious Idolatry of the golden Calvs of Rome introducing ignorance and blindnes that we may when our eyes are out patiently grind in the Mill of slavery If this course fail the next is by poyson murder and force of Arms to draw us to Sodom and Aegypt The Reformation of England and Ireland fall under one time and because that of Scotland also differeth not many years in age they may all be brought in one account With the Plots are joyntly handled the Deliverances which in some respect or other may very well be called great either in regard of the misery we had fallen into if God had not prevented them of the slavery of soule and body and this agreeth with all Or else for the strangenesse of the discoveries of their mischiefes sometime almost miraculous before they have come to their birth or disappointing them of their purposes when the Authours have put them in practise and these two respects the one or the other which may well denominate Gods goodnesse to us in disappointing them to be great may be found in all likewise So that for these mercies received we ought to ascribe to our Deliverer that which is due unto him the praise of his own work and continuall thankes for his mercies which even to this day is from those Deliverances of the dayes of old extended we should have bin then betrayed but we had now bin slaves both we our selves and ours one Plot had it succeeded had bin the betraying of England at once to them who love themselves too well to have lost it easily and are so wise that they endure no Traitors but for themselves nor can indure any that loves his Country but a Spaniard We may learne also to trust in him even now particularly who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever nor is his hand shortened that he cannot save nor his eare heavy that he cannot heare those that call upon him lifting up pure hands in
sincerity of heart although the sins of our Nation in generall may justly provoke our God to punish us by them that hate us for that cause that instead of extirpating Popery and superstition a thing nor hard to be done in humane reason if the children of Papists were carefully educated under Protestant Tutors we thinke their Religion tolerable and nothing so dangerous to soul or body as some men seem to make it Should we not detest and abhorre the Religion of such a generation as count they doe God good service by killing us witnesse the bloudy Persecution under Qu. Mary and the damnable plot of the Gun-powder-Treason Yet some there are that would seem Protestants and yet deny that their cruelty was such as the Authour of the English Martyrology makes the Marian persecution to be Others of no small esteem in the Church of England instead of acknowledging Foxes History a Monument of Martyrs call it a Book fraught with Traitors and Heretiques And for the Gun-powder conspiracy some affirm it the deeds of a few male-contents farre from the approbation of the Catholiques others as falsely that there was no such Treason intended but that it was an invention of him whom in reverence I forbeare to name But yet this may incourage us that God will still preserve us for their sakes that have now and heretofore stoutly defended Gods true Religion and that in very many places of this Land we have had those that with all their power have opposed the very beginnings of Popery But wonderfull it is and scarcely credible that any should so much have forgotten the Gun-powder-Treason as to say that they would rather trust a Papist then a Puritan as if they believed not there was any such Treason or had forgotten it or that they thought that those whom men call Puritans were traiterously minded and bloudy persons In the most Reverend and Judicious Assembly of this Kingdome a Member of that Assembly declared in particulars how the best men have bin branded with the name of Puritan it was where any man might freely have spoken yet no man contradicted him If it be given sometime to the best without question those ordinarily called by that bie name are none of the worst because from likenesse at least divers men have one Name We will acknowledge hypocrites among them but because one is such no man will conclude they must be all so No man of us almost abhorreth the name of Protestant to be given him and yet of these some will lie others will steale and a third sort will do worse Since this Parliament perhaps I imagine the time and reason aright the Jesuites and Jesuited have invented a strange name for such men and let fall the reproach of Puritan They call them by a figurative name which is ignorantly spoken by most falsly by all and as the roundest figure is of the largest capacity so they have shaped them a name which larger then Precisian Brownist or the like surroundeth every one that thinketh it not a just thing to rail against the Parliament or curse the Fathers of his Country But I desire not to be called but to be totus teres atque rotundus So much by the way to fall upon the busines now The King of Spaine offereth Marriage to the Queen AT the beginning of the raigne of Qu. Elizabeth Philip the second of Spaine sought to win her to him by Marriage not doubting to procure a dispensation for the Incest but was as wisely answered as he wickedly and craftily intended that the Queen could not so soon forget her Sisters death she knowing it to be a part of discretion to keep in hope so potent an Adversary if he should be incensed by a denyall her own Kingdom by reason of the change of Religion and the depriving of many Popish Bishops which the blinded people had in some esteem among many other alterations being of doubtfull affections till she could better provide for her own security The Spaniard in the mean time perceived that his suit was not like to succeed when the thought of uniting England to Spaine by the marriage of Q. Elizabeth if like her sister Mary she proved not barren was taken away he took hold on the next occasion The practice of the Guises with the Queen of Scots against ENGLAND MAry now Queene of Scots Daughter and heire apparant unto James the fift and Wife unto Francis Dauphine of France Daughter of Mary of Loraine who was Sister unto the Duke of Guise She after the death of Qu. Mary of England being incouraged thereunto by the Guises her Uncles usurpeth the Armes of England uniting them to the Armes of Scotland on her plate in the windowes of her house and on her servants coats declaring her selfe thereby Queen of England Her meaning was well understood and this it is very probable in the fourth yeare of Qu. Elizabeth made Arthur Poole and his Brethren descended of George Duke of Clarence Brother to Edward the fourth and Anthony Fortescue their Brother in law with their confederates to conspire secretly to fly unto the Guises in France and thence and with their help to come with an Army into Wales and ther to proclaime the Queen of Scots Queen of England and Arthur Poole Duke of Clarence God was pleased in a very good time to discover this Plot. For had they gone thither and discovered their intents it had if God had not powerfully opposed it not only animated the Guises to have seconded them and furnished them with men and mony but having returned into Wales they would have gathered great forces to augment their numbers and put the Queen to the incomparable trouble and danger of a civill warre Beside all this she had at this time on every side enemies abroad the French King the King of Spaine the Guisian and Popish faction in Scotland The loyall people of Scotland were so unable to helpe her that they stood in need of her helpe The Low-Countries were under Spanish tyranny and a convenient place from whence to annoy this Kingdome The Conspiratours confessed that they did not intend to put in practise this thing during the life of our Queen for indeed they were made beleeve by predictions of Popish Astrologians that Qu. Elizabeth could not live above one yeare The good Queen notwithstanding pardoned their lives after sentence of death upon them from their own confession And how zealously the Guises endeavoured to invade England may appeare by the inclination of Sebastian Martigius sent into Scotland by the counsell of the Guises for about those times their alone counsels were principally followed with Horse and Foot to assist in the civill warre of Scotland who could hardly be restrained from invading England presently and first of all presuming no question on the ayde of Papists in England from intelligence held with them here For otherwise what could a 1000. Horse and not very many Foot do in respect of conquering all England
as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance at this Parliament For God and Man have concurred to punish the wickednesse of this time And think not slightly of this advertisement but retire your selfe into your Country where you may expect the event in safety for though there be no appearance of any storme yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet they shall not see who hurt them This counsell is not to be contemned because it may doe you good and can doe you no harme for the danger is past so soone as you shall have burned this Letter And I hope God will give you the grace to make good use of it to whose holy protection I commend you Friday following the King read it who considering the sentence therein expressed that they should receive a terrible blow this Parliament and yet should not know who hurt them and joyning it to the sentence for the danger is past so soon as you shall have burn'd this Letter did suspect the danger mentioned to be some sodaine danger of blowing up with Powder Afterward it was determined the Lord Chamberlaine should view both above and beneath the Parliament Houses Which the L. Chamberlaine having done found in a Vault under the upper House great store of Billets faggots and Coales and casting his eye aside a fellow standing â—y which called himselfe Percy 's man that had hired the Cellar The K. supposing that Gunpowder might be hid under that Wood and Coales caused a further search to be made Whereupon Sir Thomas Knevet went about the Parliament House with a small number to search more narrowly the mid-night next after where he found Fawkes standing without doores booted and spurd and apprehended him then in search under the Wood and Coales 36. Barrells of Gunpowder and about the Traitor three Matches and other Instruments fit for that wicked purpose were found which wicked intent of blowing up the House he instantly confessed affirming that if he had bin in the House he would not have failed to blow up both himselfe and them In this mine wrought Catesby Robert Winter Esquires Thomas Percy Thomas Winter John Wright Christ Wright Guido Fawkes Gentlemen and Bates Catesbyes man Sir Everard Digby Ambrose Rookewood Francis Tresham Esquires John Grant Gent and Robert Keys were made acquainted with the plot but wrought not in the mine After Fawkes apprehension the Traytors poast away and pretending Religion they would fight for gathered in open Rebellion all they could which number never exceeded 80. They wandered thorough Warwick-sheire to Worcester-sheire and thence to the borders of Stafford-sheire and having gotten themselves into a House they obstinately refused to yeeld to the Sheriffe but through Gods providence a lesse quantity of Powder then 2. pounds taking fire did so mangle some disable others that having begged pardon on their knees for their crime of God they desperately exposed themselves to the peoples fury 3. of the chiefe joyned back to back and two of them were killed with one shot Catesby Percy Winter was taken alive So all of them were killed beaten or taken The conspiracy of Sir Griffin Markham and others ANno Dom 1603. George Brooke Sir Griffin Markham Watson and Clerk Priests entred into a conspiracy against K. James it was said to surprise Prince Henry to keep the King and Prince in the Tower or to carry them to Dover Castle and there to obteine their own pardons a toleration for Religion and Removall of some Councellors Divers beside these were accused and condemned but Brooke confessed he did it but by a Commission from the King to try the faithfullnesse of the Kings Subjects but he could produce no such Commission Sir Griffin Markham confessed that he intended forraine Invasion and Alteration of Religion but not to destroy the King as was in the inditement Watson and Clerk confessed they drew the Gentlemen into the plot houlding the King for no King till he was Crowned Of them all only Watson Clerk and Brook suffered death The Massacre and Treason in Ireland extracted out of the Irish Remonstrancâ— and Irelands Teares VPon the 23 day of October 1641. a most prodigious and nefarious viper gnawing the bowels of its native-parent Ireland burst out of the womb therof visibly appeared most epidemically destructive to that whole State and Kingdome It had lien long as some of the Rebels reported undiscovered but was all that while hatching by many hot and high-built hopes both by forraine and domestick encouragements The accursed Midwives of this bastard-birth were Popish-Priests Fryers and Jesuites together with other fire-brands and incendiaries of that State and Kingdom Their hideous and hellish hopes were mightily supported and corroborated by strong assistance from Spaine France and Flanders together with deeply engaged assurance of full correspondency in England and an equivalent party in Scotland besides their great encouragements by Popish Buls from Rome authorizing the speedy and immediate Surrender of all such places of strength as they had beleagured promising free pardon of all sins whatsoever before hand committed by any of them tending to the advancement of this great work thundring or rather roaring out excommunications against any that should refuse so to joyn with them therin terming themselves the Catholike Army and the ground of their work as all their abominable and bloody plots are the Catholike-cause Their desperate and most divellish resolution was therin not to leave a drop of English blood in Ireland and so consequently not the least sparke or glimpse of the Gospell and pure Protestant Religion giving out in words and designing in their hearts that the Tower of London the Castle of Edenborough and the Castle of Dublin were to be surprized by their Faction in all these places all upon one day In all which time this therefore might the more easily have bin done especially in Ireland there was not the least feare or suspition of treachery yet there were a little before the day of this bloudy-birth secretly gathered together about 400 Irish Papists elected out of most parts of Ireland desperate and damnably bloudy minded persons designed for this horrid and hellish attempt who had all privately convayed and sheltered themselves in severall places of the City and Suburbs of Dublin waiting and expecting the time and watch-word when to give the on-set In this plot all the Popish Nobility and men of quality in Ireland were interessed and it was professed by that most impious and barbarous Arch-Rebell Sr. Philim O Neal that what he and they did was by the consent of the Parliament in Ireland Yea some of them have bin so impiously audacious as to professe and perswade others of their accursed confederates to believe that they had regall authority for it and were so bold as to term themselvs â—he Queens Army And for the more strongly prosecution of this their most exorbitant villany the Conspirators and Traitors entred into
them and appointed their Troops to be placed where he thought meetest About midnight it was informed to all the Popish Assemblies in the Town that the like to this massacre should be done to all of the Religion throughout the whole Realme and that the watch-word of the generall massacre should be the great bell of the Pallace which should be rung at the break of day and the badge of the Executioners should be a white Handkerchief tyed upon their sleeves and a white crosse in their hats The Duke of Guise with his bloudy minded associates had charge to begin at the Admirals lodgings The mighty noyse of armour and running up and down with very many lighted torches soon after mid-night made many of those of the Religion that were lodged neare the Admirall to come out of their lodgings and to goe into the street to enquire of their acquaintances what this noise ment at such an undue houre but being anxiously answered they went on still toward the Lonure where the Duke of Guise and his bloudy Comrades were attending the deed where those innocent Lambs of the Religion were fast set upon and assaulted by the Dukes guard Then presently they rang S. Germaines bell in the Pallace wherupon one Cosseins a French-fury perceiving the Duke of Guise comming with his Troops knocks at the Admirals gate between 2 and 3 of the clock in the morning being Sunday the 24. of August 1572. La-bonne one of the Admirals attendants opens the gate and was instantly stab'd by Cosseins the 2d doore going up the stairs being soon burst open they came to the Admirals chamber where his own guard of Switzers were one of them was slain with an harquebush And while Cosseins was jumbling at the chamber-doore one Cornatan ran up into the chamber and being asked by the Admirall who had caused his men to lift him out of his bed and in his night-gowne having assisted his Ministers in fervent Prayer and most humbly commended his soul to his Saviour Christ Jesus what all this hurly burly meant Cornatan his servant answered my Lord it is God that cals for us the house is entred by force and there is no means of resistance The good Admirall then replyed it is not long since I disposed my self to die save you your selves if it be possible for you cannot save my life and therfore I commit my soule into the hands and mercy of God Presently hereupon his attendants began to shift for themselves and to fly for their lives and some of them got up into the top of the house and found a window to issue out of the roof and so into gutters but most of them were slain in the next houses but Cornatan and Merlin a godly Minister escaped and were miraculously preserved The Admirals Chamber-doore being now opened 7 or 8 armed men with their Targets entred into it and one Besmes servant to the Duke of Guise with a naked Sword in his hand oâ—fering him the point wherupon the good Admirall said unto him Young man thou oughtest to respect mine age and infirmity yet shalt thou not shorten my life with that Besmes thrust his Sword into the Admirals body and redoubling the blow upon the Admirals head every one of the rest also gave him a blow in such sort that he fell upon the ground and so lay gasping The Duke of Guise and others staying below in the Court and hearing the blowes asked if they had done and commanded the body to be throwne out of the window which was presently done by that villaine Besmes and his companions Now the blowes that he had on his head and the blood covering his face had so disfigured him that the Duke of Guise hardly knew him wherupon stooping downe and wiping his face with his hankerchief he said now I know him it is he indeed and therwith gave him a kick with his foot on his face being dead whom all the murtherers of France extremely feared being alive Which done he left the Admirals house accompanied with his most bloudy traine and began to cry about the Streets courage fellow Souldiers we have made a good beginning let us now to the rest for the King commandeth it repeating those words oft with great Majesty for the King commandeth it it is his pleasure it is his expresse commandement just as our Romish and Atheisticall Prelates and Popish-Courtiers doe now a dayes cry out to us and did ever of latter times laying all the odium of their impious villanies and cruelties on the Kings Majesty saying still 't was his pleasure it should be so Now presently thereupon the Pallace Clock strooke and then a noyse was heard all about the streets of Paris saying that the Hugonets for so the Romish Catholiques terme the true Protestants in France were in armes they being all alas in their beds farre from any such thoughts and ment to kill the King just as our powder-Traitors intended had their plot taken effect to have slandered the Puritans in England to have bin the Authours of that hellish-Treason to whom the Admiralls head was carried and presented and to the Queen-mother of France and then imbalmed and sent to Rome to the Pope and Cardinall of Lorraine The Common-people like Priest like people ran to the Admirals lodging where they cut-off his hands and his privy members and drew his body for the space of three dayes about the Towne which done it was borne to the Gibbet of Montfaucon and there hanged by the feet The Gentlemen officers of the Chamber Governours Tutours and houshold Servants of the King of Navarr the French Kings brother in law lately married to his sister and of the Prince of Conde were driven out of their Chambers where they slept in the Lonure and forced into the Court were there massacred in the Kings owne presence The like was done to the Lords and Gentlemen that lay round about the Admiralls lodgings and then throughout the Towne in such sort that the number slain that Sunday at night and the 2 next dayes ensuing within the Towne or City of Paris and the Suburbs thereof was esteemed to be above 10000 persons Lords Gentlemen Pages Servants Justices of all sorts Schollars Lawyers Physitians Merchants Artificers Women Maids and Boyes not sparing little children in their Cradles no nor in their Mothers bellies The Courtiers of the Kings guard and strangers that massacred these Gentlemen said that in one day by weapons and disorder they had ended those processes which pen paper sentences of Justice nor open warre could not find the means to do or execute in 12 years space And thus these most honourable Protestant Lords and Gentlemen falsly accused and slandered of conspiracies and practises against the King being starke naked thinking only upon their rest scarce awakened out of their sleepe utterly unarmed in the hands of infinite cruell crafty and most treacherous enemies not having so much leasure as to breath were barbarously slain some in their beds
contain but forthwith killed the murtherer with their Swords who there expired and vvent like Iudas to his own place being canonized and adored for this deed by those of the Romish-League but detested and abhorred by those that clave to the dignity-royall and party of the Religion The K. being carried to his bed the Physitians and Chirurgeons drest his wound and supposed it had not bin mortall but the next day he dyed of it and left the Crowne of France to his brother Henry D. of Burbon and K. of Navarr The most deplorable and execrable murther of Henry the 4th K of France by one Francis Raviliack Extracted also out of the French History HEnry the 4th D of Burbon and K of Navarr a Prince of the most famous and glorious memory that ever France brought forth yea I say most renowned loved and feared for his piety and prowesse and many other most rare and princely virtues being right Heyre apparent and true Successour to the Crowne of France after the fore-mentioned murther and untimely death of his brother Henry the 3d yet extremely maligned and desperately opposed from the faire and peaceable possession of the diadem of France by those most impious assassinates and bloody Tygers of the most falsly pretended holy Union or Catholike Leaguers afore-said for the very same reason for which they so inveterately hated and conspired against his deceased brother viz his publikely declared good-will and affection toward those of the Religion commonly called by their ignominious name of Hugonets in France as our true professours of the Gospell in England were wont to be branded with the contemptuous name of Puritans and now by a company of base block-heads most foolishly termed Round-heads On this main if not only ground of wrath and dislike this most noble and Heroick Prince having long time bin I say kept out from the just enjoyment of his lawfull inheritance pestered and perplexed with many and tedious troubles and bloudy battles with his Subjects of France the Leaguers who were mightily animated therein and assisted by a strong Spanish Faction among them but in all these great warres and mountainous disturbances the most renowned and couragious Prince went Master of the field a most constant conquerour having as the French History records of him triumphed over his enemies in at the least 12 set-battles or pight fields still unconquerable by the greatest forces and deepest stratagems that his adversaries were able to bring against him yet such is the unstable state and wheeling condition of the best and bravest things of this life that this so renowned and so undaunted Prince especially having at the first openly profest the true Religion and long so continued yet at last moved and overcome not only to make an edict of maintaining the two Religions in his Kingdomes but in his own person to make publike profession of the Romish abomination and going openly to Masse to the unspeakable sadding of the hearts of his best Subjects those of the Religion this noble Prince I say at last was permitted to fall into the perfidious power of a base and despicable villain to destroy him For notvvithstanding that they of the Catholick Leaguer and holy-Union is they entituled themselves I meane the Romanists had now got such hold of him in the snares of their Romish Religion yet the Jesuiticall Faction being very jealous and suspitious of him and much fearing his revolt from them as indeed he still gave them some causes thereof in the course of his regall government by his faire carriage and facile grants of many extraordinary priviledges to those of the Religion they therefore at last suborned and inticed one Fran Raviliack a French man borne in Angonlesme to kill this noble King dealing vvith him just as they did vvith that Monck fore-mentioned in the former Relation promising and protesting mighty remunerations large revvards and high preferments on the performance of the deed leading the fellow into a fooles Paradise of high Hopes they persvvaded him that it vvas a most meritorious vvorke and so at length fully vvrought him to their vvils therein seeming to admire his person already transformed into an angelicall apparition so glorious that they durst hardly behold him for the beauty and lustre that was upon him now upon this his so vertuous and valerous a resolution Thus I say this execrable villain and bloody assassinate went forth from them with a most stony and immarbled heart and brazen fore head to doe this most cruell and accursed deed And watching his opportunity upon a Friday which was the next day after the Coronation of his Qu. this Henry the great for so we may justly entitle him being in Paris about 3 of the clock in that after-noone and intending to goe to his Arcenall took his Caroch and as a Prince who then seemed to live without feare or suspition of any of his people living in such a faire correspondency as he then did but this mixture of Religions being most abominable in the eyes of the Lord between both Religions but as he passed on through the City accompanied with very few of his Nobility or without taking for his better assurance either Archers or any of his usuall guard not farre from St. Innocents this villain following his Majesty and seeing his Caroch stayed by a Cart which met and stopped their passage Ravilliac taking this opportunity as having kept close by the Caroch and the King fitting in the boot therof he sodainly and desperately assaulted the King with a long and most sharp knife made of purpose for this wicked use with which he gave him 2 wounds in the left side the first was given neare the shoulder which entred not farre but only razed the skin the 〈◊〉 was mortall that blow entring betwixt the 5 t and 6 t rib cutting a sunder the veine leading to the heart and this wound was so deep that it reached into the Cava vena which also was pierced with the point of the knife This most noble and renowned Prince finding himself wounded to death lost his speech upon the instant by reason of the abundance of bloud which issued out of his mouth therefore they turned the Caroch toward the Lonure the villain Raviliac being first laid hold on and kept in safe custody where he was no sooner arrived but he rendred his soule into the hands of Almighty God the great Creatour and just disposer of all things Thus this great and invincible Prince whom neither so many nor so mighty enemies in open field could ever vanquish or overcome was suddainly subdued by the hands of a most wicked and ignoble villain That Prince in whom the French Histories observe 3 remarkable miracles or rare mysteries namely that he was a King and had no Crowne he was a husband but had no wife he waged warre and had no mony which seeming riddle is thus resolved he was King of France but was long time kept from the kingly possession of his Crown and Royalty He was married but could not enjoy his Queen He waged warre but not being able to pay his Souldiers his neighbour Princes came in as Volunteers and served in his warres at their own charge Yea I say such a noble and renowned Prince in matter of Religion in his former dayes especially that it being observed by some of his Nobles Commanders in armes how much he confided in those of the Religion in most of his greatest and weightiest affairs some of them said unto him they marvelled he would so much rely on their fidelity To whom his answer vvas as pithy as pious that he vvould never be afraid to confide in those the principles of whose Religion vvas Never to eat their God nor kill their King Now from all these remarkable passages of the plots and conspiracies of these barbarous and bloody minded Romanists I vvish the godly and impartiall Reader whose eyes the Lord hath in any measure opened to see the truth of things to take notice briefly of these 3 particulars First of the admirable providence and good hand of God in preserving those Princes and States from the most puissant forces and most politick frauds and villanies of Traitors and enemies of his Truth and Gospell so long as they loyally loved and embraced it this being most cleare and evident in our blessed Qu Elizabeth of ever glorious memory in the state of Geneva Holland and such like Secondly of the high displeasure and just jealousie of the Lord against those Princes or people who halt 'twixt 2 opinions in matter of Religion or maintaine mixtures in his pure worship vvhich he hath also manifested against Princes otherwise most noble and renowned potent and prudent permitting and raising up base and ignoble hands to bereave them of their lives as hath bin clearly demonstrated in these two last great Princes of France Henry 3d and Henry 4th and might be farther proved by many such like Presidents extant in History Thirdly and lastly of the most bloody and blasphemous principles of Romes Religion teaching and encouraging the practise and perpetration of such horrid and hideous murders and massacres of the Lords most harmlesse and innocent lambes justifying King-killing and Country-destroying machinations plots and conspiracies and all these under a most execrable pretence of advancing their Catholik-cause forsooth as if the Lord the pure and holy God of Heaven ever intended to build his Church with such base and bloody materials which must needs be most blasphemous to say or once think Most worthily therfore is Rome said to be founded and finished in its crimson architecture of blood vvhether we respect materiall Rome in its first rise and originall first founded in the blood of Rhemus murthered by his brother Romulus the very first King of Rome or spirituall Rome the mother of spirituall Whoredomes moulded and maintained all along by those Popish Caines in the bloud of their more righteous brethren Gods beloved Abels Wherefore I desire that the use of this 3 fold observation may be first inseparable love of God in cleaving fast to his soul-saving Truth and Gospell and secondly irreconciliable hatred of that abominable and diabolicall Religion of Rome which thus delights in the most fearfull and finall destruction of soules and bodies FINIS
was such a man as being of great wealth mighty in friends and singular abilities of mind could better bring about what was desired then a man of no great riches at any time but was now in extreme poverty and disgrace in the Dominions of the King of Denmark and notoriously infamous for his crimes in Scotland The Rebellion of the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland AT this time the King of Spaine wrote unto the Duke of Norfolk to joyn with the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland to raise a Rebellion in England and to the Earle of Ormond to do the like in Ireland These Letters were shewen unto Qu. Elizabeth by the Duke and the Earle that from hence at least might appeare their loyalty Neverthelesse whether by the advice of the Bishop of Rosse who lay as Ambassadour at London for the Queen of Scots and one Rodolf a Florentine going in the appearance of a Merchant factor or purposing of himselfe whatsoever he might pretend he privately sought to marry the Q. of Scots she being next heir to the Crown of England contrary to his promise made unto his Soveraign Q. Elizabeth The Q. of Scots and the Duke participate of one anothers mind by Letters written in hidden characters Neither was this a matter only supposed but the Dukes Secretary one Hieford who was commanded by the Duke to burne such Letters as came from the Qu. of Scots but did it not and hid them under a mat in his chamber and being under examination he caused them to be reduced This was when the two Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland had secretly complotted to raise Armes and not long after the Dukes apprehension they fell into open Rebellion One of the Letters which was shewen at the Dukes arraignment was to this purpose That the Qu. was sorry that the said Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland were in Armes before the Dukes forces were ready This was undertaken after that Pope Pius quintus had in Bulls from Rome printed and sent to Ridolf absolved Q. Elizabeths Subjects from their allegiance The Pope perswaded the Spaniard to assist the conspiratours that his affairs in the Netherlands might prosper the better and the French did the like that the Qu. of England might be lesse able to send aid to the Protestants in France Northumberland and Westmerland having thus taken Armes supplies and monies failing withdrew themselves into Scotland Norfolk was thrown into prison Ridolf being in custody for whom the Pope had appointed 150000 crowns to the partners in the Treason He being with the Pope is sent by him to the Spaniard to presse him to give assistance to the King of Portugall also for the same purpose He wrote also to the Duke of Norfolk promising to send him aid The Popes letter to the Spaniard was that he should send an Army out of the Low-countries to invade England And this very thing the Spaniard endeavoured There was now a difference betwixt Q Elizabeth and the Spaniard about mony sent by him to the Duke of Alva but was intercepted by the Queen and that was one pretence that the Spaniard had for his dealing against our Queen and Kingdome But the Duke of Norfolk was put to death Nor is this the Relation of an English Protestant but of a Papist a good part whereof had not bin knowne but for him one Hieronimus Calena The Book was printed at Rome by the priviledge of â—ius quintus 1588. The Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland seduced by one Morton a Priest and at Duresme set up the Masse thence they marched to Clifford moore where hearing that the Queen of Scots was removed to Coventry that the Earle of Sussex was sent with strong forces against them and that Sir George Bowes was behind them and had fortified Bernards Castle that Scroupe and Cumberland had fortified Carliel and had also an Army in readines that the souldiers of Barwick and the power of Northumberland were in New-castle besieged Bernards Castle and took it on conditions Then for feare of the Earle of Sussex they fled to Hexam thence by bie-wayes to Naworth Castle from that place into Scotland and from thence was Northumberland sent and here beheaded Westmerland escaped into the Netherlands where with a poor pension under the Spaniard he lived poorly all his days Dacres his endeavour to deliver the Scots Queen IN the Yeare 1569. Leonard Dacres second son of William Lord Dacres of Gillesland being grieved to see a very great patrimony go from him to the daughters of the Baron whom the Duke of Norfolke their Father in law had joyned in marriage with his sons grew revengefull and joyning with the Rebels endeavored to deliver the Queen of Scots yet a little before being at the Court promised to assist the Queen his Soveraign against the Rebels but treacherously he undertook to kill the L. Scroup and Bishop of Carleil to whose custody the Scottish Queen was committed but he failing in the performance took Grastock Castle holding it as his own and gathered Souldiers The L. Hunsdon met him with the trained Souldiers of Barwick and after a sharpe conflict overcommeth him and Dacres fled into Scotland from thence into the Netherlands where at Lovaine he lived and dyed poorly Fitz-Morris raiseth Rebellion in Ireland IN this Yeare Edmund and Peter Butler brethren to the Earle of Ormond joyning with James Fitz-Morris of the house of Desmond entred into a conspiracy against Qu. Elizabeth and to further it came Joannes Mendoza secretly out of Spaine The Earle of Ormond going into Ireland caused them to submit they were imprisoned and for their brother the Earles sake not brought to tryall The Lord Deputy and Sir Humphrey Gilbert through Gods assistance appeased that rebellion It is cleare enough that this rebellion in Ireland arose from the Spaniard as the first mover for to this end he sent Mendoza into Ireland and had not long before written to the Earle brother to the two Rebels to raise a rebellion in Ireland Stanleys Conspiracy IN the Yeare 1570. under a colour of delivering the Queen of Scots Thomas Stanley and Edward younger sons of the Earle of Darby Thomas Jerard Rolston Hall with others in Darby-shiere conspired but the son of Rolston which was pensioner to the Queen disclosed the conspiracy All but Hall were impisoned Hall escaped into the Isle of Man thence by the commendation of the Bish of Rosse he was sent into Dunbretan whence the Castle being won he was brought to London and suffered death Dissimulation of Don John of Austria IN the Yeare 1576. Don John of Austria comming into the Low-Countries as Governour sent Gastellus to Qu. Elizabeth pretending a perpetuall Edict for peace The Queen as if ignorant of any bad intent sent Rogers to congratulate Don Johns Edict yet she knew that Don John had conceived a certain hope of marrying the Qu. of Scots and of enjoying Scotland and England intending to invade the Isle of Man that from thence