Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	french_a	great_a	king_n	16,597	5	4.3459	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00271	The copy of a letter lately vvritten by a Spanishe gentleman, to his freind in England in refutation of sundry calumnies, there falsly bruited, and spred emonge the people. The originall vvhereof vvas vvritten in Spanish, since the authors being in England, vvho by reason of a ship of those that miscaried of the late Armado, vvas taken, and there detained prisoner, vntill his deliuery by ransome. Now newly translated into Englishe, for the benefite of those (of that nation) that vnderstand not the Spanishe tounge.	Verstegan, Richard, ca. 1550-1640.	1589 (1589)	STC 1038; ESTC S116630	20,141	40

Spaine as thoughe it were possible that so great impiety could remaine amonge so many so vertuous so wise so learned so honorable and so vnited in consanguinitie throughoute the whole countrie that your Cardinall as I am well enformed is of kin and alyance almost vnto all the Gentlemen of the countie of Lancaster And the other Gentlemen lincked in lyke sorte welnighe vnto all the honorable and woorshipfull families in euery other prouince being bounde by the very lawes of nature to the loue of their country and kindred yf no cause of religion or reason els did moue them And as tho●ghe your superiours owne notorious vniuste actions did not more vehemently vrge reuenge or hasten reformation then any persuation els that possibly mighte be made Those of your nation that now liue in exile retayning the true loue and affection that Christians oughte to cary to their country preferring the soule before the body do first desire the conuersion of there dere countrymen kindred freinds from a confused chaos of heresies to the one only Catholique Apostolique faith Nexte the auncient tranquilitie and quyet accorde thereof with other Christian countries And to manifest this their true and sincere affection they are moste redy and willing to aduenture the losse of there owne liues Whereas those that vniustly accuse them could be content so that their present aucthoritie mighte continewe to suffer your soules in all abhominable heresies to come to vtter damnation and to leaue you in conclusion to cut the one the others throte and so to lye open to the rapyne and spoile of so-many as by their meanes you haue offēded These of all others be the the greatest enemyes to your comon wealth odious to God and man and traitours not only to one prince and country but to Christ and all Christendome and haue cause to consider this sentence of the sacred scripture Regnum a gente in gentem transfertur propter iniustitias iniurias contumelias diuersos dolos that is A Kyngdome is transferred from one people to another because of iniustice of iniuries and contumelies and diuers deceyts These now fynding no further refuge or assured succour of Turck traytor heretyke or Barbarian do labour to put you in all feare of extreme daunger and detryment intended against you meaning yf the woorst fall to make your bodies the Bulwarckes wherewith themselues wilbe defended so that you should feele the smarte howsoeuer they shifte with the shame Which harme in dede may happen to the more wilfull vnaduised whereas those that be of better consideration may fynde the meane of there owne safty and assurance to rest in themselues by embracinge those remedies that it shall please God of his great goodnesse in such cases to prouyde Vnto whose deuyne wisdome determynation all must euer be referred and vnto whose holy protection I comend your self Wishing vnto all your countrymen the due consideration of their case and the best auoydance of their calamytie from Calis this of Maye 1589. Your vnfained freind vvhose harte and hand shall neuer cease to do you seruice I. B. AFTER that I had finished this my letter vnderstanding that throughe defaulte of wynde together with some difficulty that the messenger put about his more safe and speedy passage he was not lyke to departe so soone as himself had promised and I expected I therefore detained this letter some dayes in my handes vnsealed attending suche oportunitie as mighte neerest concurr to our desires In the meane season I vnderstood by letters from Roan that the great and extraordinary englishe fleete furnished at the charges of so many who either of force or fauour had streyned themselues to serue they knew not well whome where nor when yet now after long delay great counsell and correspondence of freinds they were departed from the west parte of England aboute the first of May stilo nouo vnder the conduct by sea of the glorious famous man Sir Frauncis Drake who a litle before had promised the Queene his mistres to bring the Kynge of Spaine to very great pouerty and misery And the charge of seruice by land was committed to Sir Iohn Noris whose experience the englishe were woont greatly to magnify The rest of their Captaines and soldiers were the best that they had hauing retyred the principall of those from those partes of the low countries which they presently possesse Very shortly after I vnderstood by other letters from the afore said place and the same party That the English were arryued not very farr from S t. Iames in Galitia Perhaps with some intention in their way to haue visited that place of especiall deuotion to the riches and ornaments there Where albeit that very many strangers from all partes of Europe according to an old custome of christians do continually come on pilgrimage And that vnto such the inhabitants thereaboutes do freely giue leaue and relief Yet they now seeing the English to approche in a manner muche different from other pilgrimes haue accordingly giuen them a farr other kynde of entertaiment insomuch that as my freind writeth those that lately so arrogantly boasted of some detrimēt of ours which all rhe world knoweth came not throughe englishe power or puisance but by the very wyndes and seas which it pleased God to permitt to our punishment Haue now receyued such a check for that insolencie that they may see our selues are made the instruments by our owne armes to chastice them Touching the manner and particularities I cannot at this present fully certify you Those your self may there better vnderstand yf you haue any secrett freind in courte otherwise you shall hardly come by the certainty for I feare it wilbe made treason to talke thereof among the comon sorte of men Yf you can come by the names of those men of marke number of soldiers shipps and artillery that you haue lost I pray you vse some meanes to send them ouer because I wold gladly see how our aduises shall differ The author of the late pamphlet printed at London in English frenche and entituled The copie of a letter sent from England to don Bernardine de Mendoza Ambassador in Fraunce for the Kyng of Spaine no doubte yf he will take the paines can very well pen it to the print because I knowe he will cary a great care aboute the putting downe of euery particuler And wheras in the beginning of that letter the author seemeth to be very sad and sorowfull after so late and long expected comforte to haue an occasion to signify the lamentable losse and vtter dissolution of all hope Now I can assure him he may make a peece of amends in sending ouer at this tyme such good newes as can somwhat counteruaile the former ill And yf it shall please him to make an estimate of the one the others losses to see who hathe sustayned the greater he must also sett downe some reasons to shewe which of bothe is best able to beare it the moste lyke soonest to recouer it for by thease considerations a man shall surest come to the certainety Thus good Sir vnderstanding of this bearers present occasion to departe who now attendeth the closing vp of my letter I am enforced heere to conclude Once more committing you to God wishing you most hartely well to fare Iune 1589. Iudic. cap. 20. Polid. Virgil Gene. cap. 〈…〉 〈…〉 The like vvas since b●●ched by M. stafford but t● vvoold not take Such deuis●● haue se●ued to exting●●●he the Auncient nobil●● At Bergues 〈…〉 There cheifest cause of rebellion vvas for heresy vvhich no ●ne of their preuileges alovved As those of S. Ger●●●enbreg c. First vvith 〈◊〉 After vvith others as the letters found 〈◊〉 her testified Protections are the best revvards that they are to expect The ordinary prices of sermons The rebelles 〈…〉 Flaunders The Englishe pract●● 〈◊〉 Tur●kes other infid●●s aga●●st Christendome They made fiers and feasts for ioy vpon the murther of the Queene of Scotland As Ham●● Levvis Cole Kett c. Extreme violating of Iustice D. Iulio c. Those that had indebted themselues by his seruice of Holand he revvarded aftervvard vvith protections The iudge can tell the ●ury vvhether the Queene vvill haue the accused found guilty or not The greater parte of the nations maritines in all Europe haue 〈◊〉 ●obbed by the English As Sir Frauncis Drake c. S●p 6. His excelent●e alias Le●●●er Phil. de Co●●es Eccles 10. 〈…〉 A counterfait Catholique

now nexte to be expected but by whome when and in what manner resteth in the deuyne disposition of almighty God whose Iustice no earthly power muche lesse any Englishe policie can possibly resist Tyme woorketh alteration in all things and in this world there is nothing that is not subiect to change all estates encrease diminish are tossed turned fall and are destroyed Which consisteth not as Plato the heathen Philosopher saith in the circuyte and limmits of a certaine Period but in the pleasure of the Celestiall Soueraigne Those hauing their beeing moste assured and durable that are founded on religion and iustice All plants saith our sauiour that my heauenly father hathe not planted shalbe plucked vp by the rootes All temporall gouernments throughoute the world notwithstāding all worldly wit power and practises whatsoeuer haue and do daily so alter and change that fewe or none can be founde to haue continued any long course of tyme in one order and rule Only the Catholique Churche of Christe depending vpon the direction of the holy Ghoste hathe still remayned in one same faithe and visible Monarchie almoste sixteene hundreth yeares During which tyme diuers kyngdomes haue bin diuersly trāsposed vpsyde downe and those only found to be least subiect to mutation that moste haue bin directed by the gouuernours of that Churche The aforesaid philosopher saith further that Republiques are neuer happy but when princes are louers of wisdome or louers of wisdome do rule but Salomon speaking by a mouthe more deuyne exhorteth princes to searche true wisdome to the end they may raigne Iustly in earthe and eternally in heauen Would to God the resolution of your rulers had bin laid vppon these groundes then had the most woorthy for wisdome and vertue bin preferred and none for vice and vilany aduaunced to chiefest aucthoritie Then had not his late excelsi obtained the greatest rule of all because of all others he kepte the greatest ill rule himself then had they neuer vpholden there vnstable estate by the only annoyance of their neighbours nor by their great iniustice drawne so many daungers together at the last Then had the begining bin Godly the continuance quiet and the end happy The Realme of England hathe in other tymes bin as often subiect to chaunge as other countries in the world but more comonly carying therewith the blood of the best nobility what great effusion of blood ensued the coronarion of Kynge Henry the fourthe at what tyme the diuision of the two houses of Yorcke and Lancaster began which lasted the lyues and reignes of three Kynges following and was not wholy extyncte vntill the tyme of Kynge Henry the seauenth During which tyme there died in diuers battailes skirmishes and executions foure score of the blood Royall and the very flowre of the Nobility of England with infynite other valiant personages besydes sundry Lords and gentlemen consumed in prisons at home or enforced abroade in banishment miserably to end the rest of their dayes In this great confusion each party as they preuailed condemned the other for traitors that in the end all the whole nobilitie and people were on the one and the other syde so taken and vsed Since which tyme euen of late in our owne age and memory we haue seene sundry chaunges amonge all which our Lord delt moste mercifully when moste daunger was feared at what tyme Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberlaend hauing maryed the Lady Iane to one of his sonnes and proclaymed them Kynge and Queene thereby to exclude and cut of the righte of Queene Mary and pretence of Elizabeth it pleased the deuyne prouydēce so to dispose that with-out battaile or bloudshed of the people the punishment only extēded to the principall parties and some fewe accessaries themselues Thus may sundry examples of your owne changes shewe you that alterations are no newe thinges but that they are bothe comon and generall Neither can any be so sencelesse althoughe suche great iniquity had neuer bin cōmitted as to think your estate were euer stable or that no new gouernment did not euer bringe at the least the change of many mens particuler estates But the case beeing now such as it is that his Catholique Maiesty is not only highly iniuried and continually vrged but the whole repose and quyet of Christendome so disturbed that either his Maiesty or some other prince must of force seeke the reformation of your country not for any particuler comoditie but for a generall good Whereunto in truthe his Maiesty is especially more obligated then any other insomuch that yf there were no cause at all of religion to moue him yet in regard of the comon iniuryes dayly donne vnto him he is euen bounde in righte reason and iustice to do it that yf neither he nor any other should attempte thesame you are notwithstanding assured of ciuill dissention no heire to the Crowne apparently knowne and so many competitiours to make claime at once and the wrathe indignation of God for so great impietie by one meanes or other to be satisfied I cannot see whether the plague of ciuill war will be easier then the inconuenience of foreyne inuasion neither can I see how you can auoyde the leaste of them bothe Neither do you desire with Dauid rather to fall into the handes of God then into the handes of men but persist in the augmentation of your wounted wickednes It may somtymes please God of his great mercy to spare a whole citie for a fewe iust persons therein And the only hope that remayneth for the easy reclayminge of your country is the blood of so many marti●s there powred oute which being so pretious in his sighte may be the meane so to mittigate his highe indignation that the innocent shall not be confounded with the impious but rather that many multitudes by there meanes may be saued It may also stand with his great goodnesse to make his Catholique Maiesty the meane for the recouery thereof not to conquer or make mutation of auncient lawes and liberties which he neuer intended but only to reduce it to the old concorde and communion of christendome This doubtlesse would be the happiest easiest meanes of all other the heroycall endeuours of his Maiesty considered whose proceedings in all mercy myldnes and grace lie open to the vewe of heauen and earthe neither needeth the tounge or pen of any man declare them excepte only to manifest the malice of his aduersaries vnto those whome they so impudently abuse His Maiesty also much relying amonge others of greatest wisdome and vertue of your owne nation vpon the graue counsell and aduise of the Cardinall of England whose exceeding care and naturall affection to his deare country is awnswerable to his great vertue wisdome learning You are not heere to regard the raylings of those that accompte his grace and all the other exyled Englyshe traytors enemies to their countrie falsly saying that they haue sold it to the Pope and Kynge of

haue so farr exceeded there faultes afore as the taking of armes in defence of their priuileges as they then vntruly spake is differēt from the denying there soueraigne electing another Yet such grace and fauour do they fynde euē at this day that yeilding thēselues and their cities vnder his obediēce they are not only absolutely pardoned but vvhich is more meruelous they are vvith great summes of mony ritchly revvarded And such subiects of his that as rebells do yet remaine out vnpardoned are themselues the cause thereof because they seeke it not It is further to be considered that there is no Kynge in Europe that hathe more different natiōs of more diuers landes languages to his subiects then his Maiesty hathe The entire Monarchie of Spaine conteyning sundry kyngedomes is gouerned in one moste flourishinge and peaceable estate and the Prouince of Portugall newly anexed there vnto remaineth in more better condition then it was in other tymes afore The nobilitie thereof notwithstanding some resistance at the first after that they had maturely cōsidered the cause together with his maiesties mercyfull disposition lefte of to preferr the pretence of Don Anthonio were not only receiued into his great grace and fauout and confirmed in their owne auncient possessions but were further gratifyed by his Maiesty with sundry great honours and dignities And the comon people eftsoones released of many great taxes and tributes that their former princes had imposed vppon them He hathe of Italians those of the Kyngdomes of Napl●s and Sicilia the duchie of Millan and of diuers Iles of the Mediterraneum sea He hathe Germaines of the Duchie of Luxembourge And Burgundians of the higher prouince beeing all gouerned in great quyet and farr better estate then euer vnder any other their former Princes Hauing found no conquest thraldome mutation or inconuenience whatsoeuer to auoy them but fully enioy the comfortes and comodities of their countries vnder the obedience of such a soueraigne as hathe more better mighte meanes to defend them then any Prince his people in the world moste free and farr from any lykelyhoode of rebellion In which same obedience his subiects of the Netherlandes had doubtlesse longe liued had they not bin situate so neere the noysome infection of their Englishe neighbours whose pernitious venim hathe not only anoyed them but also Fra●●●ce and Scotland the nexte inhabitants on the ●ther sydes And whose malice so exceedeth were th●r● meanes according that they would not leaue neither Europe nor India free from such infection And for a further proof of his Maiesties mylde nature and 〈◊〉 benignitie I shall desire you to con●●der that there is nothing that can possibly more moue and stir vp the indignation of a Prince then the open disloyall and repugnant insolency of his owne people And that no subiects in our dayes haue exceeded his all the vvorld will witnesse Notwithstanding all which looke whether any bloudy cruel or vnchristian desire of reuenge hathe apeered in him and looke whether it be possible that more lenity mighte be shewed vnto such then his Maiesty hathe donne The truthe whereof beeing so apparent plaine manifest I leaue vnto your owne self in cōscyēce to discerne whether thease examples of his Maiesties proceedings will not sufficiently awnswere vnto all the calumnies and lies that his aduersaries can possibly inuent to make him odious Looke whether after such a generall reuolt wherein so many had so iustly deserued to loose bothe their liues liuings whether their lands are deuyded to straungers there wyues violated their Children marcked with hot Irons there goods robbed and taken from them c. Or rather whether they do not liue in all securitie and quiet possession of their owne And yf by reason of the restrainte of their trafique they are not presently in their former aboundance they may wholly impute that vnto you beeing the only cause theerof But of the like compassion had of a Prince on his people yon cannot shevve any examples paste or present in the whole world This Sweete and gratious disposition of his Maiesty beeing so publyke notorious how is it possible that euer such vnchristi● cruelty could more be intended to the Englishe nation then to any others or that any man offence can imagine why he should more hate them then any his owne treacherous and rebellious subiects His great wisdome well seeing and obseruing that the originall of this rancour principally proceedeth from some fewe in present aucthoritie whose vngratious designes are executed by persons neither of honour nor honesty And others of the vulgar sorte of people who with applause of their superiours concurr in thease courses he can well discerne rather to do it of litle discretion then of great malice themselues not beeing of capacitie to consider the equitie or iustnesse of the cause And his Maiesty espetially considereth that great multytudes are ouer borne by the impious tyranny of powrable persons ontwardly to condescend to that which inwardly they contemne sustayning contrary to the nature of so noble a Nation the generall reproche of particuler mens dishonorable actions whose case doubtlesse he dothe rather pittie then desire to punish All the world knoweth that his Maiesty hathe euer had a most singuler affection to the Englishe people and your selues by experience haue perfectly found it There could neuer kynge cōdescēd to cōditions more honorable profitable for you then his Maiesty did at his beeing in England I suppose mōsieur of fraunce in his late mocke mariage neuer offred you the like His Maiesties actiōs were withoute dissimulatiō as the cōsequēce well declared for beeing maried to your Queene and proclaymed Kynge yet soughte not to setle himself in the Crowne nor to possesse any portes townes or castells in the whole countrie But after the deceasse of the moste vertuous Queene Mary his wyf gaue place and quyet entrance vnto the Lady Elizabeth Giuing also vnto her all his said wyues Iewells which himself mighte iustly haue claymed and kepte And presently after her coming to the crowne he then being vpon conditions to cōclude a peace with the frenche kynge vppō the taking of S. Quintines did moste earnestly stick at the rēdringe of the towne of Calis to the Englishe againe she hauing at that present her ambassadors there and as it seemed for the same purpose but after his Maiesty had so earnestly vrged this matter that vnlesse it mighte be graunted there could be no accorde the french then flatly confessed that notwithstanding the Englishe ontwardly solicited for Calis yet they had secretly assured them that their Queene cared not therefore which his Maiesty afterward founde so in dede and perceaued the fraude that it imported But to leaue thease deuyses to other like dooble dealings let vs returne to the tyme when our Kinge remained with you in England and see with what affable curtesy he entreated you what great liberalitie he vsed to all sortes in generall and what honorable pensions

Countries arryuing at Stockholme was demaunded of the Kynge of Swethen whether it were true that the Queene of England had put herself in possession of any the Kynge of Spaine his countries or townes there yea quoth he it is true Then quoth the Kynge she hathe euen stakte downe her owne crowne and standes in faire possibilitie to be put out of all Methinkes your self or any indifferent Englishe protestant whose zeale dothe not ouerbeare his discretion may muche maruell that England so much and so many wayes seeming to be troobled is so litle pittied of other people in the world abroade And beeing gouerned by a woman your case muste be the more capable of pittie seeing men naturally are giuen to compassionate that sexe But alas my good freind you may see these false faces dismasked long since and all the world to be aswell acquainted with Englishe clamours as is the fysher of Nylus with the teares of the Crocodile Neither can any of those vaine false lying libells that from thence are spred abroade any whit now a dayes serue your turnes other then to noosell vp those that you can keepe from seeing or hearing the contrary for how cuningly soeuer the couloured woordes therein are contriued men make your actions the comentaries In the durance of your expyred yeares your prince enioyed the fulnesse of her pleasure and her fauorytes their vncontrouled aucthoritie then advancinge their felicitie and vsing all benefytes of tyme after all which you now rest doubtfull whether your play will conclude as a comedy or tragedy the truthe of all felicitie beeing tryed at the last and no assured happynesse afore the end When I enter into consideration of the present state of your country I call to remembrance that at my beeing at Salamanca some fyue yeares paste an Englishe Gentleman shewed me the woorke of an old Englishe poet beeing the moste renowmed that euer wrote in the Englishe tounge in the begining whereof were certaine verses which in manner of a prophesy so perfectly discribed then the future state of England that at this day it is the very liuely pourtraict thereof ad Viuum I requested of him the sence in Spanishe and the meeter in Englishe which is thus VVhen faith faileth in priests savves And lords hestes are held for lavves And robbery is reckned purchase And leachery is counted solace Then shall the land of Albion Be broughte to great confusion Althoughe I haue hard that by the new lawes of England it is made a trespasse no lesse then treason to talke of old prophesies yet haue I presumed to repeat thease English rymes because they are comon to be redd in publyke printed bookes amonge your selues That the authour had the spirite of prophesy I will not say but how this accordeth with the present tyme your self shall see First touchinge the failing of the faith it is manifest that he ment no other then the faith Catholique which had so lōge lasted so vniuersally bin belieued and was there then preached taughte by priests for ministers at that tyme were vnmade and created which faith is now failed in those apostataes from whence your ministers fetche their original diuers of them being yet lyuing that somtyme said Masse in the Catholique Churche and do nowe say Comunion in the protestant congregation The effect of which great defect of faith hathe in a short season so sufficiently appeered not only in the encreasing companies of many sortes of protestants puritanes Anabaptistes and louing families but euen in the bringing foorthe of sundry such monsters as dare boldly deny our sauiour Christ himself whereby you may see that forsaking the faith that contemned all heresy you haue embraced a doctrine that conteyneth all blasphemy Euery man in his owne particuler experience hathe had such infynite examples of your notable corruption of English iustice that he seeith it is better to haue a bad cause supported by the fauour of the courte then a good cause withoute the credit of a courtier The aucthoritie of those lordes hauing of late dayes extended so far as to the discharging of suche oute of prison as haue lyen vpon executions leauing their creditours vnsatisfied Suche was the soueraigne puisance of the late Lorde of Lecester that he could not only extinguishe his owne manifest murthers and open iniustice but his Lord-ships will was a lawe sufficient to defend the faultes of others and his great plenty of protections of more force then vertue Mony mighte and fauour doe so sway the iustice of England and so alter the condition of euery case that more wilfull murthers capitall fellonies and criminall offences are now pardoned then euer afore There are none that can liue whome they list to kill nor none can offend whome they please to fauour Truthe it is that there is nothing punished more then vertue nor nothing permitted more then vice There is no blasphemy comparable to the denyall of feminine supremacy nor no offence against God so grieuously punished There is no deathe so terrible as that which is ordayned for deuoutest Christians nor nothing more offensyue then the faithe of their forfathers who yf they were aliue and Catholiques their children would condemne and quarter for traytours According to your good Religion and wel ordered lawes the rest of your actions do rightly concurr and your open allowance of rapyne and robbery dothe manifest to the world that you haue made a resignation of all honnour and abandoned all honesty not caring what the whole world present not all posterities to come shall accompte of your actions the blot blemishe thereof beeing so reprochefull that Englād somtyme so famous for vertue and iustice is now esteemed a receptacle for pyrates and a den of theeues And those litle companions that are there dayly hanged for tryfles beeing suche for the moste parte as your selues haue robbed first by employing them in your seruice withoute giuing them their payes wherein hauing consumed their owne substance are afterward enforced to steale for the very maintenance of lyf Are not hanged somuch for the facte as for the manner of comitting it for yf they did it in any place oute of England were it neuer so farr westward nor neuer somuch in value it should be reckned very righte and lawfull purchase And they should be so farr from the danger of hanging that they should be rewarded with the dignity of knyghthoode Touching the sinne of Leachery I can litle say other then by heare say And that is it was neuer more comon in the country nor of more creditt in the courte no not before the enlarging of Kenelmworthe Castell nor in the erecting of Haumbey house nor during the tyme of the setting vpp of all the edifices situate vpō the lyke foundation as it hathe bin since the very finishing of Rauleghs Arcke Thus you may see how Faith is fayled Robbery allowed and Leachery moste delighted in The cōfusion to follow is