treasoÌ„ for that they being then the vassals of the King of Fraunce yea and that more is lincked very nere vnto him in baÌ„des of blood and hauing yelded vnto him their homage fealtye did take armes not only withowt his appointment but also against his owne person and estates in the feeld Surely no maÌ„ caÌ„ make me beleue but that the good Duke Phillip knew very well what was the dutye of a subiect wheÌ„ as to reuenge the deathe of Duke Ihon his father who alitle before had slayne the Duke of Orleans brother to the King he caused the King of England to comme into Fraunce and made him Lorde of the Cittye of Paris and of the best parte of the whole kingdome If this lawe which nou set downe here were so generall as you woulde make it surely he had neuer atteined vnto the name of so good a Prince as he was accompted neither had he lefte behinde him to his posterity so good a reporte of immortall glory as wee know of Likewise his sonne Charles the hardy when he tooke armes against Lois the. 11. and defeated a parte of his armye at Monthelery knew not hee very well that subiectes mighte make no sturre withowt appointment or aucthoritie from their Lorde wil you say then that owr King doothe wrongfully enioy the countye of Burgondy the which was graunted by the same Lois and Charles vnder the title that the subiect did beare armes against his liege Lorde But howe often hathe it been sene and iudged to be right and reasonable that the subiectes in particuler and the Townes and Prouinces in generall haue taken Armes in such cases as this not only withowt the appointment of their Lorde but also euen against their soueraignes them selues and yet hathe nether your lawe nor Maxime been of sufficient waight against the reasons and argumentes that they alledged in defence of their equytie Wherefore of force your conclusion cannot holde when as you inferre by this your Maxime that they of Holland and Zeland haue committed an offence vnexcusable in hauing taken armes against their Prince For first you shoulde haue declared that the groundes and occasions that forste them therevnto were not reasonable or at the least not sufficient to maynteyne the equitye of their cause and then mighte you haue had somme better apparaÌ„ce of reason But surely it seemeth that for becaus you wolde haue the equitye of their cause quyte suppressed from the eares of the worlde and from the knowledg of his Maiestie you haue cleane troden vnder foote and sent backe againe their request grownding your self only vpon the opinions of suche of the courte as you knewe before to bee aduersaries to their attemptes And I pray you what if theis of owr side shall say that they not only haue not taken armes against his Maiestie but also that they haue not stirred but by his consent and aucthoritie Dothe it not seeme vnto you reasonable that the othe which the King hath taken and the expresse article wherin he coÌ„maundeth that no man shall any longer yelde obedience vnto him self than he obserueth the points of the artiles that he is sworne vnto may iustifye their doinges especially seeing that bothe his Maiestie is absent that straungers vnder the title of his name haue not only broken theis articles but also soughte vtterli to disanull that sollemne coÌ„tract the which he made at his entrye into Brabant which is the chiefest of all the Prouinces he possesseth in theis partes for as touching that which you saie That to beare armes against his Maiestie or his Ministers is all one I cannot comprehend where of that should be grounded considering that the King him self at his foresaid entry and acceptacion dothe promise sweare declare that presently ipso facto all officers Maiestrates ad Mynisters shal be taken but for sciphers of no validity who either haue ben heere before or shal be hereafter placed in preiudice of those articles which he is sworne vnto or that shal coÌ„mit any thing against the same So that the King him self dothe by his othe disgrade all suche ministers and dothe put weapens into owr haÌ„des to resist their iniquitye violeÌ„ce And if that you graunte that all this is trew in respect of theÌ„ of Brabant but that HollaÌ„d and Zeland may be no partakers thereof theÌ„ muste you needes Iustifie the Prince of OreÌ„g and all those that serue him being bothe inhabitantes naturally borne in Brabant in that they wolde not acknowledge suche ministers as haue violated and broken the othes and contractes of the king And since that they wear not bounde to acknowledge or allow theÌ„ but mighte take armes against theÌ„ it followeth that they might with good reaso occupie enioy all those landes Prouinces which did yelde any fauour or deuocyon at any tyme to suche mynisters being disanulled and disgraded And as touching the rest of Holland and Zeland their fault and offence can be none other but that they bee not borne in Brabant For I cannot thinck that you wil denie but that the said ministers against whome they beare armes haue brokeÌ„ and violated in a maner all those articles which the King was sworne vnto at his firste entrye And if thies things were not thus what is he that seeth not plainly how that in this point the Kings hands be fast tyed together synce that your selues doe confesse that in all matters Ecclesiasticall and touching faithe he is bounde to be obedient vnto the Pope his legates and vicars Dooe not we know how that that CoÌ„mission which was coÌ„cluded vpon and ordeined amongest your ecclesiastical persons and Bishops to roote owt this owr religion which you call new was inuented and forged by Pope Pius the fourthe being sollicited therevnto by Docter SoÌ„nius who for that cause remayned at Rome by the space of three or fower yeares afterwarde broughte amongest vs into theis quarters the pestileÌ„t seed of theis troubles calamities that we feele at this day Do not we knowe that it was onely the Pope which gaue coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to the king that thordinauÌ„ces of the Councell of Trent should be published here againste the which all the Estates both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall did set themselues to withstand as a thing preiudiciall against the aunciente lawes customes and priuiledges which the king hath sworn vnto vs Briefly haue not all the Instruments and Authours of this Tragedy bin created onely by the Pope And who is ignoraÌ„t I pray you that the Pope in his decres doth openly vaunte that all kinges and Princes are bound to hold all their Crownes and Scepters of him and to obey him in euery point Haue we no learned of our auncestours how that the â—opes of Rome haue coÌ„maunded at their pleaâ—ure the most noble Emperours and Prince â–ª of Christendome and sought to execute their wils by excommunicating and accursinge of them as often as they would resist their pleasures FroÌ„ whence proceeded those cruell and
and States of his adherentes seing they haue so plaine a presidēt in this case that their othes may shal be dispensed wythall when and how ofte soeuer they liste I suppose there vvas such a clause in the Contract that vvas made vvith the kinge of Spayne for the mariage of Queene Mary that he should not alter or chaunge any one iote of the Lawes and Customes aswel publike as priuate of the Realme of England if he had broken this braunch vouched the equity of his dealing therin vppon a licence dispensation from the Pope I doubt sore whether the people and States of England would haue taken that for good payment I doubte I say vvhether the Nobility and Commons of Englande would haue suffered him vnder that cloake to haue banished all the Lavves of Englande and brought in the gouernmēt of Millan or Naples I doubt vvhether the Nobles and people of England would haue bin accōpted rebels for vvithstanding such breatch of Contract I doubt vvhether they vvould haue suffred him so quietly to haue caryed awaye the Crowne from the Queenes Maiestie to haue set it vpon his Spaniards heads And yet hee might as iustly haue done that as this if this rule be good VVe may thanck God we are deliuered from him wee cannot tell what he woulde haue done thoughe wee may surmise by this president what he might haue pretended I tell you this excuse of periurie may seeme reasonable to them that are of his Court for such a God they haue but it is a perillous president for vs vnlesse wee bevvare of it If it seeme a good plea for king Philip to say he hath not broken his othe herein because the Pope dispēsed with him what maye all Princes that haue made Contracts with him loke for but iuste quarrell againste themselues to be reuenged both with fire and svvord when soeuer the Pope shall list to dispense And I am afrayde the benefite of this dispensation wil be vsed if at any time they may haue oportunity which God forbid for the Q. Ma. the realm of Englād as they say stand excōmunicat if so thē all oth is dispēsed withall you know that very well How be it if Christiā Prīces which professe God conscience shall iudge this dealing to be good if they can so easly perswade thēselues that such maner of dalying with othes is Christiā Prīcelike surely then wil I as they say conclude that the K. of Spaine hath right and the Prince of Orenge States of Holland Zelande haue wronge that his bretch of oth law custome is lawful they in withstāding it are rebels traitours But if they shall iudge with the truth as truth is in deede that no mortall man can dispense with an othe that bindeth the conscience of man for it is a matter within the iurisdictiō of God alone againe if they shal cōsider this wyth thē selues that all the righte and title that the King of Spaine hath to those countryes is onely by vertue of this othe and no otherwyse so that his superioritie ouer them stādeth but by way of Stipulation if hee performe those conditions for hee hath no better title then all his predecessours had then will they easelie resolue that there is great fault in that pretence yea very preiudicious and an euill presidente to all Princes that haue to contract vvyth him on the other side that the Prince and the States do in iustice and equitie both before God and man what they do and are not to be charged with these greeuous termes of Rebels and Traytours NOVV for our owne case say they that like of that parte it is good to remember for the necessitie what neighbours we haue what mīds our neighbours haue vvhat affections haue bin vttered in subscriptions to the Counsel or conspiracie of Trent wherin the destruction of all Protestant Princes namely of the Queene Realme of England haue bin determined vvhat practises haue bin vsed furthered to aduaūce the pretēsed title of the cōpetitrice of her Maiesties crowne what intelligēces entred with the rebels of England what ayds promised to them in their actuall rebellion how the rebels haue bin receiued succoured and releeued wyth pensions maintayned there sithens their ouerthrowe here what letters of Marck or disguised Pyracie against English subiectes graūted to Don Thomas Coppley graund Lorde of the Maze Gatten Roughey and of many othergaping sounds of petie titles such other little fellowes besides Stories Cōmission How in those dominions daily bookes haue bin published with open warrant priuiledge and allowaunce most slaunderous to the Queene and seditious against her state How the traiterous Papists are there vpholden in credite and dignitie who doubte not continually to affirme that he cannot erre that hath pronounced our Queene depriued what deuises haue bin vsed by one Embassadour a holy bishop the Bishop of Aquila against her Maiestie and her Counsell How by an other Embassadour De Spese lewde and vncomely letters haue bin written vnder saucy signes of the names of Oriane Amadis and such vnprincely toyes audaciously to reatch at the honour of such a moste vertuous high noble Queene Howe the same rashe personage hath not bin misliked there for his so doing How the Bull of her Maiesties depriuation of the assoyling of her subiects frō their alle giaūce hath bin printed spred abroade set vpon posts magnificētly deliuered to knowledge in the low Countryes remayninge vnder that Princes rule How in Spaine it self her Ma subiects are daily takē imprisoned manacled tormented exquisitely murdered in cōtēpte of her Maiesties honour and the safe freedō of mutual trafique How the holy Inquisitiō is permitted dayly to rage against Englishmē for praying to God euen on Seabord accordīg to the lawes of the Church of England Howe the Prince excuseth thē by saying he cānot disobey the Church And must he obey the Church in following their sentence that the Queene of Englād is depriued of her Crowne The euident apparence that he lacketh onely opportunity to inuade England a thing most apt for extending his conquest and a thing most needefull for him wherewith to reteyne the rest of his owne One most vrgent neede not to haue him to strong One most important pollicy to hold warre farther of rather thā to draw it home Infinite are both the reasons occasions that this cause deliuereth For the cōmoditie behold say they the fruitful land the dominiō of Sea by situaciō the neerenes of the Continēt to hold our warres or do displeasures farther of from England the rule of trade both of the riuer of Rhene and land of Germany the commodities passing that vvay both for Marchandise and Nauigation as Cables Pitch Tarre Mastes other matter for Shippes to be plentifull to ourselues scarce to our enemyes at oure pleasures the greater increase safety of the trade of our marchants euery where But of these
CERTEIN LETTERS VVHERIN IS SET forth a Discourse of the Peace that was attempted and sought to haue bin put in effecte by the Lords and States of Holland and Zelande in the yeare of oure Lorde 1574. ALSO A SVPPLICATION put vp by the said States of Hollande and Zeland and other places of the Low Countryes to the King together with the aunsvvere and a Reply vppon the same and diuers other particularities PSALME 28. O Lord God take me not away with the wicked nor with them that commit iniquitie which speake peace to their neighbours imagine mischiefe in their harts IMPRINTED AT LONdon in Fleetestreate by Thomas Marshe ANNO 1576. TO the intent to giue some lighte to suche as are not acquainted with the state of the affayres and controuersies of Hollande and Zelande and to stoppe the mouthes of malicious aduersaries which ceasse not to reporte al maner of vntruth and reproch of the noble valeaūt and vertuous prince the Prince of Orendge his adherēts of the iust case which they maintein here is translated a short Discourse of the orignial cause and ground of their entering into Armes togither with a nomber of weyghtie substantial reasons wherby they iustifie their doing by good conscience and equitie And it is the rather set forthe at this tyme because some of the parties and authors therof bee now here as Mounsieur Sainct Aldegond and Moūsieur Champagny and others who may iustify the same as neede shall requyre to the open mainfestation of the truth with out further trauel Read with aduisemēt and iudge indifferently as the righte of the matter shall leade the. Sum Dea quae rara paucis Occasi◠nota To his very friend E. B. esquier affectionate friend and deuotiste seruaunt vnto the fayre and vertuous Lady the Countesse of Culenberghe THis olde prouerbe as cōmonly all other hath his groūd vpon knowē experience Malus animus malamens an euill affection maketh an euill construction Men wrest or driue the interpretaciō of doings to the frame of their owne coceits which they deriue from the fauour or disfauour that they haue settled in their owne perswasions It is not vnknowen what extraordinary discourses what priuate fansies in common meetīgs are daily made of the case of our neighbours in the low Country Such maner of debatinge where cōtrary opiniōs haue distracted you seeme to be the cause of your question wherof you desire to be resolued in your letters You coulde not haue written to a man more indifferent than I am who am as farre from parcialitie as he that loueth that is to say preferreth neither party before other but our country before thē both I do therefore as I wish you to doe set the pin of the beame eauen and examine the weight of either skale Let vs then cōpare the sides and begin with the sharper that we maye haue the milder ending First I will call to minde what th one of those sides obiecteth Secondly what thother aunswereth And thirdly what to drawe to concerne our selues In the matter of obiection let vs see what strength it hath in iustice In the matter of defence let vs see what weight it hath in equitie And for the matter of Our selues let vs see what necessity what commodity what right and what facilitie it is said to beare to draw vs to any side It is sayd by some which are loth that Spaine should be weaker or Englande stronger that the Prince of Orendge his adherēts are rebels in Armes agaīst their natural Prince and maintayners of a most daungerous president against all Princes To this is aunswered on thother part as in this booke you shal see discoursed that there is difference of the bande maner of their subiection from other None of them holdeth that a king maye be shaken of by his subiects but they all saye that Lords electible vpon pacts conditions are also reiectible accordīge to the same pacts cōditions specially in Dominions subiecte to the ciuill lawes which are not the Lawes of England The order of eche state is to be regarded not all States haue kings Some haue other formes of gouernment Not all kingdoms haue like maner of admissions or receyuings of kings Som follow natural succession of bloud some Choise some Lot or chaunce Some kings or rulers haue simple absolute power some limitted circumscribed Therles of Holland and Zealand as is well knowē many examples haue proued at their Ioyous entree that is to saye at ther receyuinge to inauguration or seisen of their Estate be bound by oth to prescribed pacts orders whereby not onelye their forme of rule is bounded but also vpon diuers points the subiects homage allegiance expresly discharged And that discharg in fact hath bin executed by such fact say they the auncesters of the Prince himself that now chargeth them haue bin receyued The Prince and states of that Country alledge the othe of their Earle the precise forme of assoylmēt vpon his breach of their Priuiledges they produce one chiefe point that they ought not to be pestered with gouernaunce or garrison of straungers they recken vp thintollerable outragious manifest oppressions done vpon them and the euident practise to bring that free Nation to most vnsufferable seruitude they shield themselues vnder the liberty right of Nature the prouision of agreements the othes of their Princes their power of refusall vppon their Princes periurie wyth many like matters whereof they make the worlde Iudges by their many Protestacions Apologies Iustifications Supplicatiōs to the states of th empyre other meanes alwayes seuering their case from other subiectes of Naturall and absolute Kinges FOR say they in their case of resistinge the Kinge these things are to be considered the nature of the Gouernement and subiection the cause of resistance and thirdly the maner of the resistance The nature of the Gouernment the subiection stādeth in these two considerations VVhether it hee Merum Imperium that all thinges may be done Pro voluntate Regnanti◠or it be Moderatum which is Temperatū Legibus wherein the Ruler hath his rule prescribed him which way to rule the Subiect a Paterne described him which way to obey If the Gouernment be Merum absolutū then is the Person inferiour a slaue and no subiecte For in all due subiection there is Taxis which is neuer in Voluntate If the Gouernmente be Temperatum then is thinferiour a subiect and no slaue IN all subiection there is an honest liberty giuen by Law it self whereby all Actions and Pleas in Lawe are as open to the subiect as to the ruler for the maintenaunce of truth and equitie In slauerie there is none such because he is not to be measured but by the will of the Ruler which howsoeuer it turneth is his right he hath no actiō of Appeal or Plea to the contrary Then it followeth that the Law is the rightest Auctoritie and the same