to remit all iniuries past and to put vp as many as hereafter they may do vnto him and quietly lett them continew their wrongfull possession of his righte M. Cecill is become so mad and angry with him that he raileth vpon him in open proclamation wherein I suppose I mistake not the person for albeit the proclamatioÌ„ be published in the name of the Queene yet must it needes be written by the directioÌ„ of him which is Domine fac totum who as it seemeth being in some great choler was ouer hasty in the choise of his Scribe or somuch ouer-weened in his owne wisdome that he thought no one of his fond impertineÌ„t and friuolous reasons could be controled And therefore with much impudeÌ„cie he saith that the king of Spaine hathe continually disturbed the state of England 33. yeares together and he greatly laboreth to make the world belieue that either the king did neuer know or els had vtterly forgotten whether the English had euer don vnto him any iniuries at all and therefore could neuer think vpon any meanes of remedy or reuenge yf he were not vrged forward and put in memorie of them by a fewe priestes and Iesuites He accuseth the Pope of exhausting the treasure of the Churche without consent of the college of Cardinalles VVherein he seemeth as thoughe he pitied the wasting of the Churches treasure who could wish in his harte that the. Pope and all his Cardinalles were as poore as euer was Iobe He would make it seeme an iniury that this treasure is employed in the warres of Fraunce because that realme hathe bene a defender of the Romaine Churche in all their oppressioÌ„s where as it rather might seeme an iniury yf the Pope should not now relieue them that had assisted the Church in former oppressions who I think he cannot meane to haue bene Nauarr and his Huguenotes And verely it seemeth that this mannes great prosperitie do the make him to forget himself dothe bereaue him of his iudgement For who may els imagyne that his vanitie should be so great or his lack of wiser matter so litle as to set foorth in proclamation that the King of Spaine did practize with men of base birth of the English nation who giueth credit vnto none but vnto such as to whome all ChristeÌ„dome yeildeth honor for their knowne vertue and wisdome being also of honorable or very honest pareÌ„tage and therefore not base of birth Neither seemeth he to remeÌ„ber with what woorshipful squyres he practizeth withall against the King in Holland and Zealand nor yet what Sir walter Rawleghe dreamed of himself how King Henry the eighte told him that he did very much wooÌ„der that one Cecill was now come to beare so great sway in the courte whose name in his tyme was so obscure in the countri Neither coÌ„sidereth he that albeit by his owne pareÌ„tage he is but meane that he hath litle betred himself by his matches his first wyf being but the sister of a PedaÌ„te and his later so lately come out of the kitchin that her posteritie for some discents must nedes smell of the fat of the frying pan which were nedelesse here to be aleaged were it not to manifest his Lordshipes insolent vanitie in standing vpon such toyes as with wisemen are esteemed as fethers in the ayre who in respect of meane parentage do neuer accompt the lesse of wise or woorthy mennes qualities It is also a lyke matter of moment that he speaketh of the Kinges charges for the maintenaÌ„ce of students vnlesse it be to insinuate coÌ„passion aswell of his as of the Popes expences but his saying that they are a number of dissolute yong men is an exceeding shamefull malitious flaunder He would proue that none are put to deathe for religion because as he saith numbers of men of welth of contrary religion are not touched in their lyves landes goodes or liberties but with the paymeÌ„t of a pecuniary somme which being but a trifle of 20. pounde the moneth he nameth not and yet many haue scarsly the libertie of their prisons while theire landes and goodes are seazed on for this pecuniary trifle And yf any fewe for some colour of clemencie be set at liberty their licence comonly excedeth not aboue 20. dayes and it is bothe vnder bondes suretiâ—es with limitation of their residence And because these numbers are not put to death for religion he seeketh to proue that none are put to death for religion which he thinketh he may the rather auouch for that neither Iesuites Seminary priestes nor other Catholikes are expresly coÌ„demned to death for saying or hearing Masse or the lyke but the one is condemned and put to death because he is a priest and the other for receyuing him VVhereby the world may vnderstand that no Catholike should be put death for any exercise of his religion so he would not come in the company of priestes nor priestes yf they would remaine and vse their functins in Italy or other countries should not be put to death for treason in England It is no lesse ridiculous to call the Lord Cardinall a scholer who being now threescore yeares of age hathe bene chosen to be a head and gouernour of colleges and schollers bothe in England in other countries aboue 36. yeares past And hathe professed in diuers famous vniuersities and written so many excellent bookes as the aduersarie will neuer be able to answere and in the opinion of the best and wisest of Christendome was woorthely chosen vnto his present dignitie was of late in very neere electioÌ„ to haue bene preferred vnto the highest estate of all others in the world And it is a parsonall ly to say that F. Parsons dothe arrogate vnto himself the name of the King Catholikes confessor whose iust credit and reputatioÌ„ for his knowne wisdome and vertue bothe with this King and many other noble princes no English proclamation can be able to diminish If M. Cecill himself had obtayned his estemation for vertue and honest endeuours so had bene the beginer of his house it had bene far greater honor and comendation for him then by the ruyne of somany bothe honorable vertuous the consuming and oppressing of the people the hazard of the destructioÌ„ of the realme so arrogantly to aduaunce himself and to extole his owne glory in painted pedegrees borrowed and farr fetched and his posteritie might then more longer haue retained their honor and renowne then perhappes they are now lyke to do because great treasure heaped together by rapyne wrong and violeÌ„ce is neuer enioyed with long felicitie For De male quaesitis vix gaudet tertius haeres And yf the feares that he dothe faine be true it is not impossible but his house as it hathe begun so it may end with himself And this perhaps he somwhat suspecteth and therefore as all tyrantes are woont dothe seeke to fortify himself by the effusion of innocent blood as thoughe that were the only
she might haue enioyed the kingdome could aswell haue bene contented to haue coÌ„tinued the faith of her auncetours as to be brought vnto her coronation with solemne procession of the Catholyke clergie and at a masse by a Catholike Bishop to be bothe crowned anointed at what tyme she vowed by othe to defend and maintayne that Catholyke faith and religion the which point I do only here alleage for proof of her meaning not to chaunge religion wherein yf she had firmly remained she should haue left vnto the world a farr greater memorie of her giftes of nature and educatioÌ„ But hauing once reposed coÌ„fidence in this suggester he shadowed his sinister practises vnder her aucthoritie and lefte the obloquie of his owne vniust actions to redound vnto her and her estate For this person vnto whose wylinesse was ioyned a woÌ„derfull ambition who beeing by birth but of meane degree thereby denied to be set in equalitie with the nobilitie and peeres of the realme for the better satisfying of his insatiable desire of greatnesse resolued that the best way for his aduancement must be by innouation and that in no lesse matter then in points of faith and religion for that by experience late before in the other Queenes dayes he could neither by the greatnesse of his beades creeping to the crosse nor exterior shew of deuotioÌ„ before the highe altar fynde his entraÌ„ce into highe dignitie to be so speedie as by this meanes he deemed it And therefore among other his fraudulent reasons he sinisterly perswaded the Queene that she could not stand permanent in her crowne and kingdome vnlesse she did condescend vnto the alteration of religion and hereby he so farr abused the sexe and capacitie of his Princesse that the gate vnto all ensuiug iniquitie was spedely opened He then promoted vnto authoritie one Nicolas Bacon with whome before he was lyncked in baÌ„des of affinitie vvho being also of meane birth but of an exceding craftie witt was the more fit to be ioyned with himself in the menaging of the nevv gouernement I do not here deny but that any man hovv meane soeuer may by iust prerogatiue obtaine credit honor by his vertuous endeuours neither caÌ„ any honor be more due theÌ„ that which is atchiued by desert But how this person with his compagnion haue vsurped their reputation their actions haue since manifested to all the world as hereafter shalbe shewed espetially in the suruiuer being the beginer prosecutor and continuer of the ruyne of England and the disturbaÌ„ce almost of euery ChristiaÌ„ regioÌ„ And he that as is said before was farr inferior to be matched in ranck with the nobilite of the realme hath in a fewe yeares so ouermatched them al either by fained crimes cut them of or by one meanes or other so maimed them of their due honor and aucthoritie that he hathe now made himself Dictator perpetuê° The Queene now being broughte to condescend vnto the chaunge of the old religion he broughte also the election of the new to lie in his owne choise and neither followed the doctrine of the Lutherans of Germanie nor that of the Caluinists of Geneua but prescribed a composition of his owne inuention Almost all the old Bishops and clergie he thrust into prison and there consumed them and forced the others in exile to end the rest of their dayes and to supply their places he shufled together the very rif raf and refuse of the world A wedded ministry he would haue albeit the Queene neuer lyked it because the fugitiue Apostataes that were novv returned into EnglaÌ„d fittest for this nevv function were for the most parte coopled with yoke fellowes had vnited the flesh vnto the world the deuill the defects that waÌ„ted to make vp tale of this ministeriall multytude were takeÌ„ vp without partialitie froÌ„ tapsters tiÌ„ckers such depe diuynes these were sent abrode to preache starve the cures throughout the whole couÌ„trie Some vestures of the old clergie he left in the churches whereby the bearded ministers his traÌ„sformed apes might somuch the better imitate the outward apparence of Catholike priests the more to diminish this great conceit of mutation in faith amoÌ„g the people and to make them wene that the old seruice was but turned out of Latin into English and some ceremonies only altered the Gospels Epistles ê‘te of the Letany the very Collects vsed before at Masse were ordayned by a booke of In iuÌ„ctioÌ„s to be daily red in the churches The name of this new profession was borrowed from Germany for the professors would be called Protestants a name vnknovvne vnto all our Catholike auncetors in all ages since first they receyued Christianitie but the chiefest substance of dotrine was taken froÌ„ Geneua whereunto the compositor added of himself an Ecclesiasticall superioritie to the Queene vvhich Iohn Caluine vvhose doctrine they lyked neerest to follovv dothe terme to be Antichristian in any teÌ„porall prince and it was neuer chalenged by any prince Christian before king H. the eighte nor neuer atributed to any heathen potentate except by one only people of Persia called the Asasynes for they in the yeare of our Lord 1253. admited their religion to depend wholy vpon the will of their Prince Thus was the protestanticall congregation of EnglaÌ„d created erected most repugnaÌ„t to the old Catholike faith participant of some newe he resies and yet not consonant to any one religion els but different and disagreeing from all sectes and religions past present vnder heaueÌ„ and what confusion it hathe since declyned vnto in it self shal here after be declared The apologie of this Church was written in Latin traÌ„slated into English by A.B. with the comendatioÌ„ of M.C. which twaine were sisters wiues vnto Cecill and Bacon and gaue their assistance and helping hands in the plot and fortification of this newe erected synagog But because so strange and extraordinarie a doctrine being in an antipathia to all and in vnitie with none was vnlykely to haue loÌ„g endurance espetially wanting such deepe roote of succession from Christ and his Apostles as hathe these many hundred yeares preserued in vigeur one only entire faith and religion against all heresies schismes disseÌ„tions whatsoeuer the author fearing least with the decay of this late erected Churche the creator with the creature might fall he then as impudently reiecting all shewe of moral honesty as late before he had don his hipocriticall cloke of deuotion studied to put all countries in garbroiles round about him And for the effectuating of this his heroical intention he begaÌ„ to vse the excercize of a newe skill that was alwaies to ê‘swade the Queene that other princes ment to inuade her dominions when himself ment to drawe her to any violent attempt against them It is a world to see how his experience hathe since encreased in this practize how well he hathe made this deuice to extend to the encrease of Englands
enmitie with all the world and how for his labor he hathe purchased among fooles the reputation of wisdome albeit he hathe lost among wisemen the esteeme of honestie The first proof of this deuice to stirr vp tumults in other princes dominioÌ„s he put in practize with Scotland the countrie next adioyning where-vpon sone after folowed the warres of Lythe the successe whereof because it fel not out so well as to his purpose he wished himself went thether to patche vp a peace the which he so well disposed of that they were neuer since out of coÌ„tinuall warres And for the better more assured maintenance of discord he hathe not letted euer since to hyre some principall persons for yearely wages to nowrish and continew rebellions quarrells factions by which meanes the treasure of the realme hathe not only bene infinitely wasted but at sundry tymes diuers greâ—â—… troopes of English forces haue bene sent â—â—ether conducted by the Earle of Sussex and others whereof hathe ensued very great effusion of bloud of either nation diuers horrible murthers the exyle of the Scottish Queene and the transposing of the realme to the rule of an infant vnder the gouernment of a bastard But what infortunate endes this vsurper and sundrie others there sett vp for regentes haue come vnto is manifest to the world and the great murthers that haue sprong throughe the seede of dissention first sowen by this pacifier haue not ceased eueÌ„ with the slaughter of that queene but wil end the lyues of many before they be ended Now as one that of hatred vnto idlenesse would rather choose to be occupied in iniquitie then to offend in slothe in the meane whyle that these dissentions were entretained in ScotlaÌ„d coÌ„sidering that by the mariage of the French king vnto the Scotish queene their two realmes were lynked together and that the French king was but an orphane he neglected not his oportunitie to bring France to staÌ„d in as good termes as Scotland therefore he sent ouer Sir Nicolas ThrogmortoÌ„ to perswade such French vnto rebellioÌ„ as he founde to be mutinous discoÌ„tented and for furtherance thereof he promised them assistaÌ„ce of mony and munitioÌ„ out of EnglaÌ„d The vvhich promisse was accordingly performed For M. Cecill seldome failed to kepe his woord in any such couuenant the seduced French so wel kept tutch on the other syde that they proceded vnto a very flatt rebellion and so purchased the nevv name of Huguenots But this assistance not being found sufficient the more to engage the realme of England in that cause the Huguenots were wrought to deliuer vnto the Queenes haÌ„des the tovvnes of Newhauen Diepe diuers others the acceptaÌ„ce whereof some of the auncient nobilitie of the realme that yet remained of the councel vtterly misliked and aleaged that it was an ill president to assist the rebels of other princes least the lyke might be offred vnto the Queene which considerate councell auailed litle with him that meÌ„t to make this no more but an introduction to greater mischieues For Vaughan Pellam and one Portinato an Italian were sent ouer to take the view of Newhauen and these returned with relation that the English were able with 2000. to defeÌ„d it against all the world and here upon the matter was resolued notwithstanding all former alleagations and forward it went but not without a vizard for their was a booke written in iustification of that action to signify to the world that the intentioÌ„ of the English was but to kepe the possessioÌ„ of that towne vntill the king came to age as thoughe the master of the wardes in England had had the wardship of the French king also And another reason was for that the other party to wit the princes and peeres of the realme that were of the kings councell did meane to bring strangers into the countrie from whome of all other places they had great care to preserue this towne whereupon a very difficill question might be moued to wit whether the English in those dayes were more naturall Frenchmen then other strangers But leauing the resolutioÌ„ of this doubt certaine it is that there were sent ouer vnto Newhauen 4000. men which were but 2000. more then were nedefull to withstand all the world perhaps to remaine in prouision against Nouus orbis which peraduenture might come against it also but how this tovvne was defended froÌ„ FrauÌ„ce only by the shame-full abandoning thereof it did appeere And this losse was not vnaccompagned with a greater euill for the soldiers that returned back againe into England brought with them such a plague of pestilence as generally infected the most partes of the realme and in the citie of London and the suburbes there died in 12. monethes 20000. persons And the very Huguenotes themselues abhorring the frauduleÌ„t dealinges of the English hauing obtayned a peace and perdon of their king became the very first that bent their forces to expulse them wherein may be noted with what firme amitie the English French are vnited in the discordant vnitie of the new Gospell It is further to be obserued that the French king fynding the English whose name among the french people is so odious to haue gotten footing in Normandie to the end that he might be deliuered of them in that prouince offred to deliuer the towne of Calis presently back againe into the Queenes possession The which he was not bound to do vntill certaine yeares were expyred this offer by the only perswasion of Cecill was refused who told the Queene that she might well kepe the one and recouer the other but in fyne all was lost For the English as is alredy touched dishonorablye forsoke Normandie the French hostages that lay in EnglaÌ„d for the rendring of Calis were priuily let go againe into Fraunce and as it is very probable by the only deuice and woorking of M. Cecill The matter of Newhauen being thus begun with iniustice and ended with shame the authors practizes for the maintenance of the French rebellioÌ„s there withall ended not But he had gained the skill better to contriue the execution of his owne plots vnder the aucthoritie of the state and to be least seene in those thinges that most he prosecuted And there fore procured that with diuers great sommes of mony froÌ„ England diuers troopes of Germaines were leuyed froÌ„ tyme to tyme and brought into FrauÌ„ce for the assistance of the Huguenots by which meanes the confederatie betwene the English and them was now growen so strong that they would neuer in any treaty with their king conclude any conditions without the counsell and consent of their English confederates as it was alwaies manifestly fonnde and prooued By whose crafty direction they were so gouerned that they euer obtayned more by making their peace then by the successe of their warr And at such tyme as the oportunitie serued not to stirr vp the Huguenotes against the king they letted not to stir vp his owne
none haue beene condēned but for treasō as they say their enditementes do shew in the recordes VVhereas yf they had recorded no more then had beene prooued as in all law and iustice they were bound they should not finde any one priest Ballard only excepted that euer had any imagination of treason prooued against him And notwithstanding all the aforesaid enfarced treasons conspiracies it is cōmonly seene that almost at euery araignment and execution Catholikes are offred their liues liberties yf they will but go to the Churche which doubtlesse can-be no satisfactiō for any temporall treason but only for matters of religiō VVhereofno mā of any vnderstanding can remaine ignorant except such as was the wise gentleman that told a freind of his that he had seene a Priest executed that letted not at the very tyme of his death to cōmitt Highe treason and being asked what it was answered that he began to say his Pater noster in Latin Is it possible quoth the other I assure you quoth this partie it is out of all doute for he begā to say it before a multitude of witnesses and would haue said it vnto the end but that as hap was the hangman was redy to dispatche him before he had half donne This diepe conceited person and such as was his compagnion will without any great scruple belieue the proclamation in saying that none are put to death for religion but for treason And the aduersary in somuch labouring to detaine from Catholikes the deserued honor and glory of the cause for which they suffer dothe thereby proclame his owne iniquitie and iniustice to all the world making that to be new Treason which is nothing els but old faith and religiō A thing as repugnāt vnto common sence as yf the Pope should make murther thefte or extorsion to be Heresy Yet such is his great and absurd impudēce that there is no treason that seemeth greater nor no crime more vnpardonable in England then there to be a Catholike nor yet any offence so seuerely punished There was neuer Scythian nor sauage Tartar that could vse more inhumaine cruelty then to rip vp the bodies of innocent men being perfectly aliue to teare out their entrailes to be consumed with fyre There was neuer Turk nor Barbarian that imposed vpon Christians so great and continuall a tribute as twenty poundes for euery eight-and-twentie dayes absence from their Moskeyes Nor there were neuer Arrians or other ennemyes since the generall persecutions of the Romaine Emperors that more vexed spoiled imprisoned and tortured Catholikes then dothe now the state of England And thus haue I abreuiated vnto the reader a huge volume of the present lamentable state of religion TOuching rhe second point concerning the nūber of exterior enemyes how mighte the case be other with England then now it is seeing that during the continuance of thirtie and three yeares they neuer sent foorth any one soldier nor neuer drew swoord in any iust quarrel or honorable action They neuer sought to endomage the Turk the comon enemy of Christendome nor neuer defended any lawful prince or King in all the world But haue inuented prosecuted the most dishonorable inglorious vniust and tyranicall actions that euer were practized by any Christian state VVhen the Queene of Scotland was in her owne realme and they acknowleged her for the lawful prince of that countrie did they giue aid vnto her or vnto her rebells In the tymes of Frauncis Charles and Henry the late Kinges of Fraunce was their assistance giuē to thē whome they knew to be lawful Kinges or to their rebells and as for the succour they do now giue vnto Nauarr his Huguenotes it is no otherwise then it was before when they acknowledged thē to be rebells In this long rebellion in the low countries whether haue they taken parte with the King their old cōfederate or with Orange the other rebells whē Sebastian king of Portugal warred with the Mahometaines of Africa gaue they ayd vnto the Christiās or vnto the infidells And since in the realme of Portugall gaue they help vnto the lawfull prince or to the bastard his rebell In the warres of Colen did the English succur the lawfull Bishop or the vnlawfull deposed apostata And yf we shal looke into sea matters see who it is that hathe set vp a publike piracie to spare neither freind nor foe Aske the Spanish the Frēch the Scottish the Flemish the Haūce townes yea the Indies and further partes of the earth who they are that do so cōtinually robbe and spoile thē Yf the English had but only procured the king of Spaine to be their enemy they needed not to haue soughte any others for neither England nor any other Christian country els hathe euer had any so great And as they haue made espetiall choise of the enmitie of the greatest so haue they employed the tyme of 33 yeares to deserue it And as for the King of Scotland albeit he do dissemble amōg many lesse iniuries one so great as the cutting of of his owne mothers head yet some of his owne nation being of good intelligence haue said vnto straungers in defence of their Kinges honor that albeit they of England haue cut of the head of his mother he must not therefore by vn-tymely reuenge cut him-self from the possibilitie of that crowne But hauing once obtained thesame he will then fall to the cutting of of the heades of those that assented to that action and to the confiscatiō of their landes and goodes therewith to reward his freindes followers and so demonstrate vnto the world that he could politikely chuse a tyme conueniēt to discharge such duty as is incident vnto the honor and reputation of a King And touching Fraunce albeit that by the death of the three late Kinges the iniuries dōne vnto them cannot be by them remembred yet the people of the realme that were participāt of the wrōges are still lyuing in whome the desyre of reuenge is of late newly reuyued throughe the assisting of the Huguenote of Nauarr their capitall enemy but not their lawfull King And last of all which of al other is the greatest there extreme enmitie with the chief Bishop pastor of Gods Churche VVhereof ensueth their general discord with all the Catholike Christiās of the world Thus the realme of England being brought into breach of amitie not only with the Churche of God but with all their old alies and freindes yf we now consider with whome they are ioyned in true freindship we shal fynde them to be so fewe as none at all since they haue neither spared to offend freind nor foe But yf we looke what new confederates they haue chosen in stede of the old we shall see them to be the great Turk the kinges of Fesse Marocco and Algiers or other Mahometains and Moores of Barbarie all professed enemies to Christ. Against whome some of the most noble and famous kinges of England went
out of Machiauill yet in the end he did in fewe yeares profit somuch and so recouer his negligences past as that he soone grewe old in iniquitie and lefte no mischief vnattempted how abhominable so euer And at the last as it seemeth euen by the iust iudgement of God the same day seuē night that he had caused diuers Priestes and other Catholikes to be cruelly murthered in diuers places within and with out the citie of London he sickned and as it is thoughte was poisoned and preuented by one whome himself had thought by such meanes to have dispatched he died without any signes of a Christian more lyke a dogg then a man being dead was as vgly a corse as he was filthy in manners in his lyf and in his stomack were great holes eaten throughe with the poyson His lādes were presently ceased vpon for his debtes vnto the Queene whereby he was as much disgraced as yf he had rather bene hated then fauoured of her And he that but late before seemed to cary in himself the very glory of the realme and that in his lyf tyme was feared of many thoughe loued of none was no sooner dead but iustly condēned of all Yea exclamed on cursed and banned to all mischief by all the people of the land who generally reioysed that so wicked a monster was dead And albeit that toward his later dayes hee became the only patrone of the purest professors of the Gospell yet immediatly after his death a freind of his bestowed vpon him this Epitaphe Heere lies the woorthy warrier That neuer bloodied swoord Heere lies the loyall courtier That neuer kept his woord Heere lies his noble excellence That ruled all the states Heere lies the Earle of Leicester VVhome earth and heauen hates The Secretary Walsingham a most violent persecutor of Catholikes died almost in lyke manner neuer somuch as naming God in his last extremities and yet he had bothe speech and memorie as he shewed by telling the preacher that he heard him and therefore hee needed not to crie so loude and these were his last woordes and in the end his vryne came foorth at his mouth and nose with so odious a stench that none could endure to come neere him And not withstanding his great credit and aucthoritie he died a begger and more indebted then his landes could satisfy and hathe lefte no fame of vertue behynde him These twaine and sundry other inferior instrumentes being gon to render an accompt of their infynite euills the same impious course of proceeding stil continued daily encreasing from ill to woors dothe plainly manifest vnto the world who it is that hathe bene the author and supporter of all mischief consequētly the direct occasioner of whatsoeuer inconueniēces the realme of England dothe presently sustaine and what distresses miseries perills or dangers it is threatned hereafter to suffer VVhereunto it seemerh he is bent with a very full resolution to hazard and bring it And touching the present estate of the Nobilitie wherewith the stately courtes of former princes were adorned their armies in the feild conducted the comons of the countrie by their great hospitalitie relieued look whether they are not brought vnto that seruilitie that yf they apply not themselues to Cecils humour they must not liue in their countries but be tyed vnto the courte or alotted their dwelling as yf they were his perpetuall wardes yea rather as pupils that are kept vnder with roddes not daring to speake what they think and know but are set to be ayme-giuers while others do hitt their marckes Some of them he hathe vnde seruedly brought into the disfauor of the prince Sundry he hathe drawne vpon fained fauours of the courte to consume themselues to beggery Others he hathe sent foorth to become pirates and sea-rouers And the lyues of some of the principall by guylefull pretended crymes he hathe taken away by one meanes or other he hathe brought such as be yet lyuing into those termes that none may be permitted to cary any credit in the comon-welth except it be some very fewe whose wisdomes he can easely ouerrule By which meanes there is no subiect in England of more opulence none of more aucthoritie nor none of more power then himself and therefore none to withstand his entended matche betweene the Lady Arbella and his grandchild VVhereby England may happen to haue a King Cecill the first that is suddainly meta morphosed frō a grome of the wardrobe to the wearing of the best robe within the wardrobe Concerning the generall oppression of the people it is no lesse but rather more lamentable thē the ouerthrowe of the nobilitie in asmuch as it tendeth to an vniuersall distruction of the whole body of the realme The Lyftenantes and Iustices of shires who are reputed to liue in best credit in their countries are no more but the subiects of pursuiuants catchpoles promoters and must night and day be redy to waite and attend at euery call of this vile and abiect sorte of people But the meaner gentlemen and comons are brought vnto the greatest slauishnesse and misery that euer any free borne people haue liued in VVhich whoso shall rightly cōsider shall easely perceaue whether England hathe these 33. yeares enioyed peace and tranquillitie as it is impudently reported to haue dō For yf we first look what often generall musters haue bene made what pressinges and sending foorthe of men what prouision chopping changing consuming of armour munitiō artillery pouder since the first yeare of the Queenes raigne we shall fynde it to giue small proof of a continuall peace Let vs call to remembrance what troopes of men haue at sundry tymes beene sent into Scotland what forces almost yearely into Ireland what infynite numbers into the low countries and continued with dayly supplies how many thousandes into Fraunce and Britany what an huge army into Portugall besydes all the braue men and mariners consumed in sundry voyages or piracies by sea sent foorth to seeke new habitations in Virginia and by one such meanes or other made away and we shall fynde the number to be farr greater then any King of England hathe employed within or without the realme in any his honorable watres And yf any man should think that al these troopes haue bene but set forthe in May-games he may call to memorie that their coming home againe declared it not Let vs also cōsider what great numbers of pore women are often tymes lefte in misery with their childrē to pyne at home in famyne whyle their husbandes are sent foorth in forreyne warres how-many by this meanes are become widowes and their childeren fatherlesse And further what great trooble and vexatiō generally all artificers farmers and husbandmen are put vnto by attending and following so many generall musters wherein are also diuers great and foule abuses comitted VVhat infinite numbers of freholders yeomen and others diuers of thē being charged with wyf and
familie are pressed sent foorth of the realme vnto the warres of forein parts contrary to the lawes of the coūtrie by the which it is prouyded that none ought to be pressed but only to defend the realme or to recouer some lost patrimony of the crowne whereof it is not knowne that either Spaine Portugall the lowe countries or the Indies euer were And yet so exceeding great haue bene the multytudes of men that by compulsiō haue these late yeares bene sent vnto those partes that being well employed they might haue conquered whole kingdome and not withstāding this great iniustice and iniury donne vnto them whē in these seruices and euill actions they haue lost their lyues they are rewarded with infamy after their deaths euen by those that constrained them thereunto and most contemptibly called the scum rascallitie of the countrie whereof it is happely deliuered And such as after the great miseries which comonly they do sustaine do returne home againe into England they haue by the very report of being Soldiers purchased the hatefull names of rogues vagabondes being for want of payment brought vnto pouertie nakednesse are made subiect vnto the conductiō and punishement of euery beadle catchpole and lastly euen for very trifles to the fynall dispatch of the hangman VVhat a most vile and hatefull vsage is this to men of any valor and how intolerable to be borne by any that beareth in his brest the harte and courage of a soldier or hathe euer bene conducted by a captaine in the feild what wrong and iniury can be greater to any one that retayneth the shape of a man or how is it possible for any English soldier to endure it or for any other to extend it vnto him except this only naturall enemy to all men of armes that could neuer abyde that euer any man of seruice capitaine soldier or person of braue spirite should be rewarded but with reproche misery whose condition and state of lyf is in all countries in the world most honorable and was neuer made slauish in England before England came vnto a Cecilian gouernment Thus rewardeth he those whome himself employeth to his owne purpose in the losse and hazarding of their lyues And yf we shall now consider what infynite numbers of the inhabitants of the land he hathe by one meanes or other cōsumed dayly entendeth to cōsume we might iustly feare that this his course continuing he would in tyme bring the realme to be a Republike of Amasones yf he had not alredy drawne into it treble as many strangers as King VVilliam the cōqueror planted therein after his subduing thesame wherewith himself as it seemeth doth meane to erect and fortify his new imagyned kingdome Let vs also consider the great decay of Trafike that of late yeares the countrie is brought vnto whereby not only many principall marchantes which were wont to transport great riches and comodities to the realme are become banckruptes and sundry of them enforced to turne their trade of marchandize into meere piracie but also diuers whole townes are decayed the people compelled to beg that before were honestly sustained by the trade of clothing VVhat should I speake of the generall abuses of the realme since they are so great and so infynite There were neuer somany sutes in lawe nor there was neuer lesse redresse of wronges The lawe is exempt from Iustice and all causes are gouerned by bribes and partialitie Conscyence is least accompted of and coosinage is in summo gradu The prisons were neuer in any princes daies so full of debtors and malefactors The highe wayes were neuer so replenished with thieues robbers yet were there neuer so many executed for stealing There were neuer such numbers of beggers in all partes of the realme and except lawyers vsurers very fewe mē are furnished with mony But it is a woonder to consider what great grieueous exactions haue from tyme to tyme bene generally emposed vpon the people as all the Lones the Lottery gathering for the steeple of Paules newe impostes and customes of wynes clothes and other marchandize forfaictures and confiscations of the goodes of Catholikes forced bene uolences for the sucouring of rebellious bretherē huge masses of mony raised by priuy seales and last of all the great number of subsidies which haue bene more in the tyme of this Queene thē those that haue beene leuyed by diuers of her predecessors and do amount to many millions of poundes yfall these do not lie hoorded vp in the Queenes cofers the Lord Trecherer I trust cāgiue her maiestie and the realme good accomptes of them in books and papers But in the meane while the comons are brought vnto comon beggery and by the continued and intended exactions they are lykely to be daily more oppressed then other Infynite are the domesticall miseries that he hathe deliuered the realme vnto most infamous hath he made the English name and nation abrode for vice for cruelty for vnfaithfulnesse and breach of all lawes with their freindes and confederates In Fraunce they are counted Churche-robbers bloody and vnmerciful in Portugall disordered and foole hardie of all nations in generall the pyrates of euery sea the sowers of sedition in all countries the maintainers of all rebellions and the only Butchers persecutors of innocent priestes and Catholikes that peaceably liue vnder their subiection Behold then good reader into what condition the late so goodly and flowrishing estate of England in a fewe yeares is brought how iustly it may be said to be blessed with peace and tranquillitie in regard of former ages Call to remēbrance in what amitie that realme was with other countries at the Queenes entrāce to the crowne those likewise at the same tyme one with another which mighte happely haue continued for many yeares together yf the vnhappy enemy of Christian cōcord had not bene the only let and hindrance as neither the princes of Fraunce or Scotland notwithstanding their great molestatiōs by the English did neuer attempt any reuenge no more did the King of Spaine make any shewe of hostillitie against them albeit the iniuries don by them vnto him without intermissiō haue bene lōgest cōtynued insomuch that the English haue scarsly left him or his subiects any countrie of quiet habitation but disturbed thē in Spaine in Portugall in Italy and in the Indies letted not to robbe spoile them in all partes of the occean and mediteraneā seas And hauing for the space of twēty yeares together assisted the rebelles of the lowe countries and lastly in the open viewe of the world put thē selues in possessiō of diuers of the kinges townes and cities being parte of his patrimony he was in the end euē drawne by extreme violence to some attempt for the recouery of his right hauing before somany yeares together for borne the reuenge of all former wronges and now as it seemeth because he will not giue thē assurance
A DECLARATION OF THE TRVE CAVSES OF THE GREAT TROVBLES PRESVPPOSED TO BE INTENded against the realme of England VVherein the indifferent reader shall manifestly perceaue by whome and by what meanes the realme is broughte into these pretented perills Seene and allowed Anno M. D.LXXXXII TO THE INDIFFERENT READER THE present estate that the realme of England is in a fewe yeares come vnto and the sundry aduersites sustayned by the inhabitāts of the same are such and somany as the lamentable and generall cries and complaintes of the oppressed multytude cā declare them to exceede all those of all ages past in the memorie of man And yet of the redresse of these calamities so litle hope is giuen that nought els but the terrors of farr greater trobles are daily sounded in the eares of the afflicted people which can be to no other end then to enduce them to beare such further extreame misery and pouertie as by the newe intended exactions pressures pillages they are lyke to be broughte vnto But strāge it is to consider that the auoydance of such great daungers as are pretended vnto the realme and expected as is insinuated by a spanish inuasion is neither soughte nor desyred by geuing that king satisfaction of the manifeste iniuries don vnto him nor in the restitution of his townes and cities wrongfully possessed by the English But falsly supposed to consist in the persecuting and killing of a fewe poore priests and Iesuytes within the realme that there do secretly practize their priestly functions to the consolation of such afflicted Catholikes as liue within the same or to the conuersion of such well mynded protestants as will not obstinately refuse to vnderstand their owne errors when they are made manifest vnto them by which meanes many are confirmed in Catholike religion and some numbers brought from heresy to embrace the truthe which albeit the malice of the aduersary hath not letted to withstād euen with the effusiō of bloud yet cōsidering that the force of truthe is great and dothe preuaile the violence of the enemy is also mightely encreased who directly seeking the lyues and goods of Catholikes for their conscyence and religiō laboreth by all meanes possible to make the cause of their sufferance to some to be for treason Vnder pretext whereof by a late proclamation published in London in Nouember last 1592. in the name of the Queene theire are yet more exquisite meanes of inquisition deuysed to bring them vnto the slaughter then were euer vsed afore And because all men can not without some demonstration so rightly discerne the truthe of this case and the causes of the supposed perills as it is requisyte for euery man to know and the sway of the tyme not permitting the same otherwise to be vttered they are in the ensuing treatise briefly set downe In the which albeit that euery fryuolous point of the aforesaid proclamation be not expresly answered yet is the intention of the inuētor thereof directly impugned and the iust blame imputed where it is iustly deserued It may therefore please the discreet reader laying a syde all partialitie with an in different eye to behold the manifest truth that shal in this treatise be laid open vnto him the which for his owne safty he must vse with secreesie and sylence because of the great a-do that the great Lord Threcherer will kepe to depresse and conceile it from the sight and knowlege of the world the which may serue for one especial motiue to prooue that he knoweth himselfe to be guilty in conscience yf he haue any at al. And thus leauing the reader out of the matter ensuing with some addition of somthing here omitted to make a commentarie vpon Chaucers prophesie I wish him well to fare from Colen the 26. of Marche 1592. Of the fained happinesse of England The vaunt of the pretended Gospel NO triumphes of the Gospells lighte But truthe that shyneth cleere Not vvordes but actions iust and righte Makes vertue to apeere See then vvhat force this faith hath found More then of elder dayes And let the vices that abound Confirme the present praise The boast of continual peace The tokens of continued peace By plenty best are shovven But signes of vvarr that dothe not ceasse By comon vvants are knovven Such is the peace vve then preferr And eke our plenty so That thovvsands hath consumde in vvarr And millions left in vvo The present feare of troubles And all expyred dayes and yeares And fained pleasures past Conuerted are to sundry feares Of dangers at the last VVould God no former cause had beene Reuenges to attend Since happynesse is euer seene Best by the happy end WHen Queene Marie that lately possessed the crovvne and kingdome of England had resigned her soule vnto God and her bodie to nature the lordes spirituall and tēporall the comons of the realme receaued into that crovvne and dignitie the lady Elizabeth her sister à Princesse yonge and beautifull and aboundantly adorned with the giftes of nature and princely education The King of Spaine albeit he had bene maried vnto the deceased Queene yet did he neuer seke to possesse himself of the crowne nor to appropriate vnto him any Cities Castels Portes or other places within the realme nor in any sorte to oppugne the entrance of the newe Queene but in all loue and actes of amitie he did manifest his well lyking of her highe aduauncement aswell in the geuing vnto her all his late wyves Iewels which were of great value as in his earnestly labouring with the French for the restitution of Calis to the encrease of her dominions A litle before the death of the aforesaid Queene there was à treaty of peace begun betwene England Spaine and Fraunce including by consequēce Scotlād Flaunders the which peace notwithstanding the aforesaid Queenes deceasse went forward and was fully concluded Thus stood the realme of England shortly after this Queenes coming to the crowne in perfect peace and amitie with all the countries next adioyning and those also neither in ciuil broyles among themselues nor in dissention with their neighbours abrode The Moores of Granada liued in obedience to the king of Spaine the names of Huguenots and Gheuses were in Fraūce and Flaunders vtterly vnknowne and vnhard 〈◊〉 and in Scotland was no contention for gouernement But as the Serpent being subtiler then all the beasts of the feild did somtyme seduce the first woman and Queene of the world to breake the cōmaundemēt of God wherby herself was forced to exile and her posteritie made subiect for euer after to such infinite calamities So wanted there not now a fly Sicophant to suggest this princesse to breake the vnitie of Gods Churche and eft-soones to prosecute such violent attempts against other princes the old allies of her predecessors as thereby herself and realme is brought vnto these present feares and to expect such insuing daungers as God may permit to fall vpon them Very probable it is that the Queene so
whyle that these lesse iniuries were continued a matter of farr greater mischief was practized to witt the rebellion of the kinges naturall subiectes of his Netherlandes VVhere the people by reason of their great welth were brought vnto pride the nobillitie throughe ouer-lauish expences declyned vnto pouerty and the newnesse libertie of heresy redy to fynde acceptance with either party they were the sooner and more easely seduced by the English The first attēpt being begū by certaine rogues vagabōdes appointed to the spoiling of Churches lefte the name of Gheuses to those rebelles euer after and these Gheuses being thus stirred vp there was to begin withall 60 thousād poūd sterling sent ouer vnto the prince of Orange for the leuying of those Ryters that he broughte against the duke of Alua. The which somme of mony was paide by sir Thomas Gressam in Antwerp By these attemptes and practizes the king was cōstreyned to withdrawe the forces that he had intended bent against infidells to employ them in his owne countries against his owne subiects VVith whome being nowe enbranled in warres there was sent by sea from Spaine for the paymēt of his soldiers aboute the somme of 600. thovvsand ducats the which mony was ceased vpō in the west partes of Englād notwithstāding the Q. had giuen her pasporte for the saf passage thereof by which meanes the kinges affaires were greatly let and hindred and thereupon followed a generall arrest of all marchants shippes and goodes in the lowe countries And this action tending to some further great inconueniēce the councell assembled at Hampton court and consulted at sundries tymes in the Queenes presence whether it were best openly to breake with the king of Spaine or not and after long deliberation the whole bodie of the councell concluded not to breake with him in any vvise But to make present restitution of the said mony for diuers causes and the rather for that they had but late before displeased the French king in assisting his Huguenotes and taking his townes and might not vvithout imminent perill incurr the enmitie of two such potēt princes But notvvithstanding this their generall resolution being also consented vnto by the Queene M. Cecill did aftervvardes secretly persvvade her vnto the cōtrarie whereby the decree made by the vvhole body of the councell was brokē contrarie to the prerogatiue of the councell of Englād which is knovvne to be greater thē the auctoritie of any kinges councell els in Europe And hereupon was the arrest of marchants goodes continued and a stay of trafyke betwene Spaine England and the lovv countries for three yeares together to the vndoing and detriment asvvell of many of the subiects of England as of sundrie the marchantes of the other countries But in the meane vvhile al such fugitiues and traitors as had in the lovve countries cōmitted any enormious crimes or could pilfer or violētly robbe or take away any thing from the king or his other subiects were receyued and harbored in England which vvas novv become the open receptacle of churchrobbers and priest-kilers Yea the very belles of the steeples of Churches vvere caried into England and there cast into artillery And one called Monsieur de Lumay being also fled thether receyued there such instructions that he came ouer into Holland surprised the tovvne of Briell vvhich vvas the first tovvne in all those partes rhat vvas possessed by manifest rebelliō and the presidēt that Flushing and diuers other townes shortly after followed And to assist them in these proceedinges there were sent ouer with troopes of English forces Morgan Sir Humfrey Gilbert and Chester And then followed North Cotton Candish and Norris all being Coronells coming the therwith whole regiments And albeit these supplies were still continued and men mustred and pressed perforce to go ouer vnto this seruice yet was it colourably shadowed to be don without cōsent of superior aucthoritie and the sending of thē thereby dis-auowed But on the other syde when any English for their encreasse of knowlege in military affaires did come ouer or did intēd to come ouet to serue the king of Spaine they were either before their departure or vpon their returne imprisoned and punished I may not heere omitt that after the warres of Barbarie made by Sebastian king of Portugall wherein the Mahometaines were assisted with munitiō against the Christians by the English and thesaid King was slaine the nobillitie and people of the realme of Portugall hauing according to their lawes and customes receyued the Cardinall as the eldest of the blood royal to be their king and he being very aged and not lykely to marry and haue issue were entred into consultation about the succession of the crowne which being vnderstood in England and also that the Cardinall was enclyned vnto the king of Spaine as his next heire there was an Embassador forth-vvith sent ouer from England to offer the Portugales assistance for the exclusion of the king of Spaine But this and the former practizes being cloked vvith much conning vvere either deemed able to passe vnespied or els these kyndes of molestatiōs vvere not thought sufficient And therefore it vvas held necessary to attēpt the robbing of the kinges treasure els vvhere the better therevvith to maintaine his rebelles against him in the lovve countries And albeit M. Haukins and some others had had but ill successe in such attemptes before there vvas novv one Franncis Drake sent foorthe vnto the VVest Indies vvhere in the streight of Darien vnderstanding of certaine mules that vvere to passe laden vvith gold and siluer from Panama to Nombre de Dios he put himself in ambuscade vvith an hundred shot and sett vppon tvvo vvhole companies of mules vvhich came only vvith their driuers and there very resolutely tooke avvay their gold not being able to cary the siluer vvith him throughe the mountaines And coming tvvo dayes after to the house of Crosses he slevv 6. or 7. marchantes and valiantly sett the house on fyre vvherin vvas burnt the value of 200. thovvsand ducats in marchandize And so he retyred home againe tovvardes England vvhere not longe after for that he had giuē such good proof of his dexteritie it vvas determyned that he should be employed againe as being the fitest man to atchiue an enterprize of stealing And therefore vvith shippes vvel furnished and prouided for his purpose he vvas sent foorth to attēd lie in vvaite for more of the Kinges his subiects treasure And in the southe seas on the back-syde of America vvhere no pirates had bene before him and therefore the lesse prouision made to vvithstand them there he and his company met vvith a ship in the porte of Valparizo vvherin vvere but 8. Spaniardes vvho taking the English for freindes receyued them on boord vvhere being once entred they couragiously tooke out of it 37. thousand ducats in gold And at another place called Taurapaza they boldly ventred on shore vnto a Spaniard that
lay a sleepe and had lying besyde him the value of 4. thousand ducats in 13. vvedges of siluer all vvhich they ouercame caried vavay curteously leauing the Spaniard as thei found him They ryfled also 12. shipes that lay at ancker in the hauen of Lyma and cutting all the ropes cables let theÌ„ driue vnto the seas And in another ship called the Cagafuego they found precious stones ievvels 80 pouÌ„d vvaight of gold 20. tonne of siluer vvhere of hauing put themselues in possession after some smaller pilferies and sacking of the tovvne of Gnatulca M. Drake and his company returned from this very hot and hardy seruice in the end brought all this treasure into EnglaÌ„d VVhere he vvas so vvell vvelcome and so liberall in the deuision of shares to some Courtiers that notvvithstanding the gallovves claimed his interest it neuer gat so great a brauado for in very despight of wapping he was at Deâ—ford rewarded with the honor of knighthoode and in the same ship wherewith he had bene abrode a roâ—ing And albeit that now and then some poore pirate or other rhroughe the importunate sute of the parties endomaged haue bene cast away vpon wapping shore yet was their sildome or neuer any restitution made of the stolne goodes Neither should such great mis-hap haue betyded those pirates had not their chiefest offence bene in stealing to litle For M. Drake himself and diuers other principal Captaines haue bene much disgraced at such tymes as they returned home with small booties But this good successe of an il enterprize gaue great desyre to the lyke attempt againe And the new knight of the order of theuiÌ„g by the inequal deuisioÌ„ of shares hauing had perhaps the least parte alloted vnto himself was redy enoughe to vndertake it And not longe after he was sent forth with a greater number of men and shippes wherewith he arryued at the Ile of Spagnola and there sacked the towne of S. Domingo and other places where he coÌ„mitted many barbarous cruelties vpon religious men and women and returning from Carth agena tooke in his way sundry shippes the people wher-of he cast into the seas These continuall robberies spoiles made by the English vpon the King of Spaine his subiects in about his Indies grewe in the end to be so many and so ordinary that euen the very remembrance that it was iniustice and the euery forgotteÌ„ And for their greater shame coÌ„fusioÌ„ they haue not letted to put downe many of their actions them selues in print to the view of the world And among others which for breuitie I must omitt M. Thomas Candish in his letter to the lord Chamberlaine writeth that he had nauigated all alongst the coast of Chili Peru and Nouaspagna VVhere he made great spoiles and burnt and sunck 19. saile of Shippes small and great and burnt and spoiled all the villages and townes that euer he landed at and that he tooke a ship of the Kinges at Califorma wherein was the somme of in treasure and somuch other costly wares as he was not able to carie away therefore tooke all the treasure and sett the ship with the other goodes on fyre But I will here end these matters to auoyde prolixitie omitt sundry of thesame kynde which by very many haue bene put in practize And albeit that euery one of theÌ„ hathe not returned with lyke spoile yet certaine it is that there vvere neuer any westerne voyages made from England these many yeares past but howsoeuer they were in outward shewe diuulged the very meere meaning intention of theÌ„ all was to robbe the king of Spaine or his subiects of their Indian treasure In the continuaÌ„ce whereof for so-many yeares together as the king neuer atteÌ„pted any act of hostilitie either against the Queene her dominions or subiects which no prince in the world could haue forborne to do after so great prouocatioÌ„ so the English on the othersyde did contrariwise deeme that the to-many iniuries vvhich they had donne him vvere al to fevv And therefore they resolued to offend him much more and in a farr more apparent and inexcusable manner in the sight of all the world then in any their former actions hovv manifest soeuer For vvhen the Archtraitor to his King destroyer of his country the P. of Orange was takeÌ„ out of the world and the head-lesse rebels of the NetherlaÌ„des first seeking patronage of the K. of Denmarck after of the French king being by both those iustly denied and reiected the English dismasking themselues of all former vizardes and shadowes did ouertly receyue them into their protection to defend them in all open hostillitie against their naturall and lawful soueraigne the king of Spaine And thereupon they resolued to put themselues in possession of sundry the principall porte townes and other places of those partes And by a printed declaration went about by diuers weake and indirect reasons to iustifie that action vvhereof amonge others one was in respect of the auncieÌ„t league betvvene the kinges of England and the house of Burgundie and the people of either of those princes as thoughe the Q. of England mighte by prerogatiue of that league maintaine the subiects of the Netherlandes against the King of Spaine their soueraigne the chief Prince of the house of Burgundie An-other reason vvas to the end the naturall people of the countrie should not be oppressed by straungers as thoughe the English Scotish Germaines others brought in by the States were lesse straungers then the Spanish But to confirme and make these reasons more sufficient M. Norris vvas first sent ouer to take possession of certaine porte townes fortes and other places in Holland and Zealand and soone after the Earle of Leicester whose experience in chamber woorck exceeded his practize in warr and the L. Audley the L. VVilloughbie and the L. Northe sundrie other of name came ouer with an army of 10. thowsand men aswell for the garnisons of the places now in their possession as also to come vnto the feild against the forces of the king of Spaine And in what sorte the supplies of the garnisons in Holland Zealand Brabant and Flaunders haue since froÌ„ tyme to tyme bene continually maintained from England as also the English troopes for the feild being preâ—ently in our view and memorie I will omitt the recytall And thus at the last by this ouert entrance of the English into hostilitie there was more manifest occasion giuen vnto the king to vse the lyke againe and to attempt that whereunto no former iniuries could prouoke him And the matter now coming to an opeÌ„ warr on either syde either party was to vse his aduantage as he best could Che piglia piglia che non puo suo danno And therefore omitting that which since hathe bene donne in those partes I will briefly touch the Portugall voyage not in comparing it with the double faced actioÌ„s before rehearsed but as an ordinary
help and amonge others to the French king Vnto whose ayd he sent in the first troobles 3. thowsand Spaniardes who were present at the battaile of Dreux And afterward from the lowe countries he sent the Counte of Mansfeild at two seuerall tymes both with horse and foote He sent also the Counte of Arenberg the Baron of Erge and diuets others to assist thesaid king at sundry tymes All which forces sent by the King of Spaine from tyme to tyme into Fraunce himself of his princely and liberall mynde euer maintayned payed at his owne charges And there is nothing that more declareth his moderation iustice and equitie towardes his Christian neighbours then his sweete and Christianlyke demeanour towardes the realme of Fraunce VVhere neither by the minorites of the late kinges nor ciuill discentions of the subiects he would take aduantage to chalenge or encroache any parte of that countrie VVhereas yf he had bene so greedy and ambitious as his aduersaries do bely him to bee he would not haue omitted in so many oportunities to have chalenged all Fraūce to hymself VVho hathe at this present thesame right by his daughter and farr more cleere then had somtyme the noble prince King Edward the third of England thereunto And yet as the world seeth he neither thē nor now hath chalēged any such thīg at all this is a singular praise and an eternall glory to this most puissant prince of all ages and in this tyme especially to be maruayled at that he attēpteth nothing nor wageth any warres that are not iust honorable and allowed bothe by the lawes of God and man And as touching the Queene of England I will omitt some great and especiall acts of amitie shewed by himself vnto her whē he was maried vnto her sister whereof her self is not ignorant but dothe best know them And I will briefly relate some points before touched First vpon the deceasse of Queene Mary his wyf he gaue vnto this Queene al her Iewelles which rightly appertayned vnto himself And being aboute the conclusion of a peace with the Frēch king after the taking of S. Quintynes he delt very instantly for the rendring of Calis vnto the English insomuch as vvithout the restoring thereof he refused the accord stode so resolute vpon this point that in the end the French vvere faine to tell him that albeit the English did solicite him to include the deliuery of Calis in his peace yet had they secretly alredy cōcluded their peace with them without that condition And this was donne by a close practize of M. Cecill who sent ouer one Guido Caualcante an Italian to conclude it vvithoute the knowlege of the Queenes Ambassadors vvho vvere there appointed to solicite it VVhich extreme duble dealing could not yet brede any auersion in his mynde against the English insomuch that after they began to fall from the doing vnto him one iniurie in the neck of another which still encreased from a fewe to many and from lesser to greater yet would he neuer begin any attempt against them nor neuer make somuch as any shewe of any one acte of hostilitie whatsoeuer vntill such tyme as they came so farr as to the very taking of his townes into their owne possessions as is aforesaid VVhich is a most great and sufficient argument of his grounded affection vnto that Queene and countrie For moste rarely is it foūd that any King or Prince could so continually disgest and ouersee such great vvronges and iniuries as he hathe receyued from England and much lesse himself that hathe greater meanes to reuenge them then any other potentate lyuing in the world And had doubtlesse lōg since dōne it had it not proceeded of a most singular affectiō vnto that Prince and people hope of redresse and amendment Thus much may serue to shewe whether the King of Spaine hathe soughte so many yeares to trooble the state of England But contrariwise vvhether the state of England hathe so long soughte the disturbance of him and almost of all other their neighbours I leaue the reader to iudge by the premisses the cōfirmation of those I referr to the testimony of all the nations of Europe to the end there may be a sufficiēt number of witnesses to check the extreme impudenof the malitious aduersary who is not ashamed to say that the repose of Christendom by the king of Spaines vvarres by no other meanes is nowdisturbed which otherwise mighte come to an vniuersall peace But as touching the vniuersall peace yf it were to be such as this pacifier would prescribe it vnto him I must needes confesse that I do greatly doubte vvhether the king of Spaine would thereunto be perswaded because in al-lykelyhode it must be in this manner First that he should recall such forces as of great compassion vnto the naturall people of Fraūce he hathe sent thether to defend them against a relapsed Huguenote that vvould make them renegates from the faith as himself is Secondly that he should suffer his rebells of Holland and Zealand quietly to possesse the places they do hold and to take vnto them all the rest of the low countries also conditionally that the English mighte still kepe the possession of such porte townes as they haue haue some half a dosen more annexed vnto them Thirdly that the English rouers might peaceably go to his Indies and there take away his treasure and his Indies also And these fewe aricles being thus accorded then might England Fraunce the Netherlandes and Germany be in farr better possibilitie to extirpate the Catholyke religion in Italy to bring the Moores into Spaine then to conclude that vniuersall peace which passeth all vnderstanding And include in the-same the great Turk the king of Fesse and Marrocco and other infidells with whome England is alredy leagued And thus hauing declared sundrie of the iniuries dōne by the English vnto other princes and people espetially vnto the King of Spaine his subiects also in what laudable most honorable manner the said King hathe demeaned himself vnto thē and other his Christian neighbours It shall now be necessary to touch the presēt estate wherein the realme of Englād stādeth The which for the better intelligēce of the reader I will reduce into fower pointes and in conclusion it shall manifestly appeere vvhether some fewe persons accused or their chiefest accuser are or is the cause of the present and expected calamities of England The first shalbe touching matters of faith and religiō wherein there was neuer such great and wonderfull confusion The second touching exterior enemyes whereof the realme had neuer somany nor none so puisant The third of the sundry competitors for the crowne and the vncertainty of the successor The fourth and last shall concerne the ouerthrow of the Nobilitie and the generall oppression of the people THE realme of Englād hathe at sūdry tymes bene subiect to diuers great molestations aswell throughe ciuill dissentiō as
inuasions and forreyne warres And howsoeuer the vvisdome of the vvriter of the late Proclamatiō hath ouermuch presumed vpō the readers ignorance in extoling the cōtinuall peace trāquillitie of Englād yet yf the present state thereof be rightly looked into it wilbe foūde to exceede all former afflictiōs what soeuer And first for matters of religion let vs consider what they are come vnto The Protestantized Caluinisme being but of 33. yeares antiquitie and peculiarly chosen and compounded of many and fully agreeing with none is now growen vnto such diuision in it self as is very wonderful and being established by aucthoritie of a Parlamentall synode and aduanced vnto the highe tytle of the glorious Gospell of Christ hathe not yet bene able so fewe yeares to retaine that credit and esteeme but is growen cōtemptible detected of Idolatry heresy and many superstitious abuses by a purified sorte of professors of the same Gospell And this contention is yet become more intricate by reasō of a third kynde of Gospellers called Brownistes VVho being directed by greater feruor of the vnholy ghoste do expressly affirme that the Protestanticall Church of Englād is not gathered in the name of Christ but of Antichrist that it woorshipeth not God truly but after a fals idolatrous manner and that yf the Prince or magistrate vnder her do refuse or defer to reforme the Churche the people may without her consent take the reformatiō into their owne hādes Yea and that the ministry yf their ensue not reformation may for some causes excomunicate the Queene And one VVillam Hacket affirming that he had within him the very soule of our Sauior did send his two prophets to depose her Into such termes is the vnitie of the Gospell now come insomuch that there was neuer more bitter and vehement writing betwene any Catholikes Heretykes then of late there hathe bene betwene the professors of one same Gospell VVhose false faith is not only detected in their owne woordes and writings scoffed at and turned by themselues into a fooles cote but confirmed in the euill lyues and conuersations of theire very ministers And yet notwithstanding their manifest treasonable attēpts dissention in religion practize of euill lyf the whole force and rigor of persecution is bent against the Catholykes whose great vertue modesty and patience dothe manifeste in them a farr differēt spirite from the others They neuer discharged pistoles nor yet threwe daggers at preachers in there sermons in this Queens tyme as did the others in the dayes of Queene Mary Neither haue they entred into Churches and wounded Ministers at Seruice as one of them did a Priest at Masse in the tyme of the said Queene Nor yet during the raigne of the Queene that now is haue they cōmitted any violent actes in Churches as Puritaines haue not letted to do in her owne chapell by ouerthrowing casting downe the ornamēts thereof euen in dispight of her Neither haue they attempted to murther any principall person of her Court as did Burchewe in wounding a Gentleman in stede of Sir Christopher Hatton but haue suffred with exceding patience the greatest iniuries vexations barbarous vsage that flesh and bloudis able to endure Only puritaines are tolerated to say do write what they list be it either in flat deniall of the Supremacie or other rebellious actions these they can excuse by some deuice or other or els they can call with full exclamation Dimitte nobis Barabam but against Catholykes only they cry Nos legem habemus and Crucifige Crucifige Neither had VVilliā Hacket bene excuted for his blasphemy or treason yf he had not opēly before so many people pronounced the Queens deposition And seeing that so many barbarous lawes as with great diligence and all extremitie haue these many yeares bene vsed could nether extinguish the Catholyke partie at home nor ruyne the Semenaries abrode which more more haue encreased not by force of armes but by euydent truthe To giue the more colour vnto a more cruell persecution the very author of all present and future mischiues dothe seeke by imaginarie feares to drawe mennes considerations from greater calamities and miseries and to turne the hatred which himself hathe deserued vpon a fewe poore Priestes and Iesuites by publishing that they are sent into the realme to perswade men to assist the King of Spaine in an intended inuasion whereas they are not otherwise sent but to exercise their priestly office and function as they go vnto the Indies other places where the exercise of their religion is also prohibited Neither are they in their Seminaries otherwise exercised then in other Scooles and Colleges as are also the Germaines other nations in their Seminaries in Roome and els where which is not of their countrymē falsely and malitiously said to be in treason and sedition as England only no place els dothe proclame And it is wounderfull to consider that notwithstāding the odious clamours of treasonable practizes daily raised against these men it is well knowne that some of their greatest persecutors haue not letted to offer free libertie and secret protections vnto priestes to reroncyle Catholykes to say Masse to heare Confessions and to do such lyke offices appertaining to their function where and to whome they listed conditionally that they should afterward discouer vnto thē in what places with what persons they had bene Yea they haue not letted to appoint some of their spies to go to confession of purpose to apprehend and betray their ghostly fathers Such is the impious treacherie of the aduersaries that will not lett to vrge men to the breach of their owne lawes which argueth that it is not sinceritie and zeale of religion that they stand vpon when they will directly apoint the contrary vnto theirs to be exercysed as also that themselues do litle feare such treasons as they pretend to be wrought by priestes when they seke to lycence them and not to prohibite them which proueth also that themselues do well know that Catholikes are exercysed in the offices of their religiō not in practizes of treason as they vntruly reporte And yet for confirmation of the ill opiniō they do labor to make the people to haue of them the Archpolitike hathe fraudulently prouyded that when any Catholike or Priest is araigned the enditemēt is euer farced with many odious matters as of conspiratie killing the Queene stiring the subiects to rebellion drawing them from their obedience the lyke yet when they come to proofes they can proue nothing in the world but only that he is Priest or hathe relieued priests and nothing els being witnessed and somtymes that not knowne neither but by the priestes or other parties owne confession the Iury crieth guilty to all the endytement and the whole enditement is enroled as yf the party had bene iustly conuicted of all that therin is conteyned And vpon this do they so impudently reporte that
him a writer vnder some clerck or officier of the courte had bene very conueniēt for him because as a courtier told her he was fittest for such purpose for that he caried his deske on his back But such is the omnipotencie of his father that he plotteth to effectuate greater thinges thē this and thinketh to determyne bothe of crowne and kingdome and to dispose of prince and people and to purchase his desyred greatnesse with the effusion of the blood of somany thowsandes as he shal list to send vnto the slaughter He hathe of late bene very vigilāt to fynde such in the Queenes debt after their deceasse as before by her fauour and countenāce vsed extorsions in the comon welth but himself yf he were wel looked vnto would be found much more in her debt by how much more he hathe menaged her treasure so long a tyme together and wrong himself into so many matters of gaine and was neuer yet accomptable for all the thirtene score poundes by yeare which he hathe exacted of somany Catholike recusants VVhat should I speake of his pluralitie of offices wherewith he can neuer be contented but maketh a monopoly of all thinges within the realme that any way may turne to his comoditie By which meanes his gettinges are so infinite that his seruantes with the very shreddes of his briberies and extorsions are able to purchase great reneuewes to buyld stately palaces yet himself is so encroching that he letteth not to entrude into Churche matters yea and to contend with the B. of Canterbury about the appointing of preachers He kepeth I knowe not by what vnhappy cōstellation or rather deuilish enchauntemēt the fauour of his prince which neuer subiect somuch abused He hathe made himself the very owner of her determinations not permitting her to recompence the seruice of her other officers seruantes and diuers tymes when she hathe promised reward he denieth her the meanes of performance and so forceth her to breake and go from her woorde yea he maketh her accōptable to hī how she entēdeth to dispose of her owne which yet must neuer be but as himself lyketh Al men may iustly lay vnto him the vndoing of the realme not somuch cōdemning her whose sexe is easy to be mis-led nor the rest of the councell whose willes by him are violently ouerruled He is neither embraced in the courte nor beloued in the coūtry He is freindly to none but for his owne profit He is not welcome to his peeres nor of affection followed of his inferiors but resembleth a storme in the aire which all creatures do feare and shun and none do loue or desyre And albeit that he now in his altytude dothe manifest in himself the very nature and conditiō of a Tyrant whose vile and abiect courage is to murther butcher such as innocētly liue vnder his iurisdictiō let him not think that thereby he can diuert the iust iudgmēt of God vnto whome their sacred bloode do the incessantly call for ven geance Nor that all the reuenges of iniuries wrōges and violences don vnto other princes and espetially vnto the King of Spaine cā possibly be auoyded by his killing of a fewe poore priestes and Iesuytes which he may assure himself should be remembred yf there were neither Iesuyte nor Seminarie Priest liuing in the world And he that preserued his Prophets Apostles and the holy men of the primitiue Churche in caues dennes woodes wildernesses fed thē miraculously from heauē will not forsake those that shall serue him sincerely but will giue thē courage and meanes also bothe to enter and to abyde in the realme and there to serue such numbers as of mercie he will haue saued Against which apostolicall practize let him prosecute what new Cecillian Inquisition he can deuise and to vexe forraine princes abrode let him make as many shippes to the sea as he list and to fortifie himself at home let him commaunde as many musters by land as he pleaseth our hope and confidence is in God who can dissipate the councell of Achitophel and all others that are against him During the tyme of thirty and three yeares bothe lawe swoord all humaine force hathe bene vsed to extinguishe the Catholike party pulpites proclamations and all meanes els employed against it their liuinges comodities disposed of by the aduersary and yet thesame standeth and putteth him in more feare then euer afore And yf he were not blynde perhappes by God himself blynded for his sinnes he would seeke another way to saue himself ab ira ventura which is to cease from persecuting of Gods Churche and to returne vnto the obedience thereof where is mercy the only way to remedy all these feares to escape that which he feareth not and that is eternall damnation THus good reader haue I briefly ended this precedent discours and declared vnto thee bothe by whose meanes and in what manner the realme of England is distressed with somany present calamities and deliuered to such feares of greater future troobles The mature consideration of the premises I refer vnto thy indifferent iudgement The iust blame of these euills where it is iustly deserued And the reformation of so great iniquity to the infynite mercy of almighty God who voutsaf to woork thesame by the sweetest easiest meanes that his iustice may admitt And now in conclusion I haue not deemed it amisse to giue the some caueat of a vile and hatefull kynde of dealing which the aduersary of late hathe vsed in diuulging nūbers of false and defamatorie libells which it seemeth custome hathe made so familiar to the libellers themselues that by an ordinary habite which therein they haue gotten they seme to haue forgotten that there is any difference betwene lying and telling ttuthe for otherwise it might be presumed they would neuer so greatly busy themselues so egregiously to abuse the world And albeit as the Psalme saith Mētita est iniquitas sibi that these libells do comonly cary their owne discredit in themselues by being ouercharged with most palpable lies yet because they tend vnto the furtherance of the pretended Gospell and that the necessitie of that cause so much requireth it they must passe without contradiction of them that can detect them of falshoode and be taken for verities of those that are not able to discerne them for vntruthes And therefore in respect of pitie of the abused multytude I wil make recitall of some fewe of this kynde to the end that the reader may giue such creditt vnto the lyke hereafter as he shall well perceaue the former to haue deserued Of these sortes of libells many do declare great numbers of French Flemish victories which are so famous that sundry of them were neuer knowne nor heard of in all the world but only in England Others are of obscure and tryfling matters except such as is that of the happy conquest of the suburbes of Paris c.