Astrologers called the Marveilous yeare some said it was the Climactericall yeere of the world And they that trust not in the liuing God but in superstitions tooke the opportunitie of this fatall yeare as they supposed now vtterly to overthrow the Church of England and State Which before they could not doe The Pope and Spanyard layd vp all their hopes vpon this yeares destiny The rumors of warre daily increased at last it was certainly coÌ„firmed by the newes on all sides that in Spaine there was an invincible navy preparing against England that the most famous Captaines in military knowledge and the best souldiers were sent for into Spaine from Italy Scicily yea from America For the Pope and some religious Spanyards and English fugitiues now recalled the Spanyard to the cogitation of surprising of England which purpose was interrupted by the Portugall warres They exhorted him earnestly to doe God this service that had done so much for him now that he inioyed Portugall with the west Indies many rich Ilands to adde England to all were an especiall service of God fit for his Catholike Maiestie By this meanes he might adde these flourishing Kingdomes to his Empire so keepe the Low-countries in peace secure the navigatioÌ„ to both Indies That the preparations of Spaine were so great that no power was able to resist it They made him belieue that it was an easier matter to overcome England then to overcome the Dutch-land because the navigation from Spain to England was much shorter then to the Netherlands And by surprising of England the other would easily follow Herevpon the consultation began to be had of the best way and meanes to oppresse England Alvarus Baâ—â—anus the Marquess of S. Crosse who was chiefe commander in the Navy advised first to make sure some part of Holland or Zealand by the land-forces of the Duke of Parma and by sending before some Spanish shippes so to take some place on a suddain where the Spanish navy might haue a receptacle and from whence the invasion might with coÌ„venience begin For in the English Sea which is troublesome the windes oft changing the tydes vnknown the Navy could not be in safety With him agreed Parma who much vrged this expedition Yet others disliked this counsell as a matter of great difficultie and danger of long time of much labor of great expence of vncertaine successe And that neither secretly nor openly it could be performed and easily hindered by the English These thought that with the same labour and expenses England might be wonne and the victory would be sure if a well prepared army from Spaine might with a strong navy be landed on Thames side and of a suddain surprise London the chiefe Citty by an vnexspected assault This seemed a thing most easie to be effected And therefore all agreed vpon it Yet some among them thought good that a denuntiation of the warre should be made by an Herald which they held a politik devise both to remoue suspition out of the minds of neighbour Princes and to force the Queene as they supposed to call to her helpe â—orrain mercenary souldiers concelving that according to the vsuall insolency of mercenaries they would tumult and spoyle the country and so might the Queene be brought into hatred of her owne people that so all things in England would be brought into a confusion which might be helped by the English Catholikes But neither could this advise be heard For they being confident of their owne strength thought it was sufficient to commend the invincible Navy to the prayers of the Pope and of their other Catholikes and to the intercession of Saints and to set out a Booke in Print to the terror of the English in which Booke all the preparation was particularly related Which was so great through Spain Italy and Scicily that the Spanyards themselues were in admiration of their owne forces and therefore named it the Invincible Fleet. The Duke of Parma also in Flanders by the commandement of the Spanyard built ships and a great company of small broad vessels each one able to transport thirty horse with bridges fitted for them severally And hired Mariners from the east part of Germany And provided long peeces of wood sharpned at the end and covered with iron with â—ookes on the side And twentie thousand vessels with an huge number of fagots and placed an Army ready in Flanders of 103 companies of foot and 4000 horsemen Among these were 700 English fugitiues which were had of all other in most contempt Neither was Stanly respected or heard who was set over the English nor Westmerland nor any other who offered their helpe but for their impiety towards their owne Countrey were shut out from all consultations and as men vnominous reiected not without detestation And Pope Sixtus V. that in such a purpose would not be wanting sent Cardinall Alan into Flanders and renâ—ed the bulls declaratory of Pius V. and â—rep XIII He excommunicateth the Queene deposeth her absolveth her subiâ—cts from all alleagance and as if it had beene against the Turks and Infâ—dels he set forth in Print a â—ruceat wherein he bestowed plenary indulgences out of the treasure of the Church vpon all that would ioyn their help against England By which means the Marquess a Burgaw of the house of Austria the Duke of Pastrana Amady Duke of Sauoy Vespasian Gonzaga Iohn Medices and divers other noble men were drawne into these Warres Queene Elizabeth that she might not be surprised at vnawares prepareth as great a Navy as she could and with singular care providence maketh ready all things necessary for warre And she her selfe which was ever most iâ—dicious in discerning of mens wits and aptnes and most happy in making choise when she made it out of her own iudgement and not at the commandement of others designed the best and most serviceable to each severall imployment Over the whole Navy she appointed the Lo Admirall Charles Howard In whom she reposed much trust and sent him to the west parts of England where Captaine Drake whom she made Viceadmirall ioyned with him She commanded Henry Seimor the second sonne to the Duke of Somerset to watch vpon the Belgick shore with 40 English and Dutch shippes that the Duke of Parma might not come out with his forces Albeit some were of opinion that the enemy was to be expected and set vpon by land forces according as it was vpon deliberation resolved in the time of Henry the 8. when the French brought a great Navy vpon the English shore By Land there was placed on the South shores twenty thousand And two Armies besides were mustered of the choisest men for warre The one of these which consisted of a thousand horse twenty-two thousand foot was the Earle of Leicester set over And camped at Tilbury on the side of Thames For the enemy was resolved first to set vpon London The other Army was governed by the Lo Hunsdon consisting of 34 thousand
English fugitiues did much vrge him and the Pope promise a Cruciata in this Warre as in the holy Warre was vsed The King of Spaine was so wholly defixed vpon Portugall that nothing could remoue him from that resolution Now when it was knowne that Stucley and all his Italians in Mauritania were slaine and that the Spanyard thought of nothing but Portugall the English Navy that watched for Stucley vpon the Irish Seas was called home and all was quiet in England and Ireland By this Pageant we may obserue how zealous these holy Fathers of Rome are not to win soules to Christ but to winne Kingdomes to their Bastards Two Popes proceed in the same course of malice and malediction against Queene Elizabeth one English fugitiue makes them both fooles But our part is to remember who governeth the world and turneth the wise and politike counsells of all the enemies of his Church into foolishnes We giue God the prayse and remember these things for no other end but to giue the glory to him CHAPTER V. IN the next place comes vp Nicholas Sâ—nders that in the defence of the Roman visible Monarchy ecclesiasticall had written But finding that he could doe no good by writing he falleth now vnto another course to be the firebrand of a Rebellion in Ireland Iames fitz Morice being pardoned for a former Rebellion withdrew himselfe into France promising the French King that if he would send helpe he would ioyne all Ireland to the French Scepter and restore the Romane Religion in the I le But being wearied with delayes and finding himselfe derided from France he went to Spaine and promised the same to the Spanyard Who sent him to the Pope From the Pope at the earnest suâ—e of Nicholas Sanders an English Priest and one Alan an Irish Priest he obtained a little money And to Sanders authoritie Legatine was granted he got forsooth a consecracrated Banner and Letters of commendation to the Spanyard and so returned into Spaine From Spaine he came into Ireland with those Priests three shippes and a small company of souldiers He landed at Smerwick in Kirria a Chersones in Ireland about the first of Iuly An. 1579. Where when the place was first orderly consecrated he raised a fort and withdrew his shippes Which shippes were presently surprised and carried away by Thomas Courtney an English Gentleman who with a warre ship stayed by chance in a neare haven and so excluded the Spanyards from the benefit of the Sea Iohn Desmond and Iames brethren to the Earle of Desmond speedily ioyne themselues to their cousin fitz Morice The Earle himselfe who heartily favoured the cause counterfeiting the contrary called his men together in shew to resist them but craftily caused the Earle of Clanriâ—ket to withdraw himselfe who was comming to helpe him against the rebells The Lord Deputy vnderstanding by certaine messengers that the enemies were landed sent Henry Dauil an English Gentleman a man of valour and who had good acquaintance with the Desmonds to the Earle of Desmond and to his brethren commanding them presently to set vpon the fort which the enemies had raised But that they reâ—used to doe as a thing full of dangers And as Dauil returned Iohn Desmond followeth him and overtaketh him at Trally in an Inne And in the night time having corrupted the host came into his chamber with some other cut-throats having drawnâ— swords in their hands where Dauilus slept in securitie with Arthur Carter an old souldier a man of worth Deputy-governour of Monmuth But being awaked with the tumult when he saw Iohn Desmond with a naked sword rushing towards him What is the matter my â—onne quoth he for so was he wont familiarly to call him nay said Desmond I am no more thy sonne nor thou my father for thou shalt die And presently thrust him and Carter which lay with him through with many woundes and killed them both Dauilus his foot-boy defended his Master with his naked body receiving many wounds to saue his Master if he could Then he killed all Dauils servants which lay scattered in diverse places And returning to the Spanyards all imbrued in bloud he gloried of the slaughter which he had made Let this said he be to you a pledge of my faith to you and to the cause Doctor Sanders commended this action as a sweet sacrifice before God Iames fitz Morice blamed the manner of the slaughter he would haue had it rather in the way then in their bed The Earle when he heard of it vtterly detested it When the Spanyards saw but a few Irish ioyne themselues with them and they poore and vnarmed farre otherwise then fitz Morice had promised they began to distrust to cry out they were vndone to bewaile their fortunes seeing all wayes was shut vp so that they saw no meanes to escape by Sea or Land Fitz Morice exhorts them to expect with patience a while he told them great forces were comming to helpe them And himselfe tooke a iourney to the holy crosse of Tippararia pretending to performe a Vow which he made in Spaine but in truth to gather together the seditious of Conach and Vlster Whilst he was thus in iourney with a few horse and twelue foot as he passed by the land of William á Burg his kinsman and taking some horses from the Plow because his horses tyredâ— the husbandmen made Hue and Cry and raised the neighbourhood to recover the horses Amongst these that went to recover the horses were the sonnes of William á Burg forward young men who pursued them so sharply that they overtooke them Fitz Morice seeing Theobald á Burg and his brethren who had indeed in a former rebellion taken part with fitz Morice Cosins quoth he let vs not striue for two or three paltry lades I doubt not but if you knew the cause why I am returned into Ireland you would ioyne your selues with me Theobald answered It repenteth me my Father and all our friends of the last rebellion But now we haue sworne our fealtie to our most gracious Princesse who hath granted to vs our liues and we will keepe our faith and alleagance and therefore restore the horses or I will make thee restore them And withall he ran vpon him with his Speare They sought a while together Theobaldus and another of his brethren with some other were slaine Fitz Morice also himselfe being runne through with a Spâ—are and his head shot through with a Buller was slaine with divers of his men Queene Elizabeth hearing of this chance wrote Letters full of sorrow and loue to William á Burg comforting him for the death of his sonnes She honored him with the title of Baron of Conell Castle and rewarded him with a yearely Pension The old man being over-â—oyed with such vnexspected fauours dyed not long after Sir William Drury then Lord Deputy came neare to Kilmaloch and sent for the Earle of Desmond who comming to him promised his faith and alleagance to
much laâ—our and singular skill he ioyned them together againe and found that they contained new practises of the Pope the Spanyard the Guises resolution to invade England Whereupon and because many other rumors of dangers were increased to the end that the wicked and treasonable practises might be in time prevented and the Queenes life and safetie might be procured vpon whose safety both the estate of the Kingdome and of Religion depended A great number throughout all England of all sorts of men out of common charity whilst they shewed their loue and care of the Queene bound themselues by an association as then it was called by their mutuall promises subscriptions of their hands and seales to prosecute all such by all their force even to death whosoever should attempt any thing against the life of the Queene the Earle of Leicester was supposed to be the author of this association Surely it was vsefull and held many in order The Queene of Scots tooke this as devised to bring her into danger and was so continually set on by seditious spirits that if they may haue accesse are able to draw the greatest Princes to destruction And what hath beene their practise but to bring great personages and great houses to ruine Lamentable experience sheweth openly the fruit of their malice and wicked plots for treason which they call religion The Scots Queene led on by her blind guids dealt somwhat rashly but with importunity to the Pope and Spanyard by Sr Francis Inglefeld that by all meanes they would with speed vndertake their intended busines There were some also that laboured to draw Queene Elizabeths affections altogether from the Scots Queene They told her that Cardinall Alan for the English Catholikes ecclesiasticall Inglefeld for the Laiks and for the Queene of Scots the Bishop of Ross had vndertaken were among themselues agreed and with the consent also of the Pope and Spanyard had fully resolved vpon these points That Queene Elizabeth should be deprived of her Kingdome the King of Scots as a manifest favourer of heresie should vtterly be disinherited of the Kingdome of England that the Scots Queene shall marry some noble-man of England which is a Catholike that this man must be chosen King of England by the Catholikes of England that the choice so made must be confirmed by the Pope that the children of him so chosen begotten of the Scots Queene must be declared successours in the Kingdome All these things were confirmed to be true by testimony of Hart the Priest Who was this noble English man that should marry the Scots Queene was now much inquired after Sir Francis Walâ—ingham sought it out with all diligence yet found it not out There was suspition of Henry Howard brother to the Duke of Norfolke who was noble by birth vnmarried and a favourer of that Religion and in great grace and favour with them These things that were discovered by Throgmorton by Creightons papers and other mens were matters which bred suspitions and feares though they were never so effected as they were intended But we find by these things that France and Spaine and the strength of the Pope were here all combined against Queene Elizabeth and King Iames for no other cause but for their religion because both Queene Elizabeth and King Iames had established the same religion Against which religion all the great powers of the world were combined and were therefore ready with their vtmost indevours to root out these two Princes from England and Scotland If a man shall consider the Councels the Pollicies the strength of these great powers which were set against these two Princes it is a matter to be wondred at how they should stand against so deepe and desperate dangers Here I wish that a Papist of any vnderstanding would take this matter into his consideration And looke but a little further to the end and event of things What man purposed What God wrought What became of these two Princes Queene Elizabeth King Iames against whom the world thus conspired Queene Elizabeth after so many malicious proiects against her by open warres by secret conspiracies yet lived to see all the malicious practises against her defeated and overthrowne the practisers themselues ruinated her people and Kingdome defended Gods truth maintained her service for the truth rewarded and after all dyed quietly in her bed and hath left a blessed memory behinde her King IAMES that was in the same cause with her in the same manner threatned for his Religion to be made incapable of the inheritance of England and then neither could he haue holden Scotland for he must either haue all his right or loose all for there is no middle-way in the inheritance of Kings yet after all these threatned dangers by the great powers of the world after a number of dangerous and devilish practises against him at home he hath not onely quietly possessed that which he had but is in the peaceable possession of England with such loue such gladnesse of heart and common reioycing that the like hath not beene knowne in former times And which was never done by any before though much wished and attempted he hath in his royall person knit England and Scotland together he hath not onely maintained the truth of Religion by his authoritie as all Christian Princes are bound to do but also by his wisedome by his learning confirmed the truth drawne many to the knowledge of it by his learned Labours Wherein he hath not onely farre exceeded all his progenitours in this Kingdome but hath left all the Kings and Emperours in the world farre behind him in this honour so that since the beginning of the time of grace to this day the world never saw a King so furnished and inabled to maintaine the truth and to discover the blindnesse and superstition of false Religion And therefore hath God blessed him with extraordinary blessings the loue of his subiects the peaceable estate of Ireland which before his time was never governed in peace especially the fruit of Religion and the reward of Religion maintained is the greatest blessing that Kings can looke for This hath beene and is the state of these religious Provinces so that men shall say Doubtlâ—sse there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that iudgeth the earth And because my purpose in writing this Booke is to declare the great Workes of God in the defence of this Church of England since Religion planted here by Queene Elizabeth and to giue God all the glory both of the planting and maintaining thereof We therefore remember these things with great gladnesse and ioy of heart to Gods glory giving thankes to his holy name for the favours that he hath exhibited to his Church here by the faithfull service of these two royall servants of God in whom is truely verified that which the Prophet Esay foretold speaking of Gods favour to his Church Kings shall be thy nurcing Fathers and Queenes
IX AT that time was Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland in the Tower suspected to be of councell with Throgmorton and the Lord Paget and the Guises to invade England and to free the Scots Queene He was found dead in his bed shot with three Bullets vnder his left pap the chamber doore bolted on the inside The Crowners enquest found a dagge and gun powder in the chamber and examining the man that bought the dagge and him that sold it they found that the Earle had beene the cause of his owne death Three dayes after the Lords met in the Starre-chamber The Lord Chancelour Broumley briefly declared that the Earle had entred into treasonable councels against his Prince and Countrey which now when he perceived that they were come to light troubled in conscience for the thing hath offred force to himselfe And to satisfie the multitude then present he willed the Queenes Atturney generall and the rest of the Queenes Councell plainly to open the causes why he was kept in prison and the manner of his death Wherevpon Popham then Atturney beginning from the rebellion of the North sixteene yeares before he declared that for this rebellion and for a purpose to deliver the Scots Queene that he was called into question acknowledged his fault submitted himselfe to the Queenes mercy was fined fiue thousand markes That the Queene of her clemencie tooke not of that fine so much as a farthing and after his brothers death confirmed him in the honor of the Earledome Notwithstanding all this he had entred into pernicious counsel to deliver the Scots Queene to overthrow the English Queene with the State and Religion that Mendoza the Spaniard had told Throgmorton that Charles Paget vnder the name of Mope had secretly dealt with him in Sussex of these things that the Lord Paget had signified the same to Throgmorton as appeared from Creighton the Scots Iesuites papers And that Charles Paget had shewed the same things to William Shelley when he returned out of France After that Egerton the Queenes Sollicitour inferred the same from circumstances and a care of concealing the matter That when as there was none in England that could accuse the Earle of this crime except the Lord Paget with whom Throgmorton had familiaritie he had provided a shippe for the Lord Paget by Shelley a few dayes after Throgmorton was apprehended So was the Lord Paget sent away into France And when Throgmorton began to confesse some things the Earle departed from London to Petworth and sending for Shelley told him that he was in danger of his life and fortunes he intreated him to keepe counsell and to put away those that knew of the departure of the Lord Paget and of the comming of Charles Paget Which was presently done and himselfe sent far off that servant which he vsed to send to Charles Paget The Sollicitour addeth that when he was in prison he dealt often with Shelley the keepers being corrupted to vnderstand what those things were which he had confessed But when by a poore woman secretly sent betweene them Shelley had signified that he could keepe counsell no longer that there was great differēce between their two conditions that he must come vnder the racke which the Earle in respect of his place and order was freed from and had written to him what he had confessed The Earle therevpon sighed and said as Pantin his Chamberlain hath confessed that Shelley his confession had vndone him After the manner of his death was declared by the testimony of the Enquest and by Pantins testimony Many good men were very sorrowfull that a man of such nobility wisdome and valour was so lost My purpose is in this Narration to obserue the great and manifold deliverances of this Church When I am drawne by the course of the History to open these practises in which noblemen haue beene misled this I confesse I relate with great commiseration for seeing that Noble houses are the honor of the King the ornament of the Kingdome there is no man that loueth the honor of his owne Country that can write or speake of the fall of such men but with griefe and sorrow Of such I will make no other observations but onely the testification of mine owne sorrow But yet here I must obserue one thing for the good and instruction of their posteritie or the like that they may take heed of these pernicious instruments Priests Iesuites and those that are infected yea and poysoned with the infection of them These gracelesse merchants haue vtterly vndone many noble persons which without their restlesse suggestions and councels might and doubtlesse would haue bin great ornaments of their Countries both in peace and warres Was there ever any noble house in these times ruinated without the practise of these wicked miscreants Let all the bloud that hath bin shed in this Land in the Northern rebellion at other times be laid vpon these wicked instruments of bloud And let the world consider the outragious wickednesse of this generation that having in formertimes sucked the bloud of the Saints as greedy instruments of the great Whore that is drunke with the bloud of the Saints now by a iust but strange iudgement of God they are fallen into such practises as shed their owne bloud and the bloud of such as are misled by them God is to be reverenced in all his iudgements and let not men striue against God to maintaine a cause which God will overthrow with all the maintainers thereof And it is not much to be marveiled if these cunning stirrers haue deceiued some of our Nobles for we see that they haue cousened great Kings and Princes For soone after this in the yeare 1586. these pernicious medlers these Iesuites shewed themselues in other colours for when these bloudy instruments that had so long laboured the ruine of England were out of hope to restore the Romish Religion to England either by the Scots Queene which was now more strictly kept or by the King then of Scotland who had plainly professed and established the Gospell in his Kingdome they fell now to a new and a strange practise which might make the world to wonder they began out of their false and lying forgeries to set a foot an imaginary title of the King of Spaine to the right and succession of the English Crowne To this purpose as Pasquirus discovered they sent into England one Shamiers if it be not a counterfeit name a lesuit which might draw the discontented Nobles vnto the Spanish side throw the Scots Queene headlong into dangers and despayre signifying to her that if she should be trouble some to hinder their designes that neither she nor her sonne should raigne here And stirred vp new troubles in France to withdraw her cousens the Guises from hindering their devises by wrapping them in new garboiles against the King of Navarre and the Prince of Condy. In which the King of Spaine had a hand to set France in
September seven of the conspiratours being brought to iudgement confessed themselues guiltie and were condemned of treason Other seven came the next day who denied that they were guiltie and coÌ„mitted themselues to God and their Country yet were they condemned by their former confessions Onely Polly though guiltie of all yet when he affirmed that he disclosed some of those matters to Sir Francis Walsingham was not called to iudgement The twentieth of that month the first seven were hanged and quattered in S. Giles fields where they vsed to meet Ballard the contriver of all the mischief asked pardon of God and of the Queene conditionally if he had sinned against her Babington who without feare beheld Ballards death whilst the rest were vpon their knees in prayer freely confessed his sinnes and after he was taken downe from the Gallowes cryed out in Latin Parce mihi Iesu the rest in their order likewise were hanged and quartered After the punishment of these Navus a French man and Curlus a Scot Secretaries to the Scots Queene were called into question vpon the Letters that were taken in the lodging of the Scots Queene and freely confessed that those Letters were of their owne writing dictated by her in French and so taken by Navus turned into English by Curle and written in secret Characters whereby she was at last brought into question which brought her also to her end The thing which we obserue vpon this Narration is to continue our complaint of these gracelesse instruments the Priests and Iesuites that by their wicked suggestions bring Princes Nobles Gentlemen of good place which might haue done good service to their Prince and Country such I say doe these wicked instruments bring to ruine and seeme to take a pleasure in the destruction of men May we not see how they come in secretly and scraule in corners like Serpents It is true the enmity is of old set betweene the Womans seed and the Serpents seed and the Church which is the Womans seed haue felt the experience hereof at all times But never had any Church in the world a more liuely experience hereof then this Church of England against whom all this hath beene wrought The Church is the house of God and this Church of England is here with vs Gods house It is apparant that this house was built not vpon the sand but vpon a rocke for the windes haue blowne fiercely vpon it the waters haue risen against it the great and huge tempests haue beaten vpon it and yet it standeth And for this we prayse Gods name that it standeth still And for this purpose is this small Worke vndertaken to giue the watch-word to all them that feare God and loue the comming of our Lord to giue most humble and most hearty thankes vnto God for this inestimable favour of God that after all these assaults which haue beene greater in danger moâ—e in number then any Nation in the world at this day can number that after all I say our Church standeth and flourisheth this is our reioycing in God in his goodnesse and mercy But now consider who oppugne vs the serpents seed for can any man with any reason deny these men to be the seed of the serpent I meane the seminary Priests lesuites Are not these the seed of the serpent They plot and practise treasons they raise rebellions their heads and hands are full of bloud and murther And what can the serpent his seed doe more They are men acquainted with the deepenes of Satan they lay snares and wicked plots for desâ—ructions of States and least men should descry their mischiefe they set a cleane contrary countenance vpon their actions giving out that their weapons are Preces lachrymae Prayers and teares and that it is vnlawfull for them to vse any other weapons even then when they are about their most bloudy designes and what can the serpents seed doe more Can the seed of the serpent proceed more maliciously more cruelly more deeply in bloud then these haue done Then let them be knowne to be the seed of the serpent As for vs we reioyce to be the seed of the Woman the true Church of God we suffer we are reviled standered called Heretikes We learne of our Master to indure the crosse to despise the shame We run with patience the race which he hath set before vs. And we serue God not in vaine for we see that there is a reward for them that serue Him CHAPTER X. THE a next yeare following which was the yeare 1587. the Scots Queene being before condemned but yet reserved aliue discontented persons like evill spirits did continually haunt her though she her selfe would haue beene quiet yet would not they let her rest vntill their busie and pernicious working brought her to her graue for l. Auâ—â—spinaeus the French Ambassadour Leiger in England a man wholly devoted to the Guysian faction went about to helpe the captived Queene not by faire meanes but by treason First he conferred secretly to kill the Queene with William Stafford a yong Gentleman easie to be drawn to new hopes whose mother was of the Queenes bed-chamber his brother was the English Leiger in France at this time Afterward he dealt more plainly with him touching this proiect by his secretary Trappius Who promised to Stafford if he would vndertake that matter not onely great glory great store of money but especiall grace and favour with the Pope with the Guises and with all the Catholikes Stafford his conscience grudging at so great a wickednesse refused to vndertake it Yet he commended one Moody a cut-throat a man fit for such a businesse that if money were given him would vndoubtedly vndertake and dispatch the businesse To him went Stafford where he found him kept in prison in London and told him that the French Ambassadour would gladly speake with him He answered that he was willing so that he might be freed out of prison In the meane time he intreated that Cordaliâ—n another of the Ambassadours secretaries might be sent to him with whom he had familiar acquaintance The next day Trappius was sent to him with Stafford Who when Stafford was remoued conferred with Moody of the manner of killing the Queene Moody proposed a course to doe it by poison or by a sacke of twentie pound of Gun-powder to be laid vnder the Queenes chamber and to be fired secretly These courses pleased not Trappius but he wished that a man of such courage might be sound as was that Burgonian who killed the Prince of Orange These things were presently revealed to the Queenes Councell by Stafford Wherevpon Trappius now purposing to goe into France was intercepted and examined of these things Afterward the Ambassadour himselfe the twelfth of Ianuary was sent for vnto the house of Secretary Cecill and came in the evening where were together by the Queenes command Cecill Lord Burghley Secretary the Earle of Leicester Sir Christopher Hatton and Dauison another secretary
God shewed to Israel dâ—uers waies and this hath he like wise shewed to the Church of Christians and then especially when the Church hath beene most oppugned And this mercy hath God declared to no Church more then to the Church of England wee haue the Oracles of God among vs and these wee labour to preserue without mixture that no Oracles of men may be ioyned with them in any equality This we professe and for this we suffer This is our glory that wee suffer as the Church of God hath all waies suffered This is our glory that we are persecuted by a people that haue forsaken their God For they that haue forsaken â—he onely preferment by the Oracles of God committed to their trust and haue against that trust thrust in mens Oracles mens traditions to match the Oracles of God in equall authority they who worship not God according to Gods Oracles deliuered to them but according to their owne inuentions these men haue forsaken their God And these bee they that glory so much of the name of the Catholike Church against vs God knoweth his Church for the Lord knoweth who are his But our aduersaries deale not with God to please him but with men to deceiue them If they should deceiue some men with the maske and with the empty title oâ— the Catholike Church what haue they gotten thereby God is not deceiued and God will in his time make it knowne where his Catholike Church is God will not haue his Catholike Church maintained with lyes with wicked and vngratious Practises with treasons and rebellions with conspiracies they who practise such things can neuer proue themselues to bee the Catholike Church but the true Catholike Church is knowne by holding the Oracles of God by worshipping God according to his own Oracles by suffering patiently the practises of wicked men by committing their cause to God by trusting in God and in the power of his might and by miraculous deliuerances out of danger by the onely hand and power of God This holy and heauenly protection of God of the Church of England may plainely proue vnto all the world that the Church of England is a part and true member of that Catholike Church that serueth God in truth and sincerity enioying those priuiledges and fauours which God doth vouchsafe to no people sauing to his owne Church Now let the Pope goe on in his course and fulfill his measure let him honour wretched and wicked rebels the scum of the earth let him send a peacockes taile as he did to Stucley let him send a plume of Phoenix seathers as hee did to Tyrone if they were Phoenix feathers or if the Pope did not collude in one thing as that Fryer did in another thing who vndertooke to shew to the people a feather of the wing of the Angell Gahriell a plume of whose feathers was more befitting the Pope to send if his holinesse hath such command ouer Angels as they say he hath Let them I say proceed in the workes of darkenesse as they haue done and as they continue to doe let vs trust in the Lord who hath manifested to all the world by his great mercifull and manifold deliuerances that hee hath taken the protection of vs. And as he hath done hitherto assuredly he will doe to the end if we faile not for God will not forsake vs if we forsake not him Indeed if we forsake him and fall away from the truth of Religion in the Church and from the execution of iustice in the State and from obedience to the faith then may wee loose our part in God and loose our confidence in his helpe and loose the blessed benefit of his protectâ— on They can neuer preuaâ—le against vs by any other way then by our forsaking of God When Balac the King of Moab had sent for Balaam the false Prophet and by him vnderstood that it was impossible for him to preuaile against Israel though Balaam was sent to curse them At last hee was informed by his false Prophet Balaam that there was no hope to preuaile against Israel vnlesse there were some meanes deuised to draw Israel into sinne against God and so would God be offended with them and then might their aduersaries preuaile against them this aduise was most pernicious against Israel For the women of Moab were sent among the Israelites to intise them both to bodily and spirituall fornication And this indeed prouoked Gods anger and therefore the Lord commanded Israel to vexe the Midiaâ—nites and to smite them for they trouble you with their wiles The King of Spaine hath proued Balaam the false Prophet the Pope of Rome to curse the Church and State of England hee hath beene as greedily bent to curse England as euer Balaam was to curse Israel His curses by Gods goodnesse haue beene turned into blessings vpon vs. The more hee hath cursed the more haue wee receiued blessings from God The Pope perceiuing that his curses cannot preuaile against vs hath entred into the consultation of Balaam the false Prophet to send among vs Priests and Iesuites secretly who as they say are well acquainted both with carnall and spirituall fornication These come among vs and trouble vs with their wiles And if by their wiles we be once drawn away from God then may they preuaile but not otherwise then as the dâ—uell hath sometimes permission to preuaile against Gods people But so long as wee stand the Church of God holding the Oracles of God committed to vs morshipping God according to the rules of the holy doctrine wee may with ioy of hâ—â—rt expect the protection of God as we haue had Of these things what can our aduersaries deny Can they deny that wee haue the Oracles of God among vs onely reuerencing them Can they deny the miraculous proâ—â—ction of God ouer vs from time to time against all their wicked practises let our enemies be iudges herein Can they deny that the Pope hath runne the course of false Balaam against vs Can they deny that their Priests and Iesuites come creeping in among vs to draw vs away from God to bee partakers with them in their superstition and idolatry these things are manifest to the world and to their owne consciences then we leaue them vnto the seruice of their Balaam let them leaue vs to the seruice of our God CHAPTER XV. QVeene Elizabeth after so many bloudy and dangerous practises attempted against her being mightily protected by God ended her dayes in peace and safety The enemy was not permitted to hurt her with all their bloudy and barbarous practises After her succeeded our peaceable Salomon King Iames who laboured to establish peace if it might bee But when hee spake of peace they prepared themselues for warre He was first encountred with such a practise whereof because I know not the truth and bottome I must follow such relations as I finde King Iames ourâ—gracious Soueraigne being called into the right of his owne inheritance
These signifie to the French Ambassadour that they sent for him to let him know the cause why they intercepted Trappius his Secretary when he was ready to goe into France and they did open every thing which Stafford Moody and Trappius himselfe had confessed And that they might testifie the same in his presence they commanded them to be called in The Ambassadour who bending his brows heard these things with much impatience rising vp said that himselfe being an Ambassadour would not heare any accusations to wrong his King or in the preiudice of Ambassadours But when they answered that these men should not be produced as accusers but onely that he might be satisfied that these things were not fained nor false then he rested As soone as Stafford was produced and began to speake he presently interrupted him and railing vpon him affirmed that Stafford first proposed the matter to him and that himselfe had threatned to send him bound hand and foot to the Queene if he would not desist from so wicked an enterprise yet that he spared him for the singular affection which he bare to the mother the brother and sister of Stafford Stafford falling vpon his knees protested in many wordes vpon his salvation that the Ambassadour proposed the matter first to him But when the Ambassador seemed to be extraordinarily moued Stafford was commanded to depart and Moody was not produced Herevpon when Burghly had mildly charged the Ambassadour to be guiltie of such a conceived wickednes both from his owne words and out of the confession of Trappius he answered that if he had beene conscious yet being an Ambassadour he ought not to disclose it but to his owne King But Burghlâ—y interposing told him that if that were not the office of an Ambassadour which thing is yet in question to disclose such a mischievous practise which bringeth the life of a Prince in danger yet was it the office of a Christian to represse such notorious iniuries not onely for the safety of a Prince but for the safety of any Christian. But the other stoutly denyed that and withall said that not long since the French Ambassadour being in Spaine and having notice of a conspiracy to take away the Spanish Kings life yet disclosed it not to the Spanish king but to his owne King and was therefore commended of the King and of his Councellers The Lord Burghley gaue him a graue admonition to take heed that hereafter he offended not in such a point of treason against the Prince and not to forget the office of an Ambassadour nor the Prince her clemency who would not wrong good Ambassadours by the punishment of an evill one and though he were not punished yet was he not iustified but did carry with him the guilt though not the punishment of such an offence Though this intended evill came to no effect as all the other bloudy practises haue bin without effect yet may we make good vse of it to blesse Gods name for all his great and manifold deliverances That it was disappointed it was his goodnes for against those Kings that had not given their service to God for the maintenance of true Religion great and bloudy practises haue bin committed by lesse and more contemptible meanes And as we haue iust cause to blesse God for all his deliverances so the adversaries of our peace haue iust cause to feare to examine their owne doings and seriously to consider whether they haue not all this while striven against God in striving so long against those whom God doth so miraculously defend Not long after this followed the ignominious prodition of William Stanly and Rowland York This York was a Londoner a man of loose conversation and actions and desperate He was famous among the Cutters of his time for bringing in a new kind of fight to run the point of a rapier into a mans body this manner of fight he brought first into England with great admiration of his audaciousnes When in England before that time the vse was with little bucklâ—rs and with broad swords to strike and not to thrust and it was accounted vnmanly to strike vnder the girdle This man provoked as he tooke it by some iniury of the Earle of Leicester fled to the Spanyards and for some time after served among the Spanyards Afterward being reconciled was made Captaine of a Sconce neare to Zutphen After all this he was so set vpon revenge that being corrupted with money he did not onely betray the place to the enemy but drew also Stanly with him being a man that had served with great fidelitie and valour in the Irish warres Stanly was not easily perswaded to be false but this desperate fellow never ceased to draw him into the fellowship of wickednesse with him by many asseverations and oaths often repeated telling him that it was certainly knowne in England that he was of Babingtons conspiracy that he was already discovered by their confessions that out of hand he should be sent for to the gallowes Thus he perswaded Stanly to betray the rich and well fenced Towne of Deventer to the Spanyards against his oath given to Leicester and to the States And seeking some pretence of honesty against a fact so dishonest and disloyall he seemed to please himselfe in this that he had restored a place to the true Lord which was held from him by rebells And being extreame Popish he sent for Priests to his company which consisted of 1300 English and Irish to instruct them in the Popish Religion boasting that this should be the seminary legion which should defend the Roman Religion with Armes as the seminary Priests defend it with writings To this purpose Alan who a little after was Cardinall sent Priests presently to him and wrote a Booke also wherein he commended this proditorious act from the authoritie of the Bull of Pius V against Queene Elizabeth and stirred vp others to such perfidiousnes as if they were not bound to serue and obey a Queene excommunicated But looke I pray to the end The Spanyards set York and Stanly together in contention one against the other and soone after they poyson York and take his goods his body after three yeares was digged vp by the commandement of the States and hanged till it rotted They drew Stanly and his companies out of Deventer and tossing them from place to place they make them the obiect of all dangers and so vsed them with all conâ—umelies that some of them died for hunger others secretly fled away Stanly himselfe went into Spaine in hope of reward and offred his helpe to invade Ireland but neither found he entertainment according to his expectation neither could he be trusted for the Spanyards vsed to say that some honor might be given to a traytor but no trust It was now too late for him to learne but yet he learned that he had most of all betrayed himselfe CHAPTER XI WE are now come to that fatall yeare which the