purpose he sent thether in hys stede with most large Commission to heare the cause and dispose of the state of the common weale the Duke of Alua a man both a most assured minister of their Inquisition and for olde grudges a most bitter enemie to the Princes and state of the lowe contrey He coloring hys owne malitious affections with the glorious pretense of zele to restore the Romishe religion and to chastise Rebells it is incredible to tell how great and how outragious crueltie he hath echewhere executed vpon the poore inhabitantes of the lowe contrey without respecte or difference by how many and how strange deuises he hath robbed all mens goods how he hath spoyled the whole Prouince of all their ornamentes disarmed them of their defences depriued them of their liberties and stripped them out of their lawes and priuileges how euery honest man he hath condemned by priuate warrant without iudiciall order euery the most innocent mans bloud he hath shed euery most vertuous person he hath put to most vile shame all lawes of God and man he hath violated the bandes of mariage he hath broken the Sacrament of Baptisme he hath polluted all order of charitie and frendly societie he hath ouerthrowen finally no part of most extreme crueltie and such as neuer was heard of before hath he omitted And yet in the meane time he ceaseth not to throw vpon vs the blame of his haynous factes and by proclamations published by infamous libels printed openly to all princes and states to accuse vs of most greuous crimes for thys onely cause forsooth that in fléeing we gaue place to his furie and by the helpe of Gods protection haue escaped his sworde most thirsty of our bloudes All which thinges forasmuch as almighty God hath so determined that we shoulde for a time be here afflicted by the tyrannie of the wicked we woulde haue thought it best for vs to passe ouer in silence and in pacience and to waite for the time which the great Iudge hath appointed either for bringing our innocencie to knowledge or for opening the eyes and eares of our King to vnderstand our vniuste miserie and iuste complaint were it not that we doe plainly sée that such our silence specially in thys so sacred and so full assemblie of your maiestie most victorious Emperour and of your highnesses most noble Princes might hereafter bring no small preiudice to vs and our innocencie before such to whom the truth shall not be sufficiently knowen For by such meane the sonne of God Iesus Christ him selfe and his doctrine which we professe according to hys worde shoulde become subiecte to the most haynous sclanders of the aduersaries as if the professors thereof before thys so reuerend iudgement seate of Christendome before so vpright and vncorrupt iudges before thys theatre so furnished with so great assemblie of sondry nations were by silent confession found gilty not onely of heresie and pestilent vngodly error but also of shamefull rebellion of wicked sedition and disturbance of common peace Wherefore we haue vtterly determined that we can not with good peace of conscience longer kepe silence But for asmuch as we know that the order of these vsuall assemblies of the states of the sacred Empyre haue their chiefe respecte to this end that such as be oppressed by force and iniurie may heare present their compleintes as to the chiefe throne of Iustice in Christendome we thought it our duetie to declare our whole estate to your maiestie most mightye Emperour and to your highnesses most noble Princes and to open vnto you the very originall fountaines of thys our most greuous calamitie that if the mercie of God haue decréed to make an end of our so great miseries we may by your goodnesse and liberalitie beginne to take breath agayne after thys most heauy weight of oppression If not yet the cause being more throughly heard we shall before indifferent iudges deliuer our innocencie from the most vniuste sclanders of our aduersaryes Wherby if nothing ells yet thys we shall obtaine that from henceforth our religion and the profession of the Gospell shall not beare the infamie of so greuous crimes with them that heretofore being filled with the accusations of the aduersaryes haue not vnderstoode the truth and that Iesus Christ the sonne of God whose name we professe shall not bee wounded through vs and finally that we shall not as enemies of publike peace and quietnesse be expelled from common societie by forrene Princes and peoples which is the chiefe thinges that our enemies doe séeke but that the whole truth being throughly vnderstoode the whole originall of the mischiefes shall be iustly layed vpon them that inflamed with their owne gredy malices do tumble vp all thinges and such good and innocent men as they haue by wrong and tyrannie spoyled of their goods and can not yet bereue of their liues they labour to oppresse with most vile sclaunderous reportes to your maiestie O Emperor and your highnesses O noble Princes that so they may drawe you into the fellowship of their crueltie and by your helpe they may either satisfie their vnsatiable thirst with our bloud or glutt their most bitter hatred that they haue conceaued against vs with our destruction Which thing that they shall not obtaine your equitie truth and vprightnesse and our innocencie do assure vs In confidence whereof we prostrate vs at your feete we flée to your protection and mercy craue helpe of your religiousnesse iustice vprightnesse and we most humbly besech you that preseruing the iustice of law ye will vouchsafe most mercifully to defend our miserable and afflicted innocencie aganist the outragious power and vnbridled boldnesse of our enemies That ye may vnderstand how iustly ye may do it that ye may clerely perceaue in whom the fault of the whole mischief resteth we besech your maiesty most inuincible Emperor your highnesses most noble Princes that at leasure ye will gently and diligently read this booke annexed to this our supplication wherin with the truth of the whole historie we declare our innocencie to all men and that with the same pacience and equitie of minde that you vse to receaue the complaintes of all miserable and innocent persons it may please you also to vnderstand our cause and to your power deliuer vs out of these calamities So shall ye shew your selues worthy ministers to the soueraigne king of kinges supreme iudge and shall stirre vp our hartes to be continuall suters to his grace and mercy for you IT is now nere a hundred yeres agoe sins the most noble Ferdinand and Isabell Kyng and Quene of Castile hauyng ended theyr great and long warre agaynst the Mahumetanes which had inuaded inhabited and trobled the kingdome of Spayne by the space of almost viij hundred yeres and hauyng chaced the sayd enemies out of all Spayne and recouered the kyngdome of Granada gaue theyr mynde to stablish relligion and to roote out all
much more the whych they so cunningly perswaded the Gouernesse that she leauing Bruxill the most auncient demeane and mansion of the Duke of Brabant neuer determined to flye to any defected city the which truely she would haue done if being perswaded by the noble men which they well knew the state of the countrey she had not comforted her selfe pluckt vp her courage But when they sée theyr manifold and shamefull slaunders disproued by the déed it selfe and by the modest behauiour of the noble men to take no place they merueylously dyd cry out and inuey before the Gouernesse agaynst the solemne and great assembly of the nobles against theyr league and society which they had made and when they did sée that al this could litle preuayle agaynst them they beat most vpon thys one poynt and they made thys the chiefe cause of theyr accusation that they dyd manifestly shew them selues seditious rebels when they required a frée lawfull assembly of noble men or graund parlament to be sommoned affirming that nothing doth more diminish the power and authoritie of a prince then the solemne metyng of the estates wherewith most mighty kinges and princes haue bene compelled to yelde to theyr order And truely all men do know that Granuellanus and Viglius were wont oftentimes to say that the king aboue all thynges had néede to take héed least the estates of the prouince be lycensed to make assemblies and general metinges according to the accustomed maner of their Auncytors the which kinde of gouernment Charles the fifte dyd dyligently obserue contrary to the custome of the former princes and dukes whereby he determined all thinges according to hys will and pleasure and therfore he cleane put down the generall méetinges and lawfull assemblies of all the estates holden at their graūd counsels and appoynted all thynges to be done and determined after hys and theyr arbitriment whome he would vouchsafe to take vnto hym They sayd the king should take the same order if he would haue hys dignity maytayned safely wythout appayring and that he shoulde hate nothing so much as the very mention of those frée assemblyes But when they perceyued them selues to profite nothing by thys meanes because all of them wyth one voyce did desire to haue a parliament and euery man vnlesse he were wythout sence or reason did easely perceaue the royall dignity could be mayntayned by nothyng so well as by these general and frée assemblies and they all knew that their care was for themselues and for theyr riches and not for the defence of the kinges honor for at the time of the parliament they should render vp theyr accomptes of the common treasurye what they had receyued and spent since the time they haue bene in theyr office and then were the actions of extortions and of the robberies of the common treasurye to be pleaded they thought it therefore best couertly by guile and crafty meanes to worke some sleight whereby they might vndermine the godly endeuour of the nobles and chief citizens whatsoeuer and cleare kéepe backe the appoyntment of these solemne counsels therfore subtelly they perswaded the Gouernesse that she shoulde call the estates of euery prouince seuerally and that she should suffer none to be of the counsell but such as she should chuse and call therunto And therfore as they gaue her counsell she caused most hasty and troublesome assemblies to be made of euery prouince seuerally by thēselues vnto the whych were sommoned to appeare onely they whych were chosen but they whom to haue bene there it had bene most requisite and they which by auncient right and of a long continuance were wont to be present were now cleane omitted Many were cōmaunded openly to depart and many to kéepe silence the time of deliberating the matter and taking counsell with theyr frends and wyth the rest of the estates of the prouince and gouernors of the people as the most auncient and certayne custome of such assemblyes hath euer before graūted is now from all of them indifferently taken away Moreouer the chiefest prouinces of all Belgie whose cause especially was then in handlyng as Brabantia Hollandia Phrisia Geldria Zelandia and the countreys of Lymburgye beyng made vnlawfull for any of them to come thether and thus the maner of mitigatyng these Edictes was referred to a very small company Wherof it is manifest that the most part were suborned and hyred for that purpose whose determination in outward shew semed to be much gētler but in the right meanyng and true vnderstandyng of it was crueller a great deale then the former Edictes In this one pointe it séemed to be more mercyfull bicause in stede of burnyng of them it appointed them to be trust vp vpon a gibbet or gallowes tormented with a racke chaynes And for the Inquisition substituted a visitatiō it did not confiscat the goodes of these whiche were fled but it so fetcht thē so circumuented them that a very foole might easely perceiue they sought nothing els but a more priuy entraunce to their old prescriptions and accustomed crueltie especially seyng the gouernesse did manifestly write vnto the gouernours and chief Iustices of euery prouince that as concernyng the kynges Edictes for religion they should well vnderstand that they ought nothyng to remitte or mitigate the seueritie of them no not although she her selfe should commaunde to the contrary And seyng the fury and madnes of the Inquisitors did no lesse outragiouslye robbe and spoyle then they were wont to doe and that without punishment or prohibition seyng as that the Monkes and preachyng Friers dyd not onely with most bytyng tauntes and spitefull reproches defame the chief and noble estates anymatyng harnising the rude people agaynst those Princes which put vp the bill of supplication also out of their pulpites did by name openly accuse them of disobedience disloyaltie and seditious treason and threaten them that the kyng would vtterly destroy them and put them to death And to conclude seing euery man dyd by most euident tokens perceiue and seyng they had it proued by many mens letters and talke that they sought nothyng els but by some meanes to delude and deceiue the people that from them gettyng ayde they might execute their tyranny not onely vppon the comminaltie but euen also vppon the chiefest of the Princes whosoeuer as if they were their deadly enemies At the lēgth notwithstandyng when they had determined what should be done they offer vp to the estates of Brabant the maner of their gouernement but in all the hast not lookyng for any aunswere they caused it to be published But whilest those thynges were a doyng the professors of the Gospell which had hetherto kept them selues in their priuate houses vpō hope that at length their muse beyng heard and the slaunderous cauilles wherewith they were defamed fully aunswered they should haue libertie for their religion which they were ready to defend with the worde of God in as
of sense and reason whose vnderstandyng is so blynded that he beleueth that these good and well disposed persons doth séeke nothyng els but to kéepe the prouince of Belgie vnder the kynges authoritie to defend religion and mainteyne lawes seyng all their actions and doinges do openly pretend shew that they haue no other kyng no law or religion but their onely auarice and most beastly couetousnes they make a glorious pretence as though all the Belgians were Lutherans rebelles and traytors to the kyngs maiesty bycause forsooth they would not submit their neckes to the yocke of the Inquisition that is to say they would not willyngly and of their owne accord yeld vp them selues to the beastly lust and vniust tyranny of most pernicious persons But truly if they had their kyng for theyr enemy they would neuer haue so faythfully obserued their loyalty towardes him neyther would they so carefully haue retained all their cities townes and castels in hys fidelitie tuitiō neyther would they so faithfully haue geuē credite to the kyngs edictes the kynges name the kinges brode seale to the Gouernesse and in so doyng should neuer haue runne into so many so great calamities by their so light credulity neither should the Duke of Alba once haue set foote into these countryes for they had infinite occasions and oportunities offered them of dissanulling the kinges authoritie of alienating hys cities of striking league with other nations adioyning vnto them and of kéeping backe the Alban duke from the borders of theyr prouince And yet for all thys dare not the aduersaries affirme vnlesse they be most impudent that thys was once mentioned amongst them or spoken of But let it be so that they were rebels is it lawfull therfore for the King to violate hys faithfull promise to peruert the lawes both of God and man and to pollute all thinges both holy and prophane wyth thys vnaccustomed tyranny We read that in the time of our auncitors many of the cities of Flaunders dyd rebell agaynst Maximilian the most mighty king of the Romanes and the citizens dyd not onely openly refuse hys gouernement and deteyned wyth them for the space of eight yeares his sonne Philippe against his will but also did most cōtumeliously throw Maximilian himselfe into prison but afterwardes beyng ouercome by the helpe of Frederike the Emperour and other the princes of Germany they yelded thēselues agayne to hys authoritie then thys good prince Maximilian in thys so odious rebellion and hauing bene so iniuriously handled was so farre from doing any thing lyke vnto the Albane Duke that he not onely with great gentlenes receaued hys subiects agayne into his graces fauor but also with great clemency worthy of so great a prince restored vnto them agayne all theyr priuiledges and auncient immunities By the which hys vncredible lenitye he made the hole prouince most obedient in all pointes to hym and hys posteritie for euer But these men neuer remitted any tribute any subsedy or burden layd vppon the kinges most faythfull subiectes whose loyaltie towardes the King coulde neuer wyth any crime be attayned beyng alwayes obedient to the kinges commaundement who had offered vp by humble supplication all theyr riches and substaunce vnto the kings good will and pleasure desiring to haue nothing frée from the Kinges commaundement but onely a cleare conscience in religion the which they ought to kéepe vnpolluted vnto God alone And they humbly desired to redéeme the libertie of religion with an extraordinary and farre more gréeuous tribute then the Christians redéeme theyr religion of the Turke or the Iewes obtayne theyrs of the pope Yet notwithstanding these men I say spoyling those faythfull subiectes of all theyr riches forbid them the vse of fyre and water ayre land as if they were the most deadly enemies of all mankinde yet haue they God knoweth committed no offence but only geuen to light credite to the kings edicts which in manner were established as firme lawes neuer to be reuoked and so they simply beleuing the kinges letters and name kept diligently their sermons in the which there was nothing preached but the pure woorde of God and they dayly admonished to shew theyr obedience to the prince and his magistrates Yet these tyrantes doth with most horrible cruelty oppresse the hole prouince without respect either of the innocent or offenders and wyth most insatiable auarice spoyling them torment them wyth most barbarous tyranny Can any man now doubt what it is that these men haue hertofore laboured to bring to passe or whereunto they haue bended theyr mindes set theyr eyes and applyed theyr most reuening handes Or is there any man so blind that can not sée what hath bene the cause originall of these foresayd tumultes in Belgye or so blockish that he can not perceiue that these honest men I meane the good maisters and byshops of the spanish inquisition haue from the beginning onely gone about to alienate the kinges minde from hys subiectes and by euery small or none occasion to accuse them of rebellion that as they haue most furiously executed theyr tyranny in the kingdome of Naples Cycell and the countrey of Millen in new India and in the chiefest partes of Spayne so they might by some maner of meanes furiouslye rage in the lowe Germany and by litle and litle when occasion shall bee offered in highe Germany and that vnder the colour of defending the Popes religion they might oppresse the hole libertie of the citizens in Belgie take away theyr magistrates authoritie and violate the hole power of theyr lawes bring the kinges maiestie subiect to theyr authoritye and that they themselues might without law or order at their pleasure cōmaund what they wyll take what they lyste kyll whatsoeuer should offend them empty the rich mens coffers and make themselues lordes and gouernors of all thinges But if any man shall thinke that these thynges because they be present not yet throughly finished can not easily be iudged vpon let hym coniecture and take iudgement of thynges alredy past In the which we appeale vnto your maiesties most mighty Emperour and ye renowmed princes of Germany call to remembraunce what they haue heretofore done in Germany what with what fetches and counselles they haue wrought you shall perceaue truly theyr old artes you shall know these old Spaniardes you shall know these old Inquisitors for euē these be they which with their greuous cauils and sclaunders with the terror of the Popes name haue oppressed the most famous princes of Germany before Charles the v. which kyndled a most dolefull firebrand of ciuill dissention in the very bowels of hygh Germany and vnder the cloake of rebellion dyd set the Protestant Princes together by the eares beyng altogether ignoraunt of their trechery the which haue defiled all things in Germany with their wicked flagitious actes the whiche haue gone about to ouerthrow the liberties of Germany and lawes of the Empire and
euen these be they at this day whiche do vexe and trouble the inhabiters of low Germany with the very same cauils before the foresayd Charles his sonne kyng of Spayne they haue deceiued them with the same artes and subtilties and oppressed with the same enterprises these be the authors inuentors of so great vnfaythfulnes these also be giltie of their crueltie auarice these were the ministers and workers of all their mischieuous boldnes For to whō is Granduellanus the Cardinall of the Germaynes vnknowen or who knoweth not the Duke of Alba both the which haue emprisoned the most noble princes of Germany ouercommyng them partly by violence and partly by their fraude and deceyte and haue slaundered them with most reprochful contumelyes These be the firebrandes of the whole world with the which the greatest part of Europe will most dolefully be set a fire vnlesse your authoritie wisedome and power do with spéede foresée so great a mischief these men therfore are onely to be accompted as the authors of all the tempestuous broyles seditions tumultes miserable calamities which haue happened in Belgye But if there be any man that doth not as yet vnderstand let hym remember the saying of Cassianus to whom these thynges shall profite let hym diligently consider not onely to whom this publicke calamitie of Belgy is now profitable but also if there be any hope that these thyngs will be profitable to hym hereafter Seyng we could not but perceiue that this daunger was iminent either by losse of our religion or by woundyng of our consciēce or by the greuous anger of our kyng or by the dolefull destruction of our countrey whiche way soeuer it would haue happened For they haue long ago hunted after their triumphes theyr ruledome and Empyre by any these occasions So that they neuer haue ceased by theyr subtill deuises to cause the subiectes to hate theyr kyng the kyng likewise to hate his subiectes and with gréedy mouthes stretched out eares they haue takē the lest suspition of tumults and rebellion and haue filled the kynges eares and mynde wyth theyr false tales odiously amplifying their receiued newes the which though it be so manifestly to all men that it néede no longer proufe yet it is most manifestly confirmed by the kynges Embassadors which was sent into Fraūce for he in his letters sent to the gouernours writeth on this wise their will aryse vnto the king great frute and commoditie by the incommodious tumultes of Belgy because by this occasion the kyng will bryng them to full obedience and subiection and reduce the state into that forme and order of gouerment vnto the which hys auncetors could neuer atteyne the which to bryng to passe the kyng hath vehemently desired of longe tyme and therein hath alwayes hetherto spent hys whole study and endeuour and that there was no man fauouryng the kynges maiesty would counsell him to let passe so noble occasion of the performaūce of this his woorthy enterprise c. By the which wordes it is manifestly declared that the Spanishe Inquisitors whiche in the name of the kyng doe cloake and couer all their desires haue sought and gone about heretofore to get any occasion whereby they might inuade Belgy spoyle it of all his riches and goodes and rule all thynges as should best be thought to their lust and pleasure So that no man can longer doubt frō whence these haue had theyr begynnyng seyng it is manifest who they are that haue long ago desired to reape the frutes of these our troubles it is also manifest that the Cardinall hym selfe in a great assembly of many men when it was obiected vnto hym that it was to be feared lest if the people should be any more oppressed they would make some sedition was not ashamed to aunswere that the kyng had no cause to feare But rather to wish for the seditious tumultes of his subiectes for by them the kynges power and maiestie was much encreased and the priuileges of the Cities liberties of the people very much restrayned and diminished Otherwise what is it that they should seeke for by so many examples of such vnaccustomed auarice rare crueltie would they make the people subiect to the kynges authoritie euery wise man séeth that then they take not the iust and right way to obteyne they purpose For the subiectes hartes are wonne and reconciled to their prince by gentilnes humanitie and Iustice not by terror feare or tyranny and euery man knoweth that the prince of Egmonde and an infinite number of others which haue bene alwayes euer were most earnest fauourers of the kynges name and authoritie they which neuer spared the sweate of their browes or bloud of their bodyes for to kéepe the whole prouince safe in the kynges subiection and whom the king for this cause hath alwayes very much regarded were notwithstandyng destroyed of them for an old hatred conceyued thorough an old enuie of theyr noble actes so worthely atchiued in theyr warres But peraduenture they séeke by this meanes vtterly to roote out the religiō of the gospell which they though the most part of them be of no religion fayne them selues so vtterly to deteste abhorre Truly they meane nothyng lesse for then what cause had they with such infamy reproch cruelly to put to death the foresayd Prince of Egmonde the Earle Hornam and many others which were both ignoraunt of this Religion and haue bene alwayes aduersaryes of the same why do they still execute such tyranny vpon those which be altogether of the Popes religion but most noble Princes they desire nothyng lesse their onely fetch is to establishe their kyngdome in Belgy that they may rule therein all thynges accordyng to their lewde lust pleasure and contrary to all equitie and right as they haue done heretofore in Cicell and in the kyngdome of Naples that they beyng loden with the riche spoyles of so wealthy a prouince may returne home and send others in their steade they which should draw them dry of all their iuyce and bloud there is one onely way to attayne to this purpose and that is their holy Inquisition the which by good right is termed after the name of Inquisitiō for by this they doe dayly inquyre and make search in the chéestes bagges coffers of the riche men in the bewty and bosomes of the virgynes and matrones in the throtes bowels and bloud and lastly in the soules consciences of all men by this they make them selues Lordes and Monarches of all thynges they make all the princes and the kyng him selfe subiect and obedient vnot them they haue vsed this meanes first in Spayne in the which by this arte of Inquisition they haue disanulled all priuileges and libertyes the which where before very great in Spayne they haue made subiect vnto them selues all the authoritie of lawes and the maiestie of the regall scepter they haue left onely a bare name and
desireth to deale with you as with his open enemyes Let therfore all méetynges of marchants chaunge of marchaundises be taken away let all your Vniuersities be destroyed abrogate all their priuileges suffer no hosopitalitie to be kept let euery mā sit idle at home in his owne house take hede lest any thyng be brought in from farre coūtreys lest likewise ye bryng in somewhat which may at length hynder the barbarous trade of the Duke of Alba. But we hope most worthy princes that you playnly sée what mē are chiefly to be accused of this our iniury the Spanyard will not suffer our yoūg men to come vnto your Vniuersities your solemne martes or fayres or to any of your prouinces least peraduenture they should returne infected of some spot of heresie By the which hys iudgement he openly condemneth you and all your people of heresie and impietie Although in this his doyng he hath besides this an other fetch and purpose for this is a new inuention for to spoile the poore people of their substaūce for when he séeth thē to haue escaped the gréedy iawes of his Inquisition and it is not easie for hym to accuse them beyng absent although many of them in his iudgement woorthely be accused of such haynous crymes and had deserued to haue their goodes confiscate bycause they were very rich wealthy he thought best to deuise some way whereby he mgyht lykewise draw them into his net And ther fore he stretcheth out the vale of his Religion the which he abuseth to the full satisfieng of all his appetites as Gigas dyd hys ryng By this he driueth some out of theyr countrey and maketh some returne home agaynst their wils By this he taketh from some all their liberties riches and life to others he geueth full lycence to praye vpon other mens goodes and with all wickednes to shed the innocent bloud to be brefe vnder this pretence of Religion he doth what soeuer pleaseth him though it be contrary to the lawes of God and man By this also with most extreme and vnaccustomed tyrāny he goeth about to establish to geue all soueraigne power in low Germany vnto the Bishops of the Spanish Inquisitiō that from thence if it be possible they might stretch the same by their deceytes priuy practises throughout all Europe Do not you thinke most noble Princes that these thynges nothyng perteine vnto you for they do most especially bende theyr force agaynst you and your Germany For their remayneth as yet yea there is norished I say in the Spanyardes harts and bowels the great grief which they of late conceyued when they saw the gouernment of Germany wherof they thought them selues in full possession to be pluckt out from betweene theyr iawes They do as yet trye their old counselles whereby they may make subiect all the world to theyr holy Inquisition and reteine vnto thē selues the full superioritie of all things they haue not as yet buryed their old artes and craftie pollicies they haue not as yet abolished their leages societyes and conspiracies wherby they bounde them selues vtterly to subuerte all those whom they thought would withstand the encrease of theyr tyranny Who doth not know the conditions of peace betwene the kynges of Fraunce and Spayne Who knoweth not the confederacie made with the Bayoniandes who knoweth not what firebrandes hath from thence bene brought into Fraunce low Germany Italye England Scotland and into the furthest countrey of all the lande Thule Truely that longe and deadly ciuill warre in Fraunce was first moued and made by these authors contrary to the Edictes made by the estates of the whole Realme and contrary to the will of the Kyng and Quéene and by these also the peace beyng broken the leages violated and the fidelitie of their othes and agréementes beyng troden vnder féete It was begon agayne the second and the thyrd time by these men it hath bene continued almost ten yeares to the great calamitie of that noble prouince the great slaughter of worthy men and noble princes Neither do they now at this tyme ceasse with theyr pestiferous coūsels most wicked practises by all their power to breake make voyde the peace appointed and cōcluded with the full good will of the kyng all good men It is more manifest then that it néedes rehearsall what persecutions they haue done in Italy what conspiracies they made in England what seditious tumultes murthers they haue caused in Scotland what rebellions they haue raised in Irelād for what haue they doubted euen in Englād settyng vp their Popes buls conuiciously to call the most noble gratious and vertuous Quéene of England the seruaunt of all wickednes the mainteyner of most wicked persons an hereticke fauourer of all heretickes do pronounce her cursed by the Popes curse to depriue her of the right of her kingdome and iurisdiction to absolue her subiectes people from the bonde of their loyaltie and othe towardes her and generally to forbid that any man should obey her authoritie by the which their iudgement they haue openly and playnly declared what other kynges and princes professyng the Gospell should looke for at their hands But what hath this seditious flame conteined it selfe within the boundes and limites of Europe Hath it not burst out ouer retched the pillers of Hercules hath it not filled the shores of Aphricke with the dead mens bodyes hath it not styrred vp the Mores to armour and the Turke to battaile hath it not shaken the scaffold of the whole world with a most terrible tempest and doth it not also now most noble Princes prepare it selfe to burst out amongest you to arme your selues agaynst your owne bowelles if ye take not hede notwithstāding we do not doubt but that the Lord for his mercy sake wil indue your honors with such wisedome and courage that you shall stand and withstand their mischieuous practises But we most mighty Cesar and ye renowmed princes of Germany besech your your honors not to neglect vs the most miserable of all men banished our countrey spoyled of our riches sclaūdered with ignomy oppressed with pouerty through theyr great and vnspeakable tyrāny Remember that Belgy is a part of Germany wherof a great part is conteyned within the riuer of Rhene a great part also by most auncient right obeyng to the Emperors lawes statutes Remember that Brabant hath bene alwayes in most auncient inheritaunces of the Empire and the Dukes therof hath in all ages heretofore bounde them selues to the Emperours to be in theyr retinue and protection And that Antwerpe is accompted the chief Marquesdome of the Empyre and that Gueldria Phrisia and the countrey Gormingen Transiselan and Cameracensis are all vnder the iurisdiction of the Empire and that Hollande Zelande Hannony and other Townes of Belgy haue apperteyned to the dukes of Barrey as theyr auncetors goodes inheritaunce Do not you despise the frendshyppe that is