en la conseruation della feè Catholicho en el Reyno di Francia y a instantia y requesta del y que no pensaua dexar las armas hasta cobrallos O yo el pontifice atenta mente la pretestacson y tomò della el Duque instrumento publico Auertiò antes à sua Santitad de algunos inconuenientes che temia hauian de resultar de la absolucion que tenia determinado dar à Enrico That is The Euening before the Absolution should be giuen the Duke of Sessa Ambassadour of the Catholique King on his behalfe protested to the Pope that the absolution which his Holines intended to giue to Henry should not preiudice the Reasons of his King in that which concerned the Kingdome of Nauar and the County of Bourgundy nor in the expence which he had made for the Confernation of the Catholique faith in the Kingdome of France at his instance and request and that he determined not to depose Armes vntill he had recouered them The high Bishop attentiuely heard the Protest and the Duke tooke thereof a publique instrument hauing first aducrtised his Holinesse of some inconueniences which hee feared might result from the Absolution which was purposed to bee giuen to Henry These Protests did appeare to men of sound iudgement ill grounded prentencos the alleaged inconueniences false foundations of that great Building which those malicious aboue mentioned did figure to themselues They said it was requisite to the strict Christianity which the Catholique King professed all humane Interest deposed to aduance with all his spirits the conuersion of Henry and to exhort the high Bishop affectionately to receiue the prodigall Sonne seeing he was returned penitent to his fathers house and to take into his Armes the strayed sheepe which hee had now found to carry him to the Sacred sheepfold of Christ They did blame as a work very little Catholique but rather as a suggestion of the Deuill to attempt the hinderance of that Absolution which onely hee ought to haue procured for the quiet of France and the publique good of Christendome which if it had not succeeded might haue wholly alienated that Kingdome from the Church as the like had done in England They did consider that it was wide of the purpose to feare any preiudice in the kingdome of Nauarre and the County of Burgundy seeing the Absolution did not deriue any more right to Henry then that which any other which should be King of France might haue But aboue all the pretensions of the expence made in the warre did giue them greatest scandall They discoursed if only for the loue of Christ the Catholique King had disbursed that money why was he not content to haue Christ his Debtor But how a Debtor if hee doth enioy of the Patrimony of Christ aboue Three Millions yearely Reuenue granted him by the Vicar of Christ of Tenths Subsidies and Croysado's and other meanes with condition to employ them against the Enemies of Christendome why takes hee nor penne in hand and comes not to a distinct Account of the Receipts and Issues well balancing il dare conl'hauere and hee shall finde himselfe not Creditor of one Maranedi but certainely Debtor of many and many Millions spent not according to his obligation for Christianity but for the interest of his owne priuate Estates What then doth hee pretend Why then doth he not lay downe Armes Vpon what hath hee fixed his thoughts To what end doth he aspire If he prosecute this warre he prosecuteth an vniust warre How doth that correspond with the zeale of Religion for which onely at first he vndertooke it What change is this Certainely it proceedeth not from the right hand of the most High But bee it so let him follow the warre at his owne pleasure there is no remedy Henry shall bee absolued and shall bee King of France Doth the Catholique King perhaps hope with his owne forces and by strong hand to depriue him If he was not able with the vnion of so many other Princes to hinder him from taking possession of his Kingdome how shall he now be able to expell him hauing set sure footing in his Throne He attempts a dangerous Action Here they proceed with witty and politique Consideration that a good issue of this warre against Henry not ensuing hee should be sure to acquire a powerfull and perpetuall Enemy that might in time make Spaine to tremble within her owne bowels and the Prophesie had well neare beene verified the whole world knowes it if a violent death had not interposed to stay him But this yet which perhaps was foreseene they did iudge insufficient to free Spaine of the danger Seeing the offence of the father and with the offence the disdaine might descend to the Sonne his Successor as soone as hee came to ripe age and should fall into consideration that the Catholique King had done his vâ—most to keepe him from being King of France when hee indeauoured to take the Crowne from the head of his father and that if his father in despight of Spaine mainteined himselfe King he also in despight of Spaine might enioy his fathers Kingdome But all these considerations which certainely were very great before any other conceiued them were resolued by the most wise King Phillip who by common Iudgement was the Salomon of his time From whence for the same reasons that others did iudge it requisite to leaue the warre hee esteemed it necessary to prosecute it Seeing he knew he had so grieuously offended Henry that hee could by no other meanes secure himselfe from his disdaine but onely by opposing him to become King of France Wherefore seeing the cause of Religion did cease it was expedient to fasten vpon some other pretence to resist with his Holiness the absolution and in France the Corenation and to proue if it were possible already reason of State had insinuated that great building of the Malicious to make a King of his owne fashion as he had already caused to be propounded in Parliament Tarde se desengana el dessee de mandar Bauia p. 4. vita de Clem. 8. c. 30. y ser Rey Por este aunque con menos brie no desistian los pretensores Proponia el Duque de Feria al Serenissima Infanta de Espana Dona Isabel Affermaua denersele el Reyno porque hauiendo faltado la linea masculina de Hugo Capcto eraquien tenià meior derecho a la Corona como hija de hermana mayor de Eurico III vltimo Rey de Francia Y dezia con esto que el Rey Catholico su padre la ca sarsa con alâ—un principe Frances con que el nombramiento del tal quedasse en su elecion That is The desire to command and to bee King was slowly cleared from all doubt For this cause though with lesse boldnesse the Pretènders gaue not ouer The Duke of Feria did propound her highnesse Donna Isabella Infanta of Spaine He did affirme the Kingdom
Thirty soure years he laboured in the study of holy Lawes to be well instructed in the knowledge of Iustice He affirmeth nothing which he doth not learnedly proue All his works were directed to his owne King and the Royall Councell before whom more then once hee appeared in person to entreat of this Businessa Who can then beleeue that hee durst say that which was not apparant truth Men vse not to speake ill of Princes to their owne faces Ignorance of the fact or of the Law cannot be obiected to him so much practised and who had so long studyed these matters Argument of affection or of passion cannot be imagined in a Prelat of most exemplar life who renounced his Bishopricke onely to assist in the Court of his Prince in the defence of a People from any interest in him as farre remoued as our world is distant from theirs From whence of necessity it must be said that onely the loue of truth did moue him and the inuincible reasons wherewith he maintaines all his Assertions doe most clearly demonstrate it So that your Maiestie who is as much a louer of truth as of God considering with a setled minde all the fore-alleadged discourses will in the sinceritie of your conscience 〈◊〉 that which 〈◊〉 beginning was declared That Enterprises vndertaken onely for Religion are often reduced to proper Interest and that Titles Dignities and Authorities granted with most holy zeale by the Vicar of Christ haue beaue peruersly abused It is very true that this good Prelatate hath indeauoured to excuse the Catholique Kings by saying that the aboue mentioned euills were against their Intentions clearely expressed in many orders and holy instructions giuen to those crooked ministers who obserued no part of them But this excuse is not admitted of wise men yea rather confuted with most strong Reasons First because it hath not beene found that the Catholique Kings did euer punish any of those Ministers vnlesse perhaps some for Rebellion notwithstanding their wickednesse was manifest vnto them which the foresaid Bishop doth more then once affirme Secondly because so many iniquities by them committed were neuer retracted in particular the Diuisions of the Commenda's vpon which the said Author doth exclaime euen to the Heauens Lastly because the immediate Dominions are encorporated vniuersally and particularly with the Supreme Dominions and this is euident in fact all faculty being taken from them which had it to choose their Prince and the inheritance from them to whom the estates by succession did appertaine of whom some miraculously escaping aliue in that destruction of the Indies lamentably by this Bishop described were transported into Spaine lest by the loue of their Naturall Subiects they should aspire to recouer that of which against reason they were depriued And yet to this day the Issue of that great Motezâ—ma Emperor of Mexico doe liue in the Court of your Maiestie prohibited vpon paine of life to goe out of Castile From which most true reasons the wisedome of your Maiestie may easily comprehend how little the aforesaid excuses doe pruaile and how great 〈◊〉 the Catholique Kings haue to render to God of the vsurpation of the immediate 〈◊〉 of the Indies vnder pretence of amplifying the Christian faith The religious zeale of the King Don Phillip the second father of your Maiestie cannot inconsiderately bee ouerpast when inurted by the Pope hee tooke Armes against Henry the fourth King of France The cause of Christ was in question against a publique Heretique and Enemy of Christ It was expedient that the facred Catholique King Protector of the Church of Christ should abandon his owne Affaires of Flanders to defend that of Christ The which Hereique Action the fruit of perfect vertue which is rarely found among Princes of the World did beget in many wonder and incredulity and in others it caused too malitious suspition Algunos saith the Spanish Bishop que juzgauan la virtud agena por la malitia propia Bauia Pentif par 3. vita di Griger 14. c. 9. no querian creer que el zelo de Rey Catholico fuesse tan grande che desamparando su bazienda propia con tan gran costa fuesse a remediar la agena That is Some who iudge the vertue of others by their owne malice would nor beleeue that the zeale of the Catholique King could be so great that leauing the care of his owne business hee should at so immence Charge relieue the necessitie of others Behold the wonder and the incredulity Otros as after followes in the history que no bien conocian la Religion y Christianidad del gran Filippo II. Bauia p. 3. vita de Innocentie 9. C. 9. fondauan en esta jornada un gran edificio diziendo que se queria hazer Rey de Francia ò ponelle de su mano assegurandosse ensus Estados comarcanos y sasando à bueltas no pequeno interes That is Others that did not well vnderstand the Religion and Christianitie of the Grand Phillip the second did from this vndertaking lay the foundation of a great building saying that he desired to make himselfe King of France or to place a King of his owne dependance hereby assuring his owne neighbouring States and drawing to himselfe no little aduantage Behold the malice and that truely very great against that most innocent Monarch who did clearely show to haue no other interest nor further desire then that the Catholique Religion should not be vtterly ruined as it was freshly threatned in the Kingdome of France But what cannot the Deuill doe Saints and Heremits are rarely secure much lesse Princes in Courts Scarcely hath Henry begunne inspired by the holy Ghost to shew himsefe willing to be reduced to the wombe of holy Church to be truely a most Christian King when the Catholique fell vpon a Councell by no meanes to consent that hee should bee King of France And yet to him the Rights of that Kingdome did appertaine nor for other cause was the opposition but for being an Heretique whence the impediment being taken away it was most vnrust any longer to withstand him But it was whispered in the cares of the Catholique King by certaine Machiauells rather then Disciples that the Coronation of Henry might bring some danger to his Maiestie for the kingdome of Nauarr and the County of Burgondy vpon which States the Crowne of France hath pregnant pretensions and that his Maiestie had cast away in vaine so much Gold and spent so much blood of his people in that warre Therefore La tarde antes so saith Rauia que hiziesse la absolution Pontif p. 4 vita de Cle. 8. Cap. 56 el Duque de Sessa Ambaxador del Rey Catholico de su parte hiza al Papa protestacion que la absolucion que su santitad pensau a dar à Enrico no perjudicasse al derecho de su Rey en lo teccante al Reyno de Nauarra y Contado di Borgona ui a los gastos que hauia echo
to belong vnto her because the Masculine Line of Hugh Capet being extinct the best title to the Crowne was deuolned to her as daughter of the eldest sister of Henry the third last King of France And withall it was said that the Catholique King her father would marry her to some Prince of France Prouided the nomination of that Prince might rest in his Election Further. No solamente estaua prepuesta la Enfanta de Espana à la Corona di Francia si no tambien el Archiduque Ernesto deÌ„ Austria Bauia vbi supra hermano de Emperader That is Not only the Infanta of Spaine was proposed to the Crown of France but the Arch-Duke Ernestus also brother of the Emperour The French Lords did rest astonished at these so handsom propositions and grew warie of the danger wherein the King of Spaine had entangled them whilst hee professed to desend the Catholique Religion in France Por estas razones yotras iuntamente con las maquinationes Bauia vbi supra y negociaciones que se descubrian determinaron en la Assemblea ò Cories que el Duque de Vmena como Lugartiniente del Reyno procurasse impedir lostratos que y ase descubrian paraque en ninguna manerase eligiesse à la Corona Princessa ò principe estrangero anulando qualesquier tratos que hasta este punto hnuiessen echo y que se guardassen las leyes fundamentales del Reyno en ls tocante a la elecion de un Rey Christianissimo y Frances That is For these and other Reasons together with the Machinations and practices which were discouered it was determined in their Assembly that the Duke du Mayne as Lieutenant of the Kingdome should procure to dissolue the Treaties that already were vnmasked because by no meanes a Princesse or Prince Stranger should be elected to the Crowne anulling whatsoeuer Treaty which to that day had beene begunne and that the fundamentall lawes of the Kingdom concerning the Election of a most Christian and French King should bee obserued Now let your Maiestie see from the contexture of the forementioned matters to what termes the most holy zeale of the King Don Phillip your father was reduced and how the faire beginnings for sincere Religion were peruerted onely into an vndue end of reason of State For which also the warre after the Absolution of Henry did continue vntill the most blessed Clement the Eight did introduce the peace I could alledge to your Maiestie many other examples vpon this Argument but I esteeme these three so notable that they are enough with aduantage There may perhaps bee some who will reprehend me that I haue onely exemplified in the Kings of Spaine where I might doubtlesse haue beene furnished from Princes of other Nations and will accuse me as a man of little Iudgment and maners that speaking with your Maiestie I haue presumed to mingle my tongue in the Actions of the neuer enough praised Don Phillip the second your father I would they should consider that domestique examples moue much more then forrain from whence as noble mindes doe with all possibilitie endeauour to immitate the Actions worthy of their famous Ancestors so by all meanes they doe endustriare themselues to auoid that which in their Predecessors was iudged worthy of blame And seeing that they though Princes of worth and eminent vertue did sometimes stumble vpon vnbeseeming ActioÌ„s they do learne not to presume too much vpon themselues and to bee very watchfull not to fall where others slipt and considering that being their Descendents they should not esteem themselues better but rather worse then they seeing in descending nature doth loose as vertue doth encrease by ascending Wherefore if by nature they are Descendents they shall grow worse and onely ascending by vertue they may make them themselues better I then speaking with a Catholique King of Spaine to admonish him of a snare now with so much faire and hidden Artifice set before him that easily he might fall therein how could I better doe then to shew him where his owne Progenitors most wise and Catholique Princes haue fallen headlong into like disorders It is necessary said the great Henry of France to shew the errors of Princes that they which succeed them Pirre Mathieâ— en la vie da Mâ—ns Vill. may not erre in the same wherein others did loose themselues I haue then purposely taken these examples of the Kings of Spaine as more helpefull to your Maiestie in this present matter then any other which might haue beene produced and haue euer confirmed them with the Authoritie of Spanish writers to auoid the blame either of falshood or Calumny And because they may bee of greater credit and more efficacie in the sincere mind of your Maiestie To whose consideration I at last come to represent That the Rising of the Gouernour of Millan against the Grisons in the Valteline vnder the like pretence did apparantly tend to the same end though shadowed in the Manifest much wide of truth of which I shall now discourse published as it was voyced by the people of that Valley but in truth by the Ministers of your Maiestie of whom if your Maiestie be not more then heedfull you shall bee certainly induced to such Actions that being added to the other three Narrations of your Ancestors will serue for an example to Posteritie of an impious and wicked Enterprise vnder a Religious and godly vaile Returning to the Discourse I say that the causes of publishing that Manifest were Three The first to insinuate to your Maiestie and the World that the People of the Valteline being tyrannised by the Grisons were of their owne free and voluntary determination and not by others induced fallen into Rebellion The second to perswade your Maiestie and the World that your Ministers had iustly vndertaken the protection of those miserably oppressed that it was consonant to the greatnesse and goodnesse of a Catholique King not to obandon those Sabell Entad 9. li. 7. who refuged to his defence So formerly Don Pedro of Aragon Non potuisse se aiebat Siculis indigna fortuâ—iâ—ou opemque suppliciter suam implorantibus non auxilio adesse yet it was hee that seduced them into defection The third to render the poore Valteliues by so shameless a writing so odious to their owne Lords that they should despaire of euer obtayning pardon whereby they might rest the more obstinate in their Rebellion and willing in any sort to subiect themselues to the Dominion of your Maiestie for feare they should returne into the power of the Grisms The first is cleady expressed in the Manifest which turnâ—â— all things to the iustification of the rebellion of the Valtelines the other two which are extracted from the intrinsique thoughts of the heart might appeare Imaginations of my owne fancy if the matter it selfe did not approue them But arguing securely from the effect to the Cause true and not imaginarie Conclusions may bee deduced To
to vsurpe the State of others doth moue them also to vsurp the Pontisisall Iurisdiction O God if yet they did vse it well Holy Church doth continually pray for the extirpation of heresie not so of Heretiques But those Ministers with too much excesse of holy zeale will first vsurp the Estates of Heretiques and destroy their persons throughly to roote out their heresies Quidsaeuiunt vt stultitiam suam dum minuere volunt Lact. ipst Diu li. 5 C. 20. augeant longè diuersa sunt carnificina pietas nec potest aut veritas cum vi aut Iustitia cum credulitate coniungi Here a Consideration comes into my head which makes me astonished The Euangeliques among the Grisons so your Ministers affirme and I beleeue it are the superiour party These as wee say are impions wicked and our Capitall Enemies they desire our harme and our vtter ruine They might perhaps haue beene able with little difficultie with their owne force and with the ayde of those of Zurich and Berne obliged to them by loue by law and particular Confederation vtterly to ruine destroy and annihilate the Roman faction in their Countrey and to become Lords alone of the whole Dominion And yet these wicked these impious these Enemies of the true saith haue had so much humanitie that they haue abstayned and haue beene contented that the Roman Catholiques liue freely and quietly among them and to haue them friends and Companions in the politique Gouernment And those of Zurich and Berne no whit better then the Euangelique Grisons haue neuer promoued nor counselled them to Alterations On the contrary the true Sonnes of the holy Roman Church instructed in the meeknesse patience and benignity of Christ Men charitable pious and holy doe make it lawfull to rise against those who molest them not to rebell from those who admit them into fellowship of Gouernment to procure the losse of State to those who being able haue neuer attempted to expell them out of the State And the Ministers of your Maiestie who professe to bee the most true Catholiques this day liuing in the World are they who instigate foment and ayd yea who principally doe opperate in these so honest Rebellions and with warre fire and ruines doe pronounce that it is requisite to defend the holy Religion O quam honesta voluntate miseri errant Lactant. vbi supra sentiunt enim nihil esse in rebus humanis Religione praestantius eamque summa vi oportere defendi sed in defensionis genere falluntur Defendenda enim Religio est non occidendo sed moriendo non saeuitia sed patientia nonscelare sed fide Illa enim malorum sunt haec bonorum necesse est bonum in Religione versari non malum N am si sanguine si torment is si malo Religionem defendere velis iam non defendetar illa sed polluetur atque violabitur Nihil est enins tam voluntarium quam Religio in qua si animus Sacrificantis auersus est iam sublata iam nulla est The Polititians say Salust de con Catil li. 1. that Imperium his artibus retinetur quibus initio partum est So is it consequent to say of our Religion the which was planted not by killing but dying not with crueltie but patience not in wickednesse but faith With these Arts Christ laid the foundation with these the Apostles and those holy fathers of the Primitiue Church did build vpon it and since their Successors from these wayes haue declined it is diminished restrayned and in many places vtterly extinct Religion is more free then the will of man because the forced will remaines still a will but enforced Religion is no more Religion for in the will the Act is regarded and in Religion the minde And therefore If the mind of the sacrificer be auerse the efficacie is taken away and annihilated Then the Ministers of your Maiestie doe erre in these their cruell proceedings against Heretiques They too farre wander from the path in which Christ hath guided them Let your Maiestie bee aduised not to suffer your selfe to bee drawn into the same error by giuing them faculty power to prosecute so bloody Enterprises Command them by your Roiall authority to leaue so preposterously to fauour Christian Religion For now the world doth know their ends and Christ himselfe doth hate detest and abhorre them And when they shall endeauour to perswade you otherwise bee not easie to giue them credit seeing as I haue already shewed vnder holy pretences they doe counsell Deuillish actions Let your Maiestie giue full credence to their Aduices when they shall perswade you to imploy your forces against the Mahometans Capitall and continuall Enemies of Christianitie when they shall say that therein you ought to spend those many Millions which you draw from the Church for that holy end when they shall excite you to dresse your Fleets and Armies to recouer so many Prouinces vsurped by Infidells vpon miserable Christians But why doe I say recouer them I tremble O Sacred Maiestie to speake it but it may not be passed in silence I feare that they rather will counsell you to take from the Christians Arzila in Affrica enforceth me to speake wrested from the possession of the Portugalls by the King Don Phillip the second and giuen to Muley Achmett King of Marocco I well know what they will answer that he gaue it because he could not defend it But if a King of Portugall did keepe it how can it be that a Monarch of Spaine of the new World and of so many other Kingdomes and Prouinces should be vnable No no wee are not deceined how matters did then passe with the Pertugalls doth too clearely shew the truth Phillip did feare that Muley might succour Don Antonio who did claime the Kingdome of Portugall wherfore to extinguish that Christian King the Ministers did perswade King Phillip with the price of that Citie to buy the friendship of that Infidell Consider now your Maiestie this perfidious Counsell the which drew King Phillip into so euill considerations though otherwise an excellent Prince that hee became publikely reproached Giou. Hist li. 34. and it was said that he had learned this liberalitie to Barbarians of the most famous Emperour his father Charles the sift Iglies vita de Paolo 3 lib. 6. C. 27 sect 1. Giou. li. 37. Iglies nel Capit. preditto sect 9. who after the Conquest of the Citie of Tunis in Barbarie did presently tender it to the King Muleasses which he would not haue done if it had bin taken from any Christian Prince As he refused to restore Castelnouo to the Republique of Venice recouered from the Turkes at the instance of that Common-wealth and with the ayde of their owne Armado although by particular conuention thereunto obliged Then againe I say let your Maiestie take heed of the false Counsels of your Spanish Ministers who where reason of State is in question would
were iudged Traytors and their expected reward was changed into a shamefull pardon I conclude Nothing is sure without the approbation of this Court of Conscience Nothing so vnsure as what Law or equitie is the rule thereof Therfore that Peace onely will be secure with Spaine which the two Counsells of State and Conscience shall together resolue to be profitable because necessarie To reduce this Discourse to a briefe Conclusion If right iudgement of all States arise from their ends If their Counsells direct the way to discouer them and both being discerned to affect Conquest must be actiuely opposed lest they preuaile vpon a suffering modestie If the ends of Spaine are apparantly Vniversall Monarchy and all their Counsells by Negotiations infamous and vnchristian or by practises of fomenting Treasons and diuisions among their neighbours are directed to attaine that end If the Pope must be alway obsequious for the affinity of their common ends If there be no securitie of Peace but in their pouerty What other resolution can bee proposed then that a liuely warre must bee transported to that part of the Dominions of Spaine which being separated and cut off the ancient modesty and naturall constitution of that Kingdome may returne to bee glad to liue in Peace and cate quietly their owne Figs and Oliues And because in great diseases as well blood and ill humours must be diuerted as the main Cure intended so it wil be requisite more for expedition then necessitie of health to imitate other States in thrift France in times past had Scotland England Burgundy and Navarre Spaine their owne Moores and Barbary euery kingdome had a back-friend vpon their Enemies Such may be found vpon the weakest side of the House of Austria Port d'Atras drawne from their owne Confessions that though the Palatinate be conquered Hungary Bohemia will neuer be secure vntill the Hills of Transylvania be made the Bulwarke of their Empire But this would be too large a Digression There remaines onely of my purpose to preuent a Question why I haue chosen to dedicate by this Epistle the ensuing Translation to you most worthy Senators of the House of Commons For this boldnes may be subiect to various misinterpretations No maÌ„ will suspect me of so great arrogance as that I hope to teach you any thing you doe not know But seeing your owne wisedome did first foresee the necessity of a warre with Spaine and your owne zeale to the honour of your King did counsell to vndertake it I thought such forraine Meditations as these concurring with your owne thoughts might also animate and nourish in you a spirit and generous Resolution vigorously to maintaine it You know how much of the good successe of great Actions depends vpon reputation and they haue aduanced much who haue gotten opinion As Astrologers make their iudgments vpon the first minute of time in Natiuities so doth the world prognosticate of the happy successes of Princes by the first coniunctures in their Kingdomes and their first actions abroad Therefore instandum famae nam vt prima cessissent fore vniuersa You know Tacit. Idem Monies are the sinewes of warre Neque arma sine stipendijs neque stipendia sine tributis haberi queunt If you now restraine your liberall hand you expose your Prince to dishonor and your Country to Consumption It is Time onely that will macerate England when without traffique and exchange and that especially of Germany our owne treasure must be exported to pay forraine Armies Qui citò dat bis dat Seneâ—â— and it is ill husbandry to doe that sparingly which cannot be well done but at once and speedily It will be time to be thrifty in the members and particulars when the Head and the whole State is safe And if you deferre vntill a lingring warre hath exhausted you Remember that which remaines will not suffice because sera in fundo parsimonia non enim minimum Idem sed pessiâ—nam remanet Your humble Seruant Philo-Britannicos THE REASONS OF the Resolution lately taken in the Valteline against the Tyrannie of the Grisons and the Heretiques THe miseries of the vnhappy Valteline are now at last so notorious so intollerable are the barbarous oppressions and tyrannies that the inhabitants thereof doe suffer as slaues vnder the Grisons their pretended Lords and Superiours that they ought certainly to stirre vp great compassion in the mindes and for their reliefe also the force of Princes and people farre remoued And seeing this contrary to all expectation and equitie is not to them administred now that of themselues with the meanes giuen them almost immediately from the hand of God they haue procured to free them from so sharp a bondage they might beleeue that for their iustification in that action before the World there needed no other diligence Neuerthelesse seeing the malice of peruerse Ministers the tongues and infernall pennes with which Tyrants serue their owne occasions haue too great credit with the vulgar to obscure any truth how cleare soeuer to calumniate Innocency and to procure hatred it hath beene thought fit to publish this Treatise by which all men may be informed briefly and truly that what they haue done is not onely right by all Diuine and Humane law but worthy to be approued with high praises of men iudicious intelligent and well affected to Iustice and Christianity and to be protected by all States and Princes Omitting therefore colours and artifice of words proper to those ministers who study nothing but to deceiue Euery one doth know that all which a Subiect can pretend consisteth in Soule Life Honor and Goods Of all these nothing remained to the miserable Valtelines wherein they were not extreamly oppressed and tyrannized Concerning the Soule it is sufficiently knowne that the Inhabitants of that Vally were anciently bred and nourished in the holy Roman Catholique faith That therein are many beautifull Churches dedicated to the blessed Virgin and other Saints fauoured by God with graces and miracles and therefore frequented by the deuour concourse of sundry Nations to the great comfort and benefit of the People who were by the Catholiques to them admitted in them to celebrate Masse and Seruices for the health of their foules according to the holy Roman Rite But now these Barbarians giuen vp in prey to the most peruerse Professors of euery Heresie and particularly of Caluinisme haue so with all their industry wrought that this poyson hath slided and infected the whole Valley from whence it may more easily spread into the bordering parts of Italy And although first they did not apparently shew to take from the People the vse of their ancient religion yet their actions manifestly were thereunto addressed seeing by their Decrees they gaue power to the Heretiques to prophane the old Catholique Churches with their Preachings and Burialls and doe take away the reuennues left to Catholique Churches for Masses and other offices which they transferre to hereticall Ministers That they
this then I inuoke with all my spirits the attentiue mind of your Maiestie for when I shall haue demonstrated that all the Reasons of the Manifest are ill grounded and false and what the truth of the businesse is it shall together appeare that the Causes of said Manifest cannot bee other then those about specified The Reasons drawne to excuse the Rebellion of the Valtelines are reduced to two Heads Religion and Tyranny Vpon these are made great Amplifications but all is affirmed without proose A manifest signe that it is spoken without foundation Concerning Religion it is said that the Grisons vtterly haue taken from the Valtelines the libertie of Conscience and haue procured that all should be infected with Heresie shewing in euery occasion fauour to Heretiques and the contrary to Catholiques vpon some of whom they haue insâ—â—tod most cruell and infamous death onely in hatred of the Religion I repedre not euery particular It is sufficient to take this Mauiâ—â— to which all other matters are reduced and in the Manifest may be distinctly read Conterning Tyranny it goeth painting out a kind of gouernment of the Grisons in the Valteline like to that which hâ—â—fore Verres vsed in Sirtly and to speake more modernly like to some practised as well by the Ministers of your Maiestie as of your Predecessors in their States of Italys as by this discourse you shall fully vnderstand perhaps with some notable benefit to your poore Subiects who are waiting some ease from your Roy all hand But before wee discourse particularly in those two points it is fit to consider That the Grisons though diuided in two Religions Roman and Bâ—â—â—golique may it please the diume Maiestie that in time they may all agree in the vaine of the true Apostolique yet in all matters in respect of the publique good of the State thee haue constantly stood vnited in the politique Gouernment With which Concord they haue so many yeares maintained themselues free Princes vndependent of other and highly estemed of all For which cause wee know with how much diligence and charge many great Priaces haue sought their friendship But of late yeares in this part some Ministers of your Maiestie malignant to see them colleagued now with France now with Venice moued with an immoderate zeale of your seruice to which they supposed that such Confederations might bring some preiudice and iudging it most important to your Crowne that you onely should haue the free passage through the straighes of the Valreline into Germany and thâ—â— to all other Princes they should at your pleasure bee shot haue gone contriuing Inuentions and insiduous Artifices to diuide the Grisons as well in the politique gouernment as in Religion to the end they might easily stide into vtter ruins To this effect the late count de Fuentes Gouernour of Millan erected that Fort which to this day beares his name so preiudiciall as nothing more to the State of the Grisons Hauing first with money corrupted some of the chiefe of that Countrey to the end that if the Lords would oppose themselues they should with various Arts be disturbed as it came right to passe by the labor of lo Baptista Preuestâ— Pompeio Rodolfo Planta Nichole Rusea and others noted in the Manifest of the Grisons of the yeare 1618. Instantly after which Don Pedro de Toledo Gouernor of Millan in the yeare 1617. did attempt to make a perpetuall league with the Grisons vpon Articles molded by the Lord Alfonse Casale Ambassador of your Maiestie in that Republique after his owne fashion In which there was nothing inserted in the fauour of the Grisons but a delusory promise to demolish the fort of Fuentes where with it seemed to him that they should condiscend to all other things how contrary soeuer to their libettie The same men who did fauour the building of the Fort did not faile to aduance also this Confederacie perswading many that by al meanes it ought to be embraced but the crooked practises of these Patriots Enemies of their Countrey being to the Grisons discouered they would not accept these Capitulations but forming a Iuridicary and Capitall Processe against these Rebels they found so many Machinations treasons and other wicked Actions by them wrought that proceeding to Iustice it was requisite with Banishments and death to giue them deserued punishment Prom that time till now that they remained exiled aided with money by the Ministers of your Maiestie with which they proceeded maintayning fresh practices with their friends and adherents and corrupting many others they haue sollicited continually to sowe dissention among this people thereby to raise some insurrection as finally hath succeeded in the Valteline The truth of all this is clearly collected from the forealleaged Manifest of the Actions of the Grisons in the yeare 1618. to which Credit cannot bedenied as the Ministers of your Maiesty desire seeing the things therein related are matters of fact and iuridically approued where these affaires haue beene handled without passion or respect of persons as euery dispassionate mind by the reading thereof will iudge The intent then of your Maiesties Ministers was not to establish a Confederacy with the Grisons which had in bin so they would haue procured by lawfull wayes vpon Conditions reasonable as other Princes vsed and not by interuention of particular persons corrupted with gisâ—s and vpon Articles so vnsanory as among them are seene But then purpose was so cunningly to frame them that they should not be accepted because being promoued by the factious party of men corrupt and reiected by the sound part dis-interressed and louers of the publique good there might arâ—â—â— a discord sowed by this art to cast these people into Confusion so that from their diuision according to the Gospell the desolation of the State might follow For the Ministers of your Maiestie fomenting one part against the other did hope to oppresse both the one and the other and highly to merit of you by enlarging in what way soeuer your Empire This Artifice O Sacred Catholique Kingh to disunict Subiects from their Princes to send them into destruction is most proper and practised by the Ministers of your Crowne and who would here recount how often and in what maner they haue plotted disunion in the Kingdome of France should weaue a large Historie The French Lords doe well know it and it is a common opinion amongst them who best vnderst and the Affaires of State that if all the Hugonotts of France should bee reduced to the Catholique Religion the Spanish Ministers would therewith be grieuously displeased seeing that of them they make principall vse as of most deare friends to embroile that Kingdome whensoeuer they haue any doubt that the French may moue his forces to the dammage of Spaine And they doe glory not to seare at all the Armes of his most Christian Maiestie not because the are inualid but that they know the way to keepeth 〈◊〉 busied at their pleasure in his owne houseâ—