this is this infamous frame or building of Proscription stayed and setled But if on the other side I should come largely to laye out howe much the house of Spaine is bounde to my predecessors for concerning my selfe I will as yet say nothing I am afraide to enter into so great a sea which I can not passe ouer in many monethes wherefore I will touche onely the principall matters leauing vnto you my Lordes and to the readers the particular searching and finding out of the saide boundes in the histories and auncient recordes of this countrey He that of the house of Austriche firste came into the lowe countreis and that a long time after that my predecessours helde therein both Counties and Baronneis was the Emperor Maximilian then Archduke of Austriche Nowe who knoweth not that the Countie Engelbert my great vncle was he who maintayned and vphelde the saide Emperour My Lorde Engelbert Countie of Nassau imploying his goodes his life and his witt for the presetuation of him Was it not the Countie Engelbert together with my Lorde of Romont that obtayned the victorie of Guinegaste hauing by his courage kept the footemen together when as the horsemen had broken the rancke and order by meanes whereof the great conquest of King Lewis the eleuenth was stayed and let which thing dyd afterwardes assure Maximilians state and condition Was it not he which vpon his returne out of prison out of Fraunce founde Maximilian wonderfully troubled in Flaunders against my Lorde of Rauestain and those of Bruges who also preuayled so much by armes and by counsel that a truce and conclusion was made who was once againe the cause to vpholde and mainteyne the saide Archduke and who in like sorte caused the accorde made with the inhabitaunts of Bruges to be mainteyned whereof euen yet at this day there do remaine notable markes and tokens both of his fidelitie and of the thankefulnes of the inhabitaunts of Bruges It is the verie same Engelbert that subdued those that rebelled against him about the borders of the Rhine and established the saide Emperour quiet in his countreis of Oultremeuze that I may speake no more of the daungerous voyages attempted for the saide Emperor as that voyage into Brytan for the treatie of mariage betweene the saide Lorde Archduke the Ladie Anne heire of the Dutchie and afterwardes twise Queene of Fraunce which matter he so well followed that all was agreed and further proceeding should haue bin made therein sauing that my Lord Iohn Prince of Orange father of my Lord Philibert The saide Coūtie Lieu tenaunt generall from the time of Duke Charles dashed all and procured the mariage of the said Ladies cousin germaine with Charles the French king And the merites and valures of the saide Lord Countie were in those countreis so great that he was made Lieutenaūt general thorowe out the lowe countrie The successour and heire of the saide Lorde Countie Engelbert and of his goodes which he had in these countreis was my Lorde the Countie Iohn of Nassau My Lorde Henry Coūtie of Nassau his brother and my great vncle and after his death there succeeded him my Lorde the Countie Henrie my vncle the eldest sonne of the said Lord Countie Iohn and his heire in the goodes and possessions he had here in Brabant Luxenbourg Hollande and Flaunders and my Lorde the Countie William my father was his heire in the goodes and possessions which he had in Germanie No man can denie that in his time there was anie Lorde in all these countreis who laboured more in the seruice of the Emperour Charles than he And to the ende I be not ouerlong in reciting that which is so well knowne I will onely in a worde tell you that it was he that put the imperiall crowne vpon the Emperours heade hauing so earnestly followed this matter euen then when the Emperour in respect of his young age by reason of his absence for he was in Spaine was not able to pursue the same that he perswaded the Princes Electours to preferre the Emperour before the Frenche King who earnestlie laboured to obteyne the saide election And as euerie one knoweth that this imperial crowne was the bridge which afterwardes made a passage to the Emperor to obtaine so manie conquestes so none can denie but that the acknowledgement thereof ought to be giuen to the saide Lorde Countie But can anie man shewe me at this present so much as one marke or note of recompence or one onely good turne that our stocke hath receaued from the house of Spaine Men may see in sundrie places of these countreis peeces of ordinaunce with the armes of Hungarie vppon them which the King of Hungarie gaue to my predecessors in testimonie and remembraunce of that their vertue and strength which they had imployed and shewed in their seruice against the Turkes certaine of which peeces were violently taken from me caried away by the Duke of Alua out of my house of Breda when he played the tyraūt in this countrey and yet some of them remaine there to this day Which thing I put downe to declare that so long as these peeces shall last so long also shall the notes and markes of my auncestours vertue indure there shall remaine also a notable testimonie which the King of Hungarie hath giuen them But as my predecessours haue bin so noble and by the grace of God the good gouernemēt of their things were neuer yet poore so they neuer yet demaūded any thing of the Princes of these coūtreis neither yet receaued any thing as of free gift and yet I am sure that the imperial Crowne at the least deserued some one recompence or other I confesse that the succession of Challon and of the Princedome of Orange was a great increase vnto our house but if we be bound to any for that truly it is to the great King Frauncis who gaue in mariage to the Lord myne vncle the sister of my Lorde the Prince Phillibert the daughter of my Lorde the Prince Iohn who was nourished and brought vp with Quene Anne the Graūdmother of the said Lord King whose Cousin the said Princes was And thus you here see my Lordes the honestie and good behauiour of this Monarche of Fraunce The Emperour got and receaued his crowne by the paines and tranayles of my vncle Frauncis the King who knew all that the saide Lord had done for his Competitor that is for him that sought to be Emperour as well as he ceased not for all that to giue him this Princesse in mariage who was not the supposed heire only but the verie heire in deede of my Lorde the Prince Philibert the saide King confessing that he ought not to be displeased with him who had constantly followed that parte which he tooke vpon him to followe In so much that I may say of him as the Historiographers of his time said that it was an assured testimonie of a noble and
haue saide heretofore but that the Emperour did greatlie honour me whilest he nourished me made me of his Chamber by the space of nine yeeres and afterwardes in my two first warres hauing appointed me giuen me charge ouer all his ordinaunce in these countreis And albeit that I was not then one and twentie yeeres olde yea though I were absent from the Court at my Lordship of Bueren notwithstanding the Duke of Sauoie attempting a voyage the Emperour him selfe chose me for generall of the armie albeit that the Lordes of the Coūsel My lord the princemade generall of the armie at the age of 21 yeeres yea the Queene hir selfe did present thereto sundrie other persons whose capacitie and vnderstanding was verie great as my Lordes the Counties of Boussu of Lalaing Martin van Rossem olde Knights and Souldiers and the Coūties of Arenbergh of Meghem and of Egmont who was twelue yeeres elder than I. All this notwithstanding albeit that no man named me as afterwardes they affirmed to the Emperour by reason of my youth yet so it was that it pleased the Emperour to chuse me for the reasons which then he declared which the Queene of Hungarie inforcing me to take the charge vpon me caused me afterwardes to vnderstande which also I like better for this present time to conceale than to declare least I might seeme ouermuch to prayse prise and esteeme my selfe I saye yet more that it pleased the Emperour my Lordes then to cause me to come from the campe when he declared vnto you the will and purpose that he had to put ouer his kingdomes into the handes of his sonne the King and it pleased him yet further so much to honor me that he would not perfourme this solempne act in my absence yea he presented him selfe amongest you in your assemblie leaning vpon me by reason of his infirmitie which thing sundrie at that time thought was a verie great honour vnto me But be it so that since that time the King had bestowed vpon me some honours yet I cannot see howe after anie sorte he can preuayle or get anie thing thereby seeing that contrarie to all right and reason yea contrarie to his owne othe he hath gone about to take them from me As concerning the order if the Emperour and the Colledge or companie of the Knightes thereof haue giuen me their voyce I am no more bounde to him therefore than to other Knightes seeing it was necessarie for him to allowe of that which the Colledge approued euen as he him selfe knoweth that we in the last assemblie of the order helde in these countreis did by pluralitie of voyces without his aduise and against his will chuse sundrie Knightes of the order and caused them so to be receaued and accepted But be it that I were indebted to him therefore yet so farre of is it that he may reproche or vpbraide me therewith that on the other side he him selfe is to be therefore greatly charged The priuiledges of the order He hath sworne and it is also contayned in the pointes that concerne the order that the Knightes of the order should be iudged by their brethren that is them of the same order Verely it was neuer in the power of Duke Philipp surnamed the Good to inforce my Lorde Iohn of Luxenbourg to forsake the othe which he had made to the King of Englande the said Lorde of Luxenbourgh committing the determination of the matter in controuersie betweene them to the Colledge companie of the Knightes of the orders But the brethren which the King hath appointed to my Lordes the Counties of Egmount and of Hornes to the Marques of Bergues of Montignie for their triall were porters petiefoggers and people of no account by which also he hath caused me to be cōdemned against all order and course of law euen as I haue heretofore protested and haue alleadged the insufficiencies thereof in the presence of all Europe In so much that hee him selfe hauing done against his owne othe and against the orders and articles of the Colledge or companie he is at no hande to be hearde in such reproches as these are wherein there are founde the ingraued markes of his owne othe being violated and brokē And beside if I ought to yeeld thanks to anie of the order for the gouernementes and other dignities that I haue it must be to the Emperour whose minde it was who had so decreed the same before he would depart out of this coūtrey hauing before known the duties that I had performed my faithfulnes namely in respect of my seruices yeelded in the gouernemēt guiding of his armie wherein I haue for witnes my Lord of Neuers and the late my Lorde of Chastillō Admiral of Fraūce who in deed made vs afterwards to know that he was our aduerse partie all which notwitstanding they gained nothing thankes be to God vpō me but I builded in despite of their beards the town Philippe Charlemōt albeit that the plague did very strōgly afflict our armie As concerning the gouernemēt of Burgūdie I can certainly assure al mē that I haue not receiued any thing The gouernement of Burgundie but that which my predecessours haue at all times mainteyned as appertayning vnto them by inheritaūce and in deede my Ladie Philibert of Luxenbourg my Lorde the Prince Philibert hir sonne being in Italie caused the Estates of Burgundie to assemble and meet in the Town of Nozeroy And because that some thought it not meete and couenient because my sayd towne was vpon one of the Frontiers of the Countie of Burgundie she aunswered that she ment to mainteine the possession of the Lordes of the house of Challon who were by inheritaunce Gouernours of the Countie of Burgundie But be it whatsoeuer it be the behauiours of the King towardes me do sufficiently declare that he can not obiect vnto me these honours which against all rules of honor he goeth about to take from me together with my life and goodes hauing by violence taken from me mine owne Sonne against all lawe either of God or man yea against the priuiledges of the countrie which he sware to obserue at his glad entraunce into it As concerning the chardge and office of Counsellour of Estate Counsellor of the estate I haue sufficiently inough declared in my defence made heretofore in the yeere sixtie seuen that the Cardinall and others practised this matter that I might be called thereto thinking thereby to cloake and couer them selues onely with my authoritie before the people and therefore I ought not to thinke my self bounde vnto them for this because that in doing this they sought not so much myne aduauntage as their owne profit But if they be deceaued of their hope they must attribute it either to their owne want of capacitie as not being able wisely inough to order and direct their enterprises or els which in deede is more true for they dyd not want witt
and liberties of the countrey yea and aboue equitie and iustice it selfe he hath broken all bondes that he might outrage in all maner of vnreconcilable hatred and crueltie The aide called Noeuenale At the same time you my Lords graūted vnto him the aide which was called Nouenale by meanes of which aide and by the valiauntnes and wise gouernement of the Lords nobles of this our countrey and of sundrie braue Lords and souldiers of Germanie his affaires were so well and so blessedly guided that after the winning of two battailes the taking of townes and prisoners of great calling and that in great number also he inforced his enemie to accept a peace as vnprofitable for the Frenche king as it was honorable and profitable for the King of Spaine And if it be lawefull for me to speake anie thing of my selfe if hee haue but one droppe or sparke of gratitude and kindenesse in him hee can not denie but that I was one of the principall instrumentes and meanes to cause him to come to so excellent and to so profitable a peace hauing priuately treated thereof with my Lordes the Constable Montmoranci and the Marishall of Saint Andrewe at the instant request of the King who assured me that the greatest seruice that I could performe vnto him in this worlde was to make a peace and that he purposed to haue it whatsoeuer it cost him because he ment to go into Spaine But so farre of was it that eyther he or his counsell consisting of Spaniardes and of certaine other persons of this countrey who alwayes continued in hatred against you your libertie and the whole lande did take in good parte either this so good an aide or the happie execution that insued thereof that on the other side they iudged this succour and aide to be a fault of hie treason against his Maiestie and for the which you and aboue all other the late my Lorde of Lalaing had incurred by good right the sentence of punishment The late L. of Lalaigne and all the Estates appointed to death by the Spaniardes And why so Because you my Lordes would not agree to anie thing without the assemblie of the Estates generall and because you ment to cutt the talents of these harpies and Rauenours of Barlemontes and such like when you decreed that the money should be distributed by your commissioners according to the conditions propounded vnto them Beholde in deede two great faultes the one for soth was to demaunde a meeting and an assemblie of the Estates For in asmuch as it serueth for a bridle and a barre vnto tyrannie it is a crime so much the more hated of tyraūts who are the deuourers of the people and enemies of their subiectes and of their owne crowne as this noble assemblie is loued honoured and reuerenced of true Kinges true Princes and such as are the good fathers of the people because it is in deede the true foundation of an Estate the assuraunce of the common wealth and the onely peace quietnes of Princes The other fault will neuer be pardoned for these byters of the people liuing with the blood of poore people haue so long time made account of their theeueries and sackings that they suppose their spoyles to be as good and as an assured reuenewe yet much more frutfull as their fieldes and gardens and dissembling the true cause of the mischiefe whiche they hide from their Princes they seeke pretextes and cloakes in flattering of them and in lying vnto them to harden and to set on fire their heartes against their subiectes I haue seene my Lordes their doings I haue hearde their wordes I haue bin a witnes of their aduise by which they adiudged all you to death making no more account of you than of beastes if they had had power to haue murthered you as they do in the Indies where they haue miserablie put to death more than twentie millions of people and haue made desolate waste thirtie tymes as much lande in quantitie and greatnes as the lowe countrie is with such horrible excesses and ryottes that all the barbarousnesses cruelties and tyrannies whiche haue euer bin cōmitted are but sport in respect of that which hath fallen out vpon the poore Indians which thing euen by their owne Bishoppes and Doctours hath bin left in writing and to make the King without excuse before God and men the historie thereof was dedicated vnto him by one of his owne subiectes in whom there remained as it should seeme some smal sparke of iustice From that time then my Lordes I and other Lordes and sundrie of the best wisest personages both of the nobilitie and of the common people thought it good to cause if we could the Spaniards to departe out of the coūtrey thinking in deede that albeit there were yet remayning some corrupt blood amongest vs as verely we see ther is more remayning then were meet which did proceede from this infected race of the contagion of the fathers who serued at that time the ambition of the Spaniardes and followed the Cardinalls businesses yet notwithstanding that the better number and all the Lordes of the greatest credit and countenaunce would be enemies to this Spanishe tyrannie But partly thorowe other businesses and partly by reason of my voyage the going of some other Lordes into Fraunce whether we were sent for hostages as also to be present at the Frenche Kinges daughters mariage the businesse it selse was interrupted and the perfourmance thereof hindered Nowe so farre of is it my Lordes that I will denie a great part of that which is set out against me that I account it on the other side a great prayse for me and will it may so fall out tell you more thereof than mine enemies knowe and the more that they shall write against me and giue a testimonie of their furie and enuions harte against this countrey the more wil I reioyce herein that it hath pleased God to shewe me this grace to be an ayder to cutt of the course of this vnmeasurable tyrannie and by that meanes also to haue bin an assistaunt to the manifestation and opening of the true Religion They say that from the time that the King turned his foote from these lowe countreis I haue by sinister practises sleightes and subulties assayed to gett the good willes of the Malcontentes and of such persons as haue bin greatlie indebted haters of Iustice desirous of nouelties and specially of those that were suspected to be of the religio As concerning them that had the knowledge of the religion I confesse The loue that the L. Prince hath alvvayes born to thē of the religion that I neuer hated them For seeing that from the cradell I was nourished therein and that my Lord my father had liued and died therein hauing driuen out of his Lordshippes the abuses of the church who is he that will thinke it straunge that if this doctrine were after such sorte ingrauen
A Treatise against the Proclamation published by the King of Spayne by which he proscribed the late Prince of Orange wherby shall appeare the sclaunders and falce accusations conteyned in the sayd proscription which is annexed to the ende of this Treatise PRESENTED TO MY LORDS THE Estates generall in the Low Countries Together with the sayd Proclamation or Proscription Printed in French and all other Languages AT DELFT ¶ A copie of the Letters which my Lord the Prince of Orange sent vnto the Kigns and Potentates of Christendome * ⎠* SIr I doubt not but that your Maiectie hath bin aduertised of a certaine Proscription which the King of Spaine hath appointed to be published againct me because he hath caused the same to be spread abroade in all languages and hath sent it also into diuers quarters of christendome I and all my verie good freendes haue thought that I could not sufficiently defende myne honor which I am aduised and purposed not to hazard or indaunger for anie thing but by setting a iust defence against this vniust Proscription In regard whereof I haue presented vnto my Lords the estates of these countries my aunswere which aunswere also for the maintenaunce of myne honor and reputation amongest the Princes Potentates of Europe who in respect of their preheminences and dignities are the succours of poore Princes and distressed noble men I haue bin bolde to sende vnto them and to you Syr particularlie most humblie beseeching your Maiestie that after you haue seene it you would yeelde like iudgement thereof as it hath pleased my Lords the Estates who haue bin most faithfull witnesses of all myne actions to do and to esteeme and iudge thereof also as it shall please your Maiestie to take knowledge of it by their aduise and counsell which also is annexed to my said defence And because Sir your Maiestie may thinke it straunge that the King of Spaine hauing heretofore violently taken from me all my goods after that I had put my gouernementes into the hands of the Dutches of Parma then the Gouernesse of this estate and had withdrawen my selfe into the countrey of Germanie the place of my natiuitie where I kept my selfe peaceablie among my brethren kinsfolkes freends as also I had fully purposed so to continue and that hauing at the same time conueyed or caried awaie from the scholes my sonne the Countie of Bueren and both contrarie to the priuiledges of the countrey and against his owne othe causing him to be caried prisoner into Spaine wher he is as yet cruelly kept captiue and besides hauing procured me to be condemned to death by the Duke of Alua his owne officer because I saie your Maiestie may thinke it straunge that for all these reasons which were neuerthelesse verie great and waightie I haue not hitherto published anie defence which was directed to the said King or might directly concerne him which thing notwithstanding I do at this present and declare thereby that the faultes wherewith the King of Spaine mindeth to charge me belong vnto him selfe I do therfore most hūblie beseche your Maiestie Sir that before you iudge of this my writing you would cōsider the qualitie both of the crimes and faultes where with I am charged by this Proscription and also the qualitie of mine owne person For if the King of Spaine was content to withhold from me my sonne and my goods which he hath in his possession further to offer as at this present he doth fiue twētie thousand crownes for my head and to promise to make such noble as should murther me and to pardon them all the faultes whatsoeuer that they could haue committed before that time no man should thinke it euill in me that I haue attempted by all the meanes I could as in deede heretofore I haue done to preserue my selfe and myne and to inable my selfe what I could to enter againe into that which is myne owne and that I haue followed that order and course of life that I haue done But further the King of Spaine hauing al the world thorowe published that I am a publike plague an enemie of the world vnthankfull vnfaithfull a traytor and a wicked person these are such iniuries Sir that no gentleman no though he were of the basest of the king of Spaines naturall subiectes can or ought to endure in so much Sir that though I were one of his simple and absolute vassals who oweth homage vnto him by honor yet so it is that by such a sentence and so vniust in all and euerie part thereof I also hauing bin by him spoiled of my landes and Lordshippes in respect of which I should heretofore haue taken an othe vnto him I might haue helde my selfe absolued and free from all my bandes towardes him haue assaied also which thing euen nature hath taught euerie one by all the meanes I could to maintaine myne honor which ought to be to me and to all noble men more deare than life and goods Notwithstanding seeing it hath pleased God to shewe me this great grace that I am borne a free Lord not holding of anie other but of the Empire as do the Princes and other free Lordes of Germanie and Italie and further seeing that I beare the title and haue the name of an absolute and free Prince though in deede my Princedome be not verie great yea whatsoeuer it be I not being his natural subiect neither hauing helde anie thing of him but by reason of my Seignuries Lordshippes shippes of which notwithstanding he hath wholly dispossessed me it hath seemed vnto me that I could not defende myne honor and satisfie or content my neare kinsfolkes sundrie Princes to whom this is my honor that I am lincked and my whole posteritie but in aunswering by publike writing to this accusation which in the presence of all christendome is published and set out against me And though I haue not bin able to do it without touching his honor I hope notwithstanding Sir that your Maiestie will impute it rather to the inforcement that the qualitie and hainousnes of this Proscription hath laide vppon me than to my nature or will For as concerning this point that some men maie thinke it straunge that I do after this sorte defende my selfe seeing that I haue sometimes heretofore helde of him sundrie landes and Lordshippes for aunswere thereto I will most humblie beseeche your Maiestie to consider the hainousnes of the iniurie that is done me which a right noble man will neuer in deede abide also that I am not his naturall subiect and as concerning my fees and pensions that he hath spoiled me of them But suppose that I had alwaies enioyed them yet so it is that the same lawe which he vseth towardes others should not be denied to me In the letter sent to the Frēch King it is vvrittē He holdeth of your Maiestie He holdeth of the French King in loyaultie and homage and euen as the vassall doth of
his Lord the Countie or Earldome of Charollois and yet for all that he ceasseth not to make warr against the crowne of Fraunce yea he neuer leaueth of continuallie to practise and deuise somewhat against the same He taketh this as a sure foundation or rule that being a soueraigne gouernor in some other place it is lawfull for him to reuenge him selfe of the wrong which he pretended was done vnto him by the late French King Henrie of most noble memorie When he made warre against the Pope Caraffa because as a vassall he helde of him the kingdomes of Sicilia and Naples he published his defence by which he mainteined that he was absolued from his othe because that the Pope kept not him selfe within the termes or pointes that the Lord oweth to his vassall according to the feodall lawes which are mutuall and respect as well the one as the other Now Sir there is nothing so naturall or kindlie as that euerie one should in his owne cause receaue the verie selfesame rule and order that he would haue an other man to receaue or allow of Wherefore he should not thinke it straunge that I being so maine wayes reuiled iniuried by him and not being his subiect that I I say do ayde my selfe with the meanes that God hath giuen me and with which he hath bin willing to helpe him selfe against his Lordes who haue not offended him in anie thing whatsâ—euer that draweth nigh to the wrong which I haue suffered at his hande yea he should not thinke it straunge that I vse against him that reprochefull note hy which he assayeth to marke as it were in the forehead both me and my race And because my Lords the Estates who haue more nighly knowen the trueth of all that is contained in this my defence and haue approued the same haue yeelded vnto me sufficient testimonie inough touching my life past I do most humblie also beseeche your Maiestie Sir in approuing this same myne aunswere to beleeue that I am not either a traytour or wicked person but that I am thankes be to God for it a noble man of a verie good and most auncient house yea a good man and true in euerie thing that I promise not vnthankeful nor vnfaithfull nor hauing committed anie thing whereby a Lord or Knight of my state couÌ„tenaunce may receaue anie reproche or shame most humblie beseeching you to holde and account me in the number of your most humble seruauntes And thus hauing most humblie submitted my selfe vnto your Maiestie I will pray God Sir to giue it together with perfect health a most blessed and most long life At Delft in Holland the iiij day of Februarie 1581. Your Maiesties most humble and obedient seruaunt WILLIAM of NASSAV ¶ A declaration made by my Lord the Prince of Orange to my Lords the Estates General of the lowe Countries MY Lordes ye haue heretofore seene a certaine sentence in the forme of a Proscription which was sent by the King of Spaine and afterwards published by the appointment and order of the Prince of Parma and howe by the meanes thereof myne enemies haue against all right and reason attempted grieuously to touche and to taint myne honor and to cause my former actions to be thought euil and wicked wherin I haue bin very willing and desirous to take the aduice and counsell of sundrie notable personages and men of great name and calling yea of the principall counselers and wyse men of this countrey But by reason of the qualitie and forme of the said Proscription and the haynous and greeuous crimes wherewith I am charged although in deede wrongfully I haue hitherto stayed notwithstaÌ„ding I haue bin aduised and counselled by sundrie my frendes that I cannot otherwise defende myne honour but to shewe by publike writing howe vniustly I haue bin accused and charged with many faultes and also howe I haue bin openly iniuried and maliciously slaundered According to which aduice and counsell my Lords seeing that in this worlde I acknowledge you only for my superiors I offer vnto you this my defence written against the reprehensions of myne aduersaries by which I hope that I haue not only discouered all their deceits slaunders but also lawfully iustified all my actions past And because that their principall marke and purpose is to seeke out all the meanes they can to take away my life or els to caâ—se me to be banished out of these countries or at the least to diminishe the authoritie which it hath pleased you to giue mee as if obtayning that thing once all should fall out as they would wishe it on the other side because they slaunder me that by vnlawful meanes I keepe and holde my authoritie I beseech you my Lords to beleeue that albeit I be content to liue amongst you so long as it shall please God and to continue towardes you my faithful seruice yet notwithstaÌ„ding that myne owne life which I haue dedicated to your seruice and my presence in the middest of you are not so deare vnto me but that I can most willingly abandon and forgo my lyfe or els withdrawe my selfe out of the countrey when you shall thinke or know that either the one or the other may any maÌ„ner of way serue your turne to purchase vnto you a more assured libertie And as coÌ„cerning the authoritie which it hath pleased you to giue me you knowe my Lords howe many times I haue besought you to content your selues with my seruice and to vnburden me thereof if you should thinke that it would stande well with the good estate of your affaires which thing euen as yet I do demaunde of you offering notwithstanding as I haue alwayes done in all that wherein it hath pleased you to commaunde me stil to continue to employe my selfe in the seruice of the couÌ„trey in regard of which I esteme nothing of all that is in the worlde as I doo more largely declare the same vnto you in this my defence Which if you shal iudge it conuenient I beseeche you to thinke it good and to take care that it may be brought to light and published to the ende that not only you my Lords but also the whole worlde may iudge of the equitie of my cause and of the vniust dealing of myne aduersaries Presented by my Lord the Prince of Orange to my Lords the Deputies of the Estates generall and of the Prouinces vnited togither being assembled in the towne of DELFT the xiij of December 1580. Vnderneath was written II. HOFFLIN being present The aunswere of my Lordes the Estates generall made to the former declaration THE Estates generall hauing not many dayes since seene and read a certaine Proscription published by the enemies against your Excellencies person by which they charge the same with hainous crimes indeuouring to make it odious as though by vnlawfull meanes and indirect wayes it had vsurped the place and degree wherein it is sett and established and to deliuer your saide
Excellencies person ouer for a parie and to take from it the honor thereof hauing in like sorte seene and viewed a defence sett out by your Excellencie against the said Proscription finde by the trueth of that which hath passed in these countries and which is knowen and manifest also to euerie one of them in respect of them selues that the said crimes faultes and reproches haue vniust lie bin laide vpon the same And as concerning the offices as well of Lieutenaunt generall as of the particular gouernementes they affirme that his excellencie yea euen then when he was lawfully elected chosen did not accept them but at our instant request in which also he hath continued at our intreaties and that with the sounde contentment and satisfaction of the whole countrie and the saide Estates doo yet againe beseeche him that it would please him to continue therein promising him all ayde and assistance without sparing anie of the meanes they haue and also to yeelde vnto him readie and willing obedience And because they knowe the faithfull seruices that your Excellencie hath yeelded to these countries and those also which they hope in time yet hereafter to come you will performe they offer vnto him for the assurance of his person to maintaine a companie of horsemen for the sauegarde thereof beseeching him to accept it on the behalfe and at the offer of those persons which thinke them selues much bound to the preseruation thereof And so much as toucheth the said Eslates who think them selues also charged by the said Proscription they minde shortly in like sorte to iustifie them selues so farre forth as they shall thinke it conuenient So concluded in the assemblie of my Lordes the Estates generall in the towne of Delft the xvij day of December In the yeere of our Lorde 1580. By the expresse determination of the said Estates Signed I. Houfflin AN APOLOGIE OR DEFENCE OF MY Lord the Prince of Orange Countie of Nassau of Catzenellenboghen Dietz Vianden c. Burchgraue of Antwerp and Vicount of Bezanson Baron of Breda Diest Grimberghe of Arlay Nozeroy c. Lord of Chastelbellin c. Lieutenaunt generall in the lowe Countries and Gouernour of Brabant Hollande Zeeland Vtrecht and Frise and Admiral c. Against the Proclamation and Edict published by the King of Spaine by which he proscribeth the said Lord whereby shall appeare the slaunders and false accusations conteyned in the saide Proscription THis is the thing which I haue alwaies praied vnto God for my Lords desired withal my hart that he would graūt it me frō the time that I vowed my person all the meanes that I haue in the worlde for the recouering of your libertie the safetie of your persons goods and consciences if I saie I should at any time haue preferred that which respecteth my self particularly before your health wealth generally that I niight in this behalf beare an eternal punishmēt which I shuld haue drawē vpon my self by myne own good wil and accord But on the other side if that which I haue done heretofore hath bin by me attempted takē in hand only for the preseruatiō of your estate and that I haue borne a great parte of the burthen of this present warre onely for the cōmon safegarde of the countrey and that the hatred conceaued by certeine wicked persons against the countrey against godly people honorable personages hauing bin for a certaine time dissembled and couered in their hartes commeth wholly and that at once to vomit and cast vp it selfe vpon me only rather then vpon so many good people specially vpon the general estate of the common wealth then I saye this hath bin the thing that I haue greatly desired that if my good will had bin such towardes you my Lordes your chilrden your townes and communalties as in deede it hath bin I might one day carie awaye a solemne testimonie thereof as wel for the peace of myne owne conscience as for the defence of myne owne honor before all the people of the earth and before al posteritie And nowe I do greatly reioyce my selfe and yeelde immoatal thankes vnto our good God I haue great occasion of contentement and quietnes seeing that he suffereth me to be made so rare and so noble and so excellent a marke thereof by this cruell and barbarous Proscription yea such a one as the like hath not bin heard in these countries commended amongest all people nations for their singular and incredible courtesie For albeit that nothing be more to be wished of a man than the race and course of his life to be sound blessed prosperous and vpright without any dashe blowe stumbling or any wicked incountring notwithstāding if all things had fallen out vnto me as I would haue wished and that I had not incoūtred with the hatred of the Spanishe nation and his adherentes I should haue lost the gaine of this testimonie which my very enemies haue yeelded me which I take to be the most excellent flowre of glorie that I had bin able to haue desired to haue bin crowned with before my death For what in this worlde can be more acceptable and that specially to him who hath enterprised so great and excellent a work as is the libertie of so good a people oppressed by so wicked people than to be deadly hated of his enimies yea such enimies as are withal the enimies of the countrey by their owne verie mouth and confession to receaue a sure testimonie of his faithfulnes towardes his owne people and of constancie against tyraunts disturbers of cōmon peace in so much that the Spaniards and their adherents thinking in deede to do me displeasure haue done me many pleasures as by this infamous Proscription they haue thought to hurt me more than before and yet they haue made me more reioyce and giuen me more contentednes of minde For I haue not only thereby receaued that profit but they haue opened vnto me a more large field to defend my selfe than I durst euer be bolde to desire that so I might cause all the world to know the equitie and iustice of my enterprises by it leaue vnto my posteritie an example of vertue meete to be followed by all those that would not dishonour the nobilitie of their auncesters from whence we are descended of whom not so much as one onely hath at any time fauoured tyrannie but all they haue loued the libertie of the people amongest whom they haue borne office and had authoritie I haue no occasion to cōplaine that I haue not had heretofore matter large ynough to speake of my selfe and to reproue the foule and hayuous faultes of myne enemies but neither would shamefastnes suffer me my selfe to sing and set out myne owne prayses which surely is a hard matter not to do whatsoeuer modestie a man pretend in such a matter neither would publike honestie permit me to enlarge my selfe to rehearse the faultes of mine enimies
innocencie is and howe weake and ruinous their foundations and groundworkes are But seeing that to make me odious they haue better liked to set euen at the entraunce before the eyes of all the worlde a heape of iniuries and in the course of this speache without purpose to interlace them speaking so shamelessely of me I suppose that it is necessary yea in deed most iust that I aunswere to such slaunders to the ende that some being mooued or perswaded by such words may not yet receiue this my defence with a harte more estraunged from me than the lawe allowed amongest people and iustice it selfe requireth As concerning then this heape of iniuries by which I am so shamelesly rent in peeces and which being taken out of this Proscription nothing shall remaine therein but a smoke you see my Lordes howe plaine and without painting coulours the defence is that I vse If you knome me to be such a one as myne enemies publishe me to be if I carrie either in my bodie or in my soule such coulours as the forger of this writing saith that he hath painted me out withall for my Lordes ye haue knowne me from my youth and I haue not spent my age els where but with you shut immediatly your eares and refuse to heare or vnderstande so much as one worde comming out of my mouth But if on the other side I haue all my lyfe thorowe bin more honest more sounde more continent and lesse couetous than the authors of this slaunderous writing and then he which hath published the same to witt the Prince of Parma and his predecessors whose factes are ouerwell knowne by histories if I saie you haue knowne me and mine auncestors more vertuous people than these for I speake not as yet of the King and their auncestors then beleeue that as they falsely slaunder at the verie entrance so they shal be no more meete to be beleeued in all the rest of their shamelesse accusations For to what ende I pray you serueth this recitall of so many iniuries but onely to shewe vnto the worlde that my enemies are skilfull to slaunder and backbite and that he whom yet thorowe Gods goodnes they haue not bin able to murther neither by poyson nor sword nor yet to deceaue by promises nor yet busie him with vaine and vncertaine hopes they do assay at the least to woūd him with the venim of their tongue accustomed euen from their youth to so infamous an occupation Of the good turnes vvhich som say the lord Prince hath receaued of the Emperor Charles They at the beginning make a recitall of many good turnes which I haue receyued fro the Emperour in respect of the succession of my late Lorde the Prince of Orange my cosen that the King made me of his order Lieutenaunt generall in the gouernement of Hollande Zeelande Vtrecht and Burgundie and one of the counsell of Estate To what ende are these things alleadged to declare that I am greatly bounde to the house of Spaine and that I can not shunne this but that I must be condemned of ingratitude and moreouer Accusation of ingratitude that by reason of the othe that I had taken and of the landes and Lordshippes that I holde in homage of the saide Lorde I am bound to procure the profitt and aduancement of his affaires and matters thinking to make me likewise culpable and faultie of vnfaithfulnes Accusation of vnthankfulnes Verely I confesse and agree with the King and the whole house of Spaine that nothing is so much to be cōdemned in this world as a man defiled with these two spottes staines to wit of vnthankfulnes vnfaithfulnes and he that hath spoken these two iniuries to a man he hath said as much to him against him as if he had charged him with all the accusations slaunders that wyse people and fooles discreete and vndiscreete could rake togither and specially looke by how much a Lord is of a more noble and famous house by so much the more shall he be dishonored if he can be conuinced of these or such faultes and I refuse not to be hated of all the worlde to be rooted out of the earth and that the memorie of me myne should be withered for euer if I may be founde such a one But that shall be with this condition also that if I declare that there is no Prince in the worlde more vngratefull and vnkind towardes a poore Lorde than he that accused me and would condemne me is against me and mine that the vnfaithfulnes also which he hath vsed in respect of me for I wil not yet speak of the opē violating of his faith towards the coūtrie is incredible that then I say he also may be subiect to the like condition and state and may be holden for such a one as he is amongest all liuing people and all posteritie to come and I shall thinke the punishment more great in his behalfe than he thinketh any in myne as may appeare by that which he maketh shewe to seeke for by this tragical Proscription the which thorowe Gods grace and goodnes doeth no more astonishe me than a vaine vision or dreame First my Lords I protest that the remembraunce and memorie of the Emperour Charles shall alwayes be in an honorable account with me as well because of his actes as that it pleased him to shew me so much honor as to haue nourished me in his chāber by the space of nine yeeres to whom also I yeelded performed most faithfull and most willing seruice But if he who by reason is most bounde of all men to maintaine his renowne come to accuse me of ingratitude and vnthankfulnes as that I haue not acknowledged the good turnes which he saieth that I haue receaued of the Emperour I beseeche you to holde me excused if being cōstrayned for the defence of myne innocencie I declare in respect of good turnes alleadged that I haue not receaued any at all from him but that in doing him seruice I haue receaued most great losses as you shall plainely vnderstande if it please you to heare me patienly Nowe then he saith that in respect of the succession of the late Lord the Prince Rene my cosen An aunsvver to the accusation of ingratitude the Emperour handled me fauourably But wherein First there was neuer any Lorde as yet founde so euil aduised that would pretend right against me for succession in so much that if the Emperour hath not hindered me in that what hath he done for me that a iudge the greatest enemie I could haue would not haue done likewise Was there yet anie partie founde so rashe that durst offer him self to speak against it And though I had had aduerse parties if my right were so cleare and so well grounded that nothing was euer yet hetherto able to be alleadged against it which was able to darcken it or to shake it and that herevppon the Emperour had giuen
forth a decree for my profitt what hath he done for me but administred me iustice and would not take from me that which the lawes reason and verie nature it selfe did giue me But if it please you my Lords to consider the nature and qualitie of this succession you shall finde my right and title to haue bin such that the Emperour could not haue depriued me of it or taken it from me without an extreame iniurie and a most manifest wrong There were in the succession two principall members or braunches The firste was The succession of Nassau Challon that which came by our house of Nassau which my Lordes my predecessors the graundfather and great graundfathers vncles by the fathers side and cosen germaine by the fathers side enioyed that is to saye the goods which at this day belong vnto me in Brabant Flaunders Hollande and Luxenburgh the other was the succession of the house of Challon As concerning the succession of Nassau which men commonly call Breda because it was the principall place of my Lordshippes and where I and my predecessours had helde our chambers of accountes counsell principall instructions pertayning to vs and ours who was he that might molest me in that vnlesse it were my Lorde my father who was the vncle and I the cousin germain of my Lord the Prince Rene the onely sonne of my Lord Henrie Countie of Nassau my vncle and the brother of my Lorde my father But so farre of is it that I was hindered in that successioÌ„ by my said Lord and father that he him selfe tooke paines to come sollicite the matter that I might be put in possession thereof neither was there euer founde man so shamelesse that would set him selfe against it but Schoore the President or iudge who in the counsell saide that the sonne of an heretike ought not to succeede because that my Lorde my father following the examples of good Kings as of Dauid Iosias others had refourmed the Churches of his countries which he helde had in Germanie and had purged them from abuses according to the worde of God and that by the permission and sufferaunce of the Emperour And notwithstanding all this the counsell ceasseth not to giue aduise to determine the matter according to reason and equitie as in deede it could not otherwise do seeing that they had mainteined my Lord the Countie of Kingstain myne vncle in the succession of the Countie of Rocheforte although that he him selfe were a protestaunt Seeing then that this was in question if that may be called a questioÌ„ which was in our owne house as whether that the succession aforesaid were adiudged to the father or to the sonne pronouÌ„ced notwithstanding always according to the lawes none beside could iustly pretend any right thereto As concerning the house of Challon first it cannot be saide in respect of the Barronies which I peaceablie holde and possesse in the Dutchie of Burgundie The Barronies of Burgundie of Daulphine and in Daulphine of Vienna that I am therefore bound to the Emperor for he had not anie more power therein than I all being vnder the power of the Frenche King who alike seased the Countie of Charrollois apparteyning to the Emperour and my Barronries when warre was mooued betweene them two in so much that I can not be otherwise bounde vnto him therefore but in this that I was conteyned in the treatie of peace made at Sessons which was the last duetie that he could yeelde to the memorie of my Lorde my cousin who but a little while before died in the same expedition and that on foote at the siege of Saint Disier after so manie deedes of armes done for his seruice And lesse hath he bin able to fauour me in my Princedome of Orange where he had nothing to see too nor to do no neither he nor anie Prince whatsoeuer Princedom of Orange I my selfe holding the same in a naked bare and absolute Soueraigntie which thing fewe other Lordes are able to saie And there is no Prince in respect of my saide Princedome whose amitie and good grace I stande in neede of but of the French Kings who I hope will not touche that that belongeth to a poore Prince who is his most humble seruaunt because reason suffereth not that beyonde which reason he will not go and also because of the loyall and faithfull seruices that my predecessours haue done to the Crowne of Fraunce and the Dutchie of Brytannie whereof he is descended and is the heire with great daungers of their liues great expenses and infinite trauailes There remayneth then that which belongeth vnto me in the Countie of Burgundie and whereof I haue bin so long time so vniustlie and tyrannouslie spoyled and dispossessed which by meanes of lone and borrowing yeeldeth vnto me euen to this present time two millions at the least of losse But I would in the first place that they should remember wherefore the Countie of Burgundie is called Franck or free to wit amongest other reasons Possessions in the FraÌ„ck or fre couÌ„tie because that the freedome and libertie of the Lordes and such as holde possessions in the sayde countrey is that they haue power by will to bequeath and to dispose of their goods howe and to whom they shall thinke good without being either for their wiues or their children or other heires whatsoeuer inforced otherwyse to dispose of their goodes but in such sorte as shall be agreeable to their owne will and pleasure Seeing then that so it is that my Lorde the Prince Rene mooued of his owne good will did without anie other respect that he had to me who was at that tyme a yonnge childe liâ—ing in Germanie vnder the power and discipline of my Masters and Gouernours and he hauing no other respect but that I was his cousin germaine did I say appoint me his generall heire which thing also he did according to the power that he had euen by the lawes and customes of the countrey I saie that if I ought to yeelde thankes to any it is to the memorie of the saide Lorde Prince who being the eldest of our house ment also that as I should succeede him in the order of age so I should come in like sorte to succeede him in his goodes and possessions I perceaue not then as yet euen to this present time that I am anie thing at all bounde for this succession to the house of Spaine neither is there anie man in the worlde that can saie it with ttueth But the Emperour gaue a graunt vnto the said Lord Prince by will to bequeath it The graunt to whom he should thinke good and by the power of that graunt the Prince chose me for his heire This my Lordes maketh very much for me and can at no hand serue myne enemies turne For wheÌ„ the Emperour yeelded to the graunt he knewe not who should be nominated heire by the Prince neither was it knowen of any
man vntill the day of the opening of the will which was done in the presence of Marie the Queene after the death of the saide Lorde Prince in so much that the Emperour coÌ„senting to the grauÌ„t seeing that his purpose was not to aduaunce me I doo not thinke my felse to be bounde vnto him because the fauour which was shewed vnto the Prince which notwithstanding euerie meane person whatsoeuer may easely obteine by ordinarie letters out of the Chauncerie was not shewed on my behalfe or in respect of me Besides to iudge of the graunt by that which afterwardes insued therevpon should be to iudge against the rules which so oftentimes I haue heard the Emperour repeate who said that Counselles ought to be examined liked or disliked by the causes and not by the effectes But let vs put the case that he had not had the graunt yet nothing was appointed by the will of my Lord the Prince Rene but according to the lawes as hath bin before said Testament militarie But what will they aunswere when besides all these reasons I shall saie vnto them that the testament or will of my Lorde my cosen is a militarie testament which thing also they cannot gaine saye nor darken yea and that made with very great solemnitie rype iudgement and in good season made I say grounded by expresse termes and wordes vppon this that the saide Lord Prince who had before felt what were the daungers of warre in so many expeditions taken in hande for the Emperours seruice was nowe on the way to go to a warre so daungerous and that with so great a Prince as King Frauncis was And though I be not a great Doctor in the lawes yet so it is that I do verie well remember that I haue hearde sundrie learned persons disputing of this matter in the presence of my Lord my father who affirmed that not onely militarie testamentes or willes but also little scrippes or scrolles to be of such value force according to the lawes of the Empire that if a man of warre or a souldier had before his death made or giuen the least marke of his will yea the least signe that a man can imagine or thinke of as if he had but traced or drawen with his blood vpon his targett his name whom he will institute ordaine and appoint to be his heire or with the print of his halbert or of his sworde had writteÌ„ the same on the grouÌ„d that that decree of his last will is inuiolable and to be preferred before al other ordinaunce according to the auncient priuiledges of those which are honored with the warlike chaine or coller Howe much more then was this priuiledge dew to so valiaunt a Prince to so noble a Knight For the question is not here of some one simple marke or other but here is a testament or will well aduisedly made and that not in haste or by a simple souldier wounded and being readie to die but by a vertuous Prince and one worthie of immortall honor assisted by his counsell and somewhat forward in his waie towardes the expedition and the thinges bequeathed not to a straunger but to his cousin germaine and not to an importunate flatterer but to a young childe being verie farre of froÌ„ the Emperours armie which went to beseidge Saint Disier purposed to do the same euen to Paris But here is an ordinaunce I saie made not without the knowledge of the Emperour but by his owne graunt yea an ordinaunce according to the lawes and customes vsed in all places This then being so strong it was not in mans power to reason against it and much lesse to make it voide vnlesse by some one waie or other which should haue bin ouer tyrannons and which it may be might haue brought more hurt than profit to the renowne and credit of the Emperour specially if he had ment to offer any other thing than reason And as there haue bin amongest my predecessors some who haue in deede founde meanes and wayes to cause vniust and vngrateful persons who kept their goods and possessions from them to yeelde them the same so I hope that God will yet shewe me this grace to haue a blessed issue against him who hath vniustly spoyled me of my goodes and would barbarously take from me my life also But seeing that I am inforced yet to speake of the successioÌ„ I would faine haue some tel me whether the Emperour suffering me to enioye the succession hath giuen it me of his owne or no for if I haue receaued nothing from him but that which before appertayned to my Lord the Prince Rene I perceaue not how the King can in any manner vpbraide me that either he or the Emperor his father haue giuen me any thing vnlesse this be liberalitie to giue largely of an other mans goods But on the other side albeit that at this present time I saye nothing of the wronges that haue bin done me in the say de Countie in which I haue such rights and preheminences and whereof they haue spoiled me and whereof I speake nothing at this time leauing to debate and reason thereof till armes weapons shall haue yeelded me more reason than the iniustice of him that keepeth all from me this I must needes speake I had no sooner taken holde of the succesâ—ion of the Seignurie or Lordship of Chastel-bellin The Lordship of Chastel-bellin but I was euen assoone spoyled thereof which is of so smal value that at this present there are due vnto me three hundred fiftie thousand poundes of arrerage by reason thereof And this is the heape of iniustice that they charge me with if I haue done any The Emperour was requested by my Lord my father that at the least I might according to the lawes be first restored vnto the possession in which my predecessor had bin but he would not suffer it only he suffered me being nothwithstanding spoyled to followe my right by iustice and lawe wherein he left me at the least some gapp because he did not let me from debating my right against him when the cause was called forth to the parliament of Malines But the sonne who notwithstanding dare vpbraide me with his good turnes seeing the cause readie to receaue iudgement the very selfesame day that the processe and controuersie should haue bin cleared the aduise of the President and Counsellours was alreadie registred and I had aduertissement giuen me to seeke and prouide for siluer for the Iudges fees he I say forbad his courte to proceede any further and left the processe hanging vppon the hooke or file where it remayneth yet to this present You see my Lordes that iustice was well ministred by him which had sworne the same to me and to the Barons of this countrey And these be the great aduauntages and profits that I haue receaued from the house of Spaine this is the foundation and groundworke of al their reproches and vpon
all that I feare him not as though he were able to reproche me with any faulte and thankes be to God I haue not done any thing but verie aduisedlie and that by the counsell of sundrie honourable wise and discreet persons Neither is it needfull that he should trauayle much in that matter wherein he hath no interest but to beholde and see and of which also I am not bounde to yeeld him any account or reason For as concerning my wife that dead is she was alied to Princes of verie great credit to wyse honourable Princes who I doubt not but that they are fullie satisfied in that behalf if I would enter further into that discourse I could easely make it to appeare vnto him that the most skilful of his doctors coÌ„demne the same As concerning the mariage by which I am alied at this preseÌ„t albeit that thei the sonne of the saide Countie Ottho maried the Ladie of Leck and of Breda from whom also I am in the right male line descended and that in the fifth degree May I therefore by any good right be called a straunger And that I may saye nothing at this present time of the goodes which I haue in Burgundie where I haue thankes be to God a verie good portion â—haie I iustly be counted a straunger And I leaue it to you my Lordes to iudge who knowe better our lawes than anie people of the worlde howe our Auncestors haue vsed it time out of minde and whether the Lordes of Rauestain or Luxenbourg and of Saint Paule of Neuers of Estampes and other Lordes holding Counties and Baronneis in this countrey were accounted for straungers and whether yet at this day you account not as naturalles of the countrey all those which possesse such Lordshippes so that they wil take part with these countreis and haue we not for that in deede an expresse lawe amongest vs as well in Brabant as in other places For as concerning the title of the Duke of Brabant Countie of Flaunders and others which he beareth and braggeth of albeit I confesse these dignities to be great yet not withstanding if he and his Spaniards knowe it not they must learne this that the Barons of Brabant with the good townes and cities of the Countrey haue in deede when the Dukes of Brabant haue so farre forgotten them selues that they haue passed the boundes of reason verie well taught them what was the power of the Barons and generally of the Estates of the countrie of Brabant Nowe it is manifest that I am descended from such Lordes as for sundrie ages together haue possessed the principal Baronneis and Lordshippes of Brabant Flaunders Hollande and Luxenbourg But I hope that my Lordes the Estates haue so well begunne to declare vnto him howe much he hath fayled in his dutie and also that the saide Lordes will hereafter take him forth so good a lesson that the poore people of Sicilia Calabria Lombardie Arragon and Castille will learne by our example that this tyraunt ought not to be suffered on the earth yea that the poore people of Granata them selues will knowe howe they ought to handle such a tyraunt who in the time of the warre with the Moores caused to be imprisoned about an hundred marchauntes inhabitauntes of Granata all of them being Christians of which the least was worth fiftie thousande Ducates and afterwardes by a hurlie burly amongst the people caused them to be slaine putting into his coffers all the goodes of those poore people And to be short my Lordes the Estates God ayding them wil teache them how such must be handled that will falsifie their othes made and giuen to so good a people at their ioyfull entraunce But my Lordes if I come to proceede further and should beginne largely to laye out before you the long time past in which my predecessours had not onely their beginning here but were also Lordes and possessed great goodes titles and dignities in these countries I might saie vnto you that at the time that his predecessours were Counties of Habsbourg remained in Switserlande myne were long time before Lordes of the Countrey of Gelderlande whereof yet at this present there are remaining the armes of our house of Nassau for the armes of the Duke of Gelderland and we haue not as it were passing by it kept the saide countrey in possession but after that my Lorde the Countie Ottho had maried the daughter and heire of the Voght or Regent of Gelderlande for so did men name at those dayes the Lordes of Gelderlande which continued from the yere 1039. vntill the yeere 1350. my predecessours were the Lordes Counties and Dukes of the Countrie of Ghelderlande The Counties of Nassau vvere the CouÌ„ties Dukes of Gelderland froÌ„ the yere 1039. to the yeere 1350. as yet euen to this day men maye beholde the monumentes and markes thereof And I assure my selfe that so farre of is it that he that calleth me a straunger can shewe such markes that he had his originall and beginning from these countreis that on the other side his rase in the saide time was altogether vnknowne in the said countrey And because that he imployeth him selfe to make a false foolishe and ridiculous declaration conteyning as he sayeth the progresse and proceedings of my enterprise because that many amongst you when these matters were begunne were not of competent age to vnderstande the same or els because you hauing not then intermedled in the publike affaires could not well see howe all thinges were directed and gouerned by the craft of the Cardinall and his fauourers and by the counsell comming out of Spaine The inhabitants of the lovve countreis couÌ„ted for the Spaniards subiectes and sclaues which alwayes ment to commaunde this countrey as it had done others Spaine it selfe being in their opinion the head of our Lordshippes and we their subiectes and sclaues I wil for these causes recite vnto you how al things haue bin gouerned by these goodlie heads and wise braines who suppose that the rest of the worlde are as beastes in respect of themselues vntill they had brought vs within two fingers breadth of our destruction and of a miserable bondage if God by his prouidence had not watched ouer vs and had not deliuered vs from their cruel counsels and bloodie handes Nota. And as I haue here neede I do once againe beseeche you my Lordes of your patience to continue well and quietly to heare me as you haue alreadie done I doubt not but that as many among you haue seene the whole or els some parte of my actes and behauiours or els haue vnderstoode it from their fathers and other good people whiche haue bin witnesses thereof so hauing hearde me ye wil as easelie iudge my wordes to be as true as those of mine enemie are false and shamelesse I will not my Lordes recite vnto you anie thing of that which I haue seene in the Emperours time not because I did not
perceaue sundrie matters set out practised by the Spaniardes The natural dispositiō of the Spaniards vvas al vvais cruel but yet kept vnder for a time by the vvisdom of Charles the Einperour which I approued not as good and of which I did not sufficiently conceaue that the disease in processe of time might growe so farre that in the ende it should be verie necessarie to vse a strong and powerfull medicine and to purge the countrey from these pernitious and hurtfull Spanishe humours But because I was not able then by reason of myne age and the little experiēce I had to knowe the deepe malice of the Spaniardes and their adherentes I could hardlie perswade my selfe that we should be inforced to bring a whot yron to this cancker of Spaine or els to come so farre as to roote it out But after that together with my age I began to be of a more setled and sounde iudgement I had in in deede a contrarie opinion and deliuered the same to sundrie others which neuer knewe to thinke that the rage and crueltie of the Spaniardes could proceede so farre for nothing fell out by which I might haue verie particular knowledge of their cruell couetous and proude naturall disposition but I certainely and assuredly looked for the same long time before I will therefore let passe that time which cometh not also at anie hande to be compared in any manner of disorder and tyrānie with that which hath since fallen out in the time of the king his sonne not that the Spaniardes were then better than they are at this present for amongst the Indies and in other places where they commaunded absolutely they yeelded to euident a proofe of their peruerse naturall disposition and tyrannous affection and will But their ambition and pride was in some sorte restrained by the good affection that the Emperour bare to the subiectes of this countrey because also that these prouinces were full of braue Lords wise and valiaunt men sauoring of their auncient nobilitie and would to God they had children like vnto them whiche serued in steede of a bridle against their insolencie and of a countermure against their pride rashnes I will then come to the time which insued because also that he who was the heire of the goodes though not of the vertues of the Emperour is he that cometh to assault me after an order more than barbarous and tyrannicall The Emperour of most noble memorie and the Queene Marie seeing their affaires and businesses so impaired by the meanes of a cleane contrarie issue of the warres of Germanie which fell out otherwise then the Pope the Spaniardes had promised to them selues whilest that the Frenche king was ioyned in league with some of the chiefe Princes of Germanie The Emperor dischargeth himself of his kingdomes and Lordships cōmitteth them to his sonne his Maiestie I saie was inforced to agree with his enemie his affaires standing in such condition that despairing of his abilitie to keepe his owne countreis he purposed to withdrawe him selfe into Spaine and there to lead a priuate life after that he had veelded vp all his kingdomes Landes and Lordships and had laide them vpon the person of his sonne And albeit that the King because of the condition of his owne estate had neede to vpholde his subiectes in good will and affection towardes him of which thing also he had most expresse commaundement from his father seeing that of the meanes and valure that they had there did wholie depende the sauegard of the countrey and the maintenaunce of his owne honour yet whether it were by reason of the nourishement whiche he had in Spaine or by the counsell of those which then did and euen to this time haue possessed him I knowe not he hath alwaies fostered in his hearte a minde to make you subiect to a certaine simple and absolute bondage which they call a ful and whole obedience depriuing you altogether of your auncient priuiledges and liberties that they may dispose of yon your wiues and your children and handle you as his officers haue done the poore Indians or at the least as they do the people of Calabria Sicilia Naples and Millaine whilest they remember not that these countreis are not countreis atcheiued by conquest but come for the most parte by they way of patrimonie or els such as willingly gaue vp them selues vnto his predecessours vnder good and lawfull conditions But it is likely that he did it by the aduise of such as serued the Emperour his father and the King his great vncle in steede of a foundation the better to reare vp the building of the kingdomes and Lordshippes to which we see the house of Austriche hath atteined it being at this day without all controuersie the greatest the mightiest of all Christendome And this affection in him was not but to much made manifest immediatly after the departure of the Emperour The Kinges hart alvvais enemie to these countreis as if the Lordes that then liued did yet remaine amongst vs they could yeelde you sufficient testimonie thereof For euen so soone as he was cōstrained to enter into warr with the French king cōsidering the power of his enemie ad also the wise aduertisements of the Emperor if he had had but one only sparke of good sincere affection towardes these countreis he should at the least haue mainteined his subiects in good deuotion affectiō towards him But in the middest of his great affaires so disorderous vnruly was the desire he had to plaie the tyraūt he gaue forth a most plaine most certaine demonstration of his euill will The Emperor who my Lords knew better then any Prince or man of the world the arrogant and proude nature of the Spaniardes and it may be also the inclinatiō of the King his sōne The Empesrors counsel giuē to the King his sonne and on the other side the state of this countrey whatsoeuer might destroy preserue it did seriously aduertise his sonne that if he kept his pride of Spaine he should diligently foresee that he were not the cause of the vtter ruine and destruction of this estate which could not long suffer endure this same proude gouernement which the Spaniardes exercise in euery place where they can And he gaue him this exhortation in the presence of the late my Lord the Countie of Bossu the father of him that last deceassed and in my presence also and in the presence of sundrie other Lordes of his chamber of which some are yet at this day liuing But neither the authoritie and commaundement of his father nor the profit of his owne affaires nor iustice nor his othe whiche yet notwithstanding doth keepe in the most barbarous nations were able in anie thing to moderate and restraine the naturall disposition and affection that he had to tyrānise ouer vs but on the other side as though he had bin aboue all lawes priuiledges
in my heart and had taken such deepe roote therein it should come in good time to bring forth hir fruites For seeing that I was so long time brought vp in the Emperors chamber and being of the age to beare armes I was euen then presently inwrapped with great charges in armies for these reasons I say and considering the scarcitie of good education that we had in respect of religion it was no marueile though I had then in my head the feates of Chiualrie hunting and other exercises which yoūg noble men vse rather than those things which concerned my saluation And yet notwithstanding I confesse that I haue great occasion to prayse God that he hath not suffered this holie seede to be choked which he him selfe hath sowen in me and I saye moreouer that I neuer liked of these cruell executions of fier of sword of drownings c. whiche were at that time verie common against those of the religion as the scriuener or painter for so he nameth him selfe of this infamous Proscription calleth them Wherein albeit he flatter lie and slaunder altogether in other places he hath notwithstanding spoken verie well in this behalfe saying those whom he condemneth to be of the religion as in deede it only deserueth this name by excellencie which thing also the trueth it selfe hath wrong from his owne mouth so great is the strength and power of the same trueth But when as I being in Fraunce had vnderstoode by King Henrie his owne mouth that the Duke of Alua sought and spake of the meanes The coūsell of the King of Spaine the Duke of Alua to roote out those of the religion cōmunicated to the Frēch king by the saide L. King to the Lord Prince of Orange to roote out all those that were suspected to be of the religion in Fraunce and in this Countrey and thorowe out all Christendome and that the saide Lord King who thought that as I was one of the Commissioners for the treatie of peace and had had speache with him of such great matters so I was also of that religion had declared vnto me the groūd of the counsell of the King of Spaine and of the Duke of Alua I to the ende I might not be of lesse estimation with his Maiestie as though he would hide any thing frō me aunswered in such sorte that the saide Lorde King was not deceaued in his iudgemēt which also gaue him occasion sufficiently inough to discourse vnto me so much as that thereby I might vnderstande the ground of the purpose of the Inquisitors I confesse that I was at that time in such sorte mooued with pitie and compassion towardes so many good people as were appointed to slaughter generally towardes this whole countrey to which I was so much bounde into which they ment to bring in an Inquisition worse more cruel than that of Spaine yea that there were nets laid to catch euen the very noble men and the Lords of the countrey as wel as the cōmon people insomuch that they whom the Spaniards and their adherentes were not able to supplant by any other way might fall by this meanes into their hands frō whence it was impossible to escape because that a man could behold nothing els but a very laberinth whereby they might be cōdemned to the fire I seing I say these things do confesse that from that time forwarde I did earnestly attempt to helpe to driue out of the countrey this vermin of the Spaniards I do not repent me that I haue done it but iudge rather that I and my Lords my companions which fauoured this so laudable an enterprise haue done a deede worthie of immortall prayse The enterprise of the Lordes to cause the Spaniardes to departe out of the countrey and which in deede had bin altogether accōplished and we by that meanes had atchieued the vpheaped measure of honour if after their gripes we had as well shut the gate against them so that they might neuer after haue entred in againe vppon vs as we haue since founde out and had the meanes to purge the Countrey of them And I saye yet somewhat more vnto you my Lords and I wishe that the whole counsell of Spaine yea that the whole worlde should vnderstande it that if my brethren and companions of the order and of the counsell of Estate had liked rather to ioyne their counselles with mine then to make so good and cheape a market of their own lines al of vs would haue imployed our bodies and goodes that we might haue hindered the Duke of Alua and the Spaniardes from entring againe into the Countrey and I am yet euen at this present content that they should vnderstande that as alreadie one parte of the countrey is scoured from this filth insomuch that there is not therein any remembraunce thereof except it be of their bones so I will not cease by the power of God and by the assistaunce of your fauour which I hope will neuer faile me to imploye all the power that I haue with you my Lordes to purge the whole countrey in generall from this vermine and to cause them and all their adherentes to passe from hence ouer the Moūtaignes there to trouble their owne Countreis if they will and to suffer vs to liue here in peace and quiet possession of bodies goodes and conscience Wherefore they are deceaued verie much when they thinke that I attempted this worke after their departure out of this countrey For I did it then whē I was in Fraunce euen a hunting with the King whilest they them selues were here and I ceased not till that by the meane of the late Ladie of Sauoie of most noble memorie I had obtayned leaue to come againe into this countrey vpon my faith and promise giuen to returne againe to Reins at the coronation of King Frauncis the seconde and being come hither I prouoked not banckeroutes but good and honourable people and of the chiefe most noble personages of the countrey in the name of the Estates to demaunde that the Spaniardes might be inforced to with drawe them selues which thing was at the last executed and the enemies may remember if they will who were those good and honourable personages that brought them that most vnpleasaunt message who when they shall shewe themselues the aduersaries shall knowe and confesse their impudencies and slaunders But as concerning that which they saie that I was the principall authour of the supplication presented and offered vp The request presented by the Nobilitie I will in deede tell you my Lordes the whole matter that is that hauing once perceaued that the mischiefe was growen so farre that there was not nowe any more question of burning onely the poore people which suffered them selues to be cast into the fire but that sundrie of the best nobilitie and of the principall men among the people murmured thereat I fearing some daungerous issue as I had seene before mine
eyes Fraunce it selfe to haue endured a daungerous accesse of ciuil warre for the like occasion and doubting least we should be assailed in this countrey with the like disease which commonly hath most daungerous accidentes and effectes more harde to heale than the disease it selfe as alas we do ouer much see it at this daye seeing I saye these thinges in respect of the bonde wherewith I was bounde by reason of my othe and in respect of my dutie towardes the countrey I besought my Lordes my brethren and companions the Knightes principall Counselloures of the Estate to assemble together at Hoochstraten with purpose to declare vnto them the apparaunt daunger wherein the countrey was to witte of falling into ciuill warre and that this was the true and onely meane to hinder it that we who by reason of our degrees and offices had authoritie in the Countrey should take the matter into our handes and so to vse that remedie which we shoulde finde most agreeable for the countreis good and onely to bring to passe that the Cardinalles creatures who sought nothing but effusion of blood bannishmentes confiscation of goodes and to be shorte woundes and murthers should not deale therein which had brought an assured destruction to the coūtrey but rather that those which thought it not meet that men should burne others according to their accustomed order should not want a guide who might lett and hinder him in his attempts And albeit I shewed them very many reasons to cause them to condescende to my counsell and that I had added thereto beside the good will which was betweene vs the aduise also of my Lorde the Countie of Schwartzenbourg my brother in lawe and the Lorde George van Hol who had at that time verie great credit with the Lordes for the euident and excellent seruices whiche they had perfourmed to these countreis yet it was not in my power to obtaine any thing this mutuall sight one of an other did not profit me any whitt at all sauing for a testimonie to all the worlde that then seeing the mischiefe a farre of which nowe we see present vppon vs I did seeke all the good meanes I could to preuent turne away the same But they of whom I haue spokē who thought these persecutions heard and who sawe not so long as they endured any assured rest in this countrey which thing alwayes falleth out in such like affaires began and laboured to propounde and broche newe enterprises which by reason of the offices I had I founde out a meane to discouer yet for all that fearing least some most daungerous euent might insue therevpon and supposing that this waie was the most milde verie lawelike or lawfull I confesse that I thought it not euill that the request was presented which thing so farre of is it that I minde to dissemble or coulor ouer that I coūt it a most great profit both for myne owne honor and reputation and also for the seruice of the King and the countrey for if the wise Counsellors of the King had bin so well aduised as to yeelde therevnto there had not insued so many miseries by whiche there wanteth but a litle but that the whole countrey had bin consumed But if they desire to knowe the true the nighest cause of the saide request and of that which followed therevppon let them asscribe it to their insatiable crueltie which was not content with the intollerable rigor of placardes and licences but following the example of that foole Roboam and beleeuing the counsell of an vnwise woman of a Cardinall the Popes creature and other such like they saide the father hath corrected you with roddes The Dutches of Parema and the Cardinall Grandvelle vvere the cause of all the mischie fes in the lovve counstreis but the sonne will chastise you with scorpions Wherevpon there was set out a most earnest pursuite concerning the receauing of the newe Bishopps who were set vp but a litle while before that is to say so manie tormentours to burne the poore Christians then were the priuiledges troden vnder feete and by whom Verely by a passionate woman who was yet notwithstanding armed with the visar of a Kings power and with the treason periuries and subtelties of a Cardinall Beholde I say the stithie or andvile my Lordes vpon which was forged all the euill that insued to wit because they yeelded not as requisite and necessarie it was to the request presented by the nobilitie wherin I know and I may protest it before God and before you my Lordes that I did not therein commit any thing against myne Honor and mine othe but I aduertised the Dutchesse al the Lords of the Counsell of the great inconueniences which afterwards fell out insomuch that all the mischief insuing therevpon must be imputed to them selues For so farre of is it that they would harkē to me that thei thought on the other side that they had founde a matter or meane fit for to execute that whiche they had a long time purposed and set before them that is to saye that after that they had destroied them that were suspected to be of the religiō they might afterwards the more easely bring the rest vnder a miserable and intollerable bondage And not only were they admonished by me my Lords but also sundry publike and particular admonitions were giuen them by diuers others both good people and louers of the countrey yea and louers of the King also more then he deserued and they did in good time aduertise him of the daunger to come and what was the Kinges dutie by reason of his othe of his obligations or bondes and of the conditions vppon whiche he was receaued and admitted for Lorde of these Countreis as also his auncestours were before him My Lord the Coūtie of Egmond him self was sent into Spaine to shewe the said aduertisements vnto the Kings own person which notwithstanding so farre of was it that it could profite anie thing that the said Lord Countie on the other side being deceaued vnder the coulor of the word of a King which afterwardes cost him verie deare brought letters altogether contrarie to that which the King from his owne mouth had giuen him in charge to speake in somuch that then he was in-forced to confesse that I did before his iourney well foresee that which should come thereof And yet these schollers of Machiauell would here bleare our eyes with these goodlie shewes of loyaultie fidelitie naturall clemencie and such golden and glorious wordes and yet notwithstanding they make no difficultie to playe with the othes which they take with the wordes that they giue to men of such qualitie and countenaunce Beholde then the authours promotors and framers of the troubles that haue fallen out by reason of the first request or supplication and you haue vnderstoode my Lordes that this was the counsel that I haue giuen therein Touching my lord the Countie Lu dovvick of
Nassau As concerning that which they speake of the late my Lorde the Countie Lodowick my brother they should do better to leaue so good a Knight in peace and vnnamed than to speake of him seeing that he was much more honest then they and without comparison a better christian and I make no more of this that they call him Hereticke then our Lorde Iesus Christe did when as good people as our enemies are called him Samaritane As concerning publike preaching which after their maner they call hereticall Of the publike assemblies of thē of the religion you your selues my Lordes do sufficiently knowe by whom and howe they were brought in And albeit that I had not at that time so much credit with them as that they would demaunde my aduise therein neither in deed did I euer counsell them Notwithstanding the matters being come to such termes I confesse that I was of aduise that the Dutchesse of Parma should yeelde vnto them wherein if I haue giuen ill counsell then that which followed afterwardes doth at the least sufficiently declare whether those that supposed my counsell to be naught haue verie well handled their Masters affaires and businesses but rather God hath manifestly shewed that albeit he do for a time correct his own children yet he neuer leaueth a periurie so well qualified and notorious as that of the Kinges the Dutches of Parmes was without greenouslie punishing it to the ende that al the world may knowe that he saieth not without cause that he will not holde him guiltles who shall take his name in vaine As concerning the beaters downe of Images and other dissorders I beleeue my Lords that there is none amongst you Cōcerning Images beaten dovvne and ouerthrovven but he knoweth well inough that such wayes and manners of doing please me no whit at all and that many of them who should haue aided susteined me haue on the other side with great iniurie torne me in peeces because I would neuer consent that such things shuld be done without some ordinaūce and decree of the Superiours and Gouernours They haue no better foundatiō then such as you haue heard before for this that they saye that the prouidence and wise gouernement of the vvith dravving of the Lorde Prince into Germanie of the Dutchesse of Parma was so great that I was inforced to depart out of the countrey It may be that they shoulde say somewhat if they would saie that the deceites of the Dutchesse hir periuries were the cause thereof or if they would speake of the small resolution and of the ouer great easinesse to beleeue that some had who looked continually for the hangmen and tormentours and of the ouer great affection that I am other great Lordes had towards the King who perswaded my Lordes of Berghes and of Montignie to go into Spaine supposing that for their good seruices the nobilitie of their race the King him selfe would be content to vnderstande by their mouth that which was necessarie for the preseruation of the countrey rather than to heare it by the Spaniardes but seeing that they were intreated in such sorte as euery one knoweth I thought that I had iust occasion more nighlie to take heede vnto my self than before If they would say these things were the cause they should speake some peece of the trueth But I was resolued ayeere before to depart and to giue vp my offices as appeareth by letters written with the Kinges owne hande and which I haue also ioyned to this present writing which doth sufficiently set out the falshode of their speache And if any man would knowe why a yeere afterwardes I withdrewe my self into Germanie my defence published in t he yeere sixtie seuen doth sufficiently declare the causes thereof to witt specially because I would not consent that the Spanishe Inquisition should be receaued into my gouernementes By reason whereof I resigned them before into the handes of the saide Dutchesse with full purpose to liue in peace and quietnes with my kinsfolkes and friendes looking when it would please God either to giue the King better counsell or if he did yet waxe worse and worse when it would please God him selfe to open a gate to deliuer this poore countrey which I sawe plunged into a bottomlesse depth of mischieues and miseries For who can without being wounded with wounderfull griefe rehearse the banishementes the taking awaie of goodes the imprisonmentes the tormentes endured the sundrie sortes of horrible and miserable deaths wherewith these bloodie people surmounting in crueltie Phalaris Busyris Nero Domitian and all tyrauntes haue persecuted the poore subiectes of this countrey And notwithstanding these thinges I seeing no meane to comforte them ouer this miserie did holde my selfe peceable quiet And because in this Proscription they saie that I was at the least offered it The King of Spaine inforced my Lorde Prince by al maner of iniustice to take armes whilest that the last treatie helde at Colen lasted they ought to know that they should be contented with my voluntarie banishment and not to pursue me any further seeing in deede that I gaue them to vnderstande by a man of countenaunce and credit who yet is liuing that if they attempted to touche myne hounour and my goodes they would constraine me to take such order for my affaires as I might But as madd people after that they could not drawe me by their honied and flattering wordes the Kinge also thinking to busie me by ouer honest letters The Coūtie of Bueren taken in the scholes and caried into Spaine against the othe giuē made at the Kings gladsome entraūce and against the priuiledges of Brabant which yet notwithstanding I did plainly perceaue to be full of deceit they directed themselues first to my young sonne a childe and a scholler and against the priuiledges of the Vniuersitie they tooke him violently from Louain yea after the exhortation and declaration made by the Vniuersitie that barbarous fellowe Vergas aunswered barbarouslie in false latin Non curamus vestros priuilegios we regarde not your priuiledges After this they caried him out of Brabant against the priuiledges of the Countrey and against the Kinges othe and they sent him into Spaine that so they might remoue him from me who am his father and euen vnto this present they keepe this innocent in harde and cruell prison insomuch as if they had done me no other iniurie I should be vnworthie not only my stock and the name which I carrie but also of the name of a father vnlesse I did imploye all the witt and all the meanes that God hath giuen me to assaie to deliuer him out of this miserable bondage to recouer if I could such a wrong For I am not my Lords so vnnaturall that I feele not the affections of a father Nota. neyther yet so wise but that oftentimes the griefe of so long an absence of my Sonne doeth present and offer
it selfe to my vnderstanding And yet they were not content but against all order of iustice they apprehended my brethren and pursued me with summoninges seasementes of goodes and thrust me on euen as it were by force to attempt sundrie thinges The vniust procedings against the honor the life and the goodes of the Lord Prince whereof I my selfe neuer thought they put the processe of me and my companions against the articles of the order and against the othe of the King who was the chiefe thereof into the handes of I know not what porters and petiefoggers who were not meete to be groomes or pages to my companions and me they doo degrade mee they doo depriue me of my goodes they do condemne me to death And is this any other thing than to free me from myne othes and to set me at libertie to come out to assaulte myne enemie by all the meanes that GOD shall giue me Beholde then howe when I seeke nothing but quietnesse they stirre vp trouble I seeke peace and they prouoke me to warre And what warre A warre attempted to deliuer my childe to preserue my life to recouer my goodes and whiche is more deare than all to defende myne Honour And yet I doo not here propounde vnto you my Lords any thing of that which concerneth the cōmon cause and belongeth vnto the generall State This then my Lordes is that which these men sleightly passe ouer and vnder silence as it were and which of set purpose they omit as in deede not seruing much for their purpose If then I not being the Kings naturall subiect which thing also he him selfe saith if I being absolued from mine othes by this vniust proclamation and sentence If I hauing so iust a groūdworke by force to demaund my sonne and my goods If I say I had driuen him not onely out of the lowe countrey but also out of all his landes and Lordshippes yea and though I did desire to make them mine owne seeing that against all right and equitie yea against his own othe he hath by force constrained me to attempt so necessarie a warre euen then when with all my power I did auoyde it and hath done me all these outrages and that at the verie selfe same time or a little after when by his owne letters written with his owne hand he yeelded me so great and solemne a testimonie of faithfulnes as no man in the worlde could desire a greater as appeareth by the copie of the letter hereafter inserted who is he the premises being rightly considered that can accuse me of any other fault then this that I framed my selfe to much to the time before that I would take armes and that I would not enioye that whiche the lawe of warre and of al nations yeelded vnto me vnto me I say who am borne a free Lorde and who haue this Honour to carie the name and title of an absolute Prince albeit that my Princedome be not of anie great length or largenes But seeing that the speciall foundation and groundworke is this The iustifying of the taking of armes by my Lorde the Prince that I haue taken and borne armes against my Superiour I am likewise content to enter into this matter wher they shal finde themselues to haue as good foundations as in other places And in the first place I would faine haue them to tell me by what title King Philippe the heire of the bastard Henrie of Castille possesseth the kingdome of Castille of Leon For it is most manifest that Henrie his predecessour was a bastarde who rebelled against the lawefull heire who was his owne brother Lord whom also he slue with his owne hand What right then or title had this bastarde being the Kinges great Graundfather They aunswere that Don Pedro was a tyraunt and in deede I cōfesse that commonly they giue him the name of cruell But if by this title Philippe holde Castille why doth not he perceaue that men may by the same measure driue him out that hath chased awaye others And if there haue neuer bin any more cruell tyraunt who hath more proudlie and with lesse cōsideration violated the priuiledges of the countrey then Philipp him selfe shall not he be much more vnworthie to beare to weare the Crowne of Castille then Don Pedro For at the least Don Pedro was not an incestuous person nor a slaier of his Sonne nor a murtherer of his wife And if some will saye that this concerneth me no whit at all I am content to come yet somewhat more nigh albeit that I haue not purposed to staie my selfe vppon that which I shall presently speake vnto you But suppose that I did take vp armes against him and that he were simplie my superiour and that I were borne his subiect which yet is not so euen as he him selfe confesseth it what should I doo but that which his predecessor had done Albert Duke of Austriche took armes against Adolfus of Nassau the Emperour against the Emperour Adolfus of Nassau his Superior Eurie one that knoweth neuer so little in the matters and affaires of Germanie knoweth how Albert the firste Duke of Austriche of that name and race for before he bare the title of the Countie of Habsbourg armed him selfe against the saide Lorde Emperour my predecessour And albeit it was Gods will that the saide Emperour should die in the battell yet I know what the wisest writers haue iudged thereof albeit that Gerrard then Bishop of Maience the principall authour of that conspiracie ment to colour darcken the same And verely if a man will somewhat more nighly looke into the storie he shall finde that this faction was set vp by Pope Boniface of whom it is saide Pope Boniface the 8. he entered into his Popedome as a Foxe he raigned as a Lyon died as a dogge because the Emperour would not acknowledge him for such a one as he said he was and therefore he stirred vp against him Albert who was alreadie much displeased against him because Adolfus was preferred before him in the election to the Empire some Bishoppes also ouermuch addicted to the Pope did ioyne them selues vnto him and ayded him But who is he that would willingly reuerēce so wicked a man who in his Iubilie caused to be caried before him in the maner of a triumphe two swordes causing him that caried one of them to crie O Christ beholde thy Vicar on earth and the other to say O Peter beholde thy successour And verely hauing committed so wicked a feate against the Emperor and hauing Albert at his commaundement he was purposed for the like consideration to do as much to the French King called Philipp the faire giuing his kingdome to the saide Albert and caused him to be named King of the Romains and of the French men But he founde the preestes of Fraunce lesse readie to serue him and lesse able to helpe him and the whole kingdome stirred vp by
the learned Orations of Master Peter Coignieres and a resolute King who caused his foolehood for so the King called him in his letters to be taken at Anania by one of the Lordes King Philip the faire be ginneth his letter vvith theis words Sciat fatuitas vestra that is let your follie or foolehood know and he the eldest of the noble house of Colonnes and by a gentleman of Languedoc named Nogaret who brought him to Rome where also they put him to death as he had most iustlie deserued the same But as I haue saide I will not staye my selfe vpon these foundations but minde to come to the mutuall bondes which are betweene him and vs. Let vs thē put the case that al this were neither so nor so Doth not he verie wel know that if he be Duke of Brabant I by reason of my Baronneis am one of the principal members of Brabant Doth he not know wherein he is bound to me my brethren and companions and the good townes of the countrey Hath he forgottē vpon what cōditions he keepeth this estate The iustifying of the taking of armes by the Estates against Philip Duke of Brabant Countie of Flaunders Doth he no longer remember his othe O if he thincke vpō it doth he so litle regard that which he hath promised to God and the countrey and that vpon conditions tied to his Dukes hatt or garland It is not needfull my Lordes that I should here set out vnto you that which he hath promised vs before that we tooke any othe vnto him for sundrie amongest you know the same But because that others shall see this my defence I was very willing to call to your remembraunce the summe of his othe You knowe my Lordes wherevnto he is bound and that it is not in his dispositiō to do whatsoeuer he liketh of as he doth in the Indies for he cannot here amongst vs by violence inforce one of his subiectes onely The summe of the priuiledges of Brabant to any thing whatsoeuer vnlesse that the custome of the benche of the iustices where they dwell permit the same He may not by anie ordinaunce or decree alter or chaunge after anie sorte whatsoeuer the estate of the countrey He must content him selfe with his ordinarie and common reuenewes he may not cause to be leuied nor yet exact any impositions or taxes without the good will and expresse consent of the countrey and according to the priuiledges thereof He can not bring souldiers into the Countrey without the consent thereof He maie not touche nor deale with the decrying or imbasing of money without the consent of the Estates of the Countrey He can not cause anie subiect to be apprehended without information made and knowledge first giuen by the Magistrate of the place Hauing anie for a prisoner he cannot send him out of the Countrey I beseeche you my Lordes do you not see hearing only this sūme rehearsed if the Barons and Nobles of the coūtrey who by reason of the preheminēces the charge of the armies do not oppose them selues I say not only when these articles are violated but whē they are tyrannously trodē vnder foote when not one article but all that not once but a thousand thousand times are broken corrupted not by the Duke onely but by barbarous and sauage people Do you not see I saye that if the Nobles according to their othe and bonde do not inforce the Duke to yeelde equitie and iustice to the Countrey that they them selues should be condemned of periurie vnfaithfulnesse and rebellion against the Estates of the Countrey And as concerning my selfe I haue in deede a particular reason and which toucheth me yet more nighe that is that contrarie vnto all the saide priuiledges I was depriued of all my goodes without obseruing any forme or order of iustice therein But that which fell out in the person of my Sonne the Countie of Bueren is so euident a testimonie of the enemies disloyaultie and vnfaithfulnes of the transgression or breache of the priuiledges that no man can with any good reason doubt why I haue taken vp armes And in that I was not able at the first time to take fast footing in the countrey which he vpbraideth me withall what newe thing hath betithed vnto me The first armie of the L. Prince which hath not fallen out vnto rhe greatest Captaines of the worlde Yea euen vnto him him selse who hath so oftentimes entered and that with so great and mightie armies into Holland and Zealand and yet with a handfull of people and by the ayde of my Lordes the Estates of the saide prouinces he hath bin shamefully driuen out of the saide countrey and that great Captaine the Duke of Alua and his successours without hauing at this day in the said countreis one foote of lande vnder his disposition and gouernement as by your good ayde I hope that shortly he shall not haue any in all the rest of the countrey To be short by his othe he meaneth that in the case of gainestanding him we should be no longer bounde vnto him neyther yeelde him any seruice or obedience as appeareth by the last article If then I be not bounde vnto him If I owe him not any more seruice or obedience why is he so rashe as to saie that I haue taken vp armes against my Lord Certainly betweene al Lords and Vassailes there is a mutuall bonde and this saying of a certaine Senator to a Consull shal be alwayes praysed If thou doest not account me for a Senator I wil not account thee for a Consull But betweene Vassals there is verie great difference some remayning without comparison in farre greater libertie than other some as we are in Brabant hauing such large priuiledges and rightes that we may freelie make giue graūts in our landes so that excepting the homage which we owe we cannot haue any thing more than we haue And amongest other rightes and priuiledges we haue this to stande our Dukes in that steede that the Ephori at Sparta did their Kinges that is to saie to keepe the Kingdome sure in the power of a good Prince and to cause him to yeelde equitie which stood against his othe But some will say that there is a condition annexed that is that we shal be so long freed from our othe An obiection till he haue amended the faulte But what if he will neuer amende it If after the Emperour Maximilian and the Princes of the Empire entreat him and make intercession for vs that it woulde please him to vnburden the countrey for a ful aunswere some would saie vnto them that they should meddle with their owne matters and that the King knoweth wel inough how to gouerne his subiectes If after infinite declarations by the message of verie noble Lordes of this countrey we do request him to do vs iustice he proudly reiect our requestes and put to death the saide Lordes and
intreated the preestes vvere punished when they are not ashamed to obiect vnto me the murtheringes of the people of their Church seeing that not onely they knowe my naturall disposition to be altogether estraunged from such violences but also that you and the whole worlde doo verie well knowe that by commaundement and appointement some in respect of such outrages as these men would charge me withall were put to death and other some being of great note and noble houses were arrested by the principall seruauntes of my housholde and after that they had bin kept prisoners a long time they were not deliuered but in respecte of the house from whence they had this honour to proceede and come the long imprisonment of their persons being appointed vnto them for the punishment which they had deserued But that whiche was done by my charge and appointement is in such sorte knowne to all the worlde that they are not able eyther to disguise or darken the same onely as they haue verie well learned to speake trueth that which I haue done vertuouslie they saye that I haue feigned that the thing did displease me But who hath tolde them that I feigned Or who is he that hath reuealed vnto them so much of my secreates They see that which I haue done they can not iudge my hearte neyther is there anie man so malitious except it be the forger of this writing or some Spaniarde whiche ought not rather to giue iudgement vppon that whiche he seeth than vppon that whiche he malitiouslie and wickedlie suspecteth The cast also infinite blames and slaunders vpon our religion and they call vs heretiques But it is such as a long time since they tooke vpon them to proue it and yet were neuer able to bring it to purpose or effect And I saie that these iniuries being like vnto the wordes of women prouoked chafed with collor do not deserue any aunswere much lesse that beastlinesse to saie that I neuer trusted any eyther Preest or Friar vnlesse he were maried and that I inforced them to marie For who is it that knoweth not that without choise or discretion they cast at my head euery thing that they finde in the waye so great is their furie and their passion so outragious and vnmeasurable And albeit that these things were true Cōcerning the mariage of Preestes as in deed they are not neither yet reasonable for we learne by our Religion that mariage ought to be free and should not be either inforced or forbidden yet so it is that this faulte should not be comparable with that tyrannie ouer cōsciences which hath forbidden mariage to a great part of Christendome against which forbidding nor onely the East churches opposed them selues but also the churches of Germanie and Fraunce But that my Lordes which is greatly to be esteemed in this Proscription so true and well grounded is this That the King commanded not the Duke of Alua to impose the tenth and twentieth pennie without the consent of the people If thē the Duke of Alua in a matter of so great importaunce and whiche was the cause of the death and destruction of so many thousandes of men hath passed his commission what punishment folowed thereof The Duke of Alua for hauing perfourmed to his owne sonne this dutie to wit that he might marie his cousin leauing another whom vnder the colour of mariage accomplished he had abused euen as Rigomes had before perfourmed for the King as before hath bin declared was cast into prison and put out of fauour and shoulde not as yet haue bin deliuered if in all Spaine they had bin able to haue founde a tyraunt Cōcerning the tenth tvventith pennie more fitt to exercise tyrannie vpon the poore Portugales then he He was then chastised for a small faulte and for such a great one he was honoured much made of and filled with rewardes And he that would presse the King with the death of my Lordes of Egmount and of Hornes he would say as much and disallowe againe the Duke of Alua for it Is not this a good meane thinke ye to discharge him selfe of all faultes But let them take which parte they will either the King commaunded it and then he can not auoyde the name of a tyraunt or els he commaunded it not and yet for all that the name of a tyraunt shall remaine vnto him because he did not chastise and correct him who of his owne priuate authoritie had vsurped such a tyrannie vppon a franck and free people whereby it appeareth that he is culpable thereof And albeit that I haue alwayes esteemed the Duke of Alua for the enemie of the Countrey and as one who hath willingly bathed him selfe in our blood and in the blood of all Christians carying closely a Turkishe hearte within him yet so it is that I haue knowne him to well and haue bin to to much practised to beleeue this that he should be so sottishe and so presumptuous as to dare to attempt to laye vpon the people an imposition of such consequence and to pursue it so long time and that by such extraordinarie yea altogether insupportable meanes to the countrey without good and sufficient cōmaundement directed vnto him therefore and that not once only but sundrie times I beseeche you my Lordes to weye this well whether he that in his owne proper and priuate name durst condemne or fauoure them that did condemne the Burgmaster of Amstelredam in fiue and twentie thousande Florins of amercement because he set him selfe against the tenth pennie was not well assured and had not sufficient discharge for the same from his Superior Neither neede we my Lordes any other place then this whereby to knowe the fraudes dissimulations and craftes wherewith the King hath so long a time led and deceaued vs and yet purposeth still to do if we suffer him to wound vs with the prick of his tongue or to astonishe vs with the threatnings of his armies And because he will haue the bruite thereof sounded abroad by reason of the Townes taken and surprised in Hollande to witte within this two three or foure veeres and that with more force then he hath fought against the Turke withall I aunswere him that hauing the aduantages whereof he braggeth he ought to consider whether this tende not to his very great shame that he is altogether driuen out of that Countrey And it standeth him not in any steede to alleadge the mutinie of the Spaniardes For a Gouernour and specially such a one as had such great meanes as hee had doeth sufficientlie bewraie his insufficiencie vnworthinesse to commaunde when he is not able by such meanes to keepe in obedience his own Souldiers on the other side in excusing him selfe so foolishlie he seeth whether he will or no that he is inforced to confesse that I and my Lordes of Hollande and Zealande hauing verie slender meanes as namely but foure or fiue thousande men haue broken his attemptes and
of all these coūtreis then in that proude ambitious profane heathnishe and withall foolishe setting vp of his owne Image in the middest of the Cittadell at Antwerpe going impudently vpon the bellies of the Noble men of the Estates and of all the people of this countrey Was not this thinke you a notable monument of his tyrannie and a testimonie of his pride What shall I neede to speake of his seruauntes and of all that vermin that came out of Spaine who spake of vs not as it were of Villacos as they vse to say or villaines but euen as it were of brute beastes You my Lordes haue euen as yet your eares altogether beaten with such matters and you are able to set out their gestures their proceedinges their wordes full of boldnesse of pride and of contempt also their vnsupportable actes and howe when they were within your townes with what pride and insolencie they did commaunde you Wherefore if that be true which wise men report that for the vnderstanding of the naturall disposition of a Lorde or Noble man men must examine him by his friendes and familiars and for the knowledge of a maister men must sift his seruauntes you may my Lordes by the vertues of the Duke of Alua his masters principall officer and the executor of all his counsels easely iudge what good affection and wil the King beareth you who sent him to you to torment you and also ye may knowe what yee ought to looke for vnlesse yee prouide for it in time as in deede yee ought which thing also all the good people of this lande looke for at your handes I will speake nothing of the rauishings raunsomes and exactions committed by the Spaniardes I wil onely staie my self vpon the principall point Yee could neuer yet tell howe to obtaine a free assemblie The assemblie of the Estates general euer refused of the Estates generall your enemie verie wel knowing that to hinder the calling together meeting of them was in deede to cut of by the foote the tree of your priuiledges and vtterly to drie vp the spring of your libertie For to what ende serueth it the people to haue priuiledges in faire parchement kept vp in a cofer if by the meane of the Estates those priuiledges be not mainteined and so men feele the effectes thereof And in deede long time before the King him selfe had receaued a dispensation from the Pope The King taketh a dispensation from the Pope for his othe made at his gladsome entraunce for the othe which he had made vnto you to keepe your priuiledges Wherein he did not onely violate and break his faith but also did ouer easely yea verie hurtfully beleeue foolishe counsellours whereby he to to manifestly declared howe great his owne wisedome was For might he not verie well vnderstand that counting him self free from the othe which he had made to you you also were freed and quitt from your othe towards him In so much that he minding to be vnburdened of his othe towardes you you ought not vnto him any obedience and subiection That I may at this time say nothing but leaue it vnto others more exercised in such matters than I to handle this question whether the Pope may iustlie vaunt that he hath anie such power and authoritie yea or no and whether anie thing in the world shall remaine certaine and sure if othes so solemnely made may vnder such a pretext and cloake be violated and broken At the same time mariages made out of the countrey were wholy forbidden and that whiche was neuer practised was prohibited to wit that youth might not go out of the countrey to studie in any other schoole of the worlde but in that at Rome and condemning by that meanes all other schooles whiche is an ouer great arrogancie they did condemne so vnwarie they were euen those of the Iesuites The scholes of all the vvorld forbiddē saue that of Rome only without thinking anie whit of them and so whiche is in deede the worst they opened a waye to verie barbarousnes For as the meetinges together of all maneer of learned men hath brought forth vnto vs in this Countrey sundrie persons well qualified who haue greatly innobled these Prouinces so this interdiction and forbidding could not but in processe of time cause a more than Turkishe ignoraunce that I maye saye nothing of this that by that meanes they would make this Countrey subiect The publishing of the councell of Trent to such cōditions as neuer were heard of About the same time the Councell of Trente was published which Councell hath seemed euen to the Frenchmen them selues so vniust that euen vnto this daye it could not as yet be published in the kingdome of Fraunce A little while before this time there was egerlie pursued and at the last obteyned the installing of the newe Bishoppes whiche had bin so long tyme before debated Bishoppes nevvly made by reason of the inconueniences which all wise people and louers of the Countrey and haters of the tourmenting of mens consciences did foresee would insue therevppon which thing also I my selfe write euen vnto the King that I may saye nothing of the warninges that I gaue to the Dutchesse sometime in open counsell and oftentimes els where all these their purposes tending to no other ende but to set vpp the cruell Inquisition of Spaine and to establishe the sayde Bishoppes that they might serue in steede of Inquisitours burners of mens bodies and tyrauntes ouer their consciences It is true that at this daye they denie that euer they ment to bring in this cursed Inquisition but if I bring forth vnto them a man worthie of creditt who was at that tyme a Pensioner of Franck and who had the racke twise shewed him to be tormented vppon it that he might confesse who they were of the Lordes of the saide Franck which were purposed to refuse the Inquisition will they saie that he is a forged witnesse who yet notwithstanding is such a one as they are not able to obiect any thing against him And beside if need were I could finde inough other plaine most manifest proofes There followed the most rigorous placardes licences Placards licences renevved with expresse cōmaundement to abate nothing of the old rigor and verily the bul graūted by the Pope for the erection of the saide Bishoppes doeth plainlie carie with it this much that euery Bishopp might giue in his owne Cathedral church two prebends that euery one of the Canons should be boud to assist him in the matter of the Inquisition and that particularlie two amongest them should actually and in deede be Inquisitours And as Princes or tyrauntes which possesse new Kingdomes or Lordshippes do laye vppon them a tribute in signe of their victorie so the Duke of Alua in testimonie of his conquest for this was his common speache to witte that these countreis apperteyned to the King not in title or by right or
we doe but that wherevnto we are holden and bound and whereof we haue in auncient Histories so many goodly examples as well of straungers as of our braue and valiaunt Predecessors and Auncestors But so farre off is it that we should leaue off that on the other side seeing we see that which pricketh and prouoketh thē that that is it which we should take vnto our selues thereby to endeauour and to encourage our selues to go forwarde For to aunswere that which he saith that I haue committed to prison and caused to be slaine some of them that gainsayed these contributions I suppose it is not needeful to anuswere them to this before you my Lordes who know that these are manifest slaunders and who knowe also that I haue bin more blamed for my ouer great gentlenesse and patience in tollerating sundrie wicked persons who by their subtelties and secrete practises hinder our affaires then I haue bin accused of mine enemie for my rigor and hardnesse But if that which they obiect against me were true there are sundrie which speake at this day very hie and for whose sake the threedes and snares haue bin cut and I doe notwithstanding as yet not repent me that I haue so vsed them but will alwayes reioyce that I haue had a mind readie rarher to receaue iniurie then to doe it not doubting but that God who is a iust Iudge will bring vpon the heades of these traiterous and disloyall people who did eate bread with vs and were partakers of our Counsels and notwithstanding at this present are in their counsell against vs the reward and recompence of their wickednesse as alreadie vengeance pursueth them with a perpetuall disquietnesse vexation and tossing of spirite As concerning the businesse or matter which the Lorde of Seeles tooke vppon him to deale for The negotiation of the Lord of Seeles and which also was knowne to be full of dissimulations and deceites to answere this it appertaineth to you my Lordes who haue so wiselye discouered his fraudes and who haue caused him to vnderstande that those that haue not seene Spaine are not for all that beastes as he and such as he are doe suppose to you I say it belongeth to aunswere this because that this accusation is directed against you I confesse that I was of the same mind that you are that he was no more to be trusted than a beguiler and a deceiuer and that he was to be taken as an instrument chosen to bring all to diuision and disorder vpon which point to resolue my self no man holpe me so much as he himselfe For in that that he tolde me that I was so muche in the Kinges fauour as that there was no Lorde in these quarters of whome he had better opinion than of me and whome hee would imploy so much as me this made me more and more to thinke that they would gladly haue taken away my heade and life if I would haue let it gone so good cheape as this fellow so greatly affected to the Spaniardes would haue perswaded me I confesse I say that I was of the selfe same opinion that you were and that you haue most wisely resolued vppon this point to wit that according to the example of that wise Capitaine you haue stopped your eares against the Sirenes or Myrmaides of Spaine But what say I that I haue bin of this aduise Those miserable men that haue consented to this cursed proscription haue not they also resisted his attemptes as well as I The very selfe same Magistrates which haue caused this Proscription to be published haue not they also reiected the Lord of Seeles and all his tristing tales which is sufficient ynough to aunswere that which they say The changing of the Officers concerning the changing of the Catholique Officers And would to GOD that I had had power or that by the headlongnesse or hastinesse of some I had not bin lette and hindered from procuring and perfourming such a chaunge in euery place for then there had not followed so great a floude of euils as since wee haue seene by reason of the disiunction and discord of the Prouinces which it is to be feared least it will dayly more and more growe to the generall destruction of the Countrey at the least I hope that if the Prouinces who haue so wickedly forsaken vs do not repent them of so great a faulte they shall perceaue that there was neuer any man better corrected for wicked counsell then they that haue first giuen the same And cōcerning this point I will not sticke at it to aunswere this slaunder that I haue and that by myne owne priuate authoritie put into charge and office the saide officers seeing that in euery place where I haue bin assistaunt in the chaunging of the lawe I haue therein executed onely that charge and office whiche it hath pleased you to giue me and that as your Commissioner and Deputie doing nothing therein against the lawes and priuiledges In deed I will confesse that I sought as much as possiblie I could to bring in and to place in these offices vertuous people honourable personages men of good conscience and aboue all louers of the countrey But I knowe what wringeth and pricketh them that is that I did not willingly fauour those which they had in their owne corde people without faith without godlines and honestie towardes their Countrey yea bloodie people and slaues to execute their tyrannie And this is that my Lordes which these men call confusion to wit the good rule and gouernement of our common wealth according to our lawes which also are as contrary to their barbarous intentes and purposes as the day is to the night And in deede my Lordes there is no great neede to aunswere such obiections seeing that our owne enemie doth sufficiently aunswere them for vs. For who were these officers of whom they saye we haue discharged and vnburdened our selues They were say they well affected to the King Which is as much as if they should saie they were good enemies to the Countrey and by this my Lordes you vnderstand that it was verie well done to chaunge them in sundrie places and quarters They vpbraide me with the great credit that I haue amongest the people So farre of is it that I am ashamed of this that I am verie sorie that I haue not as yet atteined more that is to saye that I haue not well knowne Touching the auctority of the L. Prince amōgest the people howe to perswade them to doo that which I haue so oftētimes set before them both by worde and writing For it is long time since that I would thorowe the aide of God haue clensed the countrey from these filthes of Spaine But if they be such as they saye they are and that I am such a one as they describe me to be for to shewe them some pleasure I will easely graunt them this point they must of necessitie confesse that their tyrannies
driuen oute of the coūtrey of Freiselande And as concerning that which they obiect against me that I haue driuen out some of the ecclesiasticall persons or church men you my Lordes know that this is not true But when their Captaine who is in Groeningen had taken prisoners some of the religion and had murthered other some yea the verie Bourgmaister and all this contrary vnto his othe hauing also before time brought in and sworne vnto the new religion as they call it and hauing solemnly and that with his othe and his sign and his seale confirmed the vnion of Vtrecht al these things considered who is he that will thinke it strange if those on our side ment what they could on their owne partes to assure themselues seing that they saw the enemies without any reuerence to their othe taken to tread vnder their feete al holy and sacred things and with such a perpetuall reproch to them and their rase to haue violated broken whatsoeuer iustice and equitie doth as yet remaine in the worlde And this wee may say at the least that no man can iustly charge vs that in the middest of those troubles which our enimies themselues haue stirred vp that euer any of our side proceeded or came to such a heape of iniustice as to wet their hands in the blood of those that were confederate to them or of those which stayed themselues vpon their fidelities which thing their Captaines haue done yea and that with their owne handes Cōcerning certain noble mē that departed out of Freiselande Concerning the Nobles which he sayth haue withdrawn them selues out of the Countrey who is hee which euer droue out so much as one of thē But if the terrors of their own consciences haue pursued them that they haue bin vexed by their owne feling which as it were infernal and hellish furies hath chased them from place to place who ought to be accused therefore but only they themselues who secretly disloyally and vnfaithfully haue practised the destruction of their owne Countrey And would to God that they had sooner felt this burthen and that they which remain and are ouertaken with the like madnesse might follow thē euen at the heeles so should they deliuer vs from great trauaile and the common wealth from feare least some one time or other they should execute their pernitious purposes The roundnesse and plainesse of the Lorde Prince It is a ridiculous fond thing that they cal me hipocrit who neuer in respect of them haue vsed any dissimulatiō For while I was their friende I haue freely foretolde them that they twisted the threede of their owne destruction whilest that they attempted and tooke these barbarous wayes of persecuting And if their rage and vnmeasurable heate ioyned with a contempt of vs had not hindered them from following my counsell they had not bene brought to that state in which they are at this present When I was their aduersarie and enimie for your libertie I know not what hipocrisie they haue founde in me vnlesse they will call this hipocrisie to make open warre vpon them to take Townes from them to driue them out of the countrey and without dissembling to doe against them whatsoeuer the law of warre suffred me But if it please you my Lordes once againe to reade my defence which I published three yeres ago you shall see there the Letters of King who is a deceiuer and an hipocrite and who thought to catch me then in the snare of his sweete and deceaueable Letters as he supposeth at this present to astonish me with his threates and thunders of words But thanks be to God I haue a counterpoison against both the one and the other venim The Lord Prince accused of diffidence or distrust They proceede afterwardes with a great heape of foolishe wordes to amplifie this matter that I stay and ground my selfe vpon a certaine diffidence and distrust Though I did so shoulde I be for all that like vnto Caine and Iudas as he accuseth me No verely For it is one thing to dispaire of the promisses and of the grace of God who cannot lie and an other thing not to beleeue the wordes of a subtle and deceitfull man who keepeth not faith or loyaltie as the poore Moores of Grenado may speake to much thereof and also as the death of the Lordes the Counties of Egmont and Hornes of blessed memorie doe giue sufficient proofe thereof But if these good deuines such as the Cardinall is who is one of the foundations of his Church had thorowly sounded for the true and nigh cause of the ruine and fall of Iudas and Caine they shoulde haue found that it was dispaire whither by the grace of God I haue not bin brought and I hope neuer shal be On the other side if men would looke vpon the monstrous and thundring speeches which are vsed in this not barbarous only but more then turkish Proscription shall they not finde therein the verie stile of desperate persons such as we heare the Poets vse when they bring in furious and mad men They then haue the seared conscience of Iudas the astonished conscience of Cain and the reproued conscience of Saule You see notwithstanding my Lordes the great wisedome of these wise heads diffidence or distrust say they is a common thing to al wicked persons But I speake vnto thee O Cardinall who hast spente so much time in the Scholes and I bid thee tell me whether thou call not this learning to wit to be from a mans youth instructed to lie and deceaue I demauud then of thee what thou wilt aunswere to the most strong and sententious of al orators and to the greatest louer of his Countrey who sayth as I haue vnderstoode it from my youth by all learned men that the greatest and surest fortresse that a free people can haue against a tyraunt is diffidence and distrust And this speeche was directed against one called Philip who had learned but a little tyrannie in respect of thy Lord Philip who exceedeth all other tyrantes and for whome no oration pronounced against Philip is sufficiently worthie no not that which for the excellency of it is called Diuine I know thou wilt aduise and take counsel concerning this matter and in the meane while I will speake I will write and I will cause to be iugraued in euery place this notable sentence worthie of eternal remembraunce would to God that I might be better beleeued than that good Orator was amongest his people who suffring themselues to be busied and abused by people like vnto thy selfe and other such wretched workers of confusion which are at thy commaundement and haue set on sale their tongues and pennes were at the last snared and vtterly brought to confusion But I hope my Lordes better thinges of your constancie and courage The offers vvhich the enemies say haue bin made to the L. Prince to cause him to depart out of the Countrey
counsell at Namure the Gouernor Presidentes and persons of our counsell in Frieseland the Gouernor Chauncelor and persons of our counsell in Oueryssell the Lieuetenaunt of Groningen the Gonernor President and persons of our counsell at Vtrecht the Gouernor of Lile Douay and Orchies the Prouost and Countie of Vallanchiennes the Baylie of Tournay and of Tournesses the Rent-masters of Bewest and Beoisterschelt in Zeland the Iudge of Malines and all other our Iustices and officers and those of our vassals and Subiects whome it shall concerne their Lieuetenantes and euery one of them in respect of himselfe and as though it did appertaine vnto him that they cause this our present declaration edict and decree to bee published euery one in his gouernment and in the places and boundes of his or their iurisdiction where they are accustomed to make cries and proclamations to the end that none may pretende any cause of the ignoraunce thereof and moreouer that they keepe obserue and maintain and cause inuiolablie to be kept obserued and maintayned all the poyntes and articles therein contained according to their forme and tenor proceeding causing to be proceeded therin respectiuely to the recompēce reward pain and punishment of the persons aboue mētioned without any fauour loue or dissimulatiō and for this purpose and all thinges appertaining thereto we giue them and euery one of them full power authoritie speciall commaūdemēt and we charge commaund all that they obey thē commaūding the same and that they vnderstand it diligently And neuerthelesse seeing that at this present the saide publications cannot be made in the townes countreis and territories occupied by the rebellion of the sayd Orange wee will that the publications which shal be made in the towns nerest thervnto being vnder our obeisance shall be wholy and all together of such force and effect as if they had bin vtterly done in the circuites and places accustomed and for such we haue authorised and by these presentes doe authorise them yea we wil and commaunde that immediately they be printed in two sundrie languages by the sworn printers of our Vniuersities of Louain or Douay to the end that it may more easilie come to al mens knowledge and this is our pleasure appointment and good will In witnesse whereof we haue caused our great seale to bee put to these presentes which were made in our towne of Maestricht the xv day of the moneth of March and in the yere of grace 1580. and of our kingdoms to wit of Spaine Sicilia c. the xxv and of Naples the xxvii By the expresse appointment of his Maiestie Verreiken And the sayd Letters are sealed with the great seale of his Maiestie in redde waxe and a double lase hanging thereat ¶ The Letters of the Prince of Parma to the Gouernors and Counsellers of the Prouinces commaunding the publishing of this proclamation ALEXANDER Prince of PARMA and of PLAISANCE c. Gouernor and Captaine generall MY COSEN MOST DEARE AND welbeloued frends seeing the K. my Lord hath by 2. seueral letters of his very plainly cōmaunded vs to cause incontinently to be published in these his countreyes the proscription and proclamatiō annexed hereto against W. of Nassau Prince of Orange for the causes contained in the sayd Proclamation we could not cease to obay his Maiesties commaundement and to send the same vnto you requiring you and neuertheles in the name and on the behalfe of his Maiesty appoynting you that immediatly after yee haue seene the same you publish it and cause it to bee published thorow out all the Townes and places of your gouernmēt and iurisdiction after the accustomed manner to the end that none may pretend any cause of the ignorance thereof and faile yee not herein and thus my Cosen most deare and welbeloued friēdes our Lord haue you in his keeping From MONTS the 15. day of Iune 1580 Vnderneath was written ALEXANDER And signed ouer against it VERREYKEN This was the Superscription of it To the Gouernours and Counsellours of the Prouinces THE PRINCE OF Orange his letters to the ESTATES To my Lordes the Estates Generall YOV HAVE KNOWEN MY LORDES BY my life past and by my behauiours that I neuer mynded to answeare to any libels of defamation which certayne sclaunderers had published agaynst me in so much as if the quality greatnes of the wrong which hath bene done agaynst mee by the proscription that the Kinge of Spaine hath caused to be published I had not as yet proceeded so farre especially had it not bene that the maintenance of myne honoure had requested the same of mee as I haue more largely layed out the same in my defence which I haue presented vnto you Since which time there is come into my handes a letter very false and counterfayt by myne ennemy which they say they intercepted and I sent to my lorde the Duke of Aniou or as they say to the Duke of Alançon whereof some personages amongest them and that of greate qualitie also haue sent copies as well to certaine townes of our syde and amōgest vs as to sundry strange forrain princes This letter my Lordes is so fondly written whether a man regarde the stile thereof or wil respect the matter therein cōtayned which by the bare reading therof sufficiently bewrayeth that there is not in it any shew of truth that such an impudent deuise deserueth no answeare as also God bee praised there is not found a man amongest vs which is any whit at al mooued therwith On the other side euery man hath knowen that they had no other meaning hereby but by such mistes smokes to darken the brightnes by which their miserable pernitious intēr against this coūtrey hath bin discouered by the letters of Cardinal Granduell and others which you haue commaunded to be printed after that you knew their handes their signes and their seales and withall therby to take vnto them selues an occasion and matter to cast vp and spew out acording to the manner of shameles women slaunderous and wicked speeches ful of lying But so far of is it that by this meanes they haue inrespect of me obteined that which they pretēded that on the other side they haue done me greate pleasure in publishing such follies because that thereby they do more and more iustify and verify my defence sufficiently prouing them selues to be shameles lyers most impudent slaunderers and most fond falsifiers which serueth more more to iustify as I haue saide myne innocencie and to geue approbation to all my actions For seeing that all men know that this should be the best newes that they could receaue or heare of that I would forsake the countrey and leaue it to them I offered them my Lordes and you vnder my honour do promise them to accomplish it if they bee able to proue in your presences that I haue at any time written or commaūded to be written or sent such a letter that presently I will depart the coūtrey and withdraw my selfe from it without euer setting my selfe against them and I promise them euen vpon a simple or bare request to send thē such passeportes and safeconducts and they also penned in such order as either they can or will demaūd But yet this shal be with this condition that if they will not accept this so reasonable an offer all they which haue bin the authors of such a writing or which haue published it or which haue sent it into the townes amōgst vs or to forraine Princes and straunge countreyes shal be held for lyers slaunderers and wicked speakers as indeede such they are Giuen at Delft the 25. of Ianuary 1581. ⸫ FINIS