end and then after the conclusion of this Treatise I will satisfie your desire particularly and at good leysure for I doe assure you I would keepe silence concerning many things in this worke were it not most requisite and needfull that they should be spoken of and published for the better attaining to that which I intend and purpose the which I doe perswade my selfe that both you my masters of England and likewise of France and you also my masters the Princes of Europe who are all of you highly interessed in the greatnesse of the Castilian will embrace cheerefully and with open armes if you be not altogether without iudgement and vnderstanding But it is now meet that we pursue the proofe and demonstration of the tyranny of King Philip which calleth himselfe the King Catholike We haue lately shewed how King Philip by vsurpation and tyranny non solum in modo sed in genere as the Ciuilians vse to speake of his predecessors doth possesse the Realmes of Castile of Leon of Galicia of Toledo of Siuill of Cordona of Murcia c. with some other Prouinces contained within the precincts and streights of his Realme Let vs now come to the Realmes of Aragon of Valentia the Counties of Barcelona of Cerdonia and Roussillon and the Isles of Maiorica Minorica and Sardinia Aragon Valentia c tyrannized Fernand the Infant of Castile the graund Father of Fernand aboue named vsurped all these Realmes and seigniories of the which he depriued Isabel Countesse of Vrgell his owne Aunt sister to his Mother which Isabel had also one Daughter named Isabel which maried with Don Peter the Infant of Portugall the younger sonne of John the bastard King of the said Realme Of Peter and Isabel was borne the Lord Don Peter Constable of Portugall The Lord Don Peter Constable of Portugall and King of Aragon poysoned by Iohn which Don Peter by reason of his Mothers right and other auncesters was called and acknowledged by the Catalognians for their King and Lord. And after hee had reigned ouer them for the space of fiue yeeres and more he was poysoned by Iohn the second of that name sonne of the first Ferdinand whom we named to be the successour of Alphonsus King of Arragon his elder brother Charles the 4. the rightfull King of Nauarre empoysoned by his stepmother This Iohn was a notable Tyrant and hee retained the Kingdome of Nauarre tyrannously after the death of the Queen Blaunch his wife the right heire of the said Realme against the rightfull title of Charles his owne sonne vnto whom that Realme ought to haue descended by the death of his mother as it did likewise fall vnto Lewes Hutin by the death of his mother Jane who dyed eight yeeres before her Husband Philip the faire For this cause the said Charles being a most curteous and vertuous Prince had great difference and suite with his Father who caused him to be poysoned by his stepmother Jane the Daughter of Don Federike the second Admirall of Castile The Translator The grandmother of King Philip on Charles his Fathers side was the graund daughter of this Iohn and this Iane from whom principaly hee hath learned and retained the art and science of poysoning so perfectly that not onely to the said Iohn the Graundfather of his Graundmother and to the said Iane his wife but euen to all his predecessors he may giue forty fiue and a fault at that game and yet be no looser were they neuer so cunning in that art and science Of Peter Constable of Portugall and King of Aragon there was no lawfull issue remaining for the line of Jsabel his mother was extinguished in John the second King of Portugall by reason whereof the right of that Realme and all the Seigniories depending thereupon ought to descend and doe appertaine to the most excellent Dukes of Loraine as the true and rightfull heires of Yoland Dutchesse of Anion The Duke of Loraine the right heire of the Kingdome of Arragon the wife of Leweâ— Grandfather in the fift degree of the said excellent Duke of Loraine now liuing the which Yoland was the lawfull Daughter of Iohn King of Aragon the eldest sonne of Peter the ceremonious King of that Realme who was also the Father of Martin which raigned after the said Iohn his elder brother and was the true heire of this Crowne and of all the demaines thereof by the death of her elder sister the wife of the Earle of Foix of whom shee had neither sonne nor daughter The Realme of Nauarre was vsurped as is reported by diuers Historians Nauarre vsuâ—ped euen Spaniards themselues vpon false informations by Fernand the great Grandfather of King Philip which Fernand was one of the Masters of Machiauel Fernand the 5 king of Castile one of the masters of Machiauell In his Booke of the Councels Councellers of Princes Dis 14. par 11. as Bartholmew Philip doth tell vs in that Booke which he caused to be imprinted in the yeere 1585 where he hath these words Those Princes which do fully resolue themselues to preuaile and grow great by force of armes ought to imitate the Catholike Don Fernand the fift of that name King of Castile who held himselfe apart and gaue the looking on to the warres which the Princes of Christendome made one vpon another to see what issue and what forces they should haue to the intent hee might aide and succour those which were weakest and hee would not suffer any to grow great or puissant in Italy who pretended to be Lords and Commaunders there neither would hee at any time enter into any leagues made by the Princes of Christendome vnlesse he might make some profit and benefit thereby vnto himselfe This was Lewes the 12. of that name For this cause he would not make warre vpon Lewes King of France when Pope Iulius the Emperour and the Swissers did warre against him for that hee thought he should not aduantage himselfe by the diminution of that Realme if the aduersaries of the said Lewes should make themselues great by his losses and yet being perswaded that the said French King would augment his estate Let the French King and the Princes and Potentates of Europe consider this well by making warre vpon the Realme of Naples hee entred into league against the King of Fraunce with the Emperour and the King of England The Booke whereof I speake was dedicated by the Authour to Albert Cardinall of Austria when hee was Vice-roy of Portugall who is the third Graundchild of the said Fernand both on the Fathers and Mothers side Portugal and her demaines tyrannized Now how Philip himselfe hath tyrannized and vsurped the Realme of Portugall and the Seigniories which are dependant thereupon raising himselfe into a great and mighty Monarchy and yet ill considered or knowne by strange and forraigne Princes all Bookes in generall doe sound it forth and the Vniuersities of Coimbre of Bologna and
and Townes holding the party of the king deceased did conuey themselues into Portugall where they were receiued by the king Fernand and had most honourable entertainment with most notable fauours rich presents and incredible gifts which hee gaue vnto them most bountifully In so much that from thenceforth the Castres did continue still and inhabit in Portugall from whom are descended those which are there of that name now at this day Hierom Guliel cap. 23. fol. 81 pag. 2. The like happened to Diego Lopez Pacheco a Portugall albeit not for so iust and honourable a cause who going from Portugall into Castile for being charged with the death of the Queene Dame Iues de Castro in the time of the king Don Peter of Portugall hee was then created Lord of Beiar and his children also made Lords of other peoples of whom the Marquesse of Villana the Dukes of Escalon and many other great Lords haue their descent and originall In like manner in the time of king Juan of Portugall of happy memory Alias Iohn the Acugnas and Pimentels went into Castile and of them are descended directly in the line masculine the Dukes of Ossuna and Counties of Benauent and in a manner all the Princes and Lords of Castile and Dame Iulian de Lancastre Duchesse of Auero in Portugall Now at this day the Nobilitie of Spaine doth greatly want such places of refuge and sanctuarie and now The Nobilitie of Spain want places of refuge and sanctuary at this day the least Prouost or Marshall is sufficient to arrest the greatest Lord of the countrey yea though it were the brother of the King himselfe in so much that the Princes and Lords of Spaine doe as heartily desire to see some Realme or Prouince set at libertie as they doe their owne safetie The sorrow griefe of the Princes and Lords of Spaine to see the inuasion vsurpation of Portugal the desire they haue to see it at libertie None can tell how great an affliction and notable a misery famine is but hee that wanteth bread to eat and the Nobilitie of Spaine doth at this day with great griefe finde that to be true which they most of all feared in the time of Charles the fifth whose greatnesse they had euen then suspected and for this cause they did shew themselues mightily aggrieued at such time as King Philip did enterprise the vsurpation of Portugall Conestagio a Genouois in the booke which he hath written in fauour of the sayd Philip and which is intituled The vnion of the Realme of Portugall with the Crowne of Castile doth tell vs both the one and the other of these matters And although in that worke of his there be many true reports yet we doe know him for a great and notable Lyer and euen the very first word of that booke is an vntruth in that he hath entituled it The vnion of Portugall with the Crowne of Castile The oth of K. Philip. for king Philip in the assembly of estate which he held at Tomar in the yeare 1581. where the Portugals against their wills and by force did receiue him for their king promised and sware with a solemne oath neuer to intermingle the matter and affaires of Portugall with those of Castile The Explication of the Genealogy of the French K. now raigning The authour whereof was Frier Ioseph Texere but to keepe for euer the Monarchy of Portugall entire in the same estate and in the same manner as the kings his precessors had alwayes preserued and maintained it paying all the pensions fees and wages to all the officers of the kings house both Spirituall and Temporall in like sort as they were payd in the times of the true and good kings forepassed Somewhat of this matter a man may see in the end of the booke of Explication of the Genealogie of his most Christian Maiestie where it is spoken of the first king of Castile Moreouer the said Conestagio as a man of a maligne and peruerse spirit is a most vngratefull enemy of that nation which hath both aduanced and honoured him For wee knew him at Lisbon when he serued Anthonio Caulo and afterwards with Stephen Lercaro 3. fol. 62. a Marchant of Genoa He hath in his booke these words In Castile this succession gaue great matter whereof both to muse and to talke both in priuate and in publike for that the king caused the Estate of Portugall to be vnited to his other Realmes and Dominions not caring how nor in what fashion it were done so it were effected The which the Nobilitie tooke very ill in so much as it seeemeth that all the great men of Spaine since the time of Charles the fifth to this day could not away nor like of the greatnesse of the king because thereof it hath proceeded that hee maketh lesse reckoning of them then did the ancient kings of Castile and hee constraineth them to be equall to their inferiours as well in iustice as otherwise If Don Antonio king of Portugall were liuing hee could witnesse how after that the enemie was entred into Portugall with a huge armie and had taken Lisbon hee being then in the towne of Badaios many Lords of Castile did offer him to haue entrance into the sayd towne and did promise him all their best aide and assistance to seize vpon the enemie himselfe The which the said Prince could not effect nor put in execution for that within few dayes after he was dispossessed of all the realme in the citie of Puerto of Portugall He could also certifie vs how that seeing in these parts many great Lords of Castile did send vnto him offring him their seruice and assistance in case that he would set foot in Portugall the which matter he communicated if I bee not deceiued to the king and principall Lords of France and principally to the estate and Councell of England Notwithstanding touching this desire of libertie it is a matter which doth principally touch the Princes great Lords and Hijos de Algo of Spaine For as concerning those masters of the long robe and the rascall sort of Castilians they take a pleasure in this their slauery and seruitude vnder the king because they alone doe command and rule all and triumphing ouer others haue the principall and chiefe managing of all the affaires of the Realme yea and euen the gouernment of the king himselfe in their owne hands And although they doe hate him most extremely and doe wish ill enough to his person yet notwithstanding they doe wish so well to their owne country and doe so delight to see themselues to haue the command ouer all others that if they know any thing either in publike or in priuat which might hinder and endamage his tyrannie they will not faile onely in regard thereof to aduertise him of it such is the naturall disposition of the Castilians Iosephus de bello Iudaice lib. 1. cap. 3. who being issued and sprung
and Cardinals page 74. That tyranny is as proper naturall to the Castilian as laughter is to a man and that all which he hath in any part of the world hath bin vsurped either by his predecessors or by himselfe vniustly and by plaine tyranny and that it is now a long time since the predecessors of Philip haue vsed to serue their turne by poysoning page 76. The hatred which the Ecclesiasticall and Regular persons of Portugall haue to Philip king of Castile page 85. The nature and disposition of the Portugals page 86. Iohn the second king of Portugall the scourge and chastiser of the Castilians page 87. That the realmes of Arragon of Valencia and the Countie of Barcelona other Seigniories do appertaine of right to the Duke of Loraine and how Fernand the great grandfather of Philip was one of the maisters of Machiauell page 88. The crueltie of Philip and how he maketh no exception of persons be it Pope Nuncio Bishop c. page 89. 91. That king Philip promised fourescore thousand Duckats to haue the king Don Anthonio killed page 95. The blindnesse and inueiglement of those who beeing the followers of king Philip doe excuse and defend him page 97. Good and wholesome counsell for subiects towards their Princes page 99. The great rents and reuenues which Philip draweth yearelie from the Churches of Castile page 101. The offer made by Philip to them of the pretended Reformed religion to cause them to make warre against the late King of Fraunce page 104. How greatly Philip hath pained himselfe to trouble the estate of the French king by the meanes of some of the chiefe heads both of the one religion and of the other page 105. The reason wherefore king Philip yeelded the citie of Arzil to Muley Hamet page 107. The great difference diuersity betweene the manners of Philip king of Castile and Anthonio king of Portugall page 107. The cause why Don Anthonio refused the meanes to recouer his realme of Portugall page 109. Offers made by king Philip to Don Anthonio page 109. The explication promised by the Author page 119. Of the prouerb Jf the Cockerell had not come the Cocke had bin taken page 119. Of Auila page 121. Of Simancas page 122. The iudgement giuen by the Lackeys against the Archbishop ef Toledo page 123. Of Gelorico page 124. Of the Castle of Coimbre page 125. Of the king of Castile page 126. Of Egbert the first king of England page 132. Of the Castilians and Castile page 132 The reason why Braga entitleth it selfe Primate of Spaine page 132. Toledo Cordua and other kingâ—â—mes of new Castile set at libertie and recouered from the Mores page 132. Of the Cities of Spaine page 134. Of the townes of Spaine page 135. THE SPANISH PILGRIME OR A ROMISH CATHOLICKES DISCOVERIE By way of exhortation Wherein is shewed by good and euident reasons infallible arguments most true and certain histories and notable examples the right way and true meanes to resist the violence of the Castilian King to breake the course of his designes to abate his pride and to ruinate his puissance MOst excellent Princes they which doe make profession of wrastling or of fencing doe principally studie how to discouer the trickes and deuises vsed by their aduersaries in these kindes of exercises for that hauing once marked and taken notice of the same they doe enter into the lists and present themselues in place and doe combat with so much the more hardinesse and assurance as hauing conceiued thereby a full and assured hope to ouercome their enemies and by giuing them the foyle to gaine the prize propounded for the victory In like manner ought we in all affaires diligently to search out the originall of euery thing that we may foresee and preuent all the inconueniences which may grow therein to the intent they may not endamage vs in the time to come afterwards Now that which we in this Treatise ought most curiously to put in practise is to know and discouer the reasons which haue moued Philip King of Castile to make warre in France with so great expence and charge of his treasure with so great losse of his people and with so great decrease and diminution of his dominions especially in the Low Countries If the most Christian King Henrie the third were liuing he could say as much as a certaine stranger his seruant comming from Spaine in the yeare 1583. in the moneth of May did giue him to vnderstand and that was that the sayd King Philip seeing how his most Christian Maiestie had permitted Monsieur de Shosse the County du Brissar The reasons that moued Philip king of Castile to stir vp warres in France what opinion he hath of the French nation and other Lords and Gentlemen to goe with an army by Sea to giue aide and succour to Don Anthony the true rightfull King of the Realms of Portugall who had beene elected King according to the custome of the Portugals by all the cities and townes of the sayd Realme and by many Prouinces and Signories out of Europe being dependants of the same Realme and Kingdome The said Philip did deliberate in a solemne set Councell to stirre vp and procure a ciuill warre in France saying the French nation is at this day of such a nature and likewise the English that they neuer thinke vpon the time to come nor care for any thing but for the present and that which they haue in hand as being more desirous to gaine day by day three or foure Crownes then to keep three or foure thousand already gotten so farre are they changed from their old and naturall disposition For in former times they had a desire to goe abroad out of their owne Counttey for the succouring of Kings and Princes afflicted despoyled of their Realms and Dominions and to make warre vpon the Infidels and to chastise tyrants whereas now their thoughts are quite cleane altered and they doe set their minds altogether to the gotting of money vâ—on any conditions whatsoeuer and they are now growne to be no lesse in loue with the lasciuiousnesse and delights of their owne country then they are in dislike with the sterility and extreame heat of Spaine other discommodities of this countrey and for this cause we shall the more easily perswade and induce them to make warre within their owne countries euen against their own brethren cousins parents and countrimen rather then abroade against their enemies And for this cause I will and am resolued to spend one million of gold the more yearely to the intent I may keepe and entertaine them alwayes in domesticall and ciuill warres So that being held occupied and hauing their hands full in their owne countrey they shall not be able to resolue to passe into the Realmes and dominions of any other And so by meanes hereof shall I be able easily to preserue the Realme of Portugall to my sefle with all that doth depend
vpon it And whatsoeuer it shall cost me the keeping yet the profit will be greater then the expence for that each yeare I doe leauy thereof neare three millions of gold and continuing in the possession of the same It may be that in time I shall be able to gaine the affections and good wils of the Portugals howbeit that I know they be now at this day very contrary against me But hereafter if I get them once to be my friends and hauing with them their strong ships gallions and other vessels of warre besides the good counsell and conduct of all their sage and experienced mariners I shall make my selfe sole and absolute Lord of all the Ocean Sea and I shall cause my selfe to be redoubted and obeyed throughout the whole world and so wil I retaine keepe in my hands this realm which of all the kingdoms of Spain is of most importance to the intent I may leaue it sure peaceable to my successors This is the sum of the speech which Philip had and of the conclusions which he tooke with his counsell in the city of Tison in Nouember 1582. after the arriual thither of the Marquesse de Santa Cruce at such time as he returned victorious from the Iland of S. Michaell In the same Councell was by him also laid the first and principall stone The league of France made in imitation of that in the yeare 1463. Stephen Garibay lib. 17. cap. 10. 11 12. whereupon the late League of France was founded And there it was first by him ordained concluded and baptized in imitation of that which was so named and made by the rebels in Castile against King Henrie the fourth and which afterwards was againe reuiued in fauour of Isabell and Ferdinand his great grand parents This great designe and resolution of his was faithfully reported vnto the said King as hath beene said by this stranger his seruant with many particularities and amongst others that the Castilian had sent into France nine sundry men of purpose to corrupt with mony and faire promises the Princes Lords and Gentlemen of France of whom many were particularly named who from thence forward held the party of Philip and many which were ready to doe the like as the euent did afterwards make manifest And the said Philip to gaine likewise the Captaine Landreau had once resolued to send into France the Captaine Anthony a Portugall who being married at Rochel was at that time prisoner in the Castle of Lisbone and for this effect had granted him his life with offer of his good fauour by the meanes and procurement of the Alcade Tayade A leade is the grand Prouost of the kings house who did oftentimes repaire to the castle of purpose to see and visit him and had conference with him for a long time together Notwithstanding Philip fearing least he should discouer the practise caused him afterwards to be hanged notwithstanding the promise hee had made him This Captaine Anthony discouered the whole matter vnto a certaine personage in whom he had great trust and affiance and requested him to keepe it very secret till such time as he should be gotten into France to aduertise the most Christian king thereof and the king of Portugall vnto whom the said Captaine Anthony had praied him to communicate it as he did And as touching the Captaine Landreau he was enforced to take part with the Castilian and to accept the mony that was offred him for the safetie of his owne life whereof also he aduertised the king of Portugall who was then at Beauvais on the Sea and hauing giuen him to vnderstand to what intent he had done it he prayed him to looke to the safeguard of his person for that he was in exceeding great danger The which the said Prince Don Anthonio did within few dayes after proue to be most true and had beene taken if he had not saued himselfe with great speed as there was then taken one of his sonnes with many gentlemen Portugals of his traine by the people of the Duke de Mercaeur who did ransacke and make spoile of all that did appertaine both to him and his traine of whom some held themselues happy that they could get away in safetie Of these nine men of whom I haue spoken certaine were apprehended who discouered the whole intention of the enemy Notwithstanding as little and small reckoning was made thereof at that time as there is now at this day of any thing be it held neuer so necessary and needfull to free vs from vtter ruine and destruction Moreouer the same stranger of whom wee haue made mention did at the same time of his comming advertise the most Christian king that it was reported throughout all Spaine among all persons of any good sort and qualitie that his Catholike Maiestie had resolued to enter into league and to confederate himselfe Sir with your Maiestie and to make you great proffers to your exceeding great benefit and aduantage so that you would make warre vpon the sayd late king your predecessor Besides it was reported that he promised to giue vnto your Maiestie a pension of two hundreth thousand crownes a yeare Howbeit some say that this was onely to be for an earnest and assurance of his promises and they doe affirme this for most certaine that the two hundreth thousand crownes were all in a readinesse within a castle named Oxagaui appertaining to the Lord of Luxes not farre from Rounceual And it was further reported at the same time Philip by vnlawfull treaties laboreth to stir vp war against the French king that the said Philip to be the better assured of the amitie of your Maiestie did demaund to haue in mariage the Ladie your sister with this condition that the children which should be borne of this mariage were they sonnes or daughters should be inheritors to the realme of Nauarre and that hee would giue vnto your Maiestie in recompence the Isles of Sardinia Maiorque and Minorque and would moreouer bind himselfe to establish your Maiestie at his owne proper costs and charges king of Guyene and that he did also desire to giue you in mariage the Ladie Isabel Clare Eugeuia The practise of a good Catholike the infant of Spaine his eldest daughter together with the Duchy of Mylan promising to that effect to get a dispensation from the Pope and all such declarations as should be needfull thereunto Your Maiestie should know these things here alledged better then any other and whether the report which ran thereof at that time when he did hold treatie with you were true or no. Surely this was a great tentation but the loâ—e which your Maiestie bare to your countrey and the obligation of loyalty which you ought vnto your king had more force and interest in you then all the promises of an ambitious Tyrant The bruite which ran thereof throughout all France and also the certaine report of the ill entertainment giuen by
the Protestant Princes and most Christian King of France to free your selfe from the encombrance of this burthen now laid vpon you and to send a good armie into Spaine for as much as by such a voyage well handled and to good purpose dependeth both the safety of your selues and the ruine of your enemy If you make warre vpon your enemy within Spaine hee shall be compelled to call home all his forces not onely from France the Low Countries but al those which he hath in Lombardy Naples Sicily Sardinia and other countries The meanes to ruinaâ—e the enemy we had good proofe and experience hereof euen of late For as soone as the Castilian saw the English possessâ—d of Calice hee did incontinently send for all his gallies of Naples Sicily and Genes He sent to intreate the grand master of Maltha to send him the Gallies appertaining to the knights of the Religion Which had been done if the French Gentlemen which were of the order had not opposed themselues against it He caused in all haste the Forces which hee had in Brittaine to passe into Spaine and there is no doubt but hee had likewise called home all those which he had in other countries if the English had remained there any longer time You see then most excellent Princes that by passing into Spaine you may withdraw from oâ—er your heads the sword of the Castilian and deliuer your country from his proud yoke and tyranny But you will say the enemy hath great and puissant forces and a great number of old and expert souldiers by whose meanes albeit they be farre off yet being called backe into Spaine he will greatly endamage and annoy you and consequently your voyage may proue vnprofitable and perhaps very dangerous and so you may be enforced to retire and returne home againe not onely with shame and confusion but which is more in great trouble and extreame perill But vnto this I answer Good and sound counsell First if you do all things with prudence and good aduise you reape thereby incredible profit and commoditie and the danger will be small or none at all Secondly that in Spaine there are many places vpon the Sea coast which you may easily take and command and whose situation is so strong by nature that if they be fortified by art and the industrie of man you shall defend and keepe them with a very small charge and much more easily then the enemy doth keepe Blauet in Brittaine and those will serue you for sure places of retrait Thirdly in Spaine there are many nations which do hate the Castilian extremely for that they haue beene tyrannized either by himselfe or by his predecessors and these when they shall see themselues aided and assisted in good earnest and to purpose for the great desire which they haue to be at libertie will soone take armes against the enemie Fourthly those Souldiers which are out of Spaine being called backe by their Lord and master cannot arriue there within foure moneths at the soonest and within two moneths may you arme and furnish fit and ready for the warres all those of the countrey which will take your part For this is most certaine that the very Climate of the countrey doth helpe and aide to make them able and actiue I my selfe and many others in Portugall haue sometimes seene a company of new souldiers at their first entring into garrison to seem rather a troupe of beggers and poore rascals rather then souldiers al of them being so poore naked and miserable as we had pittie to see them and yet within foure or fiue dayes after that they haue beene new apparelled and well appointed if you had seene them settled in the garrison you would haue said that they had beene great Gentlemen and they did carrie themselues with so good a grace and countenance as if they had beene braue and old trained souldiers I doe assure you that two moneths will suffice to them of the country to make them souldiers The greatest difficultie is to make them abide and not to feare the fire of the Hargubush Moreouer the Prouinces of Spaine are rich as all the world knoweth The nature of the naturall Spaniard and the inhabitants make not any account nor reckoning of their wealth when there is any question for the recouering of their libertie For in this case they will not spare to spend it liberally as was to be seene by the offer which they made to king Philip after that the Englishmen were retired from Calice and therefore by sending of money into these quarters they will gather together fiftie thousand men of warre to passe into Spaine for their succour defence and preseruation sooner then the enemie shall bee able to cause fiue thousand to come thither from any forraine partie If any man shall say that seeing two moneths are sufficient to make the naturall Spaniards good souldiers the enemy may therfore much sooner assemble and arme a great number of men then we shall get for succour I answer I would agree thereto if there were in Spaine armes sufficient wherewith to arme and furnish them but they are so rare and daintie there to be had that there bee many great townes notably well peopled within the which a man cannot finde fiftie Hargubushes Armes very rare in Spaine And if there were any store of armes to be had yet the Spaniards in Spaine would take armes sooner and much more cheerefully for their libertie then for the seruice of one that tyrannizeth ouer them Especially the Princes and great Lords who doe desire nothing so much as that there were some realme or prouince within Spaine in full and free libertie and which might be gouerned by it selfe to the intent it might serue them for a place of refuge and sanctuarie as they had the like in times past For Spaine being in manner as an Iland at this day the Princes Spaine in maner of an IlaÌ„d Lords and Gentlemen of marke cannot easily withdraw themselues from thence by meanes whereof they are held in great slauerie and subiection When there were seuerall kings in Nauarre Arragon and Portugall if the Castilians were at any difference with their king or the Nauarrois the Arragonois or Portugals with theirs they would haue retired themselues the one to the other by whose liberalitie they were euer prouided of all things needfull and necessary for the life of man and sometimes with greater ease and commodity then in their owne countrey as it happened in the time of Fernand king of Portugall and of Henrie the second king of Castile who slue his owne naturall and lawfull brother which was the cause that County Don Fernand de Casire and Don Alvar peres de Castre his brother Men Suares Grandmaster of Alcantara Suer Iuan de Parada Gouernour of the Realme of Galatia Petro Giron Grandfather of Calatraua Alonso Giron his Nephew and many other great Lords and Gentlemen with a great number of Cities
from the race of the Iewes cannot but follow the tracke of their predecessors Today they would follow and honour Antigonus to morrow they would accuse his bountie as a crime of high treason and iudge it to bee little lesse then pride and vanitie and as traitors they abandon and forsake him accusing him before Aristobulus and so be the causers of his death and destruction And therefore most humbly I beseech your Maiesties and all Christian Princes to keepe your selues from the Castilians and not to trust them Good and sound counsell howsoeuer they shew themselues mortal and deadly enemies to their kings and do make neuer so faire semblance that they are well and heartily affected to do you seruice The common sort of Castilians Sir are so maligne and peruerse so full of pride arrogancy ambition The malitious nature of the Castilian nation tyranny and infidelity that Fernand king of Portugall being the right and lawfull heire to the Realmes of Castile and Leon and being called vpon by the people of the same kingdomes who offred to receiue him for their Lord and king the Portugals would in no wise consent therunto saying that they would not haue any thing to doe nor meddle with them no not though it were to command ouer them It was my hap one day to deuise vpon this matter with a noble man of the French kings Councell who seeming much astonished at the report thereof did make mee this answer Certainly this that you tell me doth make me not so much to maruell as that which I haue heard reported of a Fryer Preacher who in the yeare of our Lord 1576. Math. 22. preaching vpon this part of the Gospel Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God c. and thy neighbour as thy selfe said that by this precept God commanded vs not onely to loue our father and mother brothers kinsfolke friends and countreymen but euen heretikes also and strangers Iewes Paynims An example worthy the marking Moores Turkes and the Castilians themselues This happened as it was told him and this Preacher was a religious person of the order of S. Dominicke and he did Preach in a parish Chuâ—ch of Lisbon called Saint Magdalens being one of the principall Churches within the citie and there were present at it the most part of the Gouernours of the towne with many Presidents of the Parliament Councellors Gentlemen and rich Marchants The said noble man shewing himselfe greatly abashed at this report did demand of me how it could be tollerated that this should be spoken openly in the Pulpit and the religious person not punished for it Whereunto I answered that there wanted not any accusers to call him in question for it but the number of them that did beare with him and fauoured him for the franknesse and libertie of this his speech was so great Portugals hold the Castilians to be worse then Infidels that those which did accuse him could not be heard Moreouer it is an ordinary and vsuall thing with the Portugals to say That the Castilians are worse then the Infidels themselues But let them speake the worst of them they can yet will they beare and endure it because they reâ—pe great benefite and aduantage by it The which the sayd Nobleman seeing in sort to make doubt of he did thus reply vnto me Albeit I doe beleeue some part of this you say yet there resteth one thing which is as a scruple in my mind and that is in that as I haue read the Portugals and the Castilians are both of one and the same Prouince and are borne in a manner of one Stock and issued of one Root and doe speake one and the selfe-same Language that is the opinion of Conestagio Conestag lib. 1. fol. 4. pa. 2. of whom we haue before spoken But he sayth he knoweth not what for the Portugals are descended of the Gaules the Celtes and the Braccates and their Language is almost the same with the Latine Tongue But as touching the Castillians we cannot certainely say from whence they are descended Neuerthelesse the best iudgement and coniecture thereof that can be made by circumstances and euident proofes is that they are descended of the Vandals of the Iewes and of the Moores and their Language is in a manner all one with that of the Moores and their pronunciation is all one or much alike Thereof it commeth that the Castillians being in the countrey of the Saracens or of the Turkes they doe soone and very easily denie the Christian Faith and doe turne altogether Turke and Infidell True it is that the Princes great Lords and Hijos de Algo are extracted eyther from the Gothes or from the ancient Spaniards which inhabited the mountaines and the countries of Leon and of Ouiedo and the Prouince of Galitia within which is enclosed the ancient Portugall Conestagio in the same place last before recited sayth that these two Nations doe hate each other most extreamely and hee setteth downe one notable vntruth to wit The vntruth of Conestagio That the hatred of the Portugall doth farre exceed that of the Castillians which is altogether false and vntrue The Portugals doe not hate the Castillians but they abhorre their actions as most wicked and full of crueltie and tyrannie The Castillians on the contrarie because they cannot with any reason hate the actions of the Portugals for that they are good and iust they doe therefore haâ—e their persons who haue so often ouercome vanquished and ill handled them and so much the more for that their numbers were alwayes as a man may say infinite and the Portugals were very few and in comparison of them as nothing The hatred of the Castillians is so certaine against the Portugals that it is vsually spoken in manner of a prouerbe That since the battaile of Alijbarto the Castillians would neuer suffer any to preach vpon the Fryday in the first weeke of Lent on which day the Church vseth to sing that part of the Gospell Matth. 5. where it is said Loue your enemies and therefore they iudge the Portugals to be like themselues and they esteeme them to be of the same nature and disposition as they are Both the one and the others hatred may well be seene by that which Charles the fift said one day to the Colonell Ferras a Portugall who in the warres betweene the sayd Emperour and Francis the first King of France did serue on the French partie against the Imperialists The warres being ended and peace concluded betweene those two Princes the Portugall retyring himselfe into his countrey did passe by the way of Castile where he went to visit the said Charles the fift who knew him very well and did loue him for his valour and doing him great honour in his Court he stayed him there for certaine dayes with him during which time as hee was one day deuising with him very familiarly A speech of Charles the 5. to Captaine Ferras a
Portugall hee vsed this speech vnto him Captaine Ferras I would gladly know what should be the cause that made you to follow the partie of the French against me seeing wee are of one and the same Nation for albeit you be a Portugall and I a Castillian yet are we both Spaniards The Colonell made him this answere Sir when the Portugals doe trauaile abroad out of their owne countrey whether they be rich or poore their onely end and scope is to get them honour and reputation For mine owne part I had the meanes to liue honestly in my countrey like a Gentleman neuerthelesse being resolued to see the world I began to cast my account with my selfe what course I were best to take Hauing made my reckoning I conceiued with my selfe that I should purchase me more honour by bearing Armes against the greatest Captaine of the World then in taking of his part to serue against any other and for this cause I tooke Armes against your Maiestie The Emperour smyling sayd I beleeue that this is not the cause but rather the old rancour and hatred which the Portugals beare to the Castillians Portugall answered him againe in great choller Sir An excellent answere of a Portugall to Charles the 5. I sweare vnto your Maiestie That neyther for good nor for bad I trouble not my minde with the Castillians not so much as to thinke of them The Emperour making semblance as though this answere did content him did embrace him many times and often but hee iudged of the Portugall as his affection led him for hee had enough of the bloud of a Castillian by his mothers side to make him to hate him A little Leauen c. And thus may you see the vntruth of Conestagio His Historie is well written and in a good style but most false and full of passion for hee both reprehendeth and iniurieth all those of whom hee speaketh yea euen King Philip himselfe in whose fauour hee wrote it and for this cause principally it was forbidden in Portugall But leauing Conestagio now that we haue shewed how the Castillian Nation is much more maligne and peruerse then all the other people of Spaine I will tell you one thing worthy to be noted ere wee proceed which doth more neerely touch the Portugall Nation than any of the rest that is That all those Nations generally are so desirous of libertie that they doe seeke by all meanes possible to obtayne it being readie to receiue euen the Deuils themselues if they would be readie to further and fauour them in the same And yet if any strange Nation should passe into Spaine to any other end they would vse the vttermost of their endeuours to stop their passage and to hinder their entrance making little or no reckoning of their liues and much lesse of their goods and substance When I doe speake of causing strange Nations to passe into Spaine I must tell you thus much That they shall be much more welcome and finde better entertainment of the people of the Countrey when they shall be mingled many and diuers Nations together then if one should goe thither alone for that this diuersitie will take from them all conceit and suspition which they might otherwise haue that their comming were to make a conquest of their countrey and not to procure their libertie and freedome and so they would vndoubtedly receiue them ioyfully and with all assurance In like manner if the Tyrant should commaund them to goe to the warres out of their owne countrey especially if it were for their Religion they would serue him more faithfully then did Auila and Simancas in Castile or Celorico the Castle of Coimbre in Portugall For proofe hereof The meaning hereof is expounded in the end of this Treatise you may remember how in the yeere 1588. the King of Castile in his Fleet and Armie by Sea that came vpon the Coast of France sent two Regiments of Portugals each of them consisting of eight hundred men or thereabouts The loyaltie of the Portugals These forces notwithstanding that in regard of his vsurpation of the countrey they were enemies to him yet hauing promised to serue him faithfully in this voyage in the fight which they had against the Englishmen and Flemings they did make such proofe of their valour that they did farre excell all the rest of the Army in prowesse and deedes of Armes and they alone did more for the seruice of the King of Castile then all the residue of his Allyes insomuch that there was none of them who had command and gouernment in the Army that were receiued with honour by the King Catholike saue only the Portugall Colonels Portugall Colonels in the Armie of the yeere 1588. namely Gasper de Sousa and Antonie Perera The which Perera before that time had serued and fought most valiantly for the defence of the libertie of his Countrey and for the seruice of his true and naturall King against the said King of Castile at such time as hee entred into Portugall with a mightie Army to inuade it In the yeere 1582. when Don Aluar de Bassana Marquesse de Santa Cruce did encounter vpon the Sea with the Lord de Stroce those which fought best and shewed themselues most valiant was the Marquesse de Fauare Marquesse of Fauare a Portugall most true and faithfull to his Countrey and to his King and by whose counsaile and aduertisements a certaine great and excellent seruitor of the estate and of the King Don Antonio had his life preserued besides certaine other Gentlemen his countreymen Who tooke the Ship called the Reuenge The taking of the Reuenge of England belonging to the Queene of England euen Don Lewes Coutigno a Lord of Portugall who before time had beene most true and faithfull to his Countrey and for the defence of his King fighting against the Duke de Alua had receiued many mortall wounds in the battaile of Alcantara the same day that Lisbon was lost which was in the yeere 1580. and the 26. of August And for the more distinct and cleare demonstration of the truth of this matter I will recite vnto you a most true Historie In the yeere 1589. Don Anthonie King of Portugall accompanied with the Englishmen and Hollanders made a Voyage into Portugall and casting anchor in the Hauen of Penicha they of the Castle began to play with their Ordinance vpon the armie but the Captaine of the Castle Anthonio de Arauio a Portugall being ascertained that the king Don Anthonio was in that armie he forbad the Cannoniers to shoot any more and caused a white Ensigne to be put forth vpon sight whereof Don Anthonio commanded that euery man should goe on shore and take their way towards the Towne the which they did not without some resistance made by certaine companies of Castillians who in the end were forced to retyre with the losse of some of their people The first that arriued to the Towne was
the County of Essex a Prince of the bloud Royall of England and one that was adorned with many morall vertues This Lord comming to speake with the Captaine of the Castle which was vpon the Wall one of his companie sayd My Lord the Earle of Essex is come hither by the commandement of the Queene of England in whose name hee commandeth to haue the Castle rendred vnto him The Captaine answered him Philip King of Castile hath committed the keeping of this Castle vnto me and for the same I haue done him homage in regard whereof I will defend it against all those that shall seeke to dispossesse me of it and I will not yeeld it vp to any person saue to the King Don Anthonio because his it is and I acknowledge him onely for my King and Lord and if he be not in this armie as hath been told me that he is I would aduise that euery man doe retyre himselfe otherwise I shall cause you all to loose your liues Vpon this word the Countie of Essex retyred himselfe to the Sea side and there went to meete him the Lords Scipio de Figueyredo Vascoucelles late Gouernour of the Terceras and Anthony de Brito Pimentell and other Gentlemen Portugals of the Kings trayne who vnderstanding by the Count the speech of the Captaine went on directly to the Castle and assured the Captaine that the King Don Anthonio their Lord was come thither Within a while after the King arriuing there and calling the Captaine who knew him by his speech hee made him this answere Sir I come to open the gates vnto your Maiestie The port being opened he kneeled downe before the King and kissing his hands The yeelding of the Castle of Penicha deliuered him the Keyes of the Castle This is most true that if he would haue held good the English armie had not bin able to haue taken that Castle it was so well furnished and prouided of artillerie and all things necessarie for besides great store of Iron peeces there were 85. of Brasse All these examples doe shew euidently how faithfull the Portugals are to them to whom they haue once promised and plighted their faith and fidelitie And for as much as I know that your Maiesties haue conceiued an opinion of me as of a person giuen to be somewhat curious and who is acquainted with the accidents which passed in this Voyage and that your Maiesties haue a desire to vnderstand what was the cause why Don Anthonio did not continue in Portugall and what made him to render vp this Castle and other places which were impregnable and to returne into England with his armie without doing any other act of any worth and with the losse of the greatest part of his companie with which he was embarked I will briefely recount the successe of this Iourney crauing many particularities because to count them all it would require much more time then is requisite for the finishing of this Treatise I say then that as God when he chasteneth humbleth great Estates and Monarchies doth suffer and permit for the sinnes of the people such as are like Pharao's Nabuchodonozors Caligula's Nero's and Dioclesians vsing them as his executioners and hangmen as Attila called himselfe the Scourge of God and Tamerlan the Wrath of God so it seemeth he hath permitted that K. Philip should be his minister the executioner of his wrath anger and that in his secret iudgement beyond all apparance of humane reason his will is not yet that Portugall should be deliuered and set at libertie for it is not possible that men should be so blinded to their owne losse and destruction as they were in this Voyage if the Diuine puissance had not blinded them by taking away the vse of their sence and vnderstanding The greatest part of the Armie was embarked at Douer The declaration of the Portugall Voyage in the yeere 1589. the 24. of March and from thence went to Plimmouth From thence they departed all together the 29. of Aprill at which time perceiuing their numbers to be greatly diminished by the contagion that was amongst them in stead of taking the direct way to Portugall they set their course for the Groine where the most part of the souldiers died and all the best Canoniers insomuch that their forces were much abated and they gaue thereby good leysure vnto the enemie both to send fresh men into Lisbon and to draw out of Portugal those who were any way suspected as they did indeed take from thence more then an hundred Lords and Gentlemen of marke Noble men taken out of Portugall by the Castillian who were all of them very contrarie to him and by their absence were greatly missed both of their King and countrey They came to the Groine the sixt of May where they were till the twentieth on which day they did againe take shipping and set sayle towards Portugall where they tooke land at Penicha the sixe and twentieth From thence hauing left in the Castle certaine souldiers with Anthonie de Brito Pimentell aboue named who is the chiefe of the House of the Pimentels of Spaine and about 800. sick men they tooke their way the Generall Drake by Sea and the Lord Generall Norris by Land with 35. or 40. horse and some 6000. foot so ill armed that a good part of them wanted their Swords and there was not of them aboue 50. Corslets the cause whereof was want of Waggons and Carriages for to carry them ouer the land and the souldiers themselues were constrained to carry their powder on their shoulders Besides many of them at their departure out of their lodgings had left their Pikes and some their Harquebuses loading themselues with pots bottels of Wine which they found there in great abundance Wine marreth all the which in very truth did the more hinder and endomage them for by meanes hereof they fell into diuerse diseases and died in great numbers the English Nation not being accustomed to drinke Wine alwayes their Beere is not so strong a kind of drinke The day following 3. leagues before their arriuall to a Towne called Loires Vedras the keyes of the Castle were brought to the king Don Anthonio which Castle is so strong that 20. men with necessarie munitions may keepe defend it against 100000. All the way along to Lisbon which is 60. good miles there was not one Castillian that durst appeare and 7. horsemen English did put to flight 60. Castillians From thenceforth many Portugals came to kisse the hands of their King in great abundance notwithstanding for that they came without armes hauing beene before disarmed and for that there was no body of whom they might get or haue any neither for loue nor money howbeit that they brought with them good store of siluer purposely to that effect they did the most part of them returne againe to their owne houses and there could not be armed of them aboue one thousand foot and
120. horse with Lances and targets notwithstanding that the number of them which came was in a manner infinite Amongst whom there were many Gentlemen of good reâ—â—oning who because they were not clothed in Veluet and Satin but plainly after the fashion of the countrey were not knowne nor acknowledged by the strangers to be of that qualitie On the Friday the second of Iune The armie arriueth at Lisbon they came in the night time to Lisbon and were lodged in the suburbs of Saint Katherine which are so great that there were aboue 12000. persons of the Armie lodged there all at large and yet they held not the third part thereof The officers of the king Don Anthonio found A great suburbs that the Marchandize in this suburbs was worth more then foure millions to wit spices drugs sugers wines flesh corne 4. Millions of marchandize of the suburbs of Lisbon Biskets and other prouisions as Sir Roger Williams an English Colonell who was in this armie did witnesse afterwards in the towne of Manthu in the presence of many persons of good quality affirming that he had entred into most of the houses of the sayd suburbs with an English Marchant which is come forth of the citty and that the Marchandizes which he saw there were worth aboue sixe millions This suburbe is toward the West Lisbon 6. Millions in the which they were lodged contrary to the resolution which they had before set downe in a Councell held the day before about two leagues from the citie which resolution was that they should haue encampâ—d on the East side of the citie for two reasons one was to hinder the enemy that they should not haue any succours by land for that the armie by sea being on the West side and the sea vpon the South side and the mountaines of Sintre on the North side they could not possibly haue any intelligence from any part The other reason was for that being in that quarter on the East side they should cleare and free the way for the good people of Portugall to come and to haue recourse vnto their king Now in that they tooke vp their lodging on the West part was an occasion that the enemy might safely and at pleasure sally out of the towne with two hundred horse A sally of the Castilians who slew and tooke prisoners many Portugals and a great quanrity of victuals which were sent by the townes that tooke part with the king and they were an hindrance also to many others that they could not come to ioyne with him The Saterday following the third of Iune about two or three houres after mid day there issued out of the citie about two hundred horse and eight hundred foot some of the which entring within the streets of the suburbs and crying aloud God saue the king Don Anthonie The great negligence of the officers of the armie they came euen vnto one of the courts of Guard and there slue to the number of thirteene or foureteene for that they were lodged in the street without any Baricadoâ— made for the fortitying of their lodgings Notwithstanding the Portugals which followed the king hauing discouered them to be Castilians and not Portugals did giue the Alarme so hotly that a regiment of Englishmen with certaine Portugals making out towards the enemy did charge him with that fury that they made them betake themselues to plaine flight The repulse flight of the Castilians and slue of them vpon the place sixescore besides that they tooke fortie or fiftie of their horses and the flight of the Castilians was so hastie and headlong that in their entry into the Citie they left the gate of Saint Antan wide open In this encounter died an English Cauallier Colonel of a regiment named Bret a braue man and had great experience in the art Militarie Now for that the Generall Drake did not enter within the port or hauen of the citie vntill the Sunday following as was before resolued hee should haue done and for that also the most part of the souldiers had neither match nor powder left saue onely for the discharge of some two or three volley of shot The siege raised from before Lisbon the Lord Generall Norris was constrained to raise the siege and to retire his forces the Monday morning without any other thing attempted against the city The hope of the Portugals within the which the Portugals did expect to haue seene the ladders raised vp against the walls for to haue made an assault vpon the Castilians Don Rodrigo de Lobo executed by the Castilians in Lisbon And for this very cause the same day that the campe did rise Don Rodrigo Lobo a Gentleman issued of an honourable house and brother to the Baron de Aluito which is the onely Baron in Portugal a great Lord was made prisoner and lost his head The same monday being the fifth of Iune the army came to Cascais from whence they of the army made certaine sallies against the enemy who were so terrified that 50 Musquetiers English and 7. horsemen Portugals made 200. horse Castilians to dislodge from a village within a league and a halfe of Cascais and to flie to Lisbon in such post hast that they left behind them part of their Arms and baggage and their dinner ready dressed The Castle of Cascais rendred to the K. After that the Castle Cascais being rendred the King and the Generals in a councell held the twelfth of that moneth about noone whereat were present the Count de Essex with many other Lords all the chiefe Commanders of the Armie they resolued to returne againe to the Citie of Lisbon the day following which was the day of S. Anthonie A Councell held to returne to Lisbon a Portugall by birth surnamed Saint Anthonie of Padoa their resolution was thus set downe That the Lord Generall Norris with all such souldiers as are sound and lustie should march by land and in his company should bee the king and that the Generall Drake with the Mariners and all the hurt and sicke souldiers and such Gentlemen as were not able to march by land should goe by sea And to put the enemy in the greater disorder and confusion they should cause 2to passe on the other side of the Sea 300. Portugals and 800. English Which if they had put in execution without all doubt they had gained the Cittie notwithstanding that there were within it more then foure thousand Castilians who had conceiued a notable feare of the English and Portugals which were with the king and they of the cities likewise The victorie at the Groine as knowing well that at the Groigne 800. English with 200. Hollanders and few Portugals had defeated 10000. of their people amongst whom there were some thousand old souldiers which lay there and were the remainder of the Armie by sea set forth the yeere before besides the Countie de Andrada
the Countie de Altimira and the Leane of S. Iames de Compostella and many other Gentlemen insomuch that they of the citie had resolued that as soone as they should see the Fleet and sea forces of the English to passe the Tower of Bethleem or the Armie by land to giue an assault vnto the citie the Cardinall of Austria would haue embarked himselfe with all his people to passe on the other side of the sea and for this purpose they held all the Gallies and many barkes in a readinesse to set saile Amongst which there were many hired for 300 duckats for the passage of three leagues onely This counsell being ended and Drake himselfe being a boord the ship called the Reuenge did set saile about three houres after noone and tooke his course towards Lisbon Some thought he went to see the channell of Alcacena which is an entry into the Hauen by which men do commonly passe which would auoyd the danger of the Tower of S. Iulian because in this councell where had beene called many old Pylots Portugals Tower of S. Iulian. who were very expert and well acquainted in that sea it was resolued that the Fleet and sea forces should enter that way for their more surety besides that at that time there was water enough for them by reason of the coniunction of the Moone Drake taketh the Sea contrary to the resolution taken in counsel and the winde also was very fauourable vnto them Notwithstanding Drake when it grew towards euening turned the head of his ship to the Westward by reason he was aduertised that there passed by a Fleet of thirty saile of Esterlings of the which hee tooke 25. or 26. But this hindered the resolution formerly taken so as it sorted not to that effect which was purposed And it constrained the Lord Generall Norris The embarking of the army for England the King and the Earle of Essex to embarke themselues the day following and to take the Sea where they met with Drake the Friday following I suppose that this short Discourse which I haue here set downe without specifying of any other the particularities of this expedition will suffice to satisfie the desire of your Maiesties and to shew the cause why there was nothing done in Portugall and that Gods will was not as yet to re-establish her by the meanes of this voyage And I say moreouer that the principall cause The reason why so many faults were committed in the English Armie for Portugall why so many faults and ouersights were committed and that nothing was performed or put in execution according as had been resolued in councell was because this armie was leuiâ—d by Merchants whereas in matters of this kinde Princes onely ought to employ themselues and that with a setled and aduised deliberation in such sort that there ought not any name of an army to be vsed but by and from them onely and they ought to haue more interest therein then any other and ought to be at the whole and onely costs and charges both of leuying and maintaining of all armed forces And last of all to them alone doth belong the choyse and election both of the Heads and Leaders and of one Generall and chiefe Commander vnto whom as to the Soueraigne all the others should be subiect and obedient See then the reason why the Lord Generall Drake being named and sent by Merchants who were most ingaged in this voyage did frame himself to do that which they would and what came into his owne braine and fancy rather then that which the other Lord Generall Norris did well and wisely aduise and counsell him who was a man of singular experience wisdome and vnderstanding as well in politike gouernment as in deeds of Armes and all matters of warfare For this worthy Lord did striue and labor by all meanes conuenient to haue made a longer abode in Portugall both in the quarters of Lisbon and elsewhere but after that the army had once set sayle the said Lord General Norris could not from thence forward by any entreaties perswade Drake to set foot on land againe in Portugall and not so much as to take one Citie where it was wel knowne that there was not any forces nor any resistance made neyther was there any meane for the enemie eyther to haue succoured it or after the taking thereof to besiege it for one yeere at the least Besides that with the same it is most certaine that they might haue found in Gold Siluer Silkes and Clothes more then a million of Duckats Moreouer the said place might easily haue beene fortified and by that meanes might haue commanded many other places and afterwards money being sent into France England Holland and other parts they might haue leuied and led thither aboue fiftie thousand souldiers sooner then the enemie could haue gotten together fiue thousand And this I thinke will suffice for your Maiesties to vnderstand that which you desire in this behalfe But now let vs returne to the purpose which wee had in hand We haue said that by this one example it may easily be perceiued how faithfull and loyall the Portugall Nation is to them vnto whom they do once promise faith and loyaltie and therefore God graunt that they doe not accord nor vnite themselues to the Castilian and that neyther your Maiesties nor the other Princes and Potentates of Europe doe not consent nor permit them to doe it nor doe giue them occasion to lose the hopes which they yet haue of their libertie And you ought not to attend or stay vpon the death of Philip for it may be that the Portugall will more easily accord with the sonne then with the father And further as the Monarchie of the Castillian is neyther gouerned nor conserued with the sword but by good and sage counsaile so albeit he should die yet the same counsaile continueth and remaineth still Besides for these many yeeres of late it hath beene gouerned without his presence and therefore there is little or no hope for any great change or alteration by his death Now of what great weight and importance this matter will be Don Francisco de Ivara the father of Don Diego de Ivara lately Embassadour at Paris during the League did confesse and make knowne vnto a French Gentleman at Madril in the yeere 1579. The Gentleman is yet liuing and can testifie the truth of that which I will now tell you The said Francis demaunding of that Gentleman who was then newly come from Barbarie where the late King had sent him for certaine of his affaires what newes hee brought out of that Countrey his answere was That the Moores were in a notable feare by reason they had intelligence that the King Catholike did leuie a great Armie to passe into Barbarie to reuenge the death of his Nephew the King Don Sebastian The speech of a Spanish nobleman to a French Gentleman Whereunto the sayd Francis replyed It is not
amisse that the Moores should be in feare but it were more meet that the King your Maister did vnderstand to what end this Armie is leuyed for in very deede it is for Portugall The most Christian king and all the Princes and Potentates of Europe haue great reason to hinder that the Portugals doe not accord with the Castillians and that they giue them no occasion to lose the hope of their libertie And if the King Catholike my Lord doe make himselfe Maister of that Realme as hee verily hopeth for hee holdeth it in a manner as alreadie wrought and practised hee will bring to passe that not onely the most Christian King shall be inferior and tributarie vnto him but also all the other Princes of Europe shall bee subiect vnto him especially the seuen vnited Prouinces of the Low Countreyes and the Pope with all the Court of Rome shall doe nothing but what seemeth good vnto him because hauing added vnto his Empire the Monarchie of Portugall who can be able to resist him For this reason it will concerne the most Christian King and all other Christian Princes to ioyne themselues together as in a common cause for that otherwise the King my Maister will make himselfe Lord and the vniuersall Monarch of all the World whereby they shall be his subiects and wee shall be his slaues and vassalls perpetually This that wee haue here left recited doth prooue that which was before spoken and therefore to returne to the matter in hand I say in the fifth and last place that whensoeuer a great and puissant army shall be raised to passe into Spaine be the charge neuer so great if it do nothing else then wast and spoile the countrey and take some few cities and townes and if in regard thereof the Castilian be enforced to call home his forces which he holdeth in these parte of Europe for his owne defence though the comming of those his forces should cause our army to retire yet I should hold this for a very great benefit because that which cannot now be done with an hundred will then be done with ten men and the charge and expences will bee still lesse and lesse But it may be that some of your Maiesties subiects will say vnto me that this is a matter of great difficultie and at this time especially very hard to be done for that hauing the enemy here at hand euen at our backes there were small reason for vs to transport our forces into foraine parts This a good doubt and may be some trouble to men of a shallow and small vnderstanding and such as haue little iudgement to discourse vpon the state of matters but to them which know the depth and ground of things it will carry no apparance of danger But to the intent the trueth may the better appeare let vs reason together each with other by way of demanding and answering as is vsed in the Schooles A discourse or reasoning betweene the Author and a Frenchman touching the passing of an Armie into Spaine The Subiect Be it so if you please for I will heare you with a right good will The Pilgrim Say then what is it that you thinke will endamage you Subiect The enemy with his forces and with his intelligences Pilgrim But if you finde a meane to disnest him from hence who then can hurt you afterwards Subiect No body Pilgrim Doe then as I haue told you and without doubt the enemy will be gone from you Subiect That cannot bee Pilgrim Wherefore Subiect Wherefore say you How would you that we should goe into a strange and foraine country to warre vpon others and leaue our owne country in the power and puissance of our enemies If we send our forces into Spaine as you would perswade vs we should be vtterly vndone as I haue giuen you to vnderstand Pil. Good God how are you without iudgement and vnderstanding Take that which I tell you as I speake it and not as you conceiue it and answer me to one question categorically If there were now an armie raised to goe into Spaine to the making whereof let France spare some foure or fiue thousand men England three or foure thousand the Estates of Holland Zeland Freezland and all the rest of their Allies two or three thousand besides ships of which they haue great store and let some other Princes Potentates and Common-weales disburse some proportion of money for the aiding and furthering of this enterprise to these adde three or foure thousand Zwitzers or Lance knights and then tell me shall France bee vnprouided or shall England be dispeopled or shall the Estates be vnfurnished of men and shipping and without meanes to keepe the Seas or shall the other Princes and common-weales be reduced to such misery that they shall be vnable to hold their ordinary course in their affaires and proceedings but rather as they may well spare twice so many men to furnish them to passe into Spaine out of the seuerall Kingdomes and yet they are sufficient to imploy greater forces into other his dominions in the West and neuerthelesse powerfully maintaine their owne Sub. No I think not so Pilg. Why then doe you not that which concerneth you so neere and whereof dependeth the whole and onely remedy of your mischiefe and misery and wherein you for your part haue a greater interest then any of the rest Sub. Marry sir to make vp these thousands of men which you speak of there must be had great store of mony which will as hardly be had as they that haue it will be loth to depart with it Pilg. O how blind is this people and how deuoyd of counsell and prudence is this nation O that they would be wise and that they would vnderstand and prouide for things to come Our towne which the enemy may take to morrow next doth it not import vs more then 300000. crownes which is the most that wee shall neede for the furnishing of 4. or 5. thousand men If after the taking of Laon and the reducing of so many good townes there had been imployed 200000 crowns which are demanded for this enterprise it may bee you should haue had by this time more then three milllions in your purse and you should not haue lost al these towns in France of so great import Cambray Dourlan Calice Ardes Amiens and many other places with your great Admirall and so many braue gentlemen and Captaines which are now dead would stil haue liued to speake in French Moreouer doe not excuse your selfe and say for your discharge that a man cannot diuine what will follow for you haue beene too too much forewarned of matters as they haue fallen out and there is yet liuing a Lord one of the Councell who at Fountaine Belleau in May 1595. did by all meanes he could possibly deuise perswade the vndertaking of this enterprise alledging so many reasons and so euident that he plainly shewed how greatly it did import France
touching your incredulitie and the opinion which you haue that the loue of a mans countrey doth easily deceiue them and make the remedie of their miseries and seruitude to seeme easie surely wee may with good reason call this incredulitie a blind â—nueiglement and darknesse of vnderstanding and therefore I come once againe to say as I haue sayd and I doe againe and againe aduise you That to send a good and well conducted Armie into Spaine or other parts of his Dominions will be the onely meane to resist and withstand the enemie to breake the course of his designes to beat downe his pride and to destroy his puissance And albeit that this may well be granted to follow by that which hath beene aboue spoken yet I will proue it by one other example onely which being most true maketh very much to our intended purpose Henry Count of Trastamara The Histories of Castise Portugall England c. the bastard sonne of Alphonsus the Iusticier by the aide of the French had slaine the King Don Pedro his lawfull brother Of this Peter there remayned two daughters The youngest Isabel espoused Edmond de Langley the fifth sonne of Edward the third King of England This Edmond hauing gotten sundry victories in fauâ—ur of the Portugals who accompanied him against the Castillians in Spaine did manage those affaires with such prudence and wisdome that he constrayned the sayd Henry King of Castile to accept and receiue of Fernand King of Portugall who was in a manner brought to vtter destruction both he and his whole Realme such conditions of peace as were most ignominious and dishonourable and very preiudiciall both to himselfe his vassalls and subiects In regard of which his notable deedes and deserts the said Edmond was afterwards made Duke of Yorke by Richard the second King of England his Nephew the sonne of Edward the Blacke Prince his eldest brother in a Parliament holden at Westminster in the yere of Christ 1386. Of these two Edmond and Isabell descended the Queene of England likewise named Isabell The other daughter being the eldest of King Peter and called Constance espoused Iohn of Gaunt the fourth brother of the sayd Edmond both by father and mother and Duke of Lancaster by his first wife Blanche who had by him Henry the fourth afterwards King of England and two daughters of which the eldest Philip was Queene of Portugall the wife of Ivan the Bastard Of John of Gaunt and Constance was borne one onely daughter called Katherine of whom we shall hereafter make further mention The said John of Gaunt in regard of his wife Constance did entitle himselfe King of Castile and Leon Guaribay lib. 15. cap. 25. and for the obtayning of his right to that Kingdome hee passed from Gascoigne which was then vnder the Dominion of the English into Spaine with eighteene thousand footmen and two thousand horse where with the aide of the Portugals who were his good friends he tooke the Groigne From thence he went into Portugal out of which he entred into Castile marching euen to the Citie of Burgos which was distant from the place of his departure more then a hundred and twentie Leagues The entry and inuasion of the English with the Portugals into Castile And from the time of his first arriuall he tooke and made himselfe Lord of all the Cities Townes and Castles which hee found in his way besides such as being farther off did come to render and yeeld themselues for very feare and terror And he might easily haue passed on much further if his people had not died who by reason of their disorder which they kept and by their ill rule and demeaning of themselues were oppressed with extreame famine whereof ensued this plague and pestilence amongst them And they were reduced to such necessitie of Victuals The amitie of the French and English out of their owne Countreyes that they were constrayned to haue recourse euen to the Campe of their enemies where then was in fauour of the King Iohn of Castile Lewes Duke of Burbon accompanied with the French forces of whom they demaunded reliefe for the sustentation of their poore and wretched liues The which being perceiued by John the Bastard then elected King of Portugall he complayned to the Duke of Lancaster telling him that he held it not good nor conuenient that his souldiers should goe to entreat with the enemie affirming that these might more endomage him then the others and that therefore he should immediately recall them and forbid them to haue any communication conference or parley with any of the contrary party otherwise that hee would fight against them altogether The valour of Iohn the Bastard King of Portugall Thomas Walsingham and would cause them all to be put to the sword the one for the loue of the other Thomas Walsingham an English Historiographer doth set it downe in these very words and he sayth that the King of Portugall had then with him foure thousand Portugals well armed Some haue esteemed the saying of this Historiographer as very ridiculous or as a meere Brauado onely The valour of the Portugals but they are much deceiued for these foure thousand Portugals hauing their King for their Chiefetaine and Leader had beene sufficient to defeat twentie thousand Castillians The same King with fiue thousand An Historie worthie the marking and so many Portugals and a hundred and fiftie Englishmen did defeat the said Iohn King of Castile both of them being present in person in the battaile of Aljibarot and put him to flight hauing with him foure and thirtie thousand fighting men of the which died vpon the place twelue thousand and there were of prisoners ten thousand taken by foure thousand and so many Portugals and a thousand Englishmen who remained masters of the field for there died in the fight about a thousand Portugals and fiue hundred English who fought as if they had beene Lyons About the same time Don Nunalvres Pereira This Historie is well worthie the marking the battell was called the battel of Valverde Constable of Portugall with three thousand footmen and a thousand horse defeated fiue and twentie thousand Castillians and slew and tooke the principall and chiefe men of Castile The same King before that he came to reigne and afterwards had many victories vpon his enemies no lesse admirable then that other insomuch that a certaine Nobleman of Castile being in speech one day and deuising with his King which was the said John he sayd vnto him Sir I cannot conceiue the cause why the King of Portugall with so few men hath so often vanquished you seeing that you haue alwayes had fiue or six against one of them The King answered him The cause is for that the King of Portugall doth fight against me being accompanied with his children and I combat against him being accompanied with my subiects I am King and Lord of Castile and hee is King and Lord of the
Portugals Euen so did the valiant Alphonsus Henriques the first King of Portugall begin to entitle himselfe King and Lord of the Portugals An honorable testimonie of the loyaltie of the Portugals This valour of the Portugals was not then at that time onely but it hath still continued euen to this day for wee our selues haue seene in the yeere 1580. how the King Don Anthonio with lesse then fiue thousand footmen Portugals being but euen nouices in Armes and young souldiers did defend himselfe for many dayes against more then twentie thousand old souldiers of the Duke de Alna In the yeere following on the fiue and twentieth of Iuly being S. James his day Scipio de Figueiredo de Vasconcelles a Gentleman whose valour and fidelitie is well knowne and of whom there is often mention made in Histories being Gouernour of the Iles of Assores hee defended himselfe in plaine field with lesse then foure hundred Portugals against more then a thousand Castillians whom Don Petro de Valdes had made to take land in the I le of Terceras neere to the citie of Angra The Portugals were no souldiers but mechanicall persons handycrafts men and labourers and amongst them there were not ten Gentlemen for the Gouernour had left them in the Towne for the defence and gouernment thereof The Castillians were old souldiers amongst whom as is reported there were two hundred men who had beene Commanders in Armies of Castile and they fought from foure houres after morning till foure of the night at which time they caused a great quantitie of Kine to be driuen downe from the Mountaines with the which they brake the rankes and order of the Castillians to the intent they might come to handy-strokes with them and by this stratageme comming to the sword A good stratageme they ouerthrew them Some of the said Castillians saued themselues by swimming many were drowned and there were buried by iust account 875. A notable victorie of the Portugals vpon the Castillians Conestagio 8. fol. 234. pag. 1. Of the Portugals were slaine by the hand of their enemies fifteene and by the fall of a wall sixe and some hurt The famous Conestagio doth recount this Historie otherwise but falsely howbeit that hee confesseth that there were slaine sixe hundred Castillians and thirtie Portugals But I haue heard what passed in this encounter of many Gentlemen Spaniards my countreymen who were present at it and especially of one that was borne in Valentia named Don Gasper who saued himselfe by Sea being sore hurt and of a Drumme that was a Castillian and of a Portugall borne in Villa Vicosa the which two onely had their liues saued being found vpon the Sea-shore after the heat of the fight was past There died one of the nephewes of the Duke de Alua and one of the nephewes of the Marquesse de Santa Cruce and a nephew of the aboue-named Don Pedro de Valdes and that renowned Philip Hartada an Arragonnois and seuentie more of such as were the eldest brethren of sundry good Houses of whom a good part were neere neighbours to Salamanca To be briefe there died all the flower of Castile for that they seeing how Portugall was yeelded vnto them so easily and hauing heard that the Iles were very rich and that the East Indie Fleet was like to fall into their hands and being allured with the late sacke of the suburbes of Lisbon which was valued at three Millions they had embarked themselues for this seruice as cheerefully as if they had beene going to a Wedding This is a thing well knowne that foure or fiue young Portugals from betweene eighteene and twentie yeeres of age did at Lisbon with their Swords and Cloakes onely make no account of a dozen of Castillians By these reasons men may vnderstand that that which Walsingham sayth is not a ridiculous thing much lesse a Brauado But returne wee to that wee had in hand Within a few dayes after there came certaine Embassadours to the Duke of Lancaster sent from the King of Castile who in all humilitie did demaund to haue peace but the Duke would not hearken vnto them Notwithstanding hunger and the pestilence constraining him to retyre into Portugall to the Towne of Trancoso they came againe to seeke him out being sent thither vnto him the second time by the said John King of Castile with their former request shewing vnto the Duke by many good reasons and arguments the great profit which would ensue of a good peace made betweene them The Castilian demandeth peace of the Duke of Lancaster in all humilitie Thereupon did the Duke giue them audience and in the end did accord to their demand howbeit that it was full sore against his will First because he was giuen to vnderstand that the King of Portugall was willing to haue it so And secondly which in effect was the thing that did most vrge him because he was aduertised that the troubles and warres began afresh betweene the French and the English and that there were certaine Seditions growne in England by reason whereof hee should not be able to haue any fresh succours from thence The Castilian constrained to receiue conditions to his disaduantage whereof it seemed he had then great want and the mortalitie which was in his Armie did now threaten him that hee should haue need of a further supply The accord therefore was made betweene the King and the Duke in this sort That Henry the eldest sonne of Iohn named Prince of Castile should espouse Katherine the onely daughter of the said Duke and of Constance his wife and that they two should succeed in the Realmes of Castile and Leon and other his Seigniories That the King should endow both the Mother and the Daughter as he did giuing to the Mother the Citie of Guadalaiara Medina del Campo and Ouiedo and afterwards being with her in the said Towne of Medina he gaue her Hueta also and to the daughter for her Dowrie hee gaue the Esturies making and naming her Princesse and his sonne Prince of Esturie And from that time forward the eldest sonne of the Castillian King hath alwayes borne and had the surname of this Principalitie as of Dauphine in France the Dolphin Besides it was couenanted That he should giue vnto the Duke sixe hundred thousand Franks of Gold for his returne into England and fortie thousand Franks of yeerely rent during the liues of him and his wife Iohn of Castile accepted all these conditions and that very gladly for albeit he had France and the Frenchmen also on his side and the King of Arragon likewise with whose sister hee had beene marryed of whom was borne the said Prince Don Henry and Fernand who was afterward king of Arragon All Spaine with the succors of France against Portugal which gained notwithstanding against all right and equitie and to the preiudice of the true and lawfull heires and had also Charles the third king of Nauarre to his
in all Europe Frier Ioseph Texere a Portugal his commendation and knowne of all the Princes of Christendome both Ecclesiasticall and secular and especially in France where the chiefest and greatest persons of the realme and all men of honour doe loue and gladly entertaine him for his honest conuersation faire conditions and singular doctrine be being a man the most accomplished in the knowledge of histories and in the genealogies of great personages of any liuing at this day as his workes and ordinarie communication doe sufficiently testifie J doe much wonder at the patience of this religious man who being so exquisitely seene and practised in histories so expert in matters of State and so iealous of his honour as we know him to be that he doth not set hand to his pen and write not onely against the errours and vntruthes of this Jew but euen against the Catholike Maiestie also seeing it was his Maiestie that caused this false and infamous booke of Censures whereof we speake to be made against him and he did auow the same by his priuiledge giuen thereunto in the yeare 1590. permitting the sayd Jew to imprint the sayd booke intreating of the Genealogie of the Kings of Portugall after he had translated it into the Castilian tongue out of another which he had formerly made in Latine by the commandement of the said King Catholike in the which booke the Jew did of set purpose forget to name and set downe amongst them that died Don Emanuel de Meneses otherwise de Almada Bishop of Coimbre and another Bishop Don Aires de Silua Bishop of the Citie of Port and cousen german to the Regedour of Portugall which is a dignitie representing throughout all that Kingdome the person of the King in all causes of Iustice both ciuill and criminall both which Bishops were issued of the royall House of Portugall so were also the Baron of Portugall and the County de Prado with his eldest sonne besides some other Lords and Princes neere kinsmen vnto the Kings of Spaine The residue of them which remained vnslaine in Barbarie the Castilian with gifts and faire promises had so corrupted that they desired nothing more then to deliuer vp the Realme vnto him The chiefe force of Portugall wherein it consisteth The Knights of the Launce which are those whom we in France call Esquiers and in whom consisteth the greatest force of Portugall did in a manner stand still looking on not hauing any other commandement The negligence of the king Don Anthonio and his counsell which was long of the negligence of the King Anthonio and his Councell who did alwayes shew themselues very vnresolute and inconstant in the administration of their affaires by meanes whereof the Realme of Portugall is fallen into this so piteous and miserable estate not knowing how to recouer her former liberty there was none that had any faithfull affection or desire to oppose themselues against the enemy saue onely the Ecclesiasticall and Regular persons and some few of the nobility And though the people who were both without experience and without armes were likewise of the same affection yet had the Castilian by his policy and fraudulent deuices drawne them into his power by giuing out a false bruit and report that the Souldiers which did then leuy and assemble in Castile were onely to passe into Affricke against the Infidels for to reuenge the death of his Nephew Don Sebastian which notwithstanding were in very deed for Portugall as the successe did make manifest for hee began to make those his preparations for that attempt as soone as the King Don Sebastian did beginne to make prouision for his voyage to whom he hauing promised fiue thousand Souldiers and fifty Gallies when it came to the issue that hee should haue had them Conestagio l. 1. fol. 18. pa. 1. he vtterly refused to giue him any to the intent he might the sooner attaine to that hee desired And besides falling to an accord and agreement with Muley Maluco hee promised in the treaty made with him that he would abandon the poore King of Portugall The Castilian king accordeth with an infidel and to that effect did the Mooâ—e promise him certaine Townes in Barbary which he had before offered to the said Sebastian vpon condition hee should not giue any aide or succours to Mahumet Xeriffe But that Prince would not accept them saying that hee had passed his word to the said Xeriffe to helpe him Surely Sebastian was more true of his promise then his Vncle Philip who to compasse his affaires the beteer and to get that into his hands which he had of a long time most ardently desired did assure his owne doings by the breach of his conscience The Infidelity of the Castillian King his faith and his promise in refusing to giue those succours which hee had promised vnto Sebastian and more then that in commanding by a publike Edict or Proclamation that none of his Subiects should follow him nor serue vnder him in that voyage And this doth Conestagio giue vs euidently to vnderstand in his second Booke Conestagio lib. 2. fol. 34. pag. 1. where hee saith At that time there arriued in the Campe the Captaine Francisco de Aldana who had promised the King Sebastian to serue him in that iourney who to that effect had gotten leaue and licence of the King Catholike which no other could obtaine of him The Translator Conestagio writeth that Philip meeting with Sebastian at our Lady de Guadelupe Idem lib. 1. fol. 14. pag. 2. did not disswade him from the enterprise of Barbary but onely that hee should not goe thither in person for Philip knowing the generosity of this young Prince saw very well that if he did once vndertake this voyage there would nothing hinder him but that himselfe would goe in proper person and therefore to the intent he might conceale his ill intent and so excuse himselfe to the World hee did in shew discounsell him from going but not from vndertaking of the enterprise It seemeth that his Sorcerers by the meanes of the Diuell who is very skilfull in coniectures had prognosticated vnto him the losse and ouerthrow of the Christians Thus you may see how euen before the departure of this poore Prince he did then prepare himselfe to swallow vp and deuoure that morsell which hee so much esteemeth and loueth and for preseruation whereof he is at great costs and expences The Castilian to keepe Portugall to himselfe doth worke many mischiefes to all Christendome and feareth not to worke exceeding great mischiefes vnto all Christendome and to make peace with the Infidels to the intent hee may the more commodiously make warre vpon the Christian in so much that hee doth euen now triumph in the good successe which the Turke hath against them His reason is because seeing how the Popes holinesse hath embraced and receiued to fauour the most Christian King whose ruine he desired more
then his owne proper safety and that the Princes of Italy doe seeke his friendship and amity which I hope they will doe continually in regard of the publike good that may ensue thereby he iudgeth and not amisse that it may turne to his domage and detriment and that it may be an occasion to breake off the course of his great designes and enterprises Viz. The House of Austria which is indamaged by the Turke For this cause doth hee reioyce at the losses and misaduentures of the Christians notwithstanding that the mischiefe doe light vpon his owne flesh and bloud in so much that the prosperity of the Infidels maketh him the more proud and haughty And this is it that hath made him so hardy The Embassador of Venice ill intreated by the Castillian as to giue ill entreatie to the Embassadour of Venice if it be true that is reported if hee be not hindred ere long hee will giue worse entertainment to all other without any exception of persons Hee thinketh that Almaine and Italie especially in their afflictions and troubles will haue need of his helpe and assistance by reason whereof he is perswaded that they will not resolue themselues to follow and fauour the partie of the most Christian king by meanes whereof hee shall bee well able to effect his affaires in France If hee had beene disposed to hinder the Turke from making warre in Europe hee might very well haue done it by molesting and disquieting him in the East Indies as the true and lawfull kings of Portugall haue done Hee needed haue done no more but haue ioyned with Xatama the great King of Persia the friend of the Portugals for to keepe the Turke in awe and within compasse Infinite are the praises wherewith Historiographers haue celebrated the victory which D. Stephen de Gama a Portugall The victorie of Stephen de Gama against the Turkes Gouernour of the East Indies did obtaine against the Turke vpon whom hee made warre for that effect and purpose This battell was fought at the foot of Mount Synay Gama made many knights at the foote of Mount Sinay after which the said Gama made many Portugals knights for bearing themselues valiantly in that battell amongst the which there were two of speciall marke who being issued of noble parents did leaue behind them an immortall memorie of their honour and glorie The one of them was called Don Juan de Castre The victory of Don Iohn de Castre who afterwards being Viceroy of the said East Indies did get that famous victory which you may read of in the life of the king Don Emanuel in the which with lesse then foure thousand Portugals he defeated an infinite number of enemies and put to flight Moiecatan Constable of Cambaia who being sent by the king Mamud his Lord and maister with foureteene thousand men to succour the citie of Diu which held the Portugals besieged within the Castle he was constrained to leaue 300. of his men dead vpon the place hauing lost the Guydon royall with all their baggage Iuzarcan the yonger a great Lord in those parts was taken prisoner and Raman the Gouernour of the said citie which was great goodly and populous was there slaine and the Portugals made themselues absolute Lords of the citie Of this valorous Captaine Don Iuan de Castre who is now at this present in France is the grand child and he also hath beene as faithfull to his king and countrey as the said Don Iuan his grandfather The other of those two knights was called Don Lewes de Altaida Don Lewes de Altayda afterwards Countie of Aâ—ouguia who being in Almaign at the battle which the Imperialists gaue to the Duke of Saxonie and the Princes of his partie Anno Dom. 1548. 24. Aprill Charles the fift did him great honour by reason he surmounted all the rest in that iourney and recouered the imperiall Guydon which the enemies had once gained in so much that the Emperour gaue him all the honour of this victorie according as himselfe wrote vnto Don Juan the third king of Portugall his brother in law Don Lewes de Altaida Gouernour of the East Indies the first time and cousen German who had sent him thither for his Embassador and this noble man was twice Viceroy of the East Indies First in the life time of Don Sebastian at which time hee defended it against all the forces of Asia both Moores and Paynims had made a league against the Portugals who both by defending themselues an assailing of their enemies did purchase perpetuall and immortall glory Don Lewes Viceroy the second time Afterwards being made Viceroy the second time after the death of the King Sebastian during the raigne of King Henry and knowing that the people of Portugall had chosen and appointed certaine Gouernours to gouern and defend the realme after the death of the said Henry and that they had named ceâ—taine Iudges also to decide the cause touching the difference vpon the succession of that kingdome he said openly I for my part will not yeeld vp the Indies to any other His saying touching the possession of Portugall and the East Indies then to whom the Realme of Portugall shall be adiudged Insomuch as some say that they which followed the partie of the Castilian knowing well that the Iudge would neuer admit him to the succession of Portugall and being drawne on by the counsell perswasions and faire promises of the Castilian himselfe which were sent vnto them ouer land adde hereunto the notable diligence and industrie which he vseth in all his affaires They caused the said Lewes to bee made away with poyson so died that valiant and faithfull Portugall Don Lewes de Alcaida poysoned and there succeeded him in that gouernment a most vngratefull and notable Traitour who presently after deliuered vp the Indies to the enemy To the intent the happy memory of Don Stephan de Gama might be preserued there is an Epitaph set in a Pallace builded by Gama himselfe after his returne from the Indies neere to the towne of Setuval in Portugall which in the Portugall language though somewhat glossely is thus written Quem Cauelleyros armou O pé do monte Sinay Stephan de Gama his Epitaph Vâ—io acabar aquy That is to say He which made so many Knights At the foot of Mount Sinay Here as you see now doth he lie But to our purpose At this day Philip hath more force more puissance and many more commodities to hinder the Turke on that side of the East Indies from making warres in Europe then all the other kings of Portugall haue had heretofore Howbeit as that is not the way to aduance his ambitious desires so cannot he abide in any case to heare thereof For though it were a good deede and well done yet it will not be any helpe vnto him towards the preseruation of this his Monarchy of Portugall which he hath vsurped with so many
common and publike good and many great Lords and Princes with them against Charles the fifth The communalty of Castile in armes against Charls the 5. by reason of the great excessiue and new exactions and imposts laid vpon them the Embassadors of the said Princes and of many Cities and Townes of Castile came to the King of Portugall Don Emanuell praying him that hee would vouchsafe to take and acknowledge them for his vassals and Subiects The true amity of Emanuel King of Portugall to Charles the 5. for that they were desirous to haue him to their King and Lord but he would not onely not receiue their offer but he gaue them good counsell and admonition shewing them how they ought to conforme themselues in obedience to their King And to other of the Princes Cities and Townes of Castile which taking part with the said Charles came vnto him likewise for his ayde he gaue them both money artillery powder and other munition for the warre Some say that the said King Don Emanuell did lend them 500000 duckats and many peeces of artillery which was an occasion that they which were risen in armes did fall to an accord and agreement with their Prince Anno 1522. and thereof it ensued that Charles the fifth did againe vsurpe the Realme of Nauarre which Mounsieur Andrew de Foix had before restored and set at liberty the King Don Emanuell neuer suspecting nor doubting of any such matter intended by him And Philip now likewise for his part hath rewarded Portugall with the like good turne as hee hath done the like to France and now lately a great part of Christendome to whom he was not meanely bounden When the said Charles the fifth passed to Goletta in the yeere 1535 who tooke it The taking of Goletta with 22 other ships of warre That did the Gallion Cagafuego of Portugall which the King Don Iohn the third had commanded to accompany the Infant Don Lewes his yonger brother How came it to passe that the same Charles the fift tooke the Towne of Tunes The taking of Tunes the capitall and chiefe City of the Realme of Lybia was it not with the assistance and ayde of the said Infant and his Portugals The taking of Pignon de Belles by the Portugals Who was it that tooke Pignon de Belles with the residue not aboue 35 yeeres since for the King of Castile euen Francisco Bareto Generall of the Gallies of Portugall and the Captaine Diego Lopez de Sequeira his Nephew with the Portugals of his company The warre of Granado finished by the Portugals Who finished and gaue an â—nd to the oppression of Castile in the behalfe of the Granadians that were reuolted in Granada in the yeeres 1566. 67. and 68 That did 7 or 8 thousand Portugals send for a succour by the King Don Sebastian Philip King of Castile knoweth all this full well and that is the cause that he laboureth and paineth himselfe with so grear care and diligence to keepe this Monarchy of Portugall pretending not onely to vsurpe it to tyrannize ouer it and to plucke it by force and violence out of the hands of the Portugals but to take from them also their honour their glory and their valour for hee seeth well that hauing the Portugals on his side hee shall be able by their meanes to satisfie his ambitious humour and yet shall they not haue the honour due vnto them for their prowesse but hee attributeth all to the generosity of his Castilians So hath he tyrannized and doth yet still tyrannize ouer the honour of the Arragonnois the Catalans the Valentians the Nauarrois and other the Nations of Spaine and onely his Castilians which cary the name of Spaniards and are so called by those that are ignorant and know not the difference that is between the seuerall Nations of Spaine they I say are those Lyons those Tygers and conquerours of the World But we will come to the conclusion of this part of our Treatise touching Portugall the most precious and chiefest pearle of his Crowne It was my chance to be one day in his company with a personage of great estate who is daily at great charges and doth spend good store of duckats to haue notice and intelligence of that which passeth abroad in the World and hee did assure me for a certaine and vndoubted truth that one of the greatest fauourites of the King of Castile did demand of him this question What should be the cause that he suffered Freezland A question moued by a gentleman to the King of Castile and many Townes of other Prouinces of no small importance to be lost and to fall into the hands and into the power and subiection of Heretikes by meanes whereof they were constrained to forsake the true Religion a thing worthy to be lamented onely to succour the Princes and Townes of the League and to entertaine the warre a foote still in France Whereunto the King smiling answered Let them alone let them take Freezland and all the rest The answer of the King of Castile that which most toucheth me is the keeping of Portugall which if I doe as I hope I shall I will cut them out so much worke and giue them so much to doe in their owne Countrey that they shall not easily come neere mine and I doubt not at length but to haue the rest also for know this that if I keepe and possesse Portugall in peace and quietnesse they shall not onely not be able to liue without me but I shall make them in the end to be my subiects and to become tributaries vnto me and therefore let it not grieue you to see what is lost for all will be recouered well enough in time and leaue the care thereof to me alone The French Translatour Philip seeing himselfe Lord of so great a Monarchy doth aspire by all meanes he may to the Realmes of France and of England and of other Prouinces and hee doth reape so great contentment in his ambitious thoughts and purposes that hee cannot but discouer his conceit in that behalfe insomuch that not onely they of his Councell but his particular priuate Souldiers doe know it After the taking of the I le of Terceras the Captaines which accompanied the Marquesse de Santa Cruce in that iourney said openly Now that we haue all Portugall England is ours and by liitle and little wee shall gaine France also For proofe whereof wee haue neede of no other witnesse then that which his owne Writer Conestagio saith in continuing his Historie before the taking of the said Terceras where he hath these words Conestagio lib. 7. in fine But the King hauing so lately gotten the possession of Portugall and seeing the Portugals not yet very quiet he thought it best to pacifie that Realme before he intended any other enterprise And he said that by keeping his men in armes in those quarters hee should bridle not onely Portugall but
depriued of their right by Sancho their Vncle the yonger brother of their father Fernand Castile tyrannized the 2. time and â—eon the first time who died hauing the gouernment of the Realme of Castile and Leon in the absence of his sayd father Alphonsus which then was gone into Italy there to sollicit his friends and to make meanes for the Empire As soone as Fernand was dead the sayd Sancho tooke vpon him the gouernment Ierom Gudiel in the History of the Girons Garib lib 13. cap. 16. getting the possession of many cities and towns in Castile against the will of Alphonsus his father who dying at Seuill vpon a friday the 2. of Aprill 1284. cursed his sonne Sancho calling him disobedient rebellious vsurper and a tyrant and pronounced and named for the true and right heires of his Realmes and Seigniories his grand-children Alphonsus and Fernand and in case they should die without children then Philip the hardie King of France his cousine German remoued the sonne of the sayd S. Lewes his Vncle. But neither the curses nor denuntiations of the father nor the feare of God could make Sancho to render or restore to the others their right but he still detained it and left for his heire his sonne Fernand the fourth of that name Alphonsus surnamed the Iusticier king of Castile the sonne of the sayd Fernand and the grand-child of Sancho amongst many tyrannous acts by him exercised is reported to haue committed one act most vnworthy not onely of a king but of a man euen of most vile and base condition for that it was an action full of notable treasons and infidelitie Don Iuan le Tuerto Lord of Biscay murthered For hauing inuited Don Iuan le Tuerto that is to say the squint eyed Lord of Biscay to dine with him he caused him most cruelly to be murthered in the yeare 1327. And albeit he had begun to discharge himselfe of this murther for a season yet he could not disguise nor couer his tyranny Gariba lib. 14 cap. 4. Biscay tyrannized for that afterwards hee caused him to bee condemned as a traitor and confifcated his lands and Seigniories and within a short time he seized vpon them all namely about a fourescore townes and castles The same Alphonsus caused Don Aluar Nugnes Osorio his Gouernour to be slaine who had before receiued of him many great honours and fauours and afterwards being as certained of his death which was in the yeare 1328 hee seized vpon all his liuings The Countieâ— de Trastamares vsurped The Countie thereof slaine Garib lib. 14. cap. 5. Castles and great Treasures and vpn the Countie de Trastamara and within a few dayes after he caused him to be condemned at Tordehumos as a traitor and hauing made him to bee digged vp out of his graue hee willed his body should bee burned and his goods confiscated Henrie the 2. a bastard sonne of this Alphonsus Count de Trastamara slue his brother Peter of whom we haue formerly spoken and possessed himselfe of the Realmes of Castile and Leon â—â—â—â—e tyranâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 third 〈◊〉 Leon 〈…〉 disinheriting his Neeces Constance and Jsabel who with a solemne oath had beene acknowledged Princesses and heires of Castile first by the estates assembled at Seuill to that end and purpose and afterwards at Albuberca 1363. And if it had beene true that these two sisters had no right in the said realmes because hee alledged them to be bastards by the same reason had the sayd Henrie much lesse right and interest in them for he was not only a bastard but murtherer also of his owne brother And in such like case was Fernand King of Portugall the great grand child of Sancho aboue named right inheritor to the said realmes as was the king Don Peter his cousine german remoued and cousin german also for Beatrix the mother of Peter was the sister of Peter the father of Fernand. For this cause Samora Toco Cindad-Rodrigo and other citties and townes of the realmes of Castile and Leon did call in the said Fernand and offered to receiue him for their king especially the realme of Galitia which was wholly resolued to render it selfe vnto him And for this reason did Fernand go in person to take possession of the Groigne The History of Fernand king of Portugall anno 1369. and he might as well haue seized vpon the other places and holds if the Portugalls would haue consented thereunto For they did purposely oppose themselues against the desire and will of their King for two reasons the first was because they had good tryall and experience that there wanted much of that valour in Fernand which was in the father and his auncestors the second was The Portugals haue an ill opinion of the Castilians because the Castilian Nation is so maligne and peruerse as the Portugals doe hold it for a maxime among themselues that it is dangerous to haue any thing to doe with them yea to haue any command ouer them as hath beene before touched And I say yet once againe that their nature is so maligne and peruerse that the venome and poyson thereof doth so spread it selfe abroad that they which are their next neighbours and borderers doe feele the reuerberation of their malignitie and malitious disposition insomuth The malignity of the Castilians that some of them when they leaue and abandon their owne countrey and doe withdraw themselues into strange and forraine lands are more wicked and malicious more dangerous and more to bee feared then the very Castilians themselues In the yeare 1474. after the death of Henrie the fourth king of Castile Jsabel the sister the wife of Fernand king of Arragon did most tyrannically get possession of the Realmes of Castile and Leon and of their other Seigniories excluding Jane the daughter of the sayd Henrie her brother who in the yeare 1461. had been acknowledged Princesse and inheritrix of the said Realmes for default of heire males in a full assembly of the three estates which were assembled to that end at Madrill by the commandement of her father And the first persons which tooke the oath of fidelitie and did so acknowledge her were the infant Don Alphoâ—sus and the sayd Isabel the brother and sister of the sayd king after whom all the residue did the like euery one in order according to their degrees And after that shee was againe the second time acknowledged Princesse and heire of the sayd Realmes in Val-de-Loçoia after diligent enquiry made vpon the legittimation of the sayd Princesse which was done by the Cardinall de Alby a Frenchman who to that effect was come into Castile by the commandement of King Lewes the eleuenth of France the which Cardinal in the presence of all the Princes and Lords of the Realme hauing caused the mother to be sworne and take her oath demanded of her if the Princesse Dame Jane her daughter were the daughter of the King her husband whereunto shee answered vpon
her oath that shee was Secondly the King which tooke the same oath and protested that he did fully beleeue and assure himselfe that this infant Dame Jane was his daughter and that in all certaintie hee had continually so taken and reputed her euer since she was borne and therefore he did wil and command that the oath of fidelitie and obeysance which was vsually accustomed to be taken in his Realmes and Dominions as due to the eldest of the Kings children Guarib lib. 17. cap. 2â— should be made vnto her These are the very words of Steuen Guaribay Hierome Surite who is yet liuing doth rehearse this historie very plainely and distinctly in his generall history of Spain and how Henrie being ready to yeeld vp the Ghost Hierome Surite in the generall historie of Spaine did euen then maintaine that the said Iane was his daughter and that he commanded his Confessor openly to reuale it And the said Guaribay affirmeth that Henrie did confesse himselfe the space of a good hower before his soule departed from his body and that he being in good and perfect quietnesse of sense and of a sound and good memory after he had named the executors of his last will and testament and declared them for the Gouernors of this Realm and had giuen commandement that his seruants should be payd out of his treasures and iewels he named the said Princesse Iaene for the vniuersall heire of all his Realmes and dominions calling her by the name of his daughter and recommending her with all his affection to the sayd Gouernours By that which hath beene sayd appeareth clearely that the Realme of Castile in lesse then 258. yeares hath beene tyrannized foure times and that of Leon thrice and all the other Realmes and Seigniories likewise which are dependants of the same the which the king Philip possesseth euen at this present day by a most vniust wrongfull and tyrannicall title This also is one thing worthy to bee marked and which may be seene by the histories both of the same authours and of diuers others namely that when there hath happened any difference or disagreement vpon the sayd succession they which haue beene in possession haue altogether preuayled and made their title euen by the right of those very parties whom they haue dispossessed which is the greatest tyranny that can bee And that this may the better be perceiued I will alledge onely two examples Rodrigo Sanches Bishop of Palance recounteth In the life of Iohn the first king of Castile how Iohn the first King of Castile and Leon of whom wee haue before spoken seeing that John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster pretended the sayd Realmes of Castile and of Leon to appertaine vnto him for the reason heretofore alledged hee said in defence of his claime that the sayd Realmes did of right belong vnto him The cunning of Iohn the first king of Castile as being the sonne of Iane and the Grand-child of Don Iuan Emanuel and of his wife who was the daughter of Fernand de la Cerda the lawfull heire of the sayd Realmes because his brother Alphonsus was deceased without children and that for this cause hee did hold them with a good conscience and that he did not hold them from his father whom himselfe confessed to be a bastard The other example is like vnto the former For in a great assembly of Princes Lords and other principall personages held in the towne of Trogillo for the taking of the oath of fidelitie to Fernand the second king of Arragon The policy of Fernand the â—econd King of Arragon c. and Isabel his wise Queene of Castile the sayd Fernand pretended that hee had more right of himselfe then the sayd Isabel and that hee ought to be acknowledged as the true and principall heire of the sayd Realmes of Castile and Leon not as husband to the said Isabel but as discending in the right and lawfull line male of the kings his predecessors because hee was the sonne of John the grand-child of Fernand and the great grand-child of Iohn the first who on the side of his mother same Iane the grand daughter of Fernand de la Cerda as hath â—eene sayd was the true and rightfull heire of the said Realmes Jsabel knowing the intent and ambition of Fernand her husband resolued to bend and employ all her force and puissance for the maintaining of her right and for a reply to his speech she said That that which hee had spoken was to bee granted if women had not beene vsually admitted to the succession of those Realmes but seeing the custome was to the contrary therefore her said husband ought not to bee preferred and for proofe of that which she sayd she named certaine women which had succeeded to the said crownes amongst others Katherine the daughter of Constance and of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster aboue mentioned where she did assure her selfe had beene admitted and receiued to that inheritance as the grand-daughter of her graund-father Peter and that Henrie the husband of the said Katherine her ancestors had right thereunto onely by meane of the said Katherine his wife For these reasons Jsabel was preferred before Fernand and she was acknowledged as the true heire of the said Realmes of Castile and Leon and he reputed to haue right onely as her husband and companion and not otherwise And this is it which Marin Sicilian speaketh of In this assembly of estates saith he Fernand seeing himselfe king and Lord of the most of two third parts of Spaine Marin Sicilian partly in his owne right and partly in his wiues and hauing there prefent all the Lords and Deputies of citties and townes which were their subiects he did endeuour by all meanes to cause himselfe to be entitled king of Spaine but those of that assembly would in no case yeeld their consent thereunto but to the vttermost of their power did oppose themselues against it and did thereupon giue vnto the kings of Castile a new title which Philip holdeth and retaineth at this day hauing augmented those Realmes and Seigniories which both the said Fernand and Charles the 5. his father did successiuely vsurpe each after other The Translator Philip Caried on with the same winde of ambition as were his great grand father and his father Philip caried away with the ambition of his ancestor causeth himselfe to be called king of Spaine vpon an exceeding desire which hee had to vsurpe this title of King of Spaine and seeing that the Realmes of Spaine would not accord nor agree that he should so entitle himselfe and that in the assembly of estates which he held in Portugall in the yeare 1581. within the towne of Tomaâ— it was expressely defended him and that himselfe had taken a soâ—emne oath neuer more from thenceforth to take it vpon him neuertheles he caused for all that like a notable tyrant certaine monies which he coined in the Indies and in Flanders to
was slaine by the hazard of a brick or tile falling vpon him within Placentia Some doe attribute this his death to the carelesnesse of the said Henry for not prouiding a remedy albeit hee were in his tender and younger yeeres against the extortions done vpon the Churches by the children of the Count Don Nugno de Lara who were Tutors to the said Henry and Gouernours of his Realme and they doe affirme that all those disasters and mishaps which Histories doe write of did happen by the occasion of those his Tutors These examples may suffice to proue vnto you the abuse and inualidity of your reply and to shew that your Philip by laying of his hands vpon the Ecclesiasticall liuings as he hath done cannot excuse himselfe of fraud sacriledge and tyranny and so by this meanes with an ill conscience hee stealeth the sheepe of another man notwithstanding that hee giue againe the feete for God sake And yet ouer and aboue all this I doe assure you euen in the faith of an honest man that if there were no other vices the person of King Philip saue onely these two to wit tyranny and cruelty and if hee were a true obseruer of the rest of the Law and faith Catholike I would excuse you of your blindnesse and inueiglement but you may hold this for a certainty that his abhominable workes will proue any man whomsoeuer to be an egregious lyer that shall be so hardy as to defend that hee is no such manner of man For this enemy and generall persecuter vnder the cloake and shadow of a Catholike hath done more mischiefe and committed more insolencies against the Church of Rome then all the other persecuters that euer went before him Will you see the proofe how you are abused and how bad and vile a Christian hee is Open your eye liddes and you shall see how he bewrayeth it euen as if a man should with his finger point at it In the yeere 1575 this King Catholike being aduertised that the late Monsieur did make great preparation to enter with a mighty Army into Flaunders hee beganne very secretly to sound certaine of the principall Lords and chiefe heads of the pâ—etended reformed Religion within the Prouinces of Languedoc Foix Bearne Bigorre and of the Countrey de la Bort neere to Guipuscua ouer against Fontaraby to know if they would vnder his protection defend their liberty promising them that he would cause an Army of Almaines to descend against the most Christian King Offers made for King Philip to those of the reformed Religion to make warre against the late French King and that hee would giue them fiue hundred thousand crownes yeerely to that effect and for the entertainement of the Ministers of their Churches beating into their eares and making them beleeue that the enterprise of Flaunders which the Duke of Alanson had vndertaken did not tend to any other end but onely to entrap and to make another massacre of them as had lately beene done vnder the King Charles the ninth his brother when the Lord de la Noue was taken and the Lord de Iuoy was put to death betweene two Tables with many other Lords and Gentlemen He had the better meanes and opportunity to treat with the said Churches by reason there were many Catholikes mingled amongst the Huguenots all of which did gouerne and demeane themselues according to the conuentions and agreements made betweene them and a great Lord of France and the Lord Mounsieur de Chastillion howbeit that afterwards this vnion was broken Some of their chiefe heads did giue eare vnto those perswasioÌ„s of Philip insomuch that there were great preparations made for a strong mighty warre against them which succeeded not long after when Brouage was taken Besides the said Lords and heads of the reformed Religion with some of their Ministers being entred into a great iealousie of the most Christian King now raigning who was then King of Nauarre and of the late Monsieur the Prince of Condy they resolued secretly within the Towne of Montauban to call in strangers of their Religion to be their Protectours and defenders And to that effect they sent one of their Ministers into Almaine feining that they sent him vnto the pretended reformed Church of Metz. Notwithstanding the matter was discouered by one of the principall Lords newly drawne to be of their Religion who had taken great indignation against a Minister of his owne and because hee had been an assistant at the same Councell he thought he had beene of the same minde also and did therefore reproue him saying that he greatly maruelled how he could suffer such a quill to be thrust through his nose without laughing at it But the Minister excused himselfe assuring him that he knew nothing of that matter But that was an occasion that the practise brake off besides that they were not well agreed amongst themselues whom they should choose to bee their chiefe and protectour some of them desired the Duke Casimier others would haue England and some others the Duke of Sauoy who all that time did not know any thing at all of that which passed betweene him and the Ministers But after that at such time as the young Duke now presently ruling came to succeed his Father he being aduertised thereof sent vnto the King of Nauarre to demaund the Lady his sister for his wife one named Seruin was dispatched as the messenger to that effect and after him a Viscount who seeing great difficulty in the demaund went by Bearne into Spaine where he treated the mariage of the Infant D. Katherine at this day Dutchesse of Sauoy which mariage Don Amadis the bastard brother of the said Duke afterwards effected This mariage came well to purpose for Philip because by this meanes hee assured himselfe of the Duke that he should attempt nothing in Portugall where he knew full well that after the death of King Henry there was great diuision amongst the Portugals for that some would haue had the Lady Katherine Dutchesse of Bragancia others the Lord Don Anthonio and in a manner all well neere not liking to haue any of those which were named would haue had the said Duke of Sauoy being the Graund-childe of a Daughter of Portugall who as the report is if hee had gone thither during the inter-raigne in Portugall at the time of that dissention and by reason of their vnwillingnesse to admit the one or the other of those aboue named he had without doubt beene receiued of all the Portugals To proceede and to shew you yet more plainely what manner of man this is for whose loue you doe euen seeke your owne destruction and in whose seruice you are so forward and so diligent I will adde here somewhat more touching this matter for it is not possible to vtter all that may be spoken to that effect It is not long since that for to follow the steppes of some other good and godly Catholikes as himselfe is he
him actually and that he would pardon all in generall Whereunto Don Anthonio made him this aunswer God defend that he should commit so great a fault Don Anthonio full of conscience and that he had rather die in an hospitall then to doe a thing so hainous wicked vniust and against his conscience for that the lawes had taught him thus much that he might not contract for that which appertained to another For when he was chosen at Sautaren he had then sworne and afterwards againe at Lisbon when he was confirmed King by the deputies of the cities and townes of Portugall which came thither to take their oath for their allegeance and to doe him homage that he should neuer accord nor fall to any agreement with the enemy without leauing Portugall in her full and perfect libertie This may serue to shew how much better a Catholike and how lesse ambitious the King Don Anthonio was then King Philip. And as touching his choller and his hatred or charitie that may appeare by this which followeth in that there haue beene many men who haue oftentimes offered to Don Anthonio to kill Philip neuerthelesse he would neuer giue them any entertainment Most christian speaches of D. Anthonio alledging that Kings are the annoynted of the Lord and although quoth he my cousin King Philip blinded by ambition and tyrannie do persecute me and do seeke to take my life from me yet will not I be content nor consent for all that that any man for the loue of me should attempt to take his life And whosoeuer shall dare or aduenture to do it let him looke to himselfe that he come not into my hands For though his sins do so blind and bewitch him as that they make him shew himselfe a Saul against me yet I for my part do protest before God to shew my selfe a Dauid towards him A certaine man on a day demaunding of him a fauour for the good newes which hee brought him for he had assured him that King Philip was dead he aunswered him halfe in choller My good friend doest thou not know who it is of whom thou speakest vnto me hee is my cousin germane bring me newes that I haue eight or ten thousand faithfull men and well armed with good and sage Captaines and all things necessary to restore Portugall to libertie and I promise thee in the word of an honest man to make thee so rich and so honourable in my Realme as no Gentleman shall go beyond thee go go learne to know the disposition of Princes Now my masters what thinke you of these examples do you now see what reason I haue to say that the King Don Anthonio was more Catholike and lesse ambitious then the king Philip that he was a man without choller hatred but contrarywise full of charity I pray you therefore for the loue of God that from henceforth you would resolue your selues with a sound and vncorrupted iudgement a pure conscience and without any inueiglement or indiscreet zeale to embrace the good and to reiect the euill If he be dishonest luxurious licentious I say nothing in that behalfe for that is not the butt or ende of our treatise and I beleeue that the Prince of Orange in his Apologie hath said something touching that matter and the infamous rumour and detestable report which hath runne and doth yet runne throughout the world doeth say much to that effect God giue him the grace to know himselfe and to conuert and to render to euery man his owne before his death better then he hath restored that which as is reported his father at the hower of his death commaunded him to render and to restore againe Now most humbly I beseech your Maiesties to hold me excused for hauing beene so large in this matter because I haue not done it without good cause knowing that to come to the butte and end of my purpose it was very needfull and did much import me to haue sayd that which I haue done This is a thing proper and conformable to the law of God and agreeable to the nature of charitie to bring them into the right way that wander and goe astray and to discharge and cleare the innocent though it bee to the dammage and displeasure of the wicked Most excellent Princes If the reasons which I haue alleadged and the histories which I haue quoted bee not sufficient to perswade you and to vrge you speedily with one accord and consent to make a good and gallant army and to send it into Spaine not onely to make present resistance against the force of the Castillian to breake the course of his desseignes to beate downe his pride and to ruinate his puissance but also to bridle him in the time to come I shall bee enforced to beleeue that God hath forsaken and abandoned you because of your sinnes both publick and particular and that he hath depriued you of all iudgement and vnderstanding to the intent you should not see that which concerneth you so neare and which is aboue all thinges most needefull and necessary for your safety In such sort that being fo inueigled and as it were wholy amazed you will come to fall into a bottomlesse gulfe of most blinde darkenesse and consequently into vtter destruction and totall ruine Conceiue I beseech you and comprehend that which I say vnto you and consider it intentiuely for in that you haue within these few years past contemned or neglected to make a voyage into Portugall and haue not vouchsafed to yeeld neither succour nor fauour vnto the Portugals your friends you haue therefore at this time in Fraunce the Castillians your enemies From hencefoorth it shall be better for you and more expedient that the warre be made in Spaine and not in Fraunce and you shall receiue farre lesse discommoditie in destroying the territories of the Castillians with fire and sword then to see the townes and territories of your owne taken wasted and spoyled The Translators encouragement to these most worthie Princes The inward affection which I haue vnto your Maiesties the loyalty which J owe vnto your seruices and the desire which J haue to see the augmentation of the good and prosperity of Fraunce besides my age and long experience in matters of estate do giue me the assurance and hardinesse to aduertise you by the way of something concerning the matter here spoken of by the Author I had of late certaine intelligence by letters from some of my friends that the King of Tartaria now raigning whome the auncient Historiographers and Cosmographers do call Magnum Can Regem regum Dominum dominantium that is The great Cham King of Kings and Lord of Lords who is said to be a most prudent braue ard warlike Prince hath determined for the great deuotion which he beareth to his great Prophet Mahomet whose sect he professeth to passe with great forces to Mecha in Arabia and there to seaze vpon the bodie of
foretold and as it were prophecied as the prinâ—ipall counsellers of estate both in Fraunce in England can well testifie both all this which is come to passe in this behalfe and hath also foreshewed all that which hath beene lost in Fraunce and to what end and issue things will grow at the last if there be not some better order taken in these affaires And I beleeue that if they were demanded the question they will tell you how I haue passed away my time with as great griefe and discontentment as a man possibly might do to see the enemy daily to prosper and to waxe more proud and arrogant by your owne proper sufferance consent and wilfulnesse for this cause I am in a manner wholly resolued to leaue and abandon the conuersation of men to retire withdraw my selfe into some solitary mountaine Notwithstanding because I know and am acquainted with all that hath befalne for these 50 yeeres last past in the greatest part of Europe I doe therefore tell you as one that hath had experience of these matters that as yet you may recouer if you will all that which hitherto you haue lost and both deliuer your friends and bridle your enemies And you may take such order that the time to come shall be more happy and fortunate vnto you then the time already past hath beene And moreouer I doe assure you that sithens the losse of great part of Christendome wonne by the Turke the late losse of the most part of Germany the hereditary possession of the King of Bohemia all Switzerland with the great hazard of losing all the Netherlands who are now striuing for breath against the King of Spaines mighty powers now in the field which I for my part doe thinke to haue proceeded from the very hand of God as of your louing Father who by a fatherly loue doth chastise you to the end you should awaken you out of your security and negligence I haue beene euer since resolued to set downe in writing that which I haue so often pronounced by word of mouth to so many persons of speciall marke and quality before that euer they did entreat me thereunto And this is the cause that if this my writing doe not produce that publike good and that effect which I desire I protest that from henceforth I will for euer hold my peace and be silent Neuerthelesse I most humbly beseech your Christian Maiesties and all the Princes and Potentates of Europe and all the great Lords and Officers of the Crownes of England and of Fraunce that it would please you to descend into your selues and at your leisure according to your accustomed prudence and wisdome to consider that good fortune and felicity doth not consist so much in the conquest and subduing of great Seigniories and large dominions for the time present with an intent to leaue the same to your successors but rather to assure confirme and preserue them for the time to come to your children and posterity to the intent that when it shall please God to call you hence they may quietly and peaceably enioy them in peace and tranquility without any trouble disquiet or hinderance For it is a farre greater vertue to preserue and keepe that which is gotten then to get and purchase new things daily Non minor est virtus quà m quarere parta tuêri The poore Pilgrime beaten by Time and pesecuted by Fortune P. Ol. I am resolued to make warre vpon the Castillian wherein if you also will beare a part assure your selfe you may account me as one of your most faithfull and surest friends But if you once grow to any termes of peace and amity with him then seeke you some other with whom ye may deliberate vpon that matter AN EXPLICATION OF THE PILGRIME VPON THE PROVERB IF THE COCKErell had not come the Cock had not bene taken And of the loyaltie of Auila and Simanchas in Castile and of Celorico and the Castell of Coimbre in Portugall Item What the diuersitie is betweene the King of Castile and of Spaine and who they bee whom wee call Castillians and what is vnderstood by Cities and Townes HEnry the fourth King of Castile of whom wee haue before spoken being at the point of death If the Cockerel had not come the Cock had not beene taken named foure Executors of his Testament to gouerne the Realme after his death and to marrie his daughter the Ladie Iane two of which Executors to wit Don Aluaro de Estugniga Duke de Areualo and Don Diego Lapez Pacheco Marquis de Vâ—llena ioyning with the Archbishop of Toledo named Don Alphonso Carrillo Don Bertrand de la Cueua Duke de Albuquerke the Maister of Calatraua Don Rodrigo Telles Giron Countie de Vâ—egne Don Iohn Telles Giron hif brother Marquisse of Calis Don Alphonso de Aguilar and manie other great Lords with foureteene Cities of Castile sent vnto Don Alphonso the Affrican King of Portugall praying him that he would take to wife the said Queene Dame Iane the which the King of Portugall accepted against the willes and good liking of many of his Realmes who would not by any manner of meanes haue to doe nor meddle with the Castillians By reason of this mariage in the yeere 1475 Don Alphonso went into the Lands and Countrey of his said wife where he had many encounters and combats with Fernand King of Arragon the Husband of Jsabel the pretended Queene of Castile and with his people till such time as they encountered in the battell which was foughten neere the City of Toro The battell of Toro in March 1476 which was ordered in this manner the King Alphonso had made one Campe of the Lords and Nobles of the Realmes of Castile and Leon with some Portugals the Prince Don Juan his sonne who was come to the succours of his Father had made another Campe of his Portugals without any Castillians mingled amongst them The King Fernand made also two campes the one of the Castillians which tooke his part and his wiues and the other of Arragonois the Catalans the Valencians and such other peoples and Nations as were the subiects of his owne Realmes and Seigniories whereof himselfe was Lord and commaunder Fernand encountring with Alphonso defeated and ouercame him and hauing taken his Guidon royall made him forsake the field and to betake himselfe to flight But the Prince Don Iuan gaue in and charged so resolutely vpon the Castillians that he made them to flie and hauing slaine many of them vpon the place he tooke a great number of prisoners and himselfe remaining whole and entire with his Forces did with singular hardinesse and magnanimity assaile Ferdinand also the vanquisher of his Father and making him to flie did recouer againe the Guydon royall which the said Alphonso his Father had lost The History of Portugall saith that the Prince did great honour vnto a Knight which saued the said Guydon and gaue him an yeerely rent or annuity of
fiue thousand Marauedis which was at that time no small reuenue in comparison of that it is at this pay being about 12 duckats and a halfe allowing 400 Marauedis to each duckat and gratified him with sundry other gifts and great honours Fernand wrote vnto Jsabel the successe of this battell giuing her to vnderstand that if the Prince had not come the King his Father had beene taken Whereupon he returned him this answer that if the Cockerell had not come the Cocke had beene taken and hereof came that prouerbe which wee told you Guaribay sâ—tteth downe these last words and confesseth the very truth Neuerthelesse touching the residue of the History he reporteth a thousand vntruths which may be verified by the History which Damian de Goyes hath written of this Prince Don Juan in the which he saith Damianus de Goyes in the life of the Prince Don Iuan. that the Prince would haue kept and remained in the field where the battell was foughten by the space of three dayes if the Archbishop of Toledo had not disswaded him who with great instance and earnest entreaty caused him to retire into the City because the weather was extreame cold and his men were sore trauelled and wearied and had beene ouer-watched for want of sleepe And he said vnto him Sir your Highnesse hath kept the Field long enough these three houres you haue staied here are as good as three dayes and one houre is as much as three Some write that in memory of this victory King Edward the fourth of England sent vnto this Prince the order of the Garter And the Castillians had such ill successe continually against the Portugals that to grace themselues because the King Alphonso was defeated and forsooke the field though his sonne held the field and remained vanquisher yet they shame not to attribute vnto themselues the honour and victory of this battell Alphonsus Raymond the onely sonne of Vrraca the daughter of Alphonsus the sixt surnamed the Emperor was borne in Auila Auila a City of Castile and was nourished and kept by them of the City during the raigne of Alphonsus King of Aragon called the warriour together with his wife Vrraca Queene of Castile Mother of the said Raymond Now there were great reuolts and troubles in Castile in the which they of Auila following the party of Raymond against the said Alphonsus his Father in Law did so much that the Father in Law was dispossessed of the gouernment and the Sonne in Law was installed in the siege royall And for this cause this word hath passed for a common prouerbe The fidelity of Auila and Auila is for the King Simancas Touching Simancas you are to vnderstand that in the yeere 1463 Henry the 4 raigning in Castile at the perswasion of some of the Princes many other Cities and Townes did reuolt from him and grew into a rebellion which they called The league of the Princes and they entituled themselues Princes of the League And in imitation hereof did Philip King of Castile in the yeere 1582 baptize the League which hath beene the occasion of so many mischiefes and afflictions of which Fraunce hath especially tasted and had experience for these nine yeeres last past This is that League which hath wrought so great damage to the Church of Rome and hath so ruinated and pulled it downe as it shall neede many hundreds of yeeres to restore it againe But to our matter in processe of time the Souldiers of the Kings Army being greatly augmented and their puissance much increased they came to the City of Toro and the King hauing aduertisement that they of the League were issued out of Valladolid and that hauing broken downe and razed the walles of Begnafleur they were gone to Simancas he sent presently Iohn Hernandes Galiude his Captaine Generall with 3000 Horses for the succours of the Towne which being entred into Simancas were besieged by them of the League who notwithstanding were more afraid then those whom they had besieged The Lackies within the Towne who shewed themselues to be of a wonderfull good courage hauing assembled themselues one day in a great number and mocking those that had besieged them did make a picture which represented the Archbishop of Toledo whom because he was a Rebell against his King and Lord they called Don Opas the brother of the Count Iulian who caused the Moores to enter into Spaine against the King Rodericke After which one of the Lackies being appointed for a Iudge Iudgement giuen by the Lackies against the Archbishop of Toledo sate himselfe downe on the iudgement seat commanding the prisoner to be brought before him which was the picture of the Archbishop and he gaue iudgement vpon him in this manner For as much as Don Alphonso Carillo Archbishop of Toledo Guar. lib. 17. cap. 14. following the steppes of the Bishop Don Opas the destroyer of Spaine hath beene a Traytor to his King and naturall Lord rebelling against him with his places and Fortresses and with the money which he put into his hands to doe him seruice For these causes hauing seene and considered of his deserts by his triall wherein hath appeared his wicked practises and felonious offences we doe therefore condemne him to be burned and that he be first trayled and drawne through the streetes and publike places of Simancas and that in the execution thereof the common cryer shall cry and proclaime with a loud voice This is the iustice commanded to be done namely that this cruell Don Opas shall be burnt for his offence and trespasse because hauing receiued diuers places fortresses and monies of his King hee hath notwithstanding reuolted and rebelled against him Quien tal haze que tal pague That is to say So doe so haue The iudgement being pronounced another Lackey taking the picture between his armes with an open cry threw it forth of the Towne hauing in his company more then three hundred Lackies and immediately two of their company made a great fire to burne it not farre from the campe of the enemy who looked on whilest they were doing of it and whilest the picture was in burning all the Lackies together with open throat cryed and sang Esta es Simancas Don Opas Trahidor Y no Penaflor Which is to say This is Simancas Don Opas O thou Traitour And not Pegnastor With many other speeches to that purpose Which song of theirs was for a long time after vsed in Castile and was commonly sung both in the Court and throughout all that Realme Celorico After that the Portugals had deposed Don Sancho surnamed Capelo from his Realme and Kingdome Don Alphonso his brother who was then County of Bologne vpon the Sea was chosen Gouernour of Portugall by the same Portugals This election which they made together with the deposition of the said Sancho was approued and confirmed by Pope Innocent the 4 in a Councell held at Lyons which was the cause that the said Alphonso went
from thence into Portugall with Letters of fauour from the said Innocent the fourth to the peoples of Portugall praying and requiring them that they would obey and submit themselues vnto him and deliuer vnto him all the Cities Townes and Castles of the Realme in generall Neuerthelesse some speciall persons there were who notwithstanding the commandement of the Pope or the force of Alphonso because they supposed that this did derogate from the loyalty which they ought vnto their King would not yeeld thereunto but opposed themselues against the said Alphonso and would not render vnto him the Townes and Castles which had beene committed to their custody by their King Sancho Fernand Ruis Pachâ—co Lord of Ferreyra was one of those who being besieged by Don Alphonso within the Towne of Celorico and seeing himselfe in extreame necessity of victuals there happened by great chance a Trowt to fall within the Castle from the talents of an Eagle flying ouer the place of the which he made a present to Don Alphonso with two fine white manchets to the intent he might make him beleeue that hee was very well prouided of victuals seeing he was not as yet without such delicates and dainties In so much that the Gouernour Alphonso beleeuing that he had victuals secretly conueyed vnto him raised his siege and departed This deuise was imputed to Fernand Ruis as a notable point of fidelitie in the seruice of his Lord and maister after whose death he did immediatly yeeld vp the said towne to the said Alphonso then elected and chosen King of Portugall for that Sancho his brother had left no issue behinde him without any other accord or condition The said Alphonsus for the same reason besieged the Castle of the citie of Coimbre The Castle o Coimbre the Captaine whereof was called Martin de Freytas who was brought to that necessitie that both bread and water failed him notwithstanding neither his owne wants nor the great promises which Alphonsus made vnto his Captaine could draw him to render the Castle vnto him Don Alphonso considering the loyalty and constancie of his Captaine and being desirous to saue his life assoone as tydings were brought him that the King Sancho his brother was dead who died during the siege he sent from his armie to the besieged both bread flesh and other victuals necessarie for their sustenance and hee wrote vnto the Captaine that the King Sancho was dead and buried in the towne of Toledo and he promised to giue him great honour and preferment praying him that he would not any longer trouble himselfe but render vp the castle vnto him seeing now his King was deceased and that he was chosen King by the Portugals and had beene receiued and confirmed in the kingdome by the oth of fidelitie and allegeance throughout the realme The Captaine seeing the letter demanded of the King onely so long time of truce as was needfull for him to go into Castile and to see with his owne eyes if that report were true or not which the King hauing graunted him he tooke his iourney and comming to Toledo caused the sepulchre of King Sancho to bee opened and hauing taken good notice and knowledge of him hee bound the keyes of the Castle to his right arme of the which hee caused an act and record to be made by a publike Notarie whom he had there of purpose to that effect And so returning from thence into Portugall he rendred the castle to the King Alphonsus The King in token of so rare a constancie and fidelitie restored to him againe the keeping of the said castle and gaue him the place freely to him and to the heires of his bodie for euer with this prerogatiue that neither he nor any of his posteritie should bee bounden to doe homage for the same either to himselfe or to the Kings his successors Freytas hauing kissed the Kings hand and yeelded most humble thanks to his Maiestie for so great a fauour did not onely refuse to accept of the Kings gift but forbad his sonnes and all the issue that should descend of him vpon paine of his curse neuer to take charge nor to vndertake the custodie and guard of any towne or castle for which they should bee bounden to doe fealtie and homage vnto any Prince whatsoeuer Thus you see what is meant by Auila Simancas Celorico the castle of Coimbre all which are notable examples most worthy to be considered and may bee a shame to many men in this our age wherein they make so small account reckening of a vertue so rare and commendable My maisters put your hands I pray you into your bosoms and see how they are full of leprosie returne and consider well with your selues and acknowledge your faults for God hath alwaies his eares open to heare them that seeke vnto him for mercie The title of the King of Castile and of Spaine Now as concerning the king of Castile I would be very glad that you would well vnderstand conceiue what the meaning of this is wherof we haue already spoken somewhat is at large handled in that booke which Frier Ioseph Texere a religious person of the order of S. Dominicke hath In the yeare 1594 at Paris made concerning the Genealogie of the most christian king who is the very same person that did preach how we are bound to loue all men of whatsoeuer religion sect or nation that they be euen the Castilians themselues which Monke beeing a Portugall it may bee doth not fully know how much the Spanish nation is agreeued to see and heare that kin Philip should entitle himself king of Spaine we speake nor meane not in this number the vulgar and rascall sort of Castilians because they are perswaded that their king being so they alone shall haue all the rule gouernment of the world For there bee diuers other reasons besides those which he alledgeth which are of no small importance to let you know that as they of Arragon Nauarre are not altogether out of hope to see themselues yet one day deliuered from the tyrant which may be also said of Portugall so they haue a desire likewise to preserue their monarchies entire that is to say the priuiledges preheminences prerogatiues dignities offices customes laÌ„guage of their realmes it may be that God of his diuine goodnes mercy will permit one day that there shal be raised vp some Moses for the restoring of them to their liberty for so also some haue written touching the children of Israell that after their entry into Egipt they did continually keep 3 things especially vncorrupted in their first integrity to wit their language which was the Hebrew tongue one selfe same fashion of apparelling themselues and the proprietie of the surnames of their Families And in case his Christian Maiesty would resolue to draw deliuer that realme of Nauarre from the tyranny of the Castilian hee should finde a Constable all other
officers of the said realme who would assist him doe their vttermost endeauors to serue him faithfully to the intent they might remaine in their countrey with their charges offices vnder the obeissance of a naturall king not of a Castilian And if the most excellent Duke of Lorraine were disposed to restore Arragon Valentia Catalonia c. he should haue an Admirall many officers of those realms to accompany him they would hold esteeme theÌ„selues for most happy fortunate to deliuer their cuntry froÌ„ the tyranny yoak of a stranger to redeliuer it to a naturall lawfull Prince If the Portugals likewise would determine and resolue themselues to choose by election as they haue right so to doe some Prince or some other of the people either white or negro for it is most certaine that to deliuer themselues of the tyranny of Philip they would be content to receiue to their King the meanest negro of Guinee if he be a Christian and will liue in the Realme with them they are fully perswaded and they haue reason that this would be a great help and furtherance to the accomplishment of their desires to finde for their defence and preseruation a Constable of Portugall a Marshall and Admirall and all other such like officers of the Realme and their records and writings done in their owne tongue the fashions of their garments and the surnames of their families Contrarywise if it be graunted and yeelded vnto Philip that he may once take vpon him this title of King of Spaine it is most certaine and sure that he will make onely one house royall of all Spaine with a Constable Marshall or Marshals and Admirall graund Maister great Chamberlaine maister of the Horse and all other such like officers of the Realme all which shall be called of Spaine generally and they will call themselues also by the name onely of Spaniards and so will vnite all of them into one onely bodie which will turne to the great dammage and preiudice of the particular states and kingdomes of Spaine and to the great profit and surety of Philip and his posteritie Full little do strangers know of what importance this matter is and thereof it commeth that they speake so fondly and foolishly when they talke thereof which is a thing greatly to be blamed and reprehended in them considering that it is against the law which sayth Inciuile est de re incognita iudicare that it is a great inciuility for any man to iudge of that which hee doth not vnderstand The nations of Spaine doe see very well what mischiefe this may bring vpon them and therefore they doe resist and withstand it with so great force and vehemencie The Castillian knoweth full well the great aduancement and assurance which would hereof ensue to his estate if he could reach so farre and that is the cause he is so earnest to get himselfe entitled king of Spaine He is as we haue before sayd very expert and well seene in histories as his predecessors were also before him and by reading of them he hath learned that this is the most easie meane and readie way to commaund peaceably and to gaine the affection of all the Spaniards Histories do shew vs Egbert king of West Saxonâ— in England how Egbert a valiant and magnanimous Prince being chosen king of the realme of West Saxons in great Brittaine which Realme contained the prouinces of Cornewall Deuon Sommerset Wiltshire Dorsetshire Hampshire and Barkeshire and trusting vpon his skill and knowledge in the art military which hee had learned in Fraunce vnder Charlemaigne where he had beene banished for many years he resolued to make himselfe King Lord of all great Brittaine leauing Scotland apart And beginning his enterprise he first subdued the prouince of Wales which is the strongest of all the rest After which he wanne the Realmes of Kent Mercia Northumberland and the Realme of the East Saxons called Essex Or rather North Saxon in Norfolke hauing gotten this prouince and those foure realmes Egbert seeing himselfe now Lord of fiue and that there now rested no more to conquer but the Realme of Sussex so called of the South Saxons and that of the East Saxons called East Anglia of whose forces he made no great reckening And bethinking with himselfe how he might assure and secure these dominions and Seigniories vnto himselfe he determined not onely to roote out and extinguish the name and memory of the Brittaines the ancient inhabitants of that I le but also gaine the good willes and affections of his subiects by a new name and so by that meanes to draw vnto himselfe the residue which remained yet vnconquered To this effect and purpose he ordained and appointed and by a perpetuall edict commaunded that from that day forwards all those seuen Realmes should bee named by one onely name England and that all the inhabitants should name themselues Englishmen Egbert the first king of England And by this meanes hee came readily and fully to the ende of his desire In imitation of this Egbert Fernand the second king of Arragon and the fift of that name king of Castile seeing himselfe Lord of the greatest part of Spaine and that there rested no more for him to gaine saue onely Nauarre and Portugall he employed all his forces and endeauours to obtaine from the Princes realmes and prouinces of Spaine that which they refused to wit that hee might entitle and write himselfe King of Spaine With the like ambition and desire Philip his great graund-child pretendeth that the Realmes of Spaine and now of late Portugall haue constantly resolutely denied him and which you doe giue him so readily and so liberally So that now I thinke you will perfectly vnderstand the cause wherefore Philip doeth write himselfe King of Castile and of Leon Castillians and Castilo what it meaneth New Castile all those kingdomes which the kings of Castile haue gotten from the Moores The particular names of the kingdomes of new Castile when they were recouered from the Moores Toledo first set at liberty anno 1086. c. For so the nations of Spaine and the Castillians themselues call him howbeit that you doe make a iest and toy of it not knowing how much it doeth import them so to do and therefore I hope that from henceforth you will by these instructions both know your owne ignorance and correct this your fault and ouersight We call them Castilians which are naturall and borne in the Realme of Castile and in those Realmes which the kings of Castile with the aide of the Kings of Nauarre Arragon and Portugall other Soueraigne Lords of Spaine haue gotten and wrested out of the hands and possession of the Moores all which Realmes wee name â—y one onely name new Castile Of these Realmes that which was the shortest time in the power and puissance of the Moores was the kingdome of Toledo which was restored to