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nation_n	let_v	lord_n	praise_v	2,458	5	9.7983	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05067	A treatise against the proclamation published by the King of Spayne, by which he proscribed the late Prince of Orange wherby shall appeare the sclaunders and falce accusations conteyned in the sayd proscription, which is annexed to the ende of this treatise. Presented to My Lords the Estates generall in the Low Countries. Together with the sayd proclamation or proscription. Printed in French and all other languages.; Apologia. English	Loyseleur, Pierre, ca. 1530-1590.; Languet, Hubert, 1518-1581.; William I, Prince of Orange, 1533-1584.	1584 (1584)	STC 15208; ESTC S106849	105,192	136

the deliueraunce of the countrey against the tyrannie of the Spaniardes namely of the Duke of Alua. And as concerning the promises that I made at my entraunce thereinto and namely that they saye that I promised the saide Estates to mainteine them if the Duke of Alua would presse them with the tenth and twentith pennie shall neuer be founde true but this rather that I came the seconde time openly and in armes into the countrey that I might deliuer it from that tyrannie whiche then oppressed them not onely in respect of the tenth pennie but for a thousande other sortes of more than barbarous crueltie and specially for the great slaughter that the Duke of Alua thē made of the poore inhabitauntes of the said countreis And as concerning that that they saie that the ecclesiastical Romanistes were persecuted by me and driuen from their goodes and an other religion brought in I neede my Lordes for this no other defence but that which you your selues knowe thereof to wit that the whole chaunge which insued therevpon was rather a worke of God then of men You knowe howe often I haue bin accused that I did ouer coldly set my selfe against the aduersaries that I did suffer them to much and that I should be the cause of the ruine of the countrey because I was ouer slowe to chase them away and to roote them out And when the question was to sende some of them packing you knowe the duties that I perfourmed to the ende that euerie one might liue in peace and one of them with an other But the Estates which at the first thought it fit and profitable for the preseruation of the countrey that both the one and the other religion should be tollerated learned afterwards by the insolencies attemptes and treasons of the enemies whiche were mingled amongest vs that their Estate was in daunger of an vnavoydeable ruine vnlesse they hindered the exercise of the Romane religion and they perceaued that those that made profession thereof at the least the preestes had taken an othe to the Pope as they do in euery place where they come which they preferred before the othe they had made to the countrey insomuch that in the assemblie of the Estates at Leyden as also in the league of the countreys of Holland and Zealande this article was with one consent agreed vpon The causes vvherefore some of the Romishe Church vvithdrevv them selues out of Hollande neyther could the enemies be ignoraunt of these thinges seeing that in the treatie helde at Breda about the question of religion the enemies there propounding this on their owne behalfe that that chaunge fell out by the guiding of certaine particular persons there was shewed vnto them the consent of all the townes vnder their seuerall seales And nowe I beseeche you what bonde coulde there remaine vnto me seeing that they vnto whom I had made a promise The establishmēt of one onli religiō in Hollande and Zealand vvherefore it vvas so done did not only discharge me thereof but they them selues also did cut it in sunder breake it and made it of no force And notwithstāsding I will leaue it to the iudgement of the wise whether therein I haue done well or euill This only I say that when such things were propounded I desired them that they would not proceede so farre and therefore much more when they did execute and perfourme the same whereof not onely my Lordes of Hollande and Zealande but also certaine troublesome waieward persons amongest vs who also haue spread abroad against me in straunge countreis their wicked speaches will giue me so good a testimonie that I hope I shall not neede anie great defence against such accusations which being by me denied as false for so they are in deede I feare not that they shal be able to yeelde any proofe thereof leauing it to you my Lordes to iudge howe foolishe such an accusation is whiche maie be beaten backe with a simple deniall and yet notwithstanding the greatest parte of the goodlie colours wherewith this painter boasteth that he hath set me out may be quite cleane defaced with such a sponge only If they will alleadge that yet notwithstanding they that were driuen out haue iust occasion to complaine because that promise was not kept with them I aunswere that albeit this is not directed against me yet notwithstāding for the defence of the Estates of Hollande and Zealande I will saie this much that this complaint should haue but a verie ill foundation because it is not reasonable that any such people shoulde enioye a priuiledge by meanes of which they would deliuer the coūtrey into the enemies handes Their purpose was to betraie the liues and the goods of the subiectes and not one or two or three priuiledges onely but all the fraunchises and liberties preserued time out of minde and from age to age by our predecessours and auncestours They add withall That I haue procured libertie of conscience If they vnderstande thereby that I haue made an open way to such impieties as are commonly committed in the house of the Prince of Parme where Atheistrie and other vertues of Rome are counted but sporte I aunswere that it is amongest the heires of the Lord Peter Lewis where a man must seeke finde such libertie or rather vnbridled licence But I will in deede confesse that the brightnes of the fiers wherein they haue tormented so many poore christians was neuer deliteful or pleasaunt to myne eyes as it hath reioysed the sight of the Duke of Alua and the Spaniardes and that I haue alwayes bin of this minde to wishe and procure what I could that the persecutions might cease in the lowe Countreys I will moreouer confesse vnto you to the ende that the enemies maye knowe that they haue to doo with one that speaketh roundlie without anie painting to witte that the King when he departed out of Zealande whiche was the last place that he left in this Countrey commaunded me to put to death manie godly and vertuous people that were suspected to be of the Religion Which thing I would not perfourme but aduertised them them selues thereof knowing in deede that I could not doo it with a good and safe conscience and that I was rather to obeye GOD than man Let the Spaniardes then speake what they them selues shall thinke good I knowe that sundrie peoples and nations whiche are much better then they who also haue learned that by fire and sworde men little or nothing preuayle would prayse mee and approue my fact But seeing that you my Lordes together with the generall consent of the people haue since that tyme approoued it in condemning the rigour of the placardes and licences and in causing those cruell executions to cease I doo no whit at all regarde that which the Spaniardes and their adherentes do murmure and whisper concerning the same Neither can I sufficiently wonder at their follie They that ill

caused him to consume three score thousande And whilest my Lordes he thus in this countrey lost his time his men and his money he lost likewise within two monethes the Kingdome of Tunis and the Goulette The shameful lostes of the kingdōe of Thunis the Goulette with the greatest shame and confusion that euer anie mightie Prince did yea though he were driuen out of his owne lande albeit some would laie the faulte hereof vppon the youth of Don Iohn vpon the whoredome of the Cardinall For whilest he did so ill imploye his forces here amōgst vs Sinam Basscha tooke from him that Kingdome and that fortresse which men supposed could neuer haue bin taken this he did in the sight of Spaine and of Sicilia without that euer anie of the Kings side durst so much as shewe his head to fight against him or onely to turne him aside And yet if he had no regarde to the good of Christendome which in deed he neuer had as witnesseth the painted league that he made which also cost the Venetians so much nor respect to his own honour at the least the memorie and name of the Emperour his father who did little or nothing regarde all his notable deedes and feates of armes in respect of that conquest ought to haue moued and thrust him forwarde with a noble and earnest desire wisely to haue mainteyned that which the Emperour his father had so valiauntly conquered for him and all Christendome But the rage and furie to destroye vs which caried him awaie tooke both his eyes from him that he could not see that euill and his vnderstanding also that he could not discerne it he louing ouermuch to make proofe rather of his weakenes against his owne proper people then of his forces against the common and vniuersall enemie of Christendome This my Lordes is that which he obiecteth against me which also fell out before our generall coniunction and ioyning together Wherevnto it may be it was not altogether necessarie to aunswere sauing that it is requisite not onely to satisfie you but also to stoppe their mouthes and to make all the worlde to vnderstande their impudencies and slaunders For if the question were but of that which cōcerneth your selues and those whiche heretofore were on our side who haue notwithstāding verie euelly and without any cause withdrawen them selues from vs you and those with you haue heretofore sufficiently declared that you had a farre better opinion of me For first the accorde treated of by you with me my Lordes of Hollande and Zealande at Gaunt hath sufficientlie iustified me seeing that if you had supposed me to be such a one as this infamous Proscription describeth me you neyther would nor could haue entered into treatie with me beside so many honorable embassages as you since that time haue sent vnto me to S. Gheertrudenberghe and euen yet to Antwerp both to cause me to come into Brabant and to cause me to come vnto you to Bruxelles that I might be assistaunt with you in Counsell and also that yee did honour me with the title of Lieutenaunt generall All these things I saye doo sufficiently declare what is the opinion and iudgement that yee haue had of all these false and friuoulous accusations whiche thing alone I suppose to be ouer sufficient and strong to confute them But let vs nowe see howe before that time they on their behalfes gouerned themselues with what pride insolencie and disdaine of our whole nation I will not repeate the periuries and deceites of the Dutchesse nor of the King in the behalfe of my Lordes the Counties of Egmount and of Horne nor the baites and allurementes which they prepared for me nor yet generally that which fel out before the cōming of the Duke of Alua but that onely whiche was done afterwardes vntill the time of our generall coniunction and ioyning together to the ende that as the remembraunce of the mischiefes and griefes past shall bring vnto you pleasure and contentement and the same as I hope vnto me who with some delite haue ayded you therin so that by the same you will more and more strengthen your selues in this resolution which is both holie and worthie of immortall prayse which you also haue taken vpon you that is to oppose and set your selues against the Spaniardes and their adherentes Nowe as well the saide Duke of Alua as those that commaunded vnder him and after him haue sufficiently made vs to vnderstande what was at all times the counsell of Spaine to wit to roote vs out and to bring vs into bondage For as Hanniball euen when he was but nine yeeres olde did sweare by the altar of his goddes that he would be al his life long an enemie to the Romanes so was this Duke of Alua from his childhood nourished and brought vp in an vnreconcilable hatred against this countrey The insupportable pride of the Duke of Alua other officers being Spaniardes which by so much blood as he hath spilt could as yet neuer be satisfied but so much the more hath he caused it to runne out on euerie side in all the Townes of this Countrey yea so farre forth that he hath caused to be put to death which thing also he him selfe bragged of eightene thousand poore innocent men and more and that by the handes of the hangman or tormentor and yet for all that that cruell lust of his could neuer be satisfied So that if any would knowe what are the priuie counsells of Spaine what is the Kings good wil and howe much he loueth vs he shall finde it all deciphered sett out in the bloodie deedes of the Duke of Alua as if it were set out before his eyes and liuely painted in a table of painters worke For there hath not bin any kinde of dissimulation treason and vnfaithfulnes which he hath not vsed that hee might bring vnder his subiection and seruice the principall Lordes of this Countrey and that by offers promises newe titles of Honour bestowed vpon them But the good vertuous people that he could get into his handes he hath cruelly put to death without any respect either to their innocencie or to the priuiledges of the countrey and yet nothing was done but by the Kings commaundement He committed the like against the Citezens and good Marchauntes so proudly treding vnder feete our auncient liberties and freedomes yea euery thing that was remayning amongest vs of the glorie of our auncestours that it seemed that he thought that you were at no hande worthie to be reckoned in the number of men And where is it that we can haue a more certaine and playne proofe and that so open that it is as it were in the sight and beholding of all Christendome concerning this matter the profane and proude erection of the Duke of Alua his image in the midst of the late Citadel at Antvverp and withall of his vnsupportable contempt and disdaine