Royall Sepulture of his Auncestors at Westminster and there in Saint Peters Church it was with all possible Royalty and magnificence honourably interred The King gaue vnto the Abbot there twelue large and rich Lordships charitably to giue Almes and deuoutly to pray for the blessed Queene vntill the worlds end Our owne Writers affirme of this Queene Speede. Walsing Camdens Britania to our Nation she was a louing mother and saith one the Columne and pillar as it were of the whole Realme shee added the vertues of a wife to her sex to them both her immortall fame is a glory and an honour to her Nation King Edward the third 1360. married his daughter Iohanna to Henry the second King of Castile sonne of Alphonsus the 11. Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster fourth sonne of King Edward the third did take to wife Constancia eldest daughter of Peter King of Castile To whom in right of his said wife Constancia the Kingdome of Castile and Leon did discend and they both stiled themselues King and Queene of Castile and Leon which illustrious title is yet to be seene vpon his noble monument in Saint Pauls Church in London Katherine the sole daughter of the said Duke of Lancaster by his aforesaid wife Constancia was married to Henry 1388. the third sonne of king Iohn of Castile and Leon. Edmund Duke of Yorke youngest sonne of king Edward the third 1391. married Isabella youngest daughter of Peter king of Castile King Henry the fourth married Iohanna the daughter of Charles king of Nauarr. 1403. The next intermarriage wee finde betweene England and Spaine was in the time of king Henry the seauenth his owne marriage his sonnes with Spaine and marriages of his daughters are the greatest acts of State our English Annalles doe afford vs first his owne marriage made a Vnion whereupon after the effusion of much bloud to the consumption of the greatest part of the English Nobility there followed and euer since continued a happy peace and then by the marriage of his daughter settled an vndoubted and permanent succession for the Crowne of England the blessed happinesse at this instant wee enioy All which with the patience of the Reader contrary to my intended resolution which was onely for the story of the Spanish matches I will a little digresse and briefly touch hauing one with another dependancy and coherence This king Henry the seauenth for his wisedome was said to be a second Salomon and lay somewhat heauie on his people and was Auncestor to our now Soueraigne who will peraduenture some way both for the mannaging of the State and marriage of his children make him a patterne and precedent But the difference is the more is our happinesse Henry the seauenth his gathering of treasure together was to heape vp in store as appeared being found at Richmond after his decease vnder his owne key and keeping eighteene hundred thousand pounds sterling A huge masse of money for those times Our king hath expressed his Royall and Princely bounty and exposed his treasure vpō important occasions wherevnto his Maiestie hath beene necessitated gathered vp from his Subiects but as showers of raine that falls backe vpon the earth againe But it hath beene of late and it is very like hence-forth it will be imployed to repay support and supply About the ninth yeare of king Henry the seauenth his raigne there was one Peter Hyalus an Ambassador A Spanish Ambassadour sent into England sent from Ferdinando and Isabella king and Queene of Spaine to treate of a marriage betweene Katherine their daughter and Prince Arthur sonne and heire of Henry the seauenth it was obserued this Hyalus was a man of great wisedome that through the present could see farre into the future which king Henry soone perceiued Hyalus instantly became in great fauour and estimation with him brought it so about and yet not seene therein that Hyalus was imployed for him into Scotland both about a treaty of peace as also a marriage for Margaret his eldest daughter with Iames the fourth then king of Scotland it was not king Henry his course to seeke peace at any Prince his hands But it was conceiued hee did it then as not louing the barren warres which hee thought would not bee worth his charge Hyalus so caried himselfe in those Ambassies that it was his master-peece which euer after gaue him the esteeme of an excellent workman which shall bee hereafter more particularly related The warres betweene the king of England and the king of Scots were then at the height when Hyalus was sent but comming as it were from the king and Queene of Spaine as from friends equally well affected to both parties to mediate a peace betweene the two kings of England and Scotland as also about a treaty or ouerture at least of a marriage which perhaps in their owne persons would not haue beene so easily brought about the point of honour might therevnto giue impeachment Hyalus so handled the point of his imployment that immediately after Bishop Foxe was sent as an Ambassadour into Scotland wherevpon followed an honourable truce and shortly afterwards a marriage concluded betweene the king of Scots and Margaret the eldest daughter of Henry the seauenth king of England so that Doctor Morton afterwards Cardinall and this Peter Hyalus the Spanish Ambassadour were two of the happiest instruments that euer were the one for composing and contriuing the marriage betweene king Henry the seauenth and Elizabeth the eldest daughter of Edward the fourth whereby the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster were vnited and Hyalus a fore-runner of good hap was therefore by some called an Elias being the first motiue and speciall meanes of the intermarriage betweene England and Scotland whereby we enioy our now Soueraigne whom God graunt long to raigne ouer vs. The Spaniards are obserued generally to be acute and ingenious and many of them of great wisdome and deepe iudgements some reason thereof conceiued for that they are freer from the dull discease of drinke then other Nations are The great Historians writes in this manner of them The Spaniards are more able Guichardine Biterus then either the French or Germanes to endure the actions of the body and to suffer the passions of the minde Their first founder was a Souldier therefore are they held naturally the more for warre Jgnatius and no Nation hath euer beene therein more exercised They haue a Spanish Prouerbe To haue peace with England doth vs betide warres with all the world beside These our auncient Writers affirme Droder Siculus lib. 6. Strabo lib. 3. Mila lib. 2. that the Spaniard is most patient in want hardnesse hunger thirst heat colde and all other toyle and trouble both of body and minde and most ready and resolute for loue of Country or honour to encounter all dangers whatsoeuer For the last particular wherein the Spaniard hath that height of commendation giuen him it neither can be any detraction or
to hold amity with the French least otherwise the warres of those puisant Nations might oppresse all Christendome Charles the Emperour as he hath beene discribed by those that haue written his life hee was an excellent wise Prince which is shewed both in that his sage and graue obseruation as also for his like Councell giuen to his sonne Philip. The consideration of both are fitting Nota. and sutable for these our now times as first the infinite miserable calamities that those Countries of Germany haue endured and may be brought vnto by the late Warres there and may giue much aduantage for the Turke against Christendome The other in likelihood it may be a great happinesse for a State to be in league and amity with a neighbour Nation that is opulent and powerfull and to haue it confirmed and fastened by marriage Nota. which commonly is then inuiolable There might be much written vpon this Subiect but I will leaue it to those of better ability to doe it onely as I passed by I haue called King Philip was much enclined to peace and Queene Mary his wife at that time much more both to hold him with her at home and to support the Religion which shee had againe raised by restoring the Clergie to their wonted possessions The Nobility would not part with the lands they had belonging to the Clergie The Queene by Parliament all such like lands she had whereof much was then held in the Noble mens hands from whose hard hold hardly could any thing be wrested But those in her owne shee freely resigned by Parliament with this most Christian resolution Princely saying that shee set more by the saluation of her owne soule then she did by the reuenewes of all the Kingdomes of the world and so committed the restoration and dispose thereof vnto the Pope and Cardinall poole his Legate to the great enritching of the Church and impouerishing of the Crowne King Philip following his Fathers aduice made peace with Fraunce which was to continue for fiue yeares The Pope besieged confined within the walls of Rome John Slcidon which no sooner was made then againe was broken one principall occasion was ministred by Pope Paul the fourth then an Enemy to the Spaniard whom Duke Alua had besieged and confined him within the walls of Rome hee sent to Henry the French king for ayde and withall sent him a tryumphant Hat with a stately Sword and thereupon had succour by the Guise who remoued the siege and set the Pope at liberty But the French decreasing for want of pay and the Spaniard still raising their Trophees of victory the Pope thought it the surest to hold with the strongest The Pope tooke the surest side reconciled himselfe to the Spaniard fell off from the amity of the French King and was reconciled to the Spaniard so that by this occasion there grew a strong party against the King of Fraunce For by King Philip and Queene Mary his wife he had both England and Spain against him and the Pope no lesse powerfull there then he was within the walls of Rome The occasion that Queene Mary tooke for the breach of the peace was more vpon pretences Iohn Stowes Annalls surmises and pickt quarrels then any iust cause ministred by the French King Queene Mary sent him a defiance and instantly proclaymed warres against Fraunce And King Philip her husband went in person for the prosecuting thereof The Queene immediatly sent after the King her husband the Earle of Pembroke Generall Viscount Mountacute with diuers Earles and Barons with a great Army who came to King Philip and ioyned with him whilst the Duke of Sauâ—y Brunswike the Earles of Egmonde Horne and Mansfield inuaded the French confines and planted a strong siege against Saint Quintens which shortly after by the English St. Quintens wonne by the English was nobly and victoriously wonne to the great losse and discomfort of the French Monsieur Mountomorancie Constable of Frunce and Generall was taken prisoner Queene Mary contrary to her promise and agreement made vpon her marriage with King Philip entangled her Subiects with the quarrels of the Spaniards The greatioy conceiued for the victory was shortly after dashed with as much sorrow for the losse of Galice The English after they had so gotten Saint Quintens they afforded to themselues either little list or leasure more or otherwise but betooke themselues to their delights disorders and pleasures and onely to keepe and make good what they had newly gotten grew negligent and carelesse of the Towne of Calice that the Forts thereabouts for defence being vnrespectiuely regarded wonne by that victorious Prince Edward the third and that by no lesse then eleuen moneths siege were in the compasse of eight dayes besieged surprized and wonne in the depth of Winter to the worldes wonder and not without great suspition of treachery which happened the the 12. day of lanuary and in the second moneth were surrendred the strong Fort of Guies and Hames whereby all the English sooting was lost in the continent of Fraunce So here you may see that our owne Writers affirme that the breach of the peace with the French King was not any wayes by the occasion of King Philip nor the losse of Calice by his default After his great victory at Saint Quintens he would admit no peace at all with the French but with restoring Calice vntill the English themselues without him made their peace and renownced Calice to the French for euer These Iosses were greeuous to the English Nobility and most of all to Queene Mary her selfe After she had abolished the Gospell restored the Popes Supremacie whatsoeuer she tooke in hand was no wayes prosperous but in all things infortunate her conceptions failing extreame dearthes rayning hurt done by thunders from heauen and Fire in the Royall Nauy Forraigne losses Calice surrendred which could neuer be recouered vpon any composition and King Philip alwayes in troubles and turmoyling warres occasioned his keeping from court so that Queene Mary her life during her raignet was little pleasurable or that she scance â—â—ioyed any delights or at lease little contentment as all which so much augmented hor melancholly which grew to a burning Feauer when she had raigned fiue yeares Queene Mary with griefe died she ended her life at her Mannour of St. Iames and lyeth interred amongst her Auncestors in the Abby of Westminster Now next in course doth follow the relation of the passages betweene England and Spaine after King Philip his returne thither which was immediatly after Queene Maries death and during the time of the raigne of the late Queene Elizabeth where then I come to the Spring head from whence the auersenesse and vnwillingnesse of the Commons doe rise for our Princes Royall match with Spaine the remembrance of the late Hostile warrs with other the passages which plebian like they haue by tradition as the Brittaines had the story of their times
the English onely to thanke God for their deliuerance If the Spaniards will forget and passe it ouer as being farre the greater loosers it is both charity and religion for the English to doe the like And the rather for that and such like hostile actions passing betweene the two Nations in the time of warre and now in peace in all Christian and religious considerations enuie and hatred should haue an end and not be continued States are subiect to the wheele times haue their turnings and great Princes themselues not free from calumny and detraction and many times with much agrauation therein For these particulars I will conclude with that graue and sage obseruation of Cornelius Tacitus that free tongued Romane that wrote they made it a custome to make Kings the instruments of oppression they may many times seeme so and yet they themseues of a most gracious and Royall disposition Queene Elizabeth therein not second to any and yet according to the fate and fashion of great princes by some great and graue Councellours neere about her and by some that could thriue onely by warre she was much swayed and ruled which she thought was no diminution to her commendation though it made not so much for her absolutenes yet it seemed she held it the more for her safety Let vs not be transported with passion and doubts beyond reason good ground or probability the Kings and Monarchies of England in their whole choise of wiues made from all parts of Europe were neuer more fortunate and happy in any then in those Royall Queenes which they had from Spaine The first in this Scene of honour shall be the Royall Queene Elenor wife to Edward the first formerly mentioned what was shee but the wonder and myracle of her Sex The next Queene Katherine wife first to Prince Arthur afterwards to Henry the eight shee was the cleare mirrour and example of wisedome integrity sanctity and all Royall and Princely vertues in all which she was farre more precious and excellent being so tryed as she was with the touchstone of fortune Constancia Izabella Beringaria and Ioanna Spanish Princes all these were proper and peculiar to our English Monarchy our owne Chronicles telleth vs no otherwise of them but that they were as so many glorious and conspicuous lights of matrimoniall faith loue piety and chastity And lastly King Philip the second that married Queene Mary our own Writers leaues him to posterity highly commended So that for those Princes that we haue formerly had from Spaine England hath had ioy and comfort of them we haue loued them and they vs. Wherefore should we now so much doubt and feare for the future the like successe vnlesse we will conclude our dispositions are growne worse and that the then times deserued a great part of their commendations So that here you may see that no Nations in former times did euer more faithfully and entirely loue each another or were in more straighter leagues and bonds of friendship vnited together then the English and Spaniards vntill by the late warre they were â—â—â—oynted Seuere iudgement threatens high places Sa. ca. 6.4.8 The greatest happinesse of great Kings and Princes is to make happy their Subiects and that happinesse on eath is esteemed greatest which commeth neerest to that in heanen consisting onely in the eternity of blessed peace then consequently those Princes must be deemed most blessed who doe chiefly direct their Royall cares and endeuours to bring glory to God on high peace and good will to those on earth Our now gracious King hath so gouerned vs this 21. yeares that we haue enioyed that happinesse as God hath beene truly honoured he obayed and we haue liued in quiet vnder our own Figge trees and Vines eating the fruites of our owne labour4s free from those calamities and miseries of warre some of our neighbour Nations are subiect vnto and by Gods grace he will so continue vs whereby he will be worthily held in the esteeme and deemed one of the most blessed Princes according to the position before mentioned How willing desirous and obseruant the Spaniards haue beene to bee in peace and amity with vs let the Reader but duly consider that which hath beene formerly related and for farther satisfaction to an ocular experience we late had thereof The Xing of Spaine his desire to be in league and amity with England No sooner then our now gracious Soueraigne came to the Crowne but the King of Spaine Philip the third instantly sent ouer his Ambassadours sought peace at his hands and had it which euer since hath beene religiously nobly muioable kept and so continued his sonne now King of Spaine Philip the fourth An ouerture of marriage long time in treaty for our now Royall Prince Charles with the Lady Maria daughter of the said Philip the third by him much desired and now as much as her brother Philip the fourth as it is generally conceiued that those two Royall Scepters should be now conioyned in the sacred knot and bond of marriage thereby to strengthen their auncient Alliances and make a perpetuall league and indissoluble confederation of blessed peace and friendship betwixt them Seeing many excellent learned men meerely out of zeale and some others wise and polliticke in the affaires of State that are true louers of their countrie haue written and spoken freely proposing doubts feares and dangers that may come and ensue to England with the mariage with Spaine and also others of both those sorts of like ranke and quality only in religion contrarily affected haue written and will speake as much for the approbation and commendation thereof proposing the infinite vnspeakable good the match may be to the Kingdome of England Without farther intermedling I will leaue those things to their learnings and iudiciall experiences that which I relate may be as materials for them to worke on and is intended but as home made stuffe for the Country people who in State affaires sees no farther then the Rhine and many of them wade not so deepe as into the point of Religion yet in their affections haue beene very auerse and expressed vnwillingnesse for our Princes Royall match I would herewithall cloathe or at least someway couer their bare opinions that there is no such great cause of feares doubts and dangers as they seeme to apprehend though the Spaniards were lately our enemies yet aunciently they were our friends and seeme to desire to be so againe to liue in league and amity with vs I would gladly so moderate and reclaime the disaffections of the common people that they might forget and remit all former occasions conceaued of distaste and not in their affections and discourses so disobe diently mutinie and dispute against our Soueraignes high commands and Royall intentions It is incident for men so to doe of some one of the dispositions following A kingdome composed of men of diuers humours and dispositions whereof some doe burne in hatred some busied in