was yet Catholike To this was alleaged that if he should so do by fauouring all opposite to the Catholikes the Catholikes would therfore disfauour him seeing the other through his fauour would insult vpon them and so might there be danger of their returning to the obedience of the King of Spayne whom thev were sure was of their religion and would mayntayne them in it All which considered it was not thought fitting for him to declare himself to be a Catholike To declare himself a Lutheran was also thought vnsit because the Duke of Saxony albeit a Lutheran was yet a freind vnto the Emperour and the howse of Austria and besides the Lutherans were but flegmatike cold fellowes and too farre offto giue him assistance if need should require To declare himselfe an Anabaptist was held lesse fitting for albeit they had shewed more heat of zeale in their greater number that had suffred for their religion then any of the others yet were they but of the meaner sort of people not hauing any potent persons among them nor any forrayne Prince or State to take their partes In fine it was resolued that it was most conuenient for him to declare himself a Caluinist in regard of their stirring spirits whereof they had giuen greater proof then any of the others that there was apparence of assistance from England and of good correspondence with the Huguenots of France Vpon this resolution followed straight-wayes the conuersion of this Prince of Orange vnto Caluinian-Protestant religion and his new gayned greatest friendes so bestirred themselues that Town vpon Town rebelled especially after he had by solemne Oath sworne to mayntayne the Catholike Clergy in all their rights and priuiledges and in publike exercise of their Religion about which point yet the town of Amsterdam amongst others very precysely capitulated with him and he very seriously also protested and swore performance of the conditions which Oath notwithstanding he made no more conscience soone after to breake then he had done sundry oathes before as the great and solemne Oath which he tooke of Fidelity to the King of Spayne when he receaued the Order of Knight-hood of the golden Fleece the Oath of fidelity which he also tooke at the sayd Kings making him Lieftenant Gouernour of Holland c. besydes his sundry other perfidious breaches both of oaths and promises And because there is not any fidelity or honest dealing to be expected where there is layd no ground of Religion and vertue it is the lesse wonder that this irreligious Noble Man so caryed himself in choyce of religion Certayne it is that he was at the first a Catholike and notwithstanding that his malice had transported him so farre as to protect and shelter some most sacrylegious Church-robbers yet vpon the aryuall of the Duke of Alua and before his flight into Germany he sent for his eldest some Philip who was Prince of Orange next after him at that tyme a student in the Vniuersity of Louayne and most straightly charged him to liue and dye in the Catholike Roman Religion as the sayd Prince hath at sundry tymes to diuers persons yet lyuing protested wherby it may seem that at that tyme he had yet retayned some regard of religion and holding that for the best commaunded his sonne to remayne still therin Foure wyues he had the first was a Catholyke the second was a Lutheran the third and fourth were Caluinists which perchance was because he found no noble woman fit for him to match withall that was an Anabaptist that so he might haue had foure wyues of foure seuerall Religions yet to shew his great good wil vnto the Anabaptists albeit he could not match amongst them he gaue them vnder his hand wryting the priuiledge freedome for exercise of their religion in their own howses which they yet in Holland enioy When I consider the life and actioÌ„s of this man I wonder in my self that the blyndnes of the popular multitude could be so great as to honor and extol him so highly and to accompt him the great Patron and Protectour of their Country that was the greatest enemy therof that euer it had and who was the cause of spilling so much bloud aswell of the people of his owne Country as of other Nations and such an one as was the betrayer transporter also thereof vnto another Nation as much as in him lay who had no right or clay me thereunto To come now to touch the end of this man when I coÌ„sider I say what it was there commeth to my remembrance this saying of a Pagan Poet Tyraennous Lords that cause Landes to rebell VVithout some blow can hardly come to Hell About some foure yeares before the death of this Prince he was for his offences depriued by the sayd King of Spayne his soueraigne Lord of all the authority and power which in former tymes the sayd King had giuen him proclaymed for a publike enemy vnto the King the peace and Weal-publike of the Countrey and his goods person exposed to open violence by publique sentence In the end after some attempts to that effect the Prince perceauing what victorious successe the Duke of Parma that then vnder the King of Spayne commanded in the Netherlands now began to haue in Flaunders and Brabant he fled secretly from Antwerp where he had layne lurcking for a time vnto Delft in Holland in his Armour for it was the greatest prayse forsooth that this valiant Captayne atchieued in these warres that he did commonly put on his Armour when he was eight or ten leagues from any place of danger Being arriued at Delft where he thought himselfe in greatest safety he was vpon the tenth day of Iuly in the same yeare 1584. slayne with the shot of a Pistoll by one Ealtazar Gerard aliâs Serach a Burgundian of the age of fiue and twenty yeares a moneth after that the Duke of Alancon dyed at Chasteau-Theiry for the Duke dyed on the tenth of Iune this Prince was slayne on the tenth of Iuly next following as though his life had beene limitted by lease to last but iust one moneth after the death of the other The next of the greatest Actors in this rebellious Tragedy was Robert Dudley Earle of â—eycester who after he had beene the chiefe Commaunder of Holland in these broyles in which waâ— slaine his sisters Sonne Syr Philip Sidney a Knight worthy to haue deserued more Honour if he had serued in an honourable cause he grew weary of the Hollanders and they of him in so much that by a iustification of his worthlesse actions published in Print he was driuen to accuse blame them of breach of promise and performance of couenants made vnto him that so by laying the fault vpon theÌ„ he might repaire his owne reputation and excuse of gayning so little honour among them as he had Returning therefore with great discontentment into England he soone after sickned and dyed and as it is reported was
begin to speake of Queen Elizabeth of England her assisting the rebelled subiects of Holland against the King of Spayne it is not impertinent to the purpose to call to mind whether there were any cause of emnity giuen vnto her by meanes of any wronges or iniuryes offred her by the King of Spayne in former tyme in regard wherof she might now take the oportunity of reuenge This King Philip the second of Spayne hauing beene maryed in England to Queen Mary was neuer known to haue beene disaffected to the Lady Elizabeth for so was she then called but coÌ„trary wise did shew himself to be the greatest freind â—he had in the world which heeâ—e in briefe to declare you must nore that this Lady Eâ—izabeth being then a subiect vnto her sayd sister Queen Mary chaunced to fall into sundry troubles for which she was imprisoned in the Tower of â—onâ—on and retayned in durance at Woodstoâ—k and other places M. Fox the Author of the English Protestant Martyrologe wryting of this Ladies inprisonment declareth not any cause why but because he putteth her in his history of others that suffred for protestant religioÌ„ he intendeth to haue his reader imagine her to haue suffred some persecutioÌ„ also for the same cause whereby he thinketh not a little to honour her But had her troubles beene for Religion indeed Fox would then neuer haue omitted to set down her examinations about the same and her answeres thereunto in defence of some such poinâ—s as are in controuersy betwen Catholiks Protestanâ—s as about the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament or about prayer to Saints or prayer for the Dead or some one or other point as wel as he hath set down the examinations and answeres of so many others to their great glory as he takes it but heer is nothing found Fox in this in silent and leaues his reader to imagine of himself that it was for religioÌ„ For something it was but that it was for religioÌ„ be could not make manifest for that this Lady in al the tyme of the raigne or her sister dayly did heare Masse went vsually to Confession and in all points shewed her selfe a Catholike yea three weekes after she was proclaymed Queene she had Masse in her own Chappell in the Court and permitted it to be sayd in all Churches throughout the whole realme for the space of seauen monethes after which is no signe of being so resolue da Protestant as that she would suffer imprisonment for that religion Her troubles in very deed were for sundry offences against Queene Mary her sister which being found to be such as might perhaps haue cost her her life if they had come vnto publique triall of Iustice the King of Spayne was so greatly her freind that he stayed the proceeding thereof and so not only saued her life but quit her also from the publike blot and stayne of treason and heerin he was so earnest that on a time when she was to haue come to her answere he did so importune Queene Mary his wyfe to let the matter passe in sylence that she sayd vnto him My Lord You speake very earnestly now for her but I pray God she do not one day make you repent it A certaine Spainsh Author wryteth that the King was therevnto also moued vpon some consideration of state for Queen Mary of Scotland being then maryed vnto the french king Francis the second if the Lady Elizabeth had dyed there had in apparence byn great possibility that the Kingdomes of England Scotland and Irâ—land might come to haue beene annexed vnto France the sayd Queene of Scotland being the next heyre in bloud vnto them all Queene Mary of England at last hapning to dy King Philip her husband notwithstanding the caueat giuen him by his late deceased Queen did so coÌ„tinue his good affection vnto the now Queene Elizabeth that being then in the Netherlands he sent ouer vnto her Monsieur de Assonuile to congratulate her aduancement and to signify his gift vnto her of all Queen Maries Iewells which being his owne he might iustly haue detayned vnto himselfe if he would These Iewells she seemed very thankfully to receaue and sayd vnto this Monsieur de Assonuile that she thought her brother the King of Spayne might thinke much in her for change of religion but quoth she there is but little difference betweene his religion and ours almost all that he hath in Latin we haue in English and we do not as others do for we mayntayne a clergy of Bishops and other Prelates so vs we are in effect as before And whereas there was held a treaty of peace between the Spanish French Kings vpon the taking of S. Quintins the king of Spayn would yield vnto no agreement with the French vnlesse it were also conditioned that Callis should be restored backe vnto Queen Elizabeth of England and heerin were his commissioners that treateâ— with the French so earnest that in the end the french to be rid of their importunity were faygne to confesse vnto them that they knew that they tooke more paynes then they were desyred to do for that the English had playnly told them that they had not set them on work in any such busynes which was a signe that they desired not to be beholding vnto the king their maister Of which wheÌ„ the king had knowledg he stood no more vpon the rendring of Callis but concluded his peace with the french without it which as thinges did afterward fall out proued a happy turne to himself These proofes of this Kings good will vnto Queene Elizabeth being thus made manifest to the world who would haue thought that she would not only haue omitted all signes of gratitude but within a litle after become an enemy to such a friend yea and so great and capitall a one as seldome any History can giue witnes of the like Seeing then that no acts of gratitude are to be sought after let vs then see what effectes of emnity ensued insteed thereof First then to begin withall omitting her refusall of the King of Spaynes kind endeauours for getting the French to restore vnto her the Towne of Callis we will returne vnto the duke of Alua his expected prouisioÌ„ of money from Spayne mentioned in the former Chapter This prouision beâ—ng the summe of six hundred thoâ—sand Ducates comming out of Spayne 〈◊〉 the Netherlands in the moneth of Dâ—cember in the yeare 15â—1 was on the West coast of â—ngland seized vpon and aâ—rested by the English By meanes of which wrongfully detayning this money of the King of Spaynes the Dâ—ke of Alua was forced to demaund the tenth pennv of euery mans goods that was of ability for his supply â—ut this demand of his caused chiefly thorough the said English arrest was cause of a far greater detriment vnto the King of Spayne then that wrongfully detaâ—ned money came vnto so as the one great wrong was the cause of another far greater For heereupon
where it is not vpon the coast of any Countrey vnto which the benefit belongeth by ancient prerogatiue And yet is all this but little in regard of their vsage of our Nation in the East Indyes wher they haue as fiercely set vpon them with open hostility as if before their meeting there they had of long continuance beene mortall enemyes hauing slaine many of our men and sunke sundry of our shipps And when moreouer they haue taken some of our men prisoners they haue vsed them in the sight of the Indians in such contemptible and disdainefull manner as if at home in their owne Countryes the English in respect of them were but an abiect and a slauish Nation and that the Hollanders were either their Superiours might vse them at their pleasure or the English so base and vnpowerfull as they durst not be reuenged but quietly put vp any iniury at their handes And indeed the Indians might in reason coniecture that the Hollanders would neuer haue dared so to domineer ouer the English abroad if they had not had the maistery of them at home after which accounpt reckoning such actions abroad are wont to be looked into What thinke you now of our English Prouerbe Haue we not brauely set beggers on horsbacke Nay haue not Englishmen the premises considered great reason to loue the Hollanders and to hate Spaniards Yea and to hate Spaniards only for the loue of such courteous gratefull Hollanders And as for the commodious trade which the English haue had in Muscouy for more then threescore and ten years and which the Hollanders haue now quite gotten from theâ—â— and spoyled what shall I say Seeing they are about to make recompence for the same by doing the like with our English Merchants in Turky And it is a thing so naturall notorious for them to spoile the trade of other Nations that when they cannot find occasion to do it they will not sticke to spoile one another so great is their auaricious and insatiable desire of gayne and yet all this proceedeth but out of a certain couetous wretchednes for let any of them arriue to what riches he will he knoweth not how to be Noble or Generous CHAP. IIII. Whether England can expect any benefite by continuing to take the Hollanders parts and whether the Hollanders doe deserue the same by wishing or desiring the continuance of the State and Gouernement of England as now it standeth THE end and scope whereunto the rebellious wars of the Hollanders haue tended hath beene to bring themselues into as free and quâ—et a State as is the Republique of the Switzers which they might haue easily done by the help they haue had from England France if the King of Spayne had wanted the meanes or the will to haue continued warre against them But admit they had arriued vnto this their designe and had freely and quietly gotten the full possession of all the seauenteene Netherland Prouinces is it not like that they would then haue gotten into their clawes the Duchyes of Cleue Iuliers with the other parts theron dependant seeing they haue already gotten fotting therin And hauing once incorporated these is it like that they would haue suffered the Countrey of Liege to haue remained in quiet vnder the Rule of a Bishop When as the colour of reformation of Religion had also beene sufficient for the taking away of the Countrey from the true owner Or may a man thinke that they would stand vpon titles of right who hold not the least place they possesse by any right at all Or that they would make a conscience to detayne from their Neighbour when they make none to detayne from their true Lord and Maister Surely there is no reason to think other wayes and yet if any man should let him but looke into their attempt vpon Huys also vpon Liege the principall Citty of that Countrey not long since put in practise Put the case then that they had arriued vnto their desired greatnes that is to say to haue gotten the whole seauenteene Netherland Prouinces with the Duchyes of Cleue and Iuliers the rest thereunto dependant as also the Countrey of Liege how would they theÌ„ haue borne themselues towards England and France How had they then beene able to haue giuen law to both these kingdomes to the one by land from the Countrey of Liege coÌ„fining vpon it and to the other by sea by being able to ouertop it in shipping what doubt may be made heereof considering what a correspondent party they would haue found in France by their most confident friends the Huguenots and in England by no lesse friendes the Puritans Who cannot now discerne that the King of Spayne by continuance of war against the Hollanders hath highly benefited both England and France and that England and France by assisting the Hollanders against the King of Spayne haue laboured to their owne cost What policy might it then haue proued for England and France if the Hollanders had by their help preuayled against the King of Spayne when they should therby haue prepared an irremediable scourge for themselues Let it then be truely considered whether it had not been greater policy more honorable more profitable for both those Nations and more for the tranquility of Christendome that they had suffred the King of Spayne to haue brought these his rebellious subiects to obedience and so to haue gouerned them in peace to the end he might haue imployed so many millions as he hath beene forced to spend in the NetherlaÌ„d warres against the Turke And that so he would haue done if he might heere haue inioyed rest and quiet who can doubt Seeing notwithstanding these his long wars and all other wars therby occasioned both by sea and land he hath to his euerlasting prayse and honour neuer made either peace or Truce with that capitall enemy of Christendome And if those forsayd many millions might haue bin imploâ—ed against this common enemy who can make doubt but he might thereby not only haue beene driuen out of Europe but that Hierusalem and all Palestine might haue beene recouered England as hath beene sayd in the precedent Chapter hath already receaued proofe of the ingratitude of her costly Holland friends and France no lesse by hauing not long since discouered them to be more ready to take their partes that were in armes against the now regnant King then the Kinges part against them And if they had been so wary as to haue dissembled som what longer their ingratitude insolencyes towards England and France yet their audacious brauing of the King of Denmark notwithstanding they must passe with all their corne from Danske throgh his Sownd were inough to haue discouered their proud contempt of the maiesty of Kinges and what Neighbours they would haue proued to England France when they should haue arriued to their expected freedome of an absolute Republike Let it then be considered whether England or France could