priuate cause to say wel on him do speake it boldly and openly that he was such a one as neuer could content his couetousnes with money nor neuer satisfie his crueltie with bloud And so by this foule meane many gentlemē in Naples haue lost some theyr liues but moe theyr liuynges and almost all theyr libertie And there be at this day as men say here that know it a good sort of thousandes Neapolitanes named Foriensuti who beyng spoyled at home by violence robbe other abroad for neede which comber so the passage betwixt Rome and Naples as no man departeth commonly from Rome without company which commeth to Naples without robbyng The whole body of the kyngdome of Naples was so distempered inwardly with this misorder with a litle outward occasion it would easely haue burst forth into a foule sore A lesse matter then the rauishyng of Lucrece A meaner ayde then the helpe of Brutus was thought sufficient to haue stirred vp this inward grudge to open reuenge But see how God prouided for the Emperour and the quyet of that kingdome For God in takyng away one Spanyard hath made Naples now more strong then if the Emperour had set xx thousand of the best in Spayne there for euen this last Lent. 1553. Don Pietro di Toledo dyed at Florence by whose goyng away mens hartes in Naples be so come agayne to the Emperour as he shall now haue lesse neede either to care for the fyne fetches of Fraunce or to feare the great power of the Turke A gentleman of this Court a true seruaunt to the Emperour sayd merely in a company where I was that his master the Emperour had won more in Naples by the death of the Uiceroy then he had lost in Lorraigne by the forgyng of Metz. But to my purpose not many yeares agoe diuers in Naples made their cōplaint to the Prince of Salerne of their griefes who was thought would be most willyng for his good nature and best able for his authoritie to seeke some remedie for them by way of intercessiō to the Emperour The Prince beyng here at Bruxels humbly besought hys Maiestie to pitie the miserie of hys poore subiectes who by this sute gat of the Emperour for hys cliantes wordes without hope and of the Uiceroy for him selfe hatred without ende The Prince yet alwayes bare hym selfe so wisely that he could not without some sturre be thrust downe openly and ridyng on his iourney he was once shot with a dagge secretly Thus he seyng no ende of displeasure in the Uiceroy no hope of remedy in the Emperour when he saw the Turke on the Sea the French kyng in the field Duke Maurice and the Marches vp and a good part of Italy either risen or ready to rise thinkyng the tyme come of theyr most hope for helpe by the Princes and of least feare of punishment by the Emperour came forth to play his part also amongest the rest who whē flying first to the French kyng and after by hys counsell as it is sayd to the Turke is compelled to venture vppon many hard fortunes And what succes he shall haue either of helpe in Fraunce or comfort of the Turke or mercy of the Emperour I can not yet write But this last winter he hath lyen in the I le of Cio and now I heare say this sommer he is on the Sea with 63. Gallyes of the Turkes at his commaundement what enterprice he will make or what successe he shall haue when we shall heare of the matter I trust I shal either by some priuate letter from hence or by present talke at home fully satisfie you therin ¶ Albert Marches of Bradenburge ALbert Marches of Bradenburge in the begynnyng of his sturre .1552 wrote a booke and set it Print wherin he declared the causes of hys fallyng from the Emperour wittely alledgyng common misery as a iust pretence of hys priuate enterprise makyng other mens hurtes his remedy to heale his own sores and common wronges hys way to reuenge priuate displeasures shewyng liberty to be last and Religion to be defaced in all Germany lamentyng the long captiuitie of the two great Princes and all the dispossessyng of hys father in law Duke Otto Henrick sore enueyng against the pride of the Spanyardes and the authoritie of straungers which had now in their handes the seale of the Impiere and in theyr swynge the doyng of all thynges and at their cōmaundement all such mens voyces as were to be called the Imperiall Dietes cōpellyng the Germanes in their owne countrey to vse straunge toungs for their priuate sutes wherin they could say nothyng at all or nothyng to the purpose vsing Camera Imperialis at Spires for a common key to open all mens coffers when they listed and these were the chiefest points in Marches booke The Marches also sore enueyed agaynst Luice de Auila for writyng and agaynst the Emperour for suffring such a booke as Luice de Auila wrote wherein the honor of Germany and the Princes therof by name Marches Albert who was in the first warres on the Emperours side was so defamed to all the world yea the Marches was so throughly chafed with this boke that when I was in the Emperours court he offred the combat with Luice de Auila which the Emperour for good wil and wise respectes would in no case admit Not onely the Marches but also the Princes at the Diet of Passan this last yeare made a common complaint of this booke I knew also the good old Prince Fredericke Palsgraue of the Rhene in September last when the Emperour lay at Landaw beside Spires goyng with his great army to Metz complayned to the Emperour hym selfe and to his counsell of a certaine spightfull place in that booke against him The good prince told me this tale him selfe at hys house in Heldibirge whē I caried vnto him kyng Edwardes letters the Lord Ambassadour him selfe beyng sicke at Spires And wise men say that the Duke of Bauiere also is euill contented for that which is written in that booke agaynst his father when he deserued of the Imperials to haue bene rewarded rather with prayse and thankes then with any vnkynde note of blame and dishonour of whom the Emperour in his warres agaynst the Lansgraue and the Duke of Saxonie receiued such kindnes as no Prince in Germany for all respectes in the case was able to affourde hym as first he had his whole countrey of Bauiere for a sure footyng place to begyn the warre in and had also both men and vittaile of hym what he would and at lēgth should haue had that countrey his onely refuge if that in warre he had come to any vnderdele as he was like enough to haue done But it was Gods secret will and pleasure to haue the matter then go as it did And for that cause men say Duke Albert of Bauiere that now is that hath maryed the Emperours niece was more straunge this last yeare to the Emperour
open remedy and wanted no displeasure for inward grief Duke Ernestus Marches Albert and Lazarus Swendy sate at supper togethers as they were talkyng of the Interim the Marches soddenly brast out into a fury saying what deuill will the Emperour neuer leaue striuyng with God in defacyng true Religiō and tossyng the world in debarryng all mēs liberties addyng that he was a Prince vnkynd to euery man and kept touch with no mā that could forget all mens merites would deceiue whom soeuer he promised The Duke liked not this hoate talke in hys house and at his table but sayd Cosin you speake but merely and not as you thincke adding much the prayse of the Emperours gentlenes shewed to many and of his promise kept withall Well quoth the Marches if he had bene either kynde where men haue deserued or would haue performed that hee promised neither should I at this tyme accuse hym nor you haue sit here in this place to defende hym for he promised to geue me this house with all the landes that thereto belongeth but ye be affrayd Cosin quoth the Marches lest this talke be to loud and so heard to farre of when in deede if the Commissarie here be so honest a man as I take him and so true to his master as he should be he will not fayle to say what he hath heard and on the same cōdition Commissary I bryng thee good lucke and drancke of vnto hym a great glasse of wine Lazarus Swendyes talke then sounded gētly and quietly for he was sore affrayed of the Marches But he was no soner at home with the Emperour but word was sent straight to Duke Maurice that the Marches who was as thē come to Madenburg if he would needes serue there should serue without wages Ye may be sure the Marches was chafed a new with this newes who already had lost a great sort of hys men and now must leese hys whole labour thether and all his wages there besides the losse of hys honour in takyng such shame of hys enemies receiuyng such vnkyndnes of the Emperour The Marches was not so greeued but Duke Maurice was as well contented with this commaundement for euen then was Duke Maurice Secretary practisyng by Baron Hadeckes aduise with the French kyng for the sturre which dyd follow and therfore was glad when he saw the Marches might be made hys so easely whiche came very soone to passe so that the Marches for the same purpose in the ende of the same yeare went into Fraunce secretly and was there with Shertly as a commō Launce Knight and named hymselfe Captaine Paul lest the Emperour spials should get out his doynges where by the aduise of Shertly hee practised with the French kyng for the warres which followed after This matter was told vnto me by Iohn Mecardus one of the chief Preachers in Augusta who beyng banished the Empiere when and how ye shall heare after was fayne to flye and was with Shertly the same yeare in Fraunce The Marches came out of Fraunce in the begynnyng of the yeare .1552 and out of hand gathered vp men but his purpose was not knowne yet the Emperour mistrusted the matter beyng at Insburg sent Doct. Hasius one of hys counsell to know what cause he had to make such sturre This Doct. Hasius was once an earnest protestāt and wrote a booke on that side was one of the Palsgraues priuy counsell But for hope to clime higher he was very ready to be entised by the Emperour to forsake first his master then God By whō the Emperour knew much of all the Princes Protestants purposes for he was commonly one whom they had vsed in all their Dietes and priuate practises which thing caused the Emperour to seeke to haue hym that by his head he might the easelyer ouerthrow the Protestantes with them God and hys word in all Germany This man is very lyke M. Parrie her graces cofferer in head face legges and bellye What aūswere Hasius had I can not tell but sure I am the Marches then both wrote his booke of complayntes agaynst the Emperour and set it out in Printe And also came forward with banner displayed and tooke Dillyng vpon Danuby the Cardinall of Augustus towne which Cardinall with a few Priestes fled in post to the Emperour at Inspurg where he found so cold cheare and so litle comfort that forthwith in all hast he posted to Rome Horsemen and footemen in great companies still gathered to the Marches and in the ende of March he marched forward to Augusta where he Duke Maurice the young Lansgraue the duke of Mechelburg George and Albert with William Duke of Brunswycke and other Princes confederate met together and besieged that Citie Where I will leaue the Marches till I haue brought Duke Maurice and hys doinges to the same time and to the same place ¶ Duke Maurice NOt many yeares agoe whole Saxony was chiefly vnder two Princes the one duke Iohn Fredericke borne Elector who yet liueth defender of Luther a noble setter out and as true a follower of Christ and his Gospell The other hys kynsman Duke George who is dead Knight of the order of the Golden Fleece a great mā of the Emperour a mayntainer of Cocleus and a notable piller of Papistry Duke Iohn Fredericke is now 50. yeares of age so byg of personage as a very strong horse is scarse able to beare hym yet is he a great deale bygger in all kynde of vertues in wisedome iustice liberalitie stoutnes temperancy in hym self and humanitie towardes others in all affaires and either fortunes vsing a singular trouth and stedfastnes so that Luice de Auila and the Secretary of Ferrare who wrote the story of the first warres in Germany and professe to be his ernest enemies both for matters of state and also of Religion were so compelled by his worthynes to say the truth as though theyr onely purpose had bene to write his prayse He was fiue yeares prisoner in this Court where he wan such loue of all men as the Spanyardes now say they would as gladly fight to set hym vp agayne as euer they dyd to pull hym downe For they see that he is wise in all his doynges iust in all hys dealynges lowly to the meanest princely with the biggest and excellyng gentle to all whom no aduersitie could euer moue nor pollicy at any tyme entice to shrincke from God and his word And here I must needes commend the Secretary of Ferrare who beyng a Papist and writyng the history of the late warres in Germany doth not kepe backe a goodly testimony of Duke Frederickes constancy toward God and hys Religion When the Emperour had taken the Duke prisoner he came shortly after before the Citie of Witemberg and beyng aduised by some bloudy coūsellours that Duke Frederickes death should by the terrour of it turne all the Protestantes from theyr Religion caused a write to be made for the Duke to be executed the
⧠A REPORT and Discourse written by Roger Ascham of the affaires and state of Germany and the Emperour Charles his court duryng certaine yeares while the sayd Roger was there AT LONDON ¶ Printed by Iohn Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate ¶ Cum Gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Decennium ⧠John Astely to R. Ascham I Now finde true by experience which I haue oft heard of others sometymes read my selfe that mē make no such accompt of commodities when they haue thē as when they want thē I meane this by our frendly fellowshyp together at Cheston Chelsey and here at Hatfield her graces house our pleasant studies in readyng together Aristotles Rethorike Cicero and Liuie our free talke mingled alwayes with honest mirth our trimme cōferences of that present world and to true iudgementes of the troublesome tyme that followed These commodities I now remēber with some grief which we then vsed with much pleasure besides many other fruites of frendshyp that faythfull good will could affourd And these thinckynges cause me oft to wish either you to be here with vs or me to be there with you but what wishyng is nothyng els but a vayne waylyng for that which will wanteth ▪ I wil cease from wishyng and seeke the true remedy for this sore And that is whilest we mete agayne in deede in the meane while to ease our desires with oft writyng the one to the other I would in deede I had bene partaker in your company of that your pleasant absence out of your countrey And because I was not I pray you let me be partaker by your letters of some fruite of that your iourney We heare of great sturres in those parties and how the Emperour a Prince of great wisedome and great power hath bene driuen to extreme shiftes and that by the pollicie of mean men who were thought to be hys frendes and not by the puisantnes of others who were knowne to be his open enemyes I know you were wont in markyng diligently and notyng truely all such great affaires And you know lykewise how desirous I am alwayes to read any thing that you write Write therfore I pray you that we your frendes beyng at home may enioye by your letters a pleasant memory of you in this tyme whilest you be absent abroad Farewell in Christ from Hatfield .xix. Octobris 1552. ⧠R. Ascham to Iohn Asteley SAlutem Plurimam in Christ◠Iesu. That part of your letters from Hatfield decimo nono Octob. renewing a most pleasaunt memory of our frēdly fellowship together full of your wonted good will towardes me I aunswered immediatly from Spires by Fraunces the post whiche letter if it be not yet come to your hand ye might haue heard tell of it in M. Secretary Cicels chamber in the Court. As concernyng the other part of your letter for your wish to haue bene with me in this mine absence from my countrey and for your request to be made partaker by my letters of the sturre of these times here in Germany Surely I would you had your wish for then should not I now nede to bungle vp yours so great a request when presently you should haue sene with much pleasure which now peraduēture you shall read with some doubt lesse thynges may encrease by writyng which were so great in doyng as I am more afrayd to leaue behind me much of the matter then to gather vp more then hath sprong of the trouth Your request conteineth few wordes but cōprehendeth both great and diuers matters As first the causes of the open inuasion by the Turke of the secret workyng for such soddeyne brechesse in Italy and Germany of the fine fetches in the French practises of the double dealyng of Rome with all partes thē more particularly why Duke Octauio the Prince of Salerne Marches Albert and Duke Maurice brake so out with the Emperour which were all so fast knit vnto hym as the bondes of affinitie loyaltie bloud and benefites could assure him of them Octauio being his sonne in law the Prince one of hys priuy chamber Marches Albert hys kynsman and Duke Maurice so inhaunsed with honor and enriched with benefites by hym as the Duke could not haue wished greater in hope then the Emperour performed in deede Here is stuffe plenty to furnish well vp a trimme history if a workeman had it in handlyng When you and I read Liuie together if you do remember after some reasonyng we cōcluded both what was in our opinion to be looked for at his hand that would well and aduisedly write an history First point was to write nothyng false next to be bold to say any truth wher by is auoyded two great faultes flattery and hatred For which two pointes Caesar is read to his great prayse and Iouius the Italian to hys iust reproch Then to marke diligently the causes coūsels actes and issues in all great attemptes And in causes what is iust or unjust ▪ in coūsels what is purposed wisely or rashly in actes what is done couragiously or fayntly And of euery issue to note some generall lesson of wisedome warines for lyke matters intime to come wherin Polibius in Greeke and Phillip Comines in French haue done the duties of wyse and worthy writers Diligence also must be vsed in kepyng truly the order of tyme and describyng lyuely both the site of places and nature of persons not onely for the outward shape of the body but also for the in ward dispositiō of the mynde as Thucidides doth in many places very trimly and Homer euery where and that alwayes most excellently which obseruation is chiefly to be marked in hym And our Chaucer doth the same very praise worthely marke hym well and conferre hym with any other that writeth of in our tyme in their proudest toung whosoeuer lyst The stile must be alwayes playne and open yet sometime higher and lower as matters do ryse and fall for if proper and naturall wordes in well ioyned sentences do lyuely expresse the matter be it troublesome quyet angry or pleasant A man shal thincke not to be readyng but present in doyng of the same And herein Liuie of all other in any toung by myne opiniō carieth away the prayse Syr Thomas More in that pamphlet of Richard the thyrd doth in most part I beleue of all these pointes so content all men as if the rest of our story of England were so done we might well compare with Fraunce Italy or Germany or in that behalfe But see how the pleasant remembraunce of our old talke together hath caried me farther then I thought to go And as for your request ▪ to know the cause and maner of these late sturres here ye shall not looke for such precise order now in writyng as we talked on then No it is not all one thing to know perfectly by reading and to performe perfectly in doyng I am not so vnaduised to take so much vpō me nor
you so vnfrendly to looke for so much from me But that you may know that I haue not bene altogether idle in this my absence and that I will not come home as one that can say nothing of that he hath sene and heard abroad I will homely and rudely yet not altogether disorderly part priuately vnto you such notes of affaires as I priuately marked for my selfe which I either felt and saw or learned in such place and of such persōs as had willes to seeke for and wayes to come by and wittes to way the greatest matters that were to be marked in all these affaires For no wieke almost hath past in the which there hath not commonly come to my hand for the most part of the notable thynges that haue bene attempted in Turky Hungary Italy Fraunce and Germany In declaryng to you these thyngs I will obserue onely the first two pointes of our wont communication that is to my writyng I will set forward nothyng that is false nor yet keepe backe any thyng that is true For I playing no part of no one side but littyng downe as indifferent looker on neither Imperiall nor Frēch but flat English do purpose with troth to report the matter And seyng I shall lyue vnder such a Prince as kyng Edward is and in such a countrey as Englād is I thanke God I shall haue neither neede to flatter the one side for profite nor cause to feare the other side for displeasure Therefore let my purpose of reportyng the troth as much content you as the meane handlyng of the matter may mislike you Yet speakyng thus much of trouth I meane not such a hid trouth as was onely in the brest of Monsieur d'Arras on the Emperours side or in Baron Hadeck on Duke Maurice side with whom and with on other of his counsell he onely conferred all his purposes three yeares before he brake out with the Emperour but I meane such a troth as by conference and common cōsent amongest all the Ambassadors and Agentes in this Court and other witty indifferent heades beside was generally conferred and agreed vpō What better cōmoditie to know the trouth any writer in Greeke Latine or other toung hath had I can not perceiue except onely Xenophon Caesar and Phillip Comines which two first worthy writers wrote their owne actes so wisely and so without all suspicion of parcialitie as no mā hetherto by mine opinion hath borne him selfe so vprightly in writyng the histories of others The thyrd hauyng in a maner the like oportunitie hath not deserued lyke commendations at least as I suppose Englād hath matter Englād hath mē furnished with all abilitie to write who if they would might bryng both lyke prayse vnto them selues like profite to others as these two noble mē haue done They lay for their excuse the lacke of leysure which is true in deede But if we cōsider the great affaires of Caesar we may iudge hee was worthy to winne all praise that was so willing wittie to winne such time when his head his handes night and day were euer most full would to God that these out mē as they are ready to prayse hym were euen as willyng to follow hym and so to wynne like prayse them selues And to keepe you no longer with my priuate talke from the matter it selfe I will begyn at the spryng of the matter from whence all these mischiefes dyd flow the which now hath so ouerflowed the most part of Christendome as God onely from heauen must make an end of this miserable tragedie wherein these two great Princes take such pleasure still to play In Religion libertie were sayd to be of many men the very causes of all these sturres yet in myne opinion as the matter it selfe shall well proue it vnkyndnes was the very sede whereof all these troubles dyd grow A Knight of England of worthy memorie for wit learnyng and experience old Syr Thomas Wiat wrote to his sonne that the greatest mischief amongest men and least punished is vnkyndnes the greatest mischief truly least punished also by any ordinary law sentence yet as I haue sene here by experience vnkyndnes hath so wrought with men as the meane were not affrayd to attempt their reuēge nor the Emperour able to withstand their displease Yea vnkyndnes was onely the hoke which Henry the French kyng hath vsed these late yeares to plucke from the Emperour and draw to hym selfe so many Princes and great cōmodities as he hath with this hoke bayted with money the bayte of all mischief the French kyng hath not ceased to angle at as many harts in Italy and Germany as he knew any matter of vnkyndnes to bee ministred vnto by the Emperour There be few Princes in all the Empire but if I had leysure I could particularly proue and when I come home in our priuate talke I wil fully declare that some good big matter of vnkindnes hath bene offred vnto them by the Emperour Yea Ferdinando his brother Maximilian his nephew and sonne in law the Dukes of Bauarie and Cleues which haue maried his nieces haue bene shrewdly touched therwith Also the Papisticall Byshops as Mentz Pamburge Herbipolis Saltzburge and diuers others haue felt their part herein Few Princes or states Protestantes or Papistes but haue bene troubled therwith But euen as a quaterne in the begynnyng is a wanderyng disease in the body vnknowne what it wil turne vnto and yet at last it draweth to certaine dayes houres euen so these grieues in the whole body of the Empire dyd first worke secretly and not appeare openly vntill this melancholy vnkyndnes did so swell in mens stomaches that at length in Insburgh it brast out into a shrewdsicknes whereof the first fit was felt to be so daūgerous that if the Emperour and we had not more spedely chaunged the ayre I am affrayed and sure I am we were wel affrayd then the sickenes would haue proued also to vs that were present with hym very contagious Well this grief growyng this to certaine fittes and I my selfe beyng not greatly greued at the hart with it but had leysure enough with small ieoperdy I thanke God to looke quietly vpon them that were sicke because I would not be idle amongst them I began dayly to note the workyng of this sickenes and namely from the xix of May. 1552. when we ranne from Insburgh till the first of next Ianuary whē the siege of Metz was abādoned Neuertheles before I come to these ordinary dayes I will shortly touch how the Emperour beyng in peace with all the world 1550. when we came to his Court had soone after so many enemyes as hee knew not which way to turne hym ¶ The Turke THe date of peace betwixt the Emperour and the Turke had to expire an .1551 The Emperour hearyng what preparation the Turke had made the yeare before for warre and specially by Sea which must needes be agaynst
for his worthynes in all Germany and now vsing the head and hand of duke Maurice and his frendes and hauyng the helpe of as many as hated the Spanyardes that is to say almost all Protestantes and Papistes to in Germany he should easely haue obtained what soeuer he had gone about But that bonde is now broken for euen this day when I was writyng this place came word to this Court that Marches Albert and Duke Maurice had fought where the Marches had lost the field and Duke Maurice had lost his life which whole battaile because it is notable I would here at length describe but that I should wander to farre from my purposed matter and therfore I in an other place or els some other with better oportunitie shall at large report the matter Ye see the cause why and the time wheÌ„ Duke Maurice fell from the Emperour And because he was so notable a Prince I will describe also the maner how he proceded in all these doyngs as I learned amongest them that did not greatly loue him And because it were small gayne to flatter him that is gone and great shame to lye vppon him that is dead for pleasyng any that be alyue I so will report on hym as his doynges since my commyng to this Court haue deserued He was now of the age of xxxij yeares well faced in countenance complection fauour and heard not much vnlike to Syr Raffe Sadler but some deale higher and well and strong made to beare any labour and payne He was once men say geuen to drinckyng but now he had cleane left it contented with small diet and litâ—e sleepe in this last yeares and therefore had a wakyng and workyng head and became so witty and secret so hardy and ware so skillfull of wayes both to do harme to others and keepe hurt from him selfe as he neuer tooke enterprise in hand wherein he put not his aduersary alwayes to the worse And to let other matter of Germany passe euen this last yeare within the compasse of eight monethes he professed him selfe open enemy agaynst foure the greatest powers that I know vpon earth The Turke the Pope the Emperour the French king obtained his purpose and wan prayse agaynst theÌ„ all foure For he in person and pollicie courage dispatched the Turkes purpose and power this last yeare in Hungary The Councell at Trent which the Pope the Emperour went so about to establish he onely brought to none effect first by open protestatioÌ„ agaynst that Councell and after by his commyng with his army to Insburge he brought such feare to the Bishops there gathered that they ran euery one farre away froÌ„ thence with such speed as they neuer durst hetherto speake of meeting there agayne And how he delt with the Emperour both in forcyng him to flye from Insburge and compellyng him to such a peace at Passo my whole Diarium shall at full instruct you And of all other he serued the FreÌ„ch kyng best who fayre pretendyng the deliuery of the ij Princes captiues and the maintenaunce of Religion libertie in Germany purposed in very deede nothyng els but the destruction of the Emperor the house of Austria for what cared he for religion abroad who at home not onely followeth none him selfe priuately in his life but also persecuteth the trouth in others openly with the sword But I do him wrong to say he followeth none who could for his purpose be coÌ„tent at one time to embrace all for to do hurt enough to the Emperor would become at once by solemne league ProtestaÌ„t Papish Turkish deuillish But such Princes that cary nothyng els but the name of bearing vp Gods word deserue the same prayse and the same end that that Prince dyd who semed so ready to beare vp the Arke of the Lord yet otherwise pursued Gods true Prophetes his word Agayne how much the French kyng cared for the libertie of Germany he well declared in stealyng away so vnhonorably from the Empire the Citie of Metz. But he thinckyng to abuse Duke Maurice for his ambitious purpose in very deede in the end Duke Maurice vsed him as he should for first he made him pay well for the whole warres in Germany as it is sayd .200000 crownes a moneth And after when the French kyng fell to catching of Cities duke Maurice tendryng the state of his countrey brake of with hym and began to parle with the good kyng of Romanes at Luiz which thyng wheÌ„ the FreÌ„ch kyng heard came within ij miles of the Rhene he straight way hyed more hastly with more disorder for all his great hast out of Germany as they say that were there then the Emperour being sicke without company and pressed by his enemy dyd go from Insburg And see how nobly Duke Maurice did which for the loue of his couÌ„trey durst fall from the FreÌ„ch kyng before he atchieued any thyng agaynst the Emperour And rather theÌ„ Germany should leese her Cities so by the French king he had leuer hassard both the leesing of his enterprice also the leauyng of hys father in law still in prison with the Emperour But as he had wit to take money pleÌ„ty of the French kyng so had he wit also to furnish him selfe so froÌ„ home as he durst first fall out with the French kyng durst also after to set vpoÌ„ the Emperour till he had brought his honest purpose to passe For there is not almost any in this Court but they will say duke Maurice did honestly in deliuering his father by strong hand which before left no fayre meane vnproued to do that humbly by entreaty which after was coÌ„pelled to bryng to passe stoutly by force And I pray you first marke well what he did and then iudge truly if any thing was done that he ought not to do For first he him selfe with the Marches of Bradenburge most humbly by priuate sute laboured for the Lansgraues deliuery offring to the Emperour princely offers and not to be refused as a huge summe of money a fayre quantitie of great ordinaunce certaine holdes of his some to be defaced some geueÌ„ to the Emperour and also personall pledges of great houses for hys good haberaunce all the residue of his life After wheÌ„ this sute was not regarded they againe procured all the Princes states of Germany beyng at the Diet at Augusta an .1548 to be huÌ„ble intercessors for him offring the selfe same coÌ„ditions rehearsed before addyng this more to become sureties them selues in any bande to his Maiestie for his due obedience for tyme to come Thirdly by the Prince of Spayne Duke Maurice neuer left to entreat the Emperour yea he was so carefull of the matter that his Ambassadors followed the Prince euen to his shipping at Genoa who had spokeÌ„ ofteÌ„ presently before wrote earnestly froÌ„ thence to his father for the Lansgraues deliuery it would not be And wise meÌ„ may say
it was not the wisest deede that euer the Emperor did to deny the prince this sute for if the Prince had bene made the deliuerer of the ij princes out of captiuity he had won therby such fauor in all Germany as without all doubt he had bene made coadiutor with the k. of Romaines his vncle And afterward the Emperor Which thing was lustly denyed to the Emperor by the Electors though he laboured in the matter so sore as he neuer dyd in any other before Fourthly this last yeare a litle before the open warres duke Maurice procured once agayne not onely all the Princes and free Estates of Germany but also the kyng of Romaines Ferdinand Maximilian his sonne king of Boeme the kyng of Pole the kyng of DeÌ„marke the king of Sweden to send also their Ambassadors for this suite so that at once xxiiij Ambassadours came before the Emperour together at Insburge To whom wheÌ„ the Emperour had geuen very fayre wordes in effect coÌ„cernyng a double meanyng aunswere that was this That it did him good to see so noble an Ambassage at once And therfore so many Princes should well vnderstand that he would make a good accompt of their sute Neuertheles because duke Maurice was the chiefest partie herein he would with speede send for him and vse his head for the better endyng of this matter But Duke Maurice seyng that all these Ambassadors weÌ„t home with out him and that the matter was referred to his present talke who was neuer heard in the matter before he wisely met with this double meaning aunswere of the Emperours with a double meanyng replica agayne for he promised the Emperour to come and at last in deede came so hastly and so hotely as the Emperour could not abide the heat of his breath For when duke Maurice saw that all humble sutes all quiet meanes were spent in vayne had to beare him iust witnes therin all the Princes of Germany First with close pollicie after open power both wittely and stoutly he atchieued more by force then he required by suite For the Emperour was glad to condiscend which surely in an extreme aduersitie was done like a wise Prince without money without artillery without defacyng of holdes without receiuyng of pledges to send the Lansgraue home honorably accoÌ„panied with at the Emperors charges the nobilitie of Brabant Flaunders This last day I dined with the Ambassadour of Venice in coÌ„pany of many wise heades where duke Maurice was greatly praysed of some for his wit of other for the execution of his purposes Well sayth a lusty Italian Priest I can not much prayse his wit which might haue had the Emperour in his handes would not Loe such be these Machiauels heades who thincke no maÌ„ to haue so much wit as he should except he do more mischief then he neede But Duke Maurice purposing to do no harme to the Emperour but good to his father in law obtainyng the one pursued not the other Yea I know it to be most true wheÌ„ we fled from Insburg so hastly Duke Maurice sent a post to the good kyng of Romanes bad him will the Emperor to make no such speede for he purposed not to hurt his person but to helpe his frend whereupon the Diet at Passo immediatly folowed I coÌ„mend rather the iudgement of Iohn Baptist Gascaldo the Emperours man and the kyng of Romanes generall in Hungary who is not wont to say better or loue any maÌ„ more then he should specially Germaines namely Protestantes And yet this last winter he wrote to the Emperour that he had marked Duke Maurice well in all his doynges agaynst the Turke and of all men that euer he had sene he had a head to forecast the best with pollicie and wit and a hart to set vppon it with courage and speed also a discressioÌ„ to stay most wisely vpon the very pricke of aduauntage Marches Marignan told some in this Court foure yeares ago that Duke Maurice should become the greatest enemy to the Emperour that euer the Emperour had which thing he iudged I beleue not of any troublesome nature which he saw in Duke Maurice but of the great wronges that were done to Duke Maurice knowyng that he had both wit to perceiue them quietly and also a courage not to beare them ouer long Some other in this court that loued not duke Maurice hauyng no hurt to do him by power went about to say him some for spight therfore wrote these two spightfull verses agaynst him Iugurtham Mauricus prodit Mauricius vltra Henricum Patruum Socerum cum Caesare Gallum He that gaue me this verse added thereunto this his iudgement well sayth he he that could finde in his hart to betray his frend Duke Henry of Brunswicke his nigh kinsman Duke Fredericke his father in law the Lansgraue his soueraigne Lord the Emperour his confederate the French kyng breakyng all bondes of frendshyp nature law obedieÌ„ce and othe shall besides all these deceaue all men if at length he do not deceaue hym selfe This verse and this sentence the one made of spight the other spoken of displeasure be here commended as men be affectioned For any part as I can not accuse him for all so will I not excuse him for part And yet since I came to this Court I should do him wrong if I did not coÌ„fesse that which as wise heades as be in this Court haue iudged on him euen those that for countrey Religion were not his frendes that is to haue shewed him selfe in all these affayres betwixt the Emperour and him first humble in intreatyng diligent in pursuyng witty in purposing secret in workyng fearce to foresee by open warre ready to parle for common peace wise in choyse of conditions and iust in performyng of couenaunts And I know he offended the Emperour beyond all remedy of ameÌ„des So would I be loth to see as I haue once sene his Maiestie fall so agayne into any enemyes handes lesse peraduenture lesse gentlenes would be found in him then was found in Duke Maurice who when he was most able to hurt was most ready to hold hys haÌ„d and that agaynst such an enemy as he knew well would neuer loue him and should alwayes be of most power to reuenge If Duke Maurice had had a Machiauels head or a cowardes hart he would haue worne a bloudyer sword theÌ„ he did which he neuer drew out in all these sturres but once at the Cluce that was to saue the Emperors meÌ„ Hetherto I haue followed the order of persons which hath caused me somewhat to misorder both tyme matter yet where diuers great affaires come together a man shall write confusedly for the matter vnpleasantly for the reader if he vse not such an apt kinde of partitioÌ„ as the matter will best affourde which thyng Plato sayth who caÌ„ not do knoweth not how to write Herein Herodotus deserueth in myne opinion a great deale more prayse then Thucidides although he wrote of a matter more confused for places time and persons then the other did In this point also Appianus Alexandrinus is very commendable and not by chaunce but by skil doth follow this order declaryng in his Prologue iust causes why he should do so Our writers in later tyme both in Latin other tounges commonly confound to many matters together and so write well of no one But see master Astley I thincking to be in some present talke with you after our old wont do seeme to forget both my selfe and my purpose For the rest that is behind I will vse a grose homely kind of talke with you for I will now as it were cary you out of England with me will lead you the same way that I went euen to the Emperours Court beyng at Augusta an .1550 And I will let you see in what case it stode and what thyngs were in doyng when we came first thether After I wil cary you and that a pace because the chiefest matters be throughly touched in this my former booke through the greatest affaires of ij yeares in this court Yet in order till we haue brought Duke Maurice as I promised you to ioyne with Marches Albert in besiegyng Augusta And theÌ„ because priuy practises brast out into open sturres I might better marke thynges dayly then I could before And so we will depart with the Emperour from Insburg and see dayly what chaunces were wrought by feare and hope in this Court till hys Maiestie left the siege of Metz and came downe hether to Bruxels where then all things were shut vp into secret practises till lastly of all they brake forth into new mischiefes betwixt the Emperour and Fraunce in Picardy also betwixt Duke Maurice and the Marches in hyghe Germany which thynges I trust some other shall marke and describe a great deale better then I am hable to doe ¶ FINIS C. Caesar. P. Iouius Polibius Phi. Comines Thucidides Homer Chaucer Titus Liuius Tho. Morus The cause of the sturres in Italy Germany Unkyndnes The brech with the Turke An horrible face The great Turke Mustapha the Turkes â—ldest sonne Brech of Italie Octauio Breach with Fraunce Pope Parma MiraÌ„dula The Popes practice Syr Iohn Gates wish Marches Albertes booke and the coÌ„tents therof Sore and iust complayntes The booke of Luice de Auila The duke of Bauiere vnkyndly handled Duke of Prusia Xenoph. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lazarus Swendy Iohn Fredericke Duke of Saxon. A noble nature * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â–ª wordes alwayes vsed in Thucidides in decidyng coÌ„mon controuersies Why Duke Maurice left hys dearest frendes and fell in with the Emperour Ambition The Turke The Pope The Emperour French kyng Duke Maurice offer for the LaÌ„sgraues deliuery Iohn Baptist Gascaldo Duke Maurice
helpyng others began by litle and litle to fall out them selues And that the Pope dyd set these two Princes together a Pasquill made at Rome and sent to this Court doth well declare And seyng that you so well vnderstand the Italian toung and that if it were turned into English it would leese the whole grace therof I will recite it in the toung that it was made in Interlocutori Pasquillo et Romano Pasq. HAnno vn bel gioco il Re et l'Imperatore per terzo el Papá e giocano à Primera Rom. che v ' e d' in vito Pasq. Italia tutta intera Rom. Chi vi l' ha messa Pasq. il coglion del pastore Rom. Che tien in mano il Re Pasq. Ponto magiere el Papa hacinquant ' vno e se despera Rom. Caesar che Ponto sa Pasq. lui sta a Primera Rom. che gli manca Pasq. danari a far sauore Il Papa dice à voà e voll Partito Caesar Pensoso sta Sopra di questo teme à Scropir di trouar moneta Il Re dico no no Scoprite Presto che io tengo Ponto a guadagnar l' in vito I ho li danari et Caesar se gli aspeta ¶ Tutti stanno a vedetta Chi di lor dui guadagni Rom. il Papa Pas. e fuora vinca chi vol lui Perda in sua mal hora. ¶ Le Jmperatore anchora Teme étien stretto è Scopre Piau le carte e qui la sorte gioca pin che l' Arte. ¶ Metra questi indisparte Stabilito e nel Ciel quelle che esserdé ne giona al nostro dic questo Sara questo è. The French king in the sommer .1551 proclaimed warre against Charles kyng of Spayne abusing that name for a sottlety to separate the whole quarell from the Empire when the Emperour would not be persuaded at Augusta that either the Turke would or the French kyng durst make him open warre or that any Prince in Italy or Germany could be entised to breake out with him Monsieur Mariliacke the French Ambassadour at Augusta euer bare the Emperour in hand that such rumors of war were raysed of displeasure that his master intended nothyng so much as the continuance of amitie yea this he durst do when many in the Emperours court knew that the war was already proclaimed in Fraunce The Emperour blinded with the ouer good opinion of his own wisedome likyng onely what himselfe listed and contemnyng easely all aduise of others which selfe will condition doth commonly follow and as commonly doth hurt all great wittes dyd not onely at this tyme suffer him selfe thus to be abused but also afterward more craftely by the Pope for the continuaunce of warre at Parma more boldly by Duke Maurice for his repayre to Inspruke and not the least of all now lately at Metz by some of his owne counsellours for the recouery of that towne But Princes and great personages whiche will heare but what and whom they list at the length fayle when they would not and commonly blame whom they should not But it is well done that as great men may by authoritie contemne the good aduise of others so God doth prouide by right iudgement that they haue leaue in the ende to beare both the losse and shame therof them selues Thus ye see how the Pope was both the brewer and brocher and also bringer of ill lucke to both these Princes and as it came wel to passe dranke well of it him selfe both with expences of great treasures and with the losse of many lyues and specially of two noble gentlemen the Prince of Macedonia Il Seign̄ Gionan Baptista di Monte his owne nephew but the Popes care was neither of money nor men so that he might set the two Princes surely together And therfore was not onely content as a man might say to hasard Parma on the meyne chaūce but to make the two Princes better sporte fresher game set also euē then Mirandula on a bye chaunce that mischief enough might come together When the Princes were well in and the one so lusty with good lucke that hee had no lust to leaue and the other so chafed with leesyng that still he would venture Besides their playing in sporte for the Pope at Parma and Mirandula they fell to it a good them selues in Piemoūt Loraigne Flaunders and Picardy the French kyng robbyng by Sea and spoyling by land with calling in the Turke and sturryng vp all Princes and states that had any occasion to beare any grudge to the Emperour Of all their neighbours onely our noble kyng and the wise senate of Venize would be lookers on And when the Pope saw they were so hote at it as he well knew as the one would not start in so great good lucke so the other could not leaue by so much shame of losse And although it did him good to see them cope so lustely together neuertheles he thought it scarce his surety that they should play so nere his elbow so earnestly least if they fell to farre out and the one should winne to much of the other then he peraduenture would compell at length the Pope himselfe which begā the play to kepe him sport afterward for that that he had in Italy And therfore very craftely he gat them to play in an other place and tooke vp the game for Parma and Mirandula taking truce with Fraunce for certaine yeares and bad them make what sport they would farther of in Loraigne Picardy And that there should lacke neither iniurie nor spite in the Popes doynges whē the Emperour saw that whether hee would or no the Pope would needes fall in with Fraunce then he desired the Pope that such bastilians and fortes of fence as were made about Mirandula when it was besieged might either be deliuered to hys mens handes or els defaced that the Frenchmen might not haue them which request was very reasonable seyng the Emperour had bene at all the charge in makyng of them But they were neither deliuered nor defaced nor left indifferēt but so put into the French mens handes that Mirandula now is made very strong to the French faction by Emperours money and the Popes falsehode This fact was very wrongfull of the Pope for the deede but more spitefull for the tyme for euen when Duke Maurice had wonne Augusta euen then the Pope gaue vp the siege of Mirandula and fell in with Fraunce that care enough might come vppon the Emperour together both out of Germany and out of Italy at once And euē this day .25 Iune 1553. when I was writyng this place commeth newes to Bruxells that the Pope hath of new played with the Emperour more foule play at Siena then he dyd before at Mirandula For whē the Emperour had bene at passing charges in kepyng a great host for the recouery of Siena from December last vnto Iune the Pope would needes become stickler in
when he was driuen to that extremitie to flye away on the night from Inspurge and was more familiar with duke Maurice and more frendly to the Princes confederate then els peraduenture he would haue done And here a writer may learne of Princes affaires a good lesson to beware of parcialitie either in flattery or spight For although thereby a man may please his owne Prince presently yet he may perchaunce as much hurt hym in the end as Luis de Auila dyd hurt the Emperour his master in writyng of this booke In deede this booke was not the chiefest cause of this sturre in Germany but sure I am that many Princes in Germany were sore agreeued with it as the Emperour wāted both theyr hartes their handes whē he stode in most nede of frendes Iust reprehension of all vices as folie vniust dealyng cowardice and vicious liuyng must be frely and franckly vsed yet so with that moderate discression as no purposed malice or bēt hatred may seeme to be the breeder of any false reproch which humor of writyng followeth so full in Paulus Iouius bookes and that by that iudgement of his owne frendes as I haue heard wise and well learned men say that his whole study and purpose is spent on these pointes to deface the Emperour to flatter Fraunce to spite England to belye Germany to prayse the Turke to keepe vp the Pope to pull downe Christ and Christes Religion as much as lyeth in him But to my purpose agayne The matters before of me briefly rehearsed were at large declared in Marches Albertes booke yet that you may know what secret workyng went before this playne writyng and open doyng And because the Marches part hath bene so notable in all this pastime I will by more particular circumstaunces lead you to this generall complaintes There be at this day fiue Marchesses of Bradenburge Ioachimus Elector Iohānes his brother who for Ciuile seruice is Imperiall with might and mayne yet in Religion a Christian Prince with hart toung honesty of lyfe Doctour Christopher Monte both a learned and wise man our kynges Maiestie seruaunt and his Agent in the affaires of Germany hath told me diuers tymes that this Marches Iohn and the Duke of Swaburg be two of the worthiest Princes in all the Empier either in considering wisely or executing courageously any great affaire The thyrd is Marches George who dwelleth in Franconia not farre from Noremberg The fourth Marches Albert the elder the mighty Duke of Prusia hable for his power to cope with any Prince and xv yeares together he dyd stoutly withstand in continuall warre the strength of the kyng of Pole. He hath so fully banished Papistry and so surely established the doctrine of the Gospell in Prusia as no where hetherto in Germany is more diligently done he loueth learnyng and honoreth learned men and therfore an .1544 he founded a new Uniuersitie in Prusia called Mons Regius bryngyng thether with plentyfull thynges excellent learned men in all tounges and sciences He is vncle to this notable Marches Albert and lackyng children hath made him his heyre and hath already inuestured hym in the Dukedome of Prusia The fift is Marches Albert of whom I purpose to write on whose father was Cassimirus descended from the kynges of Pole and for his noblenes agaynst the Turke called Achilles Germanicus and therfore might very well engender such a hoate Pirrhus Marches Albert in hys young yeares as I haue heard wise men say was rude in hys maners nor did not shew any token of towardnes likely to attempt any such affaires as in deede he hath done It might be either for the lacke of learnyng and good bringyng vp a great and common fault in great Princes of Germany or els for his bashfull nature in youth which propertie Xenophon wittely fayned to be in Cyrus at like yeares iudgyng bashfulnes in youth to be a great token of vertue in age Marches Albert is now at this day about xxxj yeares old of a good stature neither very high nor very low thicke without grosenes rather wel boned for strength then ouerloded with flesh his face fayre bewtifull brode sterne and manly somewhat resemblyng my Lord Marches of Northt when he was of the same yeares his eyes great and rowlyng makyng his countenance cherefull when he talketh and yet whē he geueth eare to other he kepeth both a sadde looke without signe of suspicion and also a well set eye without token of malice And this behauiour I marked well in hym when I dyned in his company at the siege of Metz in the County Iohn of Nassaus tent his voyce is great and his wordes not many more ready to here other then to talke him selfe And when he talketh he so frameth hys toung to agree with hart as speakyng and meanyng seemeth to be alwayes at one in hym and herein he may be well called the sonne of Achilles whom Homer wittely doth fayne to haue such a free open nature whose saying in Geeke is excellent but beyng turned in the wrong side into English it shall lesse delight you yet thus much it signifieth Who either in earnest or in sport doth frame hym selfe after such sort This thyng to thincke and that to tell my hart abhorreth as gate to hell Homer meanyng hereby that a Prince of noble courage should haue his hart his looke hys toung and his handes so alwayes agreeyng together in thinkyng pretendyng and speakyng and doyng as no one of these foure should at any tyme be at iarre with an other which agreeyng together in their right tune do make a pleasaunt melody in all mens eares both sweetest and loudest called in English honor and most fitly in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price and prayse of vertue And though the Marches be free to say what he thinketh yet he is both secret in purposyng close in workyng what soeuer hee goeth about Now very skillfull to do harme to others and as ware to keepe hurte from hym selfe yet first bet vnto it with his own rod for in the former warres of Germany being on the Emperours side he fell into the handes of Duke Iohn Fridericke of Saxony which chaūce he is charged sore withall by Luice de Auila and that with so spightfull and open a mouth as moued the Marches to offer hym the combat as I sayd before He is now most courageous in hardest aduentures most cherefull in present ieoperdy and most paynefull in greatest labours hauyng no souldier vnder him that can better away with heate and cold or longer suffer hunger and thrist then he him selfe His apparell is souldier like better knowen by his fearce doynges then by his gay goyng His souldiours feare him for his stoutnes and loue him for his liberalitie which winneth to him authoritie fit for a stout Captaine and worketh in them obediēce due to good souldiours This last yeare a litle before hys agreement with the Emperour hys souldiours for lacke of money
next mornyng vppon a solemne scaffold in the sight of his wife children and the whole Citie of Wittemberg This write signed with the Emperours own hand was sent ouer night to the Duke who whē the write came vnto hym was in hys tent playing at Chesse with his Cosin and fellow prisoner the Lansgraue of Lithenberg and readyng it aduisedly ouer layd it downe quietly beside and made no countenance at all at the matter but sayd Cosin take good heede to your game and returnyng to his play as quietly as though he had receiued some priuate letter of no great importance dyd geue the Lansgraue a trim mate The Emperour I doubt not chiefly moued by God secondly of his great wisedome and naturall clemency when he vnderstode his merueilous constancie chaunged his purpose and reuoked the write and euer after gaue him more honour and shewed him more humanitie then any Prince that euer I haue read of haue hetherto done to his prisoner He is also such a louer of learnyng as his Librarie furnished with bookes of all tounges and sciēces passeth all other Libraries which are yet gathered in Christendome For my frend Ieronimus Wolfius who translated Demosthenes out of Greeke into Latine who had sene the Frēch kings Library at Augusta hath told me that though in six monethes he was not able onely to write out the titles of the bookes in the Fuggers Library yet was it not so byg as Duke Frederickes was which he saw in Saxony I thinke he vnderstandeth no straunge toung saue somewhat the Latin and a litle the French And yet it is merueilous that my frend Iohannes Sturmius doth report by writyng what he heard Phillip Melancthon at a tyme say of this noble Duke that he thought the Duke did priuately read write more euery day thē did both he and D. Aurifaber which two were counted in all mens iudgementes to be the greatest readers and writers in all the Uniuersitie of Wittemberg And as hee doth thus read with such diligence euen so he can report with such a memory what soeuer he doth read and namely histories as at his table on euery new occasion he is accustomed to recite some new story which hee doth with such pleasure and vtterance as men be content to leaue their meat to heare him talke and yet hee hym selfe is not disdaynfull to heare the meanest nor will ouerwhart any mans reason He talketh without tauntyng and is mery without scoffyng deludyng no man for sport nor nippyng no man for spight Two kindes of men as his Preachers did tell me at Vilacho he will neuer lōg suffer to be in his house the one a commō mocker who for his pride thincketh so wel of his owne wit as his most delight is to make other mē fooles and where God of his prouidence hath geuen small wit he for his sport wil make it none and rather then he should leese his pleasure he would an other should leese his wit as I heare say was once done in England and that by the sufferaunce of such as I am sorry for the good wil I beare them to heare such a report the other a priuy whisperer a pickthācke a tale teller medling so with other mēs matters as he findeth no leysure to looke to his owne one such in a great house is able to turne and tosse the quietnes of all Such two kinde of men sayth the Duke besides the present troubling of others neuer or seldome come to good end them selues He loueth not also bold and thicke skinned faces wherein the meanyng of the hart doth neuer appeare Nor such hid talke as lyeth in wayte for other mens wittes But would the wordes should be so framed with the toung as they be alwayes ment in the hart And therfore the Duke him selfe thincketh nothyng which he dare not speake nor speaketh nothyng whiche hee will not do Yet hauyng thoughtes grounded vppon wisedome his talke is alwayes so accompanied with discression and his deedes so attende vppon true dealyng as he neither biteth with wordes nor wringeth with deedes except impudency follow the fault which Xenophon wittely calleth the farthest point in al doyng and then he vseth to speake home as he did to a Spanyard this last yeare at Villacho who beyng of the Dukes garde when he was prisoner and now preasyng to sit at his table when he was at libertie Because many nobles of the Court came that day to dine with the duke The gentleman Husher gently desired the Spanyard to spare his rowme for that day for a great personage ▪ But hee countenancyng a braue Spanish bragge sayd Seignor ye know me well enough and so sat him downe The Duke heard him and preuentyng hys mans aunswere sayd In deede you be to well knowen by the same tokē the last tyme you were here you tooke a gobblet away with you therfore when you haue dyned you may go without farewell and haue leaue to come agayne when ye be sent for In the meane while an honest man may occupy your place But in remembryng so good a Prince I haue gone to farre from my matter And yet the remembraunce of him is neuer out of place whose worthynes is neuer to be forgotten Duke George of Saxony a litle before he dyed hauyng no child did dishinherite Duke Henry his brother by his last wil because he was a Protestant and gaue away his whole inheritaunce to Ferdinando kyng of Romaines But Duke Iohn Fredericke by force of armes set and kept his Cosin Duke Henry in his right And he dying soone after left behynd hym two sonnes Duke Maurice and Duke Augustus who likewise in their youth were defended in theyr right by the wisedome and force of Duke Iohn Fredericke Duke Maurice was brought vp in Duke Iohn Frederickes house as if hee had bene hys owne sonne and maryed the Lansgraues daughter After it came to passe that the Emperour attempted to establish Papistry in Germany with the sword agaynst which purpose the Lansgraue and duke Iohn Fredericke armed them selues not to resist the Emperour as the Papistes say but to kepe Gods Religion vp if any by violence would pull it downe refusing neuer but requiryng alwayes to referre them and theyr doctrine to a lawfull and free generall Councell where truth in Religion might be fully tryed in the hearyng of euen and equall iudges and that by the touchstone of Gods Canonicall Scriptures Duke Maurice in the begynnyng of his warre was suspected neither of the Lansgraue nor of Duke Fredericke beyng sonne in law to the one and nighe kinsman to the other and agreeyng in Religiō with both Yea he was not onely not suspected But as I heard skilful mē say he was ready with his counsell promised his ayde to helpe forward the enterprice or els Hance Fredericke beyng a Prince of such wisedome would not haue left at home behind hym an enemy of such a force Francisco Duke Maurice Agent with the Emperour was
asked I beyng by at Augusta how he could excuse his masters vnkindnes towards Iohn Fredericke who had bene such a father vnto him He graunted that Duke Fredericke had bene great frend vnto him and might haue a greater if he had would and thē lesse strife had followed then did And troth it is sayd he as Duke Fredericke kept my master in his right so afterward he put him from part of his right when in his yong yeares hee chopped and chaunged landes with him when he listed which thing my master comming to mans state much misliked and oft complaynyng could neuer obtayne remedy therein Kyndnes should rather haue kyndly encreased so vnkyndly haue decayed specially when the one was trusted withall and the other of such yeares as he had neither wit to perceiue nor power to amend if any iniurie were offred vnto hym Troth also it is that my master was brought vp in Duke Frederickes house but he hath more cause to cōplaine on them that brought him thether then to thanke such as brought him vp there where he had alwayes plentie of drinke and as much scant of good teachyng to come to such vertue and learnyng as dyd belong to a Prince of his state Now whether this talke was altogether true or an ill excuse was made to couer a foule fact I can not tell but sure I am Francisco sayd thus I haue heard wise men say that it is not lyke that for such a priuate strife Duke Maurice would haue so forsaken not onely his frend and kinsman but also his father in law or would for the losse a litle or rather for the chaūge of a peece haue so hassarded his whole estate which was once in the first warre all gone saue Lypsia and one other towne beside the losse of loue in whole Germany and his good name amongest all Protestantes in the middest of whom all hys liuinges do lye Well surely there was some great cause that could sturre vp so great a strife and that was as wise men and wel willyng on Duke Maurice side in myne opinion haue truly iudged the foule vice of ambition O Lord how many worthy men hath this one vice beareft from good common weales which for all other respectes were most vnworthy of that end they came vnto My hart weepes for those noble men of England whose valiantnes in warre whose wisedome in peace this Realme shal want and wayle and wish and wish for in tyme to come which of late by this onely vice haue bene taken from vs Examples lesse for our grief and as fit for this purpose be plenty enough in other states Ouer many experiences do teach vs though a Prince be wise stout liberall gentle mercyfull and excellently learned though he deserue all the prayse that vertue nature and fortune cā affourd him yea that wit it selfe can wish for as we read that noble Iulius Caesar had and that by the testimony of those that loued him not neuertheles if these two foule verses of Euripides Do right alway and wrong refraine Except onely for rule and raigne If these verses I say do not onely sound well in his eare but sincke deepe also in his hart surely there is neither kindred frendship law othe obedience countrey God nor his owne life but he will hassard to leese all rather then to pursue this foule vice For Polynices for whom this verse was first made in Greeke did fill not onely his owne countrey full of dead carcasses but also whole Greece full of weepyng widdowes And Caesar for whom the same verse was turned into Latin did not onely turne vpside down the goodliest common wealth that euer GOD suffred to stand vpon the earth but also lossed the whole world with battayle and slaughter euen almost from the sunne setting vnto the sunne rising And did not stop to bryng souldiours to do mischief further then any man now dare iourney by land either for pleasure or profite But see the fruite and end which this vngodly great growing bringeth men vnto Both these Princes were slaine the one by his brother the other by his owne sonne of whom in life nature benefites would they should haue taken most cōfort of But men that loue to clime to hye haue alwayes least feare and therefore by reason fall most soddenly and also fardest downe yea the very bowghes that helped hym vp will now whip him in fallyng downe For who so in climyng trusteth when he is goyng vp any bough at all ouer much though hee seeme to tread neuer so surely vppon it yet if he once begyn to slyp the same selfe bough is reddiest to beat him that seemed before surest to beare him Examples hereof be seen dayly and forgotten hereby An other mischief chaunceth commonly to these high climers that they will heare no man so gladly as such which are euer hartenyng them to clime still If wise and good men durst speake more freely then they do great men should do both others and them selues lesse harme thē they are wont to do He hateth him selfe and hasteth his owne hurt that is content to heare none so gladly as either a foole or a flatterer A wonderfull follie in a great man him selfe and some peace of miserie in a whole common wealth where fooles chiefly and flatterers may speake freely what they will and wise men and good men shal commonly be shent if they speake what they should And how commeth this to passe it is the very plague of God for great mens sinnes and the plaine high way to their iust punishment And when God suffreth them so willingly to graunt freedome to follie and so gladly to geue hearyng to flattery But see when the great man is gone and hath playd his part fooles and flatterers be stil vpon the stage Such liue in all worldes such laugh in all miseries such Daui and Getae haue alwayes the longest partes and go out who shal they tary in place still I know also many a good mitio which haue played long partes whom I pray God kepe long still vpon the stage And I trust no man will be miscontent with my generall saying except conscience do pricke him of his owne priuate ill doyng There be common wealthes where freedome in speakyng truth hath kept great mē from boldnes in doyng ill for free and frendly aduise is the trimmest glasse that any great man can vse to spye his owne fault in which taken away they runne commonly so farre in foule doyng as some neuer stay till they passe all remedy saue onely to late repentaunce And as I would haue no flattery but wish for freedome So in no wise do I commend ouermuch boldnes or any kind of rayling But that libertie in speakyng should be so mingled with good will and discretion as no great person should be vnhonorably spoken vpō or any meane man touched out of order either for sport or spite as some vnquiet heades neuer contented with any state are euer procuryng ▪