or deface their title VVherfore though there be some faultes to be found in this Theodora and other yet proueth it not that thei may not reigne for it is a fallax ab accidente to say she was naught ergo she might not rule A fallax is a deceitful argument in Logike for that hangeth not vppon the rule that she was naught but vpoÌ„ the persone As if you should saye my L. lubber of London is a tyraunt ergo he is no by sshop I warrauÌ„t you though he graunted you the antecedent whiche he can hardly denie yet he would denye the consequent or els he would call for wylie VVatson to helpe him In FrauÌ„ce tyl of late yeares womeÌ„ enherited the crown as in Englande and Scotlande vntill that they ment by the lawe salique rather to defeate vs of our title then to condempne the successioÌ„ as vnlaufull as you may now see by the Frenche king He neither thynketh it vnlaufull or vnnaturall to be lorde of your coÌ„trie by that womans tytle I woulde you coulde perswade either him or your couÌ„trey men to thinke that the quenes title by cause she is a womaÌ„ is vnlaufull and so do your own countrey good first and let vs alone with ours And as you speede there you might ê‘chaunce encourage vs to follow when it may be done laufully Tully saith ne sis curiosê° in aliena rep Li. 1. off The voyce of a straunger is to be hard in the pulpit so long as he speaketh Gods worde But a straungers voyce is not alowed in foro in the parliament about pollycie by cause he is not a citezen This I saye not to philip you as though you ment euill to vs for I am perswaded that you loue England aswell as your own coÌ„trey but I meane to monish you that being a strauÌ„ger you disturbe not our state lest you giue occasion to them that know you not of suspicion It is a great enterprise and as they say no balle playe to pulle a quenes crowne of hir head and specially such a ones as many ages haue not sene nor many countreis enioyed or many histories recorded the lyke I would not be wounded in coÌ„science with any atteÌ„pte against hir if I might be lord of al that Philippe the french king haue VVel I must leaue hir for this tyme lest the remeÌ„braunce of hir vertues make me to forget my matter And that we may make an ende of our recompt of histories we wil go forward Munste Duke of Svveuia Henry Duke of Sueuia sonne of Fredericê° the first called Barbarossa maried the heire of Scicilia and so becaÌ„e king therof emperour of Rome CoÌ„radê° Palatinê° CoÌ„r Pala. left behinde him one only doughter Agnes whiche was Palatinesse and after being maried to Henry the duke of SaxoÌ„ made hiÌ„ Palsgraue who in like maner died and left a doughter called Gertrude palatinesse whoÌ„ Otto duke of Bauaria maried becaÌ„e palsgraue the same order of disceÌ„t successioÌ„ remaineth yet in the moste part of Thempire Here I myght nuÌ„ber a gret sort in Spain who succeded ruled in the realm But I shal be coÌ„tent with such as be of late memory as Ioanna the mother of Charles the fift IoaÌ„na the mother of Charies who reigned and gouerned the countrey not ill as the Stories report Mary the doughter of Charles called Bellator the warrier and wife to Maximilian Marie succeded hir father in the Duckdom of Burgundy and the couÌ„tie of Flaunders I let pas Mary Charles sister who ruled in Flanders in our tyme Tillius And Fraunces the freÌ„ch kinges mother who during the terme of her sonnes captiuitie in Spayne after he had daunsed his pauino at Pauia ruled the whole dominioÌ„ wherby the freÌ„ch though they will haue no heires females yet shewe that they condempne not the regiment of women Other there haue bene and that not a fewe whiche haue gouerned and enherited in diuers countreis of Christendome with muche commendacion As Amalasinta the mother of Athalaricus Tillius in Chronog Amalasinta when she sawe that the Frenche men coÌ„trary to all right would depriue hir sonne of Prouince whiche was his enheritaunce deliuered it vp to Theodoberto king of the Mediomatrices which kept it to thuse of hir sonne Thus was the mother constreyned by the purposed wrong of the subiects to seke remedy for hir sonnes right and was a better gouernes to him then he to him selfe An. 1552. Tillius Leonora doughter to the king of Aquitania was maryed to Henry Duke of Gaunte and in spite of the Frenche kyngs teethe brought hir husbande Aquitanie and Poiteaux Adela mother to the king of FrauÌ„ce was made Regent of the countrey in thabsence of her sonne while he was in the warre against the Sarazens and gouerned wel This hir soÌ„ne for his goodnesse and wisdome was called Philippus a deo datus sente of God and yet thoughte it not amisse to put his mother a wise woman in trust with the whole realme And according to his expectacioÌ„ he toke no hurt nor los by it Tillius 1227. In like maner Blanch mother vnto Ludouicê° for his vertue named Diuus holie was twise made regeÌ„t of Fraunce while he was away in the same warre And after his death she had the gouerning of her sonne and the realm It is like that if her gouernment had not ben good at the first the nobles and people wold haue bene lothe to haue had her again the second time Not longe after that time gouerned a woman in Flaunders named countesse Margarite An. domini 1247. Ioanna the nese of Diuus Ludouicus was Quene of Nauarre Tillius 1245. and marrying with Philip named Pulcher made him king of Nauarre by which meanes that countrey came to be vnder the Frenche Kinge And anno 1415. was a woman gouernesse and Quene of Naples called Ioanna Not only in Fraunce Italy Spaine and Germany but also in thempire haue women ruled whiche is more straunge Paul Emi li. Valer. Ansel because the Emperour is chosen by election and commeth not to it by enheritance As anno 1301. after the death of Henrye the thirde Hagne his wife for the honor named Augusta gouerned both her soÌ„ne in his nonage and thempire keping it in good order Bishops busye bodies in policies vntil the byshop of Colen as those men wil be busy in pollicies by certen conspiracies pulled the yonge Emperoure Henry the .4 from her after what time grewe much trouble in Th empyre Hereby we see that in no coÌ„mon wealth thei thought it a monstrous Reigne or against nature for a woman to gouern which error bringing our auncetors in the reign of SthepheÌ„ to be wicked periures caused theÌ„ ro conspire with the said vsurper to kepe Mathilda the daughter of Henry the first froÌ„ the title Poly. A. li. 19. right and crown of this realm but God not suffring such an extreme wronge so tossed him in warres both
of fraunce or out of scotlād But so much the soner if al men like true subiectes put to their helping hande knowinge that it is theyr quarrell aswell as hers Come of you bishoppes away with your superfluities Aduise to the bishops yeld vp your thousands be contēt with hūdreds as they be in other reformed Churches where be as greate learned men as you are Let your portion be priestlike and not princelike Let the Quene haue the rest of your temporalties and other lāds to maintain these warres which you procured Bishoppes landes and your mistresse left her and with the rest to builde and founde scholes thorow oute the realme that euerye parishe church may haue his preacher euery City his superintendent to liue honestly and not pompously whiche wil neuer be onles your landes be dispersed and bestowed vpon many which now feadeth and fatteth but one Remember that Abimeleck when Dauid in his banishmēt wold haue dined with him 1. Sam. 21 kept such hospitaliti that he had no bread in his house to geue him but the Shew bred wher was all his superfluity to keepe your pretensed hospitalitie for that is the cause that you alledge why you must haue thousāds as though you were commaunded to kepe hospitalitie rather with a thousande then with a hundreth I would our country man VVicliefes boke whych he wrote deecclesia were in print and there shoulde you see that your wrinches and cauillations be nothing worthe It was my chaunce to happen of it in ones hand that brought it out of Bohemia Lay to youre handes Aduise to the noble men you noble men and rather sel a pece of your enheritance to help the Quene then by a little backwardnes to ventre all and to se a proud French man your heir or a Scot the steward of your landes learn you of thaunciēt senators of Rome and let your wiues take example by theirs to sette more by youre Prince then your pomp by your country then by your curiositie and vnsitting superfluitie in apparel dyet and other vnnecessaries Liui. 3 de These Romaines of whome I speake being stressed and almoste brought to the last cast by the long and daungerous warres of Hanibal and the Frenche did not only lyke louing fathers to their countrey bring in their mony and goodes without hinching or pinching to reliefe the charges of their cōmon welth But also partly by honest perswasiō and partly by their good exāple prouoked the noble matrones their wiues to bringe in their ouches ringes chaines bracelettes and other iewelles to be bestowed in the necessary defense of their countrey Oh you Englishe ladies learne here rather to weare Romain hartes then Spanish knaks Aduise to the ladies rather to helpe youre countrey then hinder youre husbādes to make your quene ryche for your defēse then your husbandes poore for your garish gainesse If euery one of you would but imploy your ringes and chaines or the price of your superfluous ruffes furres fringes and suche other trinkettes vpon the necessary defēce of your coūtrey I thinke you shuld make the quene much richer habler to mete with your enemies and your selfes much the honester reddier to withstande Satan whiche this waye goeth about to sift you leaue of your pride leaue a good example as the Romain ladies did to your posterite of loue to your countrey loyaltie to your quene To the Gentlemē honestie towardes God and man Be liberal you Gētlemē thinke it not inough to serue the quene with your bodies but helpe also with your goodes Suffer not the Gentlemē of Fraunce to make you their slaues Some of you knowe what natured men they be beware that the rest feele not It wil be a shame and to great a vilanie for you which in al ages haue bene hable to holde their nose to the grindstone nowe either for sparing of your goodes which is niggardie or feare of your liues which is cowardise to be their pezantes whose lordes your Auncettors were Loke to this geare you Lawyers whiche for a lyttle spending of your breath in chatering in the Chancery and common place become the Lordes of your cūtreis and leaue your sonnes so great liuelodes as thei be noble mens matches Some in sport cal you drudges and not iudges but I thinke in god earnest that it is contrary that you make you and your lordes and al other drudges In this your so gret gain forget not what you owe to your prince by whose protection you haue had leasure to study now time to plead If your countrie be not kept in peax your law wil be litle worth neither your copes nor coifes wil serue to any vse I would you could al finde in your hartes to be as liberal toward your prince as some of you haue bene of late to the orders of Friers Be no niggardes you marchaūtes of your gaines to releue the quene To the marchaūts for if you be the vengeaunce of God wil come vppō your hurdes and bākes the tratling Scot shal knocke out your chestes botoms Iacob 5. shal enioy your machaundize meete out your veluets and silkes carry awaye your clothes brenne your fayre houses and rule in your citie of London which the lord forbyd In like maner you Farmers and Franklins you yomen and riche Cobbes abroad with your rusty ryals your old Angels which you hourd vp for the ruste of thē shal be to your condēpnaciō because you couetously kepe Gods creatures frō their true vse wherfore thei were made They are called curraūt not slepaunt Helpe your coūtrey with thē let the quene haue part of thē that you may peaceably enioy the rest wherfore hourd you them vp and for whome Psal 38. Thesaurizas nesciēs cui cōgregas I am sure your meaning is thereby to leaue your sonnes and heires lādes and possessiōs pastures wel stored houses wel furnished and honest soms of money to marrv your doughters But if thou best not liberal towardes the defence of thy coūtry who shal be thine heire The pocky frenche man and the scoruy Scot thyne olde gold shal be caried away into Fraūce thy sonne and thou shalt be made gally slaues And where thou thinkest to marry thy daughter richelye thou shalt see both hir and hir mother defiled before thy face miserably Thy sōnes enheritaūce shal be chaines in the gally wherwith he shal be fettered a whippe vpon his bare skinne if he row not to the death and an horse lofe and water for his dayly dyet Oh thynke vppon this thynke vppon it you hourders and hyders of Gods creatures Lette not that mucke of the molde those rustye Royalles be dearer to you then your countrey your Quene your wyfe and children your owne bodies and lyues VVhat a spyte were it that you shoulde be the Treasurers of your mortall foes that you shoulde keepe for them to carry awaye To the husbandmen and hyde from your
wyll whiche her husbande throughe his crueltie rigoure and vnmercifulnesse hadde vtterlye loste She is muche commended in the stories for her good and pollitike gouernment not onlye in kepinge that was lefte her but also for encreasinge it vntill the churche menne the Pharisies and Priestes abusinge her pitye and deuoute mynde gatte authoritie to empry son murder and kill whome they listed Not muche vnlike in thys poynte to the late Quene Mary who bearinge and wearing Quene Mary a womans hart coulde not I thincke haue vsed suche rigoure and extremitie in impry soning banishinge rackinge hanginge dravving hedding burninge flesinge and fleainge withal manner of extremitie not sparinge her owne bloude no not her natural sister Onles she had bene so bewitched and endoted by her Cardinall Bishoppes and Church-men of whome some be gone before her to taste of those rewardes whiche she and they by suche extremitie deserued And those that remaine muste follovve onles they vvashe avvaye the spottes of bloude that hange vppon their Rachets vvith fluds of teares of repentaunce Oh they may thanck God The Prelates haue time of repentance that they haue this time to brethe them and bethink them of their naughtie and hellishe crueltie and to call daily and hovverly for pardon and forgeuenes for let them thincke that if they be not punyshed in this life nor repent God accompteth their dedes so vile and the faultes so heynous that no temporall paines be inough for suche offences and therfore reserueth them to eternall damnaciō Oh hovvld and vvail you priests and prelats not for the daūger you stād in of losing your bishopriks ād benefices Note you Prelates your pōp and your pride your dignities ād honors your riches and vvelth but for that hel hathe opened hys mouth vvide and gapeth to svvallovve you for the shedding of so much innocēt blud for the murdring of so many martirs and spoiling Christes church of so many glistering and glorious ornamēts cōmended of al men for learning and discōmended of none for their liuinge But to returne to my storye The Quene deceiued by her churche men this Quene Alexādra vvas so inuegled of the church mē that as Iosephus saith she ruled other and the Pharisies her It is an easy matter for them that be of deuout mindes and godly dispositiōs to be broughte into error by those vvhom they think to be godly And therfor that cōmō vvelth is hapy saith Plato vvhose gouerner is a philosopher or a Philosopher their gouerner vvhē princes be lerned thē selfes Learnyng in prynces thei shal not hang alone vpō the mouths of the prelates but iudge thē selfes hovv true it is they teache that they may saye with the Samaritanes woman we do not beleue it because thou say est it but because we haue sene our selues Ioh. 4. VVhat shoulde we saye of the Quene of Saba whome Christ with his own mouth commendeth for her desire to heare Salomons wisdom and calleth her by the name of Quene 1. Reg. 10. Luc. 11. If she had vnlawfully and against nature vsurped that authoritie surely he would as well haue founde faulte with her vnlawful rule as he commended her diligēt trauail But Christ knowing the boundes of hys office wold not meddle with externe pollycies trāslating of realms Luc. 12. ād depriuing of true inheritors No when he was desired to be arbiter betwixte two brethern he axed not how the pleastode but who made him an officer Diuines me thinke shoulde by this example not geue them selues to much the bridle Spirituall mē shuld not medle vvith policies and to large a Scope to meddle to farre with matters of pollicie as this is wherupon depēdeth either the welfare or ilfare of the whole realm If those ii offices I meane Ecclesiastical and Ciuil be so iumbled together as it may be lawful for both parties to meddle in both functions there can be no quiet nor any wel ordered common welth But because this argument requireth a long treatise I leaue it and go forwarde with my matter I passe ouer here the sister of Antigonus and Salome The sister of Antigonus Salome the sister of Herode of the which one was Quene of Hircania and tho ther appoynted by Augustus Cesar to rule ouer Iammam Azotum Phasalidem and Astaloniam and the same regiments she after left to Iulia Tiberius motherād Augustus wife Ioseph 1. li. ca 13. These are euidente argumentes that whyle the Romaynes at that tyme the Monarkes of the worlde did so bestowe kyngdomes vpon womē they thought it not to be against nature for that sexe to gouerne Many other exāples of such regimentes there be in the histories of the Iewes which I might alledge for this matter if I thought not these sufficient but that it may appeare that not only it was in vse and practise in that nacion to bee ruled by that sexe but also emong the gentiles which were rather ledde by the lawe of nature then hedged in with gods pollycie I will shortly runne ouer some of their prophane histories Berosus a Babilonian borne Lib. 5. and for the truthe of his storie preferred before all the Grekes and worthely for he followed no fables as they commonly dyd but the recordes of the Caldies saith that Noah whiche was called Ianus for iain signifieth wyne whiche he inuented made his daughter Cranā quene and gouernes of Italy Crana Noahs doughter which thing being true as it is moste lyke howe dare men saye that their regiment is against nature VVhiche that worthy father whome God thought amyddes his vnspeakeable wrath against the whole world not only to saue and preserue but also to make hym the author of the newe worlde did not only suffer as a thinge tollerable but apoynted as an order most honest If we cōdempne his dede we must also condēpne Gods choise who could not fynde or pick oute a worthier or wvser man to be the restorer of mākind then hym that should so shamefully erre as they saye against nature In the monarche of the Babilonians Hero li. 1. were very notable Semiramis and Nicocris both for their vvisdome and selicite in gouerning also for the notable monuments they lest behind thē Semiramis Semiramis after the death of hir husbād Ninus fearing least the late conquestes and countreis vvoulde not be kept in avve by hir sonne yet yōg of yeares vnskilfull in gouernmēt and not of courage mough to play the king in the persone of her sonne for the tyme of his nonage ruled so as Berosus saith of hir that she passe in seates of vvarre in triumphes conquestes and vvelthe all that vvere then lyuinge or before hir She buylded Babilō she cōquered Ethiopia she inuaded India vvhether neuer king nor Emperour came Iust lib. 1. but Alexander the great Thother Nicocris as Herod reporteth vviser then the former Hero li. 1. desēdid hir empire agaīst the Medes who thē sought the monarchie of