A discourse vpon the present estate of France Togither with a copie of the kings letters patents declaring his mind after his departure out of Paris Whereunto is added the copie of two letters written by the Duke of Guize Translated out of French into English And now newly reprinted and corrected by E. Aggas Imprinted 1588. A Discourse vpon the present estate of France MOst men doo say that it is a pleasure to behold from the shore the waues to swell and to marke from the land howe the storme and the windes play with the Sea I beleeue it well and it is as much to say as that it is better to see a daunger a farre off then to be in it But if from the toppe of a Cliffe I should perceiue a shippe wherein either I had a share or my friends were enclosed in daunger of being cast away and without helpe caried against the rocks by the currants and tempest what a griefe were it vnto me to finde my selfe at such a spectacle If France were nothing vnto me and I knew her state as exactly as I doo it were no matter vnto me to discourse of it when men shoulde bring me the newes I would take them indifferently yea I should receiue them without any passion being otherwise glad to be out of her broiles and heare talke of her stirrings with as little commotion and feare as if one should rehearse vnto me things that happened at Rome vnder Tiberius or Nero. I can not being a Frenchman no I cannot so do seeing the onely barke of my hope the vessel wherein I haue all that which is dearest vnto me and which of it selfe is dearer vnto me than my selfe now see runne to wreake my countrie my first mother whom such sundrie diseases haue brought to extremity hardly panting out her last gaspe But there is no remedie yet some parte of the griefe passeth away with crying and such wordes as sorrow wresteth out of our hearts are more violent then those which ioy bringeth forth If at anie time in our affliction wee sigh out some extraordinarie speeches witnesses of our griefe they are more listened vnto then if they came from a carelesse minde quailed with continuall contentations which also bringeth forth no other then vulgar matter These accordingly shall deserue commendation of their matter onely and not for any order or methode Others doo seruice vnto their countrey with their bodies goods They doo well seeing they bee able as for me I can but lament mine owne I bestow onely my teares on her hauing nothing else left that might stande her in any steede I commend those men let them not blame mee I will doo as they doo when I shal be able and they as I do when they are brought to this passe My Dicaeus lying idle in the countrie whether other businesses had lead mee I heard the first reporte of the kinges driuing out of Paris by the Duke of Guize As all matters are made greater according as men esteeme of them so was there this first report Euerie one doth bring foorth his passions in steed of comments vpon such newes as are told him I know not whether being infected with this common vice I did presently glose vppon this reporte well doo I remember that euen then I answered vnto some that were speaking to me of it that I could scarse beleeue that the matter was fallen out so rawly although I did esteeme the one capable enough of such a feare yet woulde I neuer haue thought altogither such presumption to haue remained in the other At that time or soone after there were two sundry peeces of worke brought vnto mee the one is a declaration of the King vpon that which happened against himselfe at Paris the 12 of May but that so colde so timorous as nothing more much like vnto a man that complaineth and yet dare not name him of whome hee hath beene beaten like vnto a man that is afraid least that his enemy bee yet in his choller and will not be content with that harme which he hath done him alreadie Hee dare not say that hee hath beene constrained to flie neither that he hath been driuen out he dareth not terme it an iniurie much lesse declare that hee will punish it Hee commandeth no more his people but intreateth them And to make vp the matter which is the most shamefullest of all hee willeth praiers to bee made in the Churches to the ende that this quarrell may bee appeased euen as if hee should feare that Monsieur de Guize were offended that he had not suffered himselfe to haue been taken in the Louure but fled away The other cleane contrarie were two letters of the Duke of Guize the one vnto the King the other publike both letters of a souldiour braue ones couragious whereby he gallantly commends himselfe of his dooing saith that God did put that daie into his hands the meanes of a notable peece of seruice rehearses it with few and stout wordes without anie shew of feare neither thinking to haue done amisse Last of all hee concludeth with a resolute threatning that in spight of all the world he will maintaine the Catholikes side and driue from the king such as doo fauour the Heretikes meaning the Duke of Espernon My Dicaeus this hath mooued mee to send them vnto you you are curious of such matters and euen withall the verie indignation hath drawen from me this discourse of the state of France such as it is now a daies whereby you may iudge the better of these two writinges Publish it if you thinke it good so that you keepe in your name and mine for wee are called to other affaires If not keepe it in your studie France is diuided into three factions The Duke of Guize and his kinsmen on the one side as the dukes of Maine of Aumall of Elbeuf of Merceur his brethren or cousins germaine to my iudgement holde that which seemeth the greatest and that is it which with their partakers they call the holie League The king holds the second the most lawfull but the weakest The king of Nauarre and some Catholike Princes of the bloud My Lordes of Mountmorency chiefe Officer of the Crowne of Turraine of Chastillon and many other noble men as well of the religion as Catholikes the third which may be termed the iustest in deede and as yet the surest I call the first the greatest be it because there is likelihood that it is deriued and as it were a member of the generall conspiracie of all the Catholike Princes of Christendome vnited and confederat together vnder the authoritie of the Pope to make warre against those which make profession of the religion be it because this band is newe and rare nouelties doo for a while carrie away all an argument whereof wee may gather in the shew that the Protestantes during the first troubles made in this Realme where they had seised vppon all the good townes sauing one or two
hit on it Amongst these the first is the Queene mother vnto the king who for her credits sake and in shew keepeth her selfe on her sonnes side as she did alwaies when shee had many sonnes hold with him that was king but who notwithstanding hateth nothing more than his absolute power as beeing the worse for it When France was in peace she was faine to spin her rock at home her son left her no charge nor deling in any matter That she might recouer her authoritie she was fain to shuffell the cardes or haue intelligence with those that shuffeled them otherwise she was of no vse which her mind that could not thinke on small matters could neuer brooke And of this Princesse whose race hath ruled ruleth at this day ouer the best parts of Europe it may be saide as it was of Agrippa Vâ—â—ribus curis muâ—ebria vitia exuisse If that alreadie were not a vice in a woman it hath beene alwaies her custome in France to stirre vp one against another that in the meane while she might rule in these diuisions The mightie against the mightie Princes against Princes yea her owne children against her children For she know wel enough that our state standeth so as that a woman except it be by some extraordinarie waies is of no credite therein In the time of the late king Charles this that nowe is was then her protector whose power she did increase as much as she could to the end she might vse him to make her selfe necessarie vnto the other The king at length perceiued it but too late Since that this beeing come vnto the Crowne wherein to speake the truth hee was infinitely bound vnto her whiles he was in Polande being as well assured that except shee had wisely prouided for it there had beene such stirringes in France as perchance at his comming home hee had beene kept from getting in Shee kept her credite for three or foure yeares whilest this yoong king dreamed of nothing but the pleasures of his age and the deliciousnesse of his newe estate but since beginning to take vppon him the affirmatiue voice and to seeke to rule alone she was forced to haue recourse vnto Mounsieur her yoonger sonne who for a while vphelde her and made her to be esteemed necessarie He being deade shee chose other remedies for howsoeuer it bee shee hath euer wished two thinges The one to make him that was in possibilitie of the Crowne to bee beholding vnto her for to keepe him in when hee were come to it The other to make him in the meane while so great that he that were master of the State should bee forced to vse her helpe in brideling the other employing after this manner verie quietly both their powers one against the other that betwixt them shee might rule and be sought to such a councell as particularlie for her selfe was as full of wisedome as often full of troubles and inconueniences for the commons Nowe if after Mounsieurs death shee had founde the king of Nauarre fitte for these practises she had made her buckler of him but seeing that his religion and many other considerations did hinder her she hath cast both her eyes and her heart on the house of Lorraine and her daughters children whereunto the hatred that shee did beare vnto this Prince euen from his infancie hath beene a great helpe So that esteeming her selfe not able to bee reconciled with him shee consequently dooth feare him and is fully resolued to hinder him in all that shee can from getting anie part in France Shee can neuer doo it without the ouerthrowe of the order of the Realme For as I saide after this hatred commeth in the loue shee beareth vnto the children of the D. of Lorraine who are her daughters children towards whome she hath a secret inclination neuer ceasing day nor night to reproch vnto the king that he ought rather to loue as his heires his Nephewes his Sisters children then a stranger vnto his house so dooth shee terme the king of Nauarre The daughters of Spaine are also her daughters children vpon whome she would likewise be glad to bestowe some part of the same not being grieued in the meane while that her sons state is in trouble to the ende that he should haue refuge vnto her and that she may be imployed Now in this manner she agreeth well with the Duke of Guize to crosse her sonne to stirre vp and open the way to confusion and about the meanes to alter the order of succession in our realme but to wish that hee shoulde waxe so great that he might ouerthrow the king himselfe dispossesse him and himselfe afterward to inuade the whole state it is not likely I cannot beleeue that she desireth it Now vnder this the Queene mothers intent I comprehend also that of the Marquise du Port her little sonne sonne vnto the Duke of Lorraine who likewise hath no intelligence or hope in this our state any further then she his grandmother doth procure him to conceiue Next there is the king of Spaine who from the beginning of these wars seeing the Queene of England to knit a straite alliance with our king seeing in the same time also the Commissioners of the low countries at Paris to offer him the soueraigntie ouer their prouinces it came in his head to cast three or foure thousand crownes into the hungrie hands of the league so to set France in troubles as being assured that by these meanes he should keepe the king from thinking vpon Flanders the which he did most feare as indeed there is but the onely king of France so he be in peace that can easily take these Prouinces from the Spaniarde This is that which brought him in and consequently that somewhat ouerhastned the Duke of Guizes deuises Besides that hee feareth now extremely least the king of Nauarre should attaine to the crowne of France hee is his enimie by nature he detaineth a kingdome from him which no doubt if the others â—â—awes may growe on will bee wholly pulled away and more perchance withall Hee knoweth well enough that he being olde his children yoong his state deuided and scarse setled small matters after his death will trouble it much more a king of Nauarre if he were king of Fraunce Therfore he is glad to frame himselfe vnto those of Lorraine to finde them meanes to stirre vp coales that in the meane while he may more freely goe about his warres of the lowe countries and of Englande to molest the king of France thereby to ouerthrowe the king of Nauarre to the end that afterward the realm being left for a pray he being the mightiest might catch the greater part This is his drift as coÌ„cerning our state but that he would proceede so farre as being burdened with many other particular expences he wold yet draw his treasors drie to make the Duke of Guize king he I say who is perswaded that if it were so that the maner
one by one it shall bee founde according to the common saying That all is not golde that glistereth But if they bee yet nearer obserued in grosse it will stande well with that iudgement which I giue of them They shall be all founde farre distant in places and Countries The greatest and strongest part is in Spaine and Italie yet they bee distant foure hundreth Leagues by lande the other is in France but it is such a small thing that if the power of Spaine and Italie shoulde not ioyne together to helpe it it woulde bee soone smothered vp Wee shall see that each of these partakers which enter into this generall League doo bring but the least part of their wishes vnto the generall intent all the rest beeing for their owne particular wee shall finde that the most of them tende in manner to one thing the king of Spaine the Duke of Lorraine or Sauoy and of Guize to the Crowne of France Wherein it cannot be chosen but that there be some gelousies and that the same thing which vniteth them seuereth them againe We shall see also that they haue contrarie purposes one to another as those which I haue obserued of the Duke of Parma and the Duke of Sauoy And in fine wee shall marke that of the two last viz. the King of Spaine the Pope who are as it were the pillers of this league the one is extreme old and so sicke that euen this yeare hee hath giuen ouer all manner of businesse yea so farre foorth that manie are of opinion that age hath bereaued him of his senses The other which is the Pope can make no reckoning of his power but so long as hee shall liue and considering his age hee cannot liue long leauing perchaunce such a successour as will rather busie himselfe to builde vp his owne house then to pull downe another mans that wil rather deuise new practiseâ— then follow his Predecessors Thus haue you by whole and piece 〈◊〉 seene all our enimies forces Now if against their generall meanes we oppose ours generally if wee gather together those of the Queene of England of the king of Nauarre of the king of Denmarke of the Princes of Germanie of the states of the lowe countries and of the Cantons of Switzerlande what a power shall we finde If we vse ours against them by reason of the commoditie we haue to ioyne our selues without any let France England Germanie both high and low and Switzerlande ioyning one to an other shall we not sooner ouerthrow all their practises than they can take them in hand We I say whom our religion may knit surer togither then them as beeing better than theirs wee that haue no other purpose but to defend our selues and maintaine our rightes which vnited vs togither who haue no particular intent that might breed any gelousie amongst vs or beeing contrarie might diuide vs. There is no doubt of it let vs them see the proofe It is three yeares agone since the king of Spaine cut downe all the Forestes of Italy to builde his Carraquâ—â—â— buyeth all the moores of Affrica to make Galley slaues turneth the Indies vpside downe with digging and seeking to finde out an the Goldmines as though he had no more to do hereafter It is three yeares agone since he had no other speech but of Ankers of Cables of ropes and sayles since hee threatneth the Ocean if it doth not vse his shippes gently since that hee chargeth the windes to fauour them and all this to make vp a mightie and spanish that is to say proud armie by sea whose shadowe alone may cause not onely the masts of ships but also all the toppes of the steeples of England to stoope For these three yeres space he is with child of an armie And to speake the truth as these great peeces of worke are not soone brought foorth nor with ease so he bestoweth much time labour to be deliuered of it but things commonly are lesser at their birth then men thinke of Then in the end it shall be borne in Biscay weaned at Conquet and finding it selfe right against Englande it shall haue strength and stature enough to receiue the order of knighthood Doth not this proue that in one only place viz. Englande we are able to resist the most dangers of our enimies It is three yeares since hee threatned it hee hath not yet so much as made it afraid Tush when will he be able to hurt it It is as long since the Duke of Guize who in a maner plaieth with the king and the realme of France his power being holpen with money out of Spaine with the forces of the Prince of Parma and all the Catholike states maketh warre against the king of Nauarre in which space there hath beene eight armies by land leuied to that purpose and the ninth by seas Of nine of them thankes be to God eight are gone backe againe without doing any thing the ninth hath been quite ouerthroweÌ„ in a battaile Now if it can not be said that this poore Prince was in the meane while assisted eyther with one pennie or one man the money helpes which his friends had sent him being not yet come as far as vnto him is it not a certaine proofe that this people hath more facing than doings It is twenty yeares since that the low countries are set vpoÌ„ by the same king of Spaine with all the forces that he could make out of his countrie out of Italy and all those that he could get out of Germany He hath bin alwaies fortunate in it Almost all the battailes that haue bin fought there he hath wonne What hath he done They are yet at this day in such a case as if they can once haue good correspondence one with an other he is to begin of new in danger of loosing his labor his paines his charges that he hath laid out in that country Iudge you now if so it were that the king of Denmark the Princes of Germany the Cantons of the Switzers which they durst not meddle withall had brought their helpes forces to make these violent dealings of the king of Spaine in Flanders and England to cease and those of Guize in France how long to mans iudgmeÌ„t were they able to stand before vs I leaue more to conclude hereupon that I speake not of In the mean while although we haue mo forces then they that we haue better meanes of intelligence one with an other yet doo they agree better one with an other then we do are stronger than we are Let vs returne that reproch vnto our negligence and not attribute it vnto their industrie to our base minds and not to their courage God hath put into our handes the meanes both to liue at rest to defend our selues froÌ„ their tyranny yea to bring them vnder the yoke if wee would so doo But to make an end of this speech diuine like euen as I haue
receiued some cracke by those of the league as soone as they began some mutinie against him or that they seised vpon any town of his so soone I say might the king of Nauar be sure that he would be vpon his iacke and with all send an armie against him Oh blinde Prince that thought that those men which willingly would haue seene him dead grounded themselues but vpon one pretence and in case that should faile him hee would wrest from them by imagination that which by force he durst not proue Curssed be you that giue him counsaile Are yee not ashamed yee traiterous counsailers must a king suffer factions in his estate must he needs haue any other theÌ„ his owne Is it not a goodly part to be a king If you say that these two factions were there alredy and past remedy O ye wretches who brought them in but your selues that still do norish them Is not ciuill warre the mother of these factions cease that and you shall see them flie Let a king keepe himselfe in his strength and kinglike say I will haue peace and you shall see that the boldest of these partakers durst not gainesay it if he must needs make warre let it be against him that would hinder the peace and hee will soone ouercome him Neuerthelesse according to this principle they made him to beleeue that there was no safetie for him vnlesse himselfe would vndertake the same pretence as the fauourer of the league also that it were requisite that he should in apparance shew himselfe more earnest against the protestants theÌ„ they That the catholikes were alredie vnited with the D. of Guize against the others That the onely meanes to disunite them was to take the D. of Guizes place and thunder against the Huguonets This was his beliefe his counsaile In the meane time together with this perswasion feare seised vpon him yea such a feare as was chiefely grounded vpoÌ„ a iust mistrust of those whom he had euen about him so as so soone as he sawe the league armed the gates of Paris were scarce sure enough for him himselfe visited them and wheras he might with his onely countenance haue sent all the authors of this mutinie an hundred foot vnder ground so soone as he heard of it he was amased he by by sent his mother to theÌ„ to desire them to be content to excuse him for that in the time of peace he made not so great account of them as he ought to promise that hereafter he would content them yea that they should but aske al should be granted them To be short he did in a maner humble himself before his subiects to the end to keepe them from mutining against him wheras it had bin his part to haue taught theÌ„ that he both would could punish their rebellion Al this notwithstanding he had no great mind to the war as wisely considering that it was a diminishing of his authoritie and if he feared it against the league hee was not desirous of it against the protestantes but at length being ouercome by his mother who had other drifts in her braine then hee and almost by all that were about him he grew to a finall accoâ—de with the Duke of Guize and perforce consented to the war against the K. of Nauar vnto whom not one moneth before he had by thirty letters of his owne hande testified his owne iudgement of the intents of those of the league This hath beene the counsaile that the king hath hitherto had Now there is no doubt but he could haue wished the king of Nauarre to haue bene strong inough to haue forced both the others himselfe to grow to peace but of his owne motion to propound it he neuer durst for had hee done it he looked straight to haue beene stifeled by the mutinous faction of the league Well hee mindeth to liue to reigne and to be obeyed as well of the protestants as of those of the league A desire both iust and reasonable and so he might if he wold but with these pernitious principles sith himselfe calleth his power into question and dare not doo the part of a king let him not thinke it strange that others should enterprise to counterfeit his person God grant that at length he may earnestly desire to be that he is that is the master and greatest lord of his realme but this can not be vnlesse he be king and that shall he neuer be except hee resolue himselfe to wish the wealth and peace of his people As touching the king of Nauarre his condition and intent it is cleane contrarie or differing from both the others of which I haue alreadie spoken Euen as he agreeth with the kings purpose in the behalfe of preseruing of his life and authoritie where against he neither could neither would attempt any thing so likewise hee differeth from him in that that concerneth the libertie of the churches of France for the which the war is made against himselfe whiles hee goeth about to release them from it But he is euery way contrary opposite vnto the enterprises of the duke of Guize and the league First whereas the other to whom ambition giueth the same hope for the crowne of France which right and nature hath giuen vnto this cannot put it in practise but by warre by the subuersion of lawes and alteration of the state of the realme for if he should make no inuasion or if euerie thing kept their ordinary course he hath no right to it no he could not be called to it This on the other side caÌ„not looke for it but by the meanes of peace by keeping euery thing in order his desire is ordinarie and in maintaining the lawes his title is lawfull And if he would take any other way by violence or vsurping he should find his riuall as much stronger and surely setled in this behalfe ouer that he is as hee hath an aduantage in the true succession In the meane while besides the right of the realm which looketh on him he carrieth moreouer vppon his shoulders the burden of all the churches of France he beareth all their hope vpon his head his ouerthrow to mans likelihood is their ruine and oppression his greatnesse their libertie And that is it which encreaseth the power of his enimies and which lincketh togither against him al the catholikes of Europe Of truth whiles I thinke nowe vpon this one as I did lately vpon the other me thinketh that God vnder these two mightie men will exercise our state the one hauing yet more strength of bodie and minde to preserue it than the other hath to destroy it But the other hauing as yet more meanes by the reason of the opportunity which he had to ioine with the greater side and to haue had the means to vse euen the kings authority this will cause me to make some small digression to compare them together for such are they as they well deserue to be
diuerse Contrariwise Philip at this day king of Spaine hath beene fauoured with such fortune as had neuer interruption But that is more to bee attributed to that which tell out about him then to himselfe France in his time hath beene ruled by a woman and by children or so toyled by ciuill warres that they haue alwaies founde woorke enough within themselues England likewise ruled by a woman who following the nature of her kinde hath wisely contented her selfe with mainteining her subiectes in peace and defending her state from her neighbours attempts not enterprising any thing against them Germanie by peaceable Princes The East partes by Selim a great drunkard who tooke pleasure in nothing but his drinke and since by Amorat his sonne halfe an Idiot who stirreth not from the Mosquetta So that wee must not say that he had good lucke euerie where but that hee founde no where any bodie that might breede him any euill lucke all which notwithstanding hee hath performed no great matters The conquest of Portugall and of Jndia hath beene more easie then luckie there was no great labour The conquest of Tercyera and the victorie ouer the Frenchmen shall not seeme so strange if wee consider that it was a whole armie of Spaine against a companie of ships gathered togither in France As for the battailes of Graueline and of Saint Quintin they were yet remnantes of his fathers victories they were the armies that from their youth had followed the olde mans fortune there was but little of his his person it selfe was not there Nothing did stirre in Italie in Burgundie in the kingdome of Naples in Sicilia nothing where contrariwise in Affrica hee hath lost Gouleta the onely labour of Charles his father and all that he had there His victories haue not stretched so farre in Flanders but that there is more behinde to doo The reason why because hee hath founde there some resistance It is an easie matter for a man to winne when no bodie plaieth against him Nowe euen now hauing gotten enimies woorthie of his forces wee shall see what he can doo in England with all his great preparations wee shall see whether he shall keepe still that renowmed great fortune Concerning the state that hee findeth himselfe in at this time it is such First he is extreme old and yet more broken Hee hath but two daughters and a yoong boy they great ones ambitious alreadie and proud to the vttermost the one Dutchesse of Sauoy the other brought vp in her fathers armes and in the affaires of his estate the which she alone gouerneth his sonne is little and sickly as I haue saide now are these occasions of diuisions For in Spaine the daughters may succeede Besides that his state is much diuided The lowe Countries which were his best mesle are farre scattered from him All that which is cut off from him as the Prouinces which are vnited with the Queene of England he can see no hope euer to recouer That which the Prince of Parma holdeth vnder his authoritie he scarse assureth himselfe that after his death he will faithfully surrender it vnto his children The other is a braue Prince a great Captaine beloued of those ouer whom he commandeth esteemed of the others as I haue said who hath vsed great moderation and obserued his faith to his people that are alreadie highly pleased with that manner of gouernment which his mother had vsed before him who hath purchased great credite amongest them and that enough to make him hereafter able to keepe this portion instead of Portugall which to his iudgement the king of Spaine hath taken from him and who howsoeuer it be will be grieued that all his labours should be dedicated to a maid or to a little boy The Dutchie of Mylan is neare vnto the Duke of Sauoy hee wil pretend right vnto it in the behalfe of his wife and according to his contract of marriage The kingdome of Naples and the townes of Italie will follow the fortune of the Dutchie of Mylan Portugall is hee as yet scarce assured of the Portugalles greeued that Spaniards should rule ouer thē as much the more their enimies as they are neerer vnto them as it is an ordinarie thing to all people The Indies a◠well the Portiugalles as the Spanish ones the onelie sinnew of this state will belong vnto him that shall possesse either Portugall or Spaine The case thus standing this Prince hath hencefoorth more neede to thinke vpon the preseruation of his house and his Lordships which doubtlesse are like to be deuided after his death then to trouble his neighbours To speake the trueth hee is rich but hee is at infinite charges scarse hauing any countrie where hee is not forced to keepe a great garrison That he standeth in neede he maketh it knowne sufficiently to the troupes which hee keepeth in Flanders where he is sometimes a yeare or eighteene monethes without giuing them a pennie As hee is rich of money so hee is poore of men hee can get none but onely out of Germanie out of Spaine out of Italie or out of Burgundie Now therefore marke his weakenesse As touching the Germaines if wee were all vnited togither wee would keep him either from raising vp any or frō bringing through any the Italians and Spaniards of whome he can furnish no great number for they are no populous countries as euerie man knoweth Before they can come to deale either with France the low countries or Germanie the places where wee are he must leade them either by sea or through such hard waies that if we were all of one minde hee should loose halfe of them before they were able to doo him anie seruice The Spaniards cannot come but either by sea or ouer the mounts Pyrenees The Italians ouer the Alpes or thorough Germanie such wayes as if wee would we might stop them all Last of all there is nothing more wretched than himselfe in his owne countrie nothing so easie to bee beaten And it is most sure that hee might easily haue beene ouerthrowne by Portugall if he had beene liuely set vpon that way since Don Antonio was driuen out of it Thus haue you briefly the state which the migthiest of our enimies is in Which to my iudgement being well considered ought not to seeme so mightie as hee is esteemed The effectes with all and example doo declare it Seeing that in twentie yeares that he hath imployed to conquere Flanders againe the onely place where he hath employed all his power he hath not profited much yet can it not be saide that hee hath founde there any resistance woorthie of him notwithstanding it is euident that had it not beene for the late Mounsieurs euill rule and the Prince of Oranges death most wretchedly by murthered a manifest token of this enimies weakenes hee was almost driuen to dispaire and had lost all these Countries without anie remission whatsoeuer hee could haue doone When our enimies state shall thus be considered