desireth to deale with you as with his open enemyes Let therfore all méetynges of marchants chaunge of marchaundises be taken away let all your Vniuersities be destroyed abrogate all their priuileges suffer no hosopitalitie to be kept let euery mā sit idle at home in his owne house take hede lest any thyng be brought in from farre coūtreys lest likewise ye bryng in somewhat which may at length hynder the barbarous trade of the Duke of Alba. But we hope most worthy princes that you playnly sée what mē are chiefly to be accused of this our iniury the Spanyard will not suffer our yoūg men to come vnto your Vniuersities your solemne martes or fayres or to any of your prouinces least peraduenture they should returne infected of some spot of heresie By the which hys iudgement he openly condemneth you and all your people of heresie and impietie Although in this his doyng he hath besides this an other fetch and purpose for this is a new inuention for to spoile the poore people of their substaūce for when he séeth thē to haue escaped the gréedy iawes of his Inquisition and it is not easie for hym to accuse them beyng absent although many of them in his iudgement woorthely be accused of such haynous crymes and had deserued to haue their goodes confiscate bycause they were very rich wealthy he thought best to deuise some way whereby he mgyht lykewise draw them into his net And ther fore he stretcheth out the vale of his Religion the which he abuseth to the full satisfieng of all his appetites as Gigas dyd hys ryng By this he driueth some out of theyr countrey and maketh some returne home agaynst their wils By this he taketh from some all their liberties riches and life to others he geueth full lycence to praye vpon other mens goodes and with all wickednes to shed the innocent bloud to be brefe vnder this pretence of Religion he doth what soeuer pleaseth him though it be contrary to the lawes of God and man By this also with most extreme and vnaccustomed tyrāny he goeth about to establish to geue all soueraigne power in low Germany vnto the Bishops of the Spanish Inquisitiō that from thence if it be possible they might stretch the same by their deceytes priuy practises throughout all Europe Do not you thinke most noble Princes that these thynges nothyng perteine vnto you for they do most especially bende theyr force agaynst you and your Germany For their remayneth as yet yea there is norished I say in the Spanyardes harts and bowels the great grief which they of late conceyued when they saw the gouernment of Germany wherof they thought them selues in full possession to be pluckt out from betweene theyr iawes They do as yet trye their old counselles whereby they may make subiect all the world to theyr holy Inquisition and reteine vnto thē selues the full superioritie of all things they haue not as yet buryed their old artes and craftie pollicies they haue not as yet abolished their leages societyes and conspiracies wherby they bounde them selues vtterly to subuerte all those whom they thought would withstand the encrease of theyr tyranny Who doth not know the conditions of peace betwene the kynges of Fraunce and Spayne Who knoweth not the confederacie made with the Bayoniandes who knoweth not what firebrandes hath from thence bene brought into Fraunce low Germany Italye England Scotland and into the furthest countrey of all the lande Thule Truely that longe and deadly ciuill warre in Fraunce was first moued and made by these authors contrary to the Edictes made by the estates of the whole Realme and contrary to the will of the Kyng and Quéene and by these also the peace beyng broken the leages violated and the fidelitie of their othes and agréementes beyng troden vnder féete It was begon agayne the second and the thyrd time by these men it hath bene continued almost ten yeares to the great calamitie of that noble prouince the great slaughter of worthy men and noble princes Neither do they now at this tyme ceasse with theyr pestiferous coūsels most wicked practises by all their power to breake make voyde the peace appointed and cōcluded with the full good will of the kyng all good men It is more manifest then that it néedes rehearsall what persecutions they haue done in Italy what conspiracies they made in England what seditious tumultes murthers they haue caused in Scotland what rebellions they haue raised in Irelād for what haue they doubted euen in Englād settyng vp their Popes buls conuiciously to call the most noble gratious and vertuous Quéene of England the seruaunt of all wickednes the mainteyner of most wicked persons an hereticke fauourer of all heretickes do pronounce her cursed by the Popes curse to depriue her of the right of her kingdome and iurisdiction to absolue her subiectes people from the bonde of their loyaltie and othe towardes her and generally to forbid that any man should obey her authoritie by the which their iudgement they haue openly and playnly declared what other kynges and princes professyng the Gospell should looke for at their hands But what hath this seditious flame conteined it selfe within the boundes and limites of Europe Hath it not burst out ouer retched the pillers of Hercules hath it not filled the shores of Aphricke with the dead mens bodyes hath it not styrred vp the Mores to armour and the Turke to battaile hath it not shaken the scaffold of the whole world with a most terrible tempest and doth it not also now most noble Princes prepare it selfe to burst out amongest you to arme your selues agaynst your owne bowelles if ye take not hede notwithstāding we do not doubt but that the Lord for his mercy sake wil indue your honors with such wisedome and courage that you shall stand and withstand their mischieuous practises But we most mighty Cesar and ye renowmed princes of Germany besech your your honors not to neglect vs the most miserable of all men banished our countrey spoyled of our riches sclaūdered with ignomy oppressed with pouerty through theyr great and vnspeakable tyrāny Remember that Belgy is a part of Germany wherof a great part is conteyned within the riuer of Rhene a great part also by most auncient right obeyng to the Emperors lawes statutes Remember that Brabant hath bene alwayes in most auncient inheritaunces of the Empire and the Dukes therof hath in all ages heretofore bounde them selues to the Emperours to be in theyr retinue and protection And that Antwerpe is accompted the chief Marquesdome of the Empyre and that Gueldria Phrisia and the countrey Gormingen Transiselan and Cameracensis are all vnder the iurisdiction of the Empire and that Hollande Zelande Hannony and other Townes of Belgy haue apperteyned to the dukes of Barrey as theyr auncetors goodes inheritaunce Do not you despise the frendshyppe that is
purpose he sent thether in hys stede with most large Commission to heare the cause and dispose of the state of the common weale the Duke of Alua a man both a most assured minister of their Inquisition and for olde grudges a most bitter enemie to the Princes and state of the lowe contrey He coloring hys owne malitious affections with the glorious pretense of zele to restore the Romishe religion and to chastise Rebells it is incredible to tell how great and how outragious crueltie he hath echewhere executed vpon the poore inhabitantes of the lowe contrey without respecte or difference by how many and how strange deuises he hath robbed all mens goods how he hath spoyled the whole Prouince of all their ornamentes disarmed them of their defences depriued them of their liberties and stripped them out of their lawes and priuileges how euery honest man he hath condemned by priuate warrant without iudiciall order euery the most innocent mans bloud he hath shed euery most vertuous person he hath put to most vile shame all lawes of God and man he hath violated the bandes of mariage he hath broken the Sacrament of Baptisme he hath polluted all order of charitie and frendly societie he hath ouerthrowen finally no part of most extreme crueltie and such as neuer was heard of before hath he omitted And yet in the meane time he ceaseth not to throw vpon vs the blame of his haynous factes and by proclamations published by infamous libels printed openly to all princes and states to accuse vs of most greuous crimes for thys onely cause forsooth that in fléeing we gaue place to his furie and by the helpe of Gods protection haue escaped his sworde most thirsty of our bloudes All which thinges forasmuch as almighty God hath so determined that we shoulde for a time be here afflicted by the tyrannie of the wicked we woulde haue thought it best for vs to passe ouer in silence and in pacience and to waite for the time which the great Iudge hath appointed either for bringing our innocencie to knowledge or for opening the eyes and eares of our King to vnderstand our vniuste miserie and iuste complaint were it not that we doe plainly sée that such our silence specially in thys so sacred and so full assemblie of your maiestie most victorious Emperour and of your highnesses most noble Princes might hereafter bring no small preiudice to vs and our innocencie before such to whom the truth shall not be sufficiently knowen For by such meane the sonne of God Iesus Christ him selfe and his doctrine which we professe according to hys worde shoulde become subiecte to the most haynous sclanders of the aduersaries as if the professors thereof before thys so reuerend iudgement seate of Christendome before so vpright and vncorrupt iudges before thys theatre so furnished with so great assemblie of sondry nations were by silent confession found gilty not onely of heresie and pestilent vngodly error but also of shamefull rebellion of wicked sedition and disturbance of common peace Wherefore we haue vtterly determined that we can not with good peace of conscience longer kepe silence But for asmuch as we know that the order of these vsuall assemblies of the states of the sacred Empyre haue their chiefe respecte to this end that such as be oppressed by force and iniurie may heare present their compleintes as to the chiefe throne of Iustice in Christendome we thought it our duetie to declare our whole estate to your maiestie most mightye Emperour and to your highnesses most noble Princes and to open vnto you the very originall fountaines of thys our most greuous calamitie that if the mercie of God haue decréed to make an end of our so great miseries we may by your goodnesse and liberalitie beginne to take breath agayne after thys most heauy weight of oppression If not yet the cause being more throughly heard we shall before indifferent iudges deliuer our innocencie from the most vniuste sclanders of our aduersaryes Wherby if nothing ells yet thys we shall obtaine that from henceforth our religion and the profession of the Gospell shall not beare the infamie of so greuous crimes with them that heretofore being filled with the accusations of the aduersaryes haue not vnderstoode the truth and that Iesus Christ the sonne of God whose name we professe shall not bee wounded through vs and finally that we shall not as enemies of publike peace and quietnesse be expelled from common societie by forrene Princes and peoples which is the chiefe thinges that our enemies doe séeke but that the whole truth being throughly vnderstoode the whole originall of the mischiefes shall be iustly layed vpon them that inflamed with their owne gredy malices do tumble vp all thinges and such good and innocent men as they haue by wrong and tyrannie spoyled of their goods and can not yet bereue of their liues they labour to oppresse with most vile sclaunderous reportes to your maiestie O Emperor and your highnesses O noble Princes that so they may drawe you into the fellowship of their crueltie and by your helpe they may either satisfie their vnsatiable thirst with our bloud or glutt their most bitter hatred that they haue conceaued against vs with our destruction Which thing that they shall not obtaine your equitie truth and vprightnesse and our innocencie do assure vs In confidence whereof we prostrate vs at your feete we flée to your protection and mercy craue helpe of your religiousnesse iustice vprightnesse and we most humbly besech you that preseruing the iustice of law ye will vouchsafe most mercifully to defend our miserable and afflicted innocencie aganist the outragious power and vnbridled boldnesse of our enemies That ye may vnderstand how iustly ye may do it that ye may clerely perceaue in whom the fault of the whole mischief resteth we besech your maiesty most inuincible Emperor your highnesses most noble Princes that at leasure ye will gently and diligently read this booke annexed to this our supplication wherin with the truth of the whole historie we declare our innocencie to all men and that with the same pacience and equitie of minde that you vse to receaue the complaintes of all miserable and innocent persons it may please you also to vnderstand our cause and to your power deliuer vs out of these calamities So shall ye shew your selues worthy ministers to the soueraigne king of kinges supreme iudge and shall stirre vp our hartes to be continuall suters to his grace and mercy for you IT is now nere a hundred yeres agoe sins the most noble Ferdinand and Isabell Kyng and Quene of Castile hauyng ended theyr great and long warre agaynst the Mahumetanes which had inuaded inhabited and trobled the kingdome of Spayne by the space of almost viij hundred yeres and hauyng chaced the sayd enemies out of all Spayne and recouered the kyngdome of Granada gaue theyr mynde to stablish relligion and to roote out all
or generall assemblies of the estates of all the prouinces to be kept as it had ben vsed in his progenitors tymes and that he placed in gouernance Ecclesiasticall men and such as not only by the law of God the ciuile and canon lawes but also by the auncient custome of the contrey by sondry decrées of the Dukes of Burgundie were excluded from iudiciall offices and from bearyng ciuile rule in the common weale Finally to make them selues in easier way to that dominion that they had conceiued vnder pretense of stablishyng religion they with importunacie procured such rigorousnesse of edictes agaynst those that professed the doctrine of the Gospell as neuer any contrey neuer any citie neuer any common weale had sene before For they had fully persuaded hym as is also conteined in the expresse wordes of the edict that Luther whoe 's doctrine those dyd follow professed the Pelagian error set naught by all the holy fathers and doctors of the Church abolished all Magistrates ouerthrew all ciuile gouernance and politike order stirred vp the people to take armure made them apt to murder steale wast and destroy with fire and finally gaue euery one leaue to lyue as he lysted In the which Peter a Soto a Spaniard hys confessor one of the maisters of the Spanishe Inquisition not of the meanest sorte dyd further them verie much By the whiche persuasion they easilie inforced the Emperour Charles a prince otherwise by nature gentle and mercifull to decrée and without the assent of the estates to publishe and from tyme to tyme to renew most cruell Edictes and such as séeme rather to be written with bloud then with inke not that he ment to haue them executed with extremitie but that he hoped by the terror of this vnaccustomed crueltie to call the peoples myndes from the studie of of that religion which he in conscience accompted wicked of the which his hope and meanyng he gaue no smale profe in that exposition of the Edictes which he afterwardes set out wherin it was appoincted that the Magistrates should by all meanes possible somewhat mitigate the extreme immoderate crueltie of the former edictes but the good masters of the Spanish Inquisition did sone by their craft subtiltie suppresse that exposition and it came at length to that tyranie that they dyd not onelie execute the full rigour of the Edictes but they obserued also a new kynde of Inquisition not much vnlyke to the Inquisition of Spayne that thereby they might atteyne vnto the full authoritie of that office function which they had long before obteyned of the byshops of Rome Therfore in the yeare of our Lord God. 1550. when the kyng of Spayne was auctorised in Belgie with great and importunate sutes they obteined an Edict as concerning their Inquisition whereby they dyd vsurpe take vppon them so much auctoritie and power of the Citizens and inhabitans of the whole prouince as they thought sufficient for the subuertyng of the auncient liberties for the disanullyng of all their accustomed priuileges but the senators and the estates of Brabant with long ernest sute first stopped this their wicked enterprise and afterward the most noble princes Marie of famous memorie Quene of Hungarie with great fayth singular pietie with no lesse wisedome suppessed it For both when the Emperour Charles was at the counsels holden at Augusta she went vnto him and obteyned that the crueltie of the Edictes should be somewhat mitigated and that the whole name purpose of the Inquisition should be omitted and also many tymes after she stoutlie set her selfe agaynst the deceytfull dealynges and rashe attemptes of the Inquisitors and diuines in so much that at the length by their letters sent into Spayne she was accused of heresie before the Emperour But she alwayes bent her whole intent and purpose to kepe the people of Belgie in the Emperours good grace and fauour to her power to take awaie all the enuie and hatred wherewith they were oppressed of their aduersaries With the which her most mercifull and wise dealyng she so faythfully ioyned the hartes of the subiectes towardes their prince that they for her sake thought no burden to be refused in so much that in many thynges they dyd most willinglie preferre her gracious fauor and good wil before the right of their auncient liberties graunted by the lawes statutes of their progenitors For in all restraintes taskes tributes or leuies they shewed them selues at the first commaundement so obedient that the princes could desire nothyng which was not deliuered them with ful consent of al their good willes and that with spede So that almost for the space of ten yeares they dyd gladlie mainteyne that great doubtfull and most daungerous warre whiche was made against the most mighty kings of France they most willinglie bestowed the greatest part of the charges thereof the which by common bookes of accompt maie be proued to surmount the somme of xl thousand millions of Florence neither dyd they geue at any tyme so much as a smale suspicion of rebellion Although in the meane tyme neuerthelesse these good maisters of the Inquisition whyle Charles reigned by the coulered shew of the foresayd Edictes and in the begynnyng of kyng Philips reigne by the graunt of a new Edict bearyng with it the kinges auctoritie which they purchased by their subtell wiles craftie persuasions raiged most furiouslie in the most part of Belgie but especiallie in Flaunders Hannonie Artesia Turnete and Insule in many places of Holland robbyng spoiling and most butcherly murderyng the people with furious violence and extreme tyranny From the which they absteyned least that their deceypt and subtiltye beyng detected this foresayd commaundement wrested out by craft should by the kynges new letters pattentes be called in agayne Neither yet were they without their frendes in the Court which beyng daylie conuersant with the kyng dyd alwaies cloake and couer their crueltie and insatiable auarice with the vayle of godlie Religion At the length the kyng hauing ended his warre agaynst the French men and preparyng to take his iorney into Spayne his subiectes for their singular obedience and their most faythfull redynes in all affaires thought they might iustlie hope for some relesse frō their other burdens but cheflie and especiallie they perswaded them selues that they should haue the yoke of the Inquisition taken from theyr shoulders But the kyng was so farre from satisfiyng their expectation that he did not onelie not remit or mitigate the crueltie vsed to them before but also encreased and augmented the tyranny euen as though their peace other matters had bene for none other cause concluded but that they might the frelyer spoile poore men of their goodes and most cruellie torment their consciences For at that time especiallie the Inquisitors by their old accustomed deceyptes and by the fayned shew of settyng forward religion obteined of the kyng newe letters
the rashnes of théeues and wicked souldiours neither was this done of all men but of a very few the whiche when they perceiued no there hope to escape but onely exile and seing the same also by the wickednes of their aduersaries to be shut vp from them they thought it best by force of armes to make them selues some way to escape by the which truly if they had not done and also if that the terror of Brerodius souldiours had not made theyr aduersaryes a litle doubtfull doubtlesse not one of them from so great a slaughter had escaped safe from the gredy iawes of their aduersaries They can neuer proue that any other or that these for any other cause dyd take vpō them armore before the commyng of the Duke of Alba although they had many and sundry oportunities and occasiōs offred them both to possesse many much and well fenced Cities and also to inuade and spoyle the kynges treasure and Excheker But they would commit nothyng wherof they might not with a safe conscience make rehearsall before God and all good men But if any in solent persons either haue gone about or done any other thyng or for some other purpose seyng their doinges were neither commaunded nor alowed by those whiche were the chief of the congregation let not so great a multitude of innocēt persons be punished for the insolencie of a few for it doth nothyng apperteine vnto vs what a few priuate men haue committed for to reuenge their iniuries taken before either of the Inquisitors or of the sacrificyng priests or of any other person Much lesse doth the ouerthrowyng of Images Idols apperteyne vnto vs for we will easely proue that it was done without the commaundement or consent of our Minister Elders or congregations vnlesse a few of ours perceyuyng the Magistrate to agrée therunto did thinke it likewyse lawfull for them to do the same although truly who soeuer they were that committed it they haue bene more then sufficiently punished for their offence for in place of one dead and blockish Image their hath bene aboue xxx liuely Images of God for whom the sonne of God dyd shed hys bloud murthered destroyed and burnt and in stede of one rotten blocke more then ten liuely bodyes yet the Images restored and renewed by their common charges As concernyng the new Religion wherof they accuse vs to bée authours euery man knoweth how farre our religion which we professe is from that kynde of newnes For besides that this religiō was deliuered vnto vs by Christ the antiquitie of all thyngs the eternall sonne of God by his profites Apostles and Martyrs from many ages it is manifest that aboue whole fifty yeares it hath florished in Belgie and bene set foorth in priuate méetynges and Sermons Neither was it at any tyme either by any lawfull iudgement or Edict rightly made cōdemned For what so euer iudgementes hath bene geuen agaynst the professours of this Religion the iudges them selues and Magistrates were compelled by the seueritie of the Edictes to confesse agaynst their will and with great strife of conscience to pronounce the same Yea they which were found gilty were not suffred lawfully to defend them selues but they had their mouthes stopped with a ball and theyr tounges cut out of their heades contrary to the true order of Iustice It is manifest also that all the Edictes whiche were made by Charles the Emperour and kyng Phillip are voyde and of none effect bycause they were made contrary to the lawes and statutes of the coūtrey without the counsel and consent of the estates of the prouince required in solemne assembly as they were bound by othe thereunto without whose assent nothyng accordyng vnto the custome and maner of their auncestors could be established and were also thrust vpō many of the Magistrates agaynst their will staiyng them selues vpon most vayne foūdations full of friuolous cauils by false vnderstādyng as we haue before declared by the euident playne wordes of the Edictes Therfore this religion can not by any maner of meanes be counted a new religion nor they the professors of the same seyng they were vncōdemned as yet by any lawfull iudgement accused of any cryme much lesse should they be estemed as the authors of sedition and tumultes of the people and causers of this great greuous calamitie But what néede we in so playne a matter to vse so many wordes séeing the case doth euidently shew it self and euery man perceyueth who ought to be accused as auctors of these turmoyles calamities We haue hertofore declared what was the meaning and intent of the spanish Inquisitors and priestes what counsell they haue taken what helpe and ministers they haue vsed by what meanes they haue espyred vnto thys tyrannicall gouernment and soueraigne authority in Belgye without any law or prescript Though these thinges peraduenture because of theyr great modestie and equitie which they vse in other prouinces may séeme to some not probable although truely they be dayly song in euery childes mouth yet if he way these present tymes if he sée the effectes of matters these theyr doinges and affayres and note this the vncredible tyranny of the Duke of Alba all which are most apparant to all mē he shall nothing doubt therein All they whom they did call rebels haue forsaken they countrey and although they might haue had good occasions and opportunities to kéepe some stirre yet they chose rather voluntary exile banishment and most extreame pouertie then that they would vexe theyr countrey with most dolefull warre But what haue they any thing for all thys mitigated theyr cruelty Haue they not after all these thinges brought to passe in Spayne by theyr deuises that the king which in a solemne assembly at Madride had sworne that he woulde in hys owne person reuenge the iniury which he thought himselfe to haue taken of hys subiectes at Belgye and for that cause made all thinges ready for hys iorney and had fully determined to take his sonne and the Quéene hys wyfe wyth hym should alter hys purpose agaynst his will and because they knewe hym by nature to be a Prince prone to all kinde of mercy and gentlenes to continue still in Spayne Haue they not substituted or sent an Embassador in hys stead the kings sonne and many of the nobles were vnwilling thereunto the Duke of Alba whom by hys nature and maners they well knew to be very fit for theyr purpose both by those thinges which he did in Germany by the order of hys whose lyfe but especially also by the deadly hatred and rancored grudge which he had of long time layd vp in hys stomake agaynst the Princes of Belgye for theyr valiaunt actes atchieued in the warres of Fraunce agaynst his will and meaning Haue they not committed vnto him the full power and auctoritie yea haue they no caused the kynges onely sonne lawfull heyre and Lord of the prouince of Belgye to end hys lyfe