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A20596 The masque of the League and the Spanyard discouered wherein, 1. The League is painted forth in all her collours. 2. Is shown, that it is not lawfull for a subiect to arme himselfe against his king, for what pretence so euer it be. 3. That but few noblemen take part with the enemy: an aduertisement to them co[n]cerning their dutie. To my Lord, the Cardinall of Burbon. Faythfully translated out of the French coppie: printed at Toures by Iamet Mettayer, ordinarie printer to the king.; Masque de la Ligue et de l'Hispagnol decouvert. English L. T. A., fl. 1592.; Munday, Anthony, 1553-1633. 1592 (1592) STC 7; ESTC S100421 72,125 152

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but by the doctrine proofe and good example which greatly wanteth in your false Apostles I beleeue there is not any Christian Catholique a faythfull member to the Crowne but would earnestly desire that the King enriched with such store of vertues required in so great a Prince as he is shold likewise be a Christian Catholique to the end that as we ought to haue but one King so wee might also haue but one fayth and Religion wherein as in the feare of God our Prince earnestly labours to haue vs liue Heereof not only the Philosophers and Christian Doctors but also Emperours are assured witnesses by many constitutions recited as well in the Ecclesiasticall hystories as also in the bookes of Theodosius Iustinian who greatlie trauailed to maintain the vnion of the Christian Catholique Church When there is vnitie in religiō in an estate who doubts but al things do prosper the better We desire without offending our selues against them that are contrary to our religion that they would louinglie become partakers with vs and not pursued to the death by the animositie wherwith the Rebels follow both them and vs subiect vs together vnder one selfe-same detection or Categorie VVe desire I say that according to the good and holy custome helde of olde the King should be sacred and annointed at his Corronation and take the oath of a Catholique Prince that is to maintaine the Catholique Church all the rights franchises and priuiledges thereof We know well that since the raigne of Clouis Fraunce hath beene constantly maintained in the Catholique Religion which is the same as say the Emperours Gracian Valentinian and Theodosius that was giuen and taught by Saint Peter to the Romaines and vvhich both holy Emperours Bishops and Councels haue euer since followed for which cause it is yet called Apostolique and Romaine We are not ignorant although some call vs heretiques because that acknowledging the Princes authoritie according as God hath commaunded vs we haue withdrawn our selues to his side that many great personages haue shewen as much by authority of the holy Scripture that the ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church both Greekes and Latines that the Catholique Religion is the onely and true Religion which hath beene from the Apostles vnto this present by continuall succession alwaies taught preserued in the Romaine Church But we are certaine withall that through the vices which haue slipt thereinto by fault of the Pastours the estate of that Church hath much more neede of reformation thē others We know likewise that we are admonished by Iesus Christ and hys Apostles to liue in concord and vnity with God as S. Paule witnesseth in these words The God of patience and of consolation giue you the grace to know one onely thing amongst ye according to Iesus Christ to the ende that with one sole courage and with one mouth you may glorifie God his Father Religion is a constant vertue teaching the true adoration of God which is done with an intire spirit and the vnity thereof is figured by the garment of Christ Iesus wouen without a seame that it was not to be cut or deuided This is in truth a faire assembly of such as are knit in one brotherly vnanimity consent as well in religion as policie whereof the Prophet Dauid singeth beeing assured that to such God wil send blessings and lyfe euerlasting To this effect Plato and Cicero albeit they were both Pagans haue written That there is nothing more agreeable to the highest God that gouerneth the whole world than the assemblies of men that associate and meete together in selfe same will and affection There is but one Catholique Church sayth S. Paule which frameth all Christians of one minde and spirite concerning the doctrine whereof it were in vayne to dispute after so many auncient Doctors of the Church and religious Counsels We desire nothing more then that the King according to the most Christian tytle of hys Predecessors and his people shoulde be vnited in Christian Religion as for preseruing peace in his Kingdome he is declared the Defender and Protector of the Catholique Religion with protestations so oftentimes reitterated so to preserue it as his proper life Nor is he ignorant what Cicero sayth That Religion beeing troubled the whole Common-wealth is troubled because the disquiet and change that happeneth therein dooth nothing else but cloy the spirites of men with disorder and confusion whence proceedeth contempt of Gods true worshippe and hee beeing offended punisheth and afflicteth with diuers woundes and calamities the Countrey that is fallen into such a miserie This therfore his Maiesty wold fore-see by his wisdome desiring that Religion shoulde bee preserued euen as before God the gouernment of the estate is put into his hande God hath giuen vs such a one adorned with so many heroycall vertues as makes him admirable to all Nations of the world Would you then haue vs goe ranging about and vrge a beleefe contrarie to that we doe beleeue Is it possible we should doe so Faith is the gift of God and is not imprinted in mens consciences by stroakes of swordes or any other weapons it is necessary that the spirit of God should be in quiet all the harts of men especially of vs that are his subiects would herein dye and be consumed Of necessitie is it that this grace commeth from aboue and we can do no otherwise but pray to God for his Maiestie and that he will graunt vs to be still mindefull of our dueties hee is our King wee ought to obey him and he ought to preserue maintaine vs according to the Laws statutes of the Countrey as all other Kings hys predecessours haue doone But what shalt thou gaine by desiring the thing thou doost I beleeue that if the King were such a Catholique as thou wouldest haue him and for one Masse he should dispose himselfe euery day to heare two yet the Rebels would say no lesse of him then they did of the late King that he did it for hypocrisie and to be quiet in hys estate What can we else iudge seing their intent is to exterminate his life with all the generous and royall linage of Burbon to follow the seruice of a Stranger But as I haue sayde GOD hath euer-more preserued that race euen for sixe hundred yeeres and more to this present and yet by hys holy will stil continues it for the good quiet of this poore distressed kingdome These Armes that you haue taken against him ô Rebels will turne to your owne ruine and confusion seeing God forbids ye so to doe what-soeuer pretence ye make of Religion Religion should moue ye to pitty and not to rage to compassion and not furie to loue regard of your King and not to rancour or hatred to a naturall French-affection of hys seruice and not to an obstinate will to wound destroy and take his life from him if ye could Now say my Lords
them by themselues But although GOD permitteth for our correction and proofe of the auncient constancie and fidelitie of the French that these leagued Rebels should afflict and ouer-trauaile vs yet his iustice will neuer suffer that they shal confound or tread vnder foot the estate Royall or to dispose it where they please hauing placed and established it for so many ages in the royall Lynage of S. Lewes But in the end he will take vengeance on their crimes treasons periuries murthers with other horrible disorders and shames giuing them as a pray euen vnto those people whom now they holde as theyr great friendes and confederates the worst is that they will destroy a great number with them which neuer did partake in their detested treason Some subtill cunning Rebell as a collour or shaddowe to such disloyalties will saye vnto mee That all thinges are subiect to alteration and change and there is nothing that perpetually continueth in one selfe same estate for heauen it selfe is not exempt from change and ending I aunswer that I am very certain of this alteration likewise that there is a course of ages and dispositions of things in the world as in our humaine body to wit after they are borne they haue their infancie child-hood and state of a yonge stripling then they increase in manly strength and so continue a while in force and vigor afterward they become aged declining and in the end perishinge For this is a maxime in Phisique that all thinges composed by generation are dissolued by corruption and the ende of the one is the birth of the other Such variety and change commeth not onely to priuate men who declare sufficiently these effects by the mutabillitie of their desseignes and enterprises suffering themselues to bee carryed away with nouelties that makes a confusion of their wits and in the ende is their vtter spoyle but likewise to Families who at the instant when they imagin they haue freely builded their fortune and tryumph in the conceit of their owne greatnesse they behold their present fall and all their foundations throwne on a heape together I knowe likewise that Empires Kingdomes Signories the most flourishing estates are no lesse exposed to remoouings varieties changes as it may seeme a naturall reuolution that oftentimes makes the state of a Cōmon-wealth to change and rechange But what is the cause of the change that thou wouldst make Is it not the change of thy manners of thy fidellity into disobedience of thy milde and gentle nature into audacious behauiour of thy loyaltie into breach of faith of thy duetifull office of a true subiect into all loose libertie and licenciousnes Is it not ambition and greedy desire to reigne that in this sort transporteth men of high courage being madded with their enterprises that without feare and reuerence of Religion which dooth defend them from such tyrannies or care of their faith and loue to their Countrey they striue to attaine the soueraigne place of commanding couering themselues with the maxime of Eteocles as it is in Euripides or practising as Iulius Caesar did and other Vsurpers For at this day in such remoouements as tende to this ende the pretences of Religion and the Weale-publique as I haue before declared serue to no other ende then to bring a sleep the most simple and foolish who are rauished with the deceitfull eloquence and faire perswasions of thy factious rebellious Preachers I say vnto thee moreouer that the better to hide the cōiuration of the Leaguers thou mightest lay before me this place of Plato That there is a certaine fatall reuolution and changing of Kingdomes and Comm-weales which is done by the course and inclination of heauen and the starres To which I thus reply That Christians in iudging better attribute the cause of such reuolutions to the prouidence diuine which moderates and gouernes this huge frame and all thinges else therein comprehended God hath established Kingdomes soueraigne estates he dooth maintaine and preserue them he suffers them to be afflicted with diuers calamities hee ouerthrowes or trans-ferreth from one to an other from Familie to Familie and from Nation to Nation Heereof wee haue example by the Monarchies of the Assirians the Babilonians the Persians and the Romaines the Empire of Greece such as it hath beene since the deuision made between the two parties of the East and West but without more remembrance of these aforesaide changes we shall be sufficiently furnished with the wonderfull alteration which the Turke hath there brought in And not to vse these externe examples let vs looke on them that are our owne particuler domesticall In this estate the Merouingians first of all reigned after them the Carlingians to whome Hugh Capet succeeded beeing issued of the Merouingian bloode and legitimate Princes of Fraunce by reason whereof hee was placed in possession of that which had beene vsurped on his Grandfathers the Merouingians and was willingly obeyed beyond all the Monarches and Kings in the world Nor shal ye finde any race that hath so long endured as thanks be to God it stil continueth in the sexe Masculine then thys whereof wee now speake if wee should searche all Monarchies both auncient and moderne I confesse that sometimes happeneth the alteration of Monarchies namely by the diuine permission and that they are trans-ferred from one house to another but heerein I yeeld not that God will haue the change made by disloyaltie breach of fayth and treason committed by subiects against theyr Prince to whom he hath commanded them expresly to be obedient For the King is the annointed of God and who-soeuer resisteth the King as I haue amply declared in the seconde part of this discourse by the authority of holy Scripture resisteth God the establisher of Kings and Princes on the earth to gouerne in his sted And if it so fall out that subiects by force or violence attempt the estate and life of their King they doe against the ordinaunce of God and earely or late they shal be chastised Hence then it came as I haue breeflie touched that the Carlingians hauing perforce helde the Realme against the Merouingians by the Armes of Pepin a stranger prince God pleased that the Crowne should return by Hugh Capet of whom our Kings are discended to this present day in the race of the Merouingians who therof was a while vniustly frustrated Will yee then permit my Lordes that our King Henrie the fourth a branch of the Merouingians by Hugh Capet and S. Lewes of the selfe same race should be depriued of the succession which appertaineth to him in right and iustice Will not you assist him against such as seeke to hinder his peaceable possession Are ye so weake of minde and spirit as to let him be smitten and conquered by his enemies without giuing the assitance you owe him of duetie Take ye such delight in your owne ruine as it stirres ye not when the stranger