Prince his Vassall because the inuestiture of the fee is not granted for the peoples ruine but that they should bee gouerned with Iustice wherefore if the feudatory vse iniustice and ill entreatment he falls from his Iurisdiction and the Soueraigne Prince may thereof depriue him and not doing it beeing able hee shall bee a wicked Prince and no lesse guiltie of the euill before God which he suffered his feudatory to doe then hee the feudatory himselfe is who acts it Now let your Maiestie apply this doctrine which is wholy conformable to reason and law to the Actions of your Ministers to the condition of your Subiects and to the right of other Princes ouer your Estates in Italy and you shall clearely see how your Ministers are damnable your Subiects miserable and how much other Princes are obliged to releeue them My words perhaps will seeme bitter but I beseech your Maiestie to consider if they be true and finding them so to take them in good part as bitter medicines fiery Cauteries sharp lances vse to be gratefully receiued from the hands of Physitians Chirurgions to procure health be assured you shall find them most profitable because your Maiestie fully informed of the truth will correct your Ministers comforts your Subiects and ease other Princes of the necessitie to vse their supreame Iurisdiction The Cause of Subiects and of Ministers are together vnited because those are gouerned and these Gouernours whence as Correlatiues they goe paripasso I will then briefly represent to you Maiestie the Gouernment of your States in Italy so farre as is expedient to the present matter The State of Millan in the time of the Emperour Charles the fift began to bee ill intreated from whence that sad lamentable and despairefull Ambassage which they sent by Baptista Archinto to Nizza is recorded who onely because he did lament in the name of his afflicted Countrey was receiued with an ill eye sent back without remedy and by the Imperiall Ministers at his returne sharply reprehended which might haue occasioned the Rebellion of that people if they had found any better Prince who would haue receiued them Haec vbi sub ipsum Caesaris à Nicea discessum ex legatione renunciata per vrbes Cisalpinae Galliae evulgata sunt Iouius Hist. lib. 37. vsque adeò tantum ex rei indignitate odium Caesari creuit vt omnes ex rerum desperatione facilè defecturos appareret si mitior clementior qui dedentes reciperet Dominus offereretur immoderatis siquidem pace bellòquâ— tributis oppressi noua etiam tum menstruae exactionis onera pertulerant quae nunquam desitura boni mortales crederent donec viueret Caesar atque Italiae Imperio potiretur After also a second time when Strozza Pallauicino Visâ—nti who made warre for the King of France approached to Millan all the Imperiall Ministers held that Citie as bad as lost onely because it did feele the yoake of Spanish Dominion too violent and heauy Assiduis atque intollerandis trubutis alienata Iouius lib. 45. parata credi poterat ad nouandas res vt inuistum pergraue Hispanici Regni iugum excuteret If from that time to this their grieuances are diminished or augmented your Maiestie best knowes To what termes that State is at this day reduced who doth not know let him consider this that already many and many yeares it hath suffered great numbers of Spanish Souldiers lodged in the houses of poore particular men at discretion Dâ—scretion of Souldiers and Tyranny are one and the same thing who hath not proued it let him pray to God first to die and hee shall die happier then euer to haue proued it And let him be content to beleeue for faith that vnder such discretion goods and honour are dispatched and hardly is life secure I passe ouer the burthen of new Tributes I leaue the Rapine of Ministers who like blood-suckers haue exhausted the veines of that plentifull bodie because in comparison of lodging Souldiers at discretion I esteeme all to bee nothing and he who is able to endure to see them eate the sustenance of his poore family and that which exceeds all other Tyranny to grow familiar with his wife daughters and Sisters it may be said that he is growne insensible of any iniury I remember to haue read in the warres which were so sharpe betweene the Venetians and Genoueses that these did take a Citie of their Enemies and held it the space of tenne yeares subiected to discretion whence it is credible that besides other matters they did dispose of their wiues according to their pleasures for which cause to this day though now two hundred and fifty yeares are ouerpast there cannot bee done a greater Iniury to those people then to call them Genoueses Bastards and notwithstanding that staine with length of time and the continued peace of that Citie which neuer since felt the offence of Enemie hath beene oftentimes worne out and washed away yet vpon euery occasion they resent the onely memory of that ancient Iniury done to the honour of their women which seemes indelible and eternall If I then say that the greatest of all the Tyrannies which the State of Millan doth now suffer is to haue their wiues at the Souldiers discretion I shall not speak much wide of the purpose because it is a matter very likely that in times to come the Millaneses may be called Spanish Bastards If this be tolerable let your Maiestie consider Wee proceed to Sicily Let it not be grieuous to your Maiestie that I speake this truth that if this day there were any other Prince as ready to solicit the destruction of Spanyards as there was once a Spanish King to procure that of the French sodainly and easily wee should see another Sicilian Vesper the causes are the same and are not newly begunne Let the Insurrection of Messina bee remembred then when the Vice King Don Iuan de Cardona Ioseph Bonfigl Hist. Sicil. p. 1. lib. 10. would oppresse that Kingdome with intolerable Tributes And let it bee considered with what pride and with how great disdaine he vsed the Messinesi because they defended the libertie of their Kingdome For which cause iustly prouoked they did generously to his face vpbraid him that he acted another Phallaris another Dionisius Don Vgo de Moncada who would not start onely to heare this name this was that impious man that sacked Rome was also Vice-Roy how can it bee thought that hee handled them Let vs obserue the words of the History Hee was by Nation a Catalonian Bonfigl p. 2. lib. 1. by birth a Barcellonese a man most ambitious greedy of Riches and immoderately enclined to dishonest Luxury Hee gouerned Sicily with Crueltie Auarice and Impudent lust Hee neglected so farre to punish the falsifiers of money vntill depriuing it of Commerce hee impouerished that Kingdome and that which more imported he made publike Merchandise of Graine insomuch that hee exhausted
Sicily and of a most fruitfull Countrey reduced it to the want of bread Couetousnesse was accompanied with other notorious vices so that hee became to the nobilitie and people hatefull which being knowne vnto him when the death of the Catholique King was published hee durst not appeare abroad for feare of receiuing some notable afront Here the Author proceedeth to the Insurrection of that Kingdome against so strange a Monster who disguised in the habit of a Seruant saued himselfe by flight and after got away to his King in Flanders In whose place was sent Hector Pinatello Earle of Montelâ—one who by publique Decree would ratifie all the Acts of Don Vgo how tyrannicall soeuer Whereupon the People who insteed of remedy saw the mischiefe confirmed made a new Commotion in the Citie of Palermo and the new Vice-King was inforced to escape to Messina vntill the Commons by the Nobility appeased and many Spanish Souldiers supplied him from the King he became strong and was able to vent his rage as he did with extreame rigor vpon the mutined And Don Vgo de Moncada who had so ill entreated the poore Sicilians in stead of punishment was rewarded with great riches and honored with the standard of Captaine Generall of the Sea They who at present liue by tradition of their old men and for as much as themselues haue proued doe testifie before God that that kingdome hath continually suffered grieuances cruel extortions but that the people had almost vtterly forgotten them when they felt the heauy yoake of the Duke of Ossuna because in respect of extreame euills moderate may be called goodnesse They exclaime to the Heauens that he hath left the wretched Sicily desolate and rooted vp They complaine with miserable outcryes to haue more then once sent into Spaine to lament to your Maiestie and alwaies without fruit And since they remaine wholly confused and astonished with the consideration how he like another Don Vgo in stead of receiuing punishment should be honored and recompenced with the charge of the Vice-King of Naples And now it is time to discourse of Naples it selfe I should vndertake a great worke to recount that which I haue seene and tryed and perhaps I might seeme as passionate I will then mention onely that which I haue found in Histories that which the Kingdome with full voice doth proclaime It was practiced lately in Naples to introduce the Inquisition al vso de Spania Igles p. 2 l. 6. c. 27 Sect. vlt. The people cryed out there was no need of so great rigour Bonfigl p. 2 l. 4. because by Gods grace that Kingdome was not full of Moores and Speudo-Christians The Vice-King insisting on his purpose began to vse force the people instructed by nature armed to oppose against such violence The Pope informed of the business coÌ„manded the Viceâ—Roy in vertue of holy obedience to be quiet and he well may doe it both as Prince of the Church in respect of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction and as temporall Prince that Kingdome being the proper feude of the Sea Apostolique yet for this the Vice-King would not dâ—â—ist but with small and great Artillary attempted to bring his purpose to effect All the Citie rose in vprore Many houses were leuelled with the ground and men not a few slaine But sooner hee might destroy all then those generous mindes be subiected to his will so that he did great harme and obtained nothing Who shall well consider these Actions cannot be perswaded that Christian zeale transported the Vice-King to intermeddle in Ecclesiastique Iurisdiction and to desire to burden that people with a yoake little needfull and lesse reasonable against the will of the Vicar of Christ Soueraigne Prince as well in Temporals as Spirâ—tualls in the Kingdome of Naples From whence it must be concluded that vnder that pretence the Vice-Roy had some other end which certainly could not be but little for the good of the Subiect I know not how to excuse of Tyranny that Action in the yeare 1â—85 Bau. Pontif. p. 3. vita Siâ—â—o â— â— 5. when the officers drew out of that kingdome so great a quantitie of Corne to send into Spaine that although the yeare were most abundant the poore Citie of Naples did perish of famine A Crueltie indeed horrible to take from the Neapolitans their owne bread to feed their Spaniards Therefore not without cause that people conducted by necessitie to desparation rose all in tumult from whence the Vice-King this also was a Duke of Ossuna tooke after occasion to venâ— his fury putting to death forty sending to the Gallies a hundred and exiling infinite numbers The present State thereof imitates that of Sicily as the Duke of Ossuna succeeded in that Gouernment after Sicily To performe my promise I will say no more let that Inscription no lesse true then compassionate by the Kingdome it selfe published to the World speake which shall remaine of that Duke a perpetuall and famous Elogie Miserescite Exteri Exhorrescite Posteri Petrus Gironus Dux Ossunensium Natione Hispanus Genere Perduellis Religione Turcicus Italici Dalmatici Germanici Fax Cruenta Bellorum Non. Vnius Siciliae Verres Neapoli Pollutis Templis Conspurata Nobilitate Depredato Aerario Monito Mauro Accersito Trace Veneta Vrbe Per. Insidias Ad. Excidium Tentata Regis Simplicitate Per. Corruptos Aulicos Diu. Multumque Delusa Hospitum Manubiis Per. Triennium Ditato Milite Compulsisque Populis Ad. Eorum Stationes Redimendas Foedata Infandis Exemplis Ah. Nimis Ad. InfanduÌ„ Prona Ciuitate Nobilibus Aliquot Adse Vario Quà Munere Quà Vaframenta Pellectis Largitionibus Et. Vanis Spebus Plebe Delusa Atque Eorum Seditiosissimo Bis. Extra Sortem Renunciato Tribuno Denique Frustra Vetatis Armis Tentatis Arcibus Et. In. Armatos Ciâ—es Per. Triduum Circumducta Acie ScelestoruÌ„ Opportuno Successoris Aduentu Cedere Solo. Et. Salo. Compulsus Aurum Nostrum Quod. Hic Corrasit Nequiter Alibi Lasciue Sparsurus Prouinciae Neapolitani Heu Quondam Regni Inermes Enerues Populorum Deglubiti Greges Palantes Balantes Teterrimas Suas Clades Ignotas Regi Longinquo Et. Torpenti Fascino Sandoâ—allico Pagella Et. Calamo Quae. Sola Sunt Reliqua Representant Vrbi Et. Orbi Miserescite Exteri Exhorrescite Posteri In so wofull manner sacred Maiestie Naples doth lament No lesse doth Sicily grieue and Millan equally complaine But of all their vexations the vnhappy people are afraid to speake All their iniuries with open voice it is not lawfull to expresse Scarcely they dare publikely bewaile their extreame miseries whence their hearts are more corroded Tacitus moeror luctus Iâ—st lib. 8. verentibus ne ipsae lachrymae pro contumacia habeantur Crescit dissimulatione ipsa doâ—or hoc altius dimissus quo minùs profiters licet Of these three principall Prouinces of Italy vnder the gouernment of the Emperour Charles the fift I find recorded in Historie that Insubres ex opulentissimis ad egestatem redâ—cti Iâ—v Hist. lib. 39.
vnto her because the Masculine Line of Hugh Capet being extinct the best title to the Crowne was deuolued to her as daughter of the eldest sister of Henry the third last King of France And withall it was said that the Catholique King her father would marry her to some Prince of France Prouided the nomination of that Prince might rest in his Election Further. No solamente estaua propuesta la Enfanta de Espana à la Corâ—na di Francia Bauia vbi supra si no tambien el Archiduque Ernesto de Austria hâ—rmano de Emperador That is Not only the Infanta of Spaine was proposed to the Crown of France but the Arch-Duke Ernestus also brother of the Emperour The French Lords did rest astonished at these so handsom propositions and grew warie of the danger wherein the King of Spaine had entangled them whilst hee professed to defend the Catholique Religion in France Por estas razones y otras iuntamente con las maquinationes Bauia vbi supra y negociaciones que se descubrian determinaron en la Assemblea ò Cortes que el Duque de Vmena como Lugartinientâ— del Râ—yno procurasse impedir â—ostâ—atos que y ase descubrian paraque en ninguna manerase eligiesse à la Carona Princessa ò principâ— estrangeâ—o anulando qualesquier tratos que hasta este punto huâ—tessen echo y quâ— guardassen las leyes fundamentales del Reyno en lo tocante à la elecion de un Rey Christianissimo y Frances That is For these and other Reasons together with the Machinations and practices which were discouered it was determined in their Assembly that the Duke du Mayne as Lieutenant of the Kingdome should procure to dissolue the Treaties that already were vnmasked because by no meanes a Princesse or Prince Sâ—ranger should be elected to the Crowne anulling whatsoeuer Treaty which to that day had beene begunne and that the fundamentall lawes of the Kingdom concerning the Election of a most Christian and French King should bee obserued Now let your Maiestie see from the contexture of the forementioned matters to what termes the most holy zeale of the King Don Phillip your father was reduced and how the faire beginnings for sincere Religion were peruerted onely into an vndue end of reason of State For which also the warre after the Absolution of Henry did continue vntill the most blessed Clement the Eight did introduce the peace I could alledge to your Maiestie many other examples vpon this Argument but I esteeme these three so notable that they are enough with aduantage There may perhaps bee some who will reprehend me that I haue onely exemplified in the Kings of Spaine where I might doubtlesse haue beene furnished from Princes of other Nations and wil accuse me as a man of little Iudgment and maners that speaking with your Maiestie I haue presumed to mingle my tongue in the Actions of the neuer enough praised Don Phillip the second your father I would they should consider that domestique examples moue much more then forrain from whence as noble mindes doe with all possibilitie endeauour to immitate the Actions worthy of their famous Ancestors so by all meanes they doe endustriate themselues to auoid that which in their Predecessors was iudged worthy of blame And seeing that they though Princes of worth and eminent vertue did sometimes stumble vpon vnbeseeming ActioÌ„s they do learne not to presume too much vpon themselues and to bee very watchfull not to fall where others slipt and considering that being their Descendents they should not esteem themselues better but rather worse then they seeing in descending nature doth loose as vertue doth encrease by ascending Wherefore if by nature they are Descendents they shall grow worse and onely ascending by vertue they may make them themselues better I then speaking with a Catholique King of Spaine to admonish him of a snare now with so much faire and hidden Artifice set before him that easily he might fall therein how could I better doe then to shew him where his owne Progenitors most wise and Catholique Princes haue fallen headlong into like disorders It is necessary said the great Henry of France to shew the errors of Princes Pirre Mathiew en la vie du Mons Vill. that they which succeed them may not erre in the same wherein others did loose themselues I haue then purposely taken these examples of the Kings of Spaine as more helpefull to your Maiestie in this present matter then any other which might haue beene produced and haue euer confirmed them with the Authoritie of Spanish writers to auoid the blame either of falshood or Calumny And because they may bee of greater credit and more efficacie in the sincere mind of your Maiestie To whose consideration I at last come to represent That the Rising of the Gouernour of Millan against the Grisons in the Valteline vnder the like pretence did apparantly tend to the same end though shadowed in the Manifest much wide of truth of which I shall now discourse published as it was voyced by the people of that Valley but in truth by the Ministers of your Maiestie of whom if your Maiestie be not more then heedfull you shall bee certainly induced to such Actions that being added to the other three Narrations of your Ancestors will serue for an example to Posteritie of an impious and wicked Enterprise vnder a Religious and godly vaile Returning to the Discourse I say that the causes of publishing that Manifest were Three The first to insinuate to your Maiestie and the World that the People of the Valteline being tyranniâ—ed by the Grisons were of their owne free and voluntary determination and not by others induced fallen into Rebellion The second to perswade your Maiestie and the World that your Ministers had iustly vndertaken the protection of those miserably oppressed that it was consonant to the greatnesse and goodnesse of a Catholique King not to abandon those who refuged to his defence So formerly Don Pedro of Aragon Sabell Enead 9. li. 7. Non potuisse se aiebat Siculis indigna ferentibus opemque suppliciter suam implorantibus non auxilio adesse yet it was hee that seduced them into defection The third to render the poore Valtelines by so shameless a writing so odious to their owne Lords that they should despaire of euer obtayning pardon whereby they might rest the more obstinate in their Rebellion and willing in any sort to subiect themselues to the Dominion of your Maiestie for feare they should returne into the power of the Grisons The first is clearly expressed in the Manifest which turnes all things to the iustification of the rebellion of the Valtelines the other two which are extracted from the intrinsique thoughts of the heart might appeare Imaginations of my owne fancy if the matter it selfe did not approue them But arguing securely from the effect to the Cause true and not imaginarie Conclusions may bee deduced To this then I inuoke
Conscience Antonio de Leua discoursing Gio. Boteras detti memorabiâ—â— l. 1. by occasion with Charles the fift Emperour concerning the Affaires of Italy did perswade him to put to death this and that Prince and to take possession of their States and to make himselfe Lord of all The Soule answered the Emperour What replied Leua hath your Maiestie a soule then renounce your Empire This was truly too shamelesse an Impietie of Leua such I am sure as none of your Ministers would dare to propound to your Maiestie for knowing the great goodnesse of your most Catholique minde they should be sure to incurre your Roiall Indignation But it doth not therefore follow that they preserue not in their heads the same rules and that they doe not thereby gouerne all their Actions and thereunto conformable addresse all their Counsells the which are so much more dangerous in as much as they couer them vnder holy pretences as at present in the warre against the Grisons Wherefore your Maiestie hath so much more cause to feare and to take heed and so much more reason to accept in good part this Aduertisement But to returne to our Matter Let your Maiestie consider that to punish Heretiques as already I haue said is not the office of a secular Prince And therefore your Ministers doe ill to put their Sickle into anothers haruest and so much the worse because they know it And to deceiue the world they make it lawfull without the Pontificall authority to aduance he standard of the high Priest to iustifie a warre which they know to be vniust Wherefore his Holinesse whose Iurisdiction is directly offended ought not and cannot beare it And if hee haue and doe suffer many other things in the end a long abused patience is conuerted into a iust anger Besides let your Maiestie be aduised that all Heretiques are not to be treated as Rebells with extreame â—igour but onely those who borne within the wombe of the Church by their owne malice haue reuolted these which are borne nourished and brought vp in the Sect of their Parents it is true they erre but vnder an excuse of well doing they erre it is true but they knowe not their errour they are more worthie of Compassion then of penalty they deserue helpe and not punishment Multum enim interest inter illos qui in ignorantia sunt Chrisost. 1. Math. Homil. 49 c. in ignorantia perierunt inter â—os qui in veritate quidem nati sunt propter aliquod autem mundiale scientes ad mendacia tranâ—ierunt perierunt in cis pereunt Illi enim forsitan aliquo modo habebunt remissionem isti antem nullam remissionem habebunt neque in hoc sâ—culâ— neque in futurâ— quoniam ipsi sunt qui blasphemauerunt in Spiritum Sanctum Illi enim iudicandi sunt quia veritatem non quaesierunt isti autem condemnandi quia spreuerunt Leuior enim culpa est veritatem non apprehendere quam contemnere apprehensam Let Preachers then be sent to instruct them let gentle meanes be vsed that they may hearken vnto them Let praiers be continually made for them and after leaue the care to God to illuminate them in the holy â—aith seeing that faith is the onely guift of God which he freely giues not giuen by Mars nor by the meanes of warre God did command that the Foxes which destroyed the Vines should be taken Cant. c. 2. not slaine Capite nobis Vulpes parnulaâ— quae demoliuntur Vineas Et si iuxta allegoriam S. Bernard tom 1. In Cant. ser. 46. Ecclesias Vineas Vulpes Hereses seu potius Haereticos ipsos intelligamus simplex est sensus vs Hâ—retici capiantur potius quam effugentur capiantur dico non armis sed argumentis quibus reffellantur eorum errores Ipsi vero si fieri potest Ecclesiae Catholicae reconcilientur reuocentur ad veram fidem haec est enim voluntas eius qui vult omnes homines saluoâ— fieri ad agnitionem veritatas perâ—emire And a little after Quod si reuerti noluerit nec conuictus post primam iam secundam admonitionem vtpote qui omninò subuersus est erit secundum Apostolum deuitandus This is the way ô Sacred Maiestie to proceed against Heretiques which this holy man doth teach and not that by the rigor of Armes which your Ministers practice Esteeme it a truth that to vse crueltie against Heretiques doth euer make them more peruerse And if this in no place should be done much lesse there where Heretiques and Catholiques are together mingled with libertie of Religion because our persecutioÌ„ of them for Religion doth teach them to do the like as well for preseruation of their own which they esteeme as good as we doe ours as for the securitie of their States liues From which so many losses haue hapned to the Church of God that it is a consideratition worthy of many teares Poore Germany into what state is it reduced by this occasion which perhaps but why do I say perhaps certainly certainly had bin in much better estate if therewith other proceedings had been vsed I call not England to witnesse the storie is too notorious What hath ruined Flanders but a will to introduce with too much rigor the Spanish Inquisition And the Citie of Naples for the same cause hath it not fallen into generall tumult which if it had further proceeded to day by Gods grace it remaines Catholique that perhaps we had found with all that noble Kingdome full of heresie May it please the Diuine Maiestie that the present warre against the Grisons proue not a fire of faith and Religion in all Italy The Deuill hath prepared the wood the Ministers of your Maiestie haue kindled the flame If presently there be not some ready to extinguish it this paper God make me a liar which some will esteem foolishnes others call malignitie will perhaps be found a Prophesie from heauen But of this enough hath beene said let vs proceed to the rest The second head of Tyranny doth follow Great matters are related in the Manifest printed in the name of the Valtolines But seeing there is not one particular case obiected nor any thing proued it might be said the whole is false but wee will not vse that aduantage because wee know many things are most true Lucio da Monte with the money of forraine Princes supplied him by Pompeio Planta to the summe of two thousand florens distributed among particulars did procure the office of supreme Prouinciall Iudge of the Grison League binding himselfe to administer that charge not according to right and Iustice and the libertie of his Country but conformable to the will of the said Planta Whence it is confirmed for truth that the Gouernment was conferred vpon him who did offer the greatest price that from thence a thousand Tyrannies did proceed against the goods and liues of the Subiects there is no cause to doubt seeing this