and conspiracies that haue beene betweene them woulde yeelde matter to as delightfull an historie as hath beene penned in our time The pretence of the kings of France to Naples and Milan First no man is ignorant of the pretention and title which the Kings of Fraunce doe pretend to the kingdome of Naples the dukedome of Millaine the County of Ronssillon and the earledomes of Artoys and Henalt for the recouery of which stil as they haue beene within themselues at quiet they haue made one attempt or other alwayes therefore one of the chiefest pollicies of the King of Spaine hath beene to finde them worke at home insomuch that though it be strange yet the Frenchmen doe very confidently write it that such was his desire to keepe ciuill dissention afoote in Fraunce that hee spared not to animate yea and sometimes secretly to help and assist with money The prince of Conde and the Admirall although all the worlde knoweth hee neither liked their cause nor religion the like they say hee offered to this King of Fraunce when hee was King of Nauarre though hee knewe hee coulde not offer it to a man in the worlde which lesse loued him But leauing these secret excusable matters and comming to open and published apparant practises Seeing that the last King of Fraunce beginning to growe strong and mightie the Protestants quiet and his Realme peaceable hee thought it high time to looke about him and therefore casting his eyes vpon the discontented humours of France hee amongest the rest made choice to vse as a principall instrument for shuffling the Cardes the late Duke of Guyse The duke of Guyse picked out by the K. of Spaine to set ciuill warr◠afoote in France a braue and valorous Prince haughtie ambitious audacious a souldier a spender prodigall popular and indebted euen vppe to the hard cares Him hee fedde with money which though not answerable to his humour for to that effect his Indiaes had beene to tithe yet it put him in such gallant humours that hee presently reproachfully gaue out amongest the people that the King was a fauourer of heretikes a scismaticke and a sorcerer and withall The audacious insolence of the duke of Guyse hee called hi himselfe Protectour of the Church of France and finally grew to so great an insolencie that beeing forbidden by the King hee durst enter into Paris putte the people in armes assaile the Kings Guardes and finally constraine the king by flight to abandon both the Citie and his Pallace of the Lonure The day of which holy enterprise was ordained by the Sorbonists to be kept holiday and called the day of the Barricades The day of Barricades The king was mightily agreeued heereat but being not able to play the Lion was contented for a while to counterfeit the Foxe vsing the matter so slily that hee drew the duke of Guyse and his brother the Cardinal to the parlement of Bloys where with faire and gentle wordes hee so finely ouerwent them in the middest of al their confidence and greatnesse that whereas they did attribute all his friendly shewes and offers to want of courage The duke of Guyse and the Cardinall his brother slaine by the king of France and feeblenesse of spirit he neuerthelesse still perseuered pretending all loue and meekenesse vntill such time as taking them at aduantage he saw them both he dead and bleeding at his feete The newes of which tragicall accident was not so much displeasing to the king of Spaine in regarde of their deaths vpon whom his factious businesse so much relied as it was pleasing insomuch that the greatnesse of their parentage the multitude of their followers and partiseans and the affections of the people considered bee knewe that there could not but ensue many great tumultuous and in a manner irreconcileable broiles Mendoza the king of Spains Embassadour in Paris to which effect Mendoza his purblinde Embassadour in Paris seruing for nothing but like the Diuelles trumpetter to set men together by the eares vsed the vttermost of his endeuour and dilligence incenfing the people to such ragefull madnesse that though murdering one an other with mutuall wounds which was the onely thing they shotte at they sawe apparantly their owne miserable calamitie and destruction yet like men troubled with a frensie abhorring all remedy and cure they grew from degree to degree into so great a fury and violence that they procured the death of their annointed king by the hands of a detestable Iacobine The king of Fraunce murdred by a Iacobine Frier whom as a late Frenchman writes they haue since in regard of that worthy exploit canonized for a martir by the name of S. Clement These things succeeding so much to the Spanish kings desire whereas before his endeuour was to nourish betweene them onely ciuill dissention and strife he now beganne to entertaine greater hopes and to aspire to the very royall diademe and monarchy of France To which end he caused his Embassadour to hire the Sorbonists Iesuites and mercenarie Friers to steppe vp into the pulpits and to insinuate to the people the necessitie of a K. especially of such a one as were mightie and of power to resist the K. of Naaurre comming then puisant in armes against them Mendoza likewise spared not himselfe to broake his masters cause by bribery and al the other best bad meanes he could persuading them his Master hauing married a daughter of France and his children being halfe French that they could not so safely throw themselues into the bosome or protection of any man as of his but in fine The Cardinal of Burbon elected king of France by the name of Charles the tenth the Parisiens liked better of his gold than his gouernment and elected for their king the old Cardinal of Burbons vncle at that time prisoner to the king that now is calling him Charls the tenth But he being neere 80. yeeres of age was scarcely so soone chosen as dead The duke of Feria sent downe to Paris Then began Mendoza to bestir himselfe again within a while likewise to help him the better the D. of Feria was sent downe but the vtmost that both could doe with infinite and profuse expence of their masters money was to get him the title of Protector of France prouided alwaies that the Spanish pistolets kept their course The king of Spaine chosen Protector of France which only kept him frō being discarded for how closely soeuer he hand led the matter the League had discouered that like a Canker hee meant to eate into their estate And therefore though they could not breake with him their businesse beeing nowe brought to a necessitie of him and of his money yet they liked not his intiteling himselfe to Britaine and sundry other his proceedings all tending to vsurpation insomuch that they helde him in so great a iealousie diffidence and mistrust that they woulde neuer suffer any of his
rich furnitures daily to supply theyr wants as well in yeelding them victualls as in satisfying all their other exorbitant demandes which are infinit of which who so denieth anie is presently reputed to be an heretik Yet al this is nothing in comparisō of that which by the Iesuites they are constrained to indure The Iesuits growen to an exceeding authoritie in the Lowe Countries who haue nowe gotten that hand ouer them that the chief magistratships places of dignitie are not granted but vnto such as shal be by their liking allowed by their authoritie confirmed Neither without theyr aduice and councel dare they determine of anie great matter concerning either gouernment or pollicie There is not anie mans busines but they must haue an oare in it The greatnes magnificence and the deliciousnesse of the Iesuites they neuer plant themselues in anie places but in the middest of goodly cities where they wring themselues into the fairest pallaces in some of them dispossessing by violence those to whom they appertained Their colledge at Antwarp belongeth to the societie of the marchauntes of Aquisgrane whō they haue excluded Likewise their colledge at Brussels is vsurped detained frō the true heires Their churches are rich and sumptuous their moueables and householde stuffe magnificent rather than decent their gardens pleasant spacious and delightfull their garmentes fine and comely theyr fare plentifull and of the best and in fine they are not tied to anie risings in the night or anie the like hardnes to which other religious orders are subiected Their first masse doth neuer at any time begin before eight of the clocke vnto the which you shal see him come attended on with nouices in as great a grauitie as the Pope himselfe when hee is in all his pontificalibus The politique institution of the Iesuits they are accounted to bee the greatest intelligencers and state-men of the world They may not according to their orders receiue anie higher officer or dignitie wherein of all other things they haue the greatest pollicie for otherwise theyr old polititians should be frō them aduanced to higher promotions which would bee great diminution to their dignitie which as they now order the matter is of such credite and reputation that they take the name of a Iesuit not to bee anie whit inferiour to the title of a Bishoppe they are not subiect to anie ordinarie nor to the controlment of anie Bishoppe or Legate whatsoeuer but onely to the prouincial or general of their order who neuer lightly comes amongst them and if he doo he is a brother of the societie and will finde no faultes for feare of scandall But the best is to see howe busie and diligent they are when they heare of a wealthie man that lieth sicke and in daunger of death They bestir thēselues whē they heare of a riche man that lieth in daunger of death This is their chiefest haruest and most Opimapraeda Then they commend vnto him the pouertie of their Colledge and the merite that he shall gaine by dealing liberally with them as beeing for euer to bee remembred in their masses as one of their benefactors The Cordeliers and they are at this presēt in processe together in Spaine about this visitation of sicke men in articulo mortis The Cordeliers are such as in England we called Grey friers of the order of Saint Frances The Iesuites saie that it appertaines vnto them because their profession is actiue and to be alwaies stirring among the flocke and to doo good to the worlde abroad whereas that of the Cordeliers is contemplatiue and so by consequence most decent that they should conteine themselues within their cloisters The Cordeliers on the other side do replie that their profession is meekenesse innocencie pouertie to do good vnto all men As for the Iesuites that they are proude ambitious aspiring entermedlers in matters of state Men of greate riches and couetous of more and therefore by no meanes to be admitted to such as lye at the point of death The Iesuites haue beene inueighed against in the publike schooles of the vniuersitie of Louaine The matter hath beene much argued of and greatly debated in Spaine All the other Doctors of religion are vehemently against them and they haue bene openly inueiged against in the publike schooles of Louaine yet notwithstanding they are so strongly backt by the king whose turne they serue againe in other matters that howsoeuer the crie go against them they holde their owne still The policie of the Iesuites in teaching of children Among all their other policies they haue one that in my iudgment is no whit at all inferior to anie of the rest For wheresoeuer they remaine they take vpon them to teach and instruct the children of chiefe men and magistrates professing to doo the same freely and without reward wherein they deale so carefully that the parents doo not account their childrens time mis-spent they in the meane time making hereof a double benefite For first they binde the fathers and parents of their children to be their friendes and fauourers secondly as for the schollers they strike into their tender capacities such a reuerence of themselues and withall doo distill into their mindes such pointes of doctrine and such an opinion of their holynesse and integritie that the same seldome weareth awaie but rather increaseth with theyr yeeres which is vndoubtedly of no small moment to the strengthning and the vpholding of their societie and faction Likewise they haue so cunningly wrought that wher soeuer they are they onely are the generall hearers of all confessions diuing thereby into the secretes and driftes of all men acquainting themselues with theyr humours and imperfections and making thereof as time and occasion serues their owne vse and benefite But by the waie seeing it comes so wel to our purpose I cannot choose but tell you a pretie storie that happened lately in the low Countries A storie of the Iesuits impietie A marchant whose name was Hamyel beeing sicke at Antwarpe of a consumption or feauer Ethicke the Iesuite knowing him to be a man of great possessions and without children presently repaired vnto him vnder colour of spirituall consolation laying before him the vanitie of this life and the glorie of the world to come With sundrie other perswasions as of all men liuing they haue their tongues most at will and withall commending vnto him their order as of all other the most meritorious perfect and acceptable to God and to which our holy Father the Pope and his predecessours haue granted more indulgences than to anie other order of religion whatsoeuer insomuch that they brought the poore man being of himselfe simple into such a fooles paradise that hee professed himselfe into their societie thinking that there was no other waie to bee saued So as before hande hee infeoffed their colledge with his land which was two hundred poūds a yere giuing thē much goods
desperate enemies to the state safetie of the same And as for some of thē no succeeding age can euer bee so vnthankfull as not for euer to remember their names with an infinitenes of honor But in the meane time iudge with your selues how miserable and enthralled these people must of necessitie be in matter of conscience The miserable wretchednes calamitie of the Low-countries vnder the gouernment of the Spaniards whose leaders religion is nought els but ambition periurie pollicy and defamation But if you will tourne your eyes from thence to their temporall gouerment surely I do thinke the recitall of their miseries would rather breed in you admiration then beliefe so far doth the same exceed the compasse of all their tyrannies that euer were vsed Count Egmont Count Horne marquis of Bergues Monsieur de Montigni Monsieur de Strale The Lord Gisbert and Thery of Battenburg Monsieur de Hares Pierre de Andelot The Lord Peter and Philip of Alts c. This was at such time as the yong coūt of Egmond went with a force of Lowcuntri-men into France where he was slain at the battaileof Yury leauing in the meantime Newmegen besieged by the states and brought to the greatest misery that might bee There is no calamaitie in the world of which these miserable people hath not tasted their countrie being as a stage vpon which for the space of this twentie yeeres there hath bene nothing acted but bloodie tragedies Their noble men and rulers in whose vertue courage consisted their chiefest refuge in times past when they were wronged and tyrannized haue bene murthered strangled poysoned and slaine by the bloodie ministers of their cruell king They are taxed in greate summes of money and numbers of their men sent violently into Fraunce and forreine warres and the reliques of their nobilite forced to go with them to their apparant slaughter leauing in the meane time theyr owne Countrie in praye to the neighboring enemy their villages flaming in fire and their Townes battered about their eares with the cannon Their priuiledges taken from them their cities that sometimes striued in opulence and glory with the goodliest and greatest of the world are gouerned by base and barbarous Spaniards bridled with their garrizons and Castels and sackaged and spoiled by them at such time as their paiment faileth I could at length recite vnto you the histories and declarations of these seuerall pointes here briefely touched but that I shoulde trouble you with matter altogether tragicall and delightlesse and withall they being so common apparant and lately done that there is scarcelye anie one vnacquainted therewith at least of such as haue had anie the least desire to looke into the estate of forraine matters In fine there is no face of iustice in their common-wealth the same beeing wholy pliable to the will of such strangers as are gouernors of their townes and Captaines of their Castles Their common-wealth iustly now resembling the Turkish gouernment The Turkish gouernment where the peaceable estate obeyes the militar and where there is no lawes but such as armes prescribe Their goodly Hauens beautified sometimes with the concourse of innumerable shippes laden with rich merchandise from out all partes of the worlde are nowe vnfrequented euen of fisher-boates Theyr trafique ceased theyr townes abandoned and made desart of which some are vtterlye dispeopled and in most of the rest of tenne houses searsely three inhabited Their villages abroad burned and ouergrowen with bushes their goodly meddowes and fruitefull pastures drowned many miles wide and long by letting in of sluces and cutting downe diches The mansion houses and Castels of their Nobilitie abated and throwen downe Some by furye of the Cannon some by violence of the souldiers for couetousnesse of the Lead Iron Glasse Marble c. And some by standing long forsaken and abandoned of their owners theyr errable ground lying manye large miles waste and vntilled insomuch that there a man may haue as much land as hee will and thankes withall for the onely manuring thereof As for the poore labouring people of the Countrie whome the Spaniarde neuer calleth but Villanos for the most parte they are all starued and consumed of hunger of which disease beeing according to the saying of the Greeke Poet of all deathes the most miserable I haue my selfe knowen twentie thousand to die in one Summer and God knoweth how many more namely the yeere that Marshall Biron laie incamped wyth the French armie at Rozendale and the Englishmen at Oudenbesech so that you maye ride an hundred miles without seeing of anie man woman or childe vnlesse it bee some poore sillye soules that come creeping out of the woodes hunger-starued more like resuscited ghostes than liuing Christian creatures And yet all these in a manner happyer because they are at an end of theyr miseries than such as doo liue within the inhabited places of the Countrie as the lande of Wast the Kempine c. For I take them of all the people in the worlde to bee the most wretched and miserable Ouer euerie village of these are appointed certaine horse men The miserie of the inhabited places to whome they are constrayned to paie monethly by contribution some tenne crownes some twentie some fortie some more and some lesse I knew one that paide an hundred crownes euerie moneth called Turnolt but they paide it so long till all the dwellers ranne awaie and haue now in a manner lefte it voide of inhabitants Ouer this village and the whole Country is appointed a Commissarie called Sygonio Sigonio chiefe Commissary of that contributions for the distributing and ordering of these contributions of all tyrants liuing the most cruel and of least conscience Who if they faile and doo not bring in their monie at the last daie of the moneth hee sendes forth troupes of horsemen to take the best of them prisoners and withal to driue home to their quarters or garrisons such sheepe horses oxen or cattell whatsoeuer as they finde in theyr villages which hee causeth if the monie followe not within fiue or six daies at the farthest to be solde ta the Drum or Trumpet and withall forceth them to paie a greate fine the one halfe of which hee retaineth to himselfe and the other he giueth to the souldiers for their out-roades and forbearance of their monie But the miserie of these poore people endeth not heere For besides all this they are forced and compelled many times to lodge souldyers in their houses as they march along the Countrie vppon seruice at which time it is scarcelye credible what outrages they receiue They haue theyr cattell killed to the vse of theyr vnthankefull guestes theyr corne thresht out and some carryed awaie the rest giuen to horses theyr chestes broken vp theyr goods euen to the verie sheetes and the tykes of theyr beddes the feathers beeing tourned out stollen and carried awaie by the souldiers when they marche themselues beaten and besides constrayned
Nothing so odious to the Italian as the gouernement of a Spaniard displeasing and contrary to the nature of an Italian Likewise hee is faine to entertaine continually a great number of gallies vppon the coast of Naples to defend those seas and shoares from the incursions of the Turke the like charge by sea and by land hee is forced to bee at in Sycilia Sardina his Cities on the coast of Affrica Portugall the Terceraes the Indies Brasile Maiorque Minorque yea and euen in his Spanish Prouinces of Biscan Galycia and Arragon as for Nauarre hee knoweth that hee holdeth them no longer than hee treadeth vppon their neckes and therefore hee layeth on loade there with his garrisons both of horsemen and footemen as well in Pampelona as the other Townes and Fortresses of the Countrey and all will be little enough and if it would please almightie GOD to blesse the indeuours of the French King And of all these his garrisons and charges hee cannot for his life diminish any beeing guiltie too himselfe of the violence of his gouernement being not further assured of them than whiles hee holdeth their heads in the bridle I will not dispute the iustice of his Titles not yet alleage the pretences whereby the Frenchmen entitle their King not only to Artoys Henalt Naples and Millaine but also to Spaine it selfe But that hee holdeth Portugall Maiorque and Minorque the Countie of Ronsillen and the kingdome of Nauarre by meere extortion and extremitie of wrong is to all the world a matter most apparant and euident insomuch that some of his owne Writers in their Apologies and defences of some of his Titles are constrained in a manner to fortifie their best reasons with the verses of Eurypides If right and iustice are to be transgrest To breake them for a kingdome then t' is best Besides all this his prouinces and dominions do stand so seuered and disunited that the very transporting of his money from one to an other as it is with danger and inconuenience so is it of it of infinite charge vnto him insomuch that I haue heard some of his Commissaries in the Low Countries sweare there is no crown of his that commeth from Spaine into those partes but standeth him in fiue ryalles of plate so great is the charge of carriage conuoyes and commissaries to deliuer and receiue the same from one place to another He norisheth factions and diuisions in most Countries of christendome His Intelligencers and Spies Withall there are fewe Realmes or Countries of Christendome in which hee entertaineth not factions and diuisions and scarcely any in which he nourisheth not a number of Intelligencers and Spies all depending of his purse with whome hee dealeth more or lesse liberally according vnto the place or meanes they haue to doe him seruice if they be entertained in Court or neare about the person of a Prince able to send him good intelligence or to doe some notable mischiefe for him His detestable pâ—actise with Lopes for the taking away of her Maiesties life hee will not sticke to come off bountefully as for example you sawe how cunningly hee had practised with Lopes that damnable Physition who like his predecessour Iudas had for money consented to betray innocent blood to whom besides the fiftie thousand crowns for which the bargaine was hee commaunded his Secretarie Ibarra to bidde him demaunde what else hee woulde so that hee would take vppon him to perfourme that which hee had promised which was by taking away her life by whome wee doe all liue to bring our noble Countrey into such a sorrowe desolation and misery as neuer anie Nation had tasted the like But it hath pleased the Lorde our God of his endlesse mercie as hee hath alwayes mightily and miraculously defended her Maiestie so likewise nowe to confound the wicked conspiratours in their owne diuellish deuises and to preuent the tragicall intended issue of theyr most barbarous and bloody practise being such as well in regarde of the secrecie of handling as the imagined facilitie of performaunce that of manie which he the diuell and their adherents haue set abroach since the beginning of her Maiesties glorious reigne neuer any to mans iudgement was halfe so daungerous the manner and memorie whereof is so fresh that the recitall of any particularities would be but superfluous Onely let vs not forget to be thankefull vnto almightie God for his mercy shewed in reuealing it nor vnto that worthie and honourable Lord by whose watchfull industrie and zealous care of her Maiesties safetie it was first suspected and finally by his wisedome and discreete handling fully discouered who although hee did before possesse the faithfull loues and vndissembled affections of as many as euer did any of his ranke yet neuer did hee although hee hath doone many thinges vertuously and nobly any thing that wonne him such reputation and applause throughout the whole Realme All men in generall and euerie man in particular acknowledging to haue heerein receiued of him a most singular and peculiar benefite All his kinsemen of the house of Austria depend chiefly vpon the maintenance of his purse But leauing this and returning vnto my former matter it is a thing notorious to al the world that the house of Austria is spredde into manie braunches of which euery one reteineth the name of Archduke But in conclusion their dignitie lordeshippe and estate is faine to rely wholly vppon his purse for there is not any thing in all this worlde that hee more affecteth than to mainetaine this house of Austria in greatnesse and dignitie and therefore vppon the death of Battor the last King of Polonia hee laboured infinitely to inuest his coosine Maximilian the Emperours brother in the royaltie of the Realme Maximilian of Austria sent by the King of Spaine into Polonia with an army sending him downe besides many secret bribes bestowed vppon the noblemen of Polonia with a mighty army of Reyters to take possession the vnfortunate successe of which enterprise as also the Archedukes imprisonment and dishonourable escape I do voluntarily omitte as beeing a thing vnto the whole worlde well knowen and altogither impertinent vnto the discourse which I haue in hand In the Consistorie of Rome hee is faine to entertaine a great number of those hungrie Cardinalles in pension and fee as well to gaine their voyces when neede requireth as also when the pontificall sea is voide to looke well to their election especially and aboue all thinges that hee whome they elect can daunce the Spanish Measures in which if after his being chosen hee shoulde chaunce not to foote it well according vnto the tune of his pipe then presently to remooue him with a Castilian Calenture A Castilian Calenture the which is a strange disease neuer lightly holding them aboue three dayes and many of them of late haue beene subiect vnto it This Pope doeth feare it mightily and that maketh him so loath to accept the French Kings
order whatsoeuer they brought the poore man being of himselfe simple into their society thinking that there was no other way to bee saued and withall before hand infeoffed their college with his land which was two hūdred pound a yeere giuing them besides much goods and riche moueables and when he had so done died within three moneths after the same his next heires by counsell of their friends put the Iesuites in suite agaynst which though they opposed themselues with all vehemencie yet to theyr great shame and reprehension sentence was giuen agaynst them Notwithstanding they would not give ouer but by the meanes aid and support of president Pameley who is one of theyr best children they appealed from thence to the councell of Brussels getting the cause after sentence giuen to bee remooued a thing vnusuall or scarcely euer heard off before as yet there the processe hangeth by hooke or by crooke it is thought they will haue it in the ende Another time a riche and wealthy Merchaunt of Antwerp but one in that point whose deuotion scrupulocity ouer-went his wisdome comming to them in confession and telling them of some vniust gaine with which he felt his conscience touched they suddenly with sundry terrifiyng speeches tolde him that hee was in the state of damnation out of which he could not bee delyuered vntyll such time as hee had made restitution as well of that confessed as of all other mony and goods that hee had by vsury vnlawfully gotten laying before him Quod none dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur oblatum with sundry other such sentēces of which they had store in fine they put the poore man into such feare of conscience that he yelded to make restitution if so the sane might bee done without his vndoing dyscredite or shame VVhereupon to comfort him agayne but in deede fearing least that if they dealt too rigorously with him they should get nothing they tolde him that if in steade of all such interest and iniuryes with which hee felt his conscience burdened hee would onely be content to deliuer vnto them some such summe of monie as without his vndooing he thought conueniently he might spare they woulde take it vppon their soules to see the said summe imploied upon good vertuous and charitable vses to the greater benefite and merite of his soule and as a thing more acceptable to God and lesse scandelous to the world than if he should make restitution to whome it appertained and that were by that his vsurie interessed VVhereupon the Marchant beeing well satisfied in conscience gaue them the monie and they him their absolution But I will hold you no longer with the recitall of these things of which if I would entreate their impiety would yeelde me too much matter My principall meaning and intention onely beeing to let you see that vnder heauen there is no state so wickedly impiously deuouringly gouerned in matter of religion and conscience as these here vnder the Spaniard I thinke the recital of their miseries would rather breede in you admiration than beleefe so far doth the same exceede the compasse of al their tyrannies that euer were vsed there being no calamity in the world of which they haue not tasted of Their noblemen rulers in whose vertue and courage consisted their chiefest refuge in times past when they were wronged tyrannixed haue beene murdered strangled poisoned and slayne by the bloudy ministers of their cruell king they are taxed in great summes and numbers of men sent violently into France forrein wars and the relikes of their nobility forced to go with thē in person to their apparant slaughter leauing in the meane time their countries in pray to the enemy their villages flaming in fire their towns battered about their eares wyth the canon their priuiledges are by wrong and tyranny taken from them their cities that sometimes striued with oppulency and glorie with the goodliest and greatest of the world are gouerned by base and barbarous Spaniardes brideled with their garrisons and castels and forraged spoyled by them at such time as their payment faileth No face of iustice in their common-wealth but the same is pliable to the wil of such strangers as are gouernors of their towns captains of their castles their goodly hauens harboring sometimes with innumerable ships laden with marchandise from all parts of the world are now frequented euen of the fisher-boates their trafficke ceased and their townes almost desarte in the most of which of tenne houses together there are scarse three inhabited their villages abroade burned and ouergrowen with bushes their goodly meddowes and fruitfull pastures drowned many miles wide and long by letting in of sluces and cutting downe ditches The mansion houses and castels of their Nobilitie abused and throwen downe the errable ground waste and vntilled insomuch that there a man may haue as much land as hee will and thankes withall for the onely manuring thereof As for the poore labouring people of the country for the most part they are all starued and cōsumed with hunger of which disease I my selfe haue knowne two thousand die in one summer so that you may ride in some places an hundred miles without seeing of a man woman or childe vnlesse it bee some poore sillie soule that commeth creeping out of the woodes hunger starued more like confusitated ghostes than a lyuing christian creature And yet all these in a maner happier because they are at an ende of theyr miseries than such as doe liue within the inhabited places of the countrie as Cempine and the land of VVast and these of all the people in the world I take to be the most wretchedst Ouer euery village of these are appoynted certaine horsmen to whom they are all to pay monethly contribution some ten pounds some twentie and some thirtie some more and some lesse I knew one village that paide an hundred poundes euery moneth called Turnolt but they payde it so long till all the dwellers ranne away and haue now in a manner left it void of inhabitauntes Ouer this village and the whole Countrie is appoynted a Commissarie called Sygonio for the payment of theyr contributions of all tyrants liuing the most cruellest and of least conscience VVho if they faile and doe not bring in theyr money at the last day of the moneth hee sendes forth troupes of horse-men to take the best of them prisoners and withall to driue home to their quarters or garrisons such sheepe oxen or cattell whatsoeuer as they finde in those villages which hee causeth if the money followe not within fiue or sixe daies at the furthest to be sold at the drum or Trumpet and withal forceth them to pay a great fine the one halfe of which hee retayneth to himselfe and the other to the souldiers for their out-roads and forbearance of the money But the miserie of these poore people endeth not here for besides all this they are forced many times to lodge soldiers in their