one terrible and mighty Adversary raise up another who may be in all respects as dangerous and as well to be feared as he For because France lieth neerer unto us then Spaine and Vis unita is alwaies held to be Fortior if France should recover Burgondy and the Low Countries should we not have great and just occasion to fear France For neither may our happy victories against France encourage us not to esteem France since it is no point of wisedom not to fear the least Enemy that may be nor the late benefits pleasures and Offices of kindness shewed by us unto the late Kings thereof can assure as that France will never endammage us I have already shewed the causes of our fortunate success against France and if those causes should once begin to fail us the good fortune which proceeded of them would soon leave to follow us and as well Princes as private men receive favours and courtesies readily look upon their Benefactors unwillingly remember good turns slowly and requite received benefits faintly Then because the fresh memory of new courtesies cannot extinguish the grievous and unpleasant remembrance of ancient quarrâ—ls we must as we have said still have a very careful and watchful eye over France and intreat France to be content to joyn with us in placing and preferring some such Prince unto the quiet and assured pâ—ssession of the Low Countries as may be well able with the help of us and France to retain the same and yet unable to hurt us or France Neither must the cross dealings of the late Duke of Alencon discourage us to attempt any such matter for we saw that they whom he had handled somewhat unkindly might easily have been perswaded to have received him again for their Duke And there may a Prince be found that shall be less suspected and more acceptable unto the Flemings then any French-man can be The Duke Ernestus who was lately sent to be their Governour in my simple opinion seâ—meth to be a fit man for that purpose For whereas the Spanish King of late would have bestowed the Infanta his Daughter upon him it may easily be thought now that that hope faileth him because he knoweth now where to find a fitter Husband for her then to match her with him and to give him the Low Countries for her Dowry But common same reporteth that there is an intent and purpose to marry her unto the French King as well because he is now become a Catholick as for that France and Spain have often matched together and the Pope may easily be entreated to dispeâ—se with the French King to take her for his Wife Truly it were hard to permit him to marry so near a Kinswoman as is his now living wives own Neece But grant that the Popes dispeâ—sation may salve this sore that the French King may forget the wrongs and indignities offered unto him by Spain that this were a good and ready way to reconcile these Princes that have lived too long togeâ—her in contention and variance and that of this reconciliation there is likely to follow a great and general benefit unto all Christendom Yet I can hardly think that the Spanish King would ever yeeld his consent unto such a Match And though he would ever yeeld his consent thereunto yet it behoveth all the Princes of Christendom to hinder such a marriage For if his Son should die whose life is in Gods hands should not all the Kingdoms and Dominions of the Spaniard because there is no Law Salick in Spain descend unto his Daughter And would not the desired addition of all those unto the Kingdom of France make the warlike and mighty Prince thereof not onely to think upon but also to attempt the Conquest of all Europe Should he not grow too mighty Should he not be able to Tyrannize over all the world more then the Spaniard doth now And then doth it not greatly import all Christian Princes to withstand this Marriage Besides grant that his son doth live to have many children were it not a very unwisâ— and indiscrect part of the Spanish King to give hâ—s Daughter in marriage unto such a one as what for his old grudge unto Spain what in regard of the Title and Interest that this wife may give him unto the Crown of Spain will undoubtedly be content to take her for wife were it for no other occasion but to have so good just and colourable a cause as her right would give him to challenge invade and conquer Spain For the Prince of Orange by noting the Spanish Kings son of Bastardy in his Apology and by animating the French King to defend his Neece right whensoever God should call her Father to his mercy hath set open such a gap as will give a very easie entrance into the Kingdom of Spain unto the Spanish Daughters ambitious nature or unto his valiant minde if there be any valour in him who shall have her to wife The surest and safest way then for the Spaniard is either to match her lowly as Austiages did his Daughter with some mean Prince who shall not be able to hurt or prejudice his Son or else to bestow her upon the said Duke Ernestus who although he be her neer kinsman and a Prince of no great living yet because it is a matter very usual in the House of Austria to match in their own blood and for that the Spaniard hath Kingdoms and Dominions enough to bestow upon her in marriage neither the propinquity in blood nor the want of living can be an obstacle unto the match But it may be said what shall it avail if she be married to the Duke Ernestus and Flanders be her Dowry Shall it not be all one Will he not be at the devotion of his Father in-law And will it not be a means to make the Emperor more fast and assured unto Spain and to carry the less love and affection unto us and our Friends But I suppose the Empire shall be transferred unto some other Prince and although it shall remain still in the House of Austria yet I know he that shall be or is Emperor can have no great means to annoy us Besides we may finde many wayes to set a variance and separaâ—ion betwixt the Father and the Son and when God shall have wrought his will and pleasure upon the Father betwixt the Brother and the Sister Were there ever more hot and bloody wars betwixt us and France then when the French Kings Sister was married unto our King Or when our Kings Daughters have matched with France Did not these marriages breed and bring forth the chiefest causes of our most deadly contentions And did not our and their profit and gain make us forget blood affinity and Alliance But if it shall seem dangerous to hazard our safety upon so weak an hope it shall not be amiss to use all policy to procure such a match and to cause her Dowry to be either the Kingdom
with all utmost extremities But if they do what remedy is there or who can gainsay the Conqueror Courtesie is commendable in all men and especially in Princes who are to extend the same at all times when it is demanded in good manner and by men worthy of mercy and compassion And such was the lamentable estate of Charles the Sixth who had at once many miseries heaped upon him by the heavy wrath of God as namely wars within his Realm rebellion of his own Son against him revolt of his Subjects and distraction of his wits and so it was extream cruelty to adde affliction to the afflicted Indeed mercy is to be extended to persons worthy of commiseration and Lunatiques are by all men to be pitied and in regard hereof the King of England whereas he might have destroyed the whole Realm of France burned the Cities wasted the Countries led away the people in captivity taken their goods to his own use bestowed the Nobilities and Gentlemens Lands upon his own Subjects altered the Lawes of the Countrey changed the Government thereof deprived the most part of them of their lives and seated his own Subjects in their possessions he suffered them to live at liberty to enjoy their ancient possessions to maintain and use their own priviledges to dwell in their wonted habitations and to continue in all respects as free as they were before they were conquered And whereas he might have made the King prisoner carryed him with him into England and to have placed another to govern for him especially he being not in case to rule and govern by himself He was so far from so doing that he suffered him to enjoy the Kingdom whilest he lived and by taking his Daughter to wife transferred not only the French but also the English Crown unto the issue of her body a thing to be greatly desired of that Father whose Son by reason of his disobedience deserved not to succeed him a thing practised by all men that have had the like children a thing far beyond the custom of Frenchmen themselves who in the like cases have not used the like clemency and moderation For over what Enemies had the French-men ever the upper hand whom they used not most cruelly What barbarous cruelty exercised they in Italy and especially at Naples where their Tyranny in Government their extremity in polling their insolency in mis-using the common people was such that in one night they were all slain and in hatred of them and their posterity the wombs of all Neapolitan women that were suspected to be with child by French-men were ripped up and the children pluckt out and likewise murdered with their Mothers What cruelty purposed they to have practised in England at what time Lewis the Dolphin of France was called into England by the Barons who bare Armes against King Iohn Intended they not to have destroyed the most part of the Realm Purposed they not to have killed the very Barons themselves who were their friends and confederates Had they not executed this their purpose if a noble French-man who was in England had not as well in hatred of their intended cruelty as in commiseration of the poor English Nobility revealed upon his death-bed their barbarous intentions To be brief what severity used King Lewis surnamed for his lenity towards others Lewis the M E E K against Bernard his own Nephew and rightful heir to the Crown of France as we have shewed in the second point which we handled whom he not only deprived of his right but also held him a long time in Prison and condemned him to lose his eyes which were accordingly pluckt out of his head and his cheif Counsellours endured the like punishment Of which both he and they complaining not without just occasion were so far from finding such compassion and remedy as they deserved as that a new Edictment was framed both against him and them Now with such Adversaries with men of such cruelty with such as had oftentimes falsified their faith and broken their promises what wise Prince would ever have used greater lenity more mercy or better Justice then the King of England shewed them Especially considering the immortal hatred deadly malice and long emulations competentions quarrels and contentions that have been alwayes betwixt England and France The fifth Objection that they make against this Contract is is That the Kingdom of France cannot be given unto any man by Will or Testament Which priviledge seemeth unto me very strange because I find by report of probable Histories that the Kingdomes of Spain England Aragon Scotland Poland and other Countries have been given away by Will and Testament and therefore if the French-men will challenge an Immunity contrary to the custom of other Countries and repugnant to the Law of all Nations they must shew how they came by such a Priviledge and why they should not follow the customes of other Kingdomes For whosoever will alledge an exemption from the due observance of the Law must make it appear at what time for what occasion and by whom he or his Predecessors obtained the same that the quality of the Giver and the consideration and cause of the Grant being duly examined and discreetly considered the strength and validity of his exemption may be well and perfectly seen I know that there are many degrees of Princes and that some Kings are in some manner subject unto others from whom they receive Lawes and by whom they and their Kingdomes are ruled and directed So hath Scotland been ruled by England so hath Denmark acknowledged the Empire so hath Sicily obeyed Rome so hath the Pope challenged power and authority over the Empire But all Histories agree in this that although of other Kingdomes some be subject to the Pope others unto the Emperour yet the Kingdom of France is and alwayes hath been most absolute neither depending upon the Emperour nor being in any respect subject unto the Pope That the Emperour hath no authority over France was shewed when as Sigismond the Emperour would have made the Earl of Savoy a Duke in Lyons for then the Kings Officers withstood him therein and forced him to his great grief and in a great fury and anger to depart thence and out of all the dominion of France before he could use in that point his Imperial power and authority And that the Pope hath no manner of Authority Prerogative or Preheminence over France it appeareth by the confession of all Canonists who have written and do write of the Popes Prerogatives For albeit they make the Empire and almost all the Kingdoms of the world in some sort subject unto the See of Rome yet they confess the King of France to be so absolute that he acknowledgeth no Superior but God and that there is no other Prince but he unto whom some Pope or other hath not either given or confirmed his Estate and Kingdom It must needs
hostility answered That he could not leave off his wars because he knew not what authority Don Philip who was the Mediator of that Peace and should have had the French Kings daughter for wife to his son Charls had from the King and Queen of Spain to conclude the said Peace And the said King and Queen hearing of the good success which their General had daily against the Frenchmen permitted him to proceed as he began and disclaimed all that was agreed or yeilâ—ed unto by the said Don Philippo saying that he had no power or authority from them to make any such agreement But Don Philippo seeing his credit thereby called in question published to all the world that he had done nothing more in the concluding the said peace then the King and Queen had given him full commission to do and further before he departed out of Spain he saw them both swear upon the holy Evangelists and upon the Image of Christ crucified that they would confirm ratifie and observe whatsoever should be concluded by him Thus Naples was gotten deceitfully although Francis the first after that he was unhappily taken Prisoner at Pavia by Charles the fifth did voluntarily renounce all his Right Title and Interest unto the same kingdom for the ransom and deliverance of his two Sons who were Prisoners a long time in Spain as pledges for their Father From Naples and Sicily I hasten to the kingdom of Navarra gotten by the Spaniards Predecessors and held as unlawfully by him as the two other kingdomes for when as Ferdinando so often before mentioned had occasion to pass with an Army through the kingdom of Navarra to succour the Pope he demanded safe passage of the King thereof who being so commanded by Lewis the French king his Soveraign denied him passage Ferdinando certifying the Pope of his denial the Pope excommunicated the King and depriveth him as a Schismatique of his kingdom Ferdinando hereupon having his Army in a readiness invadeth the kingdom taketh the King unprovided and before he could have any help from the French king depriveth him of his Royal Seat and Dignity and his Heirs have held the same ever â—ithence by no better Title then this Of which give me leave in a few words to tell you my simple opinion and then I will come to the kingdom of Portugal As it is most certain that the Kings of Naples and of Scotland hold their kingdomes the one of the Pope of Rome the other of the Queen of England as of their Soveraigns so it is undoubtedly true that the Kings of Navarra owe homage faith fealty and obedience unto the king of France as unto their Lord and Soveraign for their kingdom in regard whereof they are bound to many conditions of services unto him as their Soveraign and especially to aid and assist him in his just quarrels wars and contentions against any other Prince whatsoever and never to leave him upon pain of forfeiture of their States and Dominions holden of him which is so true that many Doctors of Law writing upon this case make this question whether a Vassal such as the king of Navarra was in respect of the French king leaving his Lord and Soveraign sorely hurt in the field and forsaking him in that case doth forfeit his Estate or no And they all generally conclude that it his wounds be not mortal and such as they leave no small hope of life then the Vassal for forsaking him loseth his Estate be it never so great But I will not stand upon the proof of this point nor upon the justifying of the king of Navarra his denial made unto the Aragonian king by Commandment of his said Lord and Soveraign for I shall have occasion to enlarge hereof in another place whereunto when I come you shall see it sufficiently and plainly proved that the king of Navarra could not without manifest loss and forfeiture of his kingdom unto the French king deny or resist his Commandment This then being most manifest it must needs follow that the king of Aragon did most wrongfully invade and take from him his kingdom and so consequently the king of Spain withholdeth the same from the present king of Navarra with no better right or reason then he that detaineth a private mans lands who never having any just title thereunto justifieth his Tenure by no other reason but by a few years wrongful possession which giveth no just title especially if the same hath been continually claimed and demanded by the lawful owners thereof as without all doubt the kingdom of Navar hath been for the present king and his Predecessors did oftentimes require restitution thereof of them which did wrongfully detain it And had not the civil wars of France hindred the present king from demanding the same by force of Arms he had long before this time warred upon the now king of Spain for the recovery thereof Now to the Kingdom of Portugal This kingdom as Scotland and Navarra are members of the kingdom of England and France so it is a member of the kingdom of Spain for Alphonsus the sixth king of Spain had a base Daughter nam'd Taresia whom he married unto Henry Count of Lotharinga and gave him in Dower with her the Kingdom of Portugal because he had done him very great service against the Moors But his Son Alphonsus the first was the first that was named King of Portugal and the first that got the City of Lisbone from the said Moors and having overcome in one Battel five of their Kings he left five Shields for Arms unto his Posterity This kingdom hath had many alterations and sundry Wars moved by such as layed claim thereunto but none considering the small continuance thereof more lamentable then the late Wars betwixt the now king of Spain and him whom the Spaniards call Don Antonio and no lawful king of Portugal for besides that the chief of the Nobility of that Realm were either cruelly murthered in the said War or unkindly held in extream thraledom or servitude by the Spaniard their natural and professed enemy the rightful King was most wrongfully driven from his lawful Inheritance to live as you know in a strange Country with the Princely and yet slender releif that her Majesty of her Royal liberality and clemency vouchsafeth him and his poor Train The Spaniard for the better obtaining of his Kingdom imitated in some measure the policicy of Charls the fifth his Father who during the competency betwixt him and Francis the first king of France for the Empire brought an Army of men unto the place where the Electors were assembled to make choice of the Emperour pretending the cause of bringing his Army thither to be his just and Princely desire to free the Electors from all manner of fear which they might justly have of some violence to be offered them by the French king if they made not choice of him Whereas in very deed his
the one because it is as you think very troublesome and vitious and you commend the other because it was as you suppose very peaceable and vertuous But if it may like you to confer the one with the other you shall find them both in like manner reprehensible and with equal measure laudable For first you are to remember that all Kingdoms and Common-wealths represent in outward shew and appearance the figure of a humane body and have as our bodies have their times of health and their times of sickness their seasons of prosperity and their seasons of adversity sometimes they flourish with wealth and plenty other times they languish in want and penury And as in all Ages as well as in ours mens bodies have been disquieted altered distempered yea and destroyed with burning Agues Pestilent Fevers contagious Plagues and other mortal Diseases so in other times as well as at this present Common-wealths and Kingdoms resembling therein as I have said our natural bodies have suffered distemperatures alterations changes and subversions by intolerable exactions domestical dissentions forrain wars and other such like inconveniencies as trouble the present Estate of Christendome Cast your Eye upon all the same Regions which are now under the general name Christendom and see whether in the very Age or immediately after the Age of those vertuous and good Princes of whose glorious Titles Histories make mention they felt not in like manner as we do the heavy hand of Gods Indignation Who either to plague and punish the sins of the Fathers in their Children or to make us know and remember that our Princes although they are constituted and appointed in higher degree then we yet they are subject both to his Will and Pleasure and to our imperfections and vices as well as we sendeth us most commonly a wicked or foolish Son to rule over us after a good and wise Father So he sent as we may read in holy Scripture Roboam after Solomon Manasses after Hezekias Iehohaz after Iosias Iehoram after Iehosaphat Ahaz after Iotham So sent he as we read in prosane Histories Nero after Augustus Dionisian after Vespasian and Commodus after Marcus Aurelius All bad and wicked children to Rule and Govern after their good and vertuous Fathers So sent he as we find in our English Chronicles King Iohn Edward the Second Richard the Second and Third and Henry the Sixth That their Jurisdiction Wickedness Folly and Cruelty might not only succeed but also illustrate the Wisdom Goodness Prudence and Lenity of their Predecessors for as white appeareth more clear and bright being placed nigh unto black so vertue is more commendable when it is conferred with vice and the profits arising thereby are more esteemed when the incommodities which always accompany vice and wickedness do immediately or not long after succeed them And surely as God herein sheweth his Might and Omnipotency so he maketh us also see hereby his Divine Wisdom and heavenly Providence For since he hath distinguished Region from Region some by Rivers others by Seas some by Mountains and others by Desarts And in these Regions he hath made the people of divers natures and of sundry humors some inclined to Peace others given to War some to be ruled by gentleness and others not to be governed but by rigor and cruelty For the conservation of this distinction and for the preservation of these people he hath found it good and expedient to set over them Princes of divers Qualities and sundry Natures that agreeing with the Subjects in exterior dispositions the inward affection may not always be perverted by outward inequalities And because in his unspeakable Wisdom he knoweth that if he should give unto every Kingdom a continual Race of conquering and vertuous Princes neither the Rivers nor the Seas the Mountains nor the Desarts should contain or restrain their unbridled Ambition from molesting and invading the Regions which are nigh or far from them whereby the distinction which he hath set amongst them might be utterly subverted It hath seldom pleased him to bless any one Kingdom with two Princes of like minds or of like vertues Hence it cometh that as in Rome they had their Pompey in Macedon their Alexander in Persia their Cyrus in Egypt their Antiochus and in France their Charles which for their continual and happy Conquests were surnamed the GREAT So in the same Kingdomes aswell as in others they have had their Princes who for their Pusillanimity Losses and ill Fortune might worthily be baptized by the Surnames of Weaklings and Unfortunate Hence it cometh that the Empire of the whole world passed from the Chaldeans to the Medes from the Medes to the Persians from them to the Graecians from the Graecians to the Romans from the Romans to the French-men and from the Frenchmen to the Germans Hence it cometh that Italy hath triumphed over France France over Italy England over Scotland and Scotland sometimes although very seldom over England Hence it cometh to be short that what the Fathers have got the children have lost what the Conquerors added to their ancient Kingdoms their Successors either cowardly or negligently voluntarily or forcibly suffered to be distracted and dissevered from their Kingdomes And as the Empire passed from Nation to Nation so their calamities and the happiness accompanying the Empire and the Emperours also went from people to people for there was never Conquerour that commanded not the conquered to be obedient unto his will and pleasure nor Nation subdued which did not accomodate himself and his nature unto the disposition and commandment of the Subduer Then if the Conqueror was weak and gentle the conquered lived in ease and pleasure if severe and cruel they wanted no manner of rigor or cruelty if poor and needy they supplyed his wants and penury if wanton and leacherous they satisfied his lusts and appetite If covetous and an Extortioner they were subject to Taxes and Subsidies if unjust and unrighteous they suffer wrongs and injuries briefly if any way ill given or ill disposed they seldom gave themselves to vertue and goodness Such therefore as was the Conqueror such were the conquered and whatsoever it pleased him to prescribe that they were inforced to perform His manner of attire was their fashion in apparel his Will served them for Lawes his new Ordinances altered their old Consututions his meanest Subjects commanded the best of their Nobility and his strange and forraign Language became their natural and Mother tongue It they had Lands his Courtiers enjoyed them if Daughters his Favorites married them if Wives his followers deflowred them if riches his Souldiers shared them if Servants his Slaves commanded them Since then many Nations have been subdued and men of divers natures have subdued them Since conquests have been from the beginning of the world and conquerors have always commanded in the world Since Force hath ever been an enemy unto Justice and Equity never bore sway where Arms swayed all
lived in his time four men of especial account Pompey and Crassus Piso and Curio Pompey was so valiant and fortunate in Armes that he was worthily surnamed the GREAT Crassus attained to such wealth that he was commonly called the RICH. Piso bare such sway with the people that no man was either feared or loved more then he And Curio was so wise and so eloquent that the people loved him greatly and he so desirous of their favour and so careless and prodigal of money that to attain any thing for himself or for his friend he would spare no manner of costs or charges To win these men that were fit for his purpose and yet of divers humours Caesar thought it convenient to use divers means he married his daughter to Pompey he took to wife Pyso's Sister he paid all Curio's debts and because there was a competency and emulation betwixt Pompey and Crassus by reason whereof he thought it very difficult to grow in favour with both of them he being absent from Roâ—e when they were in the heat of their contention came thither of purpose not to extinguish the same but to use it as a means to deceive them both and seeing that each of them sought his friendship against the other he would not follow any of them but carrying himself as neutral and indifferent betwixt them he procured all wayes possible to make them friends And knowing that so long as he declared not himself to be a faithful friend to one of them both would do for him whatsoever he should demand of them he held them both in suspence and made them so jealous of him that for fear to lose him both laboured to content and please him and so much that first he made himself equal to either of them next he brought to pass that the power and authority which was in their hands only was divided betwixt him and them And in the end he alone came to rule all for he drave Pompey out of Rome and out of Italy and made himself Lord and Master of both places opened the Roman Treasure and paid his Souldiers therewithal What followed the Histories reporteth and I haste unto another of the like mind but of better fortune for Caesar lived not long after he came to the Empire And many wise and learned men wonder why the Emperours at this day carry still his name since he was the only ruine and overthrow of his Countrey and of the ancient liberty thereof whereas he of whom I intend to speak not only enjoyed the Crown and Scepter many years together which he usurped cunningly but also transferred the same unto his posterity in which it hath remained better then these five hundred years and Caesar his posterity enjoyed not his purchase the twentiâ—th part of that time You have heard that the last Race of the Kings of France descended from Hugh Capet who being but Master of the Kings Palace governed all things under him and so carried himself in that his Government that he wan the hearts and love of the common people and also got into such favour with Lewis the Fifth of France a Prince of small worth and of no great wit that as some Historographers write he dying the year 987. without Heirs Males not of his natural death but by poyson gave his Kingdom unto Blanch his Wife and willed her to marry Hugh Capet which she did according to her Husbands Commandment and so Capet became King albeit the Kingdom appertained â—y right unto Charles Duke of Lorrain Brother unto King Lotharius and Uncle unto the said Lewis For Charles being then in Lorrain and having been called and sent for by some of the Nobles of France to be crowned King thereof came not with such speed as was convenient for him to have used but gave time and respite unto Capet to seize upon the Kingdom pretending himself to have Title thereunto by the late Kings will by reason that he was in some sort by his Mothers side of the race of Charlemaign by signifying unto the people that Charles Duke of Lorrain deserved not to be chosen King because in all contentions debates and differences betwixt the Crown of France and the Empire the said Charles favoured the Emperours more then the French King and by suggesting that he being present and alwayes ready to defend the Realm ought to be preferred before Charles that was absent and not willing to come to accept the Crown when he was called thereunto by inducing Anselm Bishop of Laon to deliver the said Duke his Master with his two Children into his hands very trayterously by committing the Duke and his Sons to prison in Orleance where they dyed and by degrading Arnolph Arch-bishop of Rhemes under colour and pretence of Bastardy for fear he proving himself to be lawful and legitimate brother unto Charles might in time deprive him of the Kingdom but the especial policy that Capet used for the obtaining his purpose was the imitation of Pipin of France of whose practises you shall first hear and then as Plutarch in the lives of the Worthies of Greece and Rome compared a Graecian and a Roman together that the vertues and excellencies of both may appear the better by that his comparison So I will compare the devices of the late Duke of Guise with the practices of Sejan Caesar Capet and Pipin to the end you may see in what points he imitated them fully and also wherein he failed to follow their foot-steps Pipin being Master of the Palace under Childerick the third King of France who for his unworthiness was deprived of his Crown by the Pope Lachary thought that the greatness of his Office and the weakness of his Prince and Master might well serve him for a Ladder to climb to the Kingdom and knowing that it would not suffice to advance his own credit and commendation unless he did also dispraise and discredit his King he suborned men of purpose not only to spread abroad the kings indignities to inveigh against his insufficiencies and to cry out against his evil Government but also to set forth his own praise to commend his valour and to extoll his exploits and services done as well for his Country as for the See of Rome to the end that as soon as the people began to contemn and dislike their King they might also begin to love and affect him of which affection and love he hoped there might in time proceed such a good liking that they would vouchsafe to elect and câ—use him for their King and because he knew that the French-men were well affected to the Pope and would do any thing at his Commandment to win the Popes favour and assistance he not only promised but went into Italy of purpose to succour his Holiness against the Lombards who at that time greatly troubled the universal rest and quiet of Italy Besides fearing that the Oath which the Frenchmen make unto their King and the Love and Loyalty
of them knew that whatsoever he did was to win time to work his will and purposes yet because they got much by their dissimulation they dissembled their knowledge and never acquainted our King with his secret intentions The same Lewis besides this manner of entertaining of our Ambassadors used when there was any great matter in debate and contention betwixt us and him to receive all Ambassages that were sent unto him and never to answer any of them but alwaies promised to send other Ambassadors after them who should bring his answers and give our king such assurance of all things whereof he had occasion to doubt that he should have no longer cause to be discontented and when it came to the sending of such Ambassadors because he would be still assured to gain time he sent such personages as never had been in England before to the end that if his former Ambassadors had promised any thing that was not performed or begun any Treaty that was not finished the latter should not be able to make any answer thereunto but enforced to desire some time and respite to acquaint their Master therewith and to crave and have his resolution therein Further you may remember that it hath been already said that the Almighty to the end that Kingdoms should remain still under their natural Princes or being transferred from one Nation to another should at length return unto kings of their own Nation who indeed are more fit to govern them of his infinite goodness toward man doth usually send a peaceable Successor after a Warlike Prince in whose time the conquered recover either all or part of their losses which by his heavenly will and pleasure hath hapned in England as well as in other places For we have had such Princes as did as well lose what their Predecessors had conquered or recover what some of them lost We won in the time of Richard the first the Kingdom of Cyprus and sold it presently We enjoyed by reason of the marriage with the daughter and heir of VVilliam Duke of Aquitane and wife unto Henry the 2. that Dukedome better then 300 years and at the last lost the same by negligence We possessed the Dukedome of Normandy 350 years and lost it in the time of Charls the 7. We subdued Scotland in Edw. 1. time and lost it not long after We conquered Ireland better then four hundred years since and yet retain it VVe ruled in Flanders for a while and were driven out of Flanders after a small while Briefly it is written by some that Brennus who first took and conquered Rome was an Englishman and that he continued his conquest but a very short time And as we have had good fortune against others so others have not wanted good success against us for the Romans conquered us the Saxons subdued us the Danes ruled us and lastly the Normans had the upper hand of us of whom our Kings are lineally descended and in whose race they have continued better then 500 years Again it is usual betwixt Princes when they are wearied with long tedious chargeable and dangerous wars to desire peace and to yeild to the same upon reasonable conditions and in consideration of their troubles endured in wars of their charges sustained thereby and of their subjects impoverished by the means thereof to take long times of Truce and surcease from wars within which time it is not lawful to do any act of hostility And this occasion hath also restrained some of our Princes for attempting any thing against France although they had great desire to recover their right in France Moreover it hath now and then hapned that when we have been determined to prosecute our right we either have been diverted by the entreaty of other Princes who have been mediators for peace betwixt France and us Or hindred by the departure of such Conâ—ederates from our part as promised to aid and assist us in our enterprises Or drawn from them to defend our selves at home by reason of the sudden invasions which have been made by the Scots upon England at the intreaty and perswasion of the French which hath been the usual policy of the Kings of France to turn the wars from themselves upon us alwaies retaining the Scots for their friends and confederates for no other purpose but either to help them when we came into France or to make war with us when we intended to have carried our Forces thither Again either by the weakness or by the corruption of our Council we have as hath been said been so over-reached by the Frenchmen in all such agreements as we have made with them that when we have won the whole we have been contented with part and when as we might have had mountains we have vouchsafed to accept mole-hills yea we have bound our selves to relinquish our Right to renounce our Titles and give over all our Interests So at what time Prince Edward married Isabella daughter of Philip sirnamed the Fair we resigned the Dutchy of Guyenna So Edward sir-named Long-hands acquitted the French King of all the right he had to the Crown of France to the Dutchy of Normandy and to the Earldoms of Anjou Mayne Tourrain and Poictou So Edward 3. having taken King Iohn of France prisoner at Poictiou and retained him four years prisoner in England took certain Towns and Countries in France for his ransome and surrendred the residue of France into his hands to be held by him and his heirs for ever and with express condition never to lay any claim thereunto thereafter These agreements have been another cause why we have repressed our desires and not prosecuted our rights Lastly when we conquered France and had continual wars therewith the Realm was not then as it hath been of late years united void of dissention free from civil wars in the hands and under the government of one King and not divided dis-membred and possessed with divers petty Princes who either for alliance with us or for some quarrel betwixt them and the French Kings were alwaies ready to aid and assist us So we had help somtimes of the Duke of Burgundy of the Earl of Anjou of the Duke of Britain of the Earls of Foix of Flanders of Holland and of Arminack and somtimes of the kings of Navar and of the Emperors of Germany which helps of late years failing us and the reasons already mentioned have occasioned our weak slender and slack pursuit of the Title and Interest which we pretend unto the Crown of France Now to the second Point of this fourth Point wherein I should spend so much time and overweary you with too long impertinent discourse iâ— I should relate unto you the time and manner how and when we lost Normandy Aquitania and every other member of France and therefore it shall suffice to shew you how and when we had conquered almost all France in a few years we lost again all in a very
Forces tended to no other purpose then to chuse him But the king of Spains device was not in all respects so cleanly as you shall hear by the sequel But you must first understand how many Competetors there were for this one Crown and what right every one of them had thereunto Emanuel king of Portugal married first Isabel Daughter to Ferdinando king of Castile by whom he had but one male child which died in his infancy Then he took to Wife Mary the second Daughter of the said Ferdinand by whom he had nine children Iohn who had issue Iohn the third and he Sebastian which was lately slain not leaving any issue behind him Lodowick who was lately secretly married and had issue this Don Antonio who now liveth in England The third child was Ferdinando who married a daughter of the Earl of Marialva by whom he had two Sons who dyed before their Father The fourth was Alphonsus who was made Cardinal and departed the world not having any child The fifth was Henry who was likewise a Cardinal and king after Don Sebastian and died also without issue The sixth was Edward who married Theodosia Dutchess of Burgantia by whom he had three children that is to say Mary who married Alexander Prince of Parma Katharine who took to husband the Duke of Burgantia and Edward who died unmarried The seventh was Anthony who died in his infancy The eighth childe was Isabel who was married to Charles the Emperour and had issue by him the present king of Spain The last was Beatrice wife to the Duke of Savoy These were the issue now follow the Competitors they were five Don Antonio lawful son as he proved unto Lodowick the second heir male of Emanuel The Prince of Parma as Tutor unto his son begotten upon the eldest daughter of Edward the sixth heir male The Duke of Bergantia begotten on the body of Katharine the second daughter of the said Edward King Philip begotten of the body of Isabel eldest daughter unto Emanuel And the Duke of Savoy the lawful heir of the youngest daughter of the said Emanuel Now of all these competitors to deliver you first my opinion I take it alwaies salvo meliori judicio that none of them all could lawfully claim the Crown of Portugal For as many as hold the marriage of Henry the eighth king of England with the Lady Katharine unlawful because she was married unto his eldest brother Arthur must needs hold the marriage of Emanuel king of Portugal far more unlawful because both king Henry and he married unlawfully For if two brethren cannot successively marry one woman truly two sisters cannot be married unto one man And the reason which some use to justifie king Henry his marriage cannot serve for the justification of king Emanuel's matrimony for all that was said in the defence of the Lady Katharine was that her husband never knew her carnally which cannot be truly said for king Emanuel because he had a son by his first wife wherefore if all these nine children being begotten in unlawful wedlock cannot possibly be reputed legitimate and therefore are not lawful heirs to their reputed fathers much less can any of they who descend from any of these nine children be esteemed lawful heirs to the Crown of Portugal But grant them to be lawful and then to each of their Titles in order Don Antonio hath sufficiently justified his Title in his Apologie by many reasons which I reduce to these three principally First he proveth his Fathers marriage though it were with his far inferiour to be lawful notwithstanding the disparagement in regard of which it was concealed Then he fortifieth his Title by the custome of the people of Portugal who by ancient priviledge challenge a right in case of controversie for the Crown to make choice of such an one of the competitors as they shall have a special liking and love unto Lastly he either sheweth or might shew that Bastards have succeeded in the Kingdom of Portugal and that therefore although Bastardy had been fully proved against him yet being chosen by the common consent of the people it was no sufficient bar or lawful exception to say that he was a Bastard especially being made by such an one as came from a Bastard himself and holdeth his own Kingdom by right derived from a Bastard as doth the present king of Spain For the Chronicles of Spain report that Henry bastard brother unto Peter king of Spain taking advantage of the evil opinion which was conceived of his brother by reason of his loose and dissolute life by the help of the French King notwithstanding that Edward the third aided the said Peter and once restored him to his Crown drave him the second time from the same and having slain him in the Field usurped his Royal dignity and transferred it unto his heirs of which king Philip is lineally descended For there was a time when as Iohn Prince of Castile and son to Henry of Castile challenged the Kingdom of Portugal because he had married Beatrice the only daughter and heir of Ferdinando late king of Portugal but the people would not accept him for their king because they naturally hated the Castilians and therefore they chose a bastard for their king named Denis saying That it was as lawful for them to chuse the said bastard for their king as it was for the Castilians to admit Henry the bastard for their king who had as is above said deprived most unlawfully and unnaturally the lawful king of his life and Scepter Now from Don Antonio unto the rest in general who because they all claim by right of their mothers are all excluded by an inviolable law of Portugal alledged against the aforesaid Iohn Prince of Castile in the behalf of the aforementioned bastard Denis whereby it is provided That no woman shall enjoy the Crown of Portugal For whereas there is a Law that no woman shall succeed the same Law as it appeareth by the Law Salique alledged against us in the time of King Edward the third excludeth also the males descending from the woman And so these four Competitors claim is utterly void and of none effect And in case where women may succeed the Females descending from an heir male are to be preferred before such as come only and directly from the female And so the Prince of Parma and the Duke of Bergantia descending from the daughters of Prince Edw. and they in law succeeding their Father as the same person and his undoubted heirs are not only to be preferred before the King of Spain and the Duke of Savoy who came of the daughters of the before-named Emanuel but also before their Aunts the said King Philips and Duke of Savoy's mothers because in matter of Succession the elder brothers children are always preferred before the Uncles or Aunts Those Titles and the means how the Kings of Spain prevailed before the rest of his Competitors are largely set
faithful friends and Counsellors went far beyond all the Princes that lived either before or after him neither by his vertue nor valour nor by his fortune and good hap nor by his friends and Counsellors could escape the fatal poison that ended his days before he attained unto those years which be the forerunners of Age So as in others so in this Point her Majesty far exceedeth Caesar Pompey and Alexander the three greatest Princes that ever lived For their death was so soon performed as purposed Her life hath been often sought but God be thanked therefore not shortned they escaped not the malicious Treasons of one or two she hath been preserved from the wicked treacheries of very many they could not prevent the Conspiracies of their friends she hath withstood the open and secret attempts of their enemies Briefly they dyed before they became old she hath attained unto sixty years of her Age and the rare fortune which she hath hitherto had to escape so many and marvelous dangers putteth me and all her loving Subjects in good hope that it will please the Almighty to add many more years of bliss and haappiness to her days neither do I think only that she shall live beyond the ordinary and usual years and age of other Princes but I am fully perswaded that her Grace is preserved and reserved to great fortune to some marvelous purpose her qualities exceeding other Princes conditions her fortune being more then ordinary and her dangers escaped not prudently but providently not by humane policy but by divine prevention give me good occasion to presume that he that disposeth of Kings and all Kings Actions lengthneth her days and hath dedicated her years to some notable accident For what he hath intended man cannot prevent what he purposeth humane wit cannot change or alter his resolutions are in Heaven ours on earth his eternal ours changeable his immutable ours subject to alteration We purpose he disposeth we intend he changeth we desire he ruleth yea so ruleth that he directeth our thoughts leadeth our counsels inclineth our dispositions to his will and pleasure he knows our necessities before we ask our infirmities when we conceal them our desires albeit we keep them most close and secret He giveth us what is expedient for us granteth us more then we dare desire provideth better for us then we can deserve and to be short is so resolute to do us good that all our wits capacities and policies are not able to prevent the meanest of his determinations so the same tend to our benefit For although his mercy exceeding our merits and his clemency yeilding to our contrition do sometimes divert the evil that we have deserved and mitigate the punishments which are due to our many offences yet if our humility be not dissembled or his pleasure fully bent to work us any good whatsoever so good is he that our good cannot be attended nor his intention changed An Example or two will prove this to be manifest and therefore I will afford you these Examples Astiages dreamed that his Daughter Mandana made so much water at one time as filled his whole City and was likely to drown his whole Country with which dream being greatly terrified he propoundeth the same to be expounded by his best Interpreters of Dreams They report that of the said Daughter should come such an Issue as should drive him from his Kingly Seat He taketh counsel what to do to prevent this intention of the Almighty It is resolved that the best means is to marry his Daughter to a mean man The counsel is followed and she married not to a Median worthy of such a Wife and Princess as she was but unto a mean Persian by name called Cambises born of indifferent good Parentage but not likely to carry such a mind as to deprive his Father in Law of his Kingdom The same year that his Daughter was married he dreamed again That out of her Privities sprang such a Vine as overspread all Asia This Dream he likewise communicated with the Soothsayers They delivered That out of the Womb of Mandana should proceed such a Child as should be Lord of all Asia and so desirous thereof that he should hardly and very unwillingly attend his Grand-Fathers death According to the Prophesie the Child is born his Nativity cast and the disposition of his body and other outward signs foretel that the Prognostication made before his birth was likely to prove true The Grand-father minding to prevent a future mischief giveth him unto one of his faithful Counsellors commanding him to put him to death The Counsellor moved with pitty commendeth the child to the custody of his Shepherd yet charging him to murther the Infant The Shepherds Wife having a child of her own dead the very self same day not finding in her heart to consent to the death of so pretty and Princely a Child beseeched her Husband to expose her own dead Child instead of Cyrus for so Astiages his Grand-father was called The Shepherd followed his Wives counsel and yeilded his consent that she should bring up Cyrus as her own He groweth to years and within a few years is chosen King by other children of all sorts poor and rich Noble and ignoble and being elected King commanded as a King and inflicteth punishments upon his far betters for disobeying his Authority They disdaining to be commanded much less to be punished as they were by their far inferiour complain to their Parents and they to Astiages of the injury offered by poor Cyrus The Shepherd is injoyned to bring forth Cyrus he maketh appearance at the day appointed carryeth himself not Shepherd like but Princelike before the King And being demanded by the King how he durst presume to command his betters to be chastised answered boldly and with a spirit far exceeding his years and not becoming his supposed Estate That since it had pleased the rest of the youth to chuse him for their King and to subject themselves in general unto him it was not lawful for any particular were he never so good to disobey him And in case any one did so far forget himself as to contemn his Authority that then it was as lawful for him as for King Astiages to punish his or their disobedience At which Answer the King being astonied looking upon the audacity of the Child considering his wisdom calling to mind the exposing of Cyrus and conferring his Daughters childs Age and his years together suspected him to be Cyrus Sent presently for Harpagus for so was the Counsellors name unto whom he had given him to be destroyed compelleth him to tell the truth The Shepherd is likewise sent for who declareth the means and manner how Cyrus was saved The King highly offended with Harpagus and fully resolved to depress Cyrus dissembleth his anger with the one and taketh present order for the base education of the other Cyrus is sent from Media into Persia and Astiages not
his own laws made the Earl of Pembroke whose name was Odomar Valentinian Governor of Scotland and to the end they should have no Memory no Monument nor Testimony of a Royal Majesty he transferred a Seate of Stone whereupon their Kings were wont to sit at their Coronation out of Scotland into England and the same remainth at thâ—s day at Westminster Now to leave these and the like Testimonies because they carry the lesse credit for that they are reported by our own Historiographers I will come to the violent presumptions which may be gathered out of their own Histories First it cannot be denyed that God hath blessed us with many famous and notable Victories against the Scots Then it must be granted that we had alwaies wit enough to make our best advantage of those victories Next it is not likely but that we took the benefit of such advantageâ— And who will think that when we were so often provoked so many times deceived so throughly informed of our Right that we would not claime our Right Againe at the very time of this notable competency betwixt Iohn Balioll and Robert Bruce it is written that Ericus King of Norway sent certain Ambassadors wiâ—h Letters of Commissiâ—n from him to demand the Kingdome of Scotland in the Right of his Daughter Margaret sometimes Wife unto the King of Scots in which Letter he acknowledgeth our King to be Lord and Soveraigne of Scotland And why should there be found Bulls of Excommunication against the Kings of Scotland for not obeying our Kings Or why should it be recorded that two Kâ—ngs of Scotland Carried at severall times the Sword before King Arthur and king Richard at their Coronations Or why is it not probable that Scotland should be as well Subject unto us as Bohemia and Hungaria were unto the Empire Naples and Sicilie unto Rome Burgondy and Navarr unto France the Duâ—edom of Moscovia aâ—d the Marquisate of Brandiburge unto Polâ—nâ—a Portugall unto Spaine and Austria unto Bohemia Or lâ—stly why may it not be thought that as these Kingdoms and Dominions remaine still in their old Subjection and acknowledg their Ancient Soveraigne so Scotland ought to do the like Our Fortune seldome failed us against them They never used us so kindly nor our kings at any time behaved themselves so unwisely that they Resigned their Right and Title unto Scotland as other Princes have done But now to the like advantage of this kind of inferiority as a Frenchman contracting or bargaining with one of our Nation in England maketh himself by this contract and Bargaine a Subject unto our Laws so any man whatsoever offending within our Realm subjecteth himself by reason of his offence unto our Jurisdiction And this is so true that a very mean man being a Judge if a great personage remaining under his Jurisdiction who by reason of his greatness may seem to be freed from his Authority shall commit an offence worthie of Punishment during his abode there the same mean and Inferior Judge may lawfully punish his Offence Example will make this matter more cleer For Example sake then grant that a Bishop abideth a while within an Archdeacons Jurisdiction and there offendeth in some Crime that deserveth Punishment the question may be whether the Archdacon may punish this delinquent For the Negative it may be said that Par in parem non habet protestatem much lesse an Inferior against his Superior and that an Archdeacon is Oculus Episcopi and Major post Episcopum and therefore can have no Authority over a Bishop yet it is resolved that if the Bishop be a stranger and not a Bishop of the Diocesse the Archdeacon hath sufficient Authority and the power to Chastise and Correct his offence but he cannot meddle with him if he be his own Bishop and the reason of the diversity is because his own Bâ—shop is as it were the Archdeacons spirituall Father and it is not Convenient that the Son should have any manner of Authority over the Father Now since it is certaine that where there is the like reason there the like Law shall be I may boldly infer by this Law that the Scottish Queâ—n offending within her Majesties Dominion may be punished by her Grace although she were her farr better I might here before I come unto her voluntary and forcible Resignation of the Crown tell you that she committed many things both before and after her Imprisonment that made a plaine forfeture of her Kingdome But although when I tâ—uched the duties of Vassals in some part I promised to touch the same in this plâ—ce more largely yet for brevitie sake I must omit this large discourse and only tell you that as the French King called our King Iohn in question for the murther commited by him at his Instigation on the person of his Nephew Arthur and forfeited his States in France for his not Apperance or insufficient Answer unto that Crime so if the Scottish Subjects had not deprived their Queen for the Parâ—icide laâ—d to her charge our Queens most excellent Majestie might not only have taken notice thereof but also have punished the same For albeit the Fact was committed without her Highness Realm and Dominion yet the person who was murthered being her Subject and Kinsman her grace might ex eo capite in my simple opinion lawfully have proceeded against the Malefactor And I remember that I saw a man executed at Venice because he killed his own Wife in Turky and the reason why they proceeded against him was the hainousness of the Fact and for that his Wife although she were not so was their naturall Subject And yet I confesse that our Common Laws regard not offences commited without our Realm wherein me thinketh they have small reason For sithence that for a Bargain made beyond the Seas I may have my reâ—edy here why shall not have the benefit of Law for my Child and Kinsman or any other that is near and dear unto me murthered beyond the Seas since the life of a Subject ought to be of far greater value and worth then his goods And if in a Civill action of which the Cause and originall is given beyond the Seas they can 〈◊〉 the Bond and Obligation to be made at Lyons within some Shire in England when indeed the same Lyons which they meane and where the Bond was made is in France why may they not lawfully use the like Fiction in a Criminal Cause But now the third point that Argueth the late Scottish Queens Inferiority unto our Queen She was deposed and therefore no longer a Queen This point hath in it two very strange points It is strange to hear that a Man or a woman being borne a Prince should be deprived and that he which receiveth a Kingdom by his birth should lose the same before his death But because this point hath great affinitie which the third objection that is made against the unfortunate Queens Execution I will forbear to speak thereof untill
no great Armies subdued the same and why may not the like fortune happen to the Spainard Truely if it might be inferred as a necessary consequent that the Country that hath been conquered many times and by many Nations should always be very easily conquered This inference might be far better made and used against Spain then against England For Spain was first governed by Tuball the Son of Iapheth the Son of Noe and by his posterity who were deprived of the Possession and Government thereof by the Sidonians and they by the Thracians and they by the Rhodians and they by the Phrygians and they by the Phenicians and they by the Cypriots and they by the Aegyptians and they by the Miletians and they by the Phocentians and they by the Chaldeans and they by the Carthaginians and they by the Romans and they by the Gothes and they by the Vice-Gothes and they lastly by the Spainards whom the Saâ—azens had driven out of their Country had not the Frenchmen holpen them to repel and expel the Sarâ—zens England was undoubtedly subdued by the Romans but not before they had conquered all the rest of the World because they reserved as it may be well supposed the conquest thereof as Conquerors most commonly do in great Enterprises for the last and greatest Exploit which they had to do or for the best reward that they could attain or expect of their long and tedious Wars And it is written that they boasted more of the Conquest thereof then of all the Victories which they had obtained in their dayes because they supposed that England which was divided from the rest of the World by the Sea was no part of the World and therefore they made two Triumphs thereof the one of the main Land and the other of the huge and merciless Sea The Danes and Saxons likewise subdued England but they enjoyed their Conquest but a very few years And how subdued they England Not by main force as Spain was always conquered but by cunning and deceit for Vortiger King of England being continually molested by Pirates and by the Scots was constrained to require Aid of the Saxons who sent him a great Army under the Conduct of two Brethren Engistus and Orsus of which Engistus having cunningly obtained of the King a convenient place for his people to dwell in fortified the same secretly got more thereunto covertly politickly perswaded the King to send for more forces out of Saxony and lastly Married his Daughter unto the King by whose means he brought his Countrymen in great credit with his Majesty made him banish the chief Nobility from the Court caused the King by this means to incur the hatred of his Subjects and when he perceived that our Country-men began to suspect and fear his over-growing Greatness he suddenly entred into league with the Picts the Antient Enemies of England and with their helps made an easie conquest thereof William the Conqueror became Master of England in this manner Edward King of England dying in the year 1065. made by his last Will and Testament William Duke of Normandy his sole and lawful Heir with the consent and counsel of the cheif Peers and Barons of his Realm But afterwards being wone thereunto by the flattery and sweet words of his Wife he changed his maid and adopted Harrold his Brother for his Heir whereupon there grew a great variance and contention betwixt the said VVilliam and Harrold who having some occasion to go into Flanders was by contrary winds driven into Normandy where he was presently intercepted and carried unto the Duke as a Prisoner before whom when he came fearing that he should not be set at liberty in a long time nor without a great Ransom unlesse he used some cunning device for his present delivery He said unto the Duke Other Princes Noble Duke when they have occasion to require Helps or any thing else of their Neighbours or Confederates use to demand the same by their Ambassadors But I contrary to this Custom knowing that there is no better way to end this contention and competency which is betwixt you and me then for me to marry your Daughter am come in person to pray your good Will that I may have her for my Wife The Duke yeeldeth to his desire Harrold with his new Spouse returneth speedily into England commandeth all Normans upon pain of death to depart out off his Realm within three dayes prostituteth his wife unto his meanest servants cutteth of her nose and her ears and sendeth her back unto her Father in a Fisher-mens Boat This Injury and Indignity may seem grievous unto you that hear it No marvel then if it so grieved her poor Father that to be revenged thereof he presently implored the help of his Friends who what for pitty of the distrested Princess what in hope of high rewards what in regard of the love and duty that some bare unto the Duke were so many that the greatest part of the Nobility of France with all the power that they could possibly make accompanied him in his journey But from him unto those kings of England who being driven from their Kingdoms recovered the same with small difficulty And not to be over tedious it shall suffice to mention unto you but two Princes of that kinde namely Edward the fourth and Henry the seventh And first to Edward who being deprived by his own Subjects of his Royal Diadem fled unto the Duke of Bugundy of whom obtaining an Army but of two thousand men onely he returned into England and finding that very few favoured him so long as he demanded the Crown he caused it to be proclaimed and published that he required nothing but the Dukedom of York whereunto every man knowing that he had Right many began to favour him and no man at his first landing in Yorkshire would resist him and yet he was not received into the City of York before that he had sworn faith and obedience unto the King This Oath being solemnly taken he goeth forward towards London Some few of his Friends came unto him upon the way The Earl of Warwick his Brother who was incamped neer about York to intercept him on the way either for fear or through ignorance suffereth him to proceed on his journey and so without so much as one stroke he came to London where he was received by the Citizens with great joy and gladness because divers of the richest sort doubting that they should never have again such sums of money as they had lent him whiles he was their king unless he recovered the Kingdom had purchased him the favour and friendship of the greatest part of the City of which being once Master he increased daily in power and strength and his Brother the Duke of Clarence and others leaving the Earl of Warwick and his Faction made him so strong that he daily subdued the rest of his Enemies Thus prevailed he Now from him unto Henry the seventh who