the storie of those Princes concerning those affaires PRescription and precedents swaying with the positiue lawes of the Kingdome they may then farre better ouer-rule or at least giue Reall satisfaction in point of meere conceit and late conceiued disaffection reading our owne Annalles and Chronicles we shall there finde many mutuall intermarriages to haue beene betweene the two Royall Crownes of England and Spaine began in the very infancie of our Monarchy running in a long discent chayned and linked together one with another making as it were a golden Orbe and circle of sincere Princely loue and amity so that many mighty Kings of Spaine and Portingale haue had Royall mothers of the English Nation and likewise many Royall Princesses of Spaine haue beene the blessed mothers of some puisant and victorious Kings of England King William surnamed the conquerour by whom England receiued his last subuersion and generall alteration his courses of gouernment institutions and lawes by which wee are now gouerned being exactly executed were as linkes intermutually fastned made so strong a Chaine that it hath euer since held together the whole frame of the state in peace and order as all the politique Regiments vpon earth all the inter-leagued societies of men cannot shew a straighter forme of combination This King first began contracted Margaret his youngest daughter to Alphonsus King of Galicia 1076. Henry the second lineally discended from him a famous and worthy King of England married Elenor his second daughter to another Alphonsus the ninth 1171. surnamed the good King of Castile Richard the first surnamed Cuer de Lyon sonne of Henry the second he tooke to wife Berengaria daughter of Sanctius King of Nauarr. The next intermarriage wee finde to haue betweene those two Nations being England had thereby a Queene therein And so for other in like sort I will be more particular it was in the time of King Henry the third Henry the third raigned 56. yeares who of all the Kings of England since the conquest raigned longest and his troubles therein the greatest not any wayes occasioned by the marriage but for that he would rule and gouerne according to his will and lusts and not by his lawes those that desire to be more particularly informed thereof Stowe Hollinsh Speede. the story of his life written by many will giue them further and full satisfaction for so much as shall concerne marriages and other passages betweene England and Spaine I will onely contract my selfe This King when he had raigned 39. yeares with infinite and daily troubles of ciuill warres with his Barons hee was suddainly called to another seruice from home Alphonso King of Spaine The King of Spaine claimed Gascoyne claymed title to Gascoyne by vertue of a Charter from Henry the second confirmed by Richard and Iohn Kings of England Henry the third fearing the Gascoyners would draw in the Spaniards peaceably as it were in the manner of a Progresse repayred into Gascoyne King of England went into Gascoyney and from thence sent Ambassadors to the King of Spayne to desire that the Lady Elenor his sister might bee giuen in marriage to his sonne Prince Edward Ambassadors sent into Spaine to treat of a marriage which was after Edward the first this motion was well approued besides that they brought Letters Patents with them from the King of Spaine in which amongst all other clauses it was contained The King of Spaine released his claime to Gasconey that the King of Spaine did quit his claime and whole right which by vertue of any graunts from Henry Richard and Iohn Kings of England he had or ought to haue herevpon the King of England sendeth both for his Queene and his sonne whom the King of Spaine desired The King of Spaine sends for the Prince of England might be conuayed vnto him onely with a noble intent to see and doe him honour Among other acts of sincerity and loue Alphonso sent to the King of England good aduice that after the example of good Kings and Princes he should be a Lamb to his Subiects and Seruitors and a Lyon vnto Aliens and Rebels Soone after the Queene and her sonne arriuing in Gascoyne when all things were rightly prepared Prince Edward was thence presently sent into Spaine where at the Citie of Burges he married the Lady Elenor sister to the King with great honour The Prince of England marrieth with the King of Spaines sister hauing first receiued Knighthood at his hands which done returnes to Burdeux from whence they altogether came safe through Fraunce into England the King of Fraunce being not long before returned from the Holy land The Prince of England had great entertainment in Fraunce gaue them both safe conduct in their passage and did to him and all his whole company all the honour with triumphes and feasts which the wit of man or the goodly Kingdome of Fraunce could afford afterwards landed safely at Douer what treasure this noble young Princesse brought in portion to her husband our Writers haue not deliuered vnto vs but the king forthwith gaue to his sonne Gascoyne Ireland Bristowe Stamford and Grantham King Henry liued after the marriage of his sonne seauenteene yeares during which time this Spanish Lady carried her selfe The Spanish Lady a most vertuous Princesse as a most noble and worthy Princesse and afterwards being Queene a more renowned loyall and vertuous wife no age euer afforded This King Edward the first amongst many his enterprises of a Royall and Kingly resolution went in person to Warre against the Sarazenes where that renowned and vertuous Lady Elenor his wife did endure with him an vnseperable companion of all his fortunes and was at Acon deliuered of a daughter there baptized by the name of Ione shee is denoated by our owne Writers to be a matchlesse precedent of coniugall affection the King her husband being trayterously wounded by a Sarazen with a poysoned knife that when no medicine could extract the poyson this Lady Elenor whilest the King her husband slept With her tongue daily licked his ranckling wounds drawing forth the impoysoned matter that soone after hee was fully cured and shee fortunately preserued The King and Queene not long after taking their iourney together towards Scotland the Queene in her way thither-wards sickned and dyed in the yeare 1284. The king almost struck dead with sorrpw alters his resolution returnes backe towards London with a long and sorrowfull iourney in a slowe and stately manner shee being conuayed out of Lincolnshire towards London in her honour the king her husband who loued her aboue all worldly creatures caused those many famous Crosses to bee erected wheresoeuer her Royall corpes did rest Charing Crosse at Waltham St. Albones and Dunstable The King with his whole Nobility and Clergie in a pompeous and Royall manner meetes the body at Saint Albones and with a Noble and generall concourse of his Subiects brings it to the
Royall Sepulture of his Auncestors at Westminster and there in Saint Peters Church it was with all possible Royalty and magnificence honourably interred The King gaue vnto the Abbot there twelue large and rich Lordships charitably to giue Almes and deuoutly to pray for the blessed Queene vntill the worlds end Our owne Writers affirme of this Queene Speede. Walsing Camdens Britania to our Nation she was a louing mother and saith one the Columne and pillar as it were of the whole Realme shee added the vertues of a wife to her sex to them both her immortall fame is a glory and an honour to her Nation King Edward the third 1360. married his daughter Iohanna to Henry the second King of Castile sonne of Alphonsus the 11. Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster fourth sonne of King Edward the third did take to wife Constancia eldest daughter of Peter King of Castile To whom in right of his said wife Constancia the Kingdome of Castile and Leon did discend and they both stiled themselues King and Queene of Castile and Leon which illustrious title is yet to be seene vpon his noble monument in Saint Pauls Church in London Katherine the sole daughter of the said Duke of Lancaster by his aforesaid wife Constancia was married to Henry 1388. the third sonne of king Iohn of Castile and Leon. Edmund Duke of Yorke youngest sonne of king Edward the third 1391. married Isabella youngest daughter of Peter king of Castile King Henry the fourth married Iohanna the daughter of Charles king of Nauarr. 1403. The next intermarriage wee finde betweene England and Spaine was in the time of king Henry the seauenth his owne marriage his sonnes with Spaine and marriages of his daughters are the greatest acts of State our English Annalles doe afford vs first his owne marriage made a Vnion whereupon after the effusion of much bloud to the consumption of the greatest part of the English Nobility there followed and euer since continued a happy peace and then by the marriage of his daughter settled an vndoubted and permanent succession for the Crowne of England the blessed happinesse at this instant wee enioy All which with the patience of the Reader contrary to my intended resolution which was onely for the story of the Spanish matches I will a little digresse and briefly touch hauing one with another dependancy and coherence This king Henry the seauenth for his wisedome was said to be a second Salomon and lay somewhat heauie on his people and was Auncestor to our now Soueraigne who will peraduenture some way both for the mannaging of the State and marriage of his children make him a patterne and precedent But the difference is the more is our happinesse Henry the seauenth his gathering of treasure together was to heape vp in store as appeared being found at Richmond after his decease vnder his owne key and keeping eighteene hundred thousand pounds sterling A huge masse of money for those times Our king hath expressed his Royall and Princely bounty and exposed his treasure vpō important occasions wherevnto his Maiestie hath beene necessitated gathered vp from his Subiects but as showers of raine that falls backe vpon the earth againe But it hath beene of late and it is very like hence-forth it will be imployed to repay support and supply About the ninth yeare of king Henry the seauenth his raigne there was one Peter Hyalus an Ambassador A Spanish Ambassadour sent into England sent from Ferdinando and Isabella king and Queene of Spaine to treate of a marriage betweene Katherine their daughter and Prince Arthur sonne and heire of Henry the seauenth it was obserued this Hyalus was a man of great wisedome that through the present could see farre into the future which king Henry soone perceiued Hyalus instantly became in great fauour and estimation with him brought it so about and yet not seene therein that Hyalus was imployed for him into Scotland both about a treaty of peace as also a marriage for Margaret his eldest daughter with Iames the fourth then king of Scotland it was not king Henry his course to seeke peace at any Prince his hands But it was conceiued hee did it then as not louing the barren warres which hee thought would not bee worth his charge Hyalus so caried himselfe in those Ambassies that it was his master-peece which euer after gaue him the esteeme of an excellent workman which shall bee hereafter more particularly related The warres betweene the king of England and the king of Scots were then at the height when Hyalus was sent but comming as it were from the king and Queene of Spaine as from friends equally well affected to both parties to mediate a peace betweene the two kings of England and Scotland as also about a treaty or ouerture at least of a marriage which perhaps in their owne persons would not haue beene so easily brought about the point of honour might therevnto giue impeachment Hyalus so handled the point of his imployment that immediately after Bishop Foxe was sent as an Ambassadour into Scotland wherevpon followed an honourable truce and shortly afterwards a marriage concluded betweene the king of Scots and Margaret the eldest daughter of Henry the seauenth king of England so that Doctor Morton afterwards Cardinall and this Peter Hyalus the Spanish Ambassadour were two of the happiest instruments that euer were the one for composing and contriuing the marriage betweene king Henry the seauenth and Elizabeth the eldest daughter of Edward the fourth whereby the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster were vnited and Hyalus a fore-runner of good hap was therefore by some called an Elias being the first motiue and speciall meanes of the intermarriage betweene England and Scotland whereby we enioy our now Soueraigne whom God graunt long to raigne ouer vs. The Spaniards are obserued generally to be acute and ingenious and many of them of great wisdome and deepe iudgements some reason thereof conceiued for that they are freer from the dull discease of drinke then other Nations are The great Historians writes in this manner of them The Spaniards are more able Guichardine Biterus then either the French or Germanes to endure the actions of the body and to suffer the passions of the minde Their first founder was a Souldier therefore are they held naturally the more for warre Jgnatius and no Nation hath euer beene therein more exercised They haue a Spanish Prouerbe To haue peace with England doth vs betide warres with all the world beside These our auncient Writers affirme Droder Siculus lib. 6. Strabo lib. 3. Mila lib. 2. that the Spaniard is most patient in want hardnesse hunger thirst heat colde and all other toyle and trouble both of body and minde and most ready and resolute for loue of Country or honour to encounter all dangers whatsoeuer For the last particular wherein the Spaniard hath that height of commendation giuen him it neither can be any detraction or
were punished for publishing doubts thereof to the contrary in so much as it passed in Parliament that if God should take away Queene Mary their supposed young Master comming into the world So called by Sir Richard Southwell Knight of the house should finde himselfe prouided for It was by Act of Parliament ordayned that King Philip should be Protector of her issue and Gouernour of the Realmes vntill their Prince or Princesses should come of able yeares Anno 2. and 2. Philip Mary Enacted that King Philip should bee Protector of his supposed issue King Philip apprehended continuall feares and doubts of the English in regard of the maligners of his marriage for at his first entrance the dore of his great Hall of his Court for the most part kept shut or straightly guarded not any suffered to enter vnlesse his businesse was first made knowne Acts and Menuments pag. 1643. 6. King Philip fearefull of the English Those Lords that were against the mariage commaunded to send their weapons to the Tower The Lords some of them hauing formerly shewed themselues to haue been much against the marriage hauing leaue to depart London had straight commaundement to send all their Harnesse and Artillary to the Tower which was done The King was as well doubtfull of those that beare a faire shew conceiuing it vpon this ground For that a Noble man in consultation had giuen his counsell to cut off Lady Elizabeths head whereby he assured himselfe that those so bad minded towards their owne naturall Princesse could not be better to him a stranger hee was graciously courteous to the English and endeuoured all wayes and meanes to gaine their loues and affections For which he layd a good foundation became an earnest mediator King Philip a great friend to the Lady Elizabeth and solicited the Queene for the liberty of that innocent Princesse her sister the Lady Elizabeth who still remained a solitary prisoner in Woodstock about Wyats conspiracy though no proofes could be brought against her for any offence King Philip at length obtained his suite that the Lady Elizabeth was brought to Hampton Court and for 14. dayes there locked vp and laid at by Gardiner to submit her selfe hauing not seene her sister in two yeares before shee was sent for into the Queenes Chamber about tenne of the clocke in the night which she no sooner had entered but falling vpon her knees shee prayed to God to preserue her Soueraigne Maiestie protesting her loyalty and truth to her person whatsoeuer had beene spoken or instigated to the contrary At which time there was betweene them long and much debate the Lady Elizabeth made good her innocency Queene Mary replied in Spanish God knowes and so went away King Philip standing behinde the Arras all the time About some weeke after Princesse Elizabeth released of her imprisonment the Princesse Elizabeth was discharged of Bening field whom she termed her laylor and leaue of liberty yet so that Sir Thomas Pope a priuie Councellour and Master Gage the Queenes Gentleman Vsher were still her Attendants all Queene Maries time But the death of Gardiner immediatly followed those stormes grew more calmer and the Lady Elizabeth euery day more affectionately respected King Philip by this his honourable and worthy act gayned him the loue of many the Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdome and did thereby so indeare and ingratiate himselfe into the affections of the Commons Nota. that they turned their hate and distaste vpon those that had beene the chiefe opponents and maligners of the marriage So that they are indeede like a streame of water though turned out of the current yet will runne Hee euery day gayned more and more vpon the loues of the English King Philip gayned the loue of the English in his affection gracing and countenancing them and his owne Country men he carried himselfe wonderous euenly which kept good correspondencie betweene the two Nations though his marriage with Queene Mary made him Master of all here in England yet in his honest and iust disposition those Articles which he had formerly agreed vnto alwayes maistered his affections obsequiously and exactly performing them which is not alwayes seene in Princes he had the two chiefe ornaments belonging to a King that is to say mercy and Iustice for the one he was both a moderator and mediator King Philip his good disposition and inclination to Iustice what hee could to restraine those seuere and cruell persecutions committed in Queene Maries time then for Iustice he had a Princely inclination to haue it duly administered Amongst many there is one peece of Iustice noted in him an Englishman at London in single fight being killed by a Spaniard he was executed though by the Strangers two hundred Duckets were offered for the Spaniard his repriue which could not stay the hand of Iustice For that there will be further occasion hereafter in my intended course for the pursuing of this my relation I will write here no more of him in his particular as being not to be doubted he was no lesse worthy and graciously disposed a Prince then hee is here briefly discribed or at least howsoeuer if his vertues had not exceeded his imperfections which is a great happinesse to a State where such a King is by some of our Writers that haue written of those times we should haue heard of him at large King Philip frustrate of his hope for his heire vpon the fourth of September 1555. tooke shipping and went to visite his Father the Emperour and to take possession of the Low Countries where he stayed a yeare and a halfe to the great griefe of Queene Mary his wife But returning came to Douer hee was by the Queene met on the way and brought through London accompanied with many Peeres of the Realme as in triumph against a Coronation In the Kings absence many conspiracies had beene attempted but they were like vapours that are drawne vp by the Sunne and falls againe so those actors as commonly incident to such men were drawne vp with hemp by the hand of Iustice before they did any hurt Hollinsh Grafton the persons and perticular passages I also leaue to those Authors before mentioned The Emperour ouer-worne with the affaires of the world Grimston in his French History and wearied with the troubles of turmoyling warres or rather touched with remorse of conscience for the infinite miseries brought by him vpon Florence Naples Scicilie Tuscane Elbe and Calabria perswaded that those mournefull iarres of Christian Princes Nota. had giuen to the Turke aduantage vpon diuers parts of Europe Iarres of Christian Princes giueth aduantage to the Turke he called his sonne King Philip of England vnto Bruxels as is said where by authentick Letters resigned all his Realmes vnto him commanding all his Estates and Subiects to acknowledge and hold him their lawfull King and among many other instructions and most wise exhortations gaue him charge chiefly