brother and the house of Montmorancie against him for the prosecuting whereof the brother of the said Montmorancie and the Prince of Condie came into England and there receyued the somme of 50. thowsand poūdes which was past ouer by exchange by way of Antwerp and Colen for the first leuy of men and bringing in of Casimire By meanes of which forces the king was constrained to giue vnto his brother Aniow Main Towrain Tours whereby his partage was made greater thē any brother to any king of Frannce before him Now when by this meanes the French king was thus-much feebled then was the said Duke of Aniow broughte into England to be made the make-fyre betweene the two most potent realmes of Christendome Spaine and Fraunce but vnder the colour and countenance of matrimony which being in the end conuerted into a mock-mariage Monsieur receyued his errand to go into the low countries of the king of Spaine there was he made Antiduke of Brabant the which laudable deuice yf any in Englād had cōtriued except M. Cecill or yf it had euer bene practized in any other princes tyme thē in this it could haue bene no lesse then highe treason For that to put an heire apparent of Fraunce in possessiō of Flaunders is a matter of no lesse moment thē to giue dooble strengthe vnto an auncient enemy and to leaue England for a future breakfast vnto a French king But it pleased God soone to quench the fire that mōsieur was sent to kindle For the new duke of Brabant being subdued by his subiectes was in the nonage of his raigne forced with much dishonor to returne into France VVhere the remembrance of the deceatful dealinges of England and the shame that lately he had sustained in the low countries did make his owne indiscretions apparent vnto himself and so aggrauated his sicknesse that the reuenge which he threatned vnto Englād he was faine to leaue vnto God and his duchie of Brabant vnto the right owner For soone after his arryuall in Fraunce with very much grief of mynde he died Monsieur being thus departed this world it was necessarie that some nevv occasion were soughte out for the continuance of M. Cecill his eternall resolution which the sinister practizes past and the iniquities of the tyme present suffred not to be ōg sought for For he foorwith discouered that the French king had entretained an il opiniō of the princes of the house of Guyse vnto the which house albeit that the King and his bretheren the late kinges before him had bene as much beholding as a king could be vnto his subiectes yet by the suggestion of a leud mignion all their manifold desertes were vngratefully forgotten And then for the better now rishing of these dislikes an extraordinarie league of amitie was concluded with the french King who soone after became so attentiue vnto good instructions that he cōmitted most horrible murthers vpon tvvo of the princes of the said house and what end himself shortly after came vnto is manifest enough But to leaue Scotland and Fraunce in those termes vvherunto they are novv led vve vvill come vnto Spaine as to the matter of greatest momēt the subiect of this discours The King vvhereof hauing left the Q. of England presently vppon Q. Maries deceasse in full possessiō of that kingdome and by sundry demonstratiōs giuen proof of his entire loue and amitie vnto her and also of his firme intention to continevv the old concord that had so long endured betweene the kinges of England and the house of Burgundie being also at peace with the French king hauing placed for the gouernmēt of the Netherlandes the Duchesse of Parma he departed into Spaine And albeit as it is wel knowne he hath euer bene a prince that by nature is disposed vnto peace yet cōsidering the greatnesse of the Turk and his incessant attemptes in the inuading of Christendome whereof some vniuersall danger mighte be feared to ensue he determined to employ such meanes as God had giuē him to withstand the intention of this comon enemy The which soone after he began to put in practize as hereafter shalbe declared But this cours of proceeding lyked not him that had designed his plots vnto other purposes and that rather sought to woork some speciall domage to the king of Spaine then to haue the potēcie of the Turck diminished And therefore for an introduction thereunto to make him odious vnto the people certaine players were permitted to scof and iest at him vpon their comō stages And the lyke was vsed in contempr of his religiō first to make it no better thē Turkishe by annexing vnto the very psalmes of Dauid as thoughe the prophet himself had bene the author thereof this ensuing meeter Preserue vs lord by thy deere woord From Turck and Pope defend vs lord That bothe would thrust out of his throne Our lord Iesus Christ thy deere sonne And after by making it farr more odious and woors then was the religion of Mahomet As diuers ministers did at diuers tymes insinuate vnto the people And one of them in a sermon at Paules crosse affirmed that it was a more better acte to assist Turks then Papistes For the which woordes the L. Buckhurst the same day reproued him at the shirif of Londons table but M. minister stoode vnto his tacling and had as it seemed learned his lesson of the superintēdent of VVinchester who published in a printed booke that it was better to sweare vnto the Turk and turkery then vnto the Pope and popery and that the Pope is a more perillous enemy to Christ then the Turk But in the meanewhyle it is a good Gospell that maketh him that tearheth vs to beleeve that Christ is the sonne of God and sauior of the world and him by whose meanes our forefathers were baptised in the name of the Father Sonne holy Ghost to be woors then he that denyeth Christ to be the sonne of God and constreyneth Christians to renounce their christendome These preparatiues being thus made the Moores that inhabited the kingdome of Granada were excited to rebellion Vnto whome althoughe the English would not openly send forces of men yet they sent them succors of powder shot artillery other munition of warr There were also certaine French pirates that vnder colour of authoritie from the Q of Nauar◠that then was the prince of Condie the Shatillion and others were sent foorth to robbe and endomage the king of Spaine and his subiects all these had free passage and entrance to and from the portes and hauens of England And soone after one Kirkham and diuers other English of the westcountrey were permitted to go foorthe to robbe and spoile the Spaniardes wherof the Spanish Ambassador then resident in England instantly demaunding redresse and restitution was denied of either And the goodes thus taken by piracie were brought into diuers townes west ward and there openly sold But in the meane
lay a sleepe and had lying besyde him the value of 4. thousand ducats in 13. vvedges of siluer all vvhich they ouercame caried vavay curteously leauing the Spaniard as thei found him They ryfled also 12. shipes that lay at ancker in the hauen of Lyma and cutting all the ropes cables let theÌ„ driue vnto the seas And in another ship called the Cagafuego they found precious stones ievvels 80 pouÌ„d vvaight of gold 20. tonne of siluer vvhere of hauing put themselues in possession after some smaller pilferies and sacking of the tovvne of Gnatulca M. Drake and his company returned from this very hot and hardy seruice in the end brought all this treasure into EnglaÌ„d VVhere he vvas so vvell vvelcome and so liberall in the deuision of shares to some Courtiers that notvvithstanding the gallovves claimed his interest it neuer gat so great a brauado for in very despight of wapping he was at Deâ—ford rewarded with the honor of knighthoode and in the same ship wherewith he had bene abrode a roâ—ing And albeit that now and then some poore pirate or other rhroughe the importunate sute of the parties endomaged haue bene cast away vpon wapping shore yet was their sildome or neuer any restitution made of the stolne goodes Neither should such great mis-hap haue betyded those pirates had not their chiefest offence bene in stealing to litle For M. Drake himself and diuers other principal Captaines haue bene much disgraced at such tymes as they returned home with small booties But this good successe of an il enterprize gaue great desyre to the lyke attempt againe And the new knight of the order of theuiÌ„g by the inequal deuisioÌ„ of shares hauing had perhaps the least parte alloted vnto himself was redy enoughe to vndertake it And not longe after he was sent forth with a greater number of men and shippes wherewith he arryued at the Ile of Spagnola and there sacked the towne of S. Domingo and other places where he coÌ„mitted many barbarous cruelties vpon religious men and women and returning from Carth agena tooke in his way sundry shippes the people wher-of he cast into the seas These continuall robberies spoiles made by the English vpon the King of Spaine his subiects in about his Indies grewe in the end to be so many and so ordinary that euen the very remembrance that it was iniustice and the euery forgotteÌ„ And for their greater shame coÌ„fusioÌ„ they haue not letted to put downe many of their actions them selues in print to the view of the world And among others which for breuitie I must omitt M. Thomas Candish in his letter to the lord Chamberlaine writeth that he had nauigated all alongst the coast of Chili Peru and Nouaspagna VVhere he made great spoiles and burnt and sunck 19. saile of Shippes small and great and burnt and spoiled all the villages and townes that euer he landed at and that he tooke a ship of the Kinges at Califorma wherein was the somme of in treasure and somuch other costly wares as he was not able to carie away therefore tooke all the treasure and sett the ship with the other goodes on fyre But I will here end these matters to auoyde prolixitie omitt sundry of thesame kynde which by very many haue bene put in practize And albeit that euery one of theÌ„ hathe not returned with lyke spoile yet certaine it is that there vvere neuer any westerne voyages made from England these many yeares past but howsoeuer they were in outward shewe diuulged the very meere meaning intention of theÌ„ all was to robbe the king of Spaine or his subiects of their Indian treasure In the continuaÌ„ce whereof for so-many yeares together as the king neuer atteÌ„pted any act of hostilitie either against the Queene her dominions or subiects which no prince in the world could haue forborne to do after so great prouocatioÌ„ so the English on the othersyde did contrariwise deeme that the to-many iniuries vvhich they had donne him vvere al to fevv And therefore they resolued to offend him much more and in a farr more apparent and inexcusable manner in the sight of all the world then in any their former actions hovv manifest soeuer For vvhen the Archtraitor to his King destroyer of his country the P. of Orange was takeÌ„ out of the world and the head-lesse rebels of the NetherlaÌ„des first seeking patronage of the K. of Denmarck after of the French king being by both those iustly denied and reiected the English dismasking themselues of all former vizardes and shadowes did ouertly receyue them into their protection to defend them in all open hostillitie against their naturall and lawful soueraigne the king of Spaine And thereupon they resolued to put themselues in possession of sundry the principall porte townes and other places of those partes And by a printed declaration went about by diuers weake and indirect reasons to iustifie that action vvhereof amonge others one was in respect of the auncieÌ„t league betvvene the kinges of England and the house of Burgundie and the people of either of those princes as thoughe the Q. of England mighte by prerogatiue of that league maintaine the subiects of the Netherlandes against the King of Spaine their soueraigne the chief Prince of the house of Burgundie An-other reason vvas to the end the naturall people of the countrie should not be oppressed by straungers as thoughe the English Scotish Germaines others brought in by the States were lesse straungers then the Spanish But to confirme and make these reasons more sufficient M. Norris vvas first sent ouer to take possession of certaine porte townes fortes and other places in Holland and Zealand and soone after the Earle of Leicester whose experience in chamber woorck exceeded his practize in warr and the L. Audley the L. VVilloughbie and the L. Northe sundrie other of name came ouer with an army of 10. thowsand men aswell for the garnisons of the places now in their possession as also to come vnto the feild against the forces of the king of Spaine And in what sorte the supplies of the garnisons in Holland Zealand Brabant and Flaunders haue since froÌ„ tyme to tyme bene continually maintained from England as also the English troopes for the feild being preâ—ently in our view and memorie I will omitt the recytall And thus at the last by this ouert entrance of the English into hostilitie there was more manifest occasion giuen vnto the king to vse the lyke againe and to attempt that whereunto no former iniuries could prouoke him And the matter now coming to an opeÌ„ warr on either syde either party was to vse his aduantage as he best could Che piglia piglia che non puo suo danno And therefore omitting that which since hathe bene donne in those partes I will briefly touch the Portugall voyage not in comparing it with the double faced actioÌ„s before rehearsed but as an ordinary
help and amonge others to the French king Vnto whose ayd he sent in the first troobles 3. thowsand Spaniardes who were present at the battaile of Dreux And afterward from the lowe countries he sent the Counte of Mansfeild at two seuerall tymes both with horse and foote He sent also the Counte of Arenberg the Baron of Erge and diuets others to assist thesaid king at sundry tymes All which forces sent by the King of Spaine from tyme to tyme into Fraunce himself of his princely and liberall mynde euer maintayned payed at his owne charges And there is nothing that more declareth his moderation iustice and equitie towardes his Christian neighbours then his sweete and Christianlyke demeanour towardes the realme of Fraunce VVhere neither by the minorites of the late kinges nor ciuill discentions of the subiects he would take aduantage to chalenge or encroache any parte of that countrie VVhereas yf he had bene so greedy and ambitious as his aduersaries do bely him to bee he would not haue omitted in so many oportunities to have chalenged all Fraūce to hymself VVho hathe at this present thesame right by his daughter and farr more cleere then had somtyme the noble prince King Edward the third of England thereunto And yet as the world seeth he neither thē nor now hath chalēged any such thīg at all this is a singular praise and an eternall glory to this most puissant prince of all ages and in this tyme especially to be maruayled at that he attēpteth nothing nor wageth any warres that are not iust honorable and allowed bothe by the lawes of God and man And as touching the Queene of England I will omitt some great and especiall acts of amitie shewed by himself vnto her whē he was maried vnto her sister whereof her self is not ignorant but dothe best know them And I will briefly relate some points before touched First vpon the deceasse of Queene Mary his wyf he gaue vnto this Queene al her Iewelles which rightly appertayned vnto himself And being aboute the conclusion of a peace with the Frēch king after the taking of S. Quintynes he delt very instantly for the rendring of Calis vnto the English insomuch as vvithout the restoring thereof he refused the accord stode so resolute vpon this point that in the end the French vvere faine to tell him that albeit the English did solicite him to include the deliuery of Calis in his peace yet had they secretly alredy cōcluded their peace with them without that condition And this was donne by a close practize of M. Cecill who sent ouer one Guido Caualcante an Italian to conclude it vvithoute the knowlege of the Queenes Ambassadors vvho vvere there appointed to solicite it VVhich extreme duble dealing could not yet brede any auersion in his mynde against the English insomuch that after they began to fall from the doing vnto him one iniurie in the neck of another which still encreased from a fewe to many and from lesser to greater yet would he neuer begin any attempt against them nor neuer make somuch as any shewe of any one acte of hostilitie whatsoeuer vntill such tyme as they came so farr as to the very taking of his townes into their owne possessions as is aforesaid VVhich is a most great and sufficient argument of his grounded affection vnto that Queene and countrie For moste rarely is it foūd that any King or Prince could so continually disgest and ouersee such great vvronges and iniuries as he hathe receyued from England and much lesse himself that hathe greater meanes to reuenge them then any other potentate lyuing in the world And had doubtlesse lōg since dōne it had it not proceeded of a most singular affectiō vnto that Prince and people hope of redresse and amendment Thus much may serue to shewe whether the King of Spaine hathe soughte so many yeares to trooble the state of England But contrariwise vvhether the state of England hathe so long soughte the disturbance of him and almost of all other their neighbours I leaue the reader to iudge by the premisses the cōfirmation of those I referr to the testimony of all the nations of Europe to the end there may be a sufficiēt number of witnesses to check the extreme impudenof the malitious aduersary who is not ashamed to say that the repose of Christendom by the king of Spaines vvarres by no other meanes is nowdisturbed which otherwise mighte come to an vniuersall peace But as touching the vniuersall peace yf it were to be such as this pacifier would prescribe it vnto him I must needes confesse that I do greatly doubte vvhether the king of Spaine would thereunto be perswaded because in al-lykelyhode it must be in this manner First that he should recall such forces as of great compassion vnto the naturall people of Fraūce he hathe sent thether to defend them against a relapsed Huguenote that vvould make them renegates from the faith as himself is Secondly that he should suffer his rebells of Holland and Zealand quietly to possesse the places they do hold and to take vnto them all the rest of the low countries also conditionally that the English mighte still kepe the possession of such porte townes as they haue haue some half a dosen more annexed vnto them Thirdly that the English rouers might peaceably go to his Indies and there take away his treasure and his Indies also And these fewe aricles being thus accorded then might England Fraunce the Netherlandes and Germany be in farr better possibilitie to extirpate the Catholyke religion in Italy to bring the Moores into Spaine then to conclude that vniuersall peace which passeth all vnderstanding And include in the-same the great Turk the king of Fesse and Marrocco and other infidells with whome England is alredy leagued And thus hauing declared sundrie of the iniuries dōne by the English vnto other princes and people espetially vnto the King of Spaine his subiects also in what laudable most honorable manner the said King hathe demeaned himself vnto thē and other his Christian neighbours It shall now be necessary to touch the presēt estate wherein the realme of Englād stādeth The which for the better intelligēce of the reader I will reduce into fower pointes and in conclusion it shall manifestly appeere vvhether some fewe persons accused or their chiefest accuser are or is the cause of the present and expected calamities of England The first shalbe touching matters of faith and religiō wherein there was neuer such great and wonderfull confusion The second touching exterior enemyes whereof the realme had neuer somany nor none so puisant The third of the sundry competitors for the crowne and the vncertainty of the successor The fourth and last shall concerne the ouerthrow of the Nobilitie and the generall oppression of the people THE realme of Englād hathe at sūdry tymes bene subiect to diuers great molestations aswell throughe ciuill dissentiō as
in person with great armies obtained such victories as will for euer recomend their glorie to all posterities They are also in league with a fewe Bere-bruers and Basketmakers of Holland and Zealand with a company of Apostataes and Huguenotes of Fraunce with their feed pēsioner the Chaūcelor of Scotlād who by abusing of the King hathe gottē credit to woork his ruyne And the English thus leagued with infidells heretikes and rebells cannot yet presume of any true frindship of them in their hartes For the French albeit they be Huguenotes yet are they still French vnto the English and as heretofore so euen of late they have shewed themselues vnto such as were sent from England to assist them The states of Holland and Zealand yf they could possibly thurst out the Englishe they would not let to do it And it is well knowne that some of them of chiefest auctoritie haue secretly concluded and resolued either presently vpon the Queenes deceasse or so soone as any oportunitie serueth to bring all their forces together to attempt it The freindship of Scotland although it haue cost many Englishe angels yet will it prove Scotish in the end And the great Turk and his consorts may be by the English excited to inuade some partes of Christendome neere vnto them adioyning as alredy vpon such perswasiō they haue attempted but good vnto England they can do none albeit the English would exchāge their Geneua Bible for the Turkish Alcorā because their situations are to farr distant But how so euer their new freindes may congratulate with them their old alies may rather reioyce in hauing their enmitie then their amitie For that by the vnhappy and mischieuous endes of somany of their late confederates it is obserued that to be in league with Englād is malū omē Et for proof thereof I will aleadge some examples First the Earle of Arren in Scotland after that he had by the espetiall suggestion of the English prosecuted the rebellions and dissentions in his countrie became distracted of the vse of reason and hathe these 30. yeares remayned madd The Earle of Murray bastard brother to the Scotish Queene was slaine with an harquebushe in the towne of Lythquo The Earle of Lenox was stabbed with daggers The Earle of Marr was poysoned The Earle of Murton behedded All which were regents and gouernours of the realme and sett vp by the English For I will omit recytall of diuers other Lordes and gentlemen that folowed their factions whose endes also were violēt Besydes the great nūbers that haue perished in diuers battailes In Fraunce the Prince of Coundie was slaine at the battaile of Iarnac The Admirall Shatilian massacred at Parris with mumbers of his consorts The Cardinall of Shatilian his brother was poysoned in England The Counte of Mountgomery behedded Monsieur the Duke of Aniow brother to the late King died of an extraordinary sicknesse supposed to be poysoned And what end the last French King came vnto is manifest enough As also that Lanowe being ioyned with the English forces in Britany was there slaine And to what end Nauarr shall come being as firmly leagued with the English as were the others is yet to be expected In the low Countries the Counte of Lumay before mentioned that surprised the towne of Briel and had bene the murtherer of some hundteths of Priests being bitten in the arme by an English dogg of his owne died mad raging in the towne of Liege The Prince of Orange that could neither be warned by the infortunate endes of three of his owne bretheren Henry Adolf Lodowick nor by one or two attēpts made vpon his owne person was lastly slaine with a pistol in the towne of Delf in Holland THe third calamitie whereunto England is brought is of the vulgar multytude vnsene because it is yet of them vnfelt And that is the great confusion of somany competitors to the crowne bothe within without the realme VVhich must nedes prognosticate such slaughter cruell murthers as neuer were in that nor in any other country for such quarrell VVhen the crowne of England was in contention only betweene the two howses of Yorck and Lancaster how lōg it lasted how many of the bloud Royal Nobilitie lost their lyues and what great nūbers of thowsandes were slaine the histories of those dayes can declare But farr greater extremities are we now to expect among somany do mesticall and some externe competitors Euery one of which thinking himself to be iustly the first cā aleage many causes for the exclusion of the others And therefore in all lykely hoode each one of those that liue within the realme Ile will not forbeare hereafter to attempt by what meanes he may to preferr himself and to depresse the others For the crowne remayning among so many in equall ballance and each almost in lyke possibilitie who of them is it that will not dare to aduenture the vttermost of his meanes for the gayning of no lesse a thing then is the kingdome of England And what aucthoritie of any dissolued councel shal prohibite any of the competitors to attempt the same vpō the dereasse of the Queene VVhat great apparēce is there then of the effusion of the blood of many thowsands to what desolation is the realme lyke to be brought how fayned will then this present seeming peace be foūde whē it shall conclude in such intricate mortall warres And how infinite wilbe the cursinges and maledictions of all sortes of people vpon him that hathe caused it whē it shall appere vnto thē that as he neuer sought to cōserue thē in peace during the Queenes lyf so he neuer mēt but to leave thē in warres after her death At what tyme he may reioyce as once did the tyrāt Nero to see the citie burne which himself had set on fyre And how soone this great quarrel shalbe begun is as vncertaine as the thing that each howre is to be expected Seeing it dependeth vpō the only lyf of the Queene wherof there is as litle assurance as of the lyf of any other mortall creature and her deceasse so-much the nearer in that she is now declyning in age TO come vnto the fourth last parte cōcerning the ouer-throwe of the Nobilitie and the great and generall oppression of the people it is first to be considered that albeit the vniust molestations of other comon-wealths and the oppressions and cruelties vsed within the realme were bothe by M. Cecill begū prosecuted yet hathe he so cuningly disposed very many of his affaires into the handes of other principall actors espetially since the death of his brother Bacon that very oftē tymes his owne plottes inuentions have seemed the practizes of others Of these his actors the late Earle of Leicester the secretary VValsingham were the chiefest The former of the twaine for that he had in his youth by ouermuch attending his pleasures neglected the obseruation of many secretes which M. Cecill practized
A DECLARATION OF THE TRVE CAVSES OF THE GREAT TROVBLES PRESVPPOSED TO BE INTENded against the realme of England VVherein the indifferent reader shall manifestly perceaue by whome and by what meanes the realme is broughte into these pretented perills Seene and allowed Anno M. D.LXXXXII TO THE INDIFFERENT READER THE present estate that the realme of England is in a fewe yeares come vnto and the sundry aduersites sustayned by the inhabitāts of the same are such and somany as the lamentable and generall cries and complaintes of the oppressed multytude cā declare them to exceede all those of all ages past in the memorie of man And yet of the redresse of these calamities so litle hope is giuen that nought els but the terrors of farr greater trobles are daily sounded in the eares of the afflicted people which can be to no other end then to enduce them to beare such further extreame misery and pouertie as by the newe intended exactions pressures pillages they are lyke to be broughte vnto But strāge it is to consider that the auoydance of such great daungers as are pretended vnto the realme and expected as is insinuated by a spanish inuasion is neither soughte nor desyred by geuing that king satisfaction of the manifeste iniuries don vnto him nor in the restitution of his townes and cities wrongfully possessed by the English But falsly supposed to consist in the persecuting and killing of a fewe poore priests and Iesuytes within the realme that there do secretly practize their priestly functions to the consolation of such afflicted Catholikes as liue within the same or to the conuersion of such well mynded protestants as will not obstinately refuse to vnderstand their owne errors when they are made manifest vnto them by which meanes many are confirmed in Catholike religion and some numbers brought from heresy to embrace the truthe which albeit the malice of the aduersary hath not letted to withstād euen with the effusiō of bloud yet cōsidering that the force of truthe is great and dothe preuaile the violence of the enemy is also mightely encreased who directly seeking the lyues and goods of Catholikes for their conscyence and religiō laboreth by all meanes possible to make the cause of their sufferance to some to be for treason Vnder pretext whereof by a late proclamation published in London in Nouember last 1592. in the name of the Queene theire are yet more exquisite meanes of inquisition deuysed to bring them vnto the slaughter then were euer vsed afore And because all men can not without some demonstration so rightly discerne the truthe of this case and the causes of the supposed perills as it is requisyte for euery man to know and the sway of the tyme not permitting the same otherwise to be vttered they are in the ensuing treatise briefly set downe In the which albeit that euery fryuolous point of the aforesaid proclamation be not expresly answered yet is the intention of the inuētor thereof directly impugned and the iust blame imputed where it is iustly deserued It may therefore please the discreet reader laying a syde all partialitie with an in different eye to behold the manifest truth that shal in this treatise be laid open vnto him the which for his owne safty he must vse with secreesie and sylence because of the great a-do that the great Lord Threcherer will kepe to depresse and conceile it from the sight and knowlege of the world the which may serue for one especial motiue to prooue that he knoweth himselfe to be guilty in conscience yf he haue any at al. And thus leauing the reader out of the matter ensuing with some addition of somthing here omitted to make a commentarie vpon Chaucers prophesie I wish him well to fare from Colen the 26. of Marche 1592. Of the fained happinesse of England The vaunt of the pretended Gospel NO triumphes of the Gospells lighte But truthe that shyneth cleere Not vvordes but actions iust and righte Makes vertue to apeere See then vvhat force this faith hath found More then of elder dayes And let the vices that abound Confirme the present praise The boast of continual peace The tokens of continued peace By plenty best are shovven But signes of vvarr that dothe not ceasse By comon vvants are knovven Such is the peace vve then preferr And eke our plenty so That thovvsands hath consumde in vvarr And millions left in vvo The present feare of troubles And all expyred dayes and yeares And fained pleasures past Conuerted are to sundry feares Of dangers at the last VVould God no former cause had beene Reuenges to attend Since happynesse is euer seene Best by the happy end WHen Queene Marie that lately possessed the crovvne and kingdome of England had resigned her soule vnto God and her bodie to nature the lordes spirituall and tēporall the comons of the realme receaued into that crovvne and dignitie the lady Elizabeth her sister à Princesse yonge and beautifull and aboundantly adorned with the giftes of nature and princely education The King of Spaine albeit he had bene maried vnto the deceased Queene yet did he neuer seke to possesse himself of the crowne nor to appropriate vnto him any Cities Castels Portes or other places within the realme nor in any sorte to oppugne the entrance of the newe Queene but in all loue and actes of amitie he did manifest his well lyking of her highe aduauncement aswell in the geuing vnto her all his late wyves Iewels which were of great value as in his earnestly labouring with the French for the restitution of Calis to the encrease of her dominions A litle before the death of the aforesaid Queene there was à treaty of peace begun betwene England Spaine and Fraunce including by consequēce Scotlād Flaunders the which peace notwithstanding the aforesaid Queenes deceasse went forward and was fully concluded Thus stood the realme of England shortly after this Queenes coming to the crowne in perfect peace and amitie with all the countries next adioyning and those also neither in ciuil broyles among themselues nor in dissention with their neighbours abrode The Moores of Granada liued in obedience to the king of Spaine the names of Huguenots and Gheuses were in Fraūce and Flaunders vtterly vnknowne and vnhard 〈◊〉 and in Scotland was no contention for gouernement But as the Serpent being subtiler then all the beasts of the feild did somtyme seduce the first woman and Queene of the world to breake the cōmaundemēt of God wherby herself was forced to exile and her posteritie made subiect for euer after to such infinite calamities So wanted there not now a fly Sicophant to suggest this princesse to breake the vnitie of Gods Churche and eft-soones to prosecute such violent attempts against other princes the old allies of her predecessors as thereby herself and realme is brought vnto these present feares and to expect such insuing daungers as God may permit to fall vpon them Very probable it is that the Queene so
enmitie with all the world and how for his labor he hathe purchased among fooles the reputation of wisdome albeit he hathe lost among wisemen the esteeme of honestie The first proof of this deuice to stirr vp tumults in other princes dominioÌ„s he put in practize with Scotland the countrie next adioyning where-vpon sone after folowed the warres of Lythe the successe whereof because it fel not out so well as to his purpose he wished himself went thether to patche vp a peace the which he so well disposed of that they were neuer since out of coÌ„tinuall warres And for the better more assured maintenance of discord he hathe not letted euer since to hyre some principall persons for yearely wages to nowrish and continew rebellions quarrells factions by which meanes the treasure of the realme hathe not only bene infinitely wasted but at sundry tymes diuers greâ—â—… troopes of English forces haue bene sent â—â—ether conducted by the Earle of Sussex and others whereof hathe ensued very great effusion of bloud of either nation diuers horrible murthers the exyle of the Scottish Queene and the transposing of the realme to the rule of an infant vnder the gouernment of a bastard But what infortunate endes this vsurper and sundrie others there sett vp for regentes haue come vnto is manifest to the world and the great murthers that haue sprong throughe the seede of dissention first sowen by this pacifier haue not ceased eueÌ„ with the slaughter of that queene but wil end the lyues of many before they be ended Now as one that of hatred vnto idlenesse would rather choose to be occupied in iniquitie then to offend in slothe in the meane whyle that these dissentions were entretained in ScotlaÌ„d coÌ„sidering that by the mariage of the French king vnto the Scotish queene their two realmes were lynked together and that the French king was but an orphane he neglected not his oportunitie to bring France to staÌ„d in as good termes as Scotland therefore he sent ouer Sir Nicolas ThrogmortoÌ„ to perswade such French vnto rebellioÌ„ as he founde to be mutinous discoÌ„tented and for furtherance thereof he promised them assistaÌ„ce of mony and munitioÌ„ out of EnglaÌ„d The vvhich promisse was accordingly performed For M. Cecill seldome failed to kepe his woord in any such couuenant the seduced French so wel kept tutch on the other syde that they proceded vnto a very flatt rebellion and so purchased the nevv name of Huguenots But this assistance not being found sufficient the more to engage the realme of England in that cause the Huguenots were wrought to deliuer vnto the Queenes haÌ„des the tovvnes of Newhauen Diepe diuers others the acceptaÌ„ce whereof some of the auncient nobilitie of the realme that yet remained of the councel vtterly misliked and aleaged that it was an ill president to assist the rebels of other princes least the lyke might be offred vnto the Queene which considerate councell auailed litle with him that meÌ„t to make this no more but an introduction to greater mischieues For Vaughan Pellam and one Portinato an Italian were sent ouer to take the view of Newhauen and these returned with relation that the English were able with 2000. to defeÌ„d it against all the world and here upon the matter was resolued notwithstanding all former alleagations and forward it went but not without a vizard for their was a booke written in iustification of that action to signify to the world that the intentioÌ„ of the English was but to kepe the possessioÌ„ of that towne vntill the king came to age as thoughe the master of the wardes in England had had the wardship of the French king also And another reason was for that the other party to wit the princes and peeres of the realme that were of the kings councell did meane to bring strangers into the countrie from whome of all other places they had great care to preserue this towne whereupon a very difficill question might be moued to wit whether the English in those dayes were more naturall Frenchmen then other strangers But leauing the resolutioÌ„ of this doubt certaine it is that there were sent ouer vnto Newhauen 4000. men which were but 2000. more then were nedefull to withstand all the world perhaps to remaine in prouision against Nouus orbis which peraduenture might come against it also but how this tovvne was defended froÌ„ FrauÌ„ce only by the shame-full abandoning thereof it did appeere And this losse was not vnaccompagned with a greater euill for the soldiers that returned back againe into England brought with them such a plague of pestilence as generally infected the most partes of the realme and in the citie of London and the suburbes there died in 12. monethes 20000. persons And the very Huguenotes themselues abhorring the frauduleÌ„t dealinges of the English hauing obtayned a peace and perdon of their king became the very first that bent their forces to expulse them wherein may be noted with what firme amitie the English French are vnited in the discordant vnitie of the new Gospell It is further to be obserued that the French king fynding the English whose name among the french people is so odious to haue gotten footing in Normandie to the end that he might be deliuered of them in that prouince offred to deliuer the towne of Calis presently back againe into the Queenes possession The which he was not bound to do vntill certaine yeares were expyred this offer by the only perswasion of Cecill was refused who told the Queene that she might well kepe the one and recouer the other but in fyne all was lost For the English as is alredy touched dishonorablye forsoke Normandie the French hostages that lay in EnglaÌ„d for the rendring of Calis were priuily let go againe into Fraunce and as it is very probable by the only deuice and woorking of M. Cecill The matter of Newhauen being thus begun with iniustice and ended with shame the authors practizes for the maintenance of the French rebellioÌ„s there withall ended not But he had gained the skill better to contriue the execution of his owne plots vnder the aucthoritie of the state and to be least seene in those thinges that most he prosecuted And there fore procured that with diuers great sommes of mony froÌ„ England diuers troopes of Germaines were leuyed froÌ„ tyme to tyme and brought into FrauÌ„ce for the assistance of the Huguenots by which meanes the confederatie betwene the English and them was now growen so strong that they would neuer in any treaty with their king conclude any conditions without the counsell and consent of their English confederates as it was alwaies manifestly fonnde and prooued By whose crafty direction they were so gouerned that they euer obtayned more by making their peace then by the successe of their warr And at such tyme as the oportunitie serued not to stirr vp the Huguenotes against the king they letted not to stir vp his owne
none haue beene condēned but for treasō as they say their enditementes do shew in the recordes VVhereas yf they had recorded no more then had beene prooued as in all law and iustice they were bound they should not finde any one priest Ballard only excepted that euer had any imagination of treason prooued against him And notwithstanding all the aforesaid enfarced treasons conspiracies it is cōmonly seene that almost at euery araignment and execution Catholikes are offred their liues liberties yf they will but go to the Churche which doubtlesse can-be no satisfactiō for any temporall treason but only for matters of religiō VVhereofno mā of any vnderstanding can remaine ignorant except such as was the wise gentleman that told a freind of his that he had seene a Priest executed that letted not at the very tyme of his death to cōmitt Highe treason and being asked what it was answered that he began to say his Pater noster in Latin Is it possible quoth the other I assure you quoth this partie it is out of all doute for he begā to say it before a multitude of witnesses and would haue said it vnto the end but that as hap was the hangman was redy to dispatche him before he had half donne This diepe conceited person and such as was his compagnion will without any great scruple belieue the proclamation in saying that none are put to death for religion but for treason And the aduersary in somuch labouring to detaine from Catholikes the deserued honor and glory of the cause for which they suffer dothe thereby proclame his owne iniquitie and iniustice to all the world making that to be new Treason which is nothing els but old faith and religiō A thing as repugnāt vnto common sence as yf the Pope should make murther thefte or extorsion to be Heresy Yet such is his great and absurd impudēce that there is no treason that seemeth greater nor no crime more vnpardonable in England then there to be a Catholike nor yet any offence so seuerely punished There was neuer Scythian nor sauage Tartar that could vse more inhumaine cruelty then to rip vp the bodies of innocent men being perfectly aliue to teare out their entrailes to be consumed with fyre There was neuer Turk nor Barbarian that imposed vpon Christians so great and continuall a tribute as twenty poundes for euery eight-and-twentie dayes absence from their Moskeyes Nor there were neuer Arrians or other ennemyes since the generall persecutions of the Romaine Emperors that more vexed spoiled imprisoned and tortured Catholikes then dothe now the state of England And thus haue I abreuiated vnto the reader a huge volume of the present lamentable state of religion TOuching rhe second point concerning the nūber of exterior enemyes how mighte the case be other with England then now it is seeing that during the continuance of thirtie and three yeares they neuer sent foorth any one soldier nor neuer drew swoord in any iust quarrel or honorable action They neuer sought to endomage the Turk the comon enemy of Christendome nor neuer defended any lawful prince or King in all the world But haue inuented prosecuted the most dishonorable inglorious vniust and tyranicall actions that euer were practized by any Christian state VVhen the Queene of Scotland was in her owne realme and they acknowleged her for the lawful prince of that countrie did they giue aid vnto her or vnto her rebells In the tymes of Frauncis Charles and Henry the late Kinges of Fraunce was their assistance giuē to thē whome they knew to be lawful Kinges or to their rebells and as for the succour they do now giue vnto Nauarr his Huguenotes it is no otherwise then it was before when they acknowledged thē to be rebells In this long rebellion in the low countries whether haue they taken parte with the King their old cōfederate or with Orange the other rebells whē Sebastian king of Portugal warred with the Mahometaines of Africa gaue they ayd vnto the Christiās or vnto the infidells And since in the realme of Portugall gaue they help vnto the lawfull prince or to the bastard his rebell In the warres of Colen did the English succur the lawfull Bishop or the vnlawfull deposed apostata And yf we shal looke into sea matters see who it is that hathe set vp a publike piracie to spare neither freind nor foe Aske the Spanish the Frēch the Scottish the Flemish the Haūce townes yea the Indies and further partes of the earth who they are that do so cōtinually robbe and spoile thē Yf the English had but only procured the king of Spaine to be their enemy they needed not to haue soughte any others for neither England nor any other Christian country els hathe euer had any so great And as they haue made espetiall choise of the enmitie of the greatest so haue they employed the tyme of 33 yeares to deserue it And as for the King of Scotland albeit he do dissemble amōg many lesse iniuries one so great as the cutting of of his owne mothers head yet some of his owne nation being of good intelligence haue said vnto straungers in defence of their Kinges honor that albeit they of England haue cut of the head of his mother he must not therefore by vn-tymely reuenge cut him-self from the possibilitie of that crowne But hauing once obtained thesame he will then fall to the cutting of of the heades of those that assented to that action and to the confiscatiō of their landes and goodes therewith to reward his freindes followers and so demonstrate vnto the world that he could politikely chuse a tyme conueniēt to discharge such duty as is incident vnto the honor and reputation of a King And touching Fraunce albeit that by the death of the three late Kinges the iniuries dōne vnto them cannot be by them remembred yet the people of the realme that were participāt of the wrōges are still lyuing in whome the desyre of reuenge is of late newly reuyued throughe the assisting of the Huguenote of Nauarr their capitall enemy but not their lawfull King And last of all which of al other is the greatest there extreme enmitie with the chief Bishop pastor of Gods Churche VVhereof ensueth their general discord with all the Catholike Christiās of the world Thus the realme of England being brought into breach of amitie not only with the Churche of God but with all their old alies and freindes yf we now consider with whome they are ioyned in true freindship we shal fynde them to be so fewe as none at all since they haue neither spared to offend freind nor foe But yf we looke what new confederates they haue chosen in stede of the old we shall see them to be the great Turk the kinges of Fesse Marocco and Algiers or other Mahometains and Moores of Barbarie all professed enemies to Christ. Against whome some of the most noble and famous kinges of England went
him a writer vnder some clerck or officier of the courte had bene very conueniēt for him because as a courtier told her he was fittest for such purpose for that he caried his deske on his back But such is the omnipotencie of his father that he plotteth to effectuate greater thinges thē this and thinketh to determyne bothe of crowne and kingdome and to dispose of prince and people and to purchase his desyred greatnesse with the effusion of the blood of somany thowsandes as he shal list to send vnto the slaughter He hathe of late bene very vigilāt to fynde such in the Queenes debt after their deceasse as before by her fauour and countenāce vsed extorsions in the comon welth but himself yf he were wel looked vnto would be found much more in her debt by how much more he hathe menaged her treasure so long a tyme together and wrong himself into so many matters of gaine and was neuer yet accomptable for all the thirtene score poundes by yeare which he hathe exacted of somany Catholike recusants VVhat should I speake of his pluralitie of offices wherewith he can neuer be contented but maketh a monopoly of all thinges within the realme that any way may turne to his comoditie By which meanes his gettinges are so infinite that his seruantes with the very shreddes of his briberies and extorsions are able to purchase great reneuewes to buyld stately palaces yet himself is so encroching that he letteth not to entrude into Churche matters yea and to contend with the B. of Canterbury about the appointing of preachers He kepeth I knowe not by what vnhappy cōstellation or rather deuilish enchauntemēt the fauour of his prince which neuer subiect somuch abused He hathe made himself the very owner of her determinations not permitting her to recompence the seruice of her other officers seruantes and diuers tymes when she hathe promised reward he denieth her the meanes of performance and so forceth her to breake and go from her woorde yea he maketh her accōptable to hī how she entēdeth to dispose of her owne which yet must neuer be but as himself lyketh Al men may iustly lay vnto him the vndoing of the realme not somuch cōdemning her whose sexe is easy to be mis-led nor the rest of the councell whose willes by him are violently ouerruled He is neither embraced in the courte nor beloued in the coūtry He is freindly to none but for his owne profit He is not welcome to his peeres nor of affection followed of his inferiors but resembleth a storme in the aire which all creatures do feare and shun and none do loue or desyre And albeit that he now in his altytude dothe manifest in himself the very nature and conditiō of a Tyrant whose vile and abiect courage is to murther butcher such as innocētly liue vnder his iurisdictiō let him not think that thereby he can diuert the iust iudgmēt of God vnto whome their sacred bloode do the incessantly call for ven geance Nor that all the reuenges of iniuries wrōges and violences don vnto other princes and espetially vnto the King of Spaine cā possibly be auoyded by his killing of a fewe poore priestes and Iesuytes which he may assure himself should be remembred yf there were neither Iesuyte nor Seminarie Priest liuing in the world And he that preserued his Prophets Apostles and the holy men of the primitiue Churche in caues dennes woodes wildernesses fed thē miraculously from heauē will not forsake those that shall serue him sincerely but will giue thē courage and meanes also bothe to enter and to abyde in the realme and there to serue such numbers as of mercie he will haue saued Against which apostolicall practize let him prosecute what new Cecillian Inquisition he can deuise and to vexe forraine princes abrode let him make as many shippes to the sea as he list and to fortifie himself at home let him commaunde as many musters by land as he pleaseth our hope and confidence is in God who can dissipate the councell of Achitophel and all others that are against him During the tyme of thirty and three yeares bothe lawe swoord all humaine force hathe bene vsed to extinguishe the Catholike party pulpites proclamations and all meanes els employed against it their liuinges comodities disposed of by the aduersary and yet thesame standeth and putteth him in more feare then euer afore And yf he were not blynde perhappes by God himself blynded for his sinnes he would seeke another way to saue himself ab ira ventura which is to cease from persecuting of Gods Churche and to returne vnto the obedience thereof where is mercy the only way to remedy all these feares to escape that which he feareth not and that is eternall damnation THus good reader haue I briefly ended this precedent discours and declared vnto thee bothe by whose meanes and in what manner the realme of England is distressed with somany present calamities and deliuered to such feares of greater future troobles The mature consideration of the premises I refer vnto thy indifferent iudgement The iust blame of these euills where it is iustly deserued And the reformation of so great iniquity to the infynite mercy of almighty God who voutsaf to woork thesame by the sweetest easiest meanes that his iustice may admitt And now in conclusion I haue not deemed it amisse to giue the some caueat of a vile and hatefull kynde of dealing which the aduersary of late hathe vsed in diuulging nūbers of false and defamatorie libells which it seemeth custome hathe made so familiar to the libellers themselues that by an ordinary habite which therein they haue gotten they seme to haue forgotten that there is any difference betwene lying and telling ttuthe for otherwise it might be presumed they would neuer so greatly busy themselues so egregiously to abuse the world And albeit as the Psalme saith Mētita est iniquitas sibi that these libells do comonly cary their owne discredit in themselues by being ouercharged with most palpable lies yet because they tend vnto the furtherance of the pretended Gospell and that the necessitie of that cause so much requireth it they must passe without contradiction of them that can detect them of falshoode and be taken for verities of those that are not able to discerne them for vntruthes And therefore in respect of pitie of the abused multytude I wil make recitall of some fewe of this kynde to the end that the reader may giue such creditt vnto the lyke hereafter as he shall well perceaue the former to haue deserued Of these sortes of libells many do declare great numbers of French Flemish victories which are so famous that sundry of them were neuer knowne nor heard of in all the world but only in England Others are of obscure and tryfling matters except such as is that of the happy conquest of the suburbes of Paris c.
Others tell of visions in the ayre which are enterpreted to presage detriment to those of the league Somtymes they are of prophesied victories before they happen and appointed tymes of the death of Princes as that the duke of Parma should die at martinmas 1590. Some are of triumphes of victories before they be obtayned as when the Earle of Essex was to go with his forces into Normandie Some haue bene set foorthe to make losses seeme victories as the discours of the Portugall voyage and the losse of the Reuenge And whereas there was one Caçalla others of his company executed for Heresy and Apostasie at Validolid in Spaine 30. yeares past the manner of this execution is in an English libell newly set foorth and said to be for profession of the Gospell and to be donne but of late In lyke sorte is very perticularly set downe the glorious constant martirdome of an EnglishmaÌ„ not loÌ„g since in the towne of Dunkerck whose torments endured fowre dayes yet there was neuer any such man nor any such matter hard of in the said towne as all the inhabitants will witnesse So was it published that the King of Spaine whome the libeller calleth the Archtyrant of the world was dead And another libell that came foorthe of late entituled A fig for the Spaniard coÌ„tradicteth that lie with another as manifest an vntruthe and saith that Phillip of Spaine is not dead but lyeth bedred In all these and sundry other lyke lybells it seemeth they haue chalenged vnto themselues a kynde of priuilege to raile and raue at Princes and to be-ly and slaunder whome they list and this good dealing is vsed for the aduauncement of the cause of the Gospell but argueth in dede that all the plotts and practizes of the aduetsary as they first were begun so haue they bene contynued and so are they still vpholden and vnderpropped with cogging foisting lying and coosining which equity truthe hathe euer detested and all honorable states and honest myndes do vtterly abhorr Neither is thesame able to continewe the vsurped credit of the newnamed Gospell but must needes in tyme bring it to extreeme hatred and contempt And it seemeth that the exceding malice of some of these libellers hath transported them into such a feruour of folly that they imagyne all Christendome without any question to the coÌ„traty bothe to knowe acknowledge Iohn Caluyns exposition of the Gospell as it is vnderstood in England to be the very Gospell of Christ in dede els would they neuer so peremptorily raile at other princes and people for not embracing thesame The Sacred Scripture and true Gospell of Christ as it hathe euer bene inuiolably preserued in the Catholike Churche so is it only of that Churche most highly esteemed and folowed And no Caluinists or other Sectaries haue any scripture at all that they haue not had from that Churche And by this true Gospell and woord of God the woord of Caluyne and misnamed Gospell of Protestants is clerely proued to be false and flat heresy And yf the English Gospellers will not stand to the iudgement of Catholikes in this point all the Lutherans of Germany will resolutely offer to prooue the same also out of a supposed Gospell of theirs which they as confidently chalenge to themselues as any Englishe Gospellers caÌ„ possibli claime any other And therefore my masters in England must not so run in crie with their peculier Gospell as to chyde others for nor following the same when they belieue it not to be true but do truly belieue it to be false And so leauing this later clause for A fig to the figmonger I wish the reader to suspect the discordant English Gospell of heresy and the Gospellers libells of malitious lies FINIS Much more in a vvoomaÌ„ Hugenotes Cecill To sovv sedition D. Espernon Horne Iane d Albret Name of Cheuses Some vvrite 800000. A terrible encounter * the some is omitted in the printed copie Of NoueÌ„ber 1591. Anno. 1559. In the late proclamatioÌ„ ConditioÌ„s of an vniuersall peace In the coÌ„futation of Brovvnisme At Paules crosse At vvest minster M. Haukins Cecill other his instruments The yeare deuyded into 13. monethes The States As the E. of Darby others The States M. Rauleghes dreame Leicester Hatton These 33. yeares Prosopopoia or mother Hubberds tale Ariosto This keeping of the â—â—iue seale hath a mistery in it As Leicester and others The coÌ„clusion Printed by vv Blac vvall Printed by Nelson 1590. Printed by VVoolf 1590. Printed by Allde 1591. Printed 1589. And by ponsonby 1591. Printed by Nelson 1591. Printed at LondoÌ„ 1590. Printed by Purfoot 1591. Printed by VVoolf 1592. As in the forged coÌ„fession Printed by VVoolf 1590. The figgiuer