probably have been next to have been swallowed up by them This very Slownesse of his was the reason why the Spaniard gained the lesse and was also the longer held in expectation and besides by gaping in this manner after what belonged to others became hated by all So true is that Common Saying namely That there is no place Inexpugnable into which an Asse laden with Gold can but get in But then this is also to be added to that Saying namely that That Golden Asse or that Asse laden with Gold must have many Horses laden with Iron to come after it that so while the Citizens are all busied in weighing and telling out their Mony Thou mayest in the mean time make use of thy Iron in the subduing and taking in of that Place To this we may adde that the Spanish Commanders as well as the French plaid booty as we say neither of them fighting for the Victory but for Gain onely And the reason of this was because that neither the King himself nor his Son were present in person in the Army And besides the Duke of Parma durst not at first in the beginning of the War hazard all in a Battel without Commands from the King by which means the King of Navarre had time given him to gain over to him the French Nobility whom the Spaniard had before wrought over by his Mony to His side only by an Opinion they had conceived of his Military Valour And in this He imitated those other most Valiant Princes who neglecting the Common People made it their only businesse to oblige the Nobles to them only Which hath been the Ancient Custome with the Polonians Persians and French And because that the Nobles think it a thing too much below them to march with Foot Souldiers hence it is that these very Nations have alwaies been very strong in Horse but have still been but weak in Foot And seeing the businesse is come to this passe that the King of France hath now won to himself the Affections both of his Subjects the French and of the Pope also and hath thereby got himself more Renown then if he had beaten the King of Spain himself it is now to be feared that He may sometime or other attempt to take in some part of Spain also For He is of a Turbulent Unquiet Spirit neither can the French hold while they have well settled a Country that they have newly taken in but they must on still and fall upon some other and this the King of France must the rather do because that being out of Mony He is forced to forrage abroad and take from others that he may haâ—e to pay his own men And therefore it will be necessary that the King of Spain take care that the Frontiers of Spain and the Duchy of Millan also be well guarded and fortified and also that he carefully observe these following Rules The first whereof is that he enter into a League with the French who are his Competitors and the Second is that He hinder the coming of any Assistance to him either from England or from Italy both which things may be effected one and the same way namely if He do but perswade the Pope that the King of France hath a purpose of Assisting the Hereticks and that should he but once come into Italy he would scatter abroad the Poyson of his Heresie every where and that Tuscany and the Venetian Territories will first be the Seat of the War and afterwards will be his Prey Let the King of Spain therefore deal with the Pope that He would interdict the King of France the contracting of any League or Friendship either with the Queen of England or with any other of the Hereticks such as are the Genevians Helvetians and Rhetians or Grisons for these would be able to assist him very much Let the Pope also make Him swear that He will go to the Holy Land and there joyn with the Italians in the Defence of the Christian Faith But the best course of all would be that the Nobility of France and of Italy should all joyn together and should be sent in an Expedition against Greece and that there should also be another Association made betwixt the Princes of the House of Austria against the Hereticks For if that the Christian Princes were but thus dispersed and kept at a distance one from another the Kingdom of Naples together with that of Spain and the Duchy of Millan also would have none to stand in fear of but would be secure on all sides and besides the King of Spain might in the mean time bethink himself what waies were the best to be taken for the reducing of the Netâ—erlands over whom were he but once Conquerour the forenamed Princes would be so much astonished at the report of that his Victory and of his Military Strength that they would never dare to attempt any thing against Him no though they should return home Lords of all Asia For although Pompey was a Conquerouâ— in Assia yet he was not able to stand against Caesar that had now subdued the Belgick Provinces For the Belgians by reason of their Fiercenesse in War put Caesar much more to it to subdue them then those of Asia did Pompey who was for this reason also inferiour to Caesar in Power Now in case that Henry the Fourth should die as he begins now to be an old man and hath neither Successor nor Wife or if he should marry and should leave a Son behind him yet probably he would be under Age and so Conde would either be the next Heir to the Crown or else would at least have the Administration of the Government put into his hands during the Minority of the Prince whose Ancestors having alwaies been the Leaders and indeed the stirrers up of the Hereticks of France in all their Wars were the Authors of shedding so much Catholick blood I say should things come to thiâ— passe it would then concern the King of Spain to lay hold on that Opportunity in proposing to the Consideration of the Catholicks of France whether they thought would be the better course to make choyce of Conde or else of some Catholick to be their King remembring that He is the Son of that Father that acted so much Cruelty upon the Catholicks which this Prince suckt in with his Nurses Milk The King of Spain must also so order the matter as that if He cannot bring it about that the Kingdome of France should be divided in Judgment upon this particular he must then deal with them that it may be conferred upon some one that they shall pitch upon by way of Election Or else in the last place He must speedily have recourse to the Arts before set down which King Philip failed in before And this manner of Electing a King upon condition that he be a Catholick would very much please the Italians and the Catholick Princes of France also would very willingly assent
same and apply what Counsells are here given the King of Spain to their own Affaires For if it be good counsel for the King of Spain to take To procure and maintain a perfect Vnion among his own subjects at home but on the Contrary To sow the seeds of Division among his Enemies abroad the same must be as good Counsel for the King of France also to take or any other Prince or Potentate what ever If it be good Counsel to the Spaniard Never to trust so much to any peace made with an Enemy as thereupon quite to lay aside his Armes it is altogether as good Counsel for any other Prince And the same may be said of any other of the General Maxims of Policy delivered here by our Author But as for what in Particular concerns the Advancement of the Spaniard and his Designs in order to the bringing about of his Universal Monarchy whether the Rules by our Author laid down were in sufficient to do the businesse or whether hough they were every way as full and proper as could be yet having not been precisely observed the businesse hath miscarried and the Spaniard hath not as yet arrived and perhaps now is never like to arrive to the end of his Desires all this needs not hinder but that thou shouldest look upon this Author as a man of a most clear wit Judgment and prize him as one that was full of knowledge and experience in the Affaires of the World and a most industrious and studious person In the Third and last place thou art to take notice as concerning this Translation that we have therein dealt so fairely nd Ingenuuosly with our Author as that we have perfectly and entirely preserved his own sense unto himâ— Neither have we stopt his foul mouth where he hath either used ill Language toward any of the Protestant Princes or cast dirt into the faces of the first Reformers Luther Calvin c. For to what end should we falsifie our Original by making our Author more Civil then he had a mind to be seeing we are never a whit the worse for being so miscalled by him nor is he himself a jot the wiser for using us so And to say the Truth we our selves take the same Liberty towards them and therefore for ought I see Hanc Veniam petimusque damusque vicissim We must even be content to allow each other this Liberty on both sides An Index of the CHAPTERS CHAP. I. Of the Causes of Humane Principalities Page 1. II. The Causes of the Spanish Empire p. 4 III. Of the first Cause of Empires namely God p. 6 IV. Of the Spanish Empire considered according to the First Cause p. 9 V. Of the Second Cause namely Prudence 15 VI. How the Clergy are to be dealt withal 25 VII What may be further added concerning Prudence and Opportunity 30 VIII The Causes by which the Spanish Monarchy may be enlarged and become lâ—sse 31 IX Of the King 32 X. What Sciences are required in a Monarch to render Him admired by all 45 XI Of Lawes both good and bad 50 XII Of Counsel 52 XIII Of Justice and its Contrary 57 XIV Of the Barons and Nobility of the Spanish Empire 60 XV. Of the Souldiery 66 XVI Of the Treasure of Spain 81 XVII Of the Peoples Love and Hate as also of Conspiracies 93 XVIII Of Preachers and Prophâ—sies 105 XIX Of such Kingdomes as are properly belonging to the King of Spain and of such also as arâ— his Enemies and of these which are in League with each other and which not 115 XX. Of Spain 125 XXI Of Italy 129 XXII Of Sicily and Sardinia 136 XXIII Of Germany 139 XXIV Of France 144 XXV Of England Scotland and Ireland 155 XXVI Of Poland Muscovia and Transylvania 162 XXVII Of Flanders and the Lower Germany 165 XXVIII Of Africk 185 XXIX Of Persia and Cataia 194 XXX Of the Great Turk and his Empire 197 XXXI Of the Other Hemisphere and the New World 211 XXXII Of Navigation 223 The Authors Preface THe Universal Monarchy of the World begining from the East and so coming at length to the West having passed through the hands of the Assyrians Medes Persians Greeks and Romans who were divided by the Imperial Eagle into Three Heads is at length come down to the Spaniard upon whom after so long Slavery and Division it is wholly conferred by Fate and that with greater Splendour then on any of his Predecessors to whom also according to the Vicissitude of Humane Affaires it did of right belong Now although I had not any Intention to write any thing touching either the Government or the Enlargement of the Spanish Monarchy which you most Noble Alfonso have desired me to do yet being at length delivered from my Tedious Sicknesse and my Ten years Afflictions though I am utterly deprived of the help of any Books and am as it were shut up as a Prisoner in this my Cell I shall notwithstanding in a brief and Compendious way give your Lordship an account what my Iudgment is concerning this Subject and shall give in the Causes of each several Point in General first not after a Natural nor a Theological but after a Political way and shall afterwards also descend to treaâ— more Particularly of the same Tho. Campanella A DISCOURSE TOUCHING The Spanish Monarchy CHAP. I. Of the Causes of Humane Principalities IN the acquiring and managing of every Dominion and Principality there usually concur three Causes that is to say God Prudence and Occasion All which being joyned together are called by the name of Fate which is nothing else but a concurrence of all the Causes working by vertue of the First And hence also is Fortune sprung which is the Successe of Earthly things whether it be good or evil whichâ— if it be rightly known is called Prudence but if otherwise it is then called Fate Fortune or Chance As for example if a man find that which he had long sought after it is called Vnderstanding and Prudence but if he light upon a thing which he did not seek after nor knew where it was it is called Chance or Fortune Among these three Causes One sometimes prevailes in the ruling of things more then Another and perhaps more then the Other two Yet notwithstanding if we will confesse the truth they are all Three Politically concurring in the businesse Do but take notice of the Kingdome of the Iewes wherein God was the Principal Agent who by sending Moses and Aaron furnished out the Other Two Causes For Moses was a person of extraordinary Wisdome and Knowledge not onely in Divine but in Humane things also for he was well versed in all the Learning of the Egyptians and managed a War for King Pharaoh against the King of Ethiopia whom he vanquished in the War and whose daughter also he took to Wife as both Flavius Iosephus and Philo testifie And yet for all this he despised not the advice of Iethâ—â— his Father-in-law touching
excused for having made away with so many of his Brothers Nephews and Kindred seeing that otherwise the meanest person of the Ottoman line that should have but scaped acting a part in that Tragedy might have come to the same Dignity He enjoyed But passing by these Impious and yet â—neffectual Examples of Cruelty let us now come to the Daughters of the King of Spain And these Probably may do well to be matched with the Kings or Princes of Poland and France and also with the Kings of Denmark Muscovia England and the like upon this condition that these Princes promise faithfully to embrace the Catholick Religion which if they would do there would thence a double Benefit accrue The King must take into his Court all the most able and most knowing in all sorts of Sciences and He must endeavour to render both Himself and his Children as excellent in them as is possible that so the Eyes of all men may be turned upon Him and His and may joyn themselves unto them seeing them live so happily and securely In like manner as all the People of Israel even to the Maccabees themselves who had God for their Guide became yet admirers of the Romans and entring into a League with them fled to Them for Protection Now He that protects or assists may naturally be said to be Lord of him whom he protects as the Man became Lord of the Horse whiles He assisted him against the Stag. CHAP. X. What Sciences are required in a Monarch to render him admired by all ALl Great Men when they have gone about to set up a New Monarchy have changed the Sciences that the people were exercised in before and many times also the Religion of the Country that so they might render themselves the more Admired by their Subjects and by this means also other Nations have come in unto them too And this is the reason why the Assyrians under King Ninus changed the Religion of Noah and set up that of Iupiter Belus and applied themselves to the study of Astrology whereby they became so famous and admired that they brought the whole East under their Subjection The like course also was taken by the Persians under Cyrus who took upon himself the Title of Gods Commissary for These introduced into the World the Practise of Natural Magick a Science till then never heard of before and furnished it out with great Variety of New and Admirable Rites and Ceremonies The Macedonians made the world believe that their Prince Alexander the Great was the Son of Iupiter Ammon and withal abolisâ—ing the Ancient Disciplines they brought in upon the Stage the Aristotelian which confuted all that were before it insomuch that his Father King Philip rejoyced very much thereat foreseeing that this Novelâ—y of Doctrine would lay a Foundation for his son to erect a New Empire upon and so thenceforward neglected the worship of Iupiter Mercury Osiris and the rest of the most Ancient among the Gods Thus Mahomet also when he now aspired to a Monarchy introduced a New Religion fitting it to his own Palat and the Gust of the People Iulius Caesar likwise being now got to be chosen the Pontifâ—x Maximus and Astrology being at that time not very well known to the Romans He by changing the Old Account and rectifying the Year laid the Foundation of His Monarchy And the same must the King of Spain also do especially seeing He hath the best Opportunity that can be of doing the same For seeing that it is not Lawful at all times to introduce a New Religion He ought therefore to adorn and set forth the Old so much the more and to enlarge it with variety of New Rites anâ— Ceremonies as also to bring forth into the World New Sciences and such as shall be suitable to His Dignity But above all let him make a Law to be observed by all Christians First That whensoever any People or Country shall forsake the Roman Religion all Princes shall be bound upon pain of forfeiting their Estates to root out and extirpate the same like as God commanded Moses Secondly That the Clergy and such as are skilled in Church Matters shall make it Their care to look to the regulating of the Moneths of the Year and the Daies of the Week calling the several Moneths by the Names of the Twelve Apostles and the seven Daies of the Week by the Names of the Seven Sacraments For the truth of it is that the Inhabitants of the New World when they find in conversing with the Christians that the Heathenish Names of Moneths and Daies are still in use among them they are wrapt into a great admiration And the like course is to be observed in other the like things Thirdly that seeing that New Sciences do make a New Monarchy the more Admired I would have the Schooles of the Platonists and of the Stoicks opened again whose Opinions come nearer to Christianity then the Aristotelian And that we may descend to particulars the Telesian Philosophy is the most excellent of all seeing it comes the nearest to the Holy Fâ—thers and makes it appear to the World that the Philosophers knew nothing and that Aristotle who would have the Soul to be Mortal and the World to be Immortal and denyes Providencâ— also on which Christianity is grounded talks very absurdly notwithstanding all his so specious Reasons seeing that the same are refuted by stronger Reasons fetcht in like manner from Nature Fourthly It is necessary that he set the Wits of the Learned to work with Scholastick Questions lest by being conversant in the Sciences of Natural Things it set an edge upon their Ambition and by this meanes they should aspire to higher Matters Fifthly That He should banish all Theological Questions out of the Transalpine Schools seeing that all the Divines of those parts turn Hereticks by not continuing firm to the Holy Constitutious of the Pope but are still raising up fresh Controversies and the Wits of these men are to be exercised onely in the Disputes of Natural Philosophy Sixtly He must endeavour to get himself Renown as Iustinian did by reducing all the Roman Lawes into One Bodyâ— and as Charles the Great did by opening the School of Aristotle which was at that time the only School of Philosophy in Christendome for all the rest had been long before trodden down to the ground by the Barbarians as I have shewed elsewhere Seventhly He shall do well to shut up all the Greek and Hebrew Schools because that these Two Languages have been destructive to Monarchy and are besides the Main Pillars by which those Heresies that chiefly raign at this day are built upon And therefore on the contrary let him endeavour to bring in the Knowledge of the Arabick Tongue by meanes whereof the Mahumetans may be the better convinced and the troublesome Transalpine Wits may imploy themselves rather in confuting the Turks then in vexing the Catholicks with their Disputes Eighthly Let him also erect Mathematical
the Princes of Italy and that by reason of their Union in point of Religion I say moreover that He cannot suffer any Notable Overthrow â—nlesse it be by some very Potent Prince such a One as the great Turk is who yet lying so very far remote from him as Alexander the Great of old did from the Romans cannot so quickly ruin him whereas on the Contrary any Peaceable Agreement of the Christians among themselves if so be it were but Firm and Lasting would utterly confound the Turk And therefore I say that although King Philips Kingdomes lye scattered far and near yet his enemies also lye far asunder one from another and therefore it is clear that his Emulators the Italians Tuscans and Venetians will never enter into a Combination against him unlesse he First give them some evident cause and wrong them very much Neither indeed will the Pope ever suffer any acts of Hostility to be done against His Catholick Majesty and besides it is also most certain that the Catholick Princes both out of fear of the Hereticks and also of the Authority of the Pope will never attempt any such thing And the Hereticks are at very great Variance also amongst themselves and for this reason Germany being divided into severall small Republicks cannot do him any harm at all and it is besides part of it made subject to the House of Austria and the Archdukes thereof by the Emperours and part also to certain Archbishops who are withall secular Princes as namely the Archbishops of Mâ—ntz of Colen Trevers Salsburg Strasburg and Bamberg and part also to the Dukes of Bavaria so that the Protestants can by no meanes make any Insurrection against the King of Spain The Lower Germany also is divided into more Common-Wealths then the other all which bear Armes against the King of Spain though it be only to defend themselves and not to offend Him And of this number are the Provinces of Holland Frisland and Zealand Besides the Upper and the Lower Germanies differ very much in their Religion which we may also say of the Danes Norwegians Transylvanians Gotlanders Polonians French Switzers and Grisons so that the King hath no need at all to fear that these should ever all joyn together against him and besides the King retains a great part of these Nations in pay and by that means keeps them his friends and then the King of Poland and the Prince of Transylvania are allied to him by Marriage and so are in league and amity with him So that He hath no body to stand in fear of but only the King of France and the King of England which two Princes by reason of their being of different Religions can never agree together Now although the King of Spain cannot as yet subdue the King of France yet it makes very much for His Interest that the King of France being absolved by the Pope is returned again to the Obedience of the Church For otherwise he would have been the Head of all the Transalpine Hereticks and would have marcht with an Army of them over into Italy to the great Prejudice both of the Pope and of our King which None of the Hereticks hath to this day adventured to do merely for want of a Powerful General to head them Then besides there is a Division broken out in France betwixt the Catholicks and the Hereticks and which is the chiefest thing of all there are in that Kingdome many Potent Bishops who would not by any means see Spain ruined And lastly our Kings Subjects do not come into the field with Lances Swords and Horses as the French use to do but they come into it armed with Guns which are a kind of Arms that are fitter for the defending of strong Holds and Fortifications then for the setting upon an Enemy in an open Field And hence it is that the French are able indeed to resist all the Spaniards Attempts but they cannot overcome them for in this case the very Princes and States of Italy who have to this day alwaies held with the French would go over to the Spaniard for it is their Design to keep the Ballance alwaies so even betwixt these two Nations as that neither of them may preponderate and bear down the Scales and so make a Prey of the Other which Hiero King of Syracuse heretofore laboured to do betwixt the Romans and the Carthaginians although he failed of his purpose Besides the King of France cannot march with an Army into Spain by reason of the Fortified Places and Castles that lye in his way and are kept by the Spaniards who are very well skilled in defending such Places Neither can he so soon march out with an Army against Millan or Naples but that the King of Spain can be much sooner in France with an Army and shall so force him to return back again and defend his own Kingdom Neither did the King of France ever passe over into Italy unlesse when he was assisted by the Pope as the Expedition of Charles of Anjou testifies or except he were called in by some Prince or State of Italy as Charles the Eighth was called in by the Duke of Millan which yet at this time can hardly be done again For the Italians were now afraid that they would bring in a New Religion with them And besides it is a usual thing that that Prince that first calls Forraigners in to his aide shall be first ruined by them for he must necessarily entertain them and allow them Quarters who after they have overcome the adverse Party will joyn with them and so drive out Him who called them first in Examples of this we have in the Sforza's Castruccio's and the Florentines with many others and also in the Pope himself although his own Papal Authority restored him again And therefore the Spaniard hath no need to fear the King of France much And as for the English he hath much lesse reason to stand in fear of them seeing they are shut up within an Island and we seldome see Islanders get any sure footing and make themselves Masters of any part of a Forraign Continent And therefore it is sufficient for them if they can keep their own only they send out their Ships to fetch in Prizes by Sea but for this Mischief I shall hereafter set down a Remedy Only let the King of Spain take care that the English joyn not their Navy with the Hollanders Scots Danes Norwegians and Danzickers for if they should they might then be able to overrun all Spain as the Alans Goths and Vandals did of old And yet seeing that these Nations differ all in Religion and the King of Spain doth craftily under hand sow new seeds of Dissention amongst them there is no great cause to fear that they should joyn their forces together â—pon any design Let us now see what Spain is able to do within it self and by what means it may become Greater and enlarge its Territories laying down this
thereto because that every one of them would have some hope hereby of attaining to the Crown himself And if this should once come to passe it would prove a very great Weakning to the Kingdom of France for during the Vacancy of the Crown there must needs arise very great and long Dissentions amongst them and possibly the King of Spain also being called in by some or other of the Princes might come to have a finger in the businesse Now for as much as Elective Kings are for the most part not much given to trouble themselves about the enlarging the Bounds of their Kingdome because that they know very well that their Sons are not their Successours therefore neither will they expose themselves to danger upon the Account of another mans Interest And this is the onely reason why the Emperours of Germany nâ—ver trouble themselves about the enlarging of their Empire as neither do the Kings of Poland unlesse they chance to be Persons of a high Warlick Spirit as King Steven was surnamed Battorius and Sigismund both which maintained Wars with the Mâ—scovites Tartarians and others about the Principality of Prussia and some other Territories because they hoped that their Sons should at least have succeeded them in those This Course is of very good use to a Prince for the acquiring of Military Glory and through the Multitude of Victories and the affection of his Souldiers for the bringing his own Country under his subjection which Course I before shewed was to be taken by the Emperour of Germany according to the Example of Iulius Caesar. Yet notwithstanding this piece of Craft being well understood by the French hath been the cause that they have now laid aside all desires of enlarging their Territories meerly to avoid that Suspition And This Suspition is the reason why the Venetians do not send Commanders of their Own into their Wars but rather chuse to make use of Forraign Commanders whom a Little Mony contents well enough for their Pay For as to this particular it was no small hazard which they heretofore run under Carmagnolaâ— and Ludovicus Vrsinus And Francis Sforza who was but a Mercenary Souldier under the State of Venice returning home a Conquerour made himself Duke of Millan For this very cause the Romans heretofore hated the Tarquins their Kings who till that time had alwaies been Elective and this very thing also was the Ruine of the Duke of the Athenians that was Elected at Florence Neither are Opportunities at this time wanting of setting the French together by the ears among themselves for although their Peace is not at this time at all disturbed by any Forraign Enemies yet they being naturally of an Impatient Unquiet spirit are alwaies rising up one against another although it be perhaps but upon their quarrel about the Heresie of the Calvinists and I know not what New Gospel which wheresoever it is preached it bringeth not Joy but Mourning not Peace but horrid Wars and filleth the Minds of Men not with Good Will but with rage and Madnesse This Mischief therefore ought to be taken in due time and have a stop put to it for this Contagion hath already infected above two hundred thousand persons in France For if so be it should spread further and should infect the Nobility also and Peers of the Kingdom it would be much to be feared that there would never be any end of the Troubles of France which is now the Condition of Germany by means of the Dukes of Saxony Hessen and others For as we see such Kingdomes as abound with Nobles are made in a manner Immortal as we may evidently perceive by the examples of France and Persia. For when France was heretofore in a manner all subdued and brought in subjection by the King of England yet it was afterwards through the Industry and by the endeavours of the Nobility and Gentry wholly asserted restored again to Its first Natural Lord. And so likewise the Kingdome of Persia which is one while annoyed by the Tartarians and again another while by the Saracens is yet so well defended by the Peâ—sian Nobility as that It is kept from falling under either of their Power and Obedience But yet on the contrary side again the very same Kingdomes are by reason of their Nobility also obnoxious to most unavoidable and miserable Calamities seeing they are able at any time either to assist or protect all such as endeavour to introduce any Innovations either in the State or Religion CHAP. XXV Of England Scotland and Ireland ALthough the English seem the least of all to affect an Vniversal Monarchy yet notwithstanding they have been a very great hinderance to the King of Spains designs that way several examples whereof may be gathered from the proceedings of the aforesaid Queen Elizabeth of England who appeared both against the Catholick King in the Low-Countries and against the most Christian King in France by fomenting the corrupt Humours in the subjects of both these Princes and in assisting the Hereticks both with her Counsels and Forces For they possesse an Island that is excellently well furnished both with Shipping and Souldiers and by this means they rob the King of Spain in all places in the North wheresoever he hath any thing and also wander out abroad as far as to the New World where although by reason of the Fortifications made upon the Sea Coast they cannot lay the foundation of any Kingdome yet do they do the Spaniards no small harme there For that same famous Englishman Captain Drake following the example of Magellan who bad done the same before him sailed round about the whole World more then once and it is noâ— impossible but that the Kingdom of Bacalaos which lies somewhat near to the English and is very convenient for them by reason of the temperatenesse of the Air may be some time or other seazed upon by them However it is most certain that if the King of Spain could but once make himself Master of England and the Low-Countries He would quickly get to be sole Monarch of all Europe and of the greatest part of the New World But seeing that He is not able to reduce this Island under His Obedience because that It is so exceeding strong by reason both of its Situation and multitude of Inhabitants who Naturally hate the Spaniard and are quite different from them both in their Manners and also their Religion it will concern Him therefore to defend himself as well as he can and to fortifie and set strong Guards upon all such places of His Dominions as lye open to their Incursions least otherwise the English should chance to seaze upon them And such are the Haven Corugna and all the Sea Coast of Galicia Leon Biscay and all the Kingdomes that lie in the other Hemisphere as shall be shewed hereafter But this he must make his cheifest businesse namely to weaken the Power of the English for the effecting of which design it would
the Parliament till that now of later times under pretext of introducing a New Religion they have taken upon them to exercise a more absolute power over their Subjects But in Antient Times the whole Kingdom of England was divided into four lesser Kingdoms as Spain also hath been anciently distributed both into many several Kingdomes both of which Countries did afterwards grow into two entire Kingdomes although it cannot be denied but that the Power of the Kings of England was never so great as that of the Kings of Spain My opinion is therefore that the King of Spain should do well to employ under hand some certain Merchants of Florence that are wise and subtle persons and that traffick at Antwerp who because they are not so much hated by the English as the Spaniards are should treat with some such of the English as are some way or other descended from some of the former Kings of England and should promise each of them severally no one of them knowing any thing what is said to the other all the possible aides that can be from Spain for the restoring of them to their Inheritances Legally descending down to them from their Ancestours and undertake to effect this for them if not as to the whole Kingdome yet at least to some part of it requiring them to engage themselves to nothing else so to give a colour to the businesse save only that they shall not joyn their forces and assist the English in setting upon the Spanish Fleet at its return from the West Indies For by this meanes each of them being puft up with hope will presently fall to question the King of Scots his Title to the English Crown and will endeavour to oppose him in it Let him also send privately to King Iames of Scotland and promise him that He will assist him to the utmost of his Power in his getting possession of the Kingdom of England upon this conditionâ— viz that He shall either restore there again the Catholick Religion for the love whereof His Mother Mary Stuart Queen of Scots refused not to spend her dearest blood and even to lay down her Life too or at least that he shall not annoy or any way disturbe the said Spanish Fleet. But then again on the other side let him under hand labour with the English Peers and the chiefest of the Parliament and egge them on to endeavour to reduce England into the Form of a Republick withal assuring them that the King of Scots when he shall have once gotten into the English Throne must needs prove a cruel Prince to them as having alwaies about him a deep remembrance how injuriously the English have heretofore dealt with the Scots Moreover let Him endeavour to strike a terrour into Queen Elizabeths friends by often putting into their heads that they will find that King Iames will revenge his Mothers blooâ— upon Queen Elizabeths friends seeing that She is like to leave behind her None of Her Own blood upon whom He might take revenge especially seeing that His Mother Queen Mary when she was now to dye seriously commended unto Him the care of the Catholick Religion and the Revenge of Her Blood The English Bishops are also to be exasperated and put into Fears and Jealousies by telling them that the King of Scots turned Calvinist out of hope and desire of the English Crown and being also forced to do so by his Heretical Barons but that when He shall once be quietly settled in the English Throne He will then quickly restore the Former Religion for as much as not onely His deceased Mother but even the King of France also have both of them very earnestly commended the same unto Him By which means it must necessarily follow that the seeds of a continual War betwixt England and Scotland will be sown in so much that neither Kingdome shall have any leisure to work any disturbance to the Spanish Affaires Or else by buzzing into their ears that in case King Iames should be possest of this Kingdom He wilâ— however be a Friend of Spain that the whole Island would be devided into many Dominions or else that it would come to be an Elective Kingdom by which means the King of it will be the lesse careful of making himself Master of other Countries and of adding them to the English Crown neither indeed though he should never so much desire it would he ever be able to do so as I have before shewed where I speak of France or else that this Country of England will be reduced into the Form of a Common Wealth which will perpetually be at feude with Scotland and that all Actions It shall undertake will be long in bringing to effect and so It will be able to do the lesse harm to Spain The Spirits of the English Catholicks also are to be rouzed up and as it were awakened from sleep and encouraged to Action for by this means so soon as ever the Throne shall be vacant the King of Spain shall come into England under Pretence of assisting them Let Him also deal with those English Nobles who are possessed of some certain circumjacent Islands lying about England that they should exercise an Absolute and full Jurisdiction each of them in their several places and have Peculiar Courts of Justice of their own distinct from those of England which very thing we read to have been Anciently done by them The Chief of the Irish Nobility also are to be dealt with that as soon as they hear of the Queens death they should new model Ireland either into the Form of a Republick or else should make it a Kingdom of it self throwing off all Obedience to the English withal promising aides to each of them in particular and that so much the rather because that in that Kingdome or Island the Catholicks and especially the Friers that are of the Order of S. Francis are very greatly esteemed and beloved There is also much greater agreement and correspondence betwixt the Spaniard and the Irish then betwixt them and the English whether it be by reason of the Similitude of their Manners or else by reason of the Clime and the nearnesse of these two Countries one to the other There are also in Ireland many Vagabond persons and such as have fled their Countries being men that are most impatient of Government and yet are good Catholicks and such as may be able to do good service in this kind as hath been shewed already But this sort of Men is not very rare to be found either in England or Scotland also These and the like Preparations may be made before hand that so soon as ever Queen Elizabeth is dead they may be immediately put into Execution For there is no man but knowes what horrid Civil Wars and what strange Alterations and Turns have happened several times in England So that what I have here proposed ought not to appear to any man as things either New or Impossible CHAP. XXVI
Subjects to encline to Our King and of this we have a clear Example this day in the Wife of the Prince of Transylvania and likewise in the Duke of Savoy's and the King of Poland's Wife And the women of the Austrian Family are also all of High Spirits and are besides adorned with the Endowments of Vertue and Gravity Whereas on the contrary the Great Turk bestowing his Concubines only upon his own Slaves and Bassaes as they call them gets himself no advantage at all from abroad onely He hereby obligeth these men to be true and faithful to Him And therefore my Opinion is that it would be the best way for the King of Spain never to marry a Wife out of the Austrian Family unlesse He should thereby come to inherit some New Country because that it would be much better that those Daughters should be married abroad to Forreign Princes that so they may turn the hearts and affections of their Husbands toward the King of Spain But seeing that as hath been formerly said the Turk stretcheth forth his hand against All Men whence it comes to passe that All men in like manner stretch forth their hands against Him all whom yet he is frequently wont to delude by his Cessations from Armes and Truces for He keeps his faith with none of them it would be a businesse worth our serious consideration how this Practise of his might be turned against Himself Which that it may the easilier be effected the King of Spain should prevail with the Persians to invade Arabia with a Sufficient Army perswading them that this would be the only means of securing their Own Territories and possessing them withal with this perswasion that the Turk is the Common Enemy and that therefore he ought to be set upon on all sides to the uttermost of their power least after they have once overcome us Christians They themselves should fall to be his next Prey And thenâ— that under a Pretense of Zeal for Religion they should possesse themselves of the City of Mecha where is the Sepulchre of Mahomet who was the Head of their Empire which Designs being but once happily and Prosperously accomplished that then all other things would the more easily be brought about Let the King of Spain also take care that there may be a League made betwixt the Persian and Prester Iohn and this Later should be perswaded to send out as great an Army as he could to invade the Common Enemies the Turk's Country which Army should be carried over by the Red Sea by meanes of the Portugals Fleet or else He may send those Forces of his in by Land and that not onely to enlarge their Own Empire and Dominion but also for the Advancement of their Religion namely by recovering of Ierusalem where the Sepulcher of our Saviour Christ is which both We and the Ethiopians too have now so many Ages been deprived of Both Nations therefore ought to bend their whole Forces that way It would also be very Convenient that the Muscovite who should be perswaded to this by some Polonian Oratours should at the same time fall in upon Bulgaria and Moldavia with an Army And the King should so order the Matter that at one and the same time the Emperour and the Prince of Transylvania should fall upon him in Hungary and the Polander upon Macedonia and Mysia that the Tuâ—k being by this means so distracted may not know which part to relieve first The Georgians also should be secretly dealt withal to embrace this General Association by the Venetian Merchants and to fall upon Natolia and Trapezâ—nd or Macedonia And for the promoting of this Design it would be very convenient that every one should keep to himself what he hath got except Ierusalem only which should be reserved for the King of Spain of which Country the King also should shortly afterward by little and little get the Possession by making use of the Conveniency of the Red Sea I would also advise that the King of Spain and the Venetian together with the Pope entring into a Mutual League together should at the same time also fall upon Morea Cyprus or Egypt for which purpose such a Neapolitan Fleet as we have formerly spoken off would be of very excellent use and Advantage And afterwards they should divide such Countries and Places as they have taken and share them among themselves making the Pope their Judge and Arbitrator herein And this Association and League made betwixt the aforesaid Princes I would have to last for the space of whole ten years For by this means the Turk having his hands full at home would be taken off from making War upon the Christians in the West as he now does to the great detriment of the House of Austria And to this end it would be very Expedient that there were a League made both with the Persians and Prester Iohn for these People might very much annoy the Western Countries And this would also make very much for the Advantage of the Venetians too who stand in no small dread of the Turks whom because they are not able to match them in Power they are fain to pacifie and keep quiet by fair means and Presents There are some that are of opinion that there are two wayes by which an Association or League might be made by the Christians against the Turk if not for his total ruine yet at least to the bringing about of some very good effect And One of these is that all such Princes whose Territories border upon Turky should at one and the same time set all upon him every one of them invading that part of the Turks Dominions that lies next him not with any certain part only of â—is Forces but with the whole strength and Power that he can possibly make in the World for so all of them should enjoy an equal share in the spoiles that were taken The second and that the more Noble is if that very many several Princes would but resolve for the glory of God and the Propagation of the Church to set upon the Turk either altother from one part or else from diverse parts all at once as we read to have been done in those former Heroick times when as many several Valiant Princes out of Germany the Netherlandsâ— France and Italy some of them selling their Territories outright and others of them pawning the same gathered together an Army of above forty Thousand Men and marching with them into the Eastern Countries and there beating the Turks out of Nice the Persians out of Antioch and the Saracens out of Ierusalem they afterwards laid wast the whole East and in a short time recovered the Holy Land In which Expedition this especially is to be taken notice of that neither the Emperour himself nor any other King was either their General or so much as went along with them in it And notwithstanding that afterwards indeed the Kings of France and of England as also the
Turkish Empire shall be Lord of the whole Earth The House of Spain then can never attaine to any great Monarchy according to Fate but only by the adhering to Italy the Roman Empire which is the German the Right Head The King of Spain therefore is to use his utmost endeavour that he may be chosen Emperour seeing that not only God but even Human Prudence also may inform us that by that meanes he may attain to what ever his heart can wish A beginning of which thing appeared plain enough in Charles the Fifth King of Spain who being also Emperour and being assisted with the whole power of Italy and Spain overcame those of Tunis and the King of France and conquered all Germany in so much that Solyman seeing the prosperous Fortune of this Prince had good Cause to say that it behooved him to take heed of Charles neither would he though he were stronger then He fight with Him under the Walls of Vienna We see therefore that which way the Fates incline the same also goes all the rest of the Fortune and so on the other side all things must needs be successelesse that are â—aken in hand under a Reluctant Faâ—e I shall here also open another Mystery namely that all Empires according to the Prophesy of Noaâ— do descend from the Sons of Iaphet God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the tents of Sem and Cham shall be his Servant And from Cham are to descend none but Slaves and Tyrants who are indeed Slaves as I have elsewhere proved Wherefore the Turkish Empire comes from Iaphet by Magog and as to the Law from Sem by the Line of Ishmael from whom Mahumet descended as it hath allwaies been observed to fall out that the Northern People which are fierce and by the armes of Iaphet still Victorious have yet received Lawes and Rules from the wiser Southern People who were the Ofspring of Sem. And yet the Empire sometimes hath otherwise had a succession of Tyrants also who have descended from Cham though by the intervention of the German who is descended from Iaphet as the Spaniard himself derives his Line from Iaphet by Tubal like as concerning the Law the Roman Christianity doth derive it self from â—em in respect of Christ who is a true Sem by the Line of Isaac Seeing therefore Dominion was promised to Iaphet it belongeth chiefly to the Spaniards who are more nearly and by a firmer alliance descended from the Law-giver then the Turks and their Victorie drives on to this end that they may dwell in the House of Sem seeing that they possesse the Greatest part of Italy by the Investiture of the Pope who is descended from Sem Of whom this is no fit occasion to say any more although I willingly would do so and indeed ought I shall only add here that they cannot according to Fate come to be Lords of all unlesse they become the Deliverers of the Church and set it free from out of the hands of the Babylonians that is to say of the Turks and Hereticks Upon this account they conquered the Moores God bestowing upon them so great an Empire as their reward Now it is evident that the Church is in subjection to Babylon as long as it is Militant and I have formerly shewed elsewhere that it doâ—h yet retain the dayes of Tuesday and Friday and the moneths of August and Iuly which were theirs of the Roman Babylon and the Church now suffers most grievous Persecutions under the Babylonian Infidels both in Africk Asia and Europe and especially in Germany France England and Polaâ—d This discourse therefore is to be listened unto with attentive eares because that all the Iewish Affaires were a Type and figure of those of the Christians He therefore that shall deliver the Church out of these evills shall become the Universal Monarch because He shall perform the Office of the Christian Cyrus whom God shall raise up as Esay saith to subdue the whole World to restore Ierusalâ—m to remove their Captivity and to build a temple to the God of Heaven and Earth wherein shall be set up the Continual Sacrifice as is foretold by Daniel Esay and Esdras Cyrus also was of the Linage of Iaphet by the Medes and notwithstanding that the Turk is descended of the same stock also yet shall He not perform the Office because that He is become an Enemy by setting up another Contrary Law The French in the time of Charlemagne arrogated this Office to themselves who by their often delivering the Pope out of the hands of the Princes of Italy the Lombards and the Gotâ—s arrived to so great power that they became formidable to all and the said Charlemagne might have come to have been Universal Monarch of the World had not his sons been at Variance among themselves but had managed their Empire rightly and as they ought to have done But the discords that were betwixt the Christians and â—he following Heresy raigning at this day broke the neck of the French Empire at least took away from it all hope of ever arriving to the height of so much greatnesse But the Spaniards by being continually rooting out of the Moors became powerful but contrariwise Constantinople because it deserted the Pope and adhered to Arrius Sabellius and others came to destruction The Venetians also have by the Popes meanes arrived to a great height because that they assisted him against Frederick So that it is manifest that he that shall take any enterprize in hand under a Favourable Fate shall have all happy successe therein but on the contrary he that shall rush on upon any undertaking under a Crosse and Vnwilling Fate shall find the Event also quite contrary to his desires Which may also be demonstrated out of Reasons of Policy For he tâ—at maintaines the Popes Interest maintaines the Universal Right of all Christendom which depends upon the Pope For this Cause is accounted both a Just and a Religious one and therefore all men will take it up And the Opinion also of Religion overcomes all other causes as we â—ave already shewed elsewhere and shall further shew hereafter Add hereto that the Pope is the Universal Moderator and Judge of all things to whom all people have their recourse and yeild obedience to him as to their God and Deliverer as on the contrary the Sweden Saxon and the Constantinopolitan Princes as being enemies to and Stubborn opposers of Him are rejected and deserted by them Therefore the Office of Cyrus belongs to the King of Spain who being now honoured by the Pope with the Title of The Catholick King may easily arrive to the Principality of the whole World and we see that he hath already followed his Footsteeps in having delivered the Church heretofore out of the hands of the Moors of Granado as he hath lately done from the Hereticks of England the Law-Countries and France and He maintaines besides with yearly Revenues so many Bishops Cardinals and
one for then all his Subjects will readily and chearfully compose themselves to the Example of His carriage and behaviour towards others Let those Castles and strong Holds that lye next to France be very well guarded and furnished with all Necessaries and likewise those that are at Corrugna and on the Northern Coast of Spain looking toward England and all care must be taken that these be not set upon by the Enemy But yet the best way would be to have a gallant Fleet consisting of a Thousand sail to be alwaies in readinesse upon all Occasions as I shall shew by and by Let the Spaniards also teach whatever Africans or West or East-Indians are either brought over to them or else come over to them of their own accord all Mechanical Arts and Professions but let them study themselves only Military Sciences and let them indeed â—ather addict themselves to these Studies then to those of Books But as for all Forraigners let them be put rather to the reading of Books then the Practise of Armes For we see that the Learned City Athens was overcome in War by the Martial City Sparta both which notwithstanding were afterward reduced and brought under the power and subjection of the Macedonians namely because this Nation had been better instructed in the Use and Exercise of Arms by their King Philip of Macedonia the Father of Alexander the Great then either of those Cities had been It is sufficient therefore if the King have Seminaries for the Arts and Languages for His new Austrian Order before spoken of to be brought up in among his Forreign Subjects and Nations but as for others there is no great care to be taken of them but they may apply themselves to the Study of Sciences and Arts if they think fit however it is very necessary that in Spain all persons as well in the said Seminaries as out of them be brought up in the Exercise and Knowledge of Armes There ought also to be Schools erected for the Educating and Training up of the Younger Sons of the Spanish Nobility whence the King may be furnished with Able and Faithful Commanders both for Land and Sea service of which thing also we have said somewhat before Neither ought any Man to despise or set light by the Country of Spain because of the Barrennesse of it for this defect is not to be imputed to the Nature of the Soyl but onely to the Scarsity of people to manure it For this Country is of a most fruitful Soyl of it self and yeildeth plentifully all things whatsoever that are necessary for the sustaining of Mans life and if it were but carefully manured and tilled it would be able to feed an infinite number of people in like manner as heretofore it was able besides Its own Inhabitants to feed also the vast Armies of the Carthagineans and Romans Neither did any Country longer or more gallantly stand out against the Power of the Romans then Spain did neither had It ever any Army cut off but it was able presently to raise a greater But to passe by Ancient Stories it is reported by our Latter Writers that the King of Granada brought into the Field against Ferdinand Fifty Thousand Horse which number of Horse I doubt woâ—ld scarsely at this day be made up out of all the other Provinces besides both of Spain and Portugal not that either the Nature of these Countries or the Temper of the Heavens are changed but only because that the number of the Inhabitants is grown lesse and so consequently the Manuring and tilling of the Ground is very much neglected now more then heretofore Now the number of the Inhabitants is decreased first by reason of that war with the Moors where they got the better of the Spaniards for in that War within the space of three Months there were slain Seven Hundred Thousand Men. After this followed another war which continued for the space of Seven Hundred seventy and eight years till such time as the whole Nation of the Moors was utterly rooted out of Spain in which space of time there was a Vast and indeed incredible number of men slain on both sides insomuch that many Cities yea and many whole Large Tracts of Ground were left utterly desert and void of Inhabitants And this War was scarsely ended when presently the Spaniards prepared for other New Wars again setting upon Africk Naples Millan and the West-Indies and having overcome all these they then set themselves to endeavour the Recovery of the Netherlands in which Wars also there was a vast number of Men lost being cut off either by the War or those other Calamities that are the usual Consequents of War And then again even now at this day they are continually sending abroad infinite numbers of people into the aforesaid West-Indies partly to make Plantations there and partly to Traffick as Merchants there or else to keep some Garrisons or other And therefore the Practise of Husbandry hath been a long time neglected in Spain because that the people of that Nation are naturally inclined to the Exercise of Armes and so rather seek after Profit that way by their Pay as Souldiers then by any other way whatsoever And indeed the Spaniard is but a heavy dull fellow not onely at Agriculture and Points of Husbandry but generally at all Mechanical Arts whatsoever and that is the reason that Spain is so unfurnished of Mechanicks and that their Wooll Silk and what other Commodities the Country affords are all transported abroad and what ever course matter they do not send out is in a manner all wrought up by the Italians onely and as for their Fields and Vineyards they leave the manuring of them to â—he French And if we would but diligently examine what the â—eason should be that Spain hath enjoyed a most quiet and undisturbed Peace for so long time together whereas Francâ— is continually harassed and imbroyled in Wars we should find the Principal reason hereof to be this namely because that Spain is continually imployed in some Forreign Wars either in the Indies the Netherlands in subduing some Hereticks or other or in keeping off the Invasions of the Turks or of the Moors in all which the Spaniards have both their hands and Minds wholly imployed and set on work mean while their Country continues quiet and they themselves vent all their venom of Sedition against others And therefore I may not here omit to relate how that many times for want of Souldiers they have been forced to do as the Finlanders are used to do who when they go out to fight against the Muscovites are wont to carry along with them a great number of Fierce Mastive dogs which also many times do them very good service Which very thing was also put in practise in the West Indies by Vasco Nugnez not with out much slaughter done upon those Barbarians many times also by this meanes putting them to flight But we have already dwelt long
Of Poland Muscovia and Transylvania THe Kingdom of Poland is in Our time the most Potent of all the Northern Kingdomes insomuch that if it were not so divided in it self about Points of Religion as it is and were withal an Hereditary Kingdome and had a Prince that were a Native and were not Elected out of some Forraign Nation as their custome is it would prove a sufficient Terrour to the Great Turk especially if the Great Duke of Muscovia were but joyned with them But the Nobility of that Nation in whose Power the Election of the King is are very much afraid of the King's Power and for that reason They keep as hard a hand over Him as possibly they can The King of Spain therefore must endeavour as much as lies in Him that no King be elected there but such a one as is of the Catholick Religion which course hath hitherto been observed amongst them For should they chuse themselves a King that were of any other Religion He would then very easily be induced to countenance by his Authority the Northern Hereticks who do all agree in these two Points although they differ among themsâ—lves almost in all the rest namelyâ— that the Pope is Antichrist and that the Arch-Dukes of Austria are all of them such as fight for Antichrist And therefore upon any the least Occasion that could be they would be apt to joyn their forces together against both the Pope and the Emperour their Neighbour had they but any Powerful Prince to head them and to be their General which Charge none is so able to undertake and go through with as the King of Poland is For the King of Denmark is but a weak Prince and the King of Sweden lies too far off and besides is severed from Germany by the Sea The King of Spain must then in the next place by all meanes endeavour that one of the House of Austria may be advanced to the Crown of Poland or at least such a one as is some way or other allied to the House of Austria as the now King of Poland is And lastly he must be such a one as shall alwaies make head against the Turk and that should enter into an Association with the Muscovites who together should to their utmost endeavour as much as in them lies the utter Ruine and Extirpation of the Turks He must also make choyce of some of the Wisest and most Eminent persons of his Kingdom whom He shall send as Embassadours to Cracovia and who by their presence may adde Authority and Weight to the Spanish Union in the Esteem of the Electors of Poland and that may obtain of them that in case the King of Spain should have more Sons then one that theâ— They would Elect one of the Younger of them to be their King for certainly were any of the King of Spain's Sons chosen King of Poland He would never be so simple and foolish as to take upon him to govern the Kingdome of Poland according to his Own Will and pleasure as the King of France's Son endeavoured to do Besides He must deal with the People of Scandia and the Dantzickers by the means of the King of Poland who now is King of Swethland also that they would joyn together and send out a Fleet against the English as hath been said before For by taking this course the Kings expense will not be half so great as his Gains will be He must also labour that the Prince of Transylvania may in like manner enter into a league with the Polanders or else that either He or the great Duke of Muscovia may be chosen King of Poland For seeing that these two Nations are not only Neighbours to â—he Turks but do also naturally hate them they might easily be able to stop his proceedings And I am verily perswaded that among all the Northern Nations there is not any so fit and able to oppose the Turk as is the Muscovite who would but the Tartarians and the Polanders joyn with him might be able to make Incursions into the Turks Dominions and march up even to the very Walls of Constantinople Neither indeed hath Macedonia or Moldavia or Bulgaria or Thrace ever suffered so much losse by any Nation as by the Muscovitâ—s And if there were an Association contracted betwixt the King of Spain and the Muscovite either by Marriage or else by the nearer Tie of Religion brought about there by the Industry of the Iesuites it must needs prove a very advantageous businesse to Him because that Spanish Gold is among these Northern Nations of greater Estimation and Account then any thing else in the world And then must the King of Spain be very careful that as soon as ever he finds he hath wrought up the affections of these people to a Willingnesse to do him any service He set them upon some Notable Expedition or other while they are now ready for it and before they begin to cool again and repent themselves of their forwardnesse For Delay hath alwaies been the Ruine of the King of Spain's Affaires by reason that his Confederates through his slownesse in putting them in execution have alwaies had time enough to smell out the subtilty of His Designs and by this means it comes to passe that he commonly loses his labour and is at charge to no purpose The Bohemians also might be hired by the King of Spain's and the Popes Mony to joyn with the Transylvanians against the Turks because that They are in league with the House of Austria Yet when all is done there cannot be any considerable matter done in this Particular without the Assistance of the Polanders also and the Muscovites and unlesse the Emperour himself also be a Man of a stout and Warlike spirit as we shewed before when we spake of Germany and use his utmost endeavour to stop all growing Mischiefs in their very Beginings least by Delay they get head and grow so much the stronger and Intractable CHAP. XXVII Of Flanders and the Lower Germany IT is not without good cause that the King of Spain endeavours by all possiblâ— meanes that he can to recover the Low-Countries again about the keeping of that only part whereof which he still possesseth it hath cost him more Humane Blood then there is Water in it and about which He hath spent more Gold then there are stones in it And yet neither is this a matter so much to be wondred at seeing that could He but once make himself Master of those Countries again He might then very easily make himself Lord also of the Whole Earth For were this but done both France and Germany would quickly follow in spite of what ever they could do and also England it self would be utterly ruined and indeed all the Northern Nations would be much weakned and rendred utterly unable to make any resistance against Him For we see that Caesar after he had once conquered the Belgians made little account of all the rest