which worse is in Castile and J protest vnto you that although I doe against my will enter in the realm of Castile yet shall not Castile euer enter within me And so as he persisted in this fidelitie to his countrie and disauowing of Philip by his commandement there was poyson giuen him whereof this godly graue learned and excellent man died in the flower of his yeares The like misaduenture happened to Don Laurence Don Laurence Prior generall of the Cannons Regulars of Saint Augustine of the congregation of the holie Crosse of Coimbre who for his singular prudence and religion wherewith hee is notablie adorned had three seueral times with great coÌ„mendation honor executed dischargd this charge What shal we say touching the immane and brutish crueltie vvhich he hath practised in Portugall against an infinite number of other notable personages namelie against that most reuerend Father Frier Steuen Leyton â—ryer Steuen Leyton of the order of Friers Preachers the kinsman of the Duke de Aueyra and of the Duke de Leyria and of other Princes and great Lords vvho vvas twise Prouinciall and thrise Vicar generall of his Order And albeit that all the vvorld did admire the miraculous life of this vvorthie man yet because hee had tooth and naile as the saying is defended the right of his countrie the said Philip caused him to bee taken and imprisoned depriuing him of his voyce actiue and passiue and of the exercise of his Priesthood which vvas the occasion of his death through extreame griefe and sorrow These things and manie others hath hee committed against a great number of persons both Regular and Ecclesiasticall vvhome to recken vp vvere infinite All those aboue mentioned they haue bene either ill intreated or else put to death by the commaundement and order of his Maiestie that is so Catholike as is vvell knowne by true and manifest proofes and by most cleare and euident coniectures It may bee that one day you shall see touching this matter a more ample and large historie then this same vvhich containeth onelie his cruelties towards his neighbours and yet not all of those neither See an epistle vvhich Anthonie King of Portugall sent vnto Pope Gregorie the thirteenth of that name in the yeare 1584. Behold then how hee dispatcheth all his affaires and in what manner hee dealeth with all the world It was not long since there was taken in the Citie of Leon a packet of letters written with his owne hand and sent to the Constable of Castile within the which were found certaine graines amongst the letters and a certaine Gentleman suspecting somewhat gaue of those graines to eate to manie liuing creatures which all died immediatlie Another like matter as this same happened within a while after in the franke Countie of Burgoigne in a certaine house where the Constable of Castile had lodged after his departure from thence a chamber-maide of the house founde a ball within a verie faire purse within which ball shee thinking to haue founde some great treasure founde certaine graines of which was made the same proofe and experience and all those creatures that did eate thereof died This is that notable tyrant which doeth all that hee can doe to the vttermost of his abilitie and that dareth seeke to take away the life of the most Christian Maiestie To wit of â—he Queene of England and Prince Maurice Count of Nassau c Fol 216. p. 2. 80000. duckats promised by king Philip to kill Don Anthonio and other Princes by such shamefull and abhominable meanes as there is none but would shame to write them saue onelie maister Hieronyme Franchi Conestagio of whome wee haue formerlie spoken For hee in the seuenth booke of his historie saieth that Philip did prize the life of the Priour that is to say of Seigniour Don Anthonio king of Portugall at fourescore thousand duckats as beeing a rebell and disturber of the publike peace and quietnesse And so did hee handle another Prince that was both his cousin germane and cousin germane remoued and so manie wayes of kinne vnto him and so strictly allied vnto him in friendship and amitie that they carried themselues each to other as if they had bene each others father yea and as if they had bene but one person and yet did hee vse him as if hee had bene a common theefe a robber a malefactor and a man of no reckening nor estimation And this horrible and abhominable crueltie doeth not end in Portugall but it passeth ouer the sea and the Pyrenean mountaines into Fraunce and into England where he hath bent and imployed all his meanes to take away the liues of the Monarches of those realmes O barbarous O abhominable hang-man and murtherer hast thou no shame If thou be a Catholike as thou doest entitle thy selfe how is it that thou knowest not what a deede of shame and enormitie it is to commit murther God would not that any man should touch Caine himselfe who had murthered his owne brother and commanded that if any were so hardy as to kill him that he should bee seuerely punished Genes 4. Omnis qui occiderit Caine septuplum punietur Whosoeuer shall kill Caine shall be punished seuen sold If thou doe know this why doest thou not keepe the commandements of God eternall The good workes I say not of Saints nor of Christians but euen of Idolaters which hauing no knowledge of the true light doe follow onely the simple law of Nature doe they not worke any shame in thee Doest thou not remember what the Romanes did when Pyrrhus Pyrrhus his Physitian did offer Fabricius Fabritius to poyson him And how they handled the Schoole-maister to the children of the Fuliscians which came to betray to them to Camillus Lucius Florus Pompo Mela. Lucas Tudensis Paulus Câ—sirus and many others If thou thinke that these Examples bee nothing to the purpose learne what sentence they gaue against Seruilius Caepio who returning to Rome with victorie and demanding that he may triumph in recompence of his seruice done to the commonwealth by the death of Viriatus whom he had caused to be slaine by treason and for that he had subdued a great part of Spaine to the Romane Empire they pronounced this iudgement against him that both the said Caepio and the murtherers of Viriatus were more worthy to be chastised then to be recompenced and that there was no reason they should allow any reward for the destroying of their enemies and the victories gotten against them by money and through corruption Quae victoria empta erat à Senatu percussores indigni praemio iudicati By this then that hath beene said may bee seene as in a mirrour the crueltie of this maligne and peruerse tyrant whome many will not beleeue to bee such a one as in very deede and in trueth he is but contrariewise without all consideration as people blinded peruerse and obstinate they will striue and contend to
THE SPANISH PILGRIME OR AN ADMIRABLE DISCOVERY of a ROMISH CATHOLICKE Shewing how necessary and important it is for the Protestant Kings Princes and Potentates of Europe to make warre vpon the King of Spaines owne Countrey Also where and by what meanes his Dominions may be inuaded and easily ruinated as the English heretofore going into Spaine did constraine the Kings of Castile to demand peace in all humility and what great losse it hath beene and still is to all Christendome for default of putting the same in execution Wherein hee makes apparant by good and euident reasons infallible arguments most true and certaine Histories and notable examples the right way and true meanes to resist the violence of the Spanish King to breake the course of his designes to beate downe his pride and to ruinate his puissance LONDON Printed by B. A. and are to be sold by Thomas Archer at his shop in Popes head Alley ouer against the signe of the Horse-shooe 1625. THE EPISTLE OF THE French Translator to all the Protestant Kings Princes and Potentates in the Christian World Most excellent Princes IT was my hap to contract amity with certaine Gentlemen of Arragon and other Spaniards not Castillians for to them I wot not how to carry any affection which should exceede the prescript rule of the Gospell of whom I vnderstood many things tâ—uching matters of State which were to me strange and vnknowne by reason that there were amongst them some personages exceedingly well learned and most conuersant and expert in all Histories and notably well seene and practised in the affaires of the World There was one aboue the rest in their company a man of great spirit iudgement and experience who had seene a great part of Europe and hauing beene for a long time in Portugall had dealt and conuersed with the Portugals whose Language he spake naturally and had read all the Histories of that Realme and was so well acquainted with all their affaires and knew them all so particularly that I did greatly wonder at it For in things that were to come I found him in manner of a Prophet in so much that for the viuacity and quicknesse of his spirit and the long experience which hee hath had he seemeth to me to haue as great knowledge in things to come as if he saw them present before his eyes He made proofe vnto me by many reasons which did not onely plainely conuince my opinion but did as it were bind me hand and foote that these voyages and others of like kinde would neuer draw with them any other profit nor serue to any other purpose then to waken the sleeping dogge and to re-enforce the common enemie Now considering that Don Philip King of Castile hath a Councell the most choise and excellent such as neuer Prince in this World had a better his seruitors most loyall and faithfull great forces and abundance of treasure vpon the which all other things doe depend and yet notwithstanding all this hee doth not leaue daily to cause diuers Bookes to be imprinted in his fauour and defence I doe therefore desire to haue drawne from this learned and worthy person some thing written with his owne hand which I might present vnto your Maiesties and to this end did I diuers times make request vnto him but I could neuer get him to yeeld or condescend thereunto Wherefore bethinking with my selfe that as pouerty griefe and melancholie doth bury and as it were kill the spirits of a man so the commodities of this life contentment and cheerefulnesse doth reuiue and quicken them I determined because I saw him sad pensiue and melancholicke by reason of his exile and misfortunes out of his owne Countrey to procure his pleasure and contentment knowing that by this meanes I might obtaine the accomplishment of my desire I did therefore set open my gates and my House vnto him I presented him with my Purse and made him partner of my Coyne I cherished and entertained him for many dayes and for loue of him some other of his company And by this curtesie I made him so beholding to me that afterwards hauing many times held dispute and conference together I caused him in the end to take his Pen in hand Thereupon did he compose in the Castillian Tongue this Discourse which he entitled Trattado paranaetico and he presented it vnto me The which when I had read a most strange admiration or astonishment did rauish me for that I neuer saw I will not say in so little a Volume but not euen in great Bookes so many curiosities reported so many and diuers Histories things so secret and particular admonishments so necessary to be embraced nor counsels so iust to be followed And knowing perfectly the excellency of this worke and how greatly important it would be to be seene of your Maiesties and by the Kings Princes Potentates and Common-weales of Europe And albeit I know my stile to be rude and barbarous yet such was my ambition I confesse mine owne infirmity that I was not willing that any other should haue the pleasure in doing it In some places I haue augmented it holding it so to be needfull for the better and more cleere vnderstanding of the History Touching the originall I thought it reason not to abridge or cut off any part thereof I most humbly beseech in regard of your most Christian Maiesties to receiue it with that good affection which Princes oweth to their Subiects who for his seruice will not esteeme to hazard the losse of all that hee possesseth much lesse to make himselfe vncapable for the obtaining of that which of right is due vnto him and who for the good and honour of his Countrey will spend his life most freely and willingly God preserue and blesse the most Christian persons of your Maiesties with so great abundance of spirituall graces and assist you and make you to prosper with so many riches of temporall blessings as is possible to his diuine Maiestie Amen The most faithfull Subiect of the most Christian King of France and loyall Seruant to the most wise and excellent King of England I. D. Dralymont The Publisher to the Reader FRiendly Reader thou hast in this little Pamphlet an incomparable treasure a rich store-house and magazin full of precious speeches true Histories rare examples liuely reasons and wholsome counsels the which if their Maiesties and the Kings Princes Potentates and Common-weales of Christendome would embrace follow and put in execution without doubt they should soone obtaine and find a medicine for so many mischiefes a remedy for so great and continuall afflictions and intollerable trauels wherewith their Subiects haue for so many yeeres wrastled and contended And I dare assure them that by obseruing the aduise here giuen them they shall preserue their Estates in time to come from all danger for euen as the great fishes doe persecute and deuoure the small and little ones so in like manner those neighbours which are most mighty
all these their exploits and perceiuing that the puissance of the Carthaginians was very great and that they held not onely the greatest and best part of Africke which they had subdued by force of Armes but also many peoples of Spaine with sundry Isles in the Sea round about Sardinia Italy they did very wisely imagine that this neighbourhood of theirs would proue very dangerous perillous vnto them if they should finish and goe through with the conquest of all Sicily For this cause they tooke such good order in prouiding for their affaires as they brought the Carthaginians to this extremitie that they had no more in their possession saue the Towne of Erix the which Amilcar Barcyn the father of Hanniball did defend against them most valiantly for a long time and did therein maruellous deeds of armes Notwithstanding This was about 240 yeres before the birth of Christ the Carthaginians seeing that they could not withstand nor resist the force and puissance of the Romans they sent a messenger vnto Amilcar commanding him to render and deliuer vp the Towne immediately and to make peace with them to the greatest honor profit and aduantage that he could possibly for the state of Carthage Amilcar doing as the Seigniorie had commanded him gaue vp the Towne to the Consul Luctatius and within few dayes after following the course of his affaires returned into Africke where hee had many victories against certaine seditious persons and so he setled the estate of Carthage in rest and quietnesse In the yeere 237. This done hee made a voyage into Spaine taking with him his sonne Hanniball who was not then aboue eight or nine yeeres of age together with his mother who was a Spaniard and three other of his younger sonnes Asdrubal Mago and Hanno of whom Amilcar their father was wont to say A saying of Amilcar touching Hannibal and his other sonnes That hee nourished foure fierce Lyons whelpes who were resolute to worke the destruction of the estate of Rome Amilcar then being in Spaine by his prudence and liberalitie did gayne the hearts and good affections of the Spaniards that he knew well he should be able by their meanes to haue about againe with the Romans to recouer from them both Sicilia and Sardinia which they had also in their puissance and that so in the end he might passe from thence into Italy and there to procure their vtter ruine and destruction But being preuented by death In the yeere 228. he charged his sonne Hannibal whom hee had coniured to be during his life an vtter and vnreconcilable enemie to the Romans to put this his enterprise in execution Hannibal after the death of Asdrubal his brother in law who succeeded his father in law Amilcar in that gouernment being then made gouernour of Spaine In the yeere 223. tooke the Citie of Saguntum which is now called Monvedre after hee had held it besieged the space of eight moneths In the yeere 217. After the taking whereof he began to dispose and prepare himselfe to the voyage of Italy and hauing with great trauailes and many difficulties passed the Alpes In the yeere 216. he obtayned in proces of time so many notable victories against the Romans and did put them in such feare and terror Hannibal passeth into Italy that they did in a manner hold themselues vtterly vndone forlorne And so had they beene indeed if they had not beene aduised to send Scipio into Africke Scipio goeth against Carthage who made such cruell warre so forcibly and so violently vpon the Carthaginians that hee constrayned them to call home Hannibal out of Italy who within short time after with the whole estate of Carthage was ouerthrowne brought to nought as is well knowne vnto all men And so by this meanes were the Romans eased and deliuered enioying peace and quietnesse and the Carthaginians vndone defeated and subdued and their estate which had beene so famous and renowned was vtterly ruinated and brought vnder the power and puissance of their enemies Xerxes King of Persia seeing himselfe in a miserable estate and bethinking how he might deliuer and rayse himselfe vp againe he made choyse of certaine of his seruants fit for the execution of his intended purpose and them hee sent into Europe with store of money to corrupt the Orators of the Townes and Commonwealths of Greece and hauing corrupted them of Athens and of Thebes hee made them to rise in armes and to make warre vpon the Spartans Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus By this meanes Greece being set in trouble and dissention sent for Agesilaus who hauing at that time subdued a great part of the Empire of Persia and being willed to come home was enforced to quit and abandon the same for the relieuing of his Countrey from those troubles wherewith it was entangled And because the Money of Persia had an Archer engrauen on the one side thereof the same Agesilaus had a saying That ten thousand Archers had driuen him out of Asia and had beene the cause to make him loose a most stately and puissant Empire By this pollicie then did Xerxes rid himselfe from the trouble and extremitie wherein he was driuing out his enemie from his Countrey and recouering his estate that was neere ruine and confusion By these examples most excellent Princes was Achaius King of Scotland Achaius King of Scotland the sonne of Elfinis a singular good Prince and of excellent vertue induced in the yeere of Christ 791. to make a perpetuall and irreuocable Peace and League of Amitie with Charlemaâ—â—ne King of France at such time as he saw himselfe hardly bestead by the Saxons English who then possessed the better part of Great Brittaine which within a few yeeres after was called by one onely name England The other Kings the successors of Charlemaigne considering that this peace and amitie was more necessarie for them as being more to their profit and aduantage then it was to the Scots themselues who sought it they haue continued the same euen till this day and by meanes thereof haue oftentimes constrayned the Englishmen when they haue beene in warres enmity with them to retire and withdraw themselues out of France and many times also they haue kept them so busied in their own countrey that they haue had enough to do to defend themselues And they haue taken from them both the desire the means to passe into strange foreine Nations Money giuen to the Scots by the French yea there haue bin some of the French kings who haue giuen to the Scot to this end and purpose more then 500000. Crownes which was as much in those dayes then hauing regard to the change and difference of the times as two millions are at this day I will omit many other Histories which make notably to this our purpose because I know well that these are sufficient to shew how greatly it concerneth and importeth
and Townes holding the party of the king deceased did conuey themselues into Portugall where they were receiued by the king Fernand and had most honourable entertainment with most notable fauours rich presents and incredible gifts which hee gaue vnto them most bountifully In so much that from thenceforth the Castres did continue still and inhabit in Portugall from whom are descended those which are there of that name now at this day Hierom Guliel cap. 23. fol. 81 pag. 2. The like happened to Diego Lopez Pacheco a Portugall albeit not for so iust and honourable a cause who going from Portugall into Castile for being charged with the death of the Queene Dame Iues de Castro in the time of the king Don Peter of Portugall hee was then created Lord of Beiar and his children also made Lords of other peoples of whom the Marquesse of Villana the Dukes of Escalon and many other great Lords haue their descent and originall In like manner in the time of king Juan of Portugall of happy memory Alias Iohn the Acugnas and Pimentels went into Castile and of them are descended directly in the line masculine the Dukes of Ossuna and Counties of Benauent and in a manner all the Princes and Lords of Castile and Dame Iulian de Lancastre Duchesse of Auero in Portugall Now at this day the Nobilitie of Spaine doth greatly want such places of refuge and sanctuarie and now The Nobilitie of Spain want places of refuge and sanctuary at this day the least Prouost or Marshall is sufficient to arrest the greatest Lord of the countrey yea though it were the brother of the King himselfe in so much that the Princes and Lords of Spaine doe as heartily desire to see some Realme or Prouince set at libertie as they doe their owne safetie The sorrow griefe of the Princes and Lords of Spaine to see the inuasion vsurpation of Portugal the desire they haue to see it at libertie None can tell how great an affliction and notable a misery famine is but hee that wanteth bread to eat and the Nobilitie of Spaine doth at this day with great griefe finde that to be true which they most of all feared in the time of Charles the fifth whose greatnesse they had euen then suspected and for this cause they did shew themselues mightily aggrieued at such time as King Philip did enterprise the vsurpation of Portugall Conestagio a Genouois in the booke which he hath written in fauour of the sayd Philip and which is intituled The vnion of the Realme of Portugall with the Crowne of Castile doth tell vs both the one and the other of these matters And although in that worke of his there be many true reports yet we doe know him for a great and notable Lyer and euen the very first word of that booke is an vntruth in that he hath entituled it The vnion of Portugall with the Crowne of Castile The oth of K. Philip. for king Philip in the assembly of estate which he held at Tomar in the yeare 1581. where the Portugals against their wills and by force did receiue him for their king promised and sware with a solemne oath neuer to intermingle the matter and affaires of Portugall with those of Castile The Explication of the Genealogy of the French K. now raigning The authour whereof was Frier Ioseph Texere but to keepe for euer the Monarchy of Portugall entire in the same estate and in the same manner as the kings his precessors had alwayes preserued and maintained it paying all the pensions fees and wages to all the officers of the kings house both Spirituall and Temporall in like sort as they were payd in the times of the true and good kings forepassed Somewhat of this matter a man may see in the end of the booke of Explication of the Genealogie of his most Christian Maiestie where it is spoken of the first king of Castile Moreouer the said Conestagio as a man of a maligne and peruerse spirit is a most vngratefull enemy of that nation which hath both aduanced and honoured him For wee knew him at Lisbon when he serued Anthonio Caulo and afterwards with Stephen Lercaro 3. fol. 62. a Marchant of Genoa He hath in his booke these words In Castile this succession gaue great matter whereof both to muse and to talke both in priuate and in publike for that the king caused the Estate of Portugall to be vnited to his other Realmes and Dominions not caring how nor in what fashion it were done so it were effected The which the Nobilitie tooke very ill in so much as it seeemeth that all the great men of Spaine since the time of Charles the fifth to this day could not away nor like of the greatnesse of the king because thereof it hath proceeded that hee maketh lesse reckoning of them then did the ancient kings of Castile and hee constraineth them to be equall to their inferiours as well in iustice as otherwise If Don Antonio king of Portugall were liuing hee could witnesse how after that the enemie was entred into Portugall with a huge armie and had taken Lisbon hee being then in the towne of Badaios many Lords of Castile did offer him to haue entrance into the sayd towne and did promise him all their best aide and assistance to seize vpon the enemie himselfe The which the said Prince could not effect nor put in execution for that within few dayes after he was dispossessed of all the realme in the citie of Puerto of Portugall He could also certifie vs how that seeing in these parts many great Lords of Castile did send vnto him offring him their seruice and assistance in case that he would set foot in Portugall the which matter he communicated if I bee not deceiued to the king and principall Lords of France and principally to the estate and Councell of England Notwithstanding touching this desire of libertie it is a matter which doth principally touch the Princes great Lords and Hijos de Algo of Spaine For as concerning those masters of the long robe and the rascall sort of Castilians they take a pleasure in this their slauery and seruitude vnder the king because they alone doe command and rule all and triumphing ouer others haue the principall and chiefe managing of all the affaires of the Realme yea and euen the gouernment of the king himselfe in their owne hands And although they doe hate him most extremely and doe wish ill enough to his person yet notwithstanding they doe wish so well to their owne country and doe so delight to see themselues to haue the command ouer all others that if they know any thing either in publike or in priuat which might hinder and endamage his tyrannie they will not faile onely in regard thereof to aduertise him of it such is the naturall disposition of the Castilians Iosephus de bello Iudaice lib. 1. cap. 3. who being issued and sprung
Portugall hee vsed this speech vnto him Captaine Ferras I would gladly know what should be the cause that made you to follow the partie of the French against me seeing wee are of one and the same Nation for albeit you be a Portugall and I a Castillian yet are we both Spaniards The Colonell made him this answere Sir when the Portugals doe trauaile abroad out of their owne countrey whether they be rich or poore their onely end and scope is to get them honour and reputation For mine owne part I had the meanes to liue honestly in my countrey like a Gentleman neuerthelesse being resolued to see the world I began to cast my account with my selfe what course I were best to take Hauing made my reckoning I conceiued with my selfe that I should purchase me more honour by bearing Armes against the greatest Captaine of the World then in taking of his part to serue against any other and for this cause I tooke Armes against your Maiestie The Emperour smyling sayd I beleeue that this is not the cause but rather the old rancour and hatred which the Portugals beare to the Castillians Portugall answered him againe in great choller Sir An excellent answere of a Portugall to Charles the 5. I sweare vnto your Maiestie That neyther for good nor for bad I trouble not my minde with the Castillians not so much as to thinke of them The Emperour making semblance as though this answere did content him did embrace him many times and often but hee iudged of the Portugall as his affection led him for hee had enough of the bloud of a Castillian by his mothers side to make him to hate him A little Leauen c. And thus may you see the vntruth of Conestagio His Historie is well written and in a good style but most false and full of passion for hee both reprehendeth and iniurieth all those of whom hee speaketh yea euen King Philip himselfe in whose fauour hee wrote it and for this cause principally it was forbidden in Portugall But leauing Conestagio now that we haue shewed how the Castillian Nation is much more maligne and peruerse then all the other people of Spaine I will tell you one thing worthy to be noted ere wee proceed which doth more neerely touch the Portugall Nation than any of the rest that is That all those Nations generally are so desirous of libertie that they doe seeke by all meanes possible to obtayne it being readie to receiue euen the Deuils themselues if they would be readie to further and fauour them in the same And yet if any strange Nation should passe into Spaine to any other end they would vse the vttermost of their endeuours to stop their passage and to hinder their entrance making little or no reckoning of their liues and much lesse of their goods and substance When I doe speake of causing strange Nations to passe into Spaine I must tell you thus much That they shall be much more welcome and finde better entertainment of the people of the Countrey when they shall be mingled many and diuers Nations together then if one should goe thither alone for that this diuersitie will take from them all conceit and suspition which they might otherwise haue that their comming were to make a conquest of their countrey and not to procure their libertie and freedome and so they would vndoubtedly receiue them ioyfully and with all assurance In like manner if the Tyrant should commaund them to goe to the warres out of their owne countrey especially if it were for their Religion they would serue him more faithfully then did Auila and Simancas in Castile or Celorico the Castle of Coimbre in Portugall For proofe hereof The meaning hereof is expounded in the end of this Treatise you may remember how in the yeere 1588. the King of Castile in his Fleet and Armie by Sea that came vpon the Coast of France sent two Regiments of Portugals each of them consisting of eight hundred men or thereabouts The loyaltie of the Portugals These forces notwithstanding that in regard of his vsurpation of the countrey they were enemies to him yet hauing promised to serue him faithfully in this voyage in the fight which they had against the Englishmen and Flemings they did make such proofe of their valour that they did farre excell all the rest of the Army in prowesse and deedes of Armes and they alone did more for the seruice of the King of Castile then all the residue of his Allyes insomuch that there was none of them who had command and gouernment in the Army that were receiued with honour by the King Catholike saue only the Portugall Colonels Portugall Colonels in the Armie of the yeere 1588. namely Gasper de Sousa and Antonie Perera The which Perera before that time had serued and fought most valiantly for the defence of the libertie of his Countrey and for the seruice of his true and naturall King against the said King of Castile at such time as hee entred into Portugall with a mightie Army to inuade it In the yeere 1582. when Don Aluar de Bassana Marquesse de Santa Cruce did encounter vpon the Sea with the Lord de Stroce those which fought best and shewed themselues most valiant was the Marquesse de Fauare Marquesse of Fauare a Portugall most true and faithfull to his Countrey and to his King and by whose counsaile and aduertisements a certaine great and excellent seruitor of the estate and of the King Don Antonio had his life preserued besides certaine other Gentlemen his countreymen Who tooke the Ship called the Reuenge The taking of the Reuenge of England belonging to the Queene of England euen Don Lewes Coutigno a Lord of Portugall who before time had beene most true and faithfull to his Countrey and for the defence of his King fighting against the Duke de Alua had receiued many mortall wounds in the battaile of Alcantara the same day that Lisbon was lost which was in the yeere 1580. and the 26. of August And for the more distinct and cleare demonstration of the truth of this matter I will recite vnto you a most true Historie In the yeere 1589. Don Anthonie King of Portugall accompanied with the Englishmen and Hollanders made a Voyage into Portugall and casting anchor in the Hauen of Penicha they of the Castle began to play with their Ordinance vpon the armie but the Captaine of the Castle Anthonio de Arauio a Portugall being ascertained that the king Don Anthonio was in that armie he forbad the Cannoniers to shoot any more and caused a white Ensigne to be put forth vpon sight whereof Don Anthonio commanded that euery man should goe on shore and take their way towards the Towne the which they did not without some resistance made by certaine companies of Castillians who in the end were forced to retyre with the losse of some of their people The first that arriued to the Towne was
vpon the countrey of the enemie and to see our owne flaming with fire and spoiled and ransackt by our enemies Moreouer he which assaulteth is more couragious then hee which is put to his defence adde hereunto that the feare and astonishment is much the more and greater where it is not foreseene and preuented Now as soone as a man entreth within the enemies countrie he shall soone take knowledge both of the good and euill that may befall him therein he shal quickly discouer the commodities or the discommodities of the country Liu. Dec. 4. lib. â— Saying of P. Sulpitius to the Romans Remember well that which P. Sulpitius saide vnto the Romans and take it to your selues as if he had spoken it vnto you to wit That they had had good experience by that which was past how their warres were alwaies more happy and fortunate and their armies much more puissant in the countrey of the enemie then in their owne Hearken to the counsell which Hanniball gaue vnto Antiochus Idem Decad. 4. lib. 4. and make your profit thereof better then he did Assure your selfe that the countrie of the enemy will yeeld you souldiers who desire their libertie and will furnish you with victualls and all commodities for your armie Let the faults and ouersights of others make you wise doe as Cyrus did who cast himselfe away by contemning the counsell of Croesus Herodotus and by not making any recknoning of Tomyris his enemie Halicar lib. 1. Take heede that you doe not incurre more blame in this behalfe then all others and it may bee more deseruedly because you haue euer and doe daily vse too too much to contemne and not to regard your enemie Certainly this is the first and principall cause of the ruine of all estates when they contemne and set not by their enemies and when they will not hearken to any thing that shall bee alledged to the contrary For the question is not now of entring into a forraigne countrey to subdue and conquer it or to get to bee Lord and Master of it but onely to restore vnto libertie so many peoples and nations who doe crie and call for aide vnder the yoke and burthen of this tyranny and to deliuer your owne subiects from the armes of the enemie who hath gotten footing in the best and goodliest prouince of your realmes and kingdomes If you doe not as I aduise you I feare me least to morrow they will take yet some other of your townes and the next day another and so afterwards at one blow will seize vpon all the rest Take heed therefore to that which I tel you I would not haue you for the assailing of your enemie to leaue your selues vndefended but that in doing of one thing you do not let passe another because 4. or 5. thousand men which you men of Guyen Languedock Dauphine and other prouinces will not bring you to any such want of men but that you may haue meanes enough to defend your selues both in Picardie and elsewhere Thirdly to depriue a king from his Crowne and scepter and to dispossesse him of his realmes and dominions Two things do soone depriue a Prince of his crowne and scepter crueltie and licencious liuing when he is a tirant cruell or of a wicked licentious and lewd life there needeth no great forces Two thousand men which Charles the 8. King of France gaue vnto Henrie Earle of Richmond his cousine german remoued for he was the grand child of Katherine sister of Charles the 7. his grandfather who had to her first husband Henrie the fifth king of England were sufficient for the said Earle passing ouer into England to gather together men enough to bid battel to Richard the third in the which Richard was defeated and slaine most shamefully The cronicles of England by reason of hir crueltie and tyrannie Peter king of Castile the sonne of Alphonse the Iusticier The histories of Spaine for his tyrannie and many cruelties which hee committed got the sirname of cruell and was for the same cause slaine by his brother Henrie the bastard The crueltie which Christierne the second of that name Many histories brother in law to Charles the fifth vsed towards the principall and chiefe Nobles of Swethland made him lose the said Realme and consequently also the kingdomes of Denmarke and Norwaie which he was rightfull king and Soueraigne The kingdome of Spaine was taken from the King Roderike a most loose and licentious Prince The common historie of Spaine onely by twelue thousand Moores whom the Earle Iulian Captaine of the towne of Septa procured from Vlit king of Barbarie who in the yeare 713. passing into Spaine in Marchants ships had for their Chiefe and Generall Tarif Abâ—n Zarca who being blind of one eye gaue the name vnto the Towne of Tarifa which was before called Carteya and hauing destroyed the Towne of Seuill did take and ruinate many others both iâ—â—he Prouince of Boetica and in Portugall and did ouerthrow in set battell a cousin of the sayd king Roderike which Roderike himselfe afterwards assembling his forces vpon the riuer of Guadelethe on the seuenth of Iuly or according to others on the seuenth of September in the yeare 724. did giue battell vnto the Moores in the which hee was ouercome and vanquished and immediatly after he lost almost all Spaine The wicked liâ— of this king was the onely cause of this losse and of the ruine of that kingdome and especially because he had dishonoured Caua the daughter of the sayd Earle Julian who vpon this occasion finding himselfe grieuously outraged gaue free entry vnto the Moores by that towne of Septa which is as it were the key of Affrike and Europe Besides he did serue for a guide vnto them in that their inuasion At which time the said Mores had very good and happy successe in their affaires in Spaine by reason that they found the people not vsed nor accustomed to the warres as they are not now at this day likewise Antiochus the Great for his dissolute disordinate life at such time as he should haue set Greece at libertie and haue made warre vpon the Romaines for the assurance security of his owne Empire was reduced to such termes that he saw himselfe constrained in the end to accept peace of them vpon such conditons as pleased them And retiring himselfe out of Europe and Asia he was glad to withdraw himselfe into a corner as their vassall and tributary The Annalls of France Childericke for his voluptuous liuing and for seeking nothing but for his owne pleasures lost the Crowne and kingdome of France By all which examples sufficing as well as 6000. moe may be seene how little strength and small forces there doe need to trouble and ruinate the enemy in in Spaine which hath not at any time induced nor had any Prince so tyrannous and cruell nor of such wicked and licentious liuing Fourthly
officers of the said realme who would assist him doe their vttermost endeauors to serue him faithfully to the intent they might remaine in their countrey with their charges offices vnder the obeissance of a naturall king not of a Castilian And if the most excellent Duke of Lorraine were disposed to restore Arragon Valentia Catalonia c. he should haue an Admirall many officers of those realms to accompany him they would hold esteeme theÌ„selues for most happy fortunate to deliuer their cuntry froÌ„ the tyranny yoak of a stranger to redeliuer it to a naturall lawfull Prince If the Portugals likewise would determine and resolue themselues to choose by election as they haue right so to doe some Prince or some other of the people either white or negro for it is most certaine that to deliuer themselues of the tyranny of Philip they would be content to receiue to their King the meanest negro of Guinee if he be a Christian and will liue in the Realme with them they are fully perswaded and they haue reason that this would be a great help and furtherance to the accomplishment of their desires to finde for their defence and preseruation a Constable of Portugall a Marshall and Admirall and all other such like officers of the Realme and their records and writings done in their owne tongue the fashions of their garments and the surnames of their families Contrarywise if it be graunted and yeelded vnto Philip that he may once take vpon him this title of King of Spaine it is most certaine and sure that he will make onely one house royall of all Spaine with a Constable Marshall or Marshals and Admirall graund Maister great Chamberlaine maister of the Horse and all other such like officers of the Realme all which shall be called of Spaine generally and they will call themselues also by the name onely of Spaniards and so will vnite all of them into one onely bodie which will turne to the great dammage and preiudice of the particular states and kingdomes of Spaine and to the great profit and surety of Philip and his posteritie Full little do strangers know of what importance this matter is and thereof it commeth that they speake so fondly and foolishly when they talke thereof which is a thing greatly to be blamed and reprehended in them considering that it is against the law which sayth Inciuile est de re incognita iudicare that it is a great inciuility for any man to iudge of that which hee doth not vnderstand The nations of Spaine doe see very well what mischiefe this may bring vpon them and therefore they doe resist and withstand it with so great force and vehemencie The Castillian knoweth full well the great aduancement and assurance which would hereof ensue to his estate if he could reach so farre and that is the cause he is so earnest to get himselfe entitled king of Spaine He is as we haue before sayd very expert and well seene in histories as his predecessors were also before him and by reading of them he hath learned that this is the most easie meane and readie way to commaund peaceably and to gaine the affection of all the Spaniards Histories do shew vs Egbert king of West Saxonâ— in England how Egbert a valiant and magnanimous Prince being chosen king of the realme of West Saxons in great Brittaine which Realme contained the prouinces of Cornewall Deuon Sommerset Wiltshire Dorsetshire Hampshire and Barkeshire and trusting vpon his skill and knowledge in the art military which hee had learned in Fraunce vnder Charlemaigne where he had beene banished for many years he resolued to make himselfe King Lord of all great Brittaine leauing Scotland apart And beginning his enterprise he first subdued the prouince of Wales which is the strongest of all the rest After which he wanne the Realmes of Kent Mercia Northumberland and the Realme of the East Saxons called Essex Or rather North Saxon in Norfolke hauing gotten this prouince and those foure realmes Egbert seeing himselfe now Lord of fiue and that there now rested no more to conquer but the Realme of Sussex so called of the South Saxons and that of the East Saxons called East Anglia of whose forces he made no great reckening And bethinking with himselfe how he might assure and secure these dominions and Seigniories vnto himselfe he determined not onely to roote out and extinguish the name and memory of the Brittaines the ancient inhabitants of that I le but also gaine the good willes and affections of his subiects by a new name and so by that meanes to draw vnto himselfe the residue which remained yet vnconquered To this effect and purpose he ordained and appointed and by a perpetuall edict commaunded that from that day forwards all those seuen Realmes should bee named by one onely name England and that all the inhabitants should name themselues Englishmen Egbert the first king of England And by this meanes hee came readily and fully to the ende of his desire In imitation of this Egbert Fernand the second king of Arragon and the fift of that name king of Castile seeing himselfe Lord of the greatest part of Spaine and that there rested no more for him to gaine saue onely Nauarre and Portugall he employed all his forces and endeauours to obtaine from the Princes realmes and prouinces of Spaine that which they refused to wit that hee might entitle and write himselfe King of Spaine With the like ambition and desire Philip his great graund-child pretendeth that the Realmes of Spaine and now of late Portugall haue constantly resolutely denied him and which you doe giue him so readily and so liberally So that now I thinke you will perfectly vnderstand the cause wherefore Philip doeth write himselfe King of Castile and of Leon Castillians and Castilo what it meaneth New Castile all those kingdomes which the kings of Castile haue gotten from the Moores The particular names of the kingdomes of new Castile when they were recouered from the Moores Toledo first set at liberty anno 1086. c. For so the nations of Spaine and the Castillians themselues call him howbeit that you doe make a iest and toy of it not knowing how much it doeth import them so to do and therefore I hope that from henceforth you will by these instructions both know your owne ignorance and correct this your fault and ouersight We call them Castilians which are naturall and borne in the Realme of Castile and in those Realmes which the kings of Castile with the aide of the Kings of Nauarre Arragon and Portugall other Soueraigne Lords of Spaine haue gotten and wrested out of the hands and possession of the Moores all which Realmes wee name â—y one onely name new Castile Of these Realmes that which was the shortest time in the power and puissance of the Moores was the kingdome of Toledo which was restored to
amisse that the Moores should be in feare but it were more meet that the King your Maister did vnderstand to what end this Armie is leuyed for in very deede it is for Portugall The most Christian king and all the Princes and Potentates of Europe haue great reason to hinder that the Portugals doe not accord with the Castillians and that they giue them no occasion to lose the hope of their libertie And if the King Catholike my Lord doe make himselfe Maister of that Realme as hee verily hopeth for hee holdeth it in a manner as alreadie wrought and practised hee will bring to passe that not onely the most Christian King shall be inferior and tributarie vnto him but also all the other Princes of Europe shall bee subiect vnto him especially the seuen vnited Prouinces of the Low Countreyes and the Pope with all the Court of Rome shall doe nothing but what seemeth good vnto him because hauing added vnto his Empire the Monarchie of Portugall who can be able to resist him For this reason it will concerne the most Christian King and all other Christian Princes to ioyne themselues together as in a common cause for that otherwise the King my Maister will make himselfe Lord and the vniuersall Monarch of all the World whereby they shall be his subiects and wee shall be his slaues and vassalls perpetually This that wee haue here left recited doth prooue that which was before spoken and therefore to returne to the matter in hand I say in the fifth and last place that whensoeuer a great and puissant army shall be raised to passe into Spaine be the charge neuer so great if it do nothing else then wast and spoile the countrey and take some few cities and townes and if in regard thereof the Castilian be enforced to call home his forces which he holdeth in these parte of Europe for his owne defence though the comming of those his forces should cause our army to retire yet I should hold this for a very great benefit because that which cannot now be done with an hundred will then be done with ten men and the charge and expences will bee still lesse and lesse But it may be that some of your Maiesties subiects will say vnto me that this is a matter of great difficultie and at this time especially very hard to be done for that hauing the enemy here at hand euen at our backes there were small reason for vs to transport our forces into foraine parts This a good doubt and may be some trouble to men of a shallow and small vnderstanding and such as haue little iudgement to discourse vpon the state of matters but to them which know the depth and ground of things it will carry no apparance of danger But to the intent the trueth may the better appeare let vs reason together each with other by way of demanding and answering as is vsed in the Schooles A discourse or reasoning betweene the Author and a Frenchman touching the passing of an Armie into Spaine The Subiect Be it so if you please for I will heare you with a right good will The Pilgrim Say then what is it that you thinke will endamage you Subiect The enemy with his forces and with his intelligences Pilgrim But if you finde a meane to disnest him from hence who then can hurt you afterwards Subiect No body Pilgrim Doe then as I haue told you and without doubt the enemy will be gone from you Subiect That cannot bee Pilgrim Wherefore Subiect Wherefore say you How would you that we should goe into a strange and foraine country to warre vpon others and leaue our owne country in the power and puissance of our enemies If we send our forces into Spaine as you would perswade vs we should be vtterly vndone as I haue giuen you to vnderstand Pil. Good God how are you without iudgement and vnderstanding Take that which I tell you as I speake it and not as you conceiue it and answer me to one question categorically If there were now an armie raised to goe into Spaine to the making whereof let France spare some foure or fiue thousand men England three or foure thousand the Estates of Holland Zeland Freezland and all the rest of their Allies two or three thousand besides ships of which they haue great store and let some other Princes Potentates and Common-weales disburse some proportion of money for the aiding and furthering of this enterprise to these adde three or foure thousand Zwitzers or Lance knights and then tell me shall France bee vnprouided or shall England be dispeopled or shall the Estates be vnfurnished of men and shipping and without meanes to keepe the Seas or shall the other Princes and common-weales be reduced to such misery that they shall be vnable to hold their ordinary course in their affaires and proceedings but rather as they may well spare twice so many men to furnish them to passe into Spaine out of the seuerall Kingdomes and yet they are sufficient to imploy greater forces into other his dominions in the West and neuerthelesse powerfully maintaine their owne Sub. No I think not so Pilg. Why then doe you not that which concerneth you so neere and whereof dependeth the whole and onely remedy of your mischiefe and misery and wherein you for your part haue a greater interest then any of the rest Sub. Marry sir to make vp these thousands of men which you speak of there must be had great store of mony which will as hardly be had as they that haue it will be loth to depart with it Pilg. O how blind is this people and how deuoyd of counsell and prudence is this nation O that they would be wise and that they would vnderstand and prouide for things to come Our towne which the enemy may take to morrow next doth it not import vs more then 300000. crownes which is the most that wee shall neede for the furnishing of 4. or 5. thousand men If after the taking of Laon and the reducing of so many good townes there had been imployed 200000 crowns which are demanded for this enterprise it may bee you should haue had by this time more then three milllions in your purse and you should not haue lost al these towns in France of so great import Cambray Dourlan Calice Ardes Amiens and many other places with your great Admirall and so many braue gentlemen and Captaines which are now dead would stil haue liued to speake in French Moreouer doe not excuse your selfe and say for your discharge that a man cannot diuine what will follow for you haue beene too too much forewarned of matters as they haue fallen out and there is yet liuing a Lord one of the Councell who at Fountaine Belleau in May 1595. did by all meanes he could possibly deuise perswade the vndertaking of this enterprise alledging so many reasons and so euident that he plainly shewed how greatly it did import France
touching your incredulitie and the opinion which you haue that the loue of a mans countrey doth easily deceiue them and make the remedie of their miseries and seruitude to seeme easie surely wee may with good reason call this incredulitie a blind â—nueiglement and darknesse of vnderstanding and therefore I come once againe to say as I haue sayd and I doe againe and againe aduise you That to send a good and well conducted Armie into Spaine or other parts of his Dominions will be the onely meane to resist and withstand the enemie to breake the course of his designes to beat downe his pride and to destroy his puissance And albeit that this may well be granted to follow by that which hath beene aboue spoken yet I will proue it by one other example onely which being most true maketh very much to our intended purpose Henry Count of Trastamara The Histories of Castise Portugall England c. the bastard sonne of Alphonsus the Iusticier by the aide of the French had slaine the King Don Pedro his lawfull brother Of this Peter there remayned two daughters The youngest Isabel espoused Edmond de Langley the fifth sonne of Edward the third King of England This Edmond hauing gotten sundry victories in fauâ—ur of the Portugals who accompanied him against the Castillians in Spaine did manage those affaires with such prudence and wisdome that he constrayned the sayd Henry King of Castile to accept and receiue of Fernand King of Portugall who was in a manner brought to vtter destruction both he and his whole Realme such conditions of peace as were most ignominious and dishonourable and very preiudiciall both to himselfe his vassalls and subiects In regard of which his notable deedes and deserts the said Edmond was afterwards made Duke of Yorke by Richard the second King of England his Nephew the sonne of Edward the Blacke Prince his eldest brother in a Parliament holden at Westminster in the yere of Christ 1386. Of these two Edmond and Isabell descended the Queene of England likewise named Isabell The other daughter being the eldest of King Peter and called Constance espoused Iohn of Gaunt the fourth brother of the sayd Edmond both by father and mother and Duke of Lancaster by his first wife Blanche who had by him Henry the fourth afterwards King of England and two daughters of which the eldest Philip was Queene of Portugall the wife of Ivan the Bastard Of John of Gaunt and Constance was borne one onely daughter called Katherine of whom we shall hereafter make further mention The said John of Gaunt in regard of his wife Constance did entitle himselfe King of Castile and Leon Guaribay lib. 15. cap. 25. and for the obtayning of his right to that Kingdome hee passed from Gascoigne which was then vnder the Dominion of the English into Spaine with eighteene thousand footmen and two thousand horse where with the aide of the Portugals who were his good friends he tooke the Groigne From thence he went into Portugal out of which he entred into Castile marching euen to the Citie of Burgos which was distant from the place of his departure more then a hundred and twentie Leagues The entry and inuasion of the English with the Portugals into Castile And from the time of his first arriuall he tooke and made himselfe Lord of all the Cities Townes and Castles which hee found in his way besides such as being farther off did come to render and yeeld themselues for very feare and terror And he might easily haue passed on much further if his people had not died who by reason of their disorder which they kept and by their ill rule and demeaning of themselues were oppressed with extreame famine whereof ensued this plague and pestilence amongst them And they were reduced to such necessitie of Victuals The amitie of the French and English out of their owne Countreyes that they were constrayned to haue recourse euen to the Campe of their enemies where then was in fauour of the King Iohn of Castile Lewes Duke of Burbon accompanied with the French forces of whom they demaunded reliefe for the sustentation of their poore and wretched liues The which being perceiued by John the Bastard then elected King of Portugall he complayned to the Duke of Lancaster telling him that he held it not good nor conuenient that his souldiers should goe to entreat with the enemie affirming that these might more endomage him then the others and that therefore he should immediately recall them and forbid them to haue any communication conference or parley with any of the contrary party otherwise that hee would fight against them altogether The valour of Iohn the Bastard King of Portugall Thomas Walsingham and would cause them all to be put to the sword the one for the loue of the other Thomas Walsingham an English Historiographer doth set it downe in these very words and he sayth that the King of Portugall had then with him foure thousand Portugals well armed Some haue esteemed the saying of this Historiographer as very ridiculous or as a meere Brauado onely The valour of the Portugals but they are much deceiued for these foure thousand Portugals hauing their King for their Chiefetaine and Leader had beene sufficient to defeat twentie thousand Castillians The same King with fiue thousand An Historie worthie the marking and so many Portugals and a hundred and fiftie Englishmen did defeat the said Iohn King of Castile both of them being present in person in the battaile of Aljibarot and put him to flight hauing with him foure and thirtie thousand fighting men of the which died vpon the place twelue thousand and there were of prisoners ten thousand taken by foure thousand and so many Portugals and a thousand Englishmen who remained masters of the field for there died in the fight about a thousand Portugals and fiue hundred English who fought as if they had beene Lyons About the same time Don Nunalvres Pereira This Historie is well worthie the marking the battell was called the battel of Valverde Constable of Portugall with three thousand footmen and a thousand horse defeated fiue and twentie thousand Castillians and slew and tooke the principall and chiefe men of Castile The same King before that he came to reigne and afterwards had many victories vpon his enemies no lesse admirable then that other insomuch that a certaine Nobleman of Castile being in speech one day and deuising with his King which was the said John he sayd vnto him Sir I cannot conceiue the cause why the King of Portugall with so few men hath so often vanquished you seeing that you haue alwayes had fiue or six against one of them The King answered him The cause is for that the King of Portugall doth fight against me being accompanied with his children and I combat against him being accompanied with my subiects I am King and Lord of Castile and hee is King and Lord of the
friend yet he knew neuerthelesse that hauing ciuill warres in his owne Realme and Portugall his enemy hee should hazard the fortune of all his estates and dominions of such power was the Realme of Portugall against all the rest of Spaine This is most certaine and assured The paissance of Portugall that at all times and as often as Portugall shall haue the ayd and fauour of France or of England or of any other strange Prince whatsoeuer she will soone constraine the king of Castile to whom it is as a bridle to yeeld a reason and to submit himselfe to the yoke and to receiue such conditions as shall bee both dishonourable and preiudiciall And those of the Duke had beene much more to his profit and aduantage in this accord if the king of Portugall had been willing thereunto because he hauing the sword in his owne hand hee might haue made partition of the countrey at his owne will and pleasure he was the iudge and did what seemed good in his owne sight Plutarch in Apothege Hee that hath the sword may deuide the lands as he listeth Thereof it came to passe that the Duke departed not very well contented with the King notwithstanding that he had giuen him in marriage Philip his eldest daughter An exhortation to the French King c. Oh that it would please your Maiesties to consider well this that I tell you and to the which I would willingly perswade both your Highnesses and other the Princes and Potentates of Europe and that you would once know your owne puissance and being assisted by your neighbours with their Shipping Gallions and hardie Mariners with their Artillerie Munitions and other furniture for the Warres and of which they haue great abundance besides the ready forwardnesse and willing desire which they haue to accompanie you as hath beene most apparant for these many yeeres you shall finde that you alone haue men enough and forces sufficient to make your selues the Iudge and Arbitrator of these Affaires and holding the Sword fast and firmely in your hands it will be in your powers to make partition of the Realmes and Prouinces of Spaine and you shall be able not onely to take backe vnto your selues that which is belonging and appertaining vnto you but you shall make them to render vnto euery man his owne What greater honour What greater felicitie can there be Defend Princes your right which for so many Ages you haue inherited from your predecessors There wanteth not euen at this day in your Realme of England neyther Champions of Saint George nor other late Captaines such as Noble Essex Drake Candish Forbisher Flawkins Norris Williams Likewise in the Realme of France who neyther wanteth Martelles nor Pepins nor Rowlands nor Oliuers nor Renaulds In stead of the twelue Peeres of France you are enriched with more then twelue hundred of the like Your neighbors for one Richard will furnish you with an hundreth and their Allyes will fit you with an Ogier so fully adorned with all perfections and so expert and well practised in the Art Militarie and so followed with good and valiant souldiers that the Constables of Castile the Counties de Fueutes and the Verdugo's with all the residue of their companions shall haue no oddes nor aduantage of them This is the right and direct way this is the most certaine and most assured meane to haue a good and happy peace euen by the strength of your owne armes without the vse and employment of any supporters You shall giue lawes vnto the enemy according to your owne will desires you shall force him to accept of such conditions as shall be profitable and commodious not onely to you and your owne realmes but to your friends and allies also What can the enemy doe if you should passe into Spaine with an armie well furnished of all necessaries The qualitie of a good Generall and being led and conducted by some Prince which may bee chosen and named by your Maiesties for chiefe and Generall of the same such a one as shall bee descended of some great and ancient house and of noble bloud and accompanied and adorned with such graces and rare gifts as may easily draw others without any difficultie or grudging to submit themselues to his cōmand and one that shall bee able to gouerne with great prudence and wisedome without doubt the enemie would hold himselfe vtterly forlorne and vndone as indeed he should be no lesse and hee would esteeme himselfe happy and well apaid if we would suffer him to remaine Lord of Castile he would restore vn your Maiesties the realme of Nauarre and surplus of that which he and his predecessors haue vsurped vpon France vnto the most excellent Duke of Loraine he would restore the Realmes of Naples Sicily Arragon Valentia and Catolonia and such other signiories as are dependants of the same and the Realme of Portugall to whom of right it appertaineth And he would be brought to doe reason vnto the house of the Duke de Neuers of the Duchie of Brabant of Limbourg or Lothier and of the towne of Antwerpe Likewise it would constraine him to restore the Palatinate and Zwitzerland If you should demand of mee on what side it were most fit and commodious and conuenient to enter into Spaine I say that if you would enter by Nauarre whereof his Christian Maiestie is the naturall and lawfull king you should euen at this day there finde the grand children of them which haue lost their liues and their goods for the seruice of his ancesters and many others likewise who doe loue and desire him as their rightfull king and Lord and will incurre all worldly hazards and dangers for him especially he being turned true and perfect Catholike If by Arragon the wounds thereof are yet so fresh that the bloud thereof doth yet euen now seem new to abound If by Portugall the sores are yet open in the quicke flesh and remaine altogether vnheaded and that with such griefe and dolour that euen those verie hands which should offer to touch them though it were to remedie them would make them to quake and tremble for Horrent admotas vulnera cruda manus And as it is a verie difficult and hard matter for a sicke man being in captiuitie and seruitude to recouer his health so it is impossible for any man though he should liue a hundreth yeeres to see those two nations the Portugall and Castilian to agree and loue together notwithstanding the king of Castile doth at this day entreat the Portugals in comparison of his ordinarie and naturall crueltie with some gentlenesse and doth maintaine them in their priuiledges and liberties The Castilian prowd and arrogant The Portugall impatient For proofe whereof leauing an infinite number of reasons that might be alledged one onely shall suffice and that is because the Castilians are extreme proud and arrogant the Portugals too too impatient when their honour is any way touched or
fraudulent deuises and vnlawfull meanes and which he pretendeth to leaue vnto his heire be it by right or by wrong for he knoweth it to be of most great and noble puissance Portugall the most rich and precious pearle of the crowne of Spaine and hee esteemeth it as the most rich precious and important pearle of his crowne indeed so it is And therefore I cannot but grieue at some that hold themselues to be wise and of no small iudgement and vnderstanding both French and English who will not in any case be perswaded but that Portugall is a very small and barren countrey and no greater then Normandie And some others who shew their ignorance affirme it to bee as great as Brie onely neither will they beleeue nor agree that Portugall is within Spaine but that it is a countrey separated therefom and they will seeme forsooth to reason and discourse hereupon breaking their owne braines about it to the trouble both of themselues and those that heare them These my maaisters doe constraine me to become a Geographer in this discourse howbeit that I make no profession of that science neuerthelesse because it maketh to our purpose it will be requisite that we make a generall description of that countrey and recount some speciall particulars thereof to the intent the greatnesse riches fertilitie and puissance thereof may be the better knowne and discerned Portugall is a part of Spaine The description of Portugall situated vpon the maine Ocean and it extendeth to the Westward from the East 115. leagues and from the South to the Northward 25. leagues On the North side thereof is the realme of Galicia towards the East it hath the Prouinces of Taragon Lusitania and Boetica and to the South it is bounded with that part of the Ocean Sea which lieth towards the coast of Affrique It containeth foure principall Prouinces the first la Transtagana which encloseth the realme of Algarba the second la Cistagana the third betweene Duero and Migno and the fourth la Tronsmontana These foure Prouinces containe part of the Prouince of Taragon the greatest part of Lusitania and a part of Boetica It hath in length 5. degrees and a halfe from North to South and beginneth at Cape S. Vincent in 37. degree taking a little of the 36. and endeth in a manner in 42. and a halfe not farre from Bayonne de Vigo and it extendeth from the South South East to the North North East where euery degree containeth 19. leagues and a halfe and it hath commonly in bredth 40. leagues in some part lesse and some part more Of the greatnesse of Portugall The leagues are not reckoned according to the leagues of France but by the leagues of the degrees each of which hath from North to South seuenteene leagues and according to the accompt of Portugall and so hauing regard what is ouerplusse and what is wanting the country of Portugall is fully fortie leagues in bredth so that making a Figure quadrant of fiue degrees and in length drawne from the North North East to the South South East and of fortie leagues in bredth from East to West it will enclose within it all Normandie a good part of Beaulce the Duchies of Maine and of Aniou the greatest part of Tourayn in a manner all Poicteau and almost all Xantogne and some part of Angolesme with a part of Perigort And this we shall see cleerely by demonstration if we make the said Figure quadrant in France of 5. degrees and in length and 40. leagues in bredth the forme thereof will bee thus Draw a line from the Angle on the East side of the quadrant and where it hath the North at the head and it will begin at Crotoy vpon the riuer of Somme which is in 50. degrees of eleuation euen to Lybourne in Perigort which is 44. degrees and a halfe passing neere by Roan by Eureux Dreux and Amboise neere by Chastellerauld by Coue and betweene Negre and Iarnac and Angolesme and between Barbesieux Coutras till you come to the sayd towne of Libourne All that countrey which is in the West of this figure is as great as Portugall And to the intent that this which I say may be the better perceiued it shall not be amisse to describe the rest of the Figure The quadrant which hath his head towards the North and beginneth in the East at Crotoy drawing toward the West endeth in the Sea about 6. leagues off the Sea coast of Cherebourg and so passing by Constance and by Graundville neere the towne of Dol by the villages of Becherel Redon and Arebon and entring into the Sea betweene Guerrand and Croisic euen to 44. degrees and a halfe to the East of the sayd towne of Libourne 10. leagues from the land which is to the South of Anchises wee shall come to haue our Figure perfect Moreouer because there may be no doubt in this demonstration we will answer to an obiection which may bee made by those which will not that Portugall should bee greater then Normandie and that is seeing the line from the west side of our Figure passeth by Cherebourg Constance Obiections c. so as it commeth into the Sea betweene Guerrand and Croisic what shall be done with the land which remaineth which is a little part of Normandy and endeth neere the Ifle of Alderney and from thence alongst the greatest part of Brittaine Whereunto I answer Answer that all this land and all the countrey which remaineth there may be put within the West Angles of the Figure which are voyd because they end within the Sea Now this demonstration being well made and vnderstood and being compared with the greatnesse of Portugall Portugall as great as England we shall finde that her circuit is not only as great as all these Prouinces of France which we haue spoken of but euen as great as all that circuit which is comprehended in the Isle of great Brittaine which we call England As touching the fertilitie of Portugall a man may easily iudge thereof by that which Strabo writeth of it speaking of Lusitania The fertilitie of Portugall Strabo lib. 3. de situ orbis which is the greatest part of the sayd Realme saying Lusitania is a Region most fertile in fruits in cattell in gold and siluer and many other like commodities And the Prouinces and lands which the Portugals possesse in Spaine out of Lusitania are held to be much more fertile then those of Lusitania it selfe as the lands which they hold in Boetica in the Prouince Tronsmontana which the common people call Tras los Montes and in the Prouince betweene Duero and Migno which the Latines named Interamnis and which the sayd Strabo against the common and true opinion placeth within Lusitania And he sayth further in Lusitania is the riuer Lethe which many call Limaea and some others Belion wherein he is deceiued as also in saying that Minius surpasseth all the riuers of Lusitania
in greatnesse for Lyme is shut in within the Prouince that lieth betweene Duero and Migno which Prouinces following the true description are enclosed in the Prouince of Taragon and Migno is much lesse then Duero Tago and Guadiana which are in Lusitania There are in Portugall three Archbishoprickes and ten Bishoprickes all which Archbishops and Bishops of Portugall and their reuenues euen at this day doe bring to their Prelates about 400. thousand Ducats of yeerely rent The countrey for the greatnesse thereof is well peopled the Duke of Bragantia alone in one Cittie and in the Townes castles and villages of which hee is Lord hath 200000. The dominion of the Duke of Bragantia vassals Portugall sendeth into the East Indies Barbary Cape de Verd the Isles of Buan Mina S. Thomas Congo Angola Brasill and other places some 6000. men yearely of whom the third part neuer returneth home againe into their countrey If Philip durst at this day put any confidence and trust in the Portugals he might draw out from Portugall to send vnto his warâ—es more then 100000. men from the age of 25. yeares to 40. who hauing nothing to hinder them from going nor haue any excuse not to obey him if he should command them It is not vnknowne to the whole world that in the time of Sebastian king of Portugall there were throughout all that realme 1200. companies of footmen in the which there were none enrolled nor mustered but onely the people of that countrey Artizans handicrafts-men and such like mechanicall persons and laborers and yet not all of them the Noblemen Gentlemen officers of iustice the the gouernours of cities and townes the students and such as professed learning in sum all the Nobilitie the Ecclesiasticall and regular persons with their seruants and many other sorts of men priuiledged were excused and exempted and were not bound to enroll themselues in the sayd Companies of which the most part consisted of 200 men some of 300. The number of men fit for warre in Portugall and of 400. Let vs allow to each of them 200 men onely and they will amount to the number of 240000 men Consider then how great the number may be of them which were not bound to be enroled in those Companies I doe not here make any mention of the number of companies of Horsemen of which this Realme hath a great quantity because it is not possible to know the certainty and truth thereof The greatnes of the king of Portugall Moreouer the Kings of Portugall are so great in one respect that therein they exceede all the Kings and Princes of Europe and that is that they are able in lesse then a quarter of an houre to giue vnto their vassals and subiects 10 15 or 20 Millions in tickets consisting in dispatches for Gouernorships Captainships receits and other charges and Offices and for licenses to make voyages by Sea to Banda Malucco China and other parts of the East Indies by meanes of which dispatches they which doe obtaine them doe recouer the said summes of money immediatly Hereby may a man easily iudge the greatnesse the riches and the puissance of this Realme whereunto adding the seigniories which it hath and possesseth in Affrike Asia and America and in the Ilands which it holdeth in the Ocean Sea it maketh a most notable great and puissant Monarchy and therefore I maruell not though the King of Castile doth commit such excesse and is at so great costs and expences for the keeping and preseruing of the same he knoweth full well how much it importeth him and of what value and worth it is vnto him he is not ignorant as one that knoweth not the estate of things but on the contrary rather he is wise aduised very politike and well experienced in affaires and matters of state The Translator This thing Anthony de Perez Secretary of estate to the King Catholike Don Philip the 2. Anthony Perez 2. the man here spoken of doth shew vs in the second part of his aduertisement vpon the point of the processe made against him where hee entreateth of the dissimulations deceits and subtilties â—sed by the said Philip toward Don Iohn de Austria his brother vpon pretence of the Realme of Tunes Don Iohn de Austria dyed of poyson and the intelligences of England at such time as he sent him into Flanders where as the report is in the end he caused him to be poysoned Besides the said Philip is notably addicted to Cosmography for hee hath in his Palace of Madril Philip much giuen to Cosmography a very great and goodly House wherein are the descriptions of all the Prouinces and Realmes of the World not onely in generall Maps but euen in particular there doth hee spend the most part of the day and contemplating and beholding those descriptions he doth whet on and augment his ambition and extendeth the bounds of his tyranny there he seeth what is most fit and conuenient for him and most easie for him to conquer there he seeth by what meanes he may take Cambray and how afterward he may obtaine Calis and what reason he hath from thence to leape ouer to Amiens and thus doth hee consider and deuise with himselfe what will be most for his profit and aduantage in such sort that nothing can escape his hands and that hee may not be at charge Philip well seene in Histories nor hazard his meanes in vaine and to no purpose He is also well seene and much conuersant in Histories and by them hath he seene and discerned how much it doth import him for the attaining to his desire to haue the Monarchy of Portugall The Castilians for these 300 yeeres past haue done nothing without the Portugals The warre of Salado and the Portugals at his deuotion to the intent hee may haue the aydes and succours from thence which both hee and his predecessors haue heretofore had from them for during these 300 yeeres past the Castilians haue done nothing worthy of memory without them The chiefe cause of that famous victory which they call del Salado where were partly taken and partly slaine 400 thousand Moores and onely 20 Christians as was reported from the mouth of Alboacem himselfe King of Marocquo was the King of Portugall Alfonsus the 4. called the Braue and his Portugals the which Alfonsus at such time as the Moores besieged Tariffa gaue succours to Alfonsus King of Castile called the Iusticier his sonne in law not because he deserued to be ayded but because the warre was against the Infidels The warre of Granado in the yeer 1501. At such time as Alfonsus de Aquilar was slaine in Granado and that the Moores remained victors and pursued the victory the Portugals did hinder them from passing forward and keeping the field where the battell was foughten did saue and preserue the rest of the Castilians When the peoples of Castile did rise in armes vnder pretence of the
common and publike good and many great Lords and Princes with them against Charles the fifth The communalty of Castile in armes against Charls the 5. by reason of the great excessiue and new exactions and imposts laid vpon them the Embassadors of the said Princes and of many Cities and Townes of Castile came to the King of Portugall Don Emanuell praying him that hee would vouchsafe to take and acknowledge them for his vassals and Subiects The true amity of Emanuel King of Portugall to Charles the 5. for that they were desirous to haue him to their King and Lord but he would not onely not receiue their offer but he gaue them good counsell and admonition shewing them how they ought to conforme themselues in obedience to their King And to other of the Princes Cities and Townes of Castile which taking part with the said Charles came vnto him likewise for his ayde he gaue them both money artillery powder and other munition for the warre Some say that the said King Don Emanuell did lend them 500000 duckats and many peeces of artillery which was an occasion that they which were risen in armes did fall to an accord and agreement with their Prince Anno 1522. and thereof it ensued that Charles the fifth did againe vsurpe the Realme of Nauarre which Mounsieur Andrew de Foix had before restored and set at liberty the King Don Emanuell neuer suspecting nor doubting of any such matter intended by him And Philip now likewise for his part hath rewarded Portugall with the like good turne as hee hath done the like to France and now lately a great part of Christendome to whom he was not meanely bounden When the said Charles the fifth passed to Goletta in the yeere 1535 who tooke it The taking of Goletta with 22 other ships of warre That did the Gallion Cagafuego of Portugall which the King Don Iohn the third had commanded to accompany the Infant Don Lewes his yonger brother How came it to passe that the same Charles the fift tooke the Towne of Tunes The taking of Tunes the capitall and chiefe City of the Realme of Lybia was it not with the assistance and ayde of the said Infant and his Portugals The taking of Pignon de Belles by the Portugals Who was it that tooke Pignon de Belles with the residue not aboue 35 yeeres since for the King of Castile euen Francisco Bareto Generall of the Gallies of Portugall and the Captaine Diego Lopez de Sequeira his Nephew with the Portugals of his company The warre of Granado finished by the Portugals Who finished and gaue an â—nd to the oppression of Castile in the behalfe of the Granadians that were reuolted in Granada in the yeeres 1566. 67. and 68 That did 7 or 8 thousand Portugals send for a succour by the King Don Sebastian Philip King of Castile knoweth all this full well and that is the cause that he laboureth and paineth himselfe with so grear care and diligence to keepe this Monarchy of Portugall pretending not onely to vsurpe it to tyrannize ouer it and to plucke it by force and violence out of the hands of the Portugals but to take from them also their honour their glory and their valour for hee seeth well that hauing the Portugals on his side hee shall be able by their meanes to satisfie his ambitious humour and yet shall they not haue the honour due vnto them for their prowesse but hee attributeth all to the generosity of his Castilians So hath he tyrannized and doth yet still tyrannize ouer the honour of the Arragonnois the Catalans the Valentians the Nauarrois and other the Nations of Spaine and onely his Castilians which cary the name of Spaniards and are so called by those that are ignorant and know not the difference that is between the seuerall Nations of Spaine they I say are those Lyons those Tygers and conquerours of the World But we will come to the conclusion of this part of our Treatise touching Portugall the most precious and chiefest pearle of his Crowne It was my chance to be one day in his company with a personage of great estate who is daily at great charges and doth spend good store of duckats to haue notice and intelligence of that which passeth abroad in the World and hee did assure me for a certaine and vndoubted truth that one of the greatest fauourites of the King of Castile did demand of him this question What should be the cause that he suffered Freezland A question moued by a gentleman to the King of Castile and many Townes of other Prouinces of no small importance to be lost and to fall into the hands and into the power and subiection of Heretikes by meanes whereof they were constrained to forsake the true Religion a thing worthy to be lamented onely to succour the Princes and Townes of the League and to entertaine the warre a foote still in France Whereunto the King smiling answered Let them alone let them take Freezland and all the rest The answer of the King of Castile that which most toucheth me is the keeping of Portugall which if I doe as I hope I shall I will cut them out so much worke and giue them so much to doe in their owne Countrey that they shall not easily come neere mine and I doubt not at length but to haue the rest also for know this that if I keepe and possesse Portugall in peace and quietnesse they shall not onely not be able to liue without me but I shall make them in the end to be my subiects and to become tributaries vnto me and therefore let it not grieue you to see what is lost for all will be recouered well enough in time and leaue the care thereof to me alone The French Translatour Philip seeing himselfe Lord of so great a Monarchy doth aspire by all meanes he may to the Realmes of France and of England and of other Prouinces and hee doth reape so great contentment in his ambitious thoughts and purposes that hee cannot but discouer his conceit in that behalfe insomuch that not onely they of his Councell but his particular priuate Souldiers doe know it After the taking of the I le of Terceras the Captaines which accompanied the Marquesse de Santa Cruce in that iourney said openly Now that we haue all Portugall England is ours and by liitle and little wee shall gaine France also For proofe whereof wee haue neede of no other witnesse then that which his owne Writer Conestagio saith in continuing his Historie before the taking of the said Terceras where he hath these words Conestagio lib. 7. in fine But the King hauing so lately gotten the possession of Portugall and seeing the Portugals not yet very quiet he thought it best to pacifie that Realme before he intended any other enterprise And he said that by keeping his men in armes in those quarters hee should bridle not onely Portugall but
end and then after the conclusion of this Treatise I will satisfie your desire particularly and at good leysure for I doe assure you I would keepe silence concerning many things in this worke were it not most requisite and needfull that they should be spoken of and published for the better attaining to that which I intend and purpose the which I doe perswade my selfe that both you my masters of England and likewise of France and you also my masters the Princes of Europe who are all of you highly interessed in the greatnesse of the Castilian will embrace cheerefully and with open armes if you be not altogether without iudgement and vnderstanding But it is now meet that we pursue the proofe and demonstration of the tyranny of King Philip which calleth himselfe the King Catholike We haue lately shewed how King Philip by vsurpation and tyranny non solum in modo sed in genere as the Ciuilians vse to speake of his predecessors doth possesse the Realmes of Castile of Leon of Galicia of Toledo of Siuill of Cordona of Murcia c. with some other Prouinces contained within the precincts and streights of his Realme Let vs now come to the Realmes of Aragon of Valentia the Counties of Barcelona of Cerdonia and Roussillon and the Isles of Maiorica Minorica and Sardinia Aragon Valentia c tyrannized Fernand the Infant of Castile the graund Father of Fernand aboue named vsurped all these Realmes and seigniories of the which he depriued Isabel Countesse of Vrgell his owne Aunt sister to his Mother which Isabel had also one Daughter named Isabel which maried with Don Peter the Infant of Portugall the younger sonne of John the bastard King of the said Realme Of Peter and Isabel was borne the Lord Don Peter Constable of Portugall The Lord Don Peter Constable of Portugall and King of Aragon poysoned by Iohn which Don Peter by reason of his Mothers right and other auncesters was called and acknowledged by the Catalognians for their King and Lord. And after hee had reigned ouer them for the space of fiue yeeres and more he was poysoned by Iohn the second of that name sonne of the first Ferdinand whom we named to be the successour of Alphonsus King of Arragon his elder brother Charles the 4. the rightfull King of Nauarre empoysoned by his stepmother This Iohn was a notable Tyrant and hee retained the Kingdome of Nauarre tyrannously after the death of the Queen Blaunch his wife the right heire of the said Realme against the rightfull title of Charles his owne sonne vnto whom that Realme ought to haue descended by the death of his mother as it did likewise fall vnto Lewes Hutin by the death of his mother Jane who dyed eight yeeres before her Husband Philip the faire For this cause the said Charles being a most curteous and vertuous Prince had great difference and suite with his Father who caused him to be poysoned by his stepmother Jane the Daughter of Don Federike the second Admirall of Castile The Translator The grandmother of King Philip on Charles his Fathers side was the graund daughter of this Iohn and this Iane from whom principaly hee hath learned and retained the art and science of poysoning so perfectly that not onely to the said Iohn the Graundfather of his Graundmother and to the said Iane his wife but euen to all his predecessors he may giue forty fiue and a fault at that game and yet be no looser were they neuer so cunning in that art and science Of Peter Constable of Portugall and King of Aragon there was no lawfull issue remaining for the line of Jsabel his mother was extinguished in John the second King of Portugall by reason whereof the right of that Realme and all the Seigniories depending thereupon ought to descend and doe appertaine to the most excellent Dukes of Loraine as the true and rightfull heires of Yoland Dutchesse of Anion The Duke of Loraine the right heire of the Kingdome of Arragon the wife of Leweâ— Grandfather in the fift degree of the said excellent Duke of Loraine now liuing the which Yoland was the lawfull Daughter of Iohn King of Aragon the eldest sonne of Peter the ceremonious King of that Realme who was also the Father of Martin which raigned after the said Iohn his elder brother and was the true heire of this Crowne and of all the demaines thereof by the death of her elder sister the wife of the Earle of Foix of whom shee had neither sonne nor daughter The Realme of Nauarre was vsurped as is reported by diuers Historians Nauarre vsuâ—ped euen Spaniards themselues vpon false informations by Fernand the great Grandfather of King Philip which Fernand was one of the Masters of Machiauel Fernand the 5 king of Castile one of the masters of Machiauell In his Booke of the Councels Councellers of Princes Dis 14. par 11. as Bartholmew Philip doth tell vs in that Booke which he caused to be imprinted in the yeere 1585 where he hath these words Those Princes which do fully resolue themselues to preuaile and grow great by force of armes ought to imitate the Catholike Don Fernand the fift of that name King of Castile who held himselfe apart and gaue the looking on to the warres which the Princes of Christendome made one vpon another to see what issue and what forces they should haue to the intent hee might aide and succour those which were weakest and hee would not suffer any to grow great or puissant in Italy who pretended to be Lords and Commaunders there neither would hee at any time enter into any leagues made by the Princes of Christendome vnlesse he might make some profit and benefit thereby vnto himselfe This was Lewes the 12. of that name For this cause he would not make warre vpon Lewes King of France when Pope Iulius the Emperour and the Swissers did warre against him for that hee thought he should not aduantage himselfe by the diminution of that Realme if the aduersaries of the said Lewes should make themselues great by his losses and yet being perswaded that the said French King would augment his estate Let the French King and the Princes and Potentates of Europe consider this well by making warre vpon the Realme of Naples hee entred into league against the King of Fraunce with the Emperour and the King of England The Booke whereof I speake was dedicated by the Authour to Albert Cardinall of Austria when hee was Vice-roy of Portugall who is the third Graundchild of the said Fernand both on the Fathers and Mothers side Portugal and her demaines tyrannized Now how Philip himselfe hath tyrannized and vsurped the Realme of Portugall and the Seigniories which are dependant thereupon raising himselfe into a great and mighty Monarchy and yet ill considered or knowne by strange and forraigne Princes all Bookes in generall doe sound it forth and the Vniuersities of Coimbre of Bologna and
foretold and as it were prophecied as the prinâ—ipall counsellers of estate both in Fraunce in England can well testifie both all this which is come to passe in this behalfe and hath also foreshewed all that which hath beene lost in Fraunce and to what end and issue things will grow at the last if there be not some better order taken in these affaires And I beleeue that if they were demanded the question they will tell you how I haue passed away my time with as great griefe and discontentment as a man possibly might do to see the enemy daily to prosper and to waxe more proud and arrogant by your owne proper sufferance consent and wilfulnesse for this cause I am in a manner wholly resolued to leaue and abandon the conuersation of men to retire withdraw my selfe into some solitary mountaine Notwithstanding because I know and am acquainted with all that hath befalne for these 50 yeeres last past in the greatest part of Europe I doe therefore tell you as one that hath had experience of these matters that as yet you may recouer if you will all that which hitherto you haue lost and both deliuer your friends and bridle your enemies And you may take such order that the time to come shall be more happy and fortunate vnto you then the time already past hath beene And moreouer I doe assure you that sithens the losse of great part of Christendome wonne by the Turke the late losse of the most part of Germany the hereditary possession of the King of Bohemia all Switzerland with the great hazard of losing all the Netherlands who are now striuing for breath against the King of Spaines mighty powers now in the field which I for my part doe thinke to haue proceeded from the very hand of God as of your louing Father who by a fatherly loue doth chastise you to the end you should awaken you out of your security and negligence I haue beene euer since resolued to set downe in writing that which I haue so often pronounced by word of mouth to so many persons of speciall marke and quality before that euer they did entreat me thereunto And this is the cause that if this my writing doe not produce that publike good and that effect which I desire I protest that from henceforth I will for euer hold my peace and be silent Neuerthelesse I most humbly beseech your Christian Maiesties and all the Princes and Potentates of Europe and all the great Lords and Officers of the Crownes of England and of Fraunce that it would please you to descend into your selues and at your leisure according to your accustomed prudence and wisdome to consider that good fortune and felicity doth not consist so much in the conquest and subduing of great Seigniories and large dominions for the time present with an intent to leaue the same to your successors but rather to assure confirme and preserue them for the time to come to your children and posterity to the intent that when it shall please God to call you hence they may quietly and peaceably enioy them in peace and tranquility without any trouble disquiet or hinderance For it is a farre greater vertue to preserue and keepe that which is gotten then to get and purchase new things daily Non minor est virtus quà m quarere parta tuêri The poore Pilgrime beaten by Time and pesecuted by Fortune P. Ol. I am resolued to make warre vpon the Castillian wherein if you also will beare a part assure your selfe you may account me as one of your most faithfull and surest friends But if you once grow to any termes of peace and amity with him then seeke you some other with whom ye may deliberate vpon that matter AN EXPLICATION OF THE PILGRIME VPON THE PROVERB IF THE COCKErell had not come the Cock had not bene taken And of the loyaltie of Auila and Simanchas in Castile and of Celorico and the Castell of Coimbre in Portugall Item What the diuersitie is betweene the King of Castile and of Spaine and who they bee whom wee call Castillians and what is vnderstood by Cities and Townes HEnry the fourth King of Castile of whom wee haue before spoken being at the point of death If the Cockerel had not come the Cock had not beene taken named foure Executors of his Testament to gouerne the Realme after his death and to marrie his daughter the Ladie Iane two of which Executors to wit Don Aluaro de Estugniga Duke de Areualo and Don Diego Lapez Pacheco Marquis de Vâ—llena ioyning with the Archbishop of Toledo named Don Alphonso Carrillo Don Bertrand de la Cueua Duke de Albuquerke the Maister of Calatraua Don Rodrigo Telles Giron Countie de Vâ—egne Don Iohn Telles Giron hif brother Marquisse of Calis Don Alphonso de Aguilar and manie other great Lords with foureteene Cities of Castile sent vnto Don Alphonso the Affrican King of Portugall praying him that he would take to wife the said Queene Dame Iane the which the King of Portugall accepted against the willes and good liking of many of his Realmes who would not by any manner of meanes haue to doe nor meddle with the Castillians By reason of this mariage in the yeere 1475 Don Alphonso went into the Lands and Countrey of his said wife where he had many encounters and combats with Fernand King of Arragon the Husband of Jsabel the pretended Queene of Castile and with his people till such time as they encountered in the battell which was foughten neere the City of Toro The battell of Toro in March 1476 which was ordered in this manner the King Alphonso had made one Campe of the Lords and Nobles of the Realmes of Castile and Leon with some Portugals the Prince Don Juan his sonne who was come to the succours of his Father had made another Campe of his Portugals without any Castillians mingled amongst them The King Fernand made also two campes the one of the Castillians which tooke his part and his wiues and the other of Arragonois the Catalans the Valencians and such other peoples and Nations as were the subiects of his owne Realmes and Seigniories whereof himselfe was Lord and commaunder Fernand encountring with Alphonso defeated and ouercame him and hauing taken his Guidon royall made him forsake the field and to betake himselfe to flight But the Prince Don Iuan gaue in and charged so resolutely vpon the Castillians that he made them to flie and hauing slaine many of them vpon the place he tooke a great number of prisoners and himselfe remaining whole and entire with his Forces did with singular hardinesse and magnanimity assaile Ferdinand also the vanquisher of his Father and making him to flie did recouer againe the Guydon royall which the said Alphonso his Father had lost The History of Portugall saith that the Prince did great honour vnto a Knight which saued the said Guydon and gaue him an yeerely rent or annuity of
his said Prophet This Sophie of Persia being ascertained of this enterprise whom the Authour in this his treatise nameth Xatama presently dispatched away certaine Embassadours to Constantinople to the great Seignior of the Turkes with whom for these manie yeares of late he hath had great warres and continuall enmitie to pray him that hee would ioyne his forces with his to the end they might both of them ioyntly resist and withstand the puissance of the Tartarian shewing him also the danger which both the one and the other of them might incurre to the losse of their estates by hauing to their neighbour an enemy so sage and puissant I would to God your Maiesties would now consider that if these considerations do fall into the vnderstanding of a Barbarian how much more ought they not to bee wanting in men of iudgemeot and vnderstanding and I would your Maiesties would ponder aduisedly how much it importeth you not to suffer the greatnesse of the Castillian your next and nearest neighbour Ioyne your forces with your Confederates and take in hand this enterprise in such sort as you may deuide the power and monarchie of the enemie I doe not say that you should send to pill ransacke them which are vnder the yoke and commaund of the enemie God forbid for this would turne as much to his good and profitâ— as to our hurt and domage because by our pilling and sacking of them wee shall giue them cause who now hate him deadlie and can not abide not onely him nor so much as to heare him named for the defence of themselues and to bee reuenged of their domages and our extorsions done vpon them to ioyne themselues with our enemie and to serue him with loue and fidelitie and contrarywise to prosecute and pursue vs with extreame hatred doing their worst that they may against vs in such sort that wee losing our friends who now desire to assist vs shall purchase them for our enemies and they will aspire nor seeke nothing more then our ruine and destruction On the contrarie in steed of mortall enemies which he hath now of them shall finde them to be his friends to ayde and assist him to the maintainance of his ambition and tyrannie And this is that which hee doth seeke and desire shewing himselfe in the meane while like a most wylie Foxe and to this effect he will not spare to giue money liberally because of the good that may redound thereof vnto him This is a thing most certaine that hee desireth extreamly to see them made poore and ruinated whom he feareth c. I am fully perswaded that fewer words then these will suffice to giue your Maiesties to vnderstand how much it importeth you to preserue and desend people that are malcontent and afflicted in miserie and how much mischiefe may ensue by giuing them cause of scandall and offence That which we ought to doe in this case is to trauell by all meanes possible to set foot in Spaine and to fortifie our selues within it gathering and drawing vnto vs such as are scandalized and ill handled by the enemie and to receiue them with humanitie and curtesie so did William the Conquerour gaine the Realme of England the which also in the same manner Henrie the seuenth did afterwards get likewise Many others haue done the like yea and your Maiesties also who if you shall seize vpon some places in Spaine you shall make your owne peace with honour profite and aduantage This which I say is not to contradict that which many desire without considering what is expedient and necessarie to a matter of so great importance but rather to shew how your Maiesties may doe without any losse and detriment and to the best profit and aduantage of your Realmes yea and of all the common weale of Christendome The holy King and Prophet Dauid as a most politike and wise man counselleth vs to pray to God for those things which are needfull to the peace of Jerusalem that is the Church militant consequently wee are commaunded to do it Primo rogate quae ad pacem sunt Ierusalem Pray for the peace of Jerusalem Secundo Fiat pax Secondly Let peace be but the world shall neuer haue peace till Spaine be deuided in virtute tua That is to say in such sort as we may not loose one iote of our estate honour reputation and integritie and other things of like nature and qualitie whereof I will surcease to speake any further because I will not trouble the discourse of the Authour And for my part surely and in my conscience I am halfe in a doubt whether I should laugh or weep at this so great and extreame a blindnesse neither more nor lesse then Hanniball did seeing the destruction of Carthage And if it bee well considered that this laughter proceedeth not but of the great griefe and sorrow which I haue at my heart I beleeue assuredly that it would bee to more purpose then all your teares cries and lamentations and I will then say of you as Hanniball said of the Carthagenians You weepe you sigh and you lament to see your townes taken your countrey ransacked spoyled your children brethren kinsfolkes countrimen and friends slaine and killed and your goods wasted and lost you know all of you how to remedy it and confesse that you know it and yet there is none of you that will resolue nor shew himselfe forward for the publike common good as well as for the particular good of euerie one and there is none that either speaketh or talketh of it saying let vs free our countrey let vs succour our friends let vs cast out and driue away our enemies I will doe this or that I will giue thus much for the publike and common good of my countrie Are you so straight laced for so small a matter which should redeeme you and set you altogether in peace rest and quietnesse and which should deliuer your friends who will serue you as a rampier or bulwarke and will cast your enemies out of your prouinces and will driue them into a corner where they shall feare you more then they doe now scorne and contemne you I am sore afraide that before many daies be past you will confesse you wept hitherto but for trifles in comparison of that which is to come I pray God you doe not follow the steps of Antiochus who seeing himselfe vanquished by the Romanes for want of following the counsell of Hanniball was greatlie astonished but all too late And hee then esteemed Hanniball not onely sage and prudent but also euen as a Prophet for that he had foretold him all that which afterwards happened vnto him Awake therfore I pray you and consider well vppon that which I counsell you for your good and that he which doth aduise you to it doeth desire it as your poore seruitour and friend who hath as great a care of your safeties preseruation as of his owne and who hath often