legittimating vnlawfull and accursed issue and thereby advancing into Thrones of regalitie oftentimes base sundrie times adulterous yea sometimes incestuous and perhaps vnnaturall of springs dooth not Reason foretell and hath not experience thought that both the parties in such mariages and much more their whole issue are bound in as strong a bond to the vp-holding of the Popes infinite authoritie and power as the honour of their birth and the title of their Crowne are worth It was a sâ—ely conceit in them which hoped that Queene Mary would not vphold the Popes authoritie in England by reason of her promise when a greater bond to her then her promise did presse her to it What man ever in the world stucke faster to his chosen friend then the late King of Spayne Philip did to the Papacie notwithstanding with the Popes themselves his often ielousies and quarrels who ordained moreover that all his heires and successours in the estate of the Low-countries by vertue of his late transport shall for ever vpon their entrie into those Seigniories take an oth for the maintaining of the Papacie and that Religion Is not the reason apparant that if the Papacy should quaile his only sonne whosoever descend of him is dishonured and made vncapable of those great Estates and Kingdomes which now he holdeth yea and a fire kindled in his owne house about the title to them neither is it to be admitted into any conceit of reason but that this young King will be as sure to the Papacy as his father being borne of a marriage prohibited by God abhorred happily by Nature disaproved by the world and onely by papall authority made alowable For for my part I hold not that opinion vnprobable that the marriage of Vncle and Neâ—ce as it was in this case was contrarie to the law of Nature and not to Gods positive lawonely seeing the Vncle hath a second right and place of a father But howsoever that point stand wherin I dare not affirme ought it is creerely contrary to such a positive lawe of God as the reason and cause thereof must needes continue vnto the dissolution of the world or overthrow of mankinde And therefore in reason and law no way agreeable or dispensable with but by the same or higher authority then that which first did make it that the Pope neede not thinke that they do him so apparant wrong who invest him with the title of that man of power who sitting in the temple of God exalteth himselfe above God For what may it seeme else bearing himselfe head of the Church to take vpon him to councell or authentically to alow of the breach of Gods law without having his expresse precise commission for so doing Though I am not ignoraÌ„t that they have distinctions for all this which were a merry matter if Sophistry were a proper scieÌ„ce of sal vatioÌ„ But by this some other mariages those strainge relations of aliance have growne that K. Philip were he alive might call the Archd. Albert both brother cosen nephew son for all this were he vnto him either by blood or affinitie being vnkle to himselfe cosen germain to his father husbaÌ„d to his sister father to his wife to come a step neerer home the same rule of Pollicy made me greatly feare til now that god by death hath prevented the mischeife howsoever hitherto what for feare of scaÌ„dalizing what for other respects the Pope made shew not to be forward to coÌ„seÌ„t to a intended mariage betweÌ„ a married K. his Mistris much lesse to legittimate the childre adulterously begotteÌ„ by finding nullities on both sides in the former mariages things made of purpose as he knoweth to cloke a falshoode that yet notwithstanding himselfe or his successours would yeelde to it in the end if any colour in the world could be laid vpp on the matter to salve the credite of his not erring Sea And hee might see good hope for that race to prevaile deriving the sucession also of his other greate Kingdome vppon issue whose tytle must holde vppon his legittimation hee might be better assured of it then he hath beene hitherto and have them ever firme and irreconcileable adversaries to all those whither subiects or neighbours or whosoever as should oppose against his Soveraigntie and vnstinted power So searching and penetrant is that Sea to strengthen it selfe more by the vnlawfull marriages of other men that ever Prince yet coulde doe by any lawfull marriage of his owne 15 The dispencing with oathes and discharging from them especially in matters of treatie betweene Princes and Estates is a thing so repugnant to all morall honestie Dispensation with oathes so iniurious to the quiet and peace of the world so odious in it selfe so scandalous to all men that it may be they adventure not to play vpon that string in this curious age so often as heretofore for feare of discording all the rest of their harmony Cleare it is that heretofore this made them a necessarie helpe for all such Princes as either vpon extreamity were driven to enter into hard conditions or vpon falshood and dishonesty desired to take their advantage against their neighbours when it was offered In which Princes having no meanes to salve their credite with the world but onely by iustifying the vnholinesse of the Art by the Popes holy authoritie interposed in it were afterwards tied firmely to adhere vnto them And this was the cause that Francis the first of France with whom immediately vpon his oath given to Charles the fift for performance of the articles accorded at his delivery Clement the 7. dispenced and by probable coniecture had promised to dispence with his oath before he had made it vpon hope whereof also he tooke it the effect was for the Popes behoofe that ever after there was strict love and amity betwen them testified finally to the world by that famous marriage betweene the sonne of the one and the kinswoman of the other And verily though I hold in generall too much suspitiousnesse as great a fault and as great an enimie to vvisedom as too much Incredulitie it doing oftentimes as great a vvrong to friends as the other doth receive vvrongfull hurt from dissemblers yet vievving the short continuance of svvorne leagues at this day the small reckoning that Princes make of oathes solemnly taken vvhether to neighbours or subiectes not faith but profit being the bond of aliance and amitie which altering once the other have no longer during it maketh me think it not possible that Popes vnlimited fingers may bee stirring even at this day more often in secret in vntying those knots of the bonds of conscience then the world is ware of at leastwise that by authority and imitation of his example Princes assume vnto themselves a like faculty of dispencing with their own oaths whensoever they can perswade themselves it is behooveful to their kingdome as he when to his Church But howsoever that standeth this is
multitude it selfe seemeth to mee to be one not of the least confederation if the Papacy being reduced to any termes of extreamity should resolve to put them in armes for their finall refuge and succour The Franciscans alone in the time of Sixtus Quintus their fellowe and Father are said to have beene found by survey to bee thirtie thousand the Capuchins a late branch of them doe vaunt to be eight thousand at this present The Dominicans strive in competency with the Franciscans in all things The Iesuites being great statists are withall exceeding rich and many but for the greedinesse of wealth and rare practises to get it infamous in all places The Garmelitanes and Augustines have their hives in every garden and everywhere swarme The other orders of Friars and Monkes being exceeding many complaine not of paucity in their severall professions In some other Countries they are sowen but Italy is thicke strowed with this kind of people whose number perhaps in the whole may passe a million of men of the which one halfe at the least eyther are or would grow to be of lusty able bodies not vnfit to be soone imployed in any warlike service if the Pope having played away the rest of his pollicies were brought to his last hand to set vp his rest vpon those men what should hinder him from raising huge armies of them in all places their course of life perhaps their vowes and profession whereof himselfe hath the key to locke and open at pleasure may breed vnwillingnesse of minde or backwardnesse of such actions which canot be imagined to them that know their eagernesse of spirit and consider withall their standing with his estate and falling with his ruine Then for their vnaptnesse and vndisposition of bodie their fasting watching lving on the ground enduring cold exact keeping of orders and obedience to their commanders ought to make them fit to all military discipline Then for the difficultie of assembling them in such case together Heere needs must I speake of the exactnesse of their order and government being such as needeth not yeelde to any I know to that purpose each order hath his Generall residing at Rome for the most part to advise with the Pope and to receive his direction from him which being men of great reputation power are chosen though in shew indifferently by all the Maisters that is Doctors of their order whatsoever yet in election it is so finely and cunningly contrived that the voices of Italy are farre predominant even as in the election of the Pope the Italian Cardinals so in their moderne generall counsels the Italian Bishops doe farre exceed all the rest of Christendome that so the safetie of the papall sea the greatnesse of Rome may rest assured These Generals have vnder them their Provincials as Lieutenants in every province or state in Christendome The Provincials have vnder them the severall Priors of covents And those their companies A commandement dispatcht away from the Generall passeth roundly by the Provincials to the Priors with all speed being received by the inferiours they addresse themselves to the performance yea though it commaund them a voyage to China or Peru without dispute or delay they readily set forward To argue or debate on their superiors Mandates were presumption proud curiosity to search their reasons to detract or disobey them breach of vow equall to sacriledge So that as in a well disciplined army the Generall guiding the Souldiers follow he commaunding they obey without further delay or question So those have no other care than to performe with dexterity what Mandate soever their General in the plenitude of his authoritie shall addresse to them This order this diligence this secrecie this obedience in a people that may wander without suspicion in all places and find good reliefe aid in their passage wil answere the former obiection To add the good grace wherin they are generally with the vulgar the meanes which they have to provide all things necessarie with their repositories of Reliques and silver Images what with Church-place and treasure wherein some of them are exceedingly rich and daily increase vnlesse the world should with generall consent bend against them it may be if the times should inforce such imployment they should be able being associated with such friendes as they should find to make a very strong part in all places for the Pope especially considering that these forces should be then raised out of their enemies countries and so weaken them as bloud drawne out of their owne bodies And that no man may deceive himselfe with that errour That in these professors of peace there is no humor of warre that minds wholy possessed with sweet contemplations can imbrace no thought of bloody resolutions let him but a little dive into the late French troubles he shall finde that the militarie companions of the leaguers were oftentimes even stuffed with Priests and Friars tall men and resolute he shall find that of these people there have served what in field what in garrison at one time sufficient to have made a great army of themselves onely He shall find that at Orleance a Capuchin being expresly sent to that purpose by his Prior went vp and downe the streets with a woodden crosse crying come forth good Christian destroy the enemies of the Crosse of thy Saviour and therewithall put to the sword at sundrie times sixe score of the reformed religion vntill he left none remaining Lastly he may vnderstand that more lately in Paris some of them in their sermons have incited not obscurely to a new massacre complaining that the bodie of the Realme is sorely diseased being surcharged with corrupt humors as not having beene let bloud this five and twentie yeares as it ought To conclude I conceive this force of Friars to be so great what in regard of their very multitude what by reason of their deadly rage against their opposites that it would be hard for any state to bring in the reformed religion without discharging it first of this difficultie and burthen In Germany the first reformers of religion in this age were friars themselves who being men of great marke and reckoning amongst their owne drew their Covents and other troops of their Order with them and thereby set the rest in such amazements that the Pope grew into a generall great iealousie of them all doubting their vniversall revolt from his obedience In England they were with great policy and practise dissolved bofore any innovation in religion was mētioned wheras to have done both together had been perhaps impossible But first cleare preventing them of pretence of religion after finding their religion cleare stripped of that Patronage they were more quietly minded and this more quietly reformed In France this king vpon that outrage against his person smoked the Iesuits out of his nest in most parts of his kingdom If he had done the like to the Dominicās a most potent florishing order in Spaine
and secular braverie of Cardinalls howbeit more desiring reformation in both then daring to attempt it in either for ought as yet appeareth Verie magnificall ceremoniall in his outward comportment in his private cariage humble as his frends say in managing the Church temporall goodes rather trustie than liberall but of their spirituall treasure of supererogatorie workes large bountifull in Indulgences and Pardons which they vseâ— not onely as charitable reliefes of the needie but as honorable giftes also to reward Princes that have presented him In these I should thinke him verie exceeding wastful but that where the treasure is infinite there the spender in ordinarie estimation cannot be prodigall For a Prince he hath beene somewhat defective heretofore as being neither of deepe resolution nor of great spirit But fortunate men are wise and conquerors are valiant And surely this mans proiects and attempts have so well prospered what in the matter of Ferrara what in working the great peace the honour whereof by them oft is wholie attributed to the pope though others say he was importuned to deale in it by the Spaniard being so tyred waisted out with troubling his neighbours that in fine he delighted not in any thing but in peace only that he hath purchased him the opinion not onely of a fortunate and wise Pope but of one who doth sincerely affect the quiet of Christendome thinketh nothing remaining to the height of his glory but to be the Author of an vniuersal league and warre against the Turk against whom he hath sundry times given aide already that for that ende notwithstanding his abilitie oportunitie what by his excommunications what by his ready armie to have righted himselfe yet hath he laid by his owne particular pretences aswel against the great duke of Tusca for Burgo di San Sepulcrâ— which belongs to the Church as also and more principally against the Venetians for Romgo and the Polissina which they have rent by warre and retaine from farrara not to mention that ancient quarell touching the Patriarkship of Aqueileia whose territory even all Friuli their state hath vsurped that no private nor temporall commoditie of this Church and Sea might give â—â—pediment to the publike good in withstanding and repressing the grand enemy of Christendom These thoughts surely are honorable neither vnnecessarie for his owne future safetie considering how neere a neighboure the Turke is to him and how often his state hath bin afflicted by him and somtimes in hazard But now for his neere neighbours the great Duke and the Uenetians as their States so their loves and his are but neighbourly they thinking his growing to be their stoppe and endaungering But the Uenetians perhappes feare him and the great Duke hateth him more The Uenetians having still painted in their great Pallace and dayly before their eies the extremitie which former Popes excommunications hath brought theÌ„ to having their state as ill seated in regard of potent neighbors who all gape after them vpon any advauntage as any that I know againe in the world The Turke confining and bordering with them on the East the King of Spaine on the West the Emperour on the North and the Pope on the South who can never want pretence they holding that which they list not yeeld besides some iealousies and discurtesies passed lately betweene them and the Pope and his Cardinals The great duke not only for that hereditary enmitie first and that personall discourtesie since what for effecting that title of King of Tuscanie whereof his wife is written Queene by some already and having gotten as is said the Emperors liking the Pope denyed him in putting him off with a distinction that he was content he should be K. in Tuscanie but not of Tuscanie which scholasticall subtilties plaine suters love not but much more care for the correspondeÌ„cie of conference favor which is thought to be betweene the Pope and those popular Florentines who distasted with their home government once free now almost servile live elsewhere abroad and at Rome in exceeding store specially seeing not only the Pope in the faction of his particular family but all popes in the affection which the Papacy both engender do naturally more desire that their neighbours states should be popular as having the ground of their greatnesse in swaying the multitude But generally the Duke of Tuscane will be alwaies regardfull to hold the best correspondency with the Popes that may be as having their state very often to assault on that side the rest being surrounded by the Appennine and the Sea To conclude this Pope where there is no private cause of disfavoring his persoÌ„ or disalowing his place carieth the name of a good Pope and they which do subtilly see the points of goodnesse more then curiously will say that â—ius Quintus was a good Prelat but no good Prince that Sixtus Quintus was a good Prince but no good Prelate Gregorie the 13. a good Prince and Prelate but no good man this Pope both good man good Prince and good Prelate and so I leave him wishing his daily encrease in all parts of true goodnesse whereof his Church hath too little and himselfe happily as other good men nothing too much returning to the Papacy 43 The next point which commeth to be considered is The forraine strength of the Papacie what power it is at this day in this world by reason of those nations which either in whole or greater part still adhere vnto it which are Italy with his Islands Spaine with his Indies Germany with his skirts which I count the 17 provinces of the Low countries on the one side the 13 Cantons of Suizzers and 3 leagves of Grisons on an other and Bohemia with his Marquisate of Moravia Slesia on the third And lastly the great vnited well seated fruitfull populous Kingdomes of France with his neighbours of Loraine and Savoy whom though Princes of the Empyre whensoever themselves list and finde it for their profit yet in regarde of their greater affinitie to Fraunce both in language and fashion which associate also affections I annexe vnto it of all which some briefe seemeth necessary to be taken For as for Poland and Transilvania with Valachia and the remaines of Hungary by reason of their neere and dangerous confining with the Turke together with the multitude of Religions which are swarming in them in Poland especially of which it is said by way of bi-word That if a man hath lost his Religion let him to go seek it in Poland and he shall be sure to find it or else make account that it is vanished out of the world ther is no great reckoning to bee made of their force eyther way Then England with the more North Kingdomes Scotland Denmarke and Sweden whose King notwithstanding is of the Roman faith now but hath few there that followe him They are accounted to have wholy cast off the Papacy for albeit they make reckoning of many