father must goe and take Marguerit the daughter of Lewis the eyght for a vvyfe to hys son Henry and for his son Richard tooke Aelix an other daughter of Fraunce vvhich alliances proued such assurances to Henry the second as his last fiue or sixe yeeres vvere nothing but an vnkinde stryfe with his ovvne sons and especially hys sonne Rychard made open vvarre against him and vvan from him a part of Normandie by the helpe of his trustie friend Lewes the French king After thys vvhen Rychard him selfe was king not vvithstanding all the French friendships and alliances at vvhat tyme he vvas taken prisoner in hys returne from Ierusalem the French king vvas not ashamed to excite Iohn the brother of England to seize himselfe of the crovvne The sayd Iohn vvhen he vvas king marieng the daughter of the Earle of Engolesme in Fraunce and his son Henry the third hauing maried first a daughter of the Earle of prouence and secondly french Marguerit sister to Phillip the fayer found in the seueral dayes of theyr raignes the French king to be no better then a pricke in theyr sides taking part against them and prouoking theyr people to be as it vvere thornes in theyr feete Edvvard the second succeding his auncesters aswell in theyr vnhappy folly as in they re kingdome vvill needes marry vvith Isabel daughter to the same Phillip vvhich proued such an assurance to hymselfe as that hys French vvife vvas able to bereaue hym first of hys son carying him into Fraunce and hauing there made a strong part could returne and bereaue her husband of hys liberty and kingdome and in the ende of hys lyfe to after a vvretched captiuitie vnder hys owne son So that of old the alliances of Fraunce dyd set husbande and vvife together by the eares as in Henry the second and Edvvarde the second the father and son together as they did Henry the second and hys three sons Henry Rycharde and Iohn brother against brother as Rychard and Iohn the king and hys people togither as they did king Iohn and Henry the thyrd against the people and as they did aftervvard in Rychard the second Henry the sixt vvhich the duke Thomas of Glocester in his tyme vvell foresavv and therefore vpon treaty of the like mariage for Rychard the second vvho hauing novv raigned xix yeeres and being thyrtye yeeres olde fell amourous most vnkindlye and vnkingly vvith a french girle but eyght yeeres of age daughter to Charles the sixt French king he the same Thomas of Glocester vncle to the king stept vp and vvithstode that match hauing belike in these former experiences obserued the truth of that general rule set dovvne vpon the French by that Greeke Emperor And because I find the vvords of thys Duke set dovvne more expresly in a French chronicle then any vvhere els I vvill vse theyr ovvne vvords as the fittest testimony in thys case The alliance of Fraunce sayth that Duke in that french story hath bene the ruine of England and this nevve frendship betvveene these kings sayth the Duke shall neuer make me loke for any assured peace attvvene thē for sayth he ther vvas neuer yet any trust or religiō or truth in the vvord or promises of the french VVhat an auncient hereditary disease of disloyalty is this in the royall seate of Fraunce especially since the Maiors of the housholde became kinges And though thys Dukes voice in thys counsell vvere ouerruled by the multitude or rather by the lust of the king yet did the king and his people and their children feele hovve true it was in sequele For first thys externe amitie with Fraunce bred home enemitye in England It cost vs for an earnest penny the tovvne of Brest in Britanie by meanes of the kings outlandish Queen And poore king Richard vsing in priuate connsaise altogether the French companions such as his vvyfe brought began to disdeyne his ovvne naturall kinsmen and subiects and finallye follovving ouermuch the cruell and riotous counsel of such minions namely the Constable of Fraunce and Erle of S. Pol vvhō the French king sent of purpose to king Rycharde his son in lavve polling the people and putting to death such nobles as his french counsail put in hys head in the end he vvas quite vnkinged by Henry of Lancaster afterwardes Henry the fourth vvho during the tyme that he platted thys enterprise founde hospitalitye in Fraunce for all king Rychards alliance vnder his father in lavves nose The French match it vvas vvhich vvithin one yere brought the king to dishonorable captiuitie death and deposing vvhich appeares for that in story it is rekoned emong other thinges that alienated from him the loue of hys subiects so farre as when he vvas taken hys enemy vvas fayne to saue hys lyfe by garde from hys ovvn people and also it is obiected agaynst hym that he had made thys alliance vvith Fraunce not calling to counsail the thre estates of England Euen the last mariages vve made vvith France vvere lyke vnhappy to the end Henry the fift that noble king had the alliance of Katherin daughter to Charles the seauenth of Fraunce and after had the possession of Fraunce first by right of descent and mariage then by conquest of sword and lastly by couenant agreed with king Charles and his peeres yet coulde he none othervvise hold theyr loue but hauing theyr necks vnder hys yoke VVhych vnion of possession and right to that realme vvas aftervvard fortified by crouning hys sonne Henry the sixt in Paris and by a nevv match betweene hym and Marguerit daughter of a French Charles as most men saien vvhich cost hym first for a princely brybe the dukedome of Angeow and Ereldome of Main and after many miserable destructions of our English cheualry people lost both the new cōquired title ancient heriditarye dominions on that side and finally vvrought an ignominious depriuation of Henry the sixt from this realme I think I might set dovvue all such matches as vnhappy ones and contrarivvise those matches nothing so vnhappy but for the most parte prosperous vvhich were made eyther at home or in other places as vveren al those mariages made since Henry the sixt as by Edvvarde the fourth her Maiesties greatgraundfather and by her maiesties graundfather and by her father And if a sister or daughter vvho had no or dinarye counsail allowed her out of France could yet continually preuaile so much to the trobling of the state and deposing of the king here vvhat peril is it to dravv hether a brother vvho is to haue his ordinarye counsail and some gard of force and continuall-intelligence with the French king and is also to be a leader and executer of any deuise himselfe vvhich a French woman could not doe so vvell the daunger therefore in thys match is encreased beyond that in the former matches for there the party for or by vvhom the danger came vvas a vvoman and therefore
but that in thys poynt vve may styll hold vvyth them as vvell in respect of our common detestation to hys blasphemous Mahomet as for that of all other christians vve least need to feare hys might being so farr separate as Europe is large If any man think that vve may hold al these old latter friendships and that thembracing vvith Fraunce is not streightwayes an vnfolding vvith all the rest he neyther considers the differēce in religion betvvene Scotland and Fraunce nor the diffidence betvven Fraunce and Spayn for the lovv countryes the vvhich as Spayn hath in possession so doth Fraunce many tymes mut-ter a title thereto This vniuersall perswader I say of all friendships and especially with Fraunce forgets hovv in times passed our king Henry the eyght could not be at once friend vvith the Emperor and the french king but the league vvith one vvas present diffiance to the other and that Scotland so long as they held Fraunce vvas euer at deadly foode vvith England and since they clapped hand with England they haue not missed al most enemy lyke attempts of Fraunce And to put hym out of doubt hovv odious all Germanny will hold vs for our felovvship sake vvith Monsieur let hym remēber hovv farr from the dignity of a prince they enterteyned Henry then not single Monsieur and onely a brothrr of Fraunce as is our Monsieur Fraunces but elect king of Poland a piece of Germany vvhen to take reall possession thereof he passed thorough theyr territories some of them vvith much ado and after many reproches for his cruell falshods sending him onely a bare pasport which the deuil might haue had to be quickly packing as did the duke of Saxony to his vvorthy and princely prayse Some of them graunting hym a more free saufconduit yet vvould not vouchsafe to see thys great French prince as the prince Palatine that good man vvhose blame vvas more in that action for hys ouermuch mildnes then vvas hys prayse for curtesie Other of those states as Spire bending turning the mouthes of al theyr great ordinauce vppon him on vvhich side of the city or streets soeuer he vvent as it had ben at a common enemy of mankind Other as in Franckford saluting hym by the vnkingly name of the king of butchers in fraunce vvhich though it vvere by the mouth of one principall man among them yet vvas it ratified by the vvhole state vvhen he complayning to the Burgmaisters of thys reproch as of a high vvrong they thought it not cryminall nor to be pursued Exofficio against the accused but onely at the cōplaynants pryuate action vvherin he fearing euidēce enough so proue the saying true durst not put in cautiō but departed with shame enough and bare the reproch avvay on his backe In all those states and cities hys welcome vvas such as vvhen he came againe stealing out of Poland he would not come back that vvay to thank them or to haue the like but chused rather to goe about by sea and land the farther and more daungerous vvay The smal reckoning vvhich that man like nation makes of Fraunce appeares by the many happy aydes from thence vvhich haue bidden base to Valols at his owne gole in hys own field and at the gates of hys strongest vvalles hunting the French vvolfe in defence and reliefe of the french oppressed lambs A vvise man vvithout descending into these sensible particulars vvould in his vnderstanding see the very generall nature of suspitious frendship betvvene neighbour kings hovv lyke it is to the loue betwene a iealous man and his wyfe in this one poynt they be both of them feareful and iealous of theyr ovvn states can not patiently endure that theyr ally should be any thyng great vvith an other confine gouernment but streightvvay euery countenance breedes a suspition and euery suspition a restraint of entercourse and trafique or open vvar I might fetch examples farther of and ovvt of tholder storyes of Grecians and others vvhere euer the societye withone neigh bor was enemity with another state according to that one great social lavv emong others vvhich is that frends and enemies must be common But it is more then manifest hereby hovv vngodly and dangerous how incertain needles hovv dishonorable vnprofitable thys neer French coniunction is in it selfe again it is detected as euidently hovv many friends in Christ hovv many confederacies in old frend ship how many alliances in blood and hovv many sworn brotherhoods in vvars this one forsworn brotherhode of Fraunce vvil loose vs. It followeth then necessarily vpon that vvhich hath ben sayd that we who already beare the floure delice quartarly receiue no honor by ioyning with it Par pale And sith our Queen rightfully beares it as king of Fraunce and he occupieth it as actuall french king I beleeue it will pose the king of Heraltes of eyther realm to make alouing agreement and in one Eschocheon vvell to marshal according to theyr rules the selfe same cote of the vsurper vvith the selfe same kingly cote of the right heire hauing no difference For though it may be in other noble gentlemens cotes it vvyll hardly be don in kings cotes For Heraltes vvhych are vpright iudges in these causes must imagin but one king in a land as but one son in the heauens perhappes to salue this sore they vvill take vp the old french coate of crawling Toades But the noble Lyon vvill chuse him no such feere hys nature is to abide no venemous thing in hys denn hovv should he then embrace a Toade for his make This difficultye of Heraltes is the least of a thousand might soone be dispatched vvere not those other great ones vvhich euen by this small difficulty also in that kind are bevvrayed that is that thys mariage seemes to striue vvithall lavves that of armes and al. Those therefore that persvvade this band of strange alliance must needs be such Englishmen as find themselues not aduanced in thys state according to that desert vvhich they conceiue in thē selues and therefore disdeyn at others good estate or els such as are past hope heare and hauing nothing knovve they can loose nothing what change or tombling soeuer come but these be degenerate dangerous Englishmen vvho for the satisfieng of theyr disdainful or hongry humor care not to let the common vveale blood euen in her Basilica vaine vvho hauing now liued by Gods grace and through the great loue of hir subiects tovvards hir many yeeres in a miraculous peace and ben a beholder and iudge of other lands troubles should now by thys mariage throw as it vvere into the sea not her ring vvith Policrates but hir precious selfe and putting hir prosperitye to the plunge send it to flote or sinck by dravving into England a great spark of that family which hath ben a fyre brand in Europe VVe can not hold this fire in our bosome and not be burned therevvith Novv that
vveaker the party to vvhom the match fell out so hurtful vvas a man and therefore stronger here the peril strenghtned for the party bringing the perill out of Fraunce is a man and the partie endaungered is a vvoman These thinges deserue vvell the vveighing and may not be passed ouer vpon euery lisping vvord and crouching curtesie of a French Ambassador or other flattering petie messenger And if our wise and renoumed forefathers of England passed vvithout stombling ouer the threshold of suspecting the french aliance euen then whā the french men professed held the lavves of atmes vvyth theyr enemies as soldiers let vs not be nicely fearefull to passe the boūds of honorable modestie in iudgeing of the present princes vvhich professe to deceiue and break fayth vvith such as vve are yea let vs boldly vvisely cast this doubt that they vvhose frendships vvhē they had not so il purposes but thought it their honor to match with vs wrought vs yet thys woemust nedes novv hurt vs according to their hateful falshod in dealing with vs whō they esteme according to their doctrin of Rome no better then dogs Novve as there is daunger on the parte of the French for great troubles to follovve by thys mariage as vvell for that they haue nevv fangled and stirring common wealth heads lusting after Innouations as also for the ielousie of tvvo so neere bordering kingdomes euen so vvill it be harder then yron for Englishmen to digest with quiet stomake the french insolencies and disdaynefull brauades For if the Spaniard comming in vppon hys honor and being an auncient friend at that tyme of one religion did neuertheles beare away harde intreadie for hys vnwonted pryde towards vs more danger vvill theyr be least these needie spent Frenchmen of Monsieurs traine being of contrary religion and who are the scome of the kings Court which is the scomme of all France vvhich is the scomme of Europe vvhen they seeke like horseleaches by sucking vpon vs to fill theyr beggerly purses to the satis fieng of theyr bottomlesse expence the poore playne and rude Englishman firste giue him the elbovve in the strete then the fist and so proceeding to farther bicquerings in pryuate quarrels great troubles ryse of small beginnings for as touchinge the humble mild persecuted and religious Frenchmen that we receiue him as a vvelbeloued brother and that our old grudging nature against the french in this respect is expelled as it wer vvith a fork that comes by the force of religion the Lord hauing wrought it in our heartes But against these irreligious haughtye and faithlesse frenchmen that bring in a religion contrarye to ours haue no cōscience nor loue to vse vs kindly our English nature vvil return a main to his own course which thinges also may euidtēly appeare to any mā that wold but mark how sadly heauily with hovv sorovvful coūtenances all the multitude of English both nobilitie comminaltye looke casting vp theyr hands eyes to heauen vvhen they doe but talke of the matter This stinging straunger of Fraunce muste vve keepe vvarme in our bosom at our ovvn intollerable charge which is another reason not to be neglected sith treasure is a principall sinevv of any state and therefore vvould not be wasted much lesse therevvyth to buye our own harme For they are ouer credulous to be beleeued vvho vvith the emptie name of Monsieur and of the French kings brother wold promise such other fooles as list credit them mountaines of golde and great gaine to thys royall state by hys vvorshipfull reuenues forsooth bringing in king Phillip vvho serues them in thys deuise for all in all for theyr example Fyrst vvho knowes not thys in generall that euery prince though neuer so rich will hoard vp hys owne treasure and spend of the straunge purse and it is a notable policie for our french enemye by this meanes to weaken the verye knees and hammes of our Realm Novv that vvhich other princes do of worldly vvisedom Monsieur must doe of meere necessitie for let his receiptes be great for a subiect yet shall they not be sufficient to maintain his mind in state of so great a priuce companiō to our Queen for euē alreadie his debtes expences are sayd to be farther at odds with his reuenues thē many yeres receipts can yeld the arerages But these perswaders as men hauing theyr eyes daseled vvyth the golden sun are ouer affectioned to thys match and can not see that Monsieur hath not moe countyes then king Phillip had archdukedomes nor so many dukedoms as king Phillip had kingdomes and that he is not able to dropp halfe testons for king Phillips pîstelas nor vvith siluer to weighdowne his gold as also that king Phillip for al those dominiōs mines of treasures was content to be pingling vvith our purses made Queene Mary to aske moe extraordinary and frequent subsides and taskes then had bene seene in so short a raigne further causing her to borow more loanes of hundred powndes forty pounds tvventy pounds and ten poundes of her subiects then vvere euer payd agayn by a great sort thus gleaning the monie from the subiects by armefuls lading out of the eschequer that both the land and the Eschequer was left as empty to the Queenes maiestie that novv is as it vvas many a daye The very bodyes of our men vvere fayne to be employed in hys seruice and forraigne warres there to abide the formost force and to be as a vvall betvvene the honorable Spainard and the Canon vvhich vvars nothing in our ovvne quarrell besides the present losse of noble men and good soldiars there at the place cost vs in a backe reckoning the richest and strongest towne of vvar that the Queene then had And yet must vve haue king Phillip broughte in for example of a gainefull mariage to England In dede vve had great cause to thank the Lords mercy vvho deliuered vs from that king his power as vve had to thank our sins that vve vvere giuen into hys hand but vve may say vve scaped a scouring for but that he vvas newly setled in his owne kingdome and could not tary to be warme in his bedd here the end vvould haue ben vvorse then the beginning he wold haue holdē hard if not for the soile of the kingdom yet for the nauie for the ordinance and other chiefe moueable treasures and reall Ievvels of the land All vvhich thinges come in a more daunger with thys Prince because if he be king of fraunce he shal be neerer and readier by colorable polices to vvythdravv by little and little all thinges from hence in her Maiesties lysr by force to chalenge them if VVhich God say nay to she shoulde be hys vvife and dye before hym There is another daungerous daunger in thys forreine french match that aryseth yet far higher in that he is the brother of childles Fraunce So as if Henry the thyrd novv king should dye
credit emong the protestants in Fraunce as they vvould trust him for a leader and not hold him stil for a suspect could hys goodly aydes offered to the states in the low countryes vvith personall taking vpon him their defence preuaile so farr that he could come any farther vvithin them then that they could by their own forces vvel auoyde hym No no the hurtfull helpe of thys shiuering reede hath appeared by the euent in both countryes and that it is no staffe of trust Most vnhappy therefore are they that may take heede by others whose hands it hath hurt and vvill not But let vs against our con science admit Monsieur to be in this matter simply seely or simply bonest yet is he set a work and ruled by his brother and mother and this sute follovved for him vvith the manifest goodwyll of hys mother the motherpractiser of France VVith the winking of the pope vvho though against the mariage of the king of Nauarre to their sister and against Monsieurs voyage in to Flanders he sent his legat yet here he sits quiet vvhich is a token that hee lookes through his fingers This sute is pursued vvith the good alovvāce of the french king For Monsieurs messenger hath continuall conuersation at home and abroade and one table vvyth the kings Ambassador a thing playnely arguing the kings good liking and continuall intelligence vvith Monsieur for the proceedings herein The strange papistes and our rebelles are in deepe silence not one opens his mouth against this mariage Thys prince can not but eythe◠for loue or feare be great with the Guysian duke and in deede of very late more theu euer euen vvhen ît vvas sayd he should come ouer hither he vvas neerely in vvard and in deepe conferences vvith that duke vvho is to vs an enemy by kind and for neer consanguinity a fast friend to the late scottish Queen vvho is the most hidden and pestilent aduersary creature that liues to our Prince state The fayrest daugh ter of the pope and shotanchor of all papistes for as the holye league hath tyed all these great on s togither by oth and their duty to the pope vvhom they wyll not displease to hate to the death all religious princes so haue they voued it in the fourth degree agaynst our prince as chiefe support of religion and in vvhose life or death as they thinke dependes the exercise or not exercise of the Gospell in England and elsvvhere Againe besides theyr afectiō in many other respects to this late Scottish Queen they haue set her down as the onely loadestone that should drawe traytors together and rent our kingdome that should set vp I dolatrous altars from S. Michils mount to Barvvick and make al the Israel of England and Scotland to sinne Hyr iniurious challenges in Fraunce hir great and disloyall attempts in england hir confederacies vvith the Spanish Generalls or regents in Flaunders vvyl easely tell a wise man vvhat deuotion she hath to the Queene vvhat impatient greedines to snatch the crowne from hir heade by oportunity or importunity vvhich so euer come first There open and violent attemptes of this purpose haue bene by Gods grace frustrate as enemyes they can doe no thing agaynst hyr Maiestie Now must some great meane be vsed and that vndercloke of loue vvhich is euer the last popish practise From no place more fitly then out of Fraunce can they fetche thys instrument of our vvoe Fraunce is a neighbour therefore conuenient by the place It is a land ful of a vvell trayned soldiar hath all ready great numbers mustered that abyde but theyr vvatch vvord it is now at peace vvithall and therefore at leasure onles they vvyll make vvarrs to themselues for cruelty they are approued to execute any thing For treason they are so embrewed in blood as they are like to assent vnto what soeuer plat neuer so barbarous And thys is also a deuice fit ynough for such a soliciter as is that false Scot prelate Rosse mortall enemy hether vvho is presently in Fraunce and like ynoug hyr agēt to procure this deuise Yea onlesse vve our selues close our owne eyes vvee may see that it is a very french popish vvoeng to sende hyther smooth tongued Simiers to glose and glauer hold talk of mariage and yet in the meane while Iaques Fitzmaurice who hath bene in France and conuersant vvith Rosse and euen novv came immediatly thence into Ireland to inuade our Queenes dominion there and assemble the trayterous papistes in nomine domini domini papae Is it possible for the breath of mariage vvell meant to England and vvarr performed in Ireland to come out of one mouth She hath already cost vs ynough of our Englishe blood and she cares not though she make hauock of nobilitye people she seekes hyr own turne by hooke or crooke Aboue all the dangers to hir Maiestie I wold she had one that might eueryday cry vvith a loud voyce TAKE HEEDE OH ELIZABETH OF ENGLAND AND BEVVARE OF SCOTTISH MARY The Lord hyr God defend hyr from all hyr popish enemies Let other mens squaymish iudgements keepe them in vvhat temper of suspecting it lykes them I can not be so blockish but to thinke that it is more then lykely he comes for thys Mary to the end that vvhereas yf there be any rebellious papists at home which can do nought for want of a leader those fugitiue rebels abrode can doe nothing onlesse there be first some hurliburly in the land this man may be he vvhere they shall firste make head and so grovv into a body of rebelliō which aftervvard they meane to ayde vvith theyr forrein forces to the destruction of those foolish rebelles as vvell as of vs And though in truth with out flattery she be inferior to our Queene in all the best gyftes yet may I vvell ynough thinke that Monsieur vvyll stoope to hir as vvell as king Phillip theyr old example vvhome yet againe they vse euen here did stoop in Flaunders and other vvhere most lowly in that respecte and beyonde all curtesie euen in Queene Maryes lyfe yea I doe not see vvhy I should not make these gyfts and excellencies of our Queene so many arguments to proue great likelihood of impossibilitye to knit fast to hyr the mind of Monsieur so contrarily qualified For loue is a knitting of lyke myndes togyther first then of bodyes by accident And though foule bodyes be oft in loue vvith the outvvard beauty of others yet vvas there neuer foule vicious and Irreligious mind in loue vvith a vertuous and religious soule If any man yet againe thinks it an vnvvorthy suspition of so hygh a prince let hym heare once agayne that one of that brotherhood dyd compasse as vnvvorthy a purpose and all by laying to gage that vvorthines vvhych hys maiesty myght chalenge and by hys personall action vvhych he iudged no man vvould once suspect in a mariage of hys
sister as neere to him as this brother is to the novv king These tymes haue nevv falshodes vvhich vve must encounter by nevv foreseeing vvysedomes nevv diseases haue taught phisitians to find nevv medicines and sith false frenchmen vvyll doe that which theyr forefathers vvould neuer do let honest English men suspect that which theyr auncesters could neeuer misdeeme Especially in those matters wher popery comes betwene as the motif and the french ben the instruments For to do that Roman sinagogue seruice the french doe accompt as fayre vertues all foule lyes treasons poysonings massacres and turning of realms vpside down And for recompence of theyr braue nighte xploit at Paris they were brought immediately as it vvere in a carte of tryumphe in at Rome gates where the world is vvitnes of the panegyricall prayses and solemne orations pronounced in theyr perpetuall fame with many ioyfull fyres in honor of that barbarous vnmanlike and treasonable victory vpon the noble Admiral that slept in the oth of hys king But though the hope of lyke commendation may make these men attempt the lyke fact yet are these wicked praysings of the pope but a shadow of praysings and make as much to the true honor of the french as theyr paper excommunication and burning by image at Rome doe hurt the good Christian in body or soule Now the Spanish genet wil soone champ thys cakebread snaffle a sunder for thys great feate that should be don in bringing K. Phillip to some reasonable conditions of peace vvith his subiects and hyr maiestie to haue some maritime part to hir own behofe hovv shall it be wrought by french forces onely They vvyll not doe it they can not doe it ▪ and if they would or could why is it not don already if by french and English forces ioyned vvhy then doth he not ioyne and conferr with vs all thys whyle rather then vnder hand seeke to trump both them of the religion there and the malcontent If it should be don by English forces onelye as it must be indeede for he hath none to command oneles they saye that hys brother vvyll both man him and money hym and then they forgette that vvhyche they sayde of being a brydle to Fraunce If I saye Englyshe money and Englyshmen must do thys enterpryse it may be much better achiued now while we haue the lavv in our own hands and may command then when vve shall be couert baron and haue put our sword into an other hand vve haue not so much neede of hym for a captayne as he hath of our strength to serue hym Neyther doe I thinke more truth in any of these theyr reasons then that vve should serue to vvorke theyr vvill in those lovv countryes and if any thing vvere gotten that should vvholy goe to Fraunce but our butin in England should be euen as good in these vvars to be taken for france agaynst Spayn as it vvas vnder Queene Mary in the vvarres for Spayn agaynst Fraunce at vvhat tyme the vvhole losse euen a greeuous losse to any Englishman that shall looke from Douer castle ouer to the other side fell on our part But in deede if it please hyr maiestye to ayde those lovv countryes as it vvyll be most for our honor in the enterpryse and for our gayne in atchieuing to doe it of our selues vvhyle uve are at lybertye and not vnder straunge restraint so is it novve high time for the neede they haue vvho by these delayes shal be soone past helpe and so the king of Spayne haue hys vvyll And in truth the best vvelcome force and of most profit to those countryes must be the English vvithout french for the popish party of Arthois and Henault neuer loued the french and novv dare not trust thē and those of Gaunt hate them tvvyse Fyrst for religion and then for the cause common to them vvyth the VVallon vvhich is theyr ouermuch intelligence vvith the cōmon enemy the Spaynard vvhatsoeuer perill therefore out of those countries from king Phillip by reason of hys pease there is spoken of by these perswaders thereby alluring vs vnto thys match vvyth Fraunce is easely mett vvythall by our ovvn forces in tyme vvhych vvyll be much more vvyllyngly receiued of them then the French for all the late foolish and levvd pamflettes there spred by the french in theyr ovvne fauoer and our disgrace And it is more absurd that Fraunce vvoulde consent to send hither a brydle for himself those that are of this mind presuppose a ielousie betweene the French king and Monsieur vvhych vve must first graunt them or els they fayle to proue thys in the begynning Now albeit I thinke that the best fayth can not be meant but betvvene the best men yet may we be assured that hovve soeuer they stande betvvene themselues for Fraunce they vvyll styll agree to anoy England and hold togither lyke brethren the change of that ayre for thys and hys comming ouer sea vvyll not change that mind and styll shall he be hys brother and son of his mother vvho seeing that both of them doe follow this mariage no doubt they wyll prouide agaynst theyr ovvne brydeling And it is lyke ynough though Monsieur knowes a peice of theyr purpose yet knowes he not the depth of thys mischieuous practise For they doe not vse to impart more to him then falles to hys part to play The king remembers that he hymselfe when he vvas Monsieur being made priuie to the thē purposed horrible massacre had like to haue marred al by lauishing out a word here of to one of hys deerelyngs had not Lignerolls mouth ben stopped with papp and the hatchet as they say Besides that Monsieur vvas neuer admitted so farr in connsail as the present king nor esteemed so stanche And if a man may guesse sometime what a thing is by reckoning vp vvhat it is not we shall not find in the king nor his bro ther nor mother any louing cause to bring this nevve loue in theyr mind They neuer bare fauour to hir maiesties person they neuer shewed themselues louers to the quiet of thys state they account not themseldes any vvay beholden to prince or state Euery vvord or deed of ours shewing neuer so litle compassiō tovvards their murthered or mislike of the murderers is depely layd vp of them for so many vvrongs Much lesse vvyll any man think she sends hir son hyther to schoole for our religion It is farr from probabilitie to thinke that the king sends him hither because he vvould be rid of hym as though he stoode in fearefull doubte of hys greatnes vvhyle he vvere in fraunce It is sufficiently proued othervvhere that he is not followed nor esteemed generally in Fraunce by papist or protestant And if there vvere any such ielousie in the kings head thys vvere no vvisedome by aduauncing his brother to so puissant a kingdom to make him more dread And in Monsieur vvhat doe we find
of fear and wrong thus much hitherto said to be written as it were vvith the teares of an english hart And his soden arryuall here with all the maner and circumstances thereof would yeelde nevve argumêts of an other much lōger discourse For first his cōming hither as it vver in a maske bewraies a strange melancholik nature in himself who delights to make all his iourneis in such sullē solitary sort therfore belike an ill companion to liue withall in any felovvship Then yt shewes his extreeme want of abilitie to defray the expence of woeng in a bountiful shew sitting such a prince as cōmeth to obtein out Queen This his secrete comming departing discouers a mistrustfulnes in him towards our people and therefore no loue which must needs come frō his own ill conscience of fearing french measure in England for on our part the Lord be thanked we haue not committed such villenies all men deeme him vnworthy to speed who comes in a net as though he were loath to auow his errand Some men may think he is ashamed to shevv his face but I think verely that he meanes not sincerely who loues not light wil not com abroade The last noble princely gentlemā that went out of Englād to vvin a Queen in france gaue trial shew of vvisdome manhod behauiour and personage by open cōuersatiō performing al maner of knightly excercises which makes vs in England to find very strange this vnmanlike vnprincelike secrete fearful suspitious disdainful needy french kind of woeng in Monsieur we can not chuse but by the same stil as by all the other former demonstratife remonstrāces conclude that thys french mariage is the streightest line that can be dravvne frō Rome to the vtter ruine of our church the very rightest perpendicular downfal that can be imagined frō the point france to our English state fetching in vvithin one circle of lamentable fall the royal estate of our noble Queen of hir person nobility and commons vvhose Christian honorable healthful ioyful peaceful and long souereigne raigne without all superior ouerruling commander especially french namely Monsieur the king of kings hold on to his glory and hyr assurance of true glory in that other kingdom of heauen Amen Amen Amen The church Sin draweth vengeance This mariage is sin Iustitution of mariage The first Lavves Deut. 7. 3. The end of holy maria The hurt of vnholy ma. The disparagement of such mariages Examples Gene. 24 3. Gene. 28. 1. Gen. 34. 14. Iudg. Psal. Salomon Nehe. 13. 23 Papist Cananite Pagan Moabite Ammonite Ishmalite Edomite King. 1. 11. Idolatrous Israelites Athalia Conclusiō againste England The Kings sin striketh the Land. Monsieurs masse no priuate mas Iudgemēts for Idolatry 1. Kin. 15. 13 2. Chr. 15. 16 The hurt of this church hurts others Especially the french churches France Valois Medices Henry the. 2 Francise 2 Charles 9. Henry 3. Monsieur Queene Pope France marieth vvith Spaine and Piemont Parisien mariage Feeble hope of Monsieurs change Two tryals of these persvvaders The first The second tryall Common vveale A forraign match Forreigne againste kind This state Lawes of England Aliē enimy Alien friend Aliē denizē Priors aliens Frenchmen Alteration of gouernment K. of Spayn Contrary religion Valois Examples modern Examples auncient Henry first Henry 2. Prince H. Rychard 1. R. Iohn 1. Henry 3. Edvvard 2 Richard. 2. A vvitnes vvithour ecception Henry 5. Henry 6. Home mariges happy Englishmē K. of Spayn A charge to the Realme Monsieur heir asparāt of Fraunce the dangers therby Spanish K. strange ayd French mariage more dangerous thē spanish Issue dangerous to the Queene Note Issue female onely Issue male one onely Viceroy Mark vvell these Englishmen Henry the sixth no good example to persvvade by Issue male and female Two sons or moe These faire vvords make no wise man fayne Dominiō Reuenue As the wise is subiect to hir husband so is hir coūtry to hys land English French little vvorth Alliance with fraunce what it is The sely great party of Monsieur Monsieurs companiōs Counsailors Seruants Enterprises VVoeng messenger Fraunce an old foe A new friēd A dāgerous friend An vnsure friend A needlesse friend A dishonorable alliāce A dammage able friendship Burgundy Scotland Allemain Ottoman the great Turke Duke of Saxe Palsgreue Spires Frankford No plurality or totquot in stately friendship Lavves of armes Tode Lyon. The Queen in hir natural and priuate consideratiō Dislike to mariage in generall Monsieur no Paragon His person His ill spent youth hither to His youth presently His religion Pope playes fast loose in mariages His absence by being chosen K. dls where A capitall perill iustly suspected The credit that the french king lends his brother His sister not trusted by hir husb Monsieur his owne credit This mach no stopp to practises of competition or popery Qu. mother the mouer Pope vvinketh vvils French king denieth not Papistes forrain rebel silent Guyse Scottish Mary New french falshod nevv English wisedome This match no snaffle to Spayne The lovv countryes Artoyes and Henault Gant. This match no bridle to Fraunce This vvoing comes not of loue to our Queen Mother King. Monsieur England can not loue Monsieur It is the lord by whome Queen Elizabeth reignes vvhile other princes dye and are deposed Keepe couenant with thy God O Queen and defie thys alliance Forrein ayds Englande needes no friends especially out of Fraunce Nobilitye Gentry of England Hugh Capet Carrola manus Maiestrates Iudges Lawyers Lavves soldiar L. bishops Merchants richmen People strange tallages
the morrovv after our mariage and Monsieur repare home as we may be svre he would into hys natiue country a larger and better kingdom then by all likelihode eyther must our Elizabeth goe vvith him out of her ovvne natiue country and svvete soyle of England vvhere she is Queene as possessor and inheritor of thys imperial crovvne vvithall regall rights dignities perogatiues pre heminences priuileges autorities and iuredictions of thys kingly office and hauing the kingrike in her owne person into a forrain kingdome vvhere her vvritt doth not runn shal be but in a borovved Maiestie as the moone to the sonn shining by night as other kings vvyues and so she that hath ruled all this vvhile heere shal be there ouer ruled in a straung land by some belledame not vvithout avve perhapps of a sister in lavv and vve hyr poore subiects that haue bene gouerned hetherto by a naturall mother shal be ouerlooked at home by some cruel and proud gouernour or els must she tary here vvithout comfort of her husband seing her selfe despised or not vvifelike esteemed and as an eclipsed son diminished in souereinty hauing such perhappes appoynted to serue hyr and be at her commaundement after the french phrase vvhich in playn English vvill gouerne her and her state In thys great matter vvhat an illuding ansvver is it agayn by the particular example of the king of Spayne to put avvay thys reason grounded vpon these tvvo generall rules The first is that a straunger mighty king brought into a realme to ayde them as vvas the Turke and his sarasins or vpon any lighter occasion vvill hardly be gotten out againe The second a straunger king dravven in by our sins and sent by Gods iustice for our punishment is not ridd vvithout Gods extraordinary help Novv syr because vve vvere once happily dispatched of Spayne therefore vve shall once againe commit thys gross follye and contemne that generall rule of policie And because the Lord in mercy dyd once deliuer vs from Spayn therfore vve vvill tempt him agayn by deliuering our selues into the hands of Fraunce Alas for these men if king Phillip had neuer maryed Queene Mary and if thys matter had ben to dispute xxvij yeeres agoe then had they had no one reason for theyr side nor no ansvver to escape any of our arguments and thys absurd manner of reasoning is very Macciauelian logick by particular examples thus to gouern kingdoms and to set dovvn general rules for his prince vvhereas particulars should be vvarranted by generals But there mayster vvrested hys vngratious vvit euer to the mayntenance of a present state and these foolish schoolers put forth theyr gross conceipts to the ouerthrovv of thys present in hope of I vvot not vvhat futur common vvealth of their ovvn head Some subtilty ther is also in this aunsvver that vvhen vve are to deliberate of Fraunce vvhych is the more nere and more auncient therfore more daungerous enemy to anoy vs vvith his forces and to hold vs if he once haue vs they bryng vs in example Spayn a more remote potentate an auncient friend one that vvas at that tyme of one religion vvith thys kingdom and therfore not so pricked to hasten some chaung in our state as thys man vvho being ledd by Antichrist must not endure vvith any patience that state vvher Christ is Moreouer our dispofitiō more ready to vvarr with Fraunce then vvith Spayn is holpē by more continual occasions giuē of both sides by more cōueniencie of means to perform sodenly vvhich vvill make them let no opportunity slyp that may bring so com bersome a neighbour vnder thē as vve are And better may they do it novv then might the king of Spayn then for thē was Spain at vvars with Fraunce neyther vvas it lyke that Fraunce would haue bene holden by any frendship while he should haue suffered a more pnissant neighbour set hys foote heere vvhom he might so easely let by helping vs But now is there no enemity betvvene Fraunce and Spayne to let thys practise they are of kin by the flesh and by theyr religion and the holy leage ties them togither in that respect as it vvere faggotstiks And in truth Spayn being so far and Fraunce so nere Fraunce hath great aduantage in thys cōparison and cannot be so letted of Spayne as Spayn may be by him These daungers vvherein this daungerous pactise of mariage vvrappeth Queen Elisabeth in hyrlyfe time and hyr England together alike vvill I doubt not moue those in authority to auoyd them and others that are priuate to pray against them most seruently But these calamities alas end not vvith thys age For wher as these persvvaders lay for a chiefe ground theyr certain expecting issue of hyr Maiesties body vpon thys match and the commodities therof ensuing therby perswading thys strange conceipt I vvill at once dispatch that reason that might be obiected agaynst me make it a chiefe argument for I esteeme it my second politique reason to diswade the French mariage especially If it may please her Maiestie to cal her faythfullest vvyse phisitians and to adiure them by their conscience tovvards God theyr loyalty to hyr and fayth to the whole land to say theyr knovvledg simply without respect of pleasing or displeasing any and that they consider it also as the cause of a realm and of a Prince how excedingly dangerous they find it by theyr learning for her maiestie at these yeeres to haue hyr first chyld yea hovv fearfull the expectation of death is to mother and chyld I feare to say vvhat wyll be theyr aunswer and I humbly besech hyr Maiesty to enforme hyrselfe throughly euen in hyr loue to the vvhole land whych holds deere hyr life and peace and vvhich as it hath hetherto deutifully sought hyr mariage whyle hope of issue vvas desiring it as the chiefest common wealth good and vvithall that feare God English or straunger vvould haue reioyced to see that the reigne of Queen Elizabeth might haue ben dravven foorth as I may say in hyr faythfull ligne yet dare we not novv otherwyse craue it but so as it might be by such afather as had a sound body and holy soule and yet not thē neither onles she may first find it to stand with her lyfe and safety And vvhen I think more earnestly of thys matter me thinkes it must needes come first of a verye French loue to our Queene and land to seeke thys mariage euen now so eagerly at the vttermost tyme of hope to haue issue and at the very poynt of most daunger to her Maiestie for childbearing whereby they think if her Maiestie haue issue to see eyther the mother die in childbedd vvhich the Lord forbid and the land left again as theyrs hath bene to an infant or els to see both mother and childe put in a graue and so the land left a spoyle to forrein inuasion and as a stack of vvood to ciuill vvars All is one to