tymes of william the first vvould chalenge to haue kingdomes and such regall dominions deuided emong chyldren as the Conquerer did vvith England and Normandye and the elder knovving himselfe according to the present lavves heire to both vvould clayme both vtterly denying this carpet conqueste of Monsienr to be any conquest lyke that of VVilliam And so that miserable ciuill dissention in England renued after hir which in the peacemaking mariage of her noble grandfather and in the person of hyr royall father and in continaunce of that ligne in hir hitherto is happyly quenched He that confesseth all these incōueniences and weenes to prouide for them with his penn in hys studye or by acts of parliament or by any other conditioning of oathes and sworn promises contested at theyr hygh altar of their masse forgets the many experiences of sayths most solemnly geuen falsified on the other side he that scornes thys our particularizing of thys matter and putting of the case vvhat if he haue issue male onely or female onely must be put in mind agayn how vnlyke it is for her to haue any hovv daungerous for her to haue but one and hovv her yeeres doe necessarily denye her many he must also remember on the side of Monsieur hovv fruteles a race that is his eldest brother had none his seconde brother but one that a daughter hys thyrd hath none all of them being a forced generation by phisick after many yeeres vvhen theyr mother feared to be put avvay as barraine No vvhere therefore are vve to match vvith lesse hope of issue And if it seeme curiositie that we proceede further in thys case as to say what if Monsieur should haue both male and femall or diuers males I require of hym but so much foresight and casting of doubt for the happy staying of thys crovvne in the English ligne of our auneient kings as noble men and other great landed ones at thys day haue vvho in their vsuall conueighances do marshall the fal of theyr inheritances by limitation vpon limitation euen to the tenth son of theyr body begotten and to the tenth nephevv of theyr foresayd tenth son of hys body begotten May it be lavvfull so to prouied for the continuance of pelting maners in one familie of a subiect and wil he not carefully cast a fevv doubts for holding of the crovvne vvith many principalities and dukedoms for the preseruation of the capitall corporation of England in respect vvhere of al other the greatest castelles honors and manors are but mesnalties or rather very messuages and tenancyes paraual Issue therefore or no issue by thys Frenchmans body the issue of this Frenchmans marrage is most dangerous to thys Realme and the very consideration of it fearefull in behalfe of our lief soueraigne But these gloosing Frenchmē haue vvhet on some of our persvvaders vvho likevvise vvhet on others vvith remembrance of the dominions and rule vvhich theyr anncesters sometime bare in Fraunce and vvhich this land novv vvants with some disgrace Other of our mens teeth are made to vvater with fayre promises of reposseding those seigneuries and countryes vvhich theyr noble forefathers enioyed as though by meanes of thys mariage they vvould set foote there I knovv not hovv before the french vvere a vvare and sending ouer some colonies from hence of such superfluous gentilmen as themselues they vvould holde it maugre the king there vvith such braue vvords the false flattering frenchmen bring fond credulous Englishmen into a supposed paradise These brauing English gentlemen are as farre from the wisedom of theyr noble auncestets of whom they speake as from theyr courage It vvere verely a conquest fit for gentlemen to assay the recouering of our former losses and to begin euen vvyth our last losse first but if these mens eyther wisedome vvere such as vvere lyke to gette it or theyr courage such as vvere lyke to keepe it they vvould remember that in tymes passed the noble ▪ Englishmen delighted rather to be seene in Fraunce in bright armour then in gay clothes and masking attyre they did chuse rather to vvinn and hold by manly force then by such esseminate meanes Yea vvhen they did obteyn any thyng by mariage it was not that England vvas maryed to France but by marying france to England vvherein is great difference if a man haue the witt to marke it For if eyther vve vvere Frenchmen or our nation more large and pleasaunt then Fraunce vve might perhaps haue reason simply to desyre it Then should our land ▪ be the royall seate our king should be resident emong vs and our empire encreased by so many vassalles vvhich though by the mariages of our former kinges the flowers of kinghthood vvould haue fallen out othervvise in processe of tyme to the same bondage of thys lande if they had styll kept Fraunce because theyr succeeding children kinges of England vvoulde haue remoued thither as into a more rich and pleasaunt kingdome out of Englande deuided from the world yet had euen our forefathers in the dayes of those victorious kings that reason to desire it which vve vvant that is they vvent thither vvith theyr kings to be maisters of countrey and people and to hold it by aims as strongest vvheresoeuer theyr king vvent he was styll an Englishman and trusted most most aduaunced Englishmen yea those kings had euer Animam reuer tendi as I may say into England ▪ in so much as king Henrye the fift vvho had set surest foote in Fraunce yet he had a mind to be brought after hys death out of fickle Fraunce into vvell stayed England and here vve haue hys boanes But in this mariage our Queen is to be maryed and both she and we poore soules are to be mastered and vvhich is vvorse mistrised to And as for the issue he shall be meere French no more acknovvledging vs then that other Pharaoh which neuer knew Ioseph Thys therefore vvere a desyre more lyke the noble blood of those tymes rather to fight for that vve haue not then to daunce for that vve haue yea I vvill say to these dauncers for a garlonde and not for a kingly crovvne as that duke of Glocester sayde It vvere more commendable for these ioyly mates to demaund by word and sword those dominions whych vve haue lost rather thē by mariage to shut the gates of recouering any thyng lost and to open agate of loosing all that is left And if these men vvere eyther regenerate with theyr lyuing brethren by the Gospel or yf they were not degenerate from theyr deceased noble fathers remained but in theyr pure naturalles they would neuer so speak for a faultor prince of Rome and one that may be warranted to vs and our heyres for an enemy auncestrell as I may say and of an hatefull blood from many graundfathers And if they had but that naturall sense vvhich all lyuing creatures haue to eschevv in theyr kindes all contrary and hurtfull thinges they vvould not so labour
that is that an old enemy friend is no friend vvhich prouerb though in christian reformed men it may nowe and then be falsified yet do I not see but in men vnregenerate by the gospell it remaynes true and to beleue it false is perilous to prince or priuate person in choyse of friend or allie But if these perswaders vvyll needes haue thys paynted man to be a man and thys no frend to be a friend yet is he of necessity a most daungerous friend by reason of hys largely spred dominion vvhich makes hym esteeme himselfe as the iron pot and vs as the earthen crock vvith whom vvhen he floteth on the sea he weens he can dash vs into shards at hys pleasure according to that embleme of Alciat And though by the might of the hygh potter of mankind framer of kingdoms he hath found our sides as hard as yron and vve haue found hym as brickel in our hands as clay yet the pryde he conceiueth in his owne might vvil make thys dreadles enemy an intollerable and an insolent friend to vs onlesse he may find vs as seruiceable as he found his old friend Scot land vvherein his old rancour styll lurkes and vvyll prouoke him to take any occasion Thus vnder trust on our side shal be shrovv ded treason on theyr part vvhich could neuer haue hys effect yf vve vvere styll enemies standing on our own gard and in nothing trusting them Again a most vnsure and slippery frend he is for they that seke vtilem amicitiam as he now doth vvil also sodenly break friendship inhonestae vtilitatis causa vvherein he hath the start of vs be fore vve ioyne vvhile vve standing on our honor and Christian conscience as it vvere at the listes shall giue none offence but vvith much adoe take any giuen pretermitting the best occasion of resisting in time the beginnings he that hath made ship vvrack of honor and conscience shal make hys profit of our conscience and lye in vvait to fall out for aduantage and to break thorough euen vvhatsoeuer surest band of alliance Furthermore a needlesse friendship is it vvhich vve seeke For hetherto vvithout theyr helpe and in despight of their beard vve continually haue holden our ovvn and many times preuailed vp on theyrr hauing thereforh tryed theyr mallice of 500. yeeres to be contemptible let vs not vvithout any need in the vvorlde accept theyr friendship novv vvhen it is most doubtfull least the title of loue compasse that which hatred could neuer come neere Lastly as in common alliances it is no credit to entertain a reiec ted friendship so is thys french alliance dishonorable to vs in respect it is the refuse of Scotland vvho being vveary of their pride and vntruth haue cast them off novv a good whyle since and all ther old neere felovvship vvith resolute purpose so to continue because they find much more profit and safetie in these more estranged termes of neighbourhode vvherein they stand presently then in theyr false insolent former friendship And to speak truth the honest late dealings of French are such and they so renoumed for an hatefull seede of an hatefull house as I suppose they are not like to find friendship els vvhere vvith any Christian prince of Maiestie especially to ioyne vvith them in this friendship of mariage vvhich made theyr present king Henry the thyrd as haughty as he is to stoupe to a mean mans daughter a vassal of his own And what if it vvere possible to make some thing of this no friend to hold thys vvett Eele by the tayle as they say and to haue his friendship fast and that the same vvould be in any thing needfull profitable vvithout perill and not dishonorable which in no vvise I admit yet vvill our losse be otherwise far greater thē hys friendship can yeld For first this new found french friend of fraunce vvilpresently cost vs our old friend of Burgondy vvhich faythfull societie yf our vallant politîque auncesters preferred before that vntrusty alliance vvith Fraunce enen then vvhen it was not yet maryed to Austrich nor crovvned vvith Spayn vvhen it vvas not yet enlarged vvith hir Italian dominions and midsea Iles nor enriched vvith her golden Indians if also then it were more profitable to vs then Frannce hovv shall Fraunce be novv to be preferred before it or proue more profitable to vs novv then that And it is not onely for peace and vvarr that Burgondy hath ben entertayned before Fraunce but euen to this day the merchaunts vvyll tell you that the onely lovv countryes here at hand of that dominiō are more worth to vs for venting the surplusage and aboundance of our country commodities and for the transporting hither of the most necessary merchandise of forreign parts then is all Fraunce Secondly vve shall for thys ouerthvvart friend of Fraunce a professed enemy of religion vvhich onely knitts the trueloue knott cast of Scotlande a brother in christ vvhose profession as it hath made them nevv men in loue and loyallty to vs so do our deserts tovvard them hither vnto theyr need of our help henceforth make them vvholly ours vndoubtedly And if vve vvere in a brotherly perpetuall league vvith that state such as both our professions requires of vs both and such as our peculiar neighbourhode begs of vs who haue one bounds of the sea and but a small brooke that partes vs doubtles our mutual friendship vvould proue more mutually stronge and profitable then vvith any potentate seuered from vs by seas vvhose fayth if vve could assure our selues of yet can vve not haue it at all needes but must tary for the vvind and tyde All the religious states of Germany and other vvhosoeuer that haue gon from Rome vvill at once throvv avvay theyr Christen estimation of vs Those protestant princes vvho hauing tryed the faithlesnes of thys generation doe set their bodyes possessions and honors in the gappe for defence of Gods people in seuerall countryes from sclauery of conscience bodies goods vvyues and children vvyll in theyr lour lament our vnhappines that wil not not be vvarned by theyr harmes vvherein I merueil not a little at some vvho regarding neither modestie nor conscience for the aduauncing of thys mariage do sclaunder those religious princes as recommenders to vs of thys mariage agaynst vvhich their deedes doe speake and theyr vvords cry out And for all these losses I knovv not vvhat nevve friend comes in by thys house of Valoys in Fraunce oneles it be the house of Ottoman the great Turke vvith vvhom though Fraunce haue holden not a truce for a time but a continual amitie vvhich mought vvell ynongh be the cause vvhy the Pope decked hym vvith hys tytle of most christian king yet haue vve of England euer defyed hym vvith the rest of those kingdomes that beare the name of christ and it vvyll be for our Christian honor that no match vvorke the contrary
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
dishonour to her spouse vvith the separating her from her Lord God and vvith the treading vnder foot of that precious lavve vvhich îs her holy rule for order and souereigne preseruatife againste all headlong confusion if they say yea vve say nay and proue it nay Namely that this procuration of mariage is a breach of Gods lawe and not onely for the sinne thereof is against the church because it hasteneth vengeaunce but vve shevve by demonstratiue reasons that it goeth to the very gorge of the Church I trust I shall not neede to proue to these mens consciences this Maior proposition or Maxime that is to say Syn prouoketh the wrath of God and that greate sinnes call down great plages and mighty sinners are mightily punished This argument The vvorld sinneth such a citie sinneth such a land sinneth such a try be such a kindred such a family such a soule sinneth Ergo the vvorld such a city land trybe kindred family soule shall feele the vengeance of that high lavvgeuer against vvhom they sinne is a most necessary consequence This next though it be but the Minor in order and vvill not perhappes vvithout farther proofe be yelden vnto by thys kynde of protestātes yet is it as true as the former that is that it is a sin a greate and a mightye sinne for England to geue one of Israels daughters to any of Hemors sonnes to match a daughter of God vvith one of the sonnes of men to couple a Christian Ladye a member of Christ to a Prince good sonne of Rome that Antichristian mother citie For the inuincible manifestastion therfore of this truth let vs first consider England as a region purged from Idolatry a kingdome of light confessing Christ and seruing the liuing God Contrariwise Fraunce a den of Idolatrye a kingdome of darkenes confessing Belial and seruing Baal Then let vs remember vvhat was the first institution of mariage which is set before vs as a directory rule for vs in our mariages for euer and vvhereunto Christ teacheth vs playnly in al cases and other incidentes of mariage to looke back vvhen vpon a case put of mariage he aunsweres IN THE BEGINNING IT VVAS NOT SO. The first mariages were betvvene payres in Religion and in the feare of god And the first vvritten commaundements that are giuen by Moses touching mariage haue their regard to that first institution as it were to the oldest lavve The vvhich Moses rightly vnderstanding and according to the interpretation of al lawes vvhen they bid or forbid any thing do therevvith forbid or bid the contrarye He also in Denteronomie forbad those matches vvherein the sonnes of God vvere giuen to the daughters of mē adding thys reason for saith he such mariages wil make thy children to fal from me And this place at once may expound those other many places vvhere it is sayd least they make thy children to commit Idolatry to be added as a certaine punishment by the iudgement of God and not for a doubtfull reason as some vvould fayn haue it that seke to dravv the lavves of God to their lustes who should rather rule theyr lustes by the lawes VVhich pure institution of mariage S. Paul also continues when enlarging the holy vse thereof to all sortes of men he yet hath this restraint that it be in the Lord that is to saye in his feare as it was from the beginning and according to his former commaundements in his vvorde It is more then enough to breake the holy ordinaunce instituted of God vvhich ought to gouerne vs without further enqui rye of reason or commodity But as the holinesse of his lavves is holesome to vs euen in this life by obedience so doth theyr trāsgression breede vs infinite incommodities For the ende of this holy kind of mariage is our mutuall helpe and vpholdiug one an other in the feare of god vvhich appeareth by the reason of forbidding those vnholy mariages vvhich is least sayth the spirit of God their sonnes drawe your daughters or their daughters your sonnes from the lord Nowe as the one comes to passe vvhere thorder of God is kept so the contrary effect must iustly followe vpon neglect especially if such a mariage be made in a gospellike land vvhere the lavv of God is preached and contrarye to warning giuen out of Gods booke Then vvithout peraduenture all blessing is taken awaye and the plague follovveth And to teach our politiques by reasonable argumentes what other reasons haue the lavves of all lands to ioyne like to like in mariage but for the norishing of peace and loue betvvene man and vvife and for the vvell bringing vp of the children in euery familye vvherby to make them profitable members in some seruiceable vocation considering that families are the seedes of Realmes and petie partes of common vveales where if there be good order the vvhole land is vvell ordered and contrary as in anye instrument if euery string or many strings be out of tune the whole musick is marred and who so vvill preserue any entier must conserue euery part so if the families be distempered and out of tune the vvhole land is disturbed Thinke you that the common vveal can haue this care for her lesse partes and thus prouide for the vvell trayning vp of her chil dren that the church of England vvherin this holy lavv of religious matching marying the faithful vvith the faythful is giue by Christ to this end that their children might be sanctified and holily brought vp in christian religion thinke you I say that the church wil easely depart vvith her deere daughter her daughter of hiest honor Elizabeth the Queene of England vvho is the tēple of the holy ghost and vvill not hold her fast in her louing armes as being loath to giue her to a straunger one that hath shevved no signes of regeneration and her selfe vvant thassistaunce of a faythfull husband and her children of her body if any she haue vvhich receiue outvvard sanctification and entry into the bosom of the church thorough the promise of their faythfull parentes be in danger to be profaned before they be borne and to be corrupted after they are borne and thorovvout al their education S. Paul speaking of contrary couplings together compareth them to the vneuen yoking of the cleane Oxe to the vncleane Asse a thing forbidden in the lawe And here againe the lawes of men vvhieh medle but vvith the distribution of the things of this life haue learned this equitie of the lavves of God that it is a greate disparagement for health to be ioyned in mariage vvith any foule disease for beuty vvith deformity youth vvith decrepite age or to tender a townes man daughter to a gentilman of birth A citizen of Rome vvoulde hold foule scorne to mary a Barbariane And the common vvealthes of England Fraunce I dare say vvould meruail if eyther our Queene or Monsieur being both great princes borne and of
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