and Townes holding the party of the king deceased did conuey themselues into Portugall where they were receiued by the king Fernand and had most honourable entertainment with most notable fauours rich presents and incredible gifts which hee gaue vnto them most bountifully In so much that from thenceforth the Castres did continue still and inhabit in Portugall from whom are descended those which are there of that name now at this day Hierom Guliel cap. 23. fol. 81 pag. 2. The like happened to Diego Lopez Pacheco a Portugall albeit not for so iust and honourable a cause who going from Portugall into Castile for being charged with the death of the Queene Dame Iues de Castro in the time of the king Don Peter of Portugall hee was then created Lord of Beiar and his children also made Lords of other peoples of whom the Marquesse of Villana the Dukes of Escalon and many other great Lords haue their descent and originall In like manner in the time of king Juan of Portugall of happy memory Alias Iohn the Acugnas and Pimentels went into Castile and of them are descended directly in the line masculine the Dukes of Ossuna and Counties of Benauent and in a manner all the Princes and Lords of Castile and Dame Iulian de Lancastre Duchesse of Auero in Portugall Now at this day the Nobilitie of Spaine doth greatly want such places of refuge and sanctuarie and now The Nobilitie of Spain want places of refuge and sanctuary at this day the least Prouost or Marshall is sufficient to arrest the greatest Lord of the countrey yea though it were the brother of the King himselfe in so much that the Princes and Lords of Spaine doe as heartily desire to see some Realme or Prouince set at libertie as they doe their owne safetie The sorrow griefe of the Princes and Lords of Spaine to see the inuasion vsurpation of Portugal the desire they haue to see it at libertie None can tell how great an affliction and notable a misery famine is but hee that wanteth bread to eat and the Nobilitie of Spaine doth at this day with great griefe finde that to be true which they most of all feared in the time of Charles the fifth whose greatnesse they had euen then suspected and for this cause they did shew themselues mightily aggrieued at such time as King Philip did enterprise the vsurpation of Portugall Conestagio a Genouois in the booke which he hath written in fauour of the sayd Philip and which is intituled The vnion of the Realme of Portugall with the Crowne of Castile doth tell vs both the one and the other of these matters And although in that worke of his there be many true reports yet we doe know him for a great and notable Lyer and euen the very first word of that booke is an vntruth in that he hath entituled it The vnion of Portugall with the Crowne of Castile The oth of K. Philip. for king Philip in the assembly of estate which he held at Tomar in the yeare 1581. where the Portugals against their wills and by force did receiue him for their king promised and sware with a solemne oath neuer to intermingle the matter and affaires of Portugall with those of Castile The Explication of the Genealogy of the French K. now raigning The authour whereof was Frier Ioseph Texere but to keepe for euer the Monarchy of Portugall entire in the same estate and in the same manner as the kings his precessors had alwayes preserued and maintained it paying all the pensions fees and wages to all the officers of the kings house both Spirituall and Temporall in like sort as they were payd in the times of the true and good kings forepassed Somewhat of this matter a man may see in the end of the booke of Explication of the Genealogie of his most Christian Maiestie where it is spoken of the first king of Castile Moreouer the said Conestagio as a man of a maligne and peruerse spirit is a most vngratefull enemy of that nation which hath both aduanced and honoured him For wee knew him at Lisbon when he serued Anthonio Caulo and afterwards with Stephen Lercaro 3. fol. 62. a Marchant of Genoa He hath in his booke these words In Castile this succession gaue great matter whereof both to muse and to talke both in priuate and in publike for that the king caused the Estate of Portugall to be vnited to his other Realmes and Dominions not caring how nor in what fashion it were done so it were effected The which the Nobilitie tooke very ill in so much as it seeemeth that all the great men of Spaine since the time of Charles the fifth to this day could not away nor like of the greatnesse of the king because thereof it hath proceeded that hee maketh lesse reckoning of them then did the ancient kings of Castile and hee constraineth them to be equall to their inferiours as well in iustice as otherwise If Don Antonio king of Portugall were liuing hee could witnesse how after that the enemie was entred into Portugall with a huge armie and had taken Lisbon hee being then in the towne of Badaios many Lords of Castile did offer him to haue entrance into the sayd towne and did promise him all their best aide and assistance to seize vpon the enemie himselfe The which the said Prince could not effect nor put in execution for that within few dayes after he was dispossessed of all the realme in the citie of Puerto of Portugall He could also certifie vs how that seeing in these parts many great Lords of Castile did send vnto him offring him their seruice and assistance in case that he would set foot in Portugall the which matter he communicated if I bee not deceiued to the king and principall Lords of France and principally to the estate and Councell of England Notwithstanding touching this desire of libertie it is a matter which doth principally touch the Princes great Lords and Hijos de Algo of Spaine For as concerning those masters of the long robe and the rascall sort of Castilians they take a pleasure in this their slauery and seruitude vnder the king because they alone doe command and rule all and triumphing ouer others haue the principall and chiefe managing of all the affaires of the Realme yea and euen the gouernment of the king himselfe in their owne hands And although they doe hate him most extremely and doe wish ill enough to his person yet notwithstanding they doe wish so well to their owne country and doe so delight to see themselues to haue the command ouer all others that if they know any thing either in publike or in priuat which might hinder and endamage his tyrannie they will not faile onely in regard thereof to aduertise him of it such is the naturall disposition of the Castilians Iosephus de bello Iudaice lib. 1. cap. 3. who being issued and sprung
officers of the said realme who would assist him doe their vttermost endeauors to serue him faithfully to the intent they might remaine in their countrey with their charges offices vnder the obeissance of a naturall king not of a Castilian And if the most excellent Duke of Lorraine were disposed to restore Arragon Valentia Catalonia c. he should haue an Admirall many officers of those realms to accompany him they would hold esteeme theÌ„selues for most happy fortunate to deliuer their cuntry froÌ„ the tyranny yoak of a stranger to redeliuer it to a naturall lawfull Prince If the Portugals likewise would determine and resolue themselues to choose by election as they haue right so to doe some Prince or some other of the people either white or negro for it is most certaine that to deliuer themselues of the tyranny of Philip they would be content to receiue to their King the meanest negro of Guinee if he be a Christian and will liue in the Realme with them they are fully perswaded and they haue reason that this would be a great help and furtherance to the accomplishment of their desires to finde for their defence and preseruation a Constable of Portugall a Marshall and Admirall and all other such like officers of the Realme and their records and writings done in their owne tongue the fashions of their garments and the surnames of their families Contrarywise if it be graunted and yeelded vnto Philip that he may once take vpon him this title of King of Spaine it is most certaine and sure that he will make onely one house royall of all Spaine with a Constable Marshall or Marshals and Admirall graund Maister great Chamberlaine maister of the Horse and all other such like officers of the Realme all which shall be called of Spaine generally and they will call themselues also by the name onely of Spaniards and so will vnite all of them into one onely bodie which will turne to the great dammage and preiudice of the particular states and kingdomes of Spaine and to the great profit and surety of Philip and his posteritie Full little do strangers know of what importance this matter is and thereof it commeth that they speake so fondly and foolishly when they talke thereof which is a thing greatly to be blamed and reprehended in them considering that it is against the law which sayth Inciuile est de re incognita iudicare that it is a great inciuility for any man to iudge of that which hee doth not vnderstand The nations of Spaine doe see very well what mischiefe this may bring vpon them and therefore they doe resist and withstand it with so great force and vehemencie The Castillian knoweth full well the great aduancement and assurance which would hereof ensue to his estate if he could reach so farre and that is the cause he is so earnest to get himselfe entitled king of Spaine He is as we haue before sayd very expert and well seene in histories as his predecessors were also before him and by reading of them he hath learned that this is the most easie meane and readie way to commaund peaceably and to gaine the affection of all the Spaniards Histories do shew vs Egbert king of West Saxonâ— in England how Egbert a valiant and magnanimous Prince being chosen king of the realme of West Saxons in great Brittaine which Realme contained the prouinces of Cornewall Deuon Sommerset Wiltshire Dorsetshire Hampshire and Barkeshire and trusting vpon his skill and knowledge in the art military which hee had learned in Fraunce vnder Charlemaigne where he had beene banished for many years he resolued to make himselfe King Lord of all great Brittaine leauing Scotland apart And beginning his enterprise he first subdued the prouince of Wales which is the strongest of all the rest After which he wanne the Realmes of Kent Mercia Northumberland and the Realme of the East Saxons called Essex Or rather North Saxon in Norfolke hauing gotten this prouince and those foure realmes Egbert seeing himselfe now Lord of fiue and that there now rested no more to conquer but the Realme of Sussex so called of the South Saxons and that of the East Saxons called East Anglia of whose forces he made no great reckening And bethinking with himselfe how he might assure and secure these dominions and Seigniories vnto himselfe he determined not onely to roote out and extinguish the name and memory of the Brittaines the ancient inhabitants of that I le but also gaine the good willes and affections of his subiects by a new name and so by that meanes to draw vnto himselfe the residue which remained yet vnconquered To this effect and purpose he ordained and appointed and by a perpetuall edict commaunded that from that day forwards all those seuen Realmes should bee named by one onely name England and that all the inhabitants should name themselues Englishmen Egbert the first king of England And by this meanes hee came readily and fully to the ende of his desire In imitation of this Egbert Fernand the second king of Arragon and the fift of that name king of Castile seeing himselfe Lord of the greatest part of Spaine and that there rested no more for him to gaine saue onely Nauarre and Portugall he employed all his forces and endeauours to obtaine from the Princes realmes and prouinces of Spaine that which they refused to wit that hee might entitle and write himselfe King of Spaine With the like ambition and desire Philip his great graund-child pretendeth that the Realmes of Spaine and now of late Portugall haue constantly resolutely denied him and which you doe giue him so readily and so liberally So that now I thinke you will perfectly vnderstand the cause wherefore Philip doeth write himselfe King of Castile and of Leon Castillians and Castilo what it meaneth New Castile all those kingdomes which the kings of Castile haue gotten from the Moores The particular names of the kingdomes of new Castile when they were recouered from the Moores Toledo first set at liberty anno 1086. c. For so the nations of Spaine and the Castillians themselues call him howbeit that you doe make a iest and toy of it not knowing how much it doeth import them so to do and therefore I hope that from henceforth you will by these instructions both know your owne ignorance and correct this your fault and ouersight We call them Castilians which are naturall and borne in the Realme of Castile and in those Realmes which the kings of Castile with the aide of the Kings of Nauarre Arragon and Portugall other Soueraigne Lords of Spaine haue gotten and wrested out of the hands and possession of the Moores all which Realmes wee name â—y one onely name new Castile Of these Realmes that which was the shortest time in the power and puissance of the Moores was the kingdome of Toledo which was restored to
THE SPANISH PILGRIME OR AN ADMIRABLE DISCOVERY of a ROMISH CATHOLICKE Shewing how necessary and important it is for the Protestant Kings Princes and Potentates of Europe to make warre vpon the King of Spaines owne Countrey Also where and by what meanes his Dominions may be inuaded and easily ruinated as the English heretofore going into Spaine did constraine the Kings of Castile to demand peace in all humility and what great losse it hath beene and still is to all Christendome for default of putting the same in execution Wherein hee makes apparant by good and euident reasons infallible arguments most true and certaine Histories and notable examples the right way and true meanes to resist the violence of the Spanish King to breake the course of his designes to beate downe his pride and to ruinate his puissance LONDON Printed by B. A. and are to be sold by Thomas Archer at his shop in Popes head Alley ouer against the signe of the Horse-shooe 1625. THE EPISTLE OF THE French Translator to all the Protestant Kings Princes and Potentates in the Christian World Most excellent Princes IT was my hap to contract amity with certaine Gentlemen of Arragon and other Spaniards not Castillians for to them I wot not how to carry any affection which should exceede the prescript rule of the Gospell of whom I vnderstood many things tâ—uching matters of State which were to me strange and vnknowne by reason that there were amongst them some personages exceedingly well learned and most conuersant and expert in all Histories and notably well seene and practised in the affaires of the World There was one aboue the rest in their company a man of great spirit iudgement and experience who had seene a great part of Europe and hauing beene for a long time in Portugall had dealt and conuersed with the Portugals whose Language he spake naturally and had read all the Histories of that Realme and was so well acquainted with all their affaires and knew them all so particularly that I did greatly wonder at it For in things that were to come I found him in manner of a Prophet in so much that for the viuacity and quicknesse of his spirit and the long experience which hee hath had he seemeth to me to haue as great knowledge in things to come as if he saw them present before his eyes He made proofe vnto me by many reasons which did not onely plainely conuince my opinion but did as it were bind me hand and foote that these voyages and others of like kinde would neuer draw with them any other profit nor serue to any other purpose then to waken the sleeping dogge and to re-enforce the common enemie Now considering that Don Philip King of Castile hath a Councell the most choise and excellent such as neuer Prince in this World had a better his seruitors most loyall and faithfull great forces and abundance of treasure vpon the which all other things doe depend and yet notwithstanding all this hee doth not leaue daily to cause diuers Bookes to be imprinted in his fauour and defence I doe therefore desire to haue drawne from this learned and worthy person some thing written with his owne hand which I might present vnto your Maiesties and to this end did I diuers times make request vnto him but I could neuer get him to yeeld or condescend thereunto Wherefore bethinking with my selfe that as pouerty griefe and melancholie doth bury and as it were kill the spirits of a man so the commodities of this life contentment and cheerefulnesse doth reuiue and quicken them I determined because I saw him sad pensiue and melancholicke by reason of his exile and misfortunes out of his owne Countrey to procure his pleasure and contentment knowing that by this meanes I might obtaine the accomplishment of my desire I did therefore set open my gates and my House vnto him I presented him with my Purse and made him partner of my Coyne I cherished and entertained him for many dayes and for loue of him some other of his company And by this curtesie I made him so beholding to me that afterwards hauing many times held dispute and conference together I caused him in the end to take his Pen in hand Thereupon did he compose in the Castillian Tongue this Discourse which he entitled Trattado paranaetico and he presented it vnto me The which when I had read a most strange admiration or astonishment did rauish me for that I neuer saw I will not say in so little a Volume but not euen in great Bookes so many curiosities reported so many and diuers Histories things so secret and particular admonishments so necessary to be embraced nor counsels so iust to be followed And knowing perfectly the excellency of this worke and how greatly important it would be to be seene of your Maiesties and by the Kings Princes Potentates and Common-weales of Europe And albeit I know my stile to be rude and barbarous yet such was my ambition I confesse mine owne infirmity that I was not willing that any other should haue the pleasure in doing it In some places I haue augmented it holding it so to be needfull for the better and more cleere vnderstanding of the History Touching the originall I thought it reason not to abridge or cut off any part thereof I most humbly beseech in regard of your most Christian Maiesties to receiue it with that good affection which Princes oweth to their Subiects who for his seruice will not esteeme to hazard the losse of all that hee possesseth much lesse to make himselfe vncapable for the obtaining of that which of right is due vnto him and who for the good and honour of his Countrey will spend his life most freely and willingly God preserue and blesse the most Christian persons of your Maiesties with so great abundance of spirituall graces and assist you and make you to prosper with so many riches of temporall blessings as is possible to his diuine Maiestie Amen The most faithfull Subiect of the most Christian King of France and loyall Seruant to the most wise and excellent King of England I. D. Dralymont The Publisher to the Reader FRiendly Reader thou hast in this little Pamphlet an incomparable treasure a rich store-house and magazin full of precious speeches true Histories rare examples liuely reasons and wholsome counsels the which if their Maiesties and the Kings Princes Potentates and Common-weales of Christendome would embrace follow and put in execution without doubt they should soone obtaine and find a medicine for so many mischiefes a remedy for so great and continuall afflictions and intollerable trauels wherewith their Subiects haue for so many yeeres wrastled and contended And I dare assure them that by obseruing the aduise here giuen them they shall preserue their Estates in time to come from all danger for euen as the great fishes doe persecute and deuoure the small and little ones so in like manner those neighbours which are most mighty
touching your incredulitie and the opinion which you haue that the loue of a mans countrey doth easily deceiue them and make the remedie of their miseries and seruitude to seeme easie surely wee may with good reason call this incredulitie a blind â—nueiglement and darknesse of vnderstanding and therefore I come once againe to say as I haue sayd and I doe againe and againe aduise you That to send a good and well conducted Armie into Spaine or other parts of his Dominions will be the onely meane to resist and withstand the enemie to breake the course of his designes to beat downe his pride and to destroy his puissance And albeit that this may well be granted to follow by that which hath beene aboue spoken yet I will proue it by one other example onely which being most true maketh very much to our intended purpose Henry Count of Trastamara The Histories of Castise Portugall England c. the bastard sonne of Alphonsus the Iusticier by the aide of the French had slaine the King Don Pedro his lawfull brother Of this Peter there remayned two daughters The youngest Isabel espoused Edmond de Langley the fifth sonne of Edward the third King of England This Edmond hauing gotten sundry victories in fauâ—ur of the Portugals who accompanied him against the Castillians in Spaine did manage those affaires with such prudence and wisdome that he constrayned the sayd Henry King of Castile to accept and receiue of Fernand King of Portugall who was in a manner brought to vtter destruction both he and his whole Realme such conditions of peace as were most ignominious and dishonourable and very preiudiciall both to himselfe his vassalls and subiects In regard of which his notable deedes and deserts the said Edmond was afterwards made Duke of Yorke by Richard the second King of England his Nephew the sonne of Edward the Blacke Prince his eldest brother in a Parliament holden at Westminster in the yere of Christ 1386. Of these two Edmond and Isabell descended the Queene of England likewise named Isabell The other daughter being the eldest of King Peter and called Constance espoused Iohn of Gaunt the fourth brother of the sayd Edmond both by father and mother and Duke of Lancaster by his first wife Blanche who had by him Henry the fourth afterwards King of England and two daughters of which the eldest Philip was Queene of Portugall the wife of Ivan the Bastard Of John of Gaunt and Constance was borne one onely daughter called Katherine of whom we shall hereafter make further mention The said John of Gaunt in regard of his wife Constance did entitle himselfe King of Castile and Leon Guaribay lib. 15. cap. 25. and for the obtayning of his right to that Kingdome hee passed from Gascoigne which was then vnder the Dominion of the English into Spaine with eighteene thousand footmen and two thousand horse where with the aide of the Portugals who were his good friends he tooke the Groigne From thence he went into Portugal out of which he entred into Castile marching euen to the Citie of Burgos which was distant from the place of his departure more then a hundred and twentie Leagues The entry and inuasion of the English with the Portugals into Castile And from the time of his first arriuall he tooke and made himselfe Lord of all the Cities Townes and Castles which hee found in his way besides such as being farther off did come to render and yeeld themselues for very feare and terror And he might easily haue passed on much further if his people had not died who by reason of their disorder which they kept and by their ill rule and demeaning of themselues were oppressed with extreame famine whereof ensued this plague and pestilence amongst them And they were reduced to such necessitie of Victuals The amitie of the French and English out of their owne Countreyes that they were constrayned to haue recourse euen to the Campe of their enemies where then was in fauour of the King Iohn of Castile Lewes Duke of Burbon accompanied with the French forces of whom they demaunded reliefe for the sustentation of their poore and wretched liues The which being perceiued by John the Bastard then elected King of Portugall he complayned to the Duke of Lancaster telling him that he held it not good nor conuenient that his souldiers should goe to entreat with the enemie affirming that these might more endomage him then the others and that therefore he should immediately recall them and forbid them to haue any communication conference or parley with any of the contrary party otherwise that hee would fight against them altogether The valour of Iohn the Bastard King of Portugall Thomas Walsingham and would cause them all to be put to the sword the one for the loue of the other Thomas Walsingham an English Historiographer doth set it downe in these very words and he sayth that the King of Portugall had then with him foure thousand Portugals well armed Some haue esteemed the saying of this Historiographer as very ridiculous or as a meere Brauado onely The valour of the Portugals but they are much deceiued for these foure thousand Portugals hauing their King for their Chiefetaine and Leader had beene sufficient to defeat twentie thousand Castillians The same King with fiue thousand An Historie worthie the marking and so many Portugals and a hundred and fiftie Englishmen did defeat the said Iohn King of Castile both of them being present in person in the battaile of Aljibarot and put him to flight hauing with him foure and thirtie thousand fighting men of the which died vpon the place twelue thousand and there were of prisoners ten thousand taken by foure thousand and so many Portugals and a thousand Englishmen who remained masters of the field for there died in the fight about a thousand Portugals and fiue hundred English who fought as if they had beene Lyons About the same time Don Nunalvres Pereira This Historie is well worthie the marking the battell was called the battel of Valverde Constable of Portugall with three thousand footmen and a thousand horse defeated fiue and twentie thousand Castillians and slew and tooke the principall and chiefe men of Castile The same King before that he came to reigne and afterwards had many victories vpon his enemies no lesse admirable then that other insomuch that a certaine Nobleman of Castile being in speech one day and deuising with his King which was the said John he sayd vnto him Sir I cannot conceiue the cause why the King of Portugall with so few men hath so often vanquished you seeing that you haue alwayes had fiue or six against one of them The King answered him The cause is for that the King of Portugall doth fight against me being accompanied with his children and I combat against him being accompanied with my subiects I am King and Lord of Castile and hee is King and Lord of the
end and then after the conclusion of this Treatise I will satisfie your desire particularly and at good leysure for I doe assure you I would keepe silence concerning many things in this worke were it not most requisite and needfull that they should be spoken of and published for the better attaining to that which I intend and purpose the which I doe perswade my selfe that both you my masters of England and likewise of France and you also my masters the Princes of Europe who are all of you highly interessed in the greatnesse of the Castilian will embrace cheerefully and with open armes if you be not altogether without iudgement and vnderstanding But it is now meet that we pursue the proofe and demonstration of the tyranny of King Philip which calleth himselfe the King Catholike We haue lately shewed how King Philip by vsurpation and tyranny non solum in modo sed in genere as the Ciuilians vse to speake of his predecessors doth possesse the Realmes of Castile of Leon of Galicia of Toledo of Siuill of Cordona of Murcia c. with some other Prouinces contained within the precincts and streights of his Realme Let vs now come to the Realmes of Aragon of Valentia the Counties of Barcelona of Cerdonia and Roussillon and the Isles of Maiorica Minorica and Sardinia Aragon Valentia c tyrannized Fernand the Infant of Castile the graund Father of Fernand aboue named vsurped all these Realmes and seigniories of the which he depriued Isabel Countesse of Vrgell his owne Aunt sister to his Mother which Isabel had also one Daughter named Isabel which maried with Don Peter the Infant of Portugall the younger sonne of John the bastard King of the said Realme Of Peter and Isabel was borne the Lord Don Peter Constable of Portugall The Lord Don Peter Constable of Portugall and King of Aragon poysoned by Iohn which Don Peter by reason of his Mothers right and other auncesters was called and acknowledged by the Catalognians for their King and Lord. And after hee had reigned ouer them for the space of fiue yeeres and more he was poysoned by Iohn the second of that name sonne of the first Ferdinand whom we named to be the successour of Alphonsus King of Arragon his elder brother Charles the 4. the rightfull King of Nauarre empoysoned by his stepmother This Iohn was a notable Tyrant and hee retained the Kingdome of Nauarre tyrannously after the death of the Queen Blaunch his wife the right heire of the said Realme against the rightfull title of Charles his owne sonne vnto whom that Realme ought to haue descended by the death of his mother as it did likewise fall vnto Lewes Hutin by the death of his mother Jane who dyed eight yeeres before her Husband Philip the faire For this cause the said Charles being a most curteous and vertuous Prince had great difference and suite with his Father who caused him to be poysoned by his stepmother Jane the Daughter of Don Federike the second Admirall of Castile The Translator The grandmother of King Philip on Charles his Fathers side was the graund daughter of this Iohn and this Iane from whom principaly hee hath learned and retained the art and science of poysoning so perfectly that not onely to the said Iohn the Graundfather of his Graundmother and to the said Iane his wife but euen to all his predecessors he may giue forty fiue and a fault at that game and yet be no looser were they neuer so cunning in that art and science Of Peter Constable of Portugall and King of Aragon there was no lawfull issue remaining for the line of Jsabel his mother was extinguished in John the second King of Portugall by reason whereof the right of that Realme and all the Seigniories depending thereupon ought to descend and doe appertaine to the most excellent Dukes of Loraine as the true and rightfull heires of Yoland Dutchesse of Anion The Duke of Loraine the right heire of the Kingdome of Arragon the wife of Leweâ— Grandfather in the fift degree of the said excellent Duke of Loraine now liuing the which Yoland was the lawfull Daughter of Iohn King of Aragon the eldest sonne of Peter the ceremonious King of that Realme who was also the Father of Martin which raigned after the said Iohn his elder brother and was the true heire of this Crowne and of all the demaines thereof by the death of her elder sister the wife of the Earle of Foix of whom shee had neither sonne nor daughter The Realme of Nauarre was vsurped as is reported by diuers Historians Nauarre vsuâ—ped euen Spaniards themselues vpon false informations by Fernand the great Grandfather of King Philip which Fernand was one of the Masters of Machiauel Fernand the 5 king of Castile one of the masters of Machiauell In his Booke of the Councels Councellers of Princes Dis 14. par 11. as Bartholmew Philip doth tell vs in that Booke which he caused to be imprinted in the yeere 1585 where he hath these words Those Princes which do fully resolue themselues to preuaile and grow great by force of armes ought to imitate the Catholike Don Fernand the fift of that name King of Castile who held himselfe apart and gaue the looking on to the warres which the Princes of Christendome made one vpon another to see what issue and what forces they should haue to the intent hee might aide and succour those which were weakest and hee would not suffer any to grow great or puissant in Italy who pretended to be Lords and Commaunders there neither would hee at any time enter into any leagues made by the Princes of Christendome vnlesse he might make some profit and benefit thereby vnto himselfe This was Lewes the 12. of that name For this cause he would not make warre vpon Lewes King of France when Pope Iulius the Emperour and the Swissers did warre against him for that hee thought he should not aduantage himselfe by the diminution of that Realme if the aduersaries of the said Lewes should make themselues great by his losses and yet being perswaded that the said French King would augment his estate Let the French King and the Princes and Potentates of Europe consider this well by making warre vpon the Realme of Naples hee entred into league against the King of Fraunce with the Emperour and the King of England The Booke whereof I speake was dedicated by the Authour to Albert Cardinall of Austria when hee was Vice-roy of Portugall who is the third Graundchild of the said Fernand both on the Fathers and Mothers side Portugal and her demaines tyrannized Now how Philip himselfe hath tyrannized and vsurped the Realme of Portugall and the Seigniories which are dependant thereupon raising himselfe into a great and mighty Monarchy and yet ill considered or knowne by strange and forraigne Princes all Bookes in generall doe sound it forth and the Vniuersities of Coimbre of Bologna and
fiue thousand Marauedis which was at that time no small reuenue in comparison of that it is at this pay being about 12 duckats and a halfe allowing 400 Marauedis to each duckat and gratified him with sundry other gifts and great honours Fernand wrote vnto Jsabel the successe of this battell giuing her to vnderstand that if the Prince had not come the King his Father had beene taken Whereupon he returned him this answer that if the Cockerell had not come the Cocke had beene taken and hereof came that prouerbe which wee told you Guaribay sâ—tteth downe these last words and confesseth the very truth Neuerthelesse touching the residue of the History he reporteth a thousand vntruths which may be verified by the History which Damian de Goyes hath written of this Prince Don Juan in the which he saith Damianus de Goyes in the life of the Prince Don Iuan. that the Prince would haue kept and remained in the field where the battell was foughten by the space of three dayes if the Archbishop of Toledo had not disswaded him who with great instance and earnest entreaty caused him to retire into the City because the weather was extreame cold and his men were sore trauelled and wearied and had beene ouer-watched for want of sleepe And he said vnto him Sir your Highnesse hath kept the Field long enough these three houres you haue staied here are as good as three dayes and one houre is as much as three Some write that in memory of this victory King Edward the fourth of England sent vnto this Prince the order of the Garter And the Castillians had such ill successe continually against the Portugals that to grace themselues because the King Alphonso was defeated and forsooke the field though his sonne held the field and remained vanquisher yet they shame not to attribute vnto themselues the honour and victory of this battell Alphonsus Raymond the onely sonne of Vrraca the daughter of Alphonsus the sixt surnamed the Emperor was borne in Auila Auila a City of Castile and was nourished and kept by them of the City during the raigne of Alphonsus King of Aragon called the warriour together with his wife Vrraca Queene of Castile Mother of the said Raymond Now there were great reuolts and troubles in Castile in the which they of Auila following the party of Raymond against the said Alphonsus his Father in Law did so much that the Father in Law was dispossessed of the gouernment and the Sonne in Law was installed in the siege royall And for this cause this word hath passed for a common prouerbe The fidelity of Auila and Auila is for the King Simancas Touching Simancas you are to vnderstand that in the yeere 1463 Henry the 4 raigning in Castile at the perswasion of some of the Princes many other Cities and Townes did reuolt from him and grew into a rebellion which they called The league of the Princes and they entituled themselues Princes of the League And in imitation hereof did Philip King of Castile in the yeere 1582 baptize the League which hath beene the occasion of so many mischiefes and afflictions of which Fraunce hath especially tasted and had experience for these nine yeeres last past This is that League which hath wrought so great damage to the Church of Rome and hath so ruinated and pulled it downe as it shall neede many hundreds of yeeres to restore it againe But to our matter in processe of time the Souldiers of the Kings Army being greatly augmented and their puissance much increased they came to the City of Toro and the King hauing aduertisement that they of the League were issued out of Valladolid and that hauing broken downe and razed the walles of Begnafleur they were gone to Simancas he sent presently Iohn Hernandes Galiude his Captaine Generall with 3000 Horses for the succours of the Towne which being entred into Simancas were besieged by them of the League who notwithstanding were more afraid then those whom they had besieged The Lackies within the Towne who shewed themselues to be of a wonderfull good courage hauing assembled themselues one day in a great number and mocking those that had besieged them did make a picture which represented the Archbishop of Toledo whom because he was a Rebell against his King and Lord they called Don Opas the brother of the Count Iulian who caused the Moores to enter into Spaine against the King Rodericke After which one of the Lackies being appointed for a Iudge Iudgement giuen by the Lackies against the Archbishop of Toledo sate himselfe downe on the iudgement seat commanding the prisoner to be brought before him which was the picture of the Archbishop and he gaue iudgement vpon him in this manner For as much as Don Alphonso Carillo Archbishop of Toledo Guar. lib. 17. cap. 14. following the steppes of the Bishop Don Opas the destroyer of Spaine hath beene a Traytor to his King and naturall Lord rebelling against him with his places and Fortresses and with the money which he put into his hands to doe him seruice For these causes hauing seene and considered of his deserts by his triall wherein hath appeared his wicked practises and felonious offences we doe therefore condemne him to be burned and that he be first trayled and drawne through the streetes and publike places of Simancas and that in the execution thereof the common cryer shall cry and proclaime with a loud voice This is the iustice commanded to be done namely that this cruell Don Opas shall be burnt for his offence and trespasse because hauing receiued diuers places fortresses and monies of his King hee hath notwithstanding reuolted and rebelled against him Quien tal haze que tal pague That is to say So doe so haue The iudgement being pronounced another Lackey taking the picture between his armes with an open cry threw it forth of the Towne hauing in his company more then three hundred Lackies and immediately two of their company made a great fire to burne it not farre from the campe of the enemy who looked on whilest they were doing of it and whilest the picture was in burning all the Lackies together with open throat cryed and sang Esta es Simancas Don Opas Trahidor Y no Penaflor Which is to say This is Simancas Don Opas O thou Traitour And not Pegnastor With many other speeches to that purpose Which song of theirs was for a long time after vsed in Castile and was commonly sung both in the Court and throughout all that Realme Celorico After that the Portugals had deposed Don Sancho surnamed Capelo from his Realme and Kingdome Don Alphonso his brother who was then County of Bologne vpon the Sea was chosen Gouernour of Portugall by the same Portugals This election which they made together with the deposition of the said Sancho was approued and confirmed by Pope Innocent the 4 in a Councell held at Lyons which was the cause that the said Alphonso went
and Cardinals page 74. That tyranny is as proper naturall to the Castilian as laughter is to a man and that all which he hath in any part of the world hath bin vsurped either by his predecessors or by himselfe vniustly and by plaine tyranny and that it is now a long time since the predecessors of Philip haue vsed to serue their turne by poysoning page 76. The hatred which the Ecclesiasticall and Regular persons of Portugall haue to Philip king of Castile page 85. The nature and disposition of the Portugals page 86. Iohn the second king of Portugall the scourge and chastiser of the Castilians page 87. That the realmes of Arragon of Valencia and the Countie of Barcelona other Seigniories do appertaine of right to the Duke of Loraine and how Fernand the great grandfather of Philip was one of the maisters of Machiauell page 88. The crueltie of Philip and how he maketh no exception of persons be it Pope Nuncio Bishop c. page 89. 91. That king Philip promised fourescore thousand Duckats to haue the king Don Anthonio killed page 95. The blindnesse and inueiglement of those who beeing the followers of king Philip doe excuse and defend him page 97. Good and wholesome counsell for subiects towards their Princes page 99. The great rents and reuenues which Philip draweth yearelie from the Churches of Castile page 101. The offer made by Philip to them of the pretended Reformed religion to cause them to make warre against the late King of Fraunce page 104. How greatly Philip hath pained himselfe to trouble the estate of the French king by the meanes of some of the chiefe heads both of the one religion and of the other page 105. The reason wherefore king Philip yeelded the citie of Arzil to Muley Hamet page 107. The great difference diuersity betweene the manners of Philip king of Castile and Anthonio king of Portugall page 107. The cause why Don Anthonio refused the meanes to recouer his realme of Portugall page 109. Offers made by king Philip to Don Anthonio page 109. The explication promised by the Author page 119. Of the prouerb Jf the Cockerell had not come the Cocke had bin taken page 119. Of Auila page 121. Of Simancas page 122. The iudgement giuen by the Lackeys against the Archbishop ef Toledo page 123. Of Gelorico page 124. Of the Castle of Coimbre page 125. Of the king of Castile page 126. Of Egbert the first king of England page 132. Of the Castilians and Castile page 132 The reason why Braga entitleth it selfe Primate of Spaine page 132. Toledo Cordua and other kingâ—â—mes of new Castile set at libertie and recouered from the Mores page 132. Of the Cities of Spaine page 134. Of the townes of Spaine page 135. THE SPANISH PILGRIME OR A ROMISH CATHOLICKES DISCOVERIE By way of exhortation Wherein is shewed by good and euident reasons infallible arguments most true and certain histories and notable examples the right way and true meanes to resist the violence of the Castilian King to breake the course of his designes to abate his pride and to ruinate his puissance MOst excellent Princes they which doe make profession of wrastling or of fencing doe principally studie how to discouer the trickes and deuises vsed by their aduersaries in these kindes of exercises for that hauing once marked and taken notice of the same they doe enter into the lists and present themselues in place and doe combat with so much the more hardinesse and assurance as hauing conceiued thereby a full and assured hope to ouercome their enemies and by giuing them the foyle to gaine the prize propounded for the victory In like manner ought we in all affaires diligently to search out the originall of euery thing that we may foresee and preuent all the inconueniences which may grow therein to the intent they may not endamage vs in the time to come afterwards Now that which we in this Treatise ought most curiously to put in practise is to know and discouer the reasons which haue moued Philip King of Castile to make warre in France with so great expence and charge of his treasure with so great losse of his people and with so great decrease and diminution of his dominions especially in the Low Countries If the most Christian King Henrie the third were liuing he could say as much as a certaine stranger his seruant comming from Spaine in the yeare 1583. in the moneth of May did giue him to vnderstand and that was that the sayd King Philip seeing how his most Christian Maiestie had permitted Monsieur de Shosse the County du Brissar The reasons that moued Philip king of Castile to stir vp warres in France what opinion he hath of the French nation and other Lords and Gentlemen to goe with an army by Sea to giue aide and succour to Don Anthony the true rightfull King of the Realms of Portugall who had beene elected King according to the custome of the Portugals by all the cities and townes of the sayd Realme and by many Prouinces and Signories out of Europe being dependants of the same Realme and Kingdome The said Philip did deliberate in a solemne set Councell to stirre vp and procure a ciuill warre in France saying the French nation is at this day of such a nature and likewise the English that they neuer thinke vpon the time to come nor care for any thing but for the present and that which they haue in hand as being more desirous to gaine day by day three or foure Crownes then to keep three or foure thousand already gotten so farre are they changed from their old and naturall disposition For in former times they had a desire to goe abroad out of their owne Counttey for the succouring of Kings and Princes afflicted despoyled of their Realms and Dominions and to make warre vpon the Infidels and to chastise tyrants whereas now their thoughts are quite cleane altered and they doe set their minds altogether to the gotting of money vâ—on any conditions whatsoeuer and they are now growne to be no lesse in loue with the lasciuiousnesse and delights of their owne country then they are in dislike with the sterility and extreame heat of Spaine other discommodities of this countrey and for this cause we shall the more easily perswade and induce them to make warre within their owne countries euen against their own brethren cousins parents and countrimen rather then abroade against their enemies And for this cause I will and am resolued to spend one million of gold the more yearely to the intent I may keepe and entertaine them alwayes in domesticall and ciuill warres So that being held occupied and hauing their hands full in their owne countrey they shall not be able to resolue to passe into the Realmes and dominions of any other And so by meanes hereof shall I be able easily to preserue the Realme of Portugall to my sefle with all that doth depend
your Maiestie to a gentleman who had the managing of this businesse and had made an ouerture thereof vnto you did gaine you the affections of all good Frenchmen who did thereupon imprint you in their hearts and much more when it was knowne that your Maiestie had aduertised the most Christian king of the same in the year 1583 Insomuch that his Maiesty did permit you the yeare following 1584. to make an assembly of the chiefe Heads and Lords of the religion at Mountaban where it was well knowne that your Maiesty did sharply reproue those which had plotted these troublesome practises and others which were seene afterwards to bee set abroach by the enemy in the yeare 1585. And that your Maiestie did then make an accord reciprocally neither to enterprise nor to deliberate vpon any thing the one against the other And it was reported that all the pretended reformed Churches in this assembly did require your Maiestie for their Chiefe and secondly Monsieur the Prince of Conde and that all this was done by the permission of the said most Christian King who did greatly repent himselfe that hee had let passe the oportunitie to giue aid and succours to the late king of Portugall for the recouerie of his Realme as himselfe declared to that stranger aboue mentioned being at Bloys in the yeere 1589. At which time he complained of the tyrannie and irreligion of Philip and sent him into England there to entreat vpon his affaires with the Queene and the King of Portugall vnto whom hee promised that the first thing which he would doe after he had recouered Paris should be to send an armie into Portugall and to make warre vpon the enemie within his owne countrey and to constraine him to demand peace as the English with the aid of the Portugals had at other times constrained his predecessors to doe the like And in case that the said King of Portugal did and should vndertake the Voyage as it was giuen him to vnderstand that he was so resolued he prayed him that so soone as he should be arriued thither he would aduertise him hereof to the intent The desire that the Frēch K. Henry the third had to restore Portugall to her libertie that immediately vpon his comming into Portugall or any other part of Spaine if he had but two thousand men yet hee would send them away with all speed because he knew full well and was most assured that if the enemie were once entangled in Spaine and kept busied at home hee should soone be rid of him in France as the euent did make it manifest For as soone as the newes came that the King of Portugall was at Lisbon the most Christian King for the accomplishing of his promise commanded the late Monsieur the Marshall de Biron that he should put himselfe in a readinesse to passe into Portugall with as great speed and diligence as was possible for to succour the Portugals and to giue aide to their rightfull King Don Anthonio to reestablish him in his Kingdome But God which with a iust and equall ballance doth weigh and examine all things did display his wondrous workes where and when it pleased him Portugall the gate of the war in France Hereof then we doe gather two things the first That the enemie to keepe Portugall hath brought and caused the ciuill Warre in France the second That our deliuerance and his ruine doe depend vpon this That there be sent a good army into Spaine whereof he is exceedingly afraid Wherefore most excellent Princes to deliuer your estates from the danger that threateneth them and to set them in assurance you ought to vndertake and to enterprise this Voyage so importune and so necessarie for all Christendome without hauing any regard to the charge thereof be it neuer so great considering that in not doing it and that presently you shall euery day more and more in time to come bring your selues into hazard and extreame danger Take example by the times fore-past and looke vpon the instructions contayned in Histories written by men no lesse curious then vigilant and well affectioned to the weale publike and in reading and vnderstanding them make your owne profit and benefit of them Agathocles after he had beene about seuen yeeres King of Sicily being enuironed both by Land and by Sea within the Citie of Syracusa by the Carthaginians and finding himselfe in great trouble and perplexitie How important a thing it is to make war vpon an enemy in his owne Countrey as being lately forsaken of many people of his owne Realme who had at the first beene partakers with him and perceiuing also that he wanted both victuals money and other necessarie munitions for the warre and that it was not possible for him to escape out of the hands of the Carthaginians if he did not vse some draught or deuice which had not erst beene put in practise He did at the last leaue within the Towne a brother of his owne to whom hee committed the commaund and charge thereof and left with him for the defence thereof a certaine number of men whom he knew to be well affected vnto him and taking with himselfe certaine other troopes he embarked them vnknowne to any whither hee went and setting sayle to Africke hee there landed where hee warred so couragiously vpon the Carthaginians as if they had beene but his equals And hauing at the first beginning defeated certaine of their Captaines that came against him he ouer-ran harried and wasted all their Countrey hee burnt and ransacked all their Townes Villages and houses of pleasure round about Carthage After which victorie and good fortune with a certaine number of souldiers Bandoliers and aduenturers which came and ioyned themselues with him a thing vsuall and ordinarie in such tumultuous and troublesome times he encamped within a League of Carthage By this stratageme his affaires did not onely prosper in Africke but throughout all Sicily also for Antander so was his brother named being certified of the good successe of Agathocles tooke courage vnto him and sallying out of Syracusa vpon the Carthaginians that besieged him hee woon their trenches and hauing slaine a great number of them hee made such hauocke amongst them that this their ouerthrow and the victories of Africke being spread abroad and reported from thenceforth all the strong-holds and places of Sicily that before held with the Carthaginians did then reuolt from them This was about 314. yeres before the birth of Christ and did altogether abandon them which was the occasion also that Agathocles returning victorious into Sicily did all the rest of his life time afterwards enioy it quietly and peaceably After the death of Agathocles and his partizans the Signiorie of Carthage continued the Warre for the Conquest of Sicilia in such sort that in the end they carryed it and held the whole Island in their possession which was about 277. yeeres before the birth of Christ Whereupon the Romanes considering of
all these their exploits and perceiuing that the puissance of the Carthaginians was very great and that they held not onely the greatest and best part of Africke which they had subdued by force of Armes but also many peoples of Spaine with sundry Isles in the Sea round about Sardinia Italy they did very wisely imagine that this neighbourhood of theirs would proue very dangerous perillous vnto them if they should finish and goe through with the conquest of all Sicily For this cause they tooke such good order in prouiding for their affaires as they brought the Carthaginians to this extremitie that they had no more in their possession saue the Towne of Erix the which Amilcar Barcyn the father of Hanniball did defend against them most valiantly for a long time and did therein maruellous deeds of armes Notwithstanding This was about 240 yeres before the birth of Christ the Carthaginians seeing that they could not withstand nor resist the force and puissance of the Romans they sent a messenger vnto Amilcar commanding him to render and deliuer vp the Towne immediately and to make peace with them to the greatest honor profit and aduantage that he could possibly for the state of Carthage Amilcar doing as the Seigniorie had commanded him gaue vp the Towne to the Consul Luctatius and within few dayes after following the course of his affaires returned into Africke where hee had many victories against certaine seditious persons and so he setled the estate of Carthage in rest and quietnesse In the yeere 237. This done hee made a voyage into Spaine taking with him his sonne Hanniball who was not then aboue eight or nine yeeres of age together with his mother who was a Spaniard and three other of his younger sonnes Asdrubal Mago and Hanno of whom Amilcar their father was wont to say A saying of Amilcar touching Hannibal and his other sonnes That hee nourished foure fierce Lyons whelpes who were resolute to worke the destruction of the estate of Rome Amilcar then being in Spaine by his prudence and liberalitie did gayne the hearts and good affections of the Spaniards that he knew well he should be able by their meanes to haue about againe with the Romans to recouer from them both Sicilia and Sardinia which they had also in their puissance and that so in the end he might passe from thence into Italy and there to procure their vtter ruine and destruction But being preuented by death In the yeere 228. he charged his sonne Hannibal whom hee had coniured to be during his life an vtter and vnreconcilable enemie to the Romans to put this his enterprise in execution Hannibal after the death of Asdrubal his brother in law who succeeded his father in law Amilcar in that gouernment being then made gouernour of Spaine In the yeere 223. tooke the Citie of Saguntum which is now called Monvedre after hee had held it besieged the space of eight moneths In the yeere 217. After the taking whereof he began to dispose and prepare himselfe to the voyage of Italy and hauing with great trauailes and many difficulties passed the Alpes In the yeere 216. he obtayned in proces of time so many notable victories against the Romans and did put them in such feare and terror Hannibal passeth into Italy that they did in a manner hold themselues vtterly vndone forlorne And so had they beene indeed if they had not beene aduised to send Scipio into Africke Scipio goeth against Carthage who made such cruell warre so forcibly and so violently vpon the Carthaginians that hee constrayned them to call home Hannibal out of Italy who within short time after with the whole estate of Carthage was ouerthrowne brought to nought as is well knowne vnto all men And so by this meanes were the Romans eased and deliuered enioying peace and quietnesse and the Carthaginians vndone defeated and subdued and their estate which had beene so famous and renowned was vtterly ruinated and brought vnder the power and puissance of their enemies Xerxes King of Persia seeing himselfe in a miserable estate and bethinking how he might deliuer and rayse himselfe vp againe he made choyse of certaine of his seruants fit for the execution of his intended purpose and them hee sent into Europe with store of money to corrupt the Orators of the Townes and Commonwealths of Greece and hauing corrupted them of Athens and of Thebes hee made them to rise in armes and to make warre vpon the Spartans Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus By this meanes Greece being set in trouble and dissention sent for Agesilaus who hauing at that time subdued a great part of the Empire of Persia and being willed to come home was enforced to quit and abandon the same for the relieuing of his Countrey from those troubles wherewith it was entangled And because the Money of Persia had an Archer engrauen on the one side thereof the same Agesilaus had a saying That ten thousand Archers had driuen him out of Asia and had beene the cause to make him loose a most stately and puissant Empire By this pollicie then did Xerxes rid himselfe from the trouble and extremitie wherein he was driuing out his enemie from his Countrey and recouering his estate that was neere ruine and confusion By these examples most excellent Princes was Achaius King of Scotland Achaius King of Scotland the sonne of Elfinis a singular good Prince and of excellent vertue induced in the yeere of Christ 791. to make a perpetuall and irreuocable Peace and League of Amitie with Charlemaâ—â—ne King of France at such time as he saw himselfe hardly bestead by the Saxons English who then possessed the better part of Great Brittaine which within a few yeeres after was called by one onely name England The other Kings the successors of Charlemaigne considering that this peace and amitie was more necessarie for them as being more to their profit and aduantage then it was to the Scots themselues who sought it they haue continued the same euen till this day and by meanes thereof haue oftentimes constrayned the Englishmen when they haue beene in warres enmity with them to retire and withdraw themselues out of France and many times also they haue kept them so busied in their own countrey that they haue had enough to do to defend themselues And they haue taken from them both the desire the means to passe into strange foreine Nations Money giuen to the Scots by the French yea there haue bin some of the French kings who haue giuen to the Scot to this end and purpose more then 500000. Crownes which was as much in those dayes then hauing regard to the change and difference of the times as two millions are at this day I will omit many other Histories which make notably to this our purpose because I know well that these are sufficient to shew how greatly it concerneth and importeth
Portugall hee vsed this speech vnto him Captaine Ferras I would gladly know what should be the cause that made you to follow the partie of the French against me seeing wee are of one and the same Nation for albeit you be a Portugall and I a Castillian yet are we both Spaniards The Colonell made him this answere Sir when the Portugals doe trauaile abroad out of their owne countrey whether they be rich or poore their onely end and scope is to get them honour and reputation For mine owne part I had the meanes to liue honestly in my countrey like a Gentleman neuerthelesse being resolued to see the world I began to cast my account with my selfe what course I were best to take Hauing made my reckoning I conceiued with my selfe that I should purchase me more honour by bearing Armes against the greatest Captaine of the World then in taking of his part to serue against any other and for this cause I tooke Armes against your Maiestie The Emperour smyling sayd I beleeue that this is not the cause but rather the old rancour and hatred which the Portugals beare to the Castillians Portugall answered him againe in great choller Sir An excellent answere of a Portugall to Charles the 5. I sweare vnto your Maiestie That neyther for good nor for bad I trouble not my minde with the Castillians not so much as to thinke of them The Emperour making semblance as though this answere did content him did embrace him many times and often but hee iudged of the Portugall as his affection led him for hee had enough of the bloud of a Castillian by his mothers side to make him to hate him A little Leauen c. And thus may you see the vntruth of Conestagio His Historie is well written and in a good style but most false and full of passion for hee both reprehendeth and iniurieth all those of whom hee speaketh yea euen King Philip himselfe in whose fauour hee wrote it and for this cause principally it was forbidden in Portugall But leauing Conestagio now that we haue shewed how the Castillian Nation is much more maligne and peruerse then all the other people of Spaine I will tell you one thing worthy to be noted ere wee proceed which doth more neerely touch the Portugall Nation than any of the rest that is That all those Nations generally are so desirous of libertie that they doe seeke by all meanes possible to obtayne it being readie to receiue euen the Deuils themselues if they would be readie to further and fauour them in the same And yet if any strange Nation should passe into Spaine to any other end they would vse the vttermost of their endeuours to stop their passage and to hinder their entrance making little or no reckoning of their liues and much lesse of their goods and substance When I doe speake of causing strange Nations to passe into Spaine I must tell you thus much That they shall be much more welcome and finde better entertainment of the people of the Countrey when they shall be mingled many and diuers Nations together then if one should goe thither alone for that this diuersitie will take from them all conceit and suspition which they might otherwise haue that their comming were to make a conquest of their countrey and not to procure their libertie and freedome and so they would vndoubtedly receiue them ioyfully and with all assurance In like manner if the Tyrant should commaund them to goe to the warres out of their owne countrey especially if it were for their Religion they would serue him more faithfully then did Auila and Simancas in Castile or Celorico the Castle of Coimbre in Portugall For proofe hereof The meaning hereof is expounded in the end of this Treatise you may remember how in the yeere 1588. the King of Castile in his Fleet and Armie by Sea that came vpon the Coast of France sent two Regiments of Portugals each of them consisting of eight hundred men or thereabouts The loyaltie of the Portugals These forces notwithstanding that in regard of his vsurpation of the countrey they were enemies to him yet hauing promised to serue him faithfully in this voyage in the fight which they had against the Englishmen and Flemings they did make such proofe of their valour that they did farre excell all the rest of the Army in prowesse and deedes of Armes and they alone did more for the seruice of the King of Castile then all the residue of his Allyes insomuch that there was none of them who had command and gouernment in the Army that were receiued with honour by the King Catholike saue only the Portugall Colonels Portugall Colonels in the Armie of the yeere 1588. namely Gasper de Sousa and Antonie Perera The which Perera before that time had serued and fought most valiantly for the defence of the libertie of his Countrey and for the seruice of his true and naturall King against the said King of Castile at such time as hee entred into Portugall with a mightie Army to inuade it In the yeere 1582. when Don Aluar de Bassana Marquesse de Santa Cruce did encounter vpon the Sea with the Lord de Stroce those which fought best and shewed themselues most valiant was the Marquesse de Fauare Marquesse of Fauare a Portugall most true and faithfull to his Countrey and to his King and by whose counsaile and aduertisements a certaine great and excellent seruitor of the estate and of the King Don Antonio had his life preserued besides certaine other Gentlemen his countreymen Who tooke the Ship called the Reuenge The taking of the Reuenge of England belonging to the Queene of England euen Don Lewes Coutigno a Lord of Portugall who before time had beene most true and faithfull to his Countrey and for the defence of his King fighting against the Duke de Alua had receiued many mortall wounds in the battaile of Alcantara the same day that Lisbon was lost which was in the yeere 1580. and the 26. of August And for the more distinct and cleare demonstration of the truth of this matter I will recite vnto you a most true Historie In the yeere 1589. Don Anthonie King of Portugall accompanied with the Englishmen and Hollanders made a Voyage into Portugall and casting anchor in the Hauen of Penicha they of the Castle began to play with their Ordinance vpon the armie but the Captaine of the Castle Anthonio de Arauio a Portugall being ascertained that the king Don Anthonio was in that armie he forbad the Cannoniers to shoot any more and caused a white Ensigne to be put forth vpon sight whereof Don Anthonio commanded that euery man should goe on shore and take their way towards the Towne the which they did not without some resistance made by certaine companies of Castillians who in the end were forced to retyre with the losse of some of their people The first that arriued to the Towne was
amisse that the Moores should be in feare but it were more meet that the King your Maister did vnderstand to what end this Armie is leuyed for in very deede it is for Portugall The most Christian king and all the Princes and Potentates of Europe haue great reason to hinder that the Portugals doe not accord with the Castillians and that they giue them no occasion to lose the hope of their libertie And if the King Catholike my Lord doe make himselfe Maister of that Realme as hee verily hopeth for hee holdeth it in a manner as alreadie wrought and practised hee will bring to passe that not onely the most Christian King shall be inferior and tributarie vnto him but also all the other Princes of Europe shall bee subiect vnto him especially the seuen vnited Prouinces of the Low Countreyes and the Pope with all the Court of Rome shall doe nothing but what seemeth good vnto him because hauing added vnto his Empire the Monarchie of Portugall who can be able to resist him For this reason it will concerne the most Christian King and all other Christian Princes to ioyne themselues together as in a common cause for that otherwise the King my Maister will make himselfe Lord and the vniuersall Monarch of all the World whereby they shall be his subiects and wee shall be his slaues and vassalls perpetually This that wee haue here left recited doth prooue that which was before spoken and therefore to returne to the matter in hand I say in the fifth and last place that whensoeuer a great and puissant army shall be raised to passe into Spaine be the charge neuer so great if it do nothing else then wast and spoile the countrey and take some few cities and townes and if in regard thereof the Castilian be enforced to call home his forces which he holdeth in these parte of Europe for his owne defence though the comming of those his forces should cause our army to retire yet I should hold this for a very great benefit because that which cannot now be done with an hundred will then be done with ten men and the charge and expences will bee still lesse and lesse But it may be that some of your Maiesties subiects will say vnto me that this is a matter of great difficultie and at this time especially very hard to be done for that hauing the enemy here at hand euen at our backes there were small reason for vs to transport our forces into foraine parts This a good doubt and may be some trouble to men of a shallow and small vnderstanding and such as haue little iudgement to discourse vpon the state of matters but to them which know the depth and ground of things it will carry no apparance of danger But to the intent the trueth may the better appeare let vs reason together each with other by way of demanding and answering as is vsed in the Schooles A discourse or reasoning betweene the Author and a Frenchman touching the passing of an Armie into Spaine The Subiect Be it so if you please for I will heare you with a right good will The Pilgrim Say then what is it that you thinke will endamage you Subiect The enemy with his forces and with his intelligences Pilgrim But if you finde a meane to disnest him from hence who then can hurt you afterwards Subiect No body Pilgrim Doe then as I haue told you and without doubt the enemy will be gone from you Subiect That cannot bee Pilgrim Wherefore Subiect Wherefore say you How would you that we should goe into a strange and foraine country to warre vpon others and leaue our owne country in the power and puissance of our enemies If we send our forces into Spaine as you would perswade vs we should be vtterly vndone as I haue giuen you to vnderstand Pil. Good God how are you without iudgement and vnderstanding Take that which I tell you as I speake it and not as you conceiue it and answer me to one question categorically If there were now an armie raised to goe into Spaine to the making whereof let France spare some foure or fiue thousand men England three or foure thousand the Estates of Holland Zeland Freezland and all the rest of their Allies two or three thousand besides ships of which they haue great store and let some other Princes Potentates and Common-weales disburse some proportion of money for the aiding and furthering of this enterprise to these adde three or foure thousand Zwitzers or Lance knights and then tell me shall France bee vnprouided or shall England be dispeopled or shall the Estates be vnfurnished of men and shipping and without meanes to keepe the Seas or shall the other Princes and common-weales be reduced to such misery that they shall be vnable to hold their ordinary course in their affaires and proceedings but rather as they may well spare twice so many men to furnish them to passe into Spaine out of the seuerall Kingdomes and yet they are sufficient to imploy greater forces into other his dominions in the West and neuerthelesse powerfully maintaine their owne Sub. No I think not so Pilg. Why then doe you not that which concerneth you so neere and whereof dependeth the whole and onely remedy of your mischiefe and misery and wherein you for your part haue a greater interest then any of the rest Sub. Marry sir to make vp these thousands of men which you speak of there must be had great store of mony which will as hardly be had as they that haue it will be loth to depart with it Pilg. O how blind is this people and how deuoyd of counsell and prudence is this nation O that they would be wise and that they would vnderstand and prouide for things to come Our towne which the enemy may take to morrow next doth it not import vs more then 300000. crownes which is the most that wee shall neede for the furnishing of 4. or 5. thousand men If after the taking of Laon and the reducing of so many good townes there had been imployed 200000 crowns which are demanded for this enterprise it may bee you should haue had by this time more then three milllions in your purse and you should not haue lost al these towns in France of so great import Cambray Dourlan Calice Ardes Amiens and many other places with your great Admirall and so many braue gentlemen and Captaines which are now dead would stil haue liued to speake in French Moreouer doe not excuse your selfe and say for your discharge that a man cannot diuine what will follow for you haue beene too too much forewarned of matters as they haue fallen out and there is yet liuing a Lord one of the Councell who at Fountaine Belleau in May 1595. did by all meanes he could possibly deuise perswade the vndertaking of this enterprise alledging so many reasons and so euident that he plainly shewed how greatly it did import France
vpon the countrey of the enemie and to see our owne flaming with fire and spoiled and ransackt by our enemies Moreouer he which assaulteth is more couragious then hee which is put to his defence adde hereunto that the feare and astonishment is much the more and greater where it is not foreseene and preuented Now as soone as a man entreth within the enemies countrie he shall soone take knowledge both of the good and euill that may befall him therein he shal quickly discouer the commodities or the discommodities of the country Liu. Dec. 4. lib. â— Saying of P. Sulpitius to the Romans Remember well that which P. Sulpitius saide vnto the Romans and take it to your selues as if he had spoken it vnto you to wit That they had had good experience by that which was past how their warres were alwaies more happy and fortunate and their armies much more puissant in the countrey of the enemie then in their owne Hearken to the counsell which Hanniball gaue vnto Antiochus Idem Decad. 4. lib. 4. and make your profit thereof better then he did Assure your selfe that the countrie of the enemy will yeeld you souldiers who desire their libertie and will furnish you with victualls and all commodities for your armie Let the faults and ouersights of others make you wise doe as Cyrus did who cast himselfe away by contemning the counsell of Croesus Herodotus and by not making any recknoning of Tomyris his enemie Halicar lib. 1. Take heede that you doe not incurre more blame in this behalfe then all others and it may bee more deseruedly because you haue euer and doe daily vse too too much to contemne and not to regard your enemie Certainly this is the first and principall cause of the ruine of all estates when they contemne and set not by their enemies and when they will not hearken to any thing that shall bee alledged to the contrary For the question is not now of entring into a forraigne countrey to subdue and conquer it or to get to bee Lord and Master of it but onely to restore vnto libertie so many peoples and nations who doe crie and call for aide vnder the yoke and burthen of this tyranny and to deliuer your owne subiects from the armes of the enemie who hath gotten footing in the best and goodliest prouince of your realmes and kingdomes If you doe not as I aduise you I feare me least to morrow they will take yet some other of your townes and the next day another and so afterwards at one blow will seize vpon all the rest Take heed therefore to that which I tel you I would not haue you for the assailing of your enemie to leaue your selues vndefended but that in doing of one thing you do not let passe another because 4. or 5. thousand men which you men of Guyen Languedock Dauphine and other prouinces will not bring you to any such want of men but that you may haue meanes enough to defend your selues both in Picardie and elsewhere Thirdly to depriue a king from his Crowne and scepter and to dispossesse him of his realmes and dominions Two things do soone depriue a Prince of his crowne and scepter crueltie and licencious liuing when he is a tirant cruell or of a wicked licentious and lewd life there needeth no great forces Two thousand men which Charles the 8. King of France gaue vnto Henrie Earle of Richmond his cousine german remoued for he was the grand child of Katherine sister of Charles the 7. his grandfather who had to her first husband Henrie the fifth king of England were sufficient for the said Earle passing ouer into England to gather together men enough to bid battel to Richard the third in the which Richard was defeated and slaine most shamefully The cronicles of England by reason of hir crueltie and tyrannie Peter king of Castile the sonne of Alphonse the Iusticier The histories of Spaine for his tyrannie and many cruelties which hee committed got the sirname of cruell and was for the same cause slaine by his brother Henrie the bastard The crueltie which Christierne the second of that name Many histories brother in law to Charles the fifth vsed towards the principall and chiefe Nobles of Swethland made him lose the said Realme and consequently also the kingdomes of Denmarke and Norwaie which he was rightfull king and Soueraigne The kingdome of Spaine was taken from the King Roderike a most loose and licentious Prince The common historie of Spaine onely by twelue thousand Moores whom the Earle Iulian Captaine of the towne of Septa procured from Vlit king of Barbarie who in the yeare 713. passing into Spaine in Marchants ships had for their Chiefe and Generall Tarif Abâ—n Zarca who being blind of one eye gaue the name vnto the Towne of Tarifa which was before called Carteya and hauing destroyed the Towne of Seuill did take and ruinate many others both iâ—â—he Prouince of Boetica and in Portugall and did ouerthrow in set battell a cousin of the sayd king Roderike which Roderike himselfe afterwards assembling his forces vpon the riuer of Guadelethe on the seuenth of Iuly or according to others on the seuenth of September in the yeare 724. did giue battell vnto the Moores in the which hee was ouercome and vanquished and immediatly after he lost almost all Spaine The wicked liâ— of this king was the onely cause of this losse and of the ruine of that kingdome and especially because he had dishonoured Caua the daughter of the sayd Earle Julian who vpon this occasion finding himselfe grieuously outraged gaue free entry vnto the Moores by that towne of Septa which is as it were the key of Affrike and Europe Besides he did serue for a guide vnto them in that their inuasion At which time the said Mores had very good and happy successe in their affaires in Spaine by reason that they found the people not vsed nor accustomed to the warres as they are not now at this day likewise Antiochus the Great for his dissolute disordinate life at such time as he should haue set Greece at libertie and haue made warre vpon the Romaines for the assurance security of his owne Empire was reduced to such termes that he saw himselfe constrained in the end to accept peace of them vpon such conditons as pleased them And retiring himselfe out of Europe and Asia he was glad to withdraw himselfe into a corner as their vassall and tributary The Annalls of France Childericke for his voluptuous liuing and for seeking nothing but for his owne pleasures lost the Crowne and kingdome of France By all which examples sufficing as well as 6000. moe may be seene how little strength and small forces there doe need to trouble and ruinate the enemy in in Spaine which hath not at any time induced nor had any Prince so tyrannous and cruell nor of such wicked and licentious liuing Fourthly
Portugals Euen so did the valiant Alphonsus Henriques the first King of Portugall begin to entitle himselfe King and Lord of the Portugals An honorable testimonie of the loyaltie of the Portugals This valour of the Portugals was not then at that time onely but it hath still continued euen to this day for wee our selues haue seene in the yeere 1580. how the King Don Anthonio with lesse then fiue thousand footmen Portugals being but euen nouices in Armes and young souldiers did defend himselfe for many dayes against more then twentie thousand old souldiers of the Duke de Alna In the yeere following on the fiue and twentieth of Iuly being S. James his day Scipio de Figueiredo de Vasconcelles a Gentleman whose valour and fidelitie is well knowne and of whom there is often mention made in Histories being Gouernour of the Iles of Assores hee defended himselfe in plaine field with lesse then foure hundred Portugals against more then a thousand Castillians whom Don Petro de Valdes had made to take land in the I le of Terceras neere to the citie of Angra The Portugals were no souldiers but mechanicall persons handycrafts men and labourers and amongst them there were not ten Gentlemen for the Gouernour had left them in the Towne for the defence and gouernment thereof The Castillians were old souldiers amongst whom as is reported there were two hundred men who had beene Commanders in Armies of Castile and they fought from foure houres after morning till foure of the night at which time they caused a great quantitie of Kine to be driuen downe from the Mountaines with the which they brake the rankes and order of the Castillians to the intent they might come to handy-strokes with them and by this stratageme comming to the sword A good stratageme they ouerthrew them Some of the said Castillians saued themselues by swimming many were drowned and there were buried by iust account 875. A notable victorie of the Portugals vpon the Castillians Conestagio 8. fol. 234. pag. 1. Of the Portugals were slaine by the hand of their enemies fifteene and by the fall of a wall sixe and some hurt The famous Conestagio doth recount this Historie otherwise but falsely howbeit that hee confesseth that there were slaine sixe hundred Castillians and thirtie Portugals But I haue heard what passed in this encounter of many Gentlemen Spaniards my countreymen who were present at it and especially of one that was borne in Valentia named Don Gasper who saued himselfe by Sea being sore hurt and of a Drumme that was a Castillian and of a Portugall borne in Villa Vicosa the which two onely had their liues saued being found vpon the Sea-shore after the heat of the fight was past There died one of the nephewes of the Duke de Alua and one of the nephewes of the Marquesse de Santa Cruce and a nephew of the aboue-named Don Pedro de Valdes and that renowned Philip Hartada an Arragonnois and seuentie more of such as were the eldest brethren of sundry good Houses of whom a good part were neere neighbours to Salamanca To be briefe there died all the flower of Castile for that they seeing how Portugall was yeelded vnto them so easily and hauing heard that the Iles were very rich and that the East Indie Fleet was like to fall into their hands and being allured with the late sacke of the suburbes of Lisbon which was valued at three Millions they had embarked themselues for this seruice as cheerefully as if they had beene going to a Wedding This is a thing well knowne that foure or fiue young Portugals from betweene eighteene and twentie yeeres of age did at Lisbon with their Swords and Cloakes onely make no account of a dozen of Castillians By these reasons men may vnderstand that that which Walsingham sayth is not a ridiculous thing much lesse a Brauado But returne wee to that wee had in hand Within a few dayes after there came certaine Embassadours to the Duke of Lancaster sent from the King of Castile who in all humilitie did demaund to haue peace but the Duke would not hearken vnto them Notwithstanding hunger and the pestilence constraining him to retyre into Portugall to the Towne of Trancoso they came againe to seeke him out being sent thither vnto him the second time by the said John King of Castile with their former request shewing vnto the Duke by many good reasons and arguments the great profit which would ensue of a good peace made betweene them The Castilian demandeth peace of the Duke of Lancaster in all humilitie Thereupon did the Duke giue them audience and in the end did accord to their demand howbeit that it was full sore against his will First because he was giuen to vnderstand that the King of Portugall was willing to haue it so And secondly which in effect was the thing that did most vrge him because he was aduertised that the troubles and warres began afresh betweene the French and the English and that there were certaine Seditions growne in England by reason whereof hee should not be able to haue any fresh succours from thence The Castilian constrained to receiue conditions to his disaduantage whereof it seemed he had then great want and the mortalitie which was in his Armie did now threaten him that hee should haue need of a further supply The accord therefore was made betweene the King and the Duke in this sort That Henry the eldest sonne of Iohn named Prince of Castile should espouse Katherine the onely daughter of the said Duke and of Constance his wife and that they two should succeed in the Realmes of Castile and Leon and other his Seigniories That the King should endow both the Mother and the Daughter as he did giuing to the Mother the Citie of Guadalaiara Medina del Campo and Ouiedo and afterwards being with her in the said Towne of Medina he gaue her Hueta also and to the daughter for her Dowrie hee gaue the Esturies making and naming her Princesse and his sonne Prince of Esturie And from that time forward the eldest sonne of the Castillian King hath alwayes borne and had the surname of this Principalitie as of Dauphine in France the Dolphin Besides it was couenanted That he should giue vnto the Duke sixe hundred thousand Franks of Gold for his returne into England and fortie thousand Franks of yeerely rent during the liues of him and his wife Iohn of Castile accepted all these conditions and that very gladly for albeit he had France and the Frenchmen also on his side and the King of Arragon likewise with whose sister hee had beene marryed of whom was borne the said Prince Don Henry and Fernand who was afterward king of Arragon All Spaine with the succors of France against Portugal which gained notwithstanding against all right and equitie and to the preiudice of the true and lawfull heires and had also Charles the third king of Nauarre to his
friend yet he knew neuerthelesse that hauing ciuill warres in his owne Realme and Portugall his enemy hee should hazard the fortune of all his estates and dominions of such power was the Realme of Portugall against all the rest of Spaine This is most certaine and assured The paissance of Portugall that at all times and as often as Portugall shall haue the ayd and fauour of France or of England or of any other strange Prince whatsoeuer she will soone constraine the king of Castile to whom it is as a bridle to yeeld a reason and to submit himselfe to the yoke and to receiue such conditions as shall bee both dishonourable and preiudiciall And those of the Duke had beene much more to his profit and aduantage in this accord if the king of Portugall had been willing thereunto because he hauing the sword in his owne hand hee might haue made partition of the countrey at his owne will and pleasure he was the iudge and did what seemed good in his owne sight Plutarch in Apothege Hee that hath the sword may deuide the lands as he listeth Thereof it came to passe that the Duke departed not very well contented with the King notwithstanding that he had giuen him in marriage Philip his eldest daughter An exhortation to the French King c. Oh that it would please your Maiesties to consider well this that I tell you and to the which I would willingly perswade both your Highnesses and other the Princes and Potentates of Europe and that you would once know your owne puissance and being assisted by your neighbours with their Shipping Gallions and hardie Mariners with their Artillerie Munitions and other furniture for the Warres and of which they haue great abundance besides the ready forwardnesse and willing desire which they haue to accompanie you as hath beene most apparant for these many yeeres you shall finde that you alone haue men enough and forces sufficient to make your selues the Iudge and Arbitrator of these Affaires and holding the Sword fast and firmely in your hands it will be in your powers to make partition of the Realmes and Prouinces of Spaine and you shall be able not onely to take backe vnto your selues that which is belonging and appertaining vnto you but you shall make them to render vnto euery man his owne What greater honour What greater felicitie can there be Defend Princes your right which for so many Ages you haue inherited from your predecessors There wanteth not euen at this day in your Realme of England neyther Champions of Saint George nor other late Captaines such as Noble Essex Drake Candish Forbisher Flawkins Norris Williams Likewise in the Realme of France who neyther wanteth Martelles nor Pepins nor Rowlands nor Oliuers nor Renaulds In stead of the twelue Peeres of France you are enriched with more then twelue hundred of the like Your neighbors for one Richard will furnish you with an hundreth and their Allyes will fit you with an Ogier so fully adorned with all perfections and so expert and well practised in the Art Militarie and so followed with good and valiant souldiers that the Constables of Castile the Counties de Fueutes and the Verdugo's with all the residue of their companions shall haue no oddes nor aduantage of them This is the right and direct way this is the most certaine and most assured meane to haue a good and happy peace euen by the strength of your owne armes without the vse and employment of any supporters You shall giue lawes vnto the enemy according to your owne will desires you shall force him to accept of such conditions as shall be profitable and commodious not onely to you and your owne realmes but to your friends and allies also What can the enemy doe if you should passe into Spaine with an armie well furnished of all necessaries The qualitie of a good Generall and being led and conducted by some Prince which may bee chosen and named by your Maiesties for chiefe and Generall of the same such a one as shall bee descended of some great and ancient house and of noble bloud and accompanied and adorned with such graces and rare gifts as may easily draw others without any difficultie or grudging to submit themselues to his cōmand and one that shall bee able to gouerne with great prudence and wisedome without doubt the enemie would hold himselfe vtterly forlorne and vndone as indeed he should be no lesse and hee would esteeme himselfe happy and well apaid if we would suffer him to remaine Lord of Castile he would restore vn your Maiesties the realme of Nauarre and surplus of that which he and his predecessors haue vsurped vpon France vnto the most excellent Duke of Loraine he would restore the Realmes of Naples Sicily Arragon Valentia and Catolonia and such other signiories as are dependants of the same and the Realme of Portugall to whom of right it appertaineth And he would be brought to doe reason vnto the house of the Duke de Neuers of the Duchie of Brabant of Limbourg or Lothier and of the towne of Antwerpe Likewise it would constraine him to restore the Palatinate and Zwitzerland If you should demand of mee on what side it were most fit and commodious and conuenient to enter into Spaine I say that if you would enter by Nauarre whereof his Christian Maiestie is the naturall and lawfull king you should euen at this day there finde the grand children of them which haue lost their liues and their goods for the seruice of his ancesters and many others likewise who doe loue and desire him as their rightfull king and Lord and will incurre all worldly hazards and dangers for him especially he being turned true and perfect Catholike If by Arragon the wounds thereof are yet so fresh that the bloud thereof doth yet euen now seem new to abound If by Portugall the sores are yet open in the quicke flesh and remaine altogether vnheaded and that with such griefe and dolour that euen those verie hands which should offer to touch them though it were to remedie them would make them to quake and tremble for Horrent admotas vulnera cruda manus And as it is a verie difficult and hard matter for a sicke man being in captiuitie and seruitude to recouer his health so it is impossible for any man though he should liue a hundreth yeeres to see those two nations the Portugall and Castilian to agree and loue together notwithstanding the king of Castile doth at this day entreat the Portugals in comparison of his ordinarie and naturall crueltie with some gentlenesse and doth maintaine them in their priuiledges and liberties The Castilian prowd and arrogant The Portugall impatient For proofe whereof leauing an infinite number of reasons that might be alledged one onely shall suffice and that is because the Castilians are extreme proud and arrogant the Portugals too too impatient when their honour is any way touched or
all Spaine and France it selfe also and it may be hee would not otherwise haue failed to haue sent a good part of those forces euen for England at the least for Ireland Portugall the principal cause of all the warres By those last words aboue vsed by the King and the former recited examples may be easily discouered not onely the ingratitude of this peruerse and vn pleasing Catholike but wee may also collect and gather that Portugall is the principall cause of so many warres so many murthers and mischaunces and that if the same were wrung out of the hands and power of this tyrant the most Christian King and the other Princes of Christendome should dwell in peace the Potentates and common wealths of Europe should be in rest the Cardinals at Rome should not be at his direction nor the elections of the Popes at his will and pleasure ouer the which he doth so tyrannize that in each of them he maketh himselfe the first person and as the saying is preferreth himselfe before the holy Ghost There is neuer any election of a Pope How Philip doth germandise the elections of the Cardinals and Popes but he nameth some three foure or fiue persons to the end that the Conclaue of Cardinals should choose one of them was there euer seene greater impudency or presumption that a mortall man should dare vsurpe Gods office Ha most Christian King it is the part of your Maiesty to defend and maintaine the soueraigne and chiefe Bishops they are in their possession to be defended and preserued by the most Christian Kings of France and to that end haue they endowed them with so great priuiledges liberties and prerogatiues Banish therefore and driue away Sir this monster breake the head of this Serpent tame this Lyon and deliuer the Church from this so tyrannicall seruitude and hard captiuitie Restore vnto your pupils their wonted peace and liberty to the intent they may with hardinesse chastise the euill and vicious and without feare reward the good and vertuous How often haue the soueraigne Bishops desired to honour and doe good to some persons in recompence of their vertues and merits and to correct others for their vices and haue not beene able to performe either the one or the other Oftentimes against their wils haue the Popes permitted the wicked to triumph and more often haue they consented that the good should endure afflictions Who did better deserue to be made a Cardinall if I may not say Pope then that famous learned man Doctor Martin Aspilcueta of Nauarre Martin Aspilcueta a Nauarrois whose memory shall be eternall both for his doctrine and for his holinesse and vertue Neuerthelesse onely because Philip could not abide him for defending against him the cause of that reuerend Prelate Don. Fra. Bartholmew Carrance Fra. Bartholmew Carrance Archbishop of Toledo a religious person of the order of S. Dominicke Archbishop of Toledo and for maintaining also with many and strong reasons that the Portugals ought of right to choose their King by election and for prouing by most firme and infallible arguments that his Catholike Maiesty did possesse the Realme of Portugall by vniust and tyrannicall title was therefore thrust out of all and dyed in the estate of a poore and simple Priest Who did euer in all reason deserue better or more worthily to be strangled and burnt then N and yet because Philip would haue it so hee liueth still and triumpheth Wherefore most humbly I beseech both your Maiesties euen for the honour of GOD wherein your selues haue more interest then any other that you would vouchsafe to attend this matter of so great importance and that you would vndertake to leuy and make ready a good Armie to passe into Spaine and to consider withall how great is the prudence the industry and subtilty of this common enemy that your Maiesty would regard his actions his ambition and his tyranny that you would awaken and grow to a resolution knowing that you haue so great a tyrant to your Neighbour as of himselfe alone is greater then all others that euer were or which now are in the World Tyranny as natural to Phâ—lip as is laughter to a man all of them set together and who hath gotten like his predecessors all that which he possesseth by pure and plaine tyranny which is indeede so proper and naturall vnto him and doth belong vnto him as properly and vnseparably as laughter doth to a man Giue me leaue I pâ—ay you to proue that which I speake by most cleere and certaine Histories to the intent I may take away all occasion from those who are addicted to ill speaking and to deceitfull dealing to thinke or take me for a lyar for this that I say may be verified by all the Historiographers of Spaine both ancient and moderne which are worthy to be credited or haue any truth in them some of which doe liue yet at this day and it is no long time since they made their workes and imprinted them with the fauour and at the costs and charges of the said Philip. And this I will endeuour to proue as briefly as I can and I will shew how in all the Realmes and Prouinces which the King Catholike possesseth in Spaine whereof I my selfe being a Spaniard doe know somewhat hee possesseth and holdeth them by tyranny committed many times and often And for as much as to proue that which I intend it shall suffice to touch onely that which hath happened since the 380 yeeres last past I will not speake of any thing that hath befalne before the yeere of Christ 1217. Castile tyrannized â—he first time Henry King of Castile the sonne of Alphonsus the noble dying left his eldest sister Blaunch Queene of France which was the mother of S. Lewes who was then but two yeeres old Garibay lib. 22. cap 41. and his Father who was not yet King of France was occupied in the warres of England whither hee was called by them of that land against their King called King John who was reputed for a tyrant Henrie being dead as is sayd his youngest sister named Berangera the wife of Alphonsus King of Leon with her sonne Fernand encroched vpon the possession of the Realme of Castile and vsurped it against the right of the sayd Blanch her eldest sister and consequently against the sayd S. Lewes her nephew Fernand being dead Alphonsus his eldest sonne called Emperour of the West because some of the Electors of the Empire had elected him whereas the residue had chosen Richard the brother of Henrie the third King of England made an accord with the sayd S. Lewes the cousen German of his father touching the succession of Castile in this manner That Fernand the eldest sonne of Alphonsus should eâ—pouse Blanch the daughter of the sayd S. Lewes with condition that the children borne of that marriage should inherit Castile Of them twaine were issued Alphonsus and Fernand who were
which worse is in Castile and J protest vnto you that although I doe against my will enter in the realm of Castile yet shall not Castile euer enter within me And so as he persisted in this fidelitie to his countrie and disauowing of Philip by his commandement there was poyson giuen him whereof this godly graue learned and excellent man died in the flower of his yeares The like misaduenture happened to Don Laurence Don Laurence Prior generall of the Cannons Regulars of Saint Augustine of the congregation of the holie Crosse of Coimbre who for his singular prudence and religion wherewith hee is notablie adorned had three seueral times with great coÌ„mendation honor executed dischargd this charge What shal we say touching the immane and brutish crueltie vvhich he hath practised in Portugall against an infinite number of other notable personages namelie against that most reuerend Father Frier Steuen Leyton â—ryer Steuen Leyton of the order of Friers Preachers the kinsman of the Duke de Aueyra and of the Duke de Leyria and of other Princes and great Lords vvho vvas twise Prouinciall and thrise Vicar generall of his Order And albeit that all the vvorld did admire the miraculous life of this vvorthie man yet because hee had tooth and naile as the saying is defended the right of his countrie the said Philip caused him to bee taken and imprisoned depriuing him of his voyce actiue and passiue and of the exercise of his Priesthood which vvas the occasion of his death through extreame griefe and sorrow These things and manie others hath hee committed against a great number of persons both Regular and Ecclesiasticall vvhome to recken vp vvere infinite All those aboue mentioned they haue bene either ill intreated or else put to death by the commaundement and order of his Maiestie that is so Catholike as is vvell knowne by true and manifest proofes and by most cleare and euident coniectures It may bee that one day you shall see touching this matter a more ample and large historie then this same vvhich containeth onelie his cruelties towards his neighbours and yet not all of those neither See an epistle vvhich Anthonie King of Portugall sent vnto Pope Gregorie the thirteenth of that name in the yeare 1584. Behold then how hee dispatcheth all his affaires and in what manner hee dealeth with all the world It was not long since there was taken in the Citie of Leon a packet of letters written with his owne hand and sent to the Constable of Castile within the which were found certaine graines amongst the letters and a certaine Gentleman suspecting somewhat gaue of those graines to eate to manie liuing creatures which all died immediatlie Another like matter as this same happened within a while after in the franke Countie of Burgoigne in a certaine house where the Constable of Castile had lodged after his departure from thence a chamber-maide of the house founde a ball within a verie faire purse within which ball shee thinking to haue founde some great treasure founde certaine graines of which was made the same proofe and experience and all those creatures that did eate thereof died This is that notable tyrant which doeth all that hee can doe to the vttermost of his abilitie and that dareth seeke to take away the life of the most Christian Maiestie To wit of â—he Queene of England and Prince Maurice Count of Nassau c Fol 216. p. 2. 80000. duckats promised by king Philip to kill Don Anthonio and other Princes by such shamefull and abhominable meanes as there is none but would shame to write them saue onelie maister Hieronyme Franchi Conestagio of whome wee haue formerlie spoken For hee in the seuenth booke of his historie saieth that Philip did prize the life of the Priour that is to say of Seigniour Don Anthonio king of Portugall at fourescore thousand duckats as beeing a rebell and disturber of the publike peace and quietnesse And so did hee handle another Prince that was both his cousin germane and cousin germane remoued and so manie wayes of kinne vnto him and so strictly allied vnto him in friendship and amitie that they carried themselues each to other as if they had bene each others father yea and as if they had bene but one person and yet did hee vse him as if hee had bene a common theefe a robber a malefactor and a man of no reckening nor estimation And this horrible and abhominable crueltie doeth not end in Portugall but it passeth ouer the sea and the Pyrenean mountaines into Fraunce and into England where he hath bent and imployed all his meanes to take away the liues of the Monarches of those realmes O barbarous O abhominable hang-man and murtherer hast thou no shame If thou be a Catholike as thou doest entitle thy selfe how is it that thou knowest not what a deede of shame and enormitie it is to commit murther God would not that any man should touch Caine himselfe who had murthered his owne brother and commanded that if any were so hardy as to kill him that he should bee seuerely punished Genes 4. Omnis qui occiderit Caine septuplum punietur Whosoeuer shall kill Caine shall be punished seuen sold If thou doe know this why doest thou not keepe the commandements of God eternall The good workes I say not of Saints nor of Christians but euen of Idolaters which hauing no knowledge of the true light doe follow onely the simple law of Nature doe they not worke any shame in thee Doest thou not remember what the Romanes did when Pyrrhus Pyrrhus his Physitian did offer Fabricius Fabritius to poyson him And how they handled the Schoole-maister to the children of the Fuliscians which came to betray to them to Camillus Lucius Florus Pompo Mela. Lucas Tudensis Paulus Câ—sirus and many others If thou thinke that these Examples bee nothing to the purpose learne what sentence they gaue against Seruilius Caepio who returning to Rome with victorie and demanding that he may triumph in recompence of his seruice done to the commonwealth by the death of Viriatus whom he had caused to be slaine by treason and for that he had subdued a great part of Spaine to the Romane Empire they pronounced this iudgement against him that both the said Caepio and the murtherers of Viriatus were more worthy to be chastised then to be recompenced and that there was no reason they should allow any reward for the destroying of their enemies and the victories gotten against them by money and through corruption Quae victoria empta erat à Senatu percussores indigni praemio iudicati By this then that hath beene said may bee seene as in a mirrour the crueltie of this maligne and peruerse tyrant whome many will not beleeue to bee such a one as in very deede and in trueth he is but contrariewise without all consideration as people blinded peruerse and obstinate they will striue and contend to
rendered the City of Arzile to Muley Hamet King of Marocco against the will and liking of the Portugals which did inhabit it who had bound themselues without his aide to defend it It was supposed by all the Christians that Philip surrendered the City because hee was assured that hee should not be able to defend it against the puissance of Infidels for so did he himselfe cause it to be giuen out saying The reason why Philip rendred that City of Arzil to Muley Hamet That it was a lesse mischiefe to render it without hazarding the liues and goods of the Inhabitants then by keeping it to put them all in daunger But therein hee abused them most maliciously for the true cause why this good Catholike rendered this City of Christians vnto the Moores was because he had promised it vnto their King vpon condition he should not lend two hundred thousand Crownes to Don Anthonio his cousin german King of Portugall The which summe the Moore had before promised to lend him at the intercession of England and for this reason had the said Don Anthonio sent his sonne Don Christopher to Marocco to be there in hostage for the said summe of money who remained there by the space of foure yeeres You see now what a good and Catholike Christian deede this man did whom you doe so defend for a most singular Christian and Catholike who to hinder a King a farre better Catholike then himselfe from recouering of his owne doth not onely tyrannically detaine anothers right but doth make it away from Christians to giue it vnto Infidels What answer doe you make hereunto I make your selues the Iudges wherefore then will you not acknowledge the irreligion of this man to whom you are so affectionate and the great malice and peruersenesse of him whom you loue so well Consider and know that you are taken and bound with a grosse chaine Psalme 41. and that abissus abissum inuocat One depth calleth another And I say to you one fault draweth on an hundred thousand after it Of the maintaining and defending of an euill and wicked man ensueth commonly a sinister and peruerse iudgement of them which are good This was well seene to be true and verified in the life time of Don Anthonio and is yet still euen at this day It is a shame to heare the abhominations which the fauourers of this pretended King Catholike haue heretofore spoken and giuen out and doe not yet cease to speake of this poore Prince deceased Some call him rebell others terme him a runni-gate and a fugitiue from place to place and from Countrey to Countrey and some others call him a seditious person an enemy to Christendome an Infidell and an hereticke Can there be any thing more grieuous more sensible more vniust and more vnworthy of a Christian How dare you against all Lawes both diuine and humane handle and vse so ill a Prince the sonne of the greatest Prince of his age the graund-child of that great Emanuel from whom the Princes of Europe doe glory to draw their descent and originall a Prince sore pressed and turmoyled with afflictions trouble and perplexity He hath well shewed euen in his exile and banishment that he was a better Catholike then your Philip his cousin lesse ambitious without choller without hatred and full of charity For if he would haue beene content to recouer his Realme of Portugall with more honourable meanes then your tyrant hath tyrannized ouer it and doth yet tyrannously detaine it hee might well haue done it If he would haue accorded that the English should haue had exercise of their Religion in Portugall onely within their owne Houses and lodgings the Earle of Leicester whom some call the Count of Lest would haue vndertaken to set him againe in possession of his Realmes and Seigniories In the yeere one thousand fiue hundred eighty nine when hee passed into Portugall with the English amongst other Articles of agreement made betweene them there was no other thing granted nor yeelded vnto them but onely a licence or liberty for them to liue in Portugall without being bound or compelled by the Ecclesiasticall Prelates to repaire to the Churches to the seruice and exercise of the Catholikes And in the same manner as the Queene of England did then entertaine the straungers Catholickes inhabiting within her Realme of England euen so did hee accord and ordaine that the English should finde the like vsage and entertainement in Portugall And it may be that if he would haue enlarged their libertie in this respect the English would againe haue enforced their aboade in that Countrey But he proceeded so like a Catholicke with them that they had a kinde of distrust and tooke occasion to suspect him The king of Marocco at this day now raigning of whom wee haue lately spoken sent an Embassadour into England to intreat him touching the deliuering of Portugall from her tyranny offering him to make present payment of 100 thousand Crownes at London for the prouyding of 100 sayle of shipps to passe into Barbary from whence he promised to embarke and to passe with him in person and also to set at liberty about seuen or eight thousand Portugalls whom he held in captiuity and which were good souldiers and with them and the principall horse of Barbary to take land and set foote in Spaine and to put him in possession of his Realme But Don Anthonio would not accept those his offers because hee would giue no occasion to the Moores namely those Moores that are baptized and liue as Christians in Arragon Valentia Murcia The cause why Don Anthonio refused the meanes to recouer his Realme and other quarters of Spaine where the Moore did assure himselfe to finde 60 thousand men at his deuotion there to rebell and to worke the misery and calamity of the Christians This was a more daungerous matter and would haue beene more burthensome and chargeable to King Pbilip then to the King Don Anthonio with whome Muley Hamet desired to haue made a peace very beneficiall and aduantageous to the Realmes of Portugall but Don Anthonio refused all onely mooued thereunto of a godly Catholicke zeale Now shew me my Masters where or when your Don Philip euer did as much He hath made great promises to Don Anthonio to the intent he might cause him to renounce his right which he had in Portugall by reason of his election He offered to make him Viceroy of Naples Offers of king Philip to Don Anthonio with 400 thousand Crownes of yearely rent and the collation of the officers and benefices of that kingdome Moreruer he would haue giuen him 500 thousand Crownes to pay his debts and to defray the charge of going to take that Gouernement vpon him And that hee would bee bound to restore all those Portugals to their former estates whose goods he had taken and confiscated for following of his partie And that hee would aduaunce and recompence such as did serue and attend