vnderstand more of it he may finde a Treatise done at large on that subject by Reginaldus Consalvus Montanus De Artibus Sanctae Inquisitionis Hispanicae one who hath for manie Yeares knowne and behelde it with his Eyes The next thing that King Philip went about was the joyning of Portugall to the other Kingdomes of Spayne alreadie in his Possession and there-by to make the Bodie of that Monarchie perfect and entire and finding nothing that could serue him for pretext or colour to moue open Warres the King there-of Don Sebestian being his neare Cosin of one Religion free from anie Controversies with him for Dominion and knowing the saide Sebestian to haue a Kinglie and cowragious Mynde with-all hardie and temerarious hee did corrupt and suborne some of his chiefest Favorites to puisse him to the enlarging of his Conquests in Africke against the Moores where-of his Predecessours had alreadie layde so good Foundations and for his easier inducement there-to hee did promise him large ayde both of Souldiours of Money And when Don Sebestian had embarked himselfe for Africke and did expect the arrivall of the promised Succours hee found nothing but Letters of new expectation while in the meane time Philip did practise by Claudestine meanes both discontentment and Mutinie with-in his owne Armies and Treyes with the Barbarian Kings against whom hee went Where-vpon ensued the overthrow and death of the saide Prince without Children in that Battell which hee fought against the Kings of Fesse and Moroco after the which the Portugals did receiue the next lawfull Heyre to their Crowne Don Antonio whom the saide Philip did eject by open Warre and Violence and forced the Subjects to declare himselfe righteous Successour of that Kingdome by his Mother Then hee perceiving that King Henrie the third of France did sende a Sea-Armie to Portugall in favours of Don Antonio hee resolved to stirre vp and kindle a civill Warre in France that might constraine them to forbeare the farther assaulting of his new Conquest in Portugall and by a publicke deliberation with his Counsell in the Citie of Tison Anno 1577 hee layde the grounds of that Confederacie called The Holie League which did almost reduce in Ashes that auncient and flowrishing Kingdome of France And to that effect sent thither secret Practises with 200000 Crownes to draw and assure to his Course the chiefest of the Nobilitie and Gentrie Catholicke which did succeede well enough to his Mynde and to the great Dangers and Disasters of all the Neighbour-States of Europe as the Stories doe at length record And then that those who were enraged by him to Armes should not want an Enemie on whō they might consume thē-selues he sent also to negotiate privatelie with King Henrie the fourth of France being then styled King Of Navarre and Head of the Protestant Faction in France offering to marrie the saide King's Sister whose Children to Philip should succeede to the Kingdome of Navarre with the Yles of Majorque Minorque and Sardinia also that the saide King of Navarre should haue in marriage the Infanta of Spayne eldest Daughter of Philip with condition to bee established King of Guyene at the adventure and charges of Philip and with-all should haue the Right and Possession of the Duchte Milan with a present advancement of 200000 Crownes for the provision of Forces competent against his Enemies of the League Who doeth not see by these the insatiable thirst of wicked Ambition after the Blood of their Neighbours never an hungrie Beare did hunt more fiercelie for to fill his Panches than hee was enraged for the Conquest of France But the saide King of Navarre guided by a better Spirit did refuse all these Ouvertures as treacherous and tending to the dissipation of France with-in it selfe that it should bee more open and obnoxious for the Spanish invasion And by his refusall hee layde the first Stone where-vpon there-after hee did builde his reconciliation with as manie Papists as were true hearted French-men and his Peace with his Predecessour King Henrie the third to whom hee did impart all these secret practises Anno 1583 and who permitted him to assemble the whole Reformed Churches of France at Montaban the yeare there-after for tryall and punishment of the Negotiators of the same For by this tyme the sayd King Henrie the third was begun with bitter Griefe and Repentance to acknowledge his Errour in retiring his Forces from Portugall which he was forced to doe by the furie and hote persecution of the Leaguars And the yeare 1589 he did send Ambassadours to the Queene of England who was alreadie engaged to the protection of Don Antonio to treat with her that shee would sende him backe to Portugall with a Sea-Armie promising for him-selfe to joyne there-vnto 5000 Men never-the-lesse that hee was then mightilie agitated with the manie Forces of the League and that the hottest Flames thereof did burne about his Eares having even then surprysed the lyues of the Duke and Cardinall of Guyse at Blois This was easilie obtained of the saide Queene who perceiving well that there was no other way to free her owne Countreyes the Spanish Armie having threatned her Coasts the yeare before nor to liberate her Confederates of France and the Netherlands from the Tyrannie and Oppression of Spayne but by making VVarres to him in Spaine shee did set foorth with Don Antonio an Armie for Portugall vnder two Generals the Lord Noris for the Land and Darke for the Seas together with the Earle of Essex But nothing of importance was performed by that Armie the Causes where-of are diverslie agitated and alleadged the English Historie affirming that their Generals then had no warrand to make Warre except that they had seene an vniversall Revolt of the Portugals from the Spaniard to Don Antonio their King where-of say they there was no appearance But Antonio Peres in his Treatise to the French King vpon that Subject doeth impute the Causes to Mislucke and Misgovernament the Lingering and Longsomnesse of the Voyage their lying manie dayes at Plimmouth and manie at the Groine where-by the Enemie had too much leasure to fortifie him-selfe a mortalitie of their People where-of their best Canoniers and other Souldiours died the want of Horses and Wagons for transportation from the coast of Lisbone so that they were forced to quite great part of their Armes and in place there-of carrie Bottels of VVyne and other things for their mayntaynance The distraction of the Sea-Generall Drake from the Land-Generall who when hee should haue entered the Port of Lisbone finding a Fleet of Easterlings to passe by him hee set him-selfe to the hazard of that Prey neglecting al-together the Enterpryse against Lisbone About the which when the Land-Armie did lye in siedge there was a great confluence as hee sayth of the Portugals to Don Antonio but by reason they were addressed in base and course Apparell they were esteemed by the English to bee but Commons and
into Africke they did sende Hanniball with strong Forces into Italie to keepe them at home where-of sayeth the same Scipio in the same place and to the same purpose Sed quid veteribus externisque exemplis opus est majus praesentiusque â—llum esse exemplum quant Hanniball potest From the same ground yet the Romanes by sending of Scipio to make VVarre in Africke made Hanniball constrainedlie to bee called out of Italie Quasi eodem telo saepius retorto sayeth one as by a naturall necessarie and ordinarie meane for keeping of anie State peaceable and free from Enemie-Invasion namelie of the weaker from the more mightie For even in lyke manner when the great Persian Monarchs did often afflict the weake and dismembered Estates of Greece gaping at length after the conquest of all Agesilaus King of Lacedemon pitying his Countreys Calamitâ—e and to divert those mightie Kinges from Greece he did put him-selfe with a maine Armie into the midst of Persia where hee did so daunt the pryde of Xerxes that it behooved him to practise the same Policie for Liberation of his Kingdomes from Forraigne Powers hee sent 10000 great pieces of Golde bearing the Image of an Archer on the one side the current Stampe then of his Coyne to corrupt as it did the Orators of Athens and Thebes and concitate the People to make Warre to Lacedemon in absence of their King and Countreyes Forces where-vpon the Ephorie were compelled to recall Agesilaus who in his returning saide that 10000 Persian Arcbers had chased him out of Asia Againe of the lyke practise to this of Xerxes with Athens and Thebes for mooving and keeping of Warres in Enemie-Countreyes that wee may remaine within our selues free from their Invasion wee reade in the Histories of Scotland that the renowned Prince Charles Magne having an holie and Christian Resolution to prosecure as hee did Warres against the Barbarians and finding the English begun in their prosperitie to crosse the Seas and to molest the Borders of his Kingdome of France hee sent Ambassadours to Aebains King of Scotland to negotiate with him a perpetuall League in these Termes that when-so-ever the English should molest either of their Countreyes the other should moue Warre to England and so constraine them to call home their Armies Which after great Controversies of Opinions amongst the Scottish Nobilitie and frequent Orations of the French Ambassadours was finallie concluded and stood to by their Successours in all tyme following with often mutuall Advantages against their Common Enemie For late Examples I haue alreadie tolde you how King Philip made Warres in France and intended against England and that to the ende they should retire their Forces from Portugall Hanniball did ever affirme namelie to King Antiochus that it was impossible to vanquish the Romanes but at home in Italie as the same Livius doeth testifie Now I thinke yee will come to the Hypothesis and put mee to prooue that the Spanyard is that mightie Enemie who intendeth to trouble this Kingdome That hee is mightie a great deale aboue that which wee would wish I haue alreadie showed and that hee is our Enemie not onelie by actions intended or projected but diverslie alreadie attempted these are the Circumstances which doe qualifie it First he is Enemie to all Christian States by the vniversalitie of his Ambition Ergo also to vs Secondlie his Grandsire Philip the second did once obtaine a matrimoniall right to the Crowne of England by his marriage with Queene Marie Thirdlie a Papall right by excommunication of Queene Elizabeth Fourthlie hee did set foorth a great Armada to haue reconquered it as is before rehearsed Fyftlie hee hath ever since and as I thinke doeth yet maintaine with-in it a claudestine Traffique of Iesuites and Seminarie Priests to alienate the Hearts of Subjects from their naturall King or to keepe them vmbragious and suspended in myndes vntill his better occasion And I doe thinke that besides Ambition puissing him there-vnto there bee no Neighbour-States that hee so much feareth by reason of their strong and skilfull Navigation as yee will heare heere-after more particularlie But this King that nowe is in Spayne hath proceeded farther hee hath reft and taken away the whole estate of the Palatine who is Brother-in-law to His Majestie our Soveraigne and by that deede hath made this Warre to bee defensiue to vs Non enim nobis solum nati c. Wee are not onelie borne to our selues but our Prince our Parents our Children our Friendes Common-wealth and Religion everie of these haue their owne part and interesse in vs and all these together doe concurre to move vs to so just a Warre so far that if that Prince Palatine were not linked to vs by so near Allyance and by communion of one Fayth yet Tum tua res agitur paries dum proximus ardet the propulsion of a fearfull Enemie approaching nearer to our Coastes and seeking to do mineire over all is sufficient enough to make all the braue Heartes of Christendome to boyle Besides these hee hath put vpon vs intollerable Indignities in a verie high degree hee hath made vs by false and persidious Promises to bee as indifferent beholders of his conquest of the Palâ—tinate yea more to facilitate his engresse there-to hee hath made vs to seeke Peace perhaps to haue beene accepted vpon disadvantagious Conditions and hath refused the same And hee who refuseth Peace by necessarie consequence doeth intende Warre The marriage of our King hath beene agitated by him and illuded and hee who doeth containe so neare friendship of Neighbours appearinglie intendeth to bee their Superiour And so hee hath left vs no hope of Peace but in Armes therefore wee may conclude with that Captaine of the Volsques of whom I spake before Iustum est Bellum quibus est necessarium pia Arma quibus nulla nis◠〈◊〉 Armiâ— relinquitur spes Their Warre is just whose Warre is necessarie and their Armes bolie to whom there is no hope relinquished but in Armes Since then I holde it granted that of necessitie there must bee Warres it followeth to consider the Forces to bee employed there-to and those must either bee properlie our owne or of conjoyned Confederates Wee are bred into and doe inhabite a Northerne Region naturallie generatiue of great Multitudes of more bellicole kynde and of more robust Bodies than those of the Southerne Climates And al-be-it wee haue for the first face but small opinion of our vulgar sort because an hard condition of living hath some-what dejected their Hearts during these late vnfruitfull Yeares yet there bee manie strong Persons of Men amongst them who pressed for the Milice and once made acquainted there-with and being fred from the Povertie and Basenesse of their carriage they will more gladlie follow the Warres than the Plough Wee haue numbers of braue Gentle-men wanting vertuous Employments and for the most part necessarie Meanes Wee reade in our Countrey Annals how our auncient
extende it selfe to the glorie of GOD the encrease of their owne Dominions and their immortall Fame This Globe of the World lyeth abroad by 360 degrees in Longitude and as manie in Latitude The English haue made Navigation to within 77 toward the North and the Portugals and Castilians to within 56 toward the South so there doe rest 228 to discover and what a fairer Field or richer Spoyles can bee wished for Christian Ambition or Avarice than this Yet what shall I say of this Emulation of neare and Neighbour-Princes It seemeth to bee fatall in effect and what is fatall is necessarie for fatall wee call Quasi fatum sive dictum a DEO A thing pronounced by GOD to bee For if wee shall take a view of His whole Works wee shall see nothing but a temperament and contrapoysing of naturall Extremities in such equalitie of Ballance that none bee able to excrease to the over-throw of the other The Heavens are placed into that Equilibrie that everie side is jumpe with the other and may not over-shoot it The contrarie motions of the Heavens doe not confound nor impede one an-other The coldnesse of Saturne and the heate of Mars doe not eate vp one another because Iupiter commeth betweene as the Axiltree of their Contrapoyse by the serenitie of his temperature So is it in the Elements the Fyre and Water are kept from desperate conflicts by the Ballance kept by the Ayre attempered to both So it is amongst Beastes where-of those that bee of fierce and savage kindes least vsefull vnto Man as Lyons GOD hath made them more barren Those agayne of the weaker sort which be more necessary and serviceable for Man He hath made more broodie and foecund to the end the Stronger should not be able to destroy that which is more infirme but the multitude of weake ones should bee sufficient to contrapoyse the paucitie of the mightier There is no Beast which is not afrayd of the Lyon trembleth at his presence yet some-thing hath he to contrapoyse his awfulnesse for he may not abide himself the crying of the Cocke but is astonied there-by So the Bellicose Elephant whom all the terrors of Battell cannot make afrayde he may not endure the cry of a Swyne but presentlie fleeth as is said in Eccles Intuere opera omnia Altissimi videbis semper unum contra aliud Doe contemplate all the workes of the most High you shall find aye one against another Even amongst the intellectuall Creatures the good Angels agaynst the bad GOD this way showing the Height and Deepnesse of His vnsearchable Wisedome by lodging and ruling of so manie contrarie things peaceablie within this one House of the Vniverse Shall wee not thinke then but the LORD who hath so moderated and brydled everie extreame contrarietie who hath placed Mountaines and steepe Shores to keepe in the raging Sea that shee rise not over her Marches and ordinarie Bankes but hee hath like-wise in the governament of the World by severall great Kingdomes and Monarchies appointed and allowed the same Contrapoyse that no Prince become so mightie as to devour his Neighbour that no Pryde or Insolencie doe excrease without Limitation certaynlie I thinke it hath a Warrand in Nature and Reason telleth vs That as it is lawfull to with-stand Force by Force it is also lawfull to provide if we can that no Case come that may constrayne vs to doe so or that may put vs to the employing of Force or Violence So that it seemeth lawfull to Princes or States to impede so farre as they can suspected Neighbour Grandour lest it become at length to master them Hieronimus King of Syracuse beeing demaunded as Polibius wryteth why in the meane-tyme of his beeing Confederate and Friende of Rome hee did ayde and supplie the Carthagenians against them Hee aunswered That it was to the ende hee might brooke the friendship still of the Romanes whome if hee shoulde suffer to over-throw the Carthagenians then of his Friends they should become his Masters Or will a wyse King within his owne Dominion permit a particular States-Man to carrie away the whole sway of Governament by too much of Authoritie no but he will contrapoyse him with a Colledge of a contrarie Disposition to keepe him in order Hence is it that the LORD GOD in all Ages hath suffered one Nation to combate with an-other one King to beate an-other and one man to holde in the Hornes of an-other that nothing should shoot out aboue that just proportion which doeth corresponde to the communion of Nature yea if wee should come to consider and weigh the particular Fabricke of everie one man's Bodie if the like equilibrie of Contra-Ballance did not attemper our contrarie Humours of Complexion certainlie our Constitution were not able to subsist but either the Choller shall burne vp the Flegme or the Flegme extinguish the Choller if the interjection of these median Humours of Sanguinean and Melancholicke did not impede that Conflict And hence are all the Leagues of Mutuall Defences amongst weaker States contracted against the more mightie Having thus shortlie shewed how the Ambition of Castile and Portugall was vertuous and laudable vnto the death of Charles the fift I come now to Philip his Sonne and Successour who did spot the Glorie of his noble Predecessours by turning his Thoughts to the Conquest of Christian People Hee it was who did complot and conduct all the Tragedies which thence-foorth haue beene acted in Christendome This King finding him-selfe debouted of his designe to the Crowne of England by the death of Marie Queene thereof who was his Wyfe returning into Spaine his first Practise was for excluding the Light of the Gospell which then began to breake foorth over all to strengthen against Christians that fearfull Inquisition which his Antecessours had erected against the Infidels Iewes and Moores where-of this farre may bee affirmed that if Satan him-selfe had beene King of Spaine hee could not haue brought from the bottomlesse Pit a more horrible Plague more cruell more Barbarous and beyonde all Humanitie the wicked Invention where-of no Words can suffice to expresse in sort that it doeth rather resemble Hell it selfe than that wee can finde anie Example ever heard of the like vpon the face of this Earth where innocent Men yea Good and holie Men after being straitlie incarcerate diverse Yeares spoiled of their Lands and Goods afflicted with Famine rent with Tortures and in ende falselie and vnjustlie condemned to the number of 800 in one Yeare vnder that King were brought to publicke Spectacles to bee burnt with Buckels and Bullets in their Mouthes to stop all Apologeticall speaches and againe and againe casten in the Fyre and taken out of the Fyre It is hard that anie Christian should thinke of it without Trembling and Teares the farther Discourse where-of were but vnpleasant heere al-be-it most necessarie for Demonstration of that hatefull Tyrannie and who so is curious to
Dominions The second thing to bee observed by the former Discourse is the prowde Designe and large Extent of the Spanish Ambition when this King of whom I treat Philip the second durst together and at once adventure to set him-selfe a-worke for the purchase of Portugall France the Netherlands England and Scotland who should doubt or call it in question that by length of Tyme they intende not to subjugate the whole Estates of Christendome Wee finde it written by them-selues that when hee was about the taking in of Portugall being demanded by one of his greatest Favourites what was the reason why hee did neglect his thinges of East India and suffer Friezland and so manie good Townes to bee invaded and possessed of Heretickes his Enemies and all to maintaine the League and Civill Warres in France Where-vnto hee aunswered That those might bee forgotten for a tyme because the setling of Portugall did import no lesse to him than the securitie of his whole Empyre which once done hee would easilie make all those his Neighbours to become his Homagers and Tributaries yea it was the common Theame of Discourse amongst his Captaines and Souldiours both in Italie Flanders and France or where ever they were That since Portugall was now theirs that France and England could not escape them And more which is a publicke Testimonie the Wryters of the Spanish Storie affirme thus farre That if it had not beene that the saide King Philip had resolved before anie thing to brydle Portugall hee should haue before then sufficientlie daunted France and haue put strong Armies in England Farther the Extent of this Ambition of Spayne is clearlie seene by their Authoritie vsurped over the Consistorie of Rome where they haue made them-selues perpetuall Dictators which is one of the surest Fundaments of the encrease of their Grandour now-a-dayes that Consistorie being as the Alembicke where-in are fyned all the Counsels Projects and Designes of Christendome and the Pope arrogating to him power at his pleasure to excommunicate and consequentlie depose Christian Princes and to transferre the Succession of their Crowns where-of onlie the Riches must belong to that Catholicke King as of England and Yreland to Philip the second by Pius Quintus who did excommunicate Queene Elizabeth of â—England and of Navarre to his Predecessours by the same Title of beeing Heyre and Successour to excommunicate Princes keeping still in their owne hand the raygnes of the Papall Election and invading of their Patrimonies as that of Sicilie and being in effect Popes them-selues governing at their will the Church Rents thorow-out their Kingdomes exacting a verie great part vniversallie of all for their owne vse The third point of Observation vpon the preceeding Discourse is the Iusidiation and Latent Attempts of this Ambition by godlesse Perfidies and Treacherie where no Fayth is kept nor Conscience nor Religion nor Humanitie nor Vereâ—unditie where Neighbour-Princes cannot brooke their lyues by reason of the excessiue Rewards and Honours promitted to trayterous Executioners of Claudestine Murthers What shall I say of Enemie Princes no I say of what-so-ever persons publicke or private suspected Enemies to their prowde Tyrannie sparing neither Papist nor Protestant Pope nor Cardinall Bishop nor Priest nor nearest Kinsfolkes nor their most faithfull Counsellers or most fortunate Generals if they but once vpon the lightest Occasion become jealous of them no not their owne Children when their blood may bring the smallest accession vnto the strength of that diabolicke Ambition they doe murther poyson embotch and bewitch at their pleasure So that this same Philip of whom I speake hee caused to bee made away in his tyme as Wryters haue observed more than 200 nominablie recorded in diverse Histories whereof I will remember but seaven of the most abominable Paricidies I will call them all so ever heard of and yet best knowne King Henrie the third of France a Christian Prince of equall qualitie with him-selfe to whome hee was bound by that Fraternitie and by the vnion of one Fayth besydes some degrees of Blood yet it is well knowne that hee did contryue the death of this King as truelie as hee did plot the League against him Pope Sextus the fift whome hee professed to bee Head of the Church and his holie Father because that Pope fearing the Spanish Tyrannie if his Conquest of France had proved good hee did favour the said Henrie the third in his last Distresses Philip made him away by Poyson a thing so well vnderstood that they haue it for a common speach yet at Rome which I haue heard with mine eares That if a Pope doe enter without the approbation of Spaine hee will goe the way of Sextus the fift Hee did betray to the Eyes of the World Don Sebestian King of Portugall his Cousin Alexander Farnesse Duke of Parma his Kins-man and Generall in Flanders that valiant and renowned Captaine who had done him so great Services immediatelie after the misfortune of his Armada set out for England 1588. which hee did impute to the slownesse of the saide Duke hee fell into a lingering Disease and died by Poyson ministred from Philip the World doeth know it Don Bartholomew Carenzae Arch-Bishop of Toledo who had beene the Preceptor and Father of his owne Youth-head as Seneca to Nero because hee would not publicklie maintaine his Title to the Crowne of Portugall hee also did dispatch him His Brother Don Iohn de Austria whose great and ambitious spirit hee began to suspect hee was stricken with the Plague of Pestilence immediatelie after the receit of a Letter from Spaine whilst there was no Post in the Countreyes about and where-of hee died But aboue all that most deplorable and nefarious Paricidie publicklie committed avowed by himselfe authorised by the Church the murthering of Prince Charles his owne eldest Sonne Hee did price the life of Don Antonio at 100000 Crownes and of Elizabeth Queene of England and of the late Prince of Orange at as-much a-piece Hee was not ashamed to receiue certaine Townes from the King of Moroco vpon Bargaine to betray as hee did Don Sebestian King of Portugall his Cosin nor to render vnto those Infidels Arzilla which his Predecessours had noblie conquered vpon condition they should not furnish in preste to Don Antonio 200000 Crownes as they had promised to doe at the Intercession of the saide Queene of England These are not mine Assertions but taken and collected from Spanish Wryters Of all the fore-sayde Perpetrations the killing of his Sonne Prince Charles being in it selfe most fearfull and execrable of the whole it is also most clearlie verified not onlie by the Histories of Neighbour-Countreyes as by the French recordes of Majerne of Matthew of Paris of Thuanus but so stood to by the Church of Rome that into that deede they doe place the Triumph and Glorie of the Pietie of the saide King advancing his Fayth aboue that of Abraham who did onelie offer to sacrifice his Sonne and comparing
to liue with that Pompe and Dignitie which is requisite to conserue Majestie that wee doe know and see That they must bee at hudge Charges by sending out and accepting in of Ambassadours that wee also see That they must giue Pensions and Fees to Counsellours Statesmen Noble-men Captaines and serviceable Gentle-men that wee see Lyke-wise the exorbitant debursment vvhich is in Warre But vvhat secret Bountie must bee bestowed through the VVorlde amongst sure Friendes in the Courtes of other Princes by which kynd of practising they doe often-times best assure their Affaires when all men thinke them in greatest perill that and manie such wee doe not know neither must wee enquyre but when after their death the Histories of their lyues come to bee devulgate then wee finde and reade what these policies of having latent Friends abroad haue imported to the greatest Kings Doe not wee reade of King Francis the first that to Almanes Italians English Spanish Switzers he payed during all his life-time great yearelie Pensions vnknowne to the world for the tyme And of Lewes the eleventh who was a sort I may say of Sorcerer or Enchanter in that kynd of subtiltie to make mercinarie the Counsels of Neighbour-Princes so farre that there was none of them free from his corruption by which doing hee did render himselfe a Miracle to the World for dexteritie of wit to dissolue the strongest Leagues of his Enemies without the drawing of a Sword hee did pay by publicke paction to King Edward the fourth of England 50000 Crownes yearelie but with-all secretlie to his Counsellours and Domestickes 17000 also yearelie which sayeth the Wryter of the Historie was the truest Meanes of the two for the continuance of that Pacification In consideration of these necessarie and weightie Charges ancientlie Subjects were wont to giue freelie to their Princes and frequentlie a Portion of Money that they called Oblations Augustus did leaue behinde him in Testament eleven Millions to bee distributed amongst the People of Rome where-into hee did subjoyne this Testimonie of the mutuall benevolence of the Romanes towards him saying that with-in few yeares preceeding his death hee had gotten of voluntarie Donatiues to the availe of 35000 golden Crownes But now-a-dayes Subjects haue for borne these voluntarie Gratuities in time of publicke indigence to their Princes by reason that some avaricious Kings haue preassed to convert the same to an annuall and ordinarie Duetie as Philip le Long of France having in his â—necessities granted by his Subjects the first impost vpon the Salt of foure Denieres on the pound with this Condition to stand but vntill his Debts were defrayed Yet Philip de Valois there-after did incorporate the same to the perpetuall Domaine of the Crowne saying that there could not bee a more competent thing to come vnder Tollage than Salt where-of all sort of People poore and ritch young and olde had the necessarie and daylie vse Or as King Philip the second of whom I haue spoken having of before annexed to the Crowne Patrimonie the third part of the Ecclesiasticall Rents yet for the support of the Warres where-with hee was greatlie charged had granted to him by the Prelates a certaine summe of Money also of the two-part which they called Subsidie on condition to stand but some few yeares hee also did perpetuate the same to the Crowne But to returne to the purpose of Cases of Weaknesse to bee found into the Empyre of Spaine wee cannot thinke but to bee feared of all and hated of the greatest part is a Weaknesse if it were of the mightiest that ever haue beene Passimus custos diaturnitatis metus sayeth the great Statesman Cicero That Feare can never make diuturnitie of Greatnesse And all men know it to bee true that the Spanyard is feared of all I proue it shortlie by the Church of Rome the Iesuites excepted hee is feared vniversallie to whom hee is most nearlie linked of anie forraigne Amitis Ergo much more by anie other Neighbour-Prince or State the trueth of mine Antecedent is showed by two famous and infallible Testimonies one of the Historie of the Counsell of Trent where a Man shall clearlie see how this Feare did make the Sea Apostolicke directlie to oppose the Grandour of Charles the fift where-of I haue alreadie discoursed For the second I take mee to Cardinall Baronio the most learned and most sincere that hath beene amongst them in these late Ages in his Treatise written against the Spanish vsurpation of the Kingdome of Sicile where hee wryteth thus of Philip the second in whose dayes hee lived in one place Sub vocabulo inquit Monarchiae praeter vnum Monarcham quod vnâ—m visibile caput Ecclesiae est cognitum aliud in Monarchia Siciliae obortum pro monstro ostento caput Ecclesiae that is to say Aboue one Monarch over Sicilia who is the onlie one visible head of the Church having right vnto it there is risen an other monstrous head and Monarch of the same And in another place there-after Ista sunt quae manus audax ad sacrilegium promptâ— abstulit à recitato Papae diplomate Those things haue that bad and bolde-hand readie to sacriledge rest from the Papall Title This Cardinall had an offer of the Papall Diademe made him from Philip the second if hee would call in this opinion but did refuse it preferring his Conscience to what-so-ever Palinodie Next vnto the Pope the nearest Neighbour allyed to him is the French King his Brother in Law of whose daylie Feares and Iealousies of the Spanish Ambition I were ydle to treate heere it being so well remarked of the World Since it is so with his most entire Confederates I neede not neither I hope to call it in question whether the other Potentates and States of Christendome doe much more feare him Therefore leaving those I come to try what probablie is the disposition of his owne People towards him Portugall is of all his thinges in Spaine of greatest importance betwixt whom and the Castilians there hath beene from all Antiquitie not onlie Neighbour Emulation but inveterate malice and as it were a fundamentall and naturall Antipathie of myndes and manners as their owne Histories doe confesse The heate where-of no doubt must bee greatlie encreased by this Castilian Tyrannie so latelie and vnlawfulie throwne vpon them There bee yet manie aliue there who did spende their Blood to haue withstood that Castilian pryde It is an ordinarie speach of the Portugals to say That the Castilians bee worse thâ—n the Moores who did first inhabite Castile The Portugals are sayde to bee descended of the Gaules their language approaching vnto the Latine The Castilianes againe of the Vandales Iewes and Moores their accent annearing to the Morasque where-of it is saide that the Castilians being amongst the Turkes are easilie induced to deny the Christian Fayth And in this point appeareth to bee a noteable Weaknesse of that Empyre Portugall accoasting to the Sea so
to haue the more high and noble Mynde who doeth it than hee who refuseth by as farre as Hope is more heroicke than Despare Rome was not builded in one day and manie glorious works haue beene founded vpon doubtfull and difficill beginnings although manie of vs doe holde it an ydle Project yet vnderstanding Men haue seene and contemplate the Countrey who intende to returne and remaine there-in certaine it is more ydle and more vnreverend with-all to thinke that GOD hath placed a Region vnder a degree so temperate which hee will not suffer to bee peopled by tyme. Al-be-it Men haue often builded Houses and never dwelt into them much lesse haue plenished them it is not so with GOD whose endes are infallible For my part I doe holde that that insearchable Wisdome hath framed no part of this whole Globe which is not capable of Man and sufficient for the mayntaynance of his Lyfe But as touching the nature and condition of Warre such are the Distresses that come by Warres that even the best Fortunes of the Victors doe seldome contrapoyse them In pace causas merita spectari ubi bellum ingruat innocentes ac impios juxta cadere sayeth one What Warre was there ever in the World which was not damnable for desolation of Cities exterminion of noble Houses spoyle of poore People rape of Women violation of Churches and of Holie Things And happie is that Warriour whose Sword hath not beene defiled with Christian Blood Augustus that mightie Emperour did abhorre Warre and adore Peace his Successour Tiberius did arrogate to him as the greatest of all his Glories when hee had pacified anie Tumult rather by practising than by Warre The Emperour Adrian did compare Peace to Argent Content and his Forces were most strong and when hee could quyer his bordering Nations vvith peaceable wayes jactabat palam sayeth Aurelius Victor plus se ocio adeptum quam armis caeteros hee bragged openlie that hee had done more in Peace and Quietnesse then his Neighbours had by Armes I know farther that when GOD hath brought a State to a sort of Maturitie and Perfection that it is as compacted and limited naturallie as presentlie is this Monarchie of GREAT BRITANE consolidate with-in it selfe and confyned with-in the Occean that then it is good to feare the instabilitie of thinges And seeing what-so-ever thing is vnder the Moone yea the Moone it selfe is subject to ordinarie changes It must bee an heroicke and more than an humane yea a divine worke the mayntayning of great Kingdomes to great length of tyme and this is not done but by a prudent warinesse and moderation when States are once come to a maturitie for reasonable greatnesse or for Antiquitie as this Kingdome I say againe of Great Britane It is written of Scipio that when hee had ruinated Carthage and destroyed Numantia the two Competitors and Emulators of Rome then hee did not so much wish the farther increase as the continuation of the Romane State So farre that beeing himselfe Censor a whyle there-after and making the Lustrum at the pubilcke Sacrifice the Master of their religious Ceremonies according to their forme hee prayed for the daylie growing of their Empyre Scipio did correct and change the Style of that Invocation Satis inquit bonae ac magnae sunt res Romanae itáque Deos precor vt eas perpetuo incolumes servent ac protinus in publicis tabulis ad hunc modum carmen emendari voluit sayth the Historie Hee would haue the Gods to be invocated only for the continuation of the Empyre because it was alreadie great enough and hee would haue that Phrase of Prayer to remaine there-after in the Bookes publicke of their Priests In which case I say it were madnesse for vs of this Yle to cry for VVarres out of Pryde or for extention of Empyre The mightiest Kings of England as I haue before touched did finde their Forraigue Ambition but troublesome and fruitlesse that after the possession of manie Ages they were contented to quyâ—e the things that they and their Predecessours had lawfullie justlie and long brooked in France But now it is one thing to wish VVarre and another thing to embrace tymouslie a most necessarie and inevitable VVarre Omne bellum necessarium est justum said that Captaine of the Volsques in Livius when the Romanes had determined to conquer his Countrey And no Man can deny it that VVarre which is necessarie is just because wee defyne necessarie that which can bee no other-wyse The Volsques behooved to quyte their Countreyes Libertie or fight with the Romanes Againe that VVarre which is mooved to procure Peace and is defensiue it is a just VVarre GOD and Nature doe warrand that So I say for ought I see wee are to embrace a VVarre most just in all these three Respectes and I show it by this Argument To doe that which may stop the comming against our Countrey a mightie Enemie whose designe to conquer vs is hereditarie to him it is both necessarie defensiue and tendeth to purchase Peace But to make VVarre to such an Enemie within some part of his owne Dominions is to impeach and stop his comming Ergo the mooving of VVarre against him is just defensiue and tendeth to procure Peace The Major of this Syllogisme is so cleare that it needeth no probation the light of Reason doeth show it The Minor is verified by the ordinarie experience of all Ages gone and Histories bee full of Examples of the same where-of I will alleadge for Brevities cause but three or foure of the most famous and most frequentlie cited by everie Man vpon this kynde of Theame The noble Yland of Sicilia seated betwixt Rome and Carthage the two mightie Emulators for the Empyre of the VVorld was long stryven for and often-times assaulted by them both as a thing that would downe-swey the Ballance of their Emulation and draw after it vniversalitie of Dominion Amongst others Agathocles King there-of beeing hardlie besiedged with-in his Towne of Syracuse by the Carthagenians hee did closelie convoy him-selfe foorth and went with an Armie into Africke by meanes where-of they were forced to lift the Siedge and turne home for defence of their owne Countrey Which exploit Scipio Afriâ— did object in these Termes to Fabius Maxintus who went about in the Senate to hinder the sending of an Armie with Scipio against Carthage during Hanniball his beeing in Italie Car ergo Agathocâ—eâ—â— Syâ—â— regem 〈◊〉 Sicilia punico bello vexaretur transgressum in hanc eandem Africam avertisse eo bellâ—â—n vnde venerat non rofers There-after the Romanes perceiving that Amilcar the Father of Hanniball was likelie to adjoyne Sicile to Carthage therefore to prevent that a conquering People should not spreade over their Armes to Italie they resolved to make VVarre with them in Sicilâ—a it selfe From the same ground the Carthagâ—nianâ— after the fulling of Sicile into the handes of the Romanes fearing lyke-wyse their comming
great Consequence with Candor and Sinceritie I finde that Men of great experience for Warre doe holde opinion contrarie to this beeing of the mynde of King Francis the first who saide that longsome VVarres and small Armies served rather to exercise Men in the Artes Militarie than to daunt the Enemie and that without grosse Armies and quicke dispatch it was not possible to compasse great Enterpryses saying with-all that the Maintainance of small Armies and longsome VVarres was much more chargeable than the other They tell vs that the Empyre of the Turke beginneth to decline for his Pretermission of two thinges which his Predecessours did obserue and follow One that hee goeth not in person to bee over his Armies as they did another that they are not so numerous and grosse as they had them and that light exploits and often leading of small Armies to and froe doeth but teach the Milice to his Enemies and spoyle his owne Countreyes thorow vvhich his Souldiours so frequentlie doe passe Where-of they giue vs this Example Amurat the third kept vnder the commandement of his Bussaes a lingering VVarre of more than twelue Yeares employing not verie great Armies against the Persian vvhere-by al-be-it hee conquered great partes of his Countreyes yet vvere his Losses knowne to bee greater because hee spended the Flowre of his Forces of young Souldiours and lustie Horses 200000 Horses and more than 500000 Men from the beginning to the ende and made desolate the Countreyes that hee tooke in so farre that Osman Bassa alone besides what vvas done by others did cast to the ground and burne 100000 Houses besides that the Persians their Enemies during that great length of tyme did become more skilfull Warriours than themselues The Spanish Warres against Holland Zealand and Friezland haue vvrought the same Effects Agesilaus King of Lacedemonia in his longsome Warres against the Thebaus having one day received a dangerous Blow in his Person was tolde by one of his Friends that hee deserved vvell to haue it because hee had taught his Enemies to bee good Souldiours I confesse indeede that in this point of teaching the Arte Militarie to Enemies vvee can lose nothing beeing rather to learne from them but whether the employing of small or grosie Armies against them shall bee most hurtfull to them before vvee say to that wee must consider vvhat parts of his Dominions doe lye most open for our Invasion and most easilie and profitablie brooked for I take it also as granted that as there must bee Warres so they must bee with-out our Countrey and into that of the Enemie Never an actiue Prince was knowne to looke on vntill the Enemie should bee seene with-in his Bowels There be thousands of Examples of Ignorants who by so doing haue cast away their Kingdome from them-selues Antiochus Persius Iuba Ptolome the last of Aegypt Darius some of the French Kings as King Iohn taken vvith-in his owne Countreyes by Edward the Blacke Prince of England And for this cause Philip of France called the Conquerer vnderstanding that the Emperour Otho the second and the King of England were to assault his Kingdome hee fortified sundrie strong places and led his Armie without the Frontiers vvhere hee did combate and defeat them Wee reade in our Scottish Histories how frequentlie Armies haue bene convoyed beyond our Marches to find the Enemie before he should enter amongst vs. So long as a Countrey is free from open Hostilitie as long it doeth not feele extreame Calamitie sayeth Scipiâ— Afric for putting of Armies into Africke Plus animi est inferenti periculum quam propulsanti ad hoc major ignotarum rerum est terror c. The Assaulters of anie Countrey must haue greater cowrage than the Defendants who having moâ— things and more deare in perill their Houses their Ritâ—â—es VVyues and Children are more taken with feare besides being with-in the Enemies Countrey yee doe discover all his weaknesses whylst your strength and possibilities the more they bee vnknowne to him they doe the more encrease his terrour But to speake of places in generall most proper for this VVarre there is none more honourable than the Palatinate al-be-it most difficill to come vnto by reason of remotenesse from the Sea without the restitution where-of there can remaine no credite with the parties and Princes of the League I heard a Scottish Captaine of good experience in those Countreyes latelie say to mee that it was impossible to recover the Palatinate but by Sea Advantages over the Spanyard because it was so farre remooved from Friends and I did aske him how the late Prince of Parma did leade 10000 Men to Paris in the Teeth of a mightie King amidst his Armies hee answered mee that those were carried as in Trenches and the way was easie without impediment of Mountaines or Rivers Againe I demanded how did the Christian Kings ancientlie of England Scotland and France convoy their Armies to the holie VVarres of Hierusalem and most part over Land or how Alexander the Great an Armie of with-in 40000 from Macedon to the Easterne Occean and did subjugate all the Nations by the way or how Iulius Caesar a smaller by the one halfe from the occident of France to Pharsalia in Greece or Hanniball from Carthage by the way of Spaine and France thorow so manie alpestiere and precipitious Mountaines even to Naples and brooked Italie fifteene Yeares Although themselues were excellent and incomparable Captaines and of extravagant Fortunes yet their Souldiours appearinglie haue beene but such Men as doe yet liue in the VVorld the difference and ods of Tymes excepted for softnesse and Delicacie in some and contemplation and loue of Letters in others haue so daunted and as it were emasculate the cowrage of Men who now are that none is able to endure that austeritie and hardnesse of living with Hanniball him-selfe let bee his Souldiours The next Fielde fitting for this VVarre is that which were most easie to come vnto and likelie to bring the Businesse to a short and prosperous Ende and this is the Countrey of VVest Flanders if this fatall Iealousie of Neighbour-Princes which hath beene so manie tymes contrarious to the best Designes and Enterpryses of Christendome did not heere with-stand that is to say if the French King did not call to mynde how that was the Port where-at ancientlie the English did so often enter to trouble his Predecessours It is a wonderfull thing if Kings so nearelie allyed and so nearelie touched by one Common Danger cannot bee assured from mutuall Iealousies in the meane tyme Nulla fides regni sociis Therefore leaving that to the Event which GOD shall grant I will speake of putting Armies into Spayne by Sea wherevnto it may bee yee will object the small Successes now of a second Navigation of the English to Portugall and that His Majestie had better kept his Navie at home Careat successibus opto quisquis ab eventu facta not and a putet
I answere to you that Counsels and Designes are not to bee weighed from the Event that was so good a purpose as in my judgement will not yet be left But yee will say Wee haue wakened the sleeping Dog and made spoyle of our best Occasion I confesse that is more considerable than anie losse and yet who doubteth for the Dog but hee was a-wake before Diabolus non dormit How can he sleepe that lyeth in Ambush for all the World As touching the credite of the Enterpryse it is so farre from bringing vnder question the Reputation of our Soveraigne that by the contrarie both that and his personall going to Spaine are things where-of wee should rejoyce as being infallible Arguments of his Royall Magnanimitie and Preambles of much greater things King Philip of Macedon being brought for the first time to see the noble Horse Bucephalus commanded his best Horse-man to ryde him which when hee could not doe by reason of his fiercenesse the King did set another to him and the third who in lyke manner did not suffice vntill at length Alexander his Sonne being but a young Stripling did adventure him-selfe to it and did performe it which when his Father behelde shedding Teâ—res for joy hee apprehended there-by the greatnesse of his Spirit saying that Greece was too small for him Where such Sparkles breake foorth before the Fyre of a young Prince his cowrage bee well kindled it is like enough once to spreade manie Flames abroad Yea I will say farther that the successe of that Businesse went better than if it had beene to our Wishes for that it is not good that Fortune should bee too indulgent to the beginninges of a young King or should lay the Reignes vpon his Necke but rather that he runne his first Cariers with a borne head to the ende that hee may learne the wayes of true Wisdome and Fore-sightfulnesse in Matters of greater Consequence The ancient Theologues amongst the Gentiles did never introduce their Goddesse Fortune in the Counsell of the Gods There is nothing that doeth more rectifie the judgement to Action than Experience where-of one Tricke in our Youthhead is more worth to vs than twentie in our Age. Besides that wee are certainlie but ignorant to thinke that great things can bee gone about or compassed but by adventuring somethings also of the lyke kynde but lest wee bee anie way discowraged by those two fruitlesse Voyages of the English to Portugall wee may reade in the Stories how that Nation ancientlie hath beene no lesse victorious in Spaine than in France al-be-it not so often because they were olde and long Inheriters and Inhabiters of diverse parts of France Edmund called De Langley Duke of Yorke and Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Langcaster both Sonnes of Edward the third King of England having obtained diverse glorious Victories against the Castilians in favours of the Kinges of Portugall sought to bee ejected by the saide Castilians not-the-lesse where-of they did at length marrie the two Daughters of Peter King of Castile who dying without other Children the saide Iohn of Gaunt who was married to the eldest did stile him-selfe King of Castile and passe from Gascoigne then being vnder the English Dominion into Castile with 8000 Footmen 2000 Horse where he did quickly make himselfe Master almost of the whole Countrey but partlie by Famine then in Castile and secondlie because of new Troubles betwixt the English and French then in Gascoigne and thirdlie by reason of hote Broyles in England which was likelie to cut him from succourse of his Friends hee did transact with most honourable and advantagious conditions even at his owne option that his onelie Daughter and Chylde should marrie the eldest Sonne of the Castilian King that him-selfe should haue the present Possession and profites of foure chiefe Townes of Castile with sixtie hundreth thousand Frankes in Argent Content to defray his Charges and fourtie thousand Franks of yearlie Rent What then shall wee thinke but the English who are the naturall Off-spring of those generose Stockes haue also braue Mindes and aboundance of Cowrage to invade by way of just and necessarie VVarre their olde and sworne Enemies of Castile if they were once set on edge after this long Intervale of Peace Haue they not all the whyle bene exclayming agaynst the dayes of Peace And was it not much for a pacificke King to contayne them Did they not yearne after the Spanyard as Hounds long kept vp after Hares And may we not hope that Armies which bee not verie grosse well disciplined vvell armed and vvell mayntayned can doe great thinges in Portugall being of so easie accesse and recept when wee reade of Scanderbeg or of the late Prince of Transylvania or in our owne Annals of VVilliam VVallace what Miracles were done by small numbers against worlds of Men It is the LORD who stirreth vp the Heart to persecute Pryde and punish Tyrants it is Hee who doeth deliver into the Hands of Israel their mightie Enemies 2000 Men that Charles the eight of France gaue to his Cosin Henrie Earle of Richmond were sufficient for him to passe into England and giue Battell to Richard the third the Tyrant and to slay him The Kingdome of Spaine was once alreadie as I haue related taken from Roderico a licentious Prince by 12000 Moores But to returne to the particular Navarre or Portugall shall bee the first Revolters from Spayne when-so-ever the tyme shall come where-in GOD hath appoynted to dissipate that Empyre there shall the Stone bee first moved which rolling along shall bruise and breake the Hornes there-of Portugall must bee the chiefe Port of our Hopes in Spayne The World holdeth that His Majestie of Great Britane and the Hollanders his protected Confederates haue more Shipping than will command the whole Occean let bee to get footing in Portugall or to stop the Trafficke of the West Indees And if wee would make a likelie Conjecture what they are able to doe in Portugall let vs but call to mynde what great Conquests were made by the Portugals them-selues with no great numbers of Ships as is showne in the former part of this Discourse There bee manie yet alyue who know that when those few of England and Holland did last invade and tooke the Towne of Cales King Philip did presentlie sende for his Galleyes of Naples and Sicilia and would haue borrowed from Genua and Malta hee called his Forces out of Britanie and had beene compelled to call Home all that hee had anie where if the English had remayned longer It is greatlie to bee marveled why the Ritches of the VVest Indees should not before now haue allured both English Flemmings and others who are powerfull by Sea those beeing the Treasures that doe fortifie and assure the Spanish Tyrannie The Romanes and Carthagenians when they began to flowrish and to haue mutuall Iealousies fore-seeing that Sicilia beeing a Store-House of fyne Cornes and People was
the thing which would determine their Emulation as I haue said before they fought cruell Battels for it The Carthagenians had it and lost it often At length it did incline to the Romanes and with it the Soveraignitie also of Empyre Wee cannot erre to thinke that never a Monarch or mightie State did possesse such probable Meanes and such inexhaustable Mines more commodious for Extension and vniversalitie of Dominion as are the West Indees to the Spanyard if hee bee suffered to enjoye them peaceablie together with the other ritch Mines of Silver and great Revenewes that hee hath else-where Plinius helde Spayne the ritchest for Silver Mines in the World then in his tyme It is wonderfull sayde hee to see one onlie Silver Mine in Spayne broken vp by Hanniball and which yeelded to him 300 pound weight daylie to continue still now vnder Vespasian Hee hath diverse of the most fruitfull and questuous Countreyes of Europe as Naples Milane Sicilie Flanders beeing all of the Superlatiue Degree for Ritches and for vertuous Traffickes which are the Fountaynes from whence Ritches flow so it is indeed for wee reade in the Histories that Charles the fift of Spayne Emperour did draw yearlie more Moneyes out of the Dutchie of Milan than King Francis the first who lived with him did from whole France and more out of the Low-Countreyes than the King of England of his whole Kingdomes This is affirmed by French Wryters It beeing so may not I say with good vvarrand that saving Fatalitie and the secret providence of GOD the Kinges of Spayne shall bee once Masters of the Occidentall Worlde except that Neighbour Princes and States take it more in heart to oppose him than hither-to they haue done Bioâ— the Philosopher sayde that Money was the Nerue of Action and of all the Effayres of Men. And of him sayeth Plutarch that his speach doeth most touch the Actions of Warre where-in there was no doing at all without Money For why sayde hee a Captayne hath onlie two thinges to goe about eyther to draw Men together for Services of Warre or being together to leade them to their Services vvhere-of he can doe neyther vvithout Money Thucitides sayth that the People of Pelop. did often vexe them-selues and over-runne their owne Territories by short Warres and small Exployts because of their Povertie and want of Money to attende Warres The Foundator of that State Lycurgâ—s having by a Law prohibited the vse of Money there Agesil their King were into Aegypt with great Forces to bee mercenarie and serue for Money where-with hee might bee able to keep VVarres agaynst the Theb. who had almost ruinated his Countrey Alexander the Great before hee enterpryzed his VVarres did alienate what-so-ever hee had for provision of Money leaving no-thing to him-selfe but Hope Pompey the Great the tyme of his VVarres in Spayne agaynst Sertorius hee wrote to the Senate that if they did not sende him quicklie store of Money his Armie would goe from that Province Hanniball after he had defeated the Romanes by three great Battels did wryte as much to Carthage So if Money bee the strength of humane Actions as Bion sayde and principallie of Warre as Plutarch did subjoyne I say it is a thing no lesse than fearfull to suffer the Spanyard to brooke peaceablie his Traffique of the West Indees having there-by a greater meanes to enlarge his Dominions than either Rome or anie others haue hitherto had that of Rome was the greatest of anie tymes past Plinius calleth it a Sunne-shyning to the World but when their Towne was taken by the Gaules who were irritated by the vnjust dealing of the three Fabli they were forced to robbe their People of their whole Golde and Silver and did scarcelie finde so much as to pay the Ransome manie yeares there-after when they were so broken by Hanniball they were compelled to doe the same and were in such paine for want of Money that they had no meanes to redeeme 8000 Prisoners who were taken by him at the Battell of Cannas Now I doe not doubt but some Men will thinke that I haue sayde too much in affirming That the West Indees and Moneyes which the Spanyard hath may by length and tract of Tyme purchase vnto him the Western VVorld therefore I would preasse to show it this way By posing the Case that two things may concurre together which are possible enough to meere by progresse of Tyme First If the Spanyard should light at once vpon the lyke Treasure as hee got at the taking in of Peru where there was such plentie of Golde and Silver that the Bottle of Wyne was solde for 300 Duckates there a Spanish Cape at 1000 a Gennet of Spayne at 6000. And besides the fift part of all Moneyes generall in that Countrey payed to the King Charles the fift the king there-of Atabalipa payed to him for his Ransome ten Millions three hundreth twentie and sixe thousand Duckates in pure Golde at one tyme which was the first thing that made in these Countreyes of Europe the great alteration of all sorte of Merchandize Vivers and of the pryces of Land and al-most of the Manners of Men even as it fell out in Rome when Iul. Caes. brought thither the ritch Spoyles and Treasures of Aegypt that made vpon the sudden the Vsurie of Money to be diminished by the one halfe and the pryce of Land to be haughted by the other halfe For the second I put the Case that together with this Casualitie the Spanyard should finde the Humours of France so easie to bee practised and such Distemper and Distraction of Myndes amongst them as his Grand-father Philip the second did finde then when hee broached the holie League in France If these two should meere I put it to anie Man's contemplation if anie lesse could follow there-on than the conjunction of France to the Empyre of Spayne which Philip had even then obtayned if his Conquest of Portugall had not diverted him from it And may not these supposed two Cases arriue and come to passe together Vnlesse the vigilance and diligence of Neighbour Princes doe stop the Wayes where-by they must come assuredlie it is a thing most possible for why the French how-so-ever after they be beaten with the Miseries and Calamities of Warre they can for a whyle bee content to refresh them-selues with Peace and Quyetnesse yet that is but a Digression or a By-Strype from the Current of their naturall Humour which is to be volage and remoueant much delighted with present things having no long Projectes given to Change both of Apparell and Mynde joviall and of open Conversation of easie Familiaritie of amiable Countenance never silent but still in Complement and Discourse full of Noble and Courteous Carriage inclined to all sort of Gallantriâ— which doeth require great Charges of moderate Devotion suden and precipitant in their Resolutions and loving Innovations of State aboue all things that it is a wonder to see such Antipathie
everie Man doeth fill his own Spheare and everie Man's estate is a Kingdome to him-selfe Perseus that mightie King having beside him infinite Treasures and refusing to bestow some of them to Gentius a Neighbour-prince and others who offered to combate the Romanes in Italie he suffered them to over-throw him-selfe in his owne Countrey Darius cōmitted the lyke Errour with Alexander and Stephanus King of Bosna the lyke with Mabomet the second as I haue remembered before wee may prayse GOD that wee haue not such avaricious Kings What is it that good and naturall Subjects will not doe for the safetie of the Sacred Persons of their Kings Let bee of their Kingdomes vvhere-in wee haue our Portion and common Interesse with them We may reade in the Histories of France what domage that Countrey did sustaine for the liberation of their King Iohn taken by Edward the Blacke Prince of England at the Battell of Poiteou and of King Francis the first taken at the Battell of Pavie and in our owne Histories what our Predecessours did for the redemption of King David Bruce led Captiue in England and there detained eleven yeares Liberatus sayeth the Historie undecimo ex qu◠captus est anno numeratis quingentis millibus Mercarum Sterlingarum in presenti moneta Hee was redeemed vpon payment of fiue hundreth thousand Marks Sterling in argent contant A thing most admirable the scarcitie of Moneyes in those dayes considered If a Physition should cōmand vs in time of a dangerous Sicknesse to take a little Blood for preservation of the whole Bodie wee should bee glad to obey him why not by the like reason when our King who cureth and careth for the Bodie of the Common-wealth doeth command vs to bestow some of our Goods for safetie of our whole Estate ought wee not to obey if wee were versed in the French Annals to know what innumerable spoile of Goods was there before the Spanyards could bee pyked out of the Nests which they did build vpon their Coasts and with-in their Bowels wee would bee content to spende to our Shirt as it is saide before they should plant their Tents amongst vs. I haue alreadie told you how they are of Melancholious and fixed Mindes not easilie raysed or remooved where once they are set downe where-of wee see the present experience into the Palatinate To take and then to giue backe againe is not the way of their Designe to vniversall Empyre over their Neighbours If anie would object that the Palatinate is detayned for Reparation of the Wrongs and Injuries done in Bohemia hee hath little skill in the Effaires of the VVorld for why these might haue bene long since composed or redressed but it is done to facilitate their Conquest in Germanie to enclose the Nether-Landes from Succourse of their Friendes there and to open a Gate into England by length of Tyme vvhen they shall finde the Occasion fitting So that if the Kings of Great Britane and France together with their Confederates of Germanie the Netber-Lands doe not joyne their Forces to banish them tymouslie from the Palatinate as the Romanes did the Carthagenians from Sicilia vvhich I did note in the beginning here-of doubtlesse they vvill bee vpon their owne Neckes at the length There vvas a great Intervale of Tyme betwixt the first and second Warres of the Romanes against the Carthagenians and yet the last did come to passe and there-with the vtter over-throw of the Carthagenian State And here I must recount a thing vvhich I haue often called to mynde since His Majesties comming from Spayne and that the Treatie of his Marriage did there expyre how I my selfe the yeare of their Pacification vvith Holland beeing in the Towne of Brussels in familiar discourse touching our late Soveraigne his cōming to the Crowne of England vvith a Scottish Gentle-man of a fine Wit Experience In-sight in the Spanish Designes and vvho had beene long tyme a Coronell and Counsellor of Warre amongst them Coronell Semple hee sayd to me That al-be-it King Iames vvas an aged wise Prince vvho had providently practized his peaceable Entrie to England that yet he vvas much beholden to that Tyme so fortunate as it vvas for him vvhen Spayne being so broken vvith longsome VVarres had al-most begged their Peace frō Holland And how-so-ever sayd he your King may be free of vs during his lyfe yet if ye shall surviue him ye shall see no more Peace betwixt England and Spayne adding vvith-all this Speach Laus non solum hominum est sed etiam temporum Where-vnto I did answere that by these it seemed that the Spanyard intended to conquer England Then he rehearsed to me the manie notable Injuries done to them by the English Nation by their prowde and fascuous ejection of King Philip before the death of Marie by their fostering of their Rebels in Flanders by their protection of Don Antonio King of Portugall and ayding of him vvith Sea Armies but namelie by their ordinarie Sea Rapines and insolent Navigation vvithout the controlling and coercing vvhere-of Spayne could not be in so good Case as vvas hoped for to be in progresse of Tyme And in the ende hee did subjoyne thus farre If your Catholicke Noble-men of Scotland with whom my selfe sayd he did negotiate from Spayne had bene wyse and constant your Countrey might haue bene long before now in a twentie-folde more happie Condition vnder the Dominion of Spayne than ever it can be vnder the Crowne of England the Yoake of whose Servitude and Tyrannie shall questionlesse become intollerable to you so soone as that King shall be gone who doeth so well know you for why by reason of their Vicinitie and nearnesse vnto you they shall be ever preassing to draw great Rents from you into England which cannot fayle to impoverish your Countrey where-as by the contrarie the Spanyard should not only spend it amongst your selues but should also yearlie send in great summes of Money to you according as he doeth here in Flanders in his other Provinces This Storie did I after my returning to London relate to His Majestie who is nowe with GOD and who having heard it did answere me That Semple was an olde Traytor and dangerous companie for his Subjects which went beyond the Seas Thus the Spanyardes know not when the Fish will swimme but they doe keepe their Tydes diligentlie and haue their Nets hung in all Mens Waters so that if anie of vs would thinke that the present Quarrell against Spayne is more sibbe to the King our Soveraigne than to vs by reason of the Palatinate it were absurd ignorance also For first granting it vvere so yet there can bee no Separation betwixt the Head and the Members whome GOD and Nature haue knit together there is none can loose Next agayne it is well knowne that our late King of blessed memorie could haue gotten to marrie his onlie Daughter greater and the greatest of Christian Princes if it
had not beene to prevent the falling of our Crowns Succession into the person of some Papisticall Prince to the dangering of the Libertie Evangelicall and Vnitie of this Kingdome of Great Britane of both which the LORD hath made Him-selfe the Instrument to establish them Our latest Histories doe record that Scotland England and Ireland haue alreadie beene almost devoured by Forraigne Ambition by way of Marriages with Papall Kings as of Queene Marie the Grand-mother of our present King with the Dolphin of France of Marie Queene of England to Philip the second King of Spayne vvhere-of vvhat Blood-sheeding Cruell Warres and Persecution of the Professors of the Gospell did follow even to publicke Martyrdome the Stories doe mention at length vvhich moved our Proto Reformator Iohn Knoxe to publish that Treatise agaynst the Regiment or Reignes of Women If so be that the onlie Daughter of Great Britane and of that King capable of the greatest Marriage in Christendome vvas couched in so narrow Bounds out of the holie Projects of her Father to assure the Peace and Liberties of this Kingdome to vs our Successours then can anie Quarrell in the World be so deare to vs more pricke our Consciences and Honour nor the Restitution of her Estate although the Spanyard were resolved to march his Ambition there and come no farther Having treated thus farre concerning VVarre or the necessitie of Warre with Spaine I come now to speake of things that may breede into vs Distraction of Myndes or Coldnesse of Affection towards this Businesse And first because it is most easilie answered vnto I vvill remember how it did sticke in manie Mens Teeth and could not at the first bee digested that vvee did not know no not the Lords of our Counsell vvhat vvas the Course of His Majesties Navie that a publicke Fast and Praying vvas enjoyned for the successe of vvee know not what and that this Fast vvas not limitated but during the King's vvill contrarie the Custome of the Scottish Church and diverse from anie Example to bee found in Scripture The last of these two being a Question Theologicall and impertinent to this Discourse I will not touch But for the first I say and it is approved in all Ages that nothing doeth more advance great Enterpryses than Secrecie so farre that Secrecie is the verie Soule of the Actions of Kings and their Secrets once published are but lyke vented Wyne which can no more be drunken And most actiue Princer haue brought to passe amongst puissant Enemies most noteable Exploits onlie by meanes of Secrecie as wee doe finde speciallie in the lyues of Iulius Caesar Charles the fift Emperour Lewis the eleventh of France whose cover Plots secret Friendes Voyages Dyets and Dayes of Battell were kept in their Breasts vnto the time of present Execution which kinde of doing was the chiefest thing that made them so redoubted and feared of all their Enemies as the Spanyard even to this day delighteth to holde his Neighbours in perpetuall feare by this secrecie of Counsels and Courses Withall I doe confesse that such doing requireth a solide wisdome in Princes and that other-wise it vvere verie dangerous in the meane time it is sure that wee who bee private Subjects are not to craue a Compt of their Counsels no more than the Members of the Bodie doe question for that which they are commanded to doe by the intellectuall Reason that lodgeth in the Head The next Point shall bee to consider of our Doubts and Feares Domesticke as I did terme them in the beginning and first touching the Reformation or Innovation of Counsell and Session intended by His Majestie It is certaine that Princes both may and ought to reforme and if they please innovate where there is neede there being no meanes in this corruptible World to keepe things in due temper but after long progresse of Time and growing of Abuses to reduce them to their first Institution Plato holdeth that an the length GOD shall reforme the Worke of the whole World and reduce it to the first Puritie and that other-wise it is not able to endure and stand I know not how that accordeth with Sainct Iohn Apoc. who sayeth That wee shall see new Heavens and a new Earth And a great Politicke saide That if some late reformed Franciscan Friers and the late Order of the austere Caputchines bad not risen to maintaine some credite to the Pope's Church that it had beene before now disgustfull even to all the World by reason of his obstinate denyall to reforme his Church against the nature of thinges But to the Purpose◠There is indeede no small importance in the Auncietie of Senators long experienced in the Mysteries of a State and with the Humours and Conditions of a People◠and these are onelie they who can bee called Olde Counsellers And diverse of the wisest Emperours sayde it was more dangerous to haue an olde King and a young Counsell nor a young King and an olde Counsell Where of wee see the good experience in the Spanish Government where the death of a King doeth no more interrupt the Course and prosperitie of that Empyre than it were of anie private person The verie Name it selfe of a Senator doeth signifie Agednesse as a Senectute The Greekes called the Senate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to show that both Greekes and Latines did choose aged Men to their Counsellers yea suppose they could haue found numbers of young Men Wyse Graue and of good Experience yet they would not haue them to bee Senators because that were said they to turne their Senate into a Iuvenat Solon and Lycurgus did prohibite by a Law the comming of anie vpon the Senate with-in the age of 40 although they were never so sufficient But to leaue them the Scripture telleth vs which is a Warrand infallibl◠that in the setling of the Iewish Governamēt GOD commanded to choose 70 not of the best nor the most learned nor of greatest experience but sayeth the text Of the most Aged to whom Hee gaue the Spirit of Wisdome in aboundance Yet whilst it is so even good Politickes of the latter Tymes and consequentlie of greater Experience will holde the Opinion that it is expedient for the Common-wealth to change and innovate Magistrates and for it they doe bring this Reason They tell vs that the ende of good Governament is Vertue and the scope of everie prudent Prince should bee to render his Subjects Vertuous and therefore the Rewards of Vertue which are publicke Offices of the State ought to bee patent to everie vertuous Mynde and the Hopes of them set before it as the Marke where-at it must aime which cannot bee if Offices of State be lyfe-rentallie established in the Persons of a Few who whilst they and onlie they doe enjoy the publicke Honours and Emoluments it doeth beget an Heart-burning and Envy into other good Spirits who finde themselues neglected and so doeth breede
of Christendome haue beene so Blinde-folded or Hood-winked that they could not perceiue the Fearfull Encrease of the Church Rents and Ritches with the Pernicious Evils bred and brought in with them vnto the time that things were past remedie almost and that the Church had nearlie devoured the State in everie part We reade in the Histories that before the Separation of the Church of Rome made by LUTHER tryall being taken and Explorations by Kings and States who began to bee jealous of the Church Ritches it was found that through all the Christian Countreyes of Europe the hundreth part of the People did possesse the tenth part of the Revenewes of all at least aboue the Fisque of Testaments of Lands and Mooueables largelie legaced to them Wee finde againe in the French Wryters that the Yeare 1513 the like Search beeing curiouslie made in France it was proved that the whole Rents and Emoluments of that Countrey being set to twelue parts the Ecclesiasticall Persons did possesse seaven there-of there being found by this Disquisition with-in the Provinces of France 12 Archbishoprickes 104 Bishopricks â—40 Abbayes 27400 Curiesâ— and danger to haue beene hudge manie moe Curies if Pope Iohn the twentie two had not abolished the Decreet of Pope Nicolaus who permitted that all Mendicant Religious should enjoy the Fruits of Lands left to them by Laicke Persons the propertie of the Land being sayde to belong to the Popes them-selues An impudent Subtiltie to cover the Violation of the Mendicant his oath of Povertie seeing as the Law sayeth The Proprietie is vnprofitable to one where the Vsu-fruit is perpetuall to another So that Kings and States perceiving that if this kind of Claudestine Purchase of the Church and the daylie growing of her Ritches were not interrupted their People Territories would by tyme be stollen away They begaÌ„ everie-where almost to intercept it King Edward the first of England prohibited by a Law that anie Church-Man should conquish Lands or succeed to Legacies King Henrie the eight tooke from the Church King Charles the fift of Spayne made the lyke Prohibition to the former in the Low-Countreyes agaynst Church-Conquishes and Legacies And at this day the Venetians besides the Exterminion of the Iesuites haue done the same and so haue Florence and other Princes of Italiâ— done the lyke Otherwise it had come to passe with-in few Yeares that whole Italie had bene as one Closter But wee are not to bee jealous of this point here our Church is plagued with the contrarie Extreame Comming now according to the Order proposed in the beginning of this Treatise to speake of our Conceived Feares for the Reformation intended of Tythes first it is a Question of Theologie and I am no Doctor there next it belongeth but per accidens to this Purpose lastlie it is a Subject vnplausable to treat of in this Tyme by anie who would speake vprightlie But as Sainct Iohn sayeth The Trueth shall make thee Free I shall neede no other Apologie but to follow the Veritie in that I meane to write where-of I shall make no long Discourse which were both impertinent and vnnecessarie in a thing so current well vnderstood alreadie and so largelie learnedlie written of by manie both Scottish English but restraining my selfe to two or three Circumstances where-of some haue not beene remarked by anie that I haue yet read vpon this Argument The Originall Mention of Tythes in the Scripture by the Practise of AbrahaÌ„ in Genesisâ— The devoting of theÌ„ by GOD'S own Mouth to Moses in Leviticus the End Vse of theÌ„ in Deuternomie And the ExecratioÌ„ Cursing of things once devoted made sacred by GOD Himselfe in Numbers in Ioshua are Texts so cleare indisputable that at least for the tyme of the Law no Man doth questioÌ„ All that we goe about who be Opponents to Evangelicall Decimation is to enforce that Tenthes were ceremoniall in the Mosaicke ending with Consummatum est and haue no warrand in the Gospell where CHRIST in two places only doth speak of Tythes of the Mint and Annise These ought yee to haue done and not omit the other And againe in Luke comparing betwixt the Publicane and Pharisee who vaunted of the just Payment of his Tenthes CHRIST did blame onlie his Ostentation not his Payment of the Tenthes To both which Places wee make this Answere That at that time the Ceremoniall Law was in full strength and aye vntill Consummatuâ—â—est And for that respect CHRIST did suffer the Payment of Teâ—â—es And wee say Seeing CHRIST hath changed both the Priesthood and the Law and supplied their Rowmes and hath given no Order for the Church Revenewes of Tenthes therfore he hath abolished the same Againe CHRIST about the sending foorth of His Apostles and speaking of their Mayntaynance Matth. 10. Provide neither Silver nor Golde in your Purses for the Worke-man is worthie of his Meat Here he maketh no MeÌ„tion at all of Tenthes as the Place did require in Case the Tenthes had bene due to the Church Thus wee cast it over to the Apostles and there wee doe also pretend the same Argument That where Sainct Paul 1. Cor. 9. doth pleade at large for Mayntaynance he keepeth him-selfe vpon Generall Termes without anie Mention of Tenthes who feedeth a Flocke doeth not eate of the Milke thereof If we haue sowne Spirituall things to you is it a great thing if we reape your carnall thinges Thou shalt not muzzell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corne. And so we say albeit CHRIST and His Apostles haue allowed Livinges for Preachers yea let theÌ„ bee never so ample yet they haue not tyed vs to a nuÌ„ber wherevnto the Answeres are made that Sainct Paul in the same Chapter hath included the Tenthes by the Generall in these wordes Hee that ministreth about holie thinges must liue of the Temple and the Wayters on the Altar on the thinges thereof That by the things of the Temple and the Altar are signified the Tenthes albeit hee did not expresse it in regarde they vvere then in the Hands of the Pharisees and could not be challenged nor gotten by Law by Private and Poore Men as the Apostles were but contrarie should haue increased the Malice of the Iewes agaynst them in Case they had beene sought Farther we studie to proue that Tythes were Ceremoniall First by reasoÌ„ of an Absolute Only Place whervnto they were broght to Hierusalem Secondly because of the Number whereby speciallie we contend to exclude the Moralitie of Tenths astrict them to a Ceremonie seeing Naturall ReasoÌ„ would as wel alow the Eleventh as the Tenth Portion or the Twelft rather because the Levites were one of the xij Tribes And lastly for their Employment at HierusaleÌ„ as we haue it Deut. 14. If the way be long that thou art not able to carrie thy Tenthes where the Lord hath chosen to set His Name then thou shalt turne
are Cormorants and wicked Dionysians they doe yearne after the Prey and would there-by to their vtter confusion purchase a Fielde of Blood they consume their Goods with Sacrilegious Impudence Boldnesse in Courtlie Braverie Herein any Man may see how the one sort of them doe vrge vs with the Church Policie which say they was vnder the Apostles Presbyterian but they would haue the Livings of our latter tymes The other sort concurre with them in Policie but vpon Condition That for Mayntaynance they will embrace the Apostolicke Povertie to the ende that they may enjoye the Church Patrimonie themselues Therefore may it not be justlie sayd to the Laycie Factious That they oght eyther to denude themselues of Ecclesiasticke Goods or provide themselues of other Teachers than such as daylie condemn theÌ„ to their Fact that they shold not be so shamelesse as to vtter one worde agaynst the present Governament of the Church or the RepetitioÌ„ of Tythes to the Church vntill they haue done eyther the one or the other lest otherwyse they bee despysed as Men vvho make some little show of Religion but haue none at all Now if anie Man doe hold sincerelie that Tythes are not due to GOD I am sure that he will yet grant that a Competent Portion vnder some other Number must be for the Worship of GOD and Works of Pietie And if the Retention of Tythes be Sacriledge there is a fearful Curse pronounced against it Malach. 3. A Curse of the Devourer Because sayth the LORD yee haue robbed my Tythes and left no Meat in my Store-house And is this the only Meat of Priests that is robbed heere No but this is also the Store-house of the People Non ex solo pane vivit homo sayeth the Spirit of GOD Man doeth not onely liue vpon Bread but on everie Word that doeth proceed from the Mouth of GOD. There must be into the House of GOD store of the Bread of Lyfe of that Heavenlie Manna which feedeth our Soules and this cannot be without sufficient Provision of Temporall Bread to the Preachers of the Word Labia Sacerdotis custodâ—â—nâ— legam DEI in pectore ejus conduntur or acula divina Certaynlie the Poverâ—ie of the Church doeth make a scarce vnlearned Ministerie Amongst the Persecutions of the Christian Religion recorded in Histories there are two most remarkable one vnder Dioâ—lesian another vnder Iulian called the Apostate The first of them did slay the Priests not the lesse wherof the Christian Fayth did so greatlie flowrish as it was thence forth sayd Sanguis Martyâ—◠〈◊〉 Ecclesiae The Blood of the Martyrs was the Semmarie of the Church But the second did supplant Religion in a more pitthie and pernicious sort albeit it was not bloodie he robbed the Church Revenewes where-thorow both Preaching and Christian Schooles did decay Occidere Presbyteros parum erat To slay the Priests it was a small thing which Dioclesian did compared with the insidious Opposition of Iulian Ipse enim occidit Presbyterium He cutted the Throat of the Presbytâ—riall Possession Wherethorow great Ignorance did shortlie after ensue for as Theodoreâ— wryteth Who would go to spend their Youth in the Studie of Theologie to haue no Mayntaynance in their Age And here vpon this faire Occasion I must remember the Neglect of that moste Royall and Necessarie Policie of Plantation of a Sufficient Ministerie Schooles of Learning and Burgall Societies in our Northerne Yles and Hie-Landes of Scotland for Exterminion of Berbaritie and Incorporation of that People to the Bodie of this Kingdome vvho for the present haue no Markes to bee Natiue Members there-of neyther by their Manners their Habite nor their Language the three speciall Evidences of Naturall Vnion For as for RELIGION that doeth moste vnite of anie thing I thinke they know none The Necessitie and Mayne Importance of this Policie is verie soone seene For in the Assurednesse and Strength of Borders doeth chiefelie consist the Suretie of a great State Agayne everie one knoweth howe there is not a better Meanes to reduce a People naturallie fierce and rebellions to Obedience than by infusing into the Heartes of them the Loue of Knowledge and of Civill Carriage vvhere-of vvee haue a most proper Example and most pertinent heere of the Romanes vvho by that kynde of Artes did goe about to breake and addouce the Bellicose Cowrage of our owne Predecessours in BRITANE as wee reade of AGRICOLA vvho vvas Generall heere of the Romane Legions vnder the Emperour DOMITIAN sayeth Taciâ—us I am vero Principum filios liberalibus artibus erudire ingenia BRITANNORUM studiis GALLORUM anteferre ut qui modo lingaam Roman abnuebaent eloquentiam concupiscerent â—ude etiam hâ—bitus nostri honor frequens togâ— paâ—latimque discessum ad delinimenta â— vitiorum porticus balnea conviviorum elegantiam idquâ— apud imperitâ—s humaâ—itas vocabatur cum pars servitutis esset The luchantment in some of the Romane Schooles then made the Britans 〈◊〉 despyse piece and piece their owne Manners and roughnesse of their owne Language and brought them to Admiration of the Romane Tongue and loue of their Apparrell and at length to Softnesse and Delicacie of Lyfe by which thinges they did for the tyme greatlie effeminate their Myndes That our Yles and Hie-Landes haue nowe great neede to bee tamed by the lyke Artes beeing a Dangerous Rebellious and Vncivill People it is verie easilie proved for our Scottish Historie is full of it That those Yles and Northerne partes haue not onelie beene Portes and Receptacles of Forraigne Armies invading our Countrey and a Sanctuarie for Domesticke Rebelles but the Lordes of the Yles haue manie tymes threatned the Crowne of SCOTLAND and haue foughten Bloodie and Desperate Battels for it VVe reade in our Historie that our King Findocus after hee had bene afflicted with the mightie Rebellions of Donaldus vvho styled himselfe King of the Yles hee was in ende murdered by his Insidiâ—tion and the King succeeding to him called also Donaldus vvas slayne by the same Man in open Battell after the vvhich he did vsurpe the Crowne of SCOTLAND and exercised most bloodie Tyrannies for the Extinction of the greatest part of the Nobilitie Againe vnder King Ethâ—inus another Donaldus of the Yles did so boldlie revolt that hee came vvith displayed Banners to the Countrie of GALLOWAY and all-to-gether spoyled it The thirde Donaldus of the Yles in the tyme of KING IAMES the first his beeing in ENGLAND hee did oppresse and subdue our vvhole Northerne partes yea even to the Honourable Citie of ABERDENE vvhich hee intended to destroy if he had not bene diverted and drawne to that famous Battell of HARâ—-LAW vvhere so manie Barones Knights Honourable Gentle-Men and Burgesses of best sort did lose their Lyues These serue for sufficient Documents to after-comming Princes for there is nought that hath beene vvhich may not come to passe agayne Tyme it selfe beeing but a Circulation of the same things These Examples did
moue the valiant wyse King Robert Bruce in his Testamentall Counsels to his private Friends it being the Minoritie of his Sonne to leaue this Direction Tanquam arranum imperii vel domus Augusti That there shold never be a Lord nor great Man in the Yles but they shold remaine perpetuallie impropriate to the Crown Ea-enim oportunitate saith the Writer sitae sunt eaque incolaruÌ„ mobilitas ut levissimam 〈◊〉 causam ad rebellionem impelluntur nec deficientes facile reducantur As much I say of our Hie-Landes That in all Ages by-gone haue beene the Strong Refuge of Bloodie Traytors and those vvho haue violated the Sacred Lyâ—es of our Kinges for the which Cause we reade very neare to the beginnings of this Kingdome that Evenus the second who was but the fourteenth King from the first having with much Businesse repressed the Tyrannie of Gillus who pretended to be King and trusted himselfe to the Rebellious Hie-lands and Yles Thereafter for the better assuring of that Barbarous People and reducing of them to Civill Knowledge and Carriage hee builded two Cities in two severall Countreyes Ennernesse which is to this day a flowrishing Towne in the Northerne partes and Ennerlochtie vpon Loch-Tay And in our owne tymes we haue seene amongst them such Proude and Incorrigible Oppressions of Neighbour People such Cruelties and Nefarious Perpetrations as if they did not feare eyther GOD or the Devill Whyles the Romanes were so politicke in Britane is it not much more easie for His Majestie who now governeth here to reforme that 〈◊〉 by frequent Plantation of GOD'S VVord which of all thinges is the greatest Dauâ—ter of the Mynd Certaynlie it is more easie by twentie to one more necessarie for His Majestie to performe than it was for the Romanes then The Perfect Plantation chiefely of these Yles with Burgall Cities Civill People and Christian Clergie were a most Glorious and Emperiall VVorke For besides the clozing of that Backe-Doore to the Suretie of the Crowne and Quietitude of the Kingdome it should be the Meanes to erect the Fishing of our Scottish Seas a Ritch Trade esteemed sufficient for the Employment of 50000 Persons a thing of great Consequence for our Countrey wherein there be even Swarmes of Indigent Necessitous People and a thing of greater Importance to the yearlie Finances of the Crowne than anie that hath bene excogitate in tymes by-gone The Discourse of the Nature of Tythes hath carried mee too farre from the Poynt thereof which is most proper for this Treatise that is Of what Discontentment may justlie aryse to vs by reason of the Reformation intended by His Majestie of Tythe-Abuses or Oppressions done by Tythe-Masters vvhere-in I neede not to insist much to debate it for if Oppression bee a Crying Sinne it will speake for it selfe I haue onelie two Words If the Noble-man can put a Bridle in a Gentlemans Month by any Right to his Tenthes although hee were his Nearest Kinsman hee can as everie Man seeth command him as his Horse Hee causeth the Poore Labourers of the Ground to leade his Tythes to a Milne perhaps to his Barne-Yard too and whereas they vvere illuded in the beginning of Reformation of Religion in Scotland and made to belieue that they should pay but the Fifteenth Sheaffe now it is so rigorouslie exacted that if there bee a Stucke ruffled with the Weather or with the Beasts that the Tenth-master will not haue hee must haue the best And in place to shaue the Poore Man's Haire gentlie by a Violent Pull hee bringeth with him a Portion of his Hyde If Reformation of these bee intended it is no Matter of Discontentment but of Common Ioye yea even to Noble-men it should bee so that the Wayes of Oppression bee stopped for stopping the Current of GOD'S Wrath against them or their Posteritie I doe reverence the Iudgements of GOD and will not take on mee definitiuelie to pronounce wherefore Hee doeth inflict them a Case oftentymes hidden from the Eyes of Men But surelie it is great Pittie to see the Desolation of so manie Honourable Houses as haue beene overthrowne in this Land since the first casting downe of Churches and Religious Houses and turning of Tythes into Temporall Goods And if Noble-men were to brooke them still they shall doe well to agree to the Reformation of Abuses or which were better in my Opinion for them and all others to submit our selues to GOD and to the goodnesse of our Prince who hath alreadie by publicke Declaration manifested the Benignitie of his Meaning towards these things that all Rights of his Subjects lawfullie purchased shall bee confirmed everie Man shall haue his Tythes vpon easie Conditions which seemeth agreeable to their first Institution by GOD where the Payer and his Familie were admitted to the Participation of Tythes and that all Men shall bee fred from Servitude and forced Dependances And since Tythes are Bona Eceles Bona Pauperum Bona Reip. there is no doubt but a Christian King who is Father of the Church of the Poore of the Common-wealth may dispense and dispose of them and of Ecclesiasticke Effayrs as David did and Salomon and the Christian Emperours in the Primitiue Church which is the Reason why in their Coronation they were anoynted with the Oyle of the Priesthood why the Kinges of England were at their Inauguration cloathed Stola sacerdo tall to testifie their Ecclesiasticke Power The CHURCH is sacred and so is the Common-wealth the CHURCH being served and the Poore who be Members of the CHURCH and Schooles provided for the Prince may employ the Superplus as they shall please for the Common-wealth But now because the speciall Scope of this Treatise is to show as well the Necessitie of makeing Warre as the Meanes to doe the same therefore I must speake of one thing vvhich appeareth to bring a notable Inconvenient and Diâ—tresse to this Tyme if it bee not prevented and that is the great Scarcitie that shall bee of readie Money in this Countrey before it bee long by reason that the greatest part of our best Coyne is either exported by Merchands or looked vp in their Hands and by reason of the exorbitant Summes that His Majestie must of necessitie daylie sende beyond Seas for mayntaynance of the Warres where-anent before I set downe my Opinion touching the Stabilitie or Iustabilitie of Money-Pryces in Scotland I will say some-what of the Nature thereof in generall for Disquisition vvhereof I vvill goe no farther backe in Antiquitie than to the Romanes vvho before their first Punicke Warres to vvit Anno 490 of their State had no other Coyne but of the Asse in Brasse because the Septentrion Regions wherin there be Mines of Silver but not of Golde the Indees where there bee both of Silver and Golde were vnknowne to them at that time some yeares before they had Gold but neither in Coyne nor in Quantitie Camillus beeing Dictator when Rome was taken by the Gaules Anno
those thinges from Merchands to the Coyning-house with strict Penall Statutes against any more of that kynde for Apparell Which things when I consider they giue mee Boldnesse to say That His Majestie our Soveraigne should doe well to ordaine all the vncoyned Golde and Silver in Scotland to bee brought in and stamped in Current Money It is in the Hands of Noble-men Barons and Burgesses who can lose nothing by it but by the Contrarie gaine for even they them-selues in the meane time doe more delight to bee served in Glasse which of it selfe is as Civill and more Pure for that Vse And lest our Noble-men should thinke it Dishonourable to bee emptied of Ritch Cup-boards I will show how this sort of Thirst hath beene followed by great Personages without Indignitie Scipio Afric when hee died did leaue no more Silver Plate and Coyne both to his Heire than amounted to 32 pound weight and yet when hee roade in Triumph for the Subjugation of Carthage he did ostent publicklie and placed in the Exchecquer of the State an incredible Summe that hee obtained of the Conquered Quater millies quadringena septuagena millia pondo sayeth Plinius foure thousand foure hundreth and seaventie pound weight a thousand times counted About the same time as the same Author wryteth their best and most ancient Captaines were degraded for having fyne pound weight of Silver Plate to serue them at Table King Ferdinandus of Spaine called Magno having wholly exhausted both his Treasures his Credite in making loÌ„gsome Wars against the Infidels in Valenza Toledo for want of readie Meanes in daÌ„ger to be oppressed by those Barbarians his Wyfe a Ladie of an excelleÌ„t Spirit did put to Port Sale not onlie al her Gold Silver Plate and precious Iewels but also all her best Furniture of her Palaces yea and the richest Pieces of her bodilie Apparrell vvhereby she did furnish her Husband in such sort that he prevayled mightily over his Enemies and conquered their Cities with large Treasures and Commodities therein The French Storie showeth that King Charles the ninth did reduce vpon vrgent Necessitie his whole Golde and Silver Plate into Coyne I need not here object agaynst our selues the Simplicitie of Manners of our Antecessours and their Ignorance of such Prodigalities but lest wee should thinke it base and ignominious to follow them I will tell you how Plinius in his tyme did wryte thus Before our Grand-fathers no Senator did weare Gold Rings and in the remembrance of our Grand-fathers those who had the Office of the Pretorship in their olde age did weare Rings of Yron Of his owne tyme agayne sayd hee all thinges that the Worlde by Land or Sea could produce were become so familiar sought for at Rome that everie yeare it did cost the State to furnish a Voyagâ— into India fiftie Millions of Sesterses for which the Indians did send backe their Merchandize which were solde at Rome for an hundreth tymes as much as they were bought for So bent are People to precipitate swiftlie and in short tyme to Corruption and Insolence vvhere they once find themselues in the Way that leadeth into it Nowe supposing there were aboundance of Money in the Countrey there can bee nothing more pertinent to a Treatise of this kynd than for saving thereof to Publicke Necessarie and Vertuous Vses to propound a thing whereof wee haue great neede and which hath bene frequentlie practized by the best greatest Common-wealths in the tyme of Exigeâ—ice and Distresse for want of Coyne to preserybe Moderation both of Dyet and Apparrell often tymes done by the Romanes and frequentlie since by the French and Venetians and by tymes everie-where It is well knowne howe farre wee haue deboarded in this sort since our Conjunction with England and I finde in our Historie that the lyke Abuses did creepe in amongst our Predecessours from the same Countrey to the manifest Danger of the Common-wealth then and that it was at two severall tymes grievouslie and pâ—â—hilie resented by the Counsel of Scotland to their Princes and Reformation vrged first vnder K. Malcolme the third whose Queene Margaret being English was attended with numbers of their Gentrie and much Introduction of Forraigne Manners Secondlie at the comming home of King Iames the first after manie yeares being in England by a notable Oration publicklie delivered to that ende by the Arch-Bishop of Sainct Andrewes for the time to which two Places I doe referre them who are curious to know how manie Wayes and how soone Prodigalitie and Ryot doe leade a State vnto Ruine And if wee would esteeme such Reformations to bee disagreeable with Noble and Generose Mynds it were to show the Povertie and Ignorance of our owne Mynde because in the Simplicitie of Manners and Moderation of Lyfe doeth consist all the Actiue Vertue of the Mightiest States there-vpon were Republicks founded Cities builded Lawes established Empyres extended the World conquered sayeth the same Author Plinius there was not a Baker knowne at Rome 580 yeares after her Plantation nor no Bread other than that which was driven out by Womens Hands lyke vnot the Cakes which are vsuall amongst our Commoners where-as in the ende that most puissant and invincible Empyre whome all the Nations of the Earth could not daunt was overthrowne by excessiue Prodigalitie of Lyfe as the Poet sayeth Nunc patimur longae pacis mala sevior armis Luxuria incubuit victumâ—que ulcâ—scitur orbem Finallie I will turne my Speach to You O Mightie King Orient Monarch of the Northerne World Successour of that Wise Salomon of Great Britane whose Heart so emptie of Ambition and Avarice The LORD His GOD did fill with the True Wisdome of Governament and did exalt Him as a new Pole-starre or Lanterne of Light to bee beheld a-farre and sought to by those who sayle into the Naufragious Seas of Southerne Darknesse The LORD indeede did employ Him as a SalomoÌ„ to the like Function of Building His TeÌ„ple for vnder Him was Poperie the Altars of Idolatrie casten down The Gospell planted in this Kingdome and the Church restored to the ancient Primitiue Governament That like vnto that solide Conjunction of the Tribes of Israel vnder SalomoÌ„ the Bodie of this whole Yle standeth firme and vnited and therefore would not GOD suffer Him to bee a Man of Warre nor those Hands to touch the Sword of Blood which he had concluded to vse to the Sacred worke of His Temple But Sir Your Majestie Hee hath chosen to be that David who should over-come and breake the mightie Enemies of his People I should be sorie to trouble Your Royall Eares with tedious Discourse yea if my shallow Wits could choose with one ydle Word I will but briefelie bring before Your Majestie some few of the Practises of Augustus Caesar whom all the Politicke Wryters and Histories since his Dayes haue set vp for a Perfect Examplar of Imitation to all the Actiue Princes of
bene better Princes than Titus Trajan vvhome the Histories doe call the Sâ—aviters and Delightes of Men and none so much as they did honour the Senate none againe more badde than Nero and Domisian who most of anie did vilipend the same We reade howe greatlie it was to the prayse of the French King Charles the fift called Le Sage vvho having received some Appellations and Complayntes from those of Guyen beeing for the tyme Subjects to the King of England vvhich when he remembered to bee done agaynst the Articles of Peace betwixt him and the sayde King hee conveaned his Parliament to bee judged of them for that which had escaped him And agayne for the Danger that is in the meere Absolutenesse of Princes Your Majestie hath that Famous Testimonie given by Lewis the eleventh of Franâ—e a moste subtill King most jealous of Soveraigne Pointes and in his Counsels most absolute of anie who acknowledging that by such kynde of doing hee had almost ruinated himselfe therefore hee would not suffer that his Sonne Charls the eyght should be taught more than three wordes of Latine to the ende that want of Learning which is commonlie accompanied with Presumption of Wiâ— a perilous Poynt in Princes should constrayne him the more to governe his things by Advyce of his Counsell Some joyne herevnto that he thought as all Politickes doe too much Curiositie of Learning not fitting for Kings the Opinion being generallie helde that Delight of Letters doeth as I haue sayd before in a sort emasculate the Cowrage to Action in all Men and draweth them away to Contemplation Kings being appoynted for the actiue Lyfe Tu regere Imperio populos Romane memento Hae tibi erunt artes pacique imponere morem Parcere Subjectis debellare superbes Alwayes SIR to returne to Augustius he did not onlie honour the Senate but did also fore-see that none were of that Order but Men most worthie of Honour When a Place did vake hee would haue the Entrant olde in years and olde in Experience of knowne Vertue vnspotted Fame able to vnder-lye the Sentence of a Censor and then of honourable Meanes valiant at least of 40000 Crownes whereof what was wanting hee did himselfe supplie neither durst any Man bring in Question the Name and Credite of a Senator other than the Censor who was indeed a fearfull penetrant Explorator of their Manners where-of our Iudges for Grievances newlie erected seeme to bee an Image That Libertie for anie to accuse Counsellers did creepe in vnder the Insidious Reigne of Tyberius and those were called Delatores Instrumenta Imperij and such doings haue ever since beene sayde to bee Artes Tyberianae O SIR how much it were to bee wished that Youthhead could know the Wisdome of Age or that young Princes might vnderstand the Precious Worth of Aged Counsellers who bee faythfull Darius who was the Father of Xerxes and an excellent King having by manie Experiences proved the Loyaltie Loue and Actiue Services done to him by Zopyrus and having at length also taken in the Towne of Babylon by the VVit Industrie of the same Zopyrus who whylst he went about that Businesse did sustaine deadly Wounds and Mutilation of his Person And when his Master did possesse the Towne peaccablie hee saide that he rather did wish to haue Zopyrus restored to the integritie of his Bodie than to haue an hundreth Babylons SIR I doe most humblie craue Your Majesties Pardon to say thus much That if Your Majestie should be pleased to cast over the Stories of Scotland and England to consider there vvhat bad Carriage hath beene in both betwixt Princes and their People what Tyrannie vvhat Revolts vvhat Intestine Blood and Crueltie vnnaturall vvhat fearfull Perpetrations Your Majestie should finde Reason to thinke that it vvere good at all times to multiplie your Senators vvith the most Choyse and Privie Men for Goodnesse and Sufficiencie that bee in either Kingdome As for Examples of the Perillous Evils vvhich doe infalliblie ensue vvhen young Princes doe attake themselues to young Counsellers that one of Rheboboam may serue for a thousand from the lyke to vvhich I doubt not but GOD vvho hath chosen your Majestie to great Actions vvill deliver you I doe confesse vvithall that the best Counsellers are no vvoâ—se to bee super-intended and looked to seeing Men are but Men and there is none who cannot erre Vnlesse it bee the Pope in the vvhich Case your Majestie may vse in your owne Person the Office of the Censor as Augustus did and at your owne pleasure examine their Carriage The third thing SIR vvhich is greatlie commended to Princes in the Policie of Augustus vvas his particular Painfulnesse in all the Effaires of that great State vvhose Example hath beene vvell followed by the Bravest of Emperours and Kings that haue beene since Tyberius Vespasian Trajan Adrian and the Antonines vvho lived all to great Age and were Masters of Civill Governament After Augustus had attained 74 yeares whereof hee reigned aboue 50 counting from the Death of Iulius Caesar hee left behinde him three Bookes vvritten vvith his owne Hand one contained The severall Actions of his publicke Governament The second The order of his Testament The third which is the Point I doe recommend to your Majestie did beare A Register of the whole Estate of that vast Empyre the Finances and Rents over all the number of the Provinces the Legions mayntayned there-into the Armes the Munitions the Fortresses the Shipping the Colonies the Allyes and Confederates with speciall Records of the Debursments Dues and Charges necessarie for everie of them Donatiues ordinarie to Friends Expenses of Publicke and Theatriall Showes for the People Pensions to Captaines Nobles and other Serviceable Men and that monethlie hee knew what Proportion was betwixt those Debursments and their present Moneyes Such indefatigable Paines of this kynde did hee vndergoe that being mooved at the Request of the Senate after his Victorie over Antoniâ—us to accept in his Person the Office of the Censor and made Prefeâ—us morum hee did three severall tymes make Numeration of the whole Romanes as well resident at Rome as dispersed abroad and of the Subjectes of the whole Provinces with severall Estimation and Reckonings of everie Man's Goods in particular The Persian Empyre was yet greater than that of Augustus having vnder it 27 Provinces and the Stories doe tell vs that their Kinges haue ordinarlie lying on a Table before them a Register like vnto this of Augustus Your Majestie may reade in the Sacred Historie of Hester that when Artaxerxes had escaped the Treason of the Eunuches by the Meanes of Mordechay there-after hee did himselfe enroll Mordechay to the Condition of his Reward And tho Histories make Mention that this same was the Practise of the late Kings of Spayne vvhether it bee so for the present your Majestie doeth better know This SIR is a Diligence worthie the greatest Monarches this doeth
States of Germanie against Charles the fift 33. Cardinall Baronio against Philip the second ibidem Why the Nobilitie of Spaine doe hate their King 34. A Weaknesse supposed in Spayne for want of Armes and why it is so 36. Their naturall Pryde a Weaknesse ibid. Description of the Spanish nature 37. Spayne to bee opposed by making Warre with-in their owne Dominions 38. Plantation of Nova Scotia 39. When a Kingdome is perfect and naturallie compacted in it selfe then to bee slow to Warres 41. The definition of a just Warre and our Warres against Spayne proved to bee just 42. Emulation of the Romanes and Carthagenians for vniversall Empyre 43. Agesilaus being but a poore King did invade the Persian Empyre ibidem First confederacie of the Scots with the French sought by Charles Mayne 44. How the Spaniard is proved to bee our enemie ibid. How Scotland is furnished of Men for Warre 46. Nature of leagues with examples auncient and moderne 47. Confederates against Spayne 48. Whether small or grosse Armies to bee sent to Enemie-Countreyes shewed by contemplation of the Turkish Warres 49. The Palatiâ—â—te the most honourable seat for Warres against Spayne 51. King Alexander Hannibell and Iulius Caesar did leade their Armies to more remote Countreyes ibid. Going of His Majestie in person to Spaine 52. The English auncientlie victorious in Spaiâ—e 53. The VVest Indees in the possession of a great Monarch proved to bee an infallible meanes of vniversall Empyre by length of tyme 55. Money the Nerue of Warre and greatest Monarches and States much distressed for want thereof 56. The hudge Moneyes gotten by Charles the fift in Peru 57. The naturall humours of the French Nation ibid. Speculation of Neighbour Calamities during our Peace in this Age going and of our Predecessours troubles many Ages by-gone 58. More of Money and of Men in Scotland now than in the dayes of our Antecessours and the proofe thereof 61. A wicked People doe make a wicked King 63. A Bridge of Golde to bee made for Enemies to passe out vpon ibid. Great Ransome payed by our Predecessors for King David Bruce 64. The Palatinate detained to make a Way for the conquest of Germanie and England 65. A remarkable Conference of Coronell Semple with the Author of this Treatise ibid. Iohn Knoxe against the Regiment of Women 67 The going of His Majesties Navie to Portugall and what a great point is Secrecie in great Enterpryses and the Examples thereof ibid. The Reformation or Innovation of Magistrates and the Commodities or Inconvenients following thereon 68. Plato holdeth That after the current of that great Yeare GOD shall reforme the whole worke of Nature and reduce it to the first puritie ibid. Vtilitie of the Censor amongst the Romanes 70. Commission for Grievances ibid. Great Men not to beare Offices where they dwell 76. Two of one Familie not to bee of one Session of Iudges 77. Reformation of Advocates most necessarie of anie thing with the Examples of Kings and States Enemies to the Trade of Advocation 78. Lewis the eleventh of France did revoâ—ke and annull Heritable Shyreâ—â—ships 81. Abuses of late erected Lordships of Church Landâ—s necessarie to bee reformed 82. If the Domaine of Regall Crownes or of Republickes bee allienable 83. Noble Men are the Shadowes and Reflects of Kings 84. Why the Lyues of Kinges are so precious 85. The last Convention of the Estates of Scotland and His Majesties Revocation 86. The first Donation of the Crown Lands and division of them in Baronies ibid. Ritches did spoyle the Pietie of the Church 89. Before the separation of the Church of Rome made by Luther the hundreth part of Christian People did possesse more than the tenth part of the Revenewes 90. The number of Ecclesiasticall Prelasies Benefices Churches Curies of France ibid. The nature of Tenthes 91. The first Dedication of Tenthes in Scotland 94. Puritanes foolishlie opposed to the Pope's Church in good things 96. Mysterie of Number 98. The Vnitie doeth represent GOD 99. The Number 7 is proper to the Creation Induration and finall Glorification of the World 100. The Novenarie doeth comprehende the whole Species of Nature Man excepted 101. Ten is the Quotient or fulnesse of Nature 102. Man was the first Tenth ibid. CHRIST was the second and perfect Tenth 103 Two sort of Puritanes opponents to Episcopall Rents and Governament discordant amongst themselues 106. Persecution of Iulian worse than of Dioâ—lâ—sian 107. Plantation of our Northerne Yles and Hielards a most Royall and most necessarie Policie 108. Battell of Hare-law 109. Abuses and Oppressions by way of Tenthes to bee reformed 110. Discourse of the Nature and Course of Moneyes 112. What Benefite or Inconvenient vpon the heighting of Money 113. What Order to bee taken with Moneys kept vp in the Hands of Merchands 117. Decay of our Shipping how to bee restored 118. Prodigall Persons ancientlie interdicted and punished by Lawes 119. Against the vse of Silver Plate and guilding 120. Ferdinandus Magnâ—s of Spayne Charles the ninth of France and manie great Princes did sell their Silver Plate or reduce it in Coyne 121. Prescription for Dyet and Apparell practised by great States in time of publicke Distresses 122. Speach to the King's Majestie 123. Wisdome of Augustus in making away of his Enemies 124. Who are Enemies to His Majesties Person or to his Governament ibid. Vigilance necessarie over the admission of Bishops and Ministers in the Church 126. Honour done by Augustus to the Romane Senate ibid. Condition of Senaters chosen by Augustus 127. Great Affection of King Darius to an olde faythfull Counseller 128. Mechanicke Vertues and Diligence of Augustus 129. Watchfulnesse of the Parsian Monarches over their Finances ibid. Supplication in Favours of the Subjects of Scotland 132. The admirable Magnanimitie of Alexander the Great whilst he wanted Moneys 133. Finis Tabulae Death of our late Soveraigne His late Majesties death followed with great feares of his Subjects Causes of our feares what these be The King of Spayâ—e and the Pope troublers of Christian Princes Ambition of Spaine different from that of the Romanes Different from that of their Predecessours The origine and Antiquitie of the present house of Spayne Notable punishment of Lust in Princes Pelagius Pelagius honoured of the World Ferdinandus Magnus Ferdinando Santo Charles the fift Emperour Contrapoyse of Christian 〈◊〉 warranded in Naâ—ure Hieron King of Syras Philip the second King of Spaine his first action his Marriage in England Spanish Inquisition his second action His third action the betraying of the King of Portugall his Cosin His fourth action was to plot the holie Leâ—gue in France against Don Antonio Philip did also practise the Protestants of France Elizabeth Queene of England The Voyage of the English Navie to Portugall vnder Queene Elizabeth Antonio Peâ—es wrongeth the English in in his relation of that Voyage Too strict limitation of Generals in VVarre hurtfull The Patience and Wisdome of Fabius Maximus The first thing to bee observed of the former
let them see the right Addresses of their Effaires this doeth import a necessarie Over-watching of their Treasures and Receivers vvhich maketh them Frugallie and Thriftilie to conferre their Necessarie Debursements with their Present Means and to make Tymous Provision for what is wanting it teacheth them wherefore Pensions and Donatiues are bestowed and to measure them according to the Proportion of Mens Services that some haue not too much whylst others get nothing Your Maiestie may reade of Philip of Valoys that he did revoke all Pensions which did not beare Speciall Mention of the Service done for them to him or his Predecessors And of Charls the eight who did annull all Pensions exceeding a very smal sum wherof I do not in particular remember This kynd of Diligence will teach your Maiestie to avoyde Great and Greedie Numbers of the Receivers of your Rents who doe devour so much of them before they can come to your Maiesties Coffers even as burnt and sandie Groundes drinke in the Waters that passe through them To Charls the fift of France were presented Complaints in Publicke ParliameÌ„t by the whole Estates because he had fiue Treasurers wheras before there were but two and a World of Receivers whereas before there was but one resident in Paris And by Francis the first it was ordayned that there should be foure Keyes of the Treasure House whereof the King should haue one himselfe without the which no other should enter nor no Summes given foorth but in his Personall Presence The fourth and last thing Sir which I finde most speciallie observed in the Politicke Wisdome of Augustus was his Indulgence towardes that People and his Fatherlie Care of them in procuring Dispatch of their Actions without Longsome Processes of Law the Censurall Inquisition over the Magistrates his Personall Audidnce of their Causes and Frequent Going Abroad for that Effects the Exemplar Practize of his Personall Equitie wherinto he did so much delight that having once by sound of TruÌ„pet made Offer of 25000 Crowns to any who would bring to him Crocatas a Captayne of certayne Voleurs in Spayne who did greatlie molest that Countrey whereof Crocatas being advertized he came willinglie presented himselfe before the Emperour demaunding Payment of the Crownes which hee caused to bee given him in Argeht Content together with his Pardon lest hee should bee thought to take his Lyfe for the sake of the Money These Sir made him to bee loved as a Father and feared as a Prince whilst hee lived and adored as a God after hee died In ende of all Sir I will conclude with a most Humble Supplication to your Majestie in Favours of vs who bee your Subjects of Scotland where-vnto I am the more encowraged because this Paraneticall Discourse hath beene intended by mee for no other vse but to comfort them to your M. Service and Obedience in everie thing which I haue preassed to doe by the pitthiest Perswasions that I could bring from the best Wits of the best Wryters Wee reade Sir of Alexander the Great that when hee was readie to lift his Armie from Macedone to goe into the Levant his Master Aristotle did counsell him to rule over the Greekes as a Father but over the Nations whom hee should happen to conquer as a Lord and Emperoar Where-vnto hee answered That not so but that hee would bee over all People who should bee his in common as a Father because it was his Purpose to reduce the whole World vnto the Vnitie of one Citie as Plutarch doeth report his Speach Vnaut sit vita perinde ut mundus unus veluti unius Armenti compascuo in agro compascentis Sir we are not onlie no new Conquest of your Ms but we are your First most Natiue Subjects There is no thing which is Vnnaturall or Extravagant in Nature that doth long endure therfore amongst States Kingdomes that which is most Ancient must be most Naturall that is the Reason why we are your Ms most Naturall People Here are to be seene vpon the Ports of your Ms Towns vpon the Frontespieces of your Pallaces that Scepter Crowne where-of your Blessed Father said Nobis haec invicta miserunt centum sex Proavi The like to which no King that we know vnder Heaven may brag of Here standeth that Noble Order of the Thistle whose Honour hath hitherto remained Vnviolable and Vnstained with Disgrace witnessed by that Cowragious Superscription Nemo me impune lacessâ—i Here standeth that Generous red Lyon whoÌ„ the Mightie Bellicose Romans were never sufficient to daunt Here were founded the Sober Beginninges of that Crowne which hath by Progresse of so many Ages risen into this Height of a Monarchicall Diademe Here is the Ground wherin was sown that small Seed that hath shot vp to this Strong Staselie Tree whose Boughes doe over-shadowthis whole Yle whose Branches extend themselues beyond Seas whervnto Forraigne Nations haue Recourse in time of Tempests to be refreshed vnder the Vmbrage therof Here Sir is the Ground which your Majestie should haue in a Sacred Account that doeth conserue the Royall-Bodies of so many of your Predecessours and keepeth about them the Ashes of so manie thousands of Noble Gentle-men as haue froÌ„ the beginning of your M. Race so valourouslie laid down their Lyues in fierce Battels presence of their Kings for Propagation of the same And here Sir is your Mother Ground which gaue to your M. the first Light and did nowrish your tender Infancie The Fowls of the Aire Fishes of the Seas by a Naturall Instinct do affect the Places wherin they were hatched so farre that some of them wil come froÌ„ the most Longinque Regions to make yearlie Visits of their Natiue Soyle Therefore Sir although we be most remote from the Seat of your M. Court yet let it please your M. that we enjoy our Priviledges to be your M. most naturall Subjects and to haue your M. our King not by Conquest but by Nature Remember Sir how wel it was sayde by him who spake so that The Kingdome was happie where the Subjects did obey the Law of the Prince and the Prince obey the Law of Nature If your M. will looke vpon the Historie of your Predecessors ye will find that it is Naturall to vs most of anie Nation to sacrifice our Lyues Goods for the Preservation of our Prince and Countrie when there is Necessitie to doe so Consider Sir a little our Decayes since the Transportation of the Royall Court to London partlie by Introduction of Prodigalitie and Forraigne Manners vvhich commonlie doeth accompanie the Dilation of Empyre partlie by too much reparing of our Countrey-men of best sorte there and spending of Moneyes in England vvhich were wont to entertain our Merchand Traffick at Home now by that Means so farre decayed partlie by the great Malheure of these last bad and vnfruitfull Years And when your M. hath pondered these then doe lay vpon vs
Sir such Burdens as your M. findeth vs able to beare And that your M. be pleased not to discover our Nakednesse too much nor make vs to answere as the Adrians did to Themistocles when hee came to charge them with an Impost farre aboue that which they were able to perform he told them that he had brought two Puissant Gods to assist him in that Businesse to wit Loue and Force They answered that they were to oppose him by two more puissant Povertie and Impossibilitie I confesse indeede that your M. hath to doe with great summes of Money and must haue it but yet Sir doe not suffer that to derogate a jot to your M. Royall Bountie Magnanimitie And here I cannot forbeare to bring before your M. that Glorious and Superlatiue Prayse given by Plutarch to Alexander the Great who altho in his Youthhead immediately after his Father's death he did perceiue the Towns of Greece conquered by him inclyning to Rebellion Vniversa Grecia-post Philippica demum bella veluti ab animi deliquio palpit abunda subsaltabat ad haec exhaustis Philippi Thesauris foenusetiam accesserat ducentorum talentorum in tanta ille rerum inopia tam turbulentis temporibus Adolescens vixdum adeo puerili aetate exacta Babylonem ausus est Susaque illa sperare Babylonem Susaque dico immo vero gentium omnium imperium spondere ipse sibitriginta peditum millium quatuor equitum numero fretus Although SIR that Your Majestie doe not at once and together compasse all Your Desires that is to teach Your Majestie that great thinges are not performed but with great Patience and great length of Tyme vvherein Sir yee are to imitate the Working of that GREAT GOD into Nature vvhereof albeit Hee bringeth foorth no Creature but slowlie and insensiblie yet Hee dryveth them on vnto their Perfection The â—ll and robust Oake of the Forrest springeth from a verie small Graine and yet it groweth vnperceivablie with tyme to that Strongnesse that greatest Tempestes cannot over-throwe it Even so If Your Majestie can conjoyne this Patience vvith Tyme there is no doubt but yee may make of vs what your Majestie will Doe consider SIR that it is the fayre Aurora vvhich giveth vs hope of the vvhole Dayes Serenitie and that the Orient of the Pleasant Morning is farre more sweete and delectable in our Eyes than even the verie Meridian of the brightest Dayes And as the persons of Men are more amiable to bee looked vpon in their Youthhead than anie tyme there-after though they were never so comelie Even so vvhen the first Actions of Youth are Douce and Temperate they doe purchase more tender Loue Admiration than their Greatest Things can do therafter and on them wee doe found the Prognostickes of Happie and Vertuous Progresses So if your M. doe gentlie leade vs to our first Yokes of your Obedience it will make vs to remoue our Fears Doubts and to fill our Hearts with Ioyfulnesse Expectation of your M. Goodnesse Your M. is already most Famous over all for the Opinion that the World hath conceived of the Equitie and Iustice of your Mynd And therefore Sir let your Maiestie's Royall Cares be extended to repare the Decadence of our Countrey deliver vs from longsome Lawes and from Prodigality of Manners stop the Resort to your Maiestie's Court of such as doe nought but molest your Maiestie and spoyle their private Estates Erect amongst vs such Publicke Industries and Libertie of Sea Trafficke as doe enritch our Neighbour Countreyes Philip de Valoys of France was not ashamed to settle in his owne Person a Monopolie of the Salt which doeth import to his Coffers the Annuitie of great Moneyes If your Majestie would erect the Trade of Fishing in your Northerne Seas so questuous to Strangers and so greatly to our Ignominie and Losse And if your Maiestie would bring vs vnder Militarie Discipline provyde for store of Armes Munition and Shipping employ numbers of People to fortifie your Coasts These Sir are the true Meanes to make of vs a Mightie Nation and formidable to our Enemies The Strength of a Countrey doeth mayntayne Vertue within it and maketh it Traffickable without Vertue and Trafficke doe breede Ritches and these two the sure Groundes of Yearlie Increase to youâ— Maiestie's Finances and all three together shall make your Maiestie able for the Prosecution of the great Actions which GOD hath appointed you for THAT GOD vvho sayd vnto Ioshua Bee thou strong and cowragious neyther doe feare thyne Enemies who shall not stand before thee because I will be with thee and shall not fayle thee as I was with Moses THAT GOD Who was with your Blessed Father in the building of the Temple bee still with your Maiestie to grant you Victorie over all your Enemies that having established the Peace and Tranquillitie of your Kingdomes your Maiestie may haue Leasure and Delight to attende those Cares vvhich are necessarie for this COMMON-WEALTH A MEN. FINIS AN HEROICKE SONG In Prayses of the Light most fitting for the Nightes Meditation BY THE SAME AVTHOR NOw downe is gone the statelie Globe of Light Which Thou great GOD createâ—st for the Day And wee are wrapt into the Glowds of Night When Sprites of Darknesse come abroad to prey Our Bodie 's from its Functions releast Our Senses are surpryzed vnto Sleepe To guard our Soules Lord Iesus Christ make haste Desarted thus into a fearfull Deepe Keepe Light into the Lanterne of our Mynde For to direct our Watching Sprite aright That though our Foes were all in one combynde They may not yet attrap vs by their Slight Light was the First-borne Daughter of the LORD Who with her Beams did buske and beautifie That Vaste Chaos before of GOD abhord And made her Members lonelie as wee see Yet is this Light nought but a Shallow Streame Of that Aboue in Glorie Infinite And so hut of HIS Shadow hath the Name Who did into that Narrow Globe confyne it The Bodie of the Sunne if wee compare Vnto the Spheare that rolleth Him about That shall His Smallnesse vnto vs declare Beside that Light which Rounds the Heaven without The Ambient Circle of the Divine Fyre Th' Eternall Dwelling of the DEITIE Which to Descrybe is none that dare aspyre Who hath not tasted Immortalitie For if the Sphears were of Transparent Kynde Then suddenlie that Glorie should Confound Those Caducke Thinges within the Poles confynde And all this Frame that Nature hath Compound The prowdest Sprites durst never yet presume To thinke where-of these Orbs contryved bee It is aboue the Low Flight of our Plume Alwayes they close that Glorie from our Eye That Infinite Circumference of Light For Centre hath this Vniverse of Thinges There GOD is seene by single Angelicke Sight And heere this Ball but as a Mirrour hings Where-in but Showes of Reall Things wee see And Vmbers which are from that Light let fall Where they doe liue vnto Eternitie Heere are no