¶ A iustification or cleering of the Prince of Orendge agaynst the false sclaunders wherwith his ilwillers goe about to charge him wrongfully Psalm 17. ¶ The malitious person layeth wayte for the righteous and seeketh hym to put hym to death But the Lorde wyll not leaue hym vp into his handes nor account hym for an offender though he be taken for such a one Psal. 5. ¶ Thou wylt destroye them that speake lyes The Lorde abhorreth the murtherer and the deceyuer Lord leade me forth in thy righteousnesse because of theÌ„ that lye in wayt for me Psal. xciiij ¶ They imbattell them selues agaynst the soule of the righteous and condemne the gyltlesse bloud But the Lord wyl be my defence and my God shal be the rocke of my truste ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwellyng ouer Aldersgate Febr. 24. These bookes are to be sold at his long shop at the West doore of Paules ¶ To the Reader THe thynges among other that are cheefly to be coÌ„sidered in this Iustification of a moste rightful case and innoceÌ„t person against vniust slauÌ„ders and slaunderers are the vnmeasurable crueltie and vntolerable trechery of the Papistes Who to maynteine the wrongfull authoritie of their tyrannous kingdome agaynst God and his Christ and agaynst the Maiestie of lawfull Princes whom God hath aduaunced to Souereintie for the mayntenaunce of his trew Religion and for the welfare of the people committed to theyr charge do so stoppe the eares and blynd the eyes of Princes with their horrible leazynges where they take place and beare sway as they nother can see the wronges done to their subiectes by those ministers of Antichrist nor herken to their iust complayntes that they might vnderstand them and redresse them For whereas they themselues hauyng shaken of al obedience towards God and his Ministers and confounded the generall bonds of naturall and coÌ„mon reason do both resiste all law and lawfull Magistrates and also as much as in them lyeth inforce men either to most miserable thraldome of conscience by forsaking God and all godlynesse and of body by losse of goodes landes libertie wiues children lyfe and good name or to some meanes to withstand so extreme wretchednesse whereunto they driue them by streyning them beyond all abilitie of humane patience yit most slaunderously they beare the states and potentates of the world on hand that those most innocent and giltlesse persons whiche stand in nothyng but onely that which their Prince hath both graunted and sworne that it should bee lawfull for them to do and in such wise as he by lyke graunt and othe hath giueÌ„ them leaue and commaundement to do as appeereth most euidently by his solemne Protestation and vowe made at the tyme of his ioyfull entry when he was first admitted to the superioritie of those countreyes at the earnest request and intreataunce of the late Emperour Charles his father who made the lyke solemne othe Protestation and vowe before him and with him are the authors practizers and workers of all disorders confusions mutinies vprores trubbles rebellions and treazons only bycause that after suffrance of their excessiue tormeÌ„ts the thrustyng of theÌ„ out of their natiue countreys they giue them not leaue to tread theÌ„ vtterly vnder foot as myre or rather to rid theÌ„ quite cleane out of the world with the Gospell and Religion of christ Which thyng they could not doe if the Princes whoÌ„ the Romish Antichrist holdeth yit captiue in the prison of superstitious ignorauÌ„ce would vout safe but onely to stand as indifferent Iudges and to make that simple account of them which euen comoÌ„ reazon would they should that is to wit as of their subiectes For no rightuous Iudge condemneth without heering the allegatioÌ„s of both parties nother doth any rightfull Prince permit his subiectes to reuenge their owne wrongs and much lesse to oppresse deuour and eate vp one an other Therfore when the hartes of the Souereine liege Lordes are so shet vppe and their myndes so alienated aforehaÌ„d by the sinister perswasions of cankerharted Papistes and sly Sycophantes which care not whose house be on fire so they may warme themselues by the coales of it as no truth can haue enterance into their eares or accesse into their presence needes must the people go to wrecke to the preiudice of the Prince and the people being so wronged caÌ„ not but seeke to iustifie the right and truth of their cace by all good and reasonable meanes to the church of God and vnto all such as are not so wholly caried away with blynd and fantasticall affection but that they haue some abilitie to discerne right and equitie as may appeere by the treatise heere insewyng For heere is nothyng sayd or intended to the defence maintenance or allowyng of any disobedience disorder or vnlawfull behauiour of the subiect towards his Prince but to shewe most humbly and dewtifully both to Prince and subiect the intolerable incoÌ„ueniences that grow by neglecting the mutuall regard that eche of them ought to haue of other and by the permittyng of Papistes to intrude themselues into suche state of credite and authoritie as they may be able to inforce a Gouernement to the vpholdyng of their owne kingdome And forasmuch as in this treatise there is mention made of a Ioyfull Entrey it is necessarie to know what the same was Therfore it is to be vnderstode that when soeuer any souereine Lord entered into the possession of dominion ouer the Low Countreys whither it were by name of Earle Duke or any other title of superioritie by succession election or otherwise he first tooke a sacred and solemne othe to mainteyne the Lawes Statutes Customes Liberties and Priuiledges of those Countreys and not to procure cause suffer or permitte the infrindging breaking abrogating disanulling impeaching or altering of them or any of them or the bringing in setting vppe or stablishing of any new without the consent counsell aduice and agreement of the states of the same Countrey to the benefite and commoditie of the people before the whiche othe heâ—… was in no wise allowed or acknowledged as Lord there By reason wherof Charles the Emperour and his sonne Philippe nowe king of Spayne to stablishe the continewaunce of their possession in those Countreys as their predecessours had alwayes done at their first Entryes did lately make solemne and faithfull promis Protestation vowe and othe as well for their heyres and successours as for themselues that besides their maynteinyng of the coÌ„mon weale peace rest quietnesse tranquilitie and securitie of those Countreys they and euery of them should and would keepe obserue and performe all the auncient customes Lawes Statutes Liberties and Priuiledges of the same inuiolable and not bryng in any new customes or orders or suffer any to be brought in nor set any Gouerner Magistrate or Officer ouer them or in authoritie among them beyng not the same Countreyman borne and hauing landes goodes or possessions there nor call any assembly of the
from al inward troubles and commotions For when the subiecte can looke for nothyng but well at his Princes hand he continueth the more wyllyngly and earnestly in his obedience So that cōsideryng how the state of the Countrey florished by the intercourse of al kindes of trafique and marchaundise and of all other thyngs dependyng therupon although it were sore nipped by the former warres and ouercharged in maner oppressed with tallages impostes and exactions layde vpon them by reason of the said summes of money which they had graunted to be leuyed for the charge of the sayd warres yet is it most apparāt that beyng sure frō enemies with out and vnited with their Prince within and mainteined with priuiledges ordinaunces accordyng to the tyme it would not onely haue bin refreshed set cleare discharged of all dettes but also haue atteined to that top of all worldly felicitie within few yeares By meanes wherof his Maiestie cōmyng to bee renowmed and feared of straūgers and to be reuerenced loued of his subiectes might haue bin taken for the greatest kyng happiest Prince of his time In somuch as it must nedes be confessed that they whiche haue bin the hinderers of this prosperitie happy state by breakyng the sayd vnion by turnyng away the sayd affectiō haue committed so great an offence to the domage of his Maiestie and of the cōmon weale that they deserue to be punished and chastised to the example of others And I beleue that all such as see the coūtrey at this presēt how it is brought from so apparaunt felicitie to extreme wretchednesse bōdage and miserie wil◅e of myne opinion and iudge as I do And we William of Nassaw Prince of Orēdge beyng takē for the author of this alteration by the Attourney generall accordyng to the letters patētes of summons citation refuse not the sayd punishment in case that the suggestion of the said Attourney be true Who to pretend some cause and occasion that might haue prouoked vs thereto and hauyng not any likelyhode that wee would enterprise it without cause alledgeth that our ambition and vnordinate desire of authoritie was the cause of it Whereupō it followeth that the finall cause of our doings and attēptes should be honour desire of dealynges and extraordinarie authoritie But to bereue the Attourney of that groūd wherupon he pretēdeth to build his accusatiō it might suffise for such as are acquaynted with our person to alledge myne owne naturall disposition whiche is nothyng inclined to such desires and for other men to alledge the portion of worldly substaunce wherewith God of his grace hath indewed vs by good gouernment order where through we might rather hope for aduauncemēt and authoritie then by any other kynde of dealynges For all men must needes graūt that to get vs home to our owne house and to liue priuately was a much better meane to gather treasure and riches wherby to get preserue and mainteine authoritie than to spend wastefully in the Court in hope therof by vsurping superioritie vpō vs For they that haue any vnderstandyng at all of our dealynges do know very well that I neuer passed for any superioritie And in asmuch as the coūtrey is so affectionate to his maiestie as is said afore there is nothing more vnlikly thā to charge vs with intent of vsurpation aboue the authoritie of hym and of the countrey Specially seyng I was alwayes of opiniō that his Maiestie should rather keepe still his subiects in the sayd loue good wil by mitigating of his Edictes than turne them away from it by proceedyng with newe deuises of rigour which is the only point meane wherby it might haue bene pretēded that we would haue atteyned to the foresaid attempt For it cannot be denied but that loue good will are the meanes wherby a Prince may mainteine his authoritie and keepe his countrey And therfore it must needes be confessed that in being of that opiniō we sought the preseruatiō of his Maiestie and not the vsurpyng of authoritie ouer h◅n Now thē whereas others were of opiniō that it was more expedient that his state should be mainteined by rigour it followeth of necessitie that I was of contrary opinion vnto them onely as touchyng the meane of the maynteinyng therof but not as touchyng the maintenaunce and preseruation it selfe whiche thing experience sheweth to be vnpossible to be done by rigour so long as the foresaid countreys continue in this apparaunt prosperitie wherein my desire was that they should haue bene mainteined vnder his Maiesties iurisdictiō whiche thyng was next Gods seruice the onely cause that I allowed not y rigour of the foresayd Inquisitiō Ed◅tes Wherof all our other doynges also will beare record in that they be alienated or rather cleane contrary to all ambition For euen before that time I had giuē ouer my roome which I had in the Counsell of Estate the office of Lord Treasurer apparant places to win the attendance sute of all the states yea to bryng as it were the ouerrulyng of all affaires to my hands if I had listed whereof other men had so good skill to make their owne gayne But God be thāked I was so farre of frō such meanyng that when I saw I could not do his Maiestie good seruice in those offices as I would ◅aine haue done by reason of the practises of other mē that letted me I surrendered thē both into his handes And yet notwithstandyng like as his Maiestie after our sayd demeanour and vpon the surrender of our cōmissions left not to call vs often tymes to counsell so we on our part haue discharged our selues as much as is possible in coūsellyng him what we thought best for his seruice and for the benefite of the coūtrey And it was a great hart-breaking to vs to see that a two or three persons should so ouerthrow his Maiesties good meanyng Neuerthelesse whereas his Maiesty haning knowē the sinceritie of my dealyngs and my forewardnesse in his seruice of all that tyme and beyng then in Zeland on his way towardes Spayne ◅treated me very earnestly to take vpō me agayne the state of a Counseller I after much excusing of my selfe obeyed him Howbeit when I saw afterward that thyngs kept on their wōted trade and went farre otherwise than his Maiestie had put me in hope of I sewed to be put of againe about a ij yeares after And for asmuch as I saw them indeuer by all meanes to bryng the countrey to bondage which some mē terme full obediēce as shal be shewed hereafter bycause I would haue no occasiō to deale with that poynt which seemed to tend wholly to the hinderaunce of his Maiestie and of the common weale I made the more earnest sute and intreataunce to be discharged of my gouernement that I might withdraw my selfe and intend wholly to myne owne priuate affaires and not bee blamed for the inconneniēces that were like to
Countrey are to be imputed to them selues and to the Cardinals ambitiō not to so fonde perswasions impressiōs as the terme of Spanish Inquisition such like For no lesse fond is that allegatiō than were the wordes of hym who thought to staye all innouations by saying that the kyng meant not to stablish an Inquisition but onely a visitation as who should say men respected more the woord than the deede and were more hasty to make insurrection for the termes of Inquisition and Spanish than for the rigor and crueltie that they had seene and wer afraid of by the execution of the Iniunctions And therfore I say that the sayd confederacie and complaints and al the ◅est of the thyngs that insued dyd but onely shewe the effecte of that whiche we had told the Lady Regent asorehand in open counsel that we feared would come to passe that is to wyt that his maiesties sayd resolution would cause some great alteration specially by reason of the hope that a number had conceyued vpon the returne and report of the sayd Lord the Countie of Egmond And wheras I wrote the same thyng in effect to her highnes afterward she confessed to vs by her answer that she perceyued clearly howe the sayd resolution was the cause of all the troubles and therfore as is sayd the sayd confederacie being made without my knowledge or aduice ought not to be imputed therunto For when I was aduertised of it within a while after as it were a fifteene dayes or theraboutes before the confederats were mar◅es I protested openly and ◅atly that I liked not of it ne thought it to be the right meanes to maynteyne the quietnesse and tranquilitie of the common Weale It is very true that I esteemed it not as a rebellion con◅piracie or coniuration because the confederates stood st◅dfastly vpon this poynt that they meant not to doo or attempt any thing against the welfare of his Maiestie and of his Countrey wherein they were of the same opinion that we be confirmed by common experience whiche was that the Inquisition and rigour of the Iniunctions coulde neuer come to good in so muche that by the examples whiche we had seene afore in Almain France Ingland and Scotland we were driuē to confesse that the kynges resolution in that behalfe could not but bryng great waste desolation destruction to those Countreys without any furtheraunce of his proceedings wheras on the contrary part it was to be seene that the Countreys which haue the libertie of Religion or at leastwise of conscience and where the Inquisition and the rigor of the Iniunctions is not put in executiō continue in rest and quiet which is an euident proofe that to lyue without the Inquisition in libertie of conscience is an other maner of thing thā to liue loosely lawlesly and without order as some haue falsly and sclaunderously reported for otherwise the princes of Germanie which set as much store by the rest and quietnesse of their Countreys as the kynges maiestie doth would in no wise abyde it specially if they mistrusted that any disobedience would insue of it And was so much the more confirmed in this opinion because the confederates shewed not them selues stubborne ne meant to obteyne their request by force but onely sued that his maiestie who sayd they was abused by certayne persons which vnder the colour and pretence of Religion went about to satisfie their owne ambition couetousnesse would vouchsafe to take intelligence of their complaint and suit and thereupon folow the aduice of his counsell offryng them selues to be ruled and lead accordingly as the same being duely informed should decree concernyng the matter of Religion So that when they were once vp in this rebellion conspiracie or coniuration he ought to haue inclined to their petition and to haue regard of their supplications either in that they required to haue their Noble mē heard or for that all cōfederacies ▪ generally without exceptiō do stande in their own conceyt wherin I confesse I liked none of both his maiesties doings For in my iudgement a Prince may be a◅sed and therfore it is good reason that the subiect vassall or what soeuer he is that is indomaged shoulde haue leaue to vtter his griefe And Emperours and kinges haue bin commended in that they haue ◅uffered them selues to be rebuked by prinate persons for not seemyng to geue eare to their requestes and complaints as he was which suffered one to say to hym in open str◅ate If thou lyst not to heare our suites lyst not to be our Emperour and as an other was who beyng a kyng and soueraigne Lord dyd notwithstandyng suffer an old woman to appeale from hym because as shee sayd he gaue no ◅are to her matter And seeyng that in these low Countreys in cases of importances whereupon both honour and goodes depend whether it be publikely or priuatly mē haue bin wont to referre them selues to the states who haue b◅ of that authoritie that in all tymes yea euen in the tyme of Charles late the Emperour of happy memorie they haue oftentymes assēbled by reason of occurrents of lyke or lesse importance yea and euen in the case of Religion and an Edict by their aduice in the yeare 1531. whiche was then published as appereth by the style and processe therof let vs not thinke it vnlawfull for vs to require the same thyng nowe which we see to haue bin done and vsed in like cases heretofore And many good cōfederacies and holy leagues are founde to haue bin made heretofore as for example the confederacies of the Machabees other doinges and that men may make them styll to the honour of God and to the prosperitie of their kynges and countreys So that in my iudgement there can no rebellion be inferred vppon the poyntes aforesayd For as touching that the cōfederats did promise and sweare to mainteine helpe and defend one an other agaynst the Inquisition and Iniunctions seeyng that that promise might haue bin made to cease by the meanes aforesayd and they offered in effect by their petition to goe from it because it seemed to be agaynst the kyngs commoditie to obey what soeuer should be ordeyned by the aduice of the States it seemeth against reason that whereas hunters and others that deale with the tamyng of vnreasonable beastes do indeuour to put away their fiercenesse moodinesse and wyldnesse by diligence company and cherishing rather than by cudgelling whippyng and roughnesse the kyng should by the froward instigations of the Cardinall and his hangers on vse rigour and roughnesse towardes so loyall subiectes and faythfull vassals rather than meeldnesse and clemēcie to keepe them at his accustomed deuotion by surceassing at leastwise for a tyme the executiō of the sayd Inquisition Iniunctiō which to all mens seemyngs could not be set foreward nor continewed in that tyme without apparant domage hurt preiudice to his Maiestie and Countreys specially seyng that the
of the sayd leuying and of the place where it was done I declared it to the magistrate and to the Markgraue who is the chiefe Officer of the Towne vnto whom it belonged to looke to those and such other accidentes and I commaunded hym accordyng to the tharge that the Regent had geuen me by her letter directed to me in that behalfe that he should apprehend and attach the parties that dyd it Wherupon the Markgraue departyng from me and findyng the parties at a Table together which were reported to be the makers of the sayd Musters in stede of executing my commaundement sate downe with thē and afterwarde reported to me that he could not find them by meanes wherof they had oportunitie to get them secretly away It was very true that long time before these alterations I presented the Lord of Brederode with three peeces of great Ordinance which I caused to be shot new againe afterward at Utreight a Towne of the kynges maiesties in the open sight of all men and sent them to the said Lord howbeit long tyme before the sayd mustryng when he was yet in the kyngs maiesties seruis and had the charge of certayne Ordinance vnder hym So that it is no lesse agaynst reason to blame vs for geuyng and presentyng the sayd artilerie than to blame them that preferred the sayde Lord of Brederode to the said Lieutenantship of the Ordināce specially seeyng that the same Lord of Brederode beyng assured by the Regent authorised by the kyngs maiestie as is sayd afore that none of the things aforepassed should be layd to his charge had not any reason to fortifie hym selfe agaynst the kyng Nother was there any likelyhood of cause why we should refuse the performāce and deliuery of the sayd gyft which we had promised hym before and which he knew to be redy and appoynted afore hande for hym and to be as neare Uiane as vtreyght Therfore to come to the pithe of the said Summons the effect wherof was that I should forbid certaine of the kynges maiesties places and cities to receyue his garrisons and among other places in Zeland whether it is expressely said that we sent men to take it thereby to shut the kyng out and to stop his maiesties passage by sea I doo not thinke that euer I vsed any suche speache as might minister occasion to deuise that accusation or to cause it to be surmised that if our part had had sufficient proofe of it they should haue bin driuen to haue specifyed the tyme and place seyng that all accusers are bounde of right to such specification Yet notwithstanding for as much as Zeland is named amōg others I wyllyngly graunt that knowyng and hauyng oftentymes infourmed the Counsaile of the importance of that Countrey being aduertised that there was a drift in practising agaynst it I sent the Lord Bouxtel thyther to the end that no men of warre should be receiued there without myne appoyntment accordyng to the ordinary maner custome which is that no such thing may be done in those countreys but by the commaundement of the Gouernour of them And I confesse also that hauing receyued aduertisement from the Captayne of Zeburge which is a Fortres in the I le of Walcheren a part of Zeland aforesayd which was all vnder my gouernment that two hundred souldiers were arryued there sent from the Regent to enter into the sayd Fortresse that he could not receiue them as well for feare of some mutinie of his owne men which were vnpayd and woulde not abide that others stronger than thē selues should so openly step in among them as also because of the strey◅nesse of the place and for scarsitie of victuals I sent him word agayn that I thought his reasons very good that he should not receyue any souldiers there without further commiss◅on from the Regent and from vs as Gouernor there Of the which distresses the Regent beyng likwise aduertised by the Captayn became of the same opinion that I was of and sendyng money to pay the souldiers tooke order that of the two hundred no moe but fiftie should be receiued whiche entered in anon after by our commaundement to the Capteine by our letters Now when report was made to the Regent how I had commaunded the said Lord of Bouxtell to receiue no garrison into the I le no not euen though it were sent from her highnesse I intēded to haue excused my selfe by my letters howbeit that at that tyme such order had not bin expedient bycause that as then I was at Antwerp hir highnesse at Brussels who in like caces concernyng my gouernement had not bin wont to do any thyng without making of me priuy to it afore and therefore I assured my selfe that she would not send any garrison into the I le without makyng me of coūsell therewith seyng she might do it without let or delay Wheras on the contrary part vnder pretence of the sayd garrison the fortresse might be surprised as hath bin seene to haue happened diuers times vnto others for the which I might afterward haue bin driuen and constreined to aunswere by much more apparaunt reasons than are now made to accuze me withall In so much that for th◅ more assurance of the sayd fortresse and countrey I had good reason to forbyd the sayd Capteine and all others yea and that euen by special and expresse commaūdement to receiue any garrison bycause the fortresse was sufficiently prouided for already and the want of vittels should bee increaced by the ouer increacing of the garrison By reason wherof and for asmuch as the other places and Cities of the Coūtrey haue alwayes offered to spend their bodies and goods in his Maiesties seruis haue certified him that they needed no garrison by sendyng their deputies to the Gouernesse for the same purpoze there was no likelihode at all that I shoulde by that meanes surprize the sayd Coūtrey and by that shift shet out the kynges Maiestie and cut of his passage by sea seyng that the very deede it selfe hath bewrayed and shewed the contrarie For at such time as certeine Barkes loden with men whom I had put out of And werp by open Proclamation for the better assurāce of the rest and quietnesse of the towne came before the I le the inhabitauntes did set themselues at defence woold not suffer them to take lād so that beyng fayne to take ship and returne backe agayne they were afterward disco◅fited vpon the riuer about Andwerp for want of vittels armour other needefull thyngs notwithstāding that they had caused it to be bruted that they would go to the ayde of the Lorde of Br◅rode Which thing caused great vprore and hurlyburly in the Towne where both the Lord of Hoochestrate I were often in daunger of our lyues by reason of the Magistrates cowardlinesse in that he durst not shew himself which gaue great occasiō of the vprore to the breach of the peace there
stablished bycause it was thought that we letted the succours that some intended to haue ministred vnto them togither with the outrages that leawd folkes attempted to practize howbeit that in the ende through Gods goodnesse we appeazed all without any bludshed Which dealyng of ours argueth vs to haue bin farre of from sending those mē into Zeland to surprize the Coūtrey in asmuch as all our doynges tended to the contrary For had that bin our purpoze wee shoulde not haue commaunded the Capteyne and the men of that Countrey to receiue no mē of warre but contrarywise to haue receyued them and taken them in and it appeered so much the more in that wee offered the men of Andwerp to goe out of the Towne and to discōfite the assembly our selues with such company as was there which thyng was misliked of for feare of commotiō which discouered it selfe after the sayd discomfiture as hath bin sayd afore Now then seyng there was no lookyng for his Maiesties cōmyng by sea there was not any likelyhod that by the takyng of Zeland wee ment to stop his passage and to shet him out of it whiche thyng cōsideryng how the townes and fortresses were at his Maiesties deuotion it was not possible for vs to do by sending mē without head without capteine without authoritie without expresse cōmaundement from vs which could not bee receiued there bycause of our order taken to the contrary but in that cace we should haue bin there personally in the Countrey whereby I should haue giuen some cause for men to thinke that folke would euery where haue stooped to me as to their gouernour and haue yelded me their accustomed obediēce as they had done in all other Cities and holdes of our gouernement for that had bin a more apparant and sure meanes than to send thither a sort of rascall fellowes vnarmed vngouerned and vnguided for whom we should at leastwise haue prouided in a cace beyng so well able to doe it by meanes of the towne of And werp as euery man knowes and which were afterward dispatched in manner without any resistence or defence in somuch that no man hauyng any experience of the warres would haue trusted to them in an exployt of importāce and much lesse I who had farre better meanes to assure me of the Countrey if I had mynded it as I did not And therfore I mar uell that men of skill and wisedome wil vse such allegations whereof they not only nother haue nor euer shalhaue any proofe but also which haue not in them any shewe of likelyhode Wherfore to come to the poynt of the sayd Summons which auoucheth that beyng in Antwerp to appeaze the trubbles and vprores of the people we suffered and graunted the exercize of all sectes to go at libertie in the towne indifferently it is to be cōsidered that before I tooke my charge vppon me I declared op◅nly in full Counsell of the states that it laye not in me nor was myne intent to take vppon me to suppresse the preachyng whiche was then ched with the exercize of the Religiō as a necessary appurtnaunce of the same which charge as I toke it I haue performed with vnspeakable trauell thought and care by the aduice of the mē of law of the citie of the faculties of the marchauntes all the which confessed that by my meanes and order they accoūted them selues assured of the quietnesse of the Towne thankyng vs for it with al their hartes Whiche thyng falleth out in effect to be confirmed approued and cōfessed by the Regent also who hauyng co◅itted the keepyng of the citie in quietnes to the County of Hoochestraten in our absence while we were pacifying the Countreys of Holland Zeland and Utreyght inioyned and appoynted him expresly to followe the steppes that I had gone before him Whiche thyng neuerthelesse they do now go about to deface chaungyng the thynges that were openly allowed into the crime of hygh treason agaynst all likelyhode of truth For I graunted not any Religion one or other in the towne but only suffered bare with such as had begō to preach openly before my commyng thither accordyng to my declaration heretofore blamed For although y Regēt shewed sufficiently that she hild with all Religions which agreed not with the Romish Religiō esteemed of them all alike as namely with the Anabaptistes agaynst whom I was desirous to haue ◅ade publicke defence if her hyghnesse had liked it yet did I put all such to silence as did put thē selues forth to begynne any preachynges after my commyng thither Moreouer the preachings that were made without the towne were not receiued into the towne by vs but when I was called to the Court without hauyng obteined that some other bodye might be substituted in my sted to looke to the quietnesse of the towne or that I might send a Lieutenant thither notwithstādyng that I did expressy require it in the meane while some fell to pullyng downe destroying and breakyng a sunder of images euery where they that preached erst without the towne began to get them Churches yea euen by authoritie of the magistrate And after the composition made betweene the Regent authorized by the kyng and the contederates when as in the end they were contented to haue left vppe their Churches agayne and to haue continewed their preachynges in their accustomed places without the town accordyng to the compositiō the Magistrate thought it more expediēt for many cōsiderations to graunt and assigne them places within the Towne By meanes wherof when the parties were once agreed I could do no lesse by vertue of my Commission but followe the composition For in asmuch as I was sent to kepe the towne in quiet and in loyaltie to the kyng it was our dewty to frame our selues to that whiche we sawe they had settled in vnitie and quiet specially cōsidering the weyghtinesse of the reasons that had moued the townesmen to consent to the thynges aforesayd whereof I did thē aduertize as well the kyng as the Regent besides that it was not possible to keepe the peace without sufferyng of the sayd preachynges and the exercizyng of the Religion out of hand the necessitie of which exercize offered it selfe welneere hourely by reason of the multitudes that followed the Sermōs whiche were sayne to be suffered euery where in somuch that they were vsed opēly in Churches which was the cause that the Magistrate thought it good needefull to suffer not only the exercize but also the erection of Churches And that so much the rather byeause winter was at hand by reason whereof otherwise an other secōd inuasion was to be feared wherin the other churches were like to haue bin taken and therfore the Magistrate was not only willyng but also desirous to further the sayd Churches whereunto bycause we sawe that all others had no lesse good will thā he wee thought it stoode not in any wise with our dewtye to hinder