vse when they found themselues perplexed for the decision of some matter of importance that is to say Non liquet But this perplexitie of mine is so much the lesse as it may easily be remoued by comparing of the meanes as well of England as of Spaine If we will measure these meanes by the number of souldiers which the one and the other Nation is able to set forth experience that is Historie pleadeth manifestly for the English And that so it is king Edward of whom we haue spoken afore brought to the ayde of the Duke of Burgundie by the testimony of Comines fifteene hundred men well mounted the most of them on barbed horses and richly furnished Also fifteene thousand Archers on horsbacke In our time king Henrie making descent into Picardie to ioyne him selfe with the Emperour Maximilian the first at the camp of Terouane had fiue thousand horse and more then fortie thousande footmen wherof fiue and twentie thousand were English and fifteen thousande Lansquenets The Emperour Charles and his sonne king Phillip haue beene the Princes who haue commanded most absolutely ouer Spaine yet neyther the one nor the other haue in their warres made greater leauie then eight thousand naturall Spaniardes and almost all footmen For in respect of horsemanship the Spaniarde somewhat resembles the sword-fish which hath a blade and can not helpe himselfe therewith The same may be saide of the Spaniardes who haue very good horses which serue their turne better to traficke with their friendes than to fight and repulse the enemie But because that the memorie of late accidentes may serue much to the deciding of this difficultie I will here alleage so cleere and euident a testimonie as that whosoeuer makes reckoning of Spanish forces shall haue nothing for ground of his opinion but either a light beliefe or an opinatiue conceipt During the raigne of king Francis the second when the great ones of France were at discord amongest themselues king Phillip wrote a letter to the king which was read in the priuie Counsell I can not well say in what language it was written but the contentes seemed to smell of the Spanish phrase For he protested that whensoeuer any sturres happen in France hee woulde helpe the king his brother with an armie of fiftie thousande men Shortly after occasiō was offered of effectuating that which he had so solemnely protested For France was torne with a tempest of ciuill warre And although our miseries made almost as many fountaines of teares to issue foorth as there are townes in France yet gaue they vnto the king of Spaine occasion to reioyce in furnishing him with meanes to accomplish his promise Let vs see then how well he acquired himselfe He was requested to send succour vnto the King his brother being desirous to restablish the Romish religion in her former estate He because hee woulde not be thought to be backewarde eyther in zeale to his religion or amitie towardes his brother assembled certaine troupes of those prudent religious persons whose ordinarie practise is in the straightes of the mountaynes Pirenees to take gold without waying it and siluer without telling it Neither yet to the number of fiftie thousand as he promised but of two thousand only In sort that it was easie for good Arithmeticians to iudge that this good Prince making such protestation as abouesaide had calculated his meanes by the rule of false position Touching the behauiours of these braue and valorous souldiers to him that considered them neerely they seemed to represent I know not what Image of the ancient times during which as Thucidides writeth robberie was not subiect vnto any reproch The respect of these goodly qualities made the Romaine Catholikes to lament so much the more the losse of these honest men For they being incamped on the riuer of Tard those Amazons of Mountauban in certaine sailyes killed a great number of them without confession or repentance of any sinne sauing of that which is termed militarie temeritie and ouersight of warre But because that in comparing diuerse thinges togither the Geometricall proportion is to be accepted aboue the Arithmeticall he were not much out of the way who would iudge rather by the valour and desert of both Nations in deedes of armes then by the number For oftentimes a small number of men doth ouercome a great armie and treades them vnder foote I am exceeding sorie that I can not produce any better testimonies of the English prowesse then those great and notable victories which they haue gotten ouer vs. Yet so it is that our valiant Successors wanting nothing lesse then courage and good will in those battailes the English can not vaunt themselues of any thing more then that they ouer-came most valiant enemies So those Poetes and Historiographers who haue song of their prosperitie could not therewith but report our valiancie In briefe the vertue and prowesse of our auncestors deserued not to be surmounted by any but by such enemies as knew how to vanquish euen victorie it selfe that is to say the furour and insolencie of victorious armes Let the Carthagineans boast as much as they list of their happie successe at Cannas yet he that should preferre it aboue the battaile of Cressie should showe himselfe eyther too much appassionate or too simply skilled in the knowledge of histories Out of which we may gather that in the sayde renowmed battell which was fought in the yeare 1346. there were slaine on our side eleuen Princes foure score Barons a thousand and two hundred horsemen and aboue thirtie thousande footemen Also the battell of Poytiers whereof I haue spoken heretofore gaue the like testimonie as well of the English prowesse in winning of the victorie as of their courtesie and mildnesse in vsing of it moderately which makes mee the more freely to speake of their vertue and roundly to confesse that the smal number on their side haue made their victories the more notable and renowmed It were against reason to request the Spaniardes in this comparison to furnish vs with the like examples of their prowesse and valiancie for they are discharged of so doing by that rule of lawe which sayth that none is bound to the execution of thinges which are impossible I should feare also of being accounted a forger of Paradoxes in saying that the Spaniardes are no warlike Nation if I had not so cleere and euident proofes thereof that to denie them were but fast shutting of a mans eyes that he might not see the sunne shine at noone day And to seeke out the depth of this matter and to reason of effectes by their causes I say that if nature haue not changed her ordinarie course of working the Spaniarde can not any wayes be reputed amongst the warlike Nations Those Nations which inhabite colde countries are as Aristotle saith indued with a more hautie and stout courage then others but not so quicke and sharp witted as other And therefore they loue
him to know what he demāded more this word Royally sayth he comprehends all which made that Alexander esteemed highly of him afterwardes and intertayned him according to his demand But this courtesie of king Edward ought to be esteemed so much greater then that of Alexander as Porus tooke no armes against him but constrayned for his owne lawfull defence and contrariwise king Iohn would not accept such honest cōditions of peace as were offered him by the Prince of Wales although the Cardinall of Perigort being sent by Pope Innocent laboured to bring him to some composition But hee being ouer mastered by his choler was ouercome by a handfull of people and lost a battell the nineteenth of September 1356. which can not so well be compared vnto any as to that memorable exployt at Cannas which was like to haue ouerthrowen the whole estate of the Romaine common wealth And although ciuill warres are ordinarily managed with a courage so much the more inuenomed as the allyance is straighter betweene countrie men yet so it is if we credite Histories that there is not in all the world any Nation founde which in this respect hath remained in such and so long a possession of moderation and clemencie as the English Comines who hath beene as much or more acquainted with the affaires of England as any Frenchman of his time sayth that the custome of the country is in ciuill wars to come straight to battell that the chiefe of that side to which the victorie enclines causeth to be proclaymed aloud Saue the people That I would to God wee had vsed the like moderation in our ciuill warres we should then at this day haue fiftie thousande more witnesses of our dissention the shedding of whose bloud prouokes the anger of God against our countrie of France But because that being occasioned as well by naturall affinitie as by conformitie of manners to loue a people is not a thing of it selfe deseruing any great commendation without endeuour to make demonstration thereof the order of our discourse requires to haue this article sifted yet somwhat neerer to the end that such as call the Englishmen ancient enemies to the crowne of France may learne eyther to speake better or else to holde their peace whensoeuer there is question of any such matter I say then that the effectes of amitie haue bin alwayes reciprocall beweene these two Nations For laying aside that which I alleaged out of Caesar that the Britains had alwaies succoured the Gaules in all their warres I will take testimonies of fresher memorie of a hundred or sixe score yeares past In the time of king Lewes the eleuenth Charles Duke of Burgundie desirous to clip the wings of his mortall enimie Lewes of France called to helpe him Edward king of England his brother in lawe to whom there needed not much speech to make him passe ouer into France whereunto he wanted no pretence There was then great likelihood that if the duke of Burgundie had well knowen howe to vse his prosperitie he had eyther quite ouerthrowē or at least wonderfully shaken the whole estate of France But king Lewes being a Prince much better furnished of wisedome then of courage considering to what exigent his affayres were brought procured or rather cunningly practised a treatie of peace with king Edward at Piquignie One may well say that at that time the mildnesse of king Edwarde serued in steed of a strong and mightie bulwarke vnto France against the surious and impetous effortes of the Burgonian Charles the eight the sonne and successour of Lewes was fauoured of heauen so farre foorth as to haue occasion to acknowledge this courtesie towardes the English Nation who was as readie to embrace such an occasiō as it was happely offered him Edwarde of whom we last spake being deceased his brother Richard duke of Glocester by euil practises and vnlawful meanes inuested himselfe with the crowne of Englande defrauding his Nephewes of their inheritance If the meanes of inuesting himselfe with so great an estate were strange and exorbitant his behauiour and comportment therein was yet more strange Such and so miserable was then the estate of poore Englande that he escaped best cheape who went away with the losse of his goods estate and dignities Diuerse of good calling and account to saue themselues out of this shower retyred into France The Noblest and of greatest name amongest them was the Earle of Richmond who hauing a while soiourned in Britanie finally resolued himselfe to recouer with his owne good the libertie of his countrie This newe Thrasibulus wanted neyther friends nor partakers for he had succor of king Charles the eight with whom he passed ouer into England where hauing giuen battell with happie successe he had for guerdon of his prowesse the estate and crowne which hath euer since remained on the head of his successors I would not stand so much on the courtesie of England were it not that in our time euen within these sixtie yeares the effects thereof had beene so good and so manifest on our behalfe that it were blockishnesse in vs to be ignorant thereof and great loosenesse if we did not acknowledge it Since the battell of Poytiers France receiued not so great an ouerthrowe as at Pauie where king Francis was taken prisoner The Emperour Charles being yet a young Prince and boyling with ambition after so fayre a victorie entered into maruellous hopes and helde himselfe assured that within fewe yeares the vniuersall Monarchie of Europe would be the interpretation of his Plus oultre And indeede there is great likehood that the forces of France being so mated he might if not wholly yet in part haue seene the accomplishment of his desseignes had not God beholding out countrie with his pitifull eye stirred vp the heart of Henrie the eight king of England to stay the course of the Emperour striking with full sayles through the midst of his victorie An act deseruing so much the more admiration as king Henrie had no other occasion to do it but an Heroicall vertue with the which his courage being once enkindled hee choose rather to appropriate vnto himselfe the sole honour of releiuing an afflicted neighbour then to be copartner with the vanquisher in the spoyle and pray In so much that we may well say that king Henrie the 8. next vnto God hath beene the author of our deliuerance and that the Lion hath plucked vs out of the Eagle his clawes And we must not thinke that he sought herein either his owne priuate profite or particular safetie For touching profite besides that which the euent hath made knowen the protestation which hee made by his king at armes defying the Emperor doth show sufficiently that he had no other end but honor and vertuous exploytes which in ancient time as sayth Theocritus haue gotten the title of Heroes to great and renowmed personages And in respect of securitie the Emperour being as thē affectionate towardes his vncle
so men carrie alwaies imprinted in their manners the vertuous or vitious qualitie of their ancestors So that hauing knowen the originall of the Spaniardes it will be a good opening to the discourses ensuing About the yeare of Christ 717. Iulian Count of Biscay being extreemely greeued and exceeding desirous to be reuenged of the outrage done vnto him by Rodericke king of the Gothes who had defloured his daughter called and drew vnto him the Moores for his succor vnder the conduct of their king Muza Maramamolin Vnder this pretence so safe a thing is it to bring in forrain forces the Moores made themselues masters of all Spaine except Biscay and Austerlande their captaines hauing afterwardes parted this conquered countrie amongest thē became so many pettie kings in Spaine Since that time the Saracens haue beene mingled farther amongest them But if wee will fetch the matter yet farther about that is from Caesars time we shall finde that without speaking of the Romains who commanded almost ouer all Europe the Gothes the Vandales the Moores the Saracens haue ruled ouer Spaine Therefore if of good right the Gothes and Vandales are counted cruell the Moores perfidious and reuengefull the Saracens proud and villanous in their manner of liuing I pray you what humanitie what faith what courtesie what modestie and ciuilitie may wee thinke to finde amongest this scumme of Barbarians But to the end it be not thought that I rest rather on presumptions then on proofes and sound argumentes I am content that this article be cleered by conference of their manners with ours that is of their vices with our vertues of their vile viliacquerie with our generositie In breefe such is this comparison that if some Rhethoritian would employ his eloquence in framing of a long and liuely Antithesis he could not in the world find a subiect more sortable to his purpose then the comparing of our conditions with those of this mongrell generation And to the end that none may thinke that I speake without booke to beginne with the blazon of their brauest colours I will produce a witnesse who will make them blush for shame though they be so brasenfaced that they blush not by their wils If I should but say that the witnesse whom I purpose to produce is a Senatour of Venice yet had I sufficiently qualified him to make him get credence of wise and discreete persons But I will say moreouer that he is an ancient Senator and so well seene in the affaires of this world that for a man to conforme himselfe after his imitation is nothing else at this day amongest the Venetians but to aspire to an immortall renowne by a most wise conduct of matters of estate It is to be short that excellent and renowned personage Andrea Griti who discoursing in the Senate of Venice of the humors of this Spanish generation beholde what good testimonie he giues of their integritie The Spanish Nation sayth he is vnfaithfull rauenous and insatiable aboue all other Nations And where is I pray you that place of the worlde where those infamous Harpyes haue once set footing without defiling of it with the footsteps of their abhominable vices But because that in matter of proofe the testimony of one alone is of no great weight I will yet produce an other witnesse which is Francis Guichardin an Historian so accomplished as the naming onely of his giftes and perfections would desire and deserue a whole Historie Behold what testimonie he giues of the Spanish integritie The Spanish Nation sayth he giuing his iudgement of these venerable Padres is couetous and craftie and when they haue meanes to discouer themselues such as indeede they are most insolent and outragious Geryon king of Spaine if we giue credite to Poeticall fables had three bodies and although it be a Poeticall fiction yet will it not be found so strange of him that will thoroughly consider the nature and disposition of the Spaniarde in whom may be seene togither incorporated a craftie Foxe a rauenous Wolfe and a raging Tygre And let that be spoken in respect of the least insupportable of that Nation For he which shall neerely looke into those of greatest account amongest them that is such as are more wicked and abhominable then the vulgar sort he shall find in euery one of them the Cube yea oftentimes the verie Sursolide of this ternarie monster He shall finde I say an vncleane and filthie swine a theeuish howlet a proud peacocke and for an accomplishment of all their ornaments he shall find a legion of diuels making trade of lying coosening and deceauing the world Briareus as Homer sayth had a hundred hands he which shall thinke that a Spaniard hath lesse when it comes to catching let him receaue be it but for a day or two some Dom Diego into his house and if he change not his opinion I will be content to confesse that the Spaniarde hath changed his custom I say if pilferie theft be rather to be esteemed customarie then naturall in this Nation And if any doubt of their sufficiency in this respect the estate of the low coūtries will so manifest it vnto him that he wil soone be brought to cōfesse that the Bohemians Aegyptians are but young prentises of the Spaniard in appropriating other mens goods to thēselues And he shold do thē great iniury who shold think that with time they had not made themselues more cunning in their craft specially these later yeres during which a great many of these gallant spirits haue serued their apprentiship vnder Dom Ferdinando of Toledo so soueraign a master in this facultie that to go about to compare vnto him an Autolicus or a Verres were to fall into the errour of the sheepheard Tytirus comparing small things vnto great But me thinkes it were reasonable to hide the imperfections of this great Captaine in contemplation of such excellent partes as are in him For by the saying of his disciples and vpholders he is secret wise of great vnderstanding As touching his taciturnitie I doubt not at all but that he is verie secrete Neither is there any thing specially in his particular and domesticall actions but may by him his with more honestie be concealed than vttered Touching his great wisedome and forecast he hath giuen such and so many testimonies thereof in the conduct of Flanders affayres that if the Sunne should as often eclipse in heauen as wisedome hath in his head during that time there wee might well thinke that we were on that daies eue which shal bring an end to all things of this world At the least it is notorious that his wit so farre fayled him as that he knew not how to hide those theftes and robberies which hee had committed on the poore people for the thing is too well knowen but those pillinges and peculations which he made on the treasours of his maister I knowe well that his creatures disguising the deede say that hee
vs is that which the Spaniardes will alleadge shall it not be the succour which king Henrie of Castile gaue in the time of king Charles the fift and the victorie which hee wonne before Rochell of the Earle of Pembrocke As if he himselfe had not reaped the principall fruite of this victorie or as if such an assistance had not beene the chiefe rampire of his owne estate But as the English are conformable vnto vs in so many thinges as I haue heretofore alleaged so they haue that also common with our miserie that they haue tryed to their cost the most dangerous amitie of the Spaniards For Phillip king of Spaine and then also king of England hauing purposed to possesse himselfe of Callis gaue occasion to the French to do that with the Lyons clawe which the Spaniarde had thought to haue done with the Foxe his tooth otherwise the French would neuer haue resolued themselues on so hazardous an enterprise as the siege of Callis To make short one may well say that the Nation of the worlde which is most affectioned towardes the common-weale of France is that which least resembleth the Spanish which so much the more boldlie I conclude as I hold my selfe assured that none will paine himselfe so much as to proue that they haue beene helpefull vnto vs eyther in the knowledge of good letters or in gouernment of our manners For what lightning vnto learning can be expected of a NatioÌ„ which during this happie age hath scarcely brought foorth fiue or sixe learned men Thence I thinke it is that the Spaniards as great trauaylers as they are neuer durst go so farre as to the Hiperboreans fearing belike least they yet kept their ancient custome that is sacrifycing of Asses For gouernement of manners we may well say that as the Philosopher Polyanus being once wedded to the dotages of Epicurus forgot all the knowledge which he had of Geometry so by the acquaintance of Spaniards we haue almost forgotten that vertue which we were best acquainted with that is courtesie and humanitie And to what purpose I pray you should that Nation bee so affectionate vnto vs who hath so little interest in our ouerthrowe nay rather which hath alwayes and especially within these hundred yeares founded their aduancement on our destruction I abridge this discourse of purpose to intreate of an article of more importance that is the means which both the one and the other hath to helpe and to hinder vs. I wil speake first concerning traficke and after touching matter of armes All such as haue knowledge both of England Spaine will agree vnto me that Englande is much better stored of people then Spaine I speake not in respect of proportion but absolutely although England be by a great deale the lesser which proceedes onely of the temperature of the place For although France be one of the temperatest regions that are yet so is it that Caesar sayth expressely speaking of England Loca sunt temperatiora quà m in Gallia This aboundance of people is a certain argument of the fertilitie of the place Pindarus in some place calleth Sicilie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is aboundant in sheepe and expounding himselfe in an other place he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is fat or fertile If the argument of this so learned Poet be well couched we may well conclude the fertilitie of England by the great aboundance not onely of sheepe but in generall of cattell which is in it Here it may be some will alledge the saying of Cicero in his oration entituled De Aruspicum responsis For beholde with what wordes he speaketh Quà m volumus licèt ipsi nos amemus tamen nec numero Hispanos nec robâ—re Gallos nec calliditate Paenos nec artibus Graecos nec denique hoc ipso huius gentis ac terrae natiuo sensu Itales ipsos ac Latinos sed pietate ac religione omnes gentes ac nattones superauimus But in this place it is easie to see that Cicero had rather eares then eyes as well as heretofore speaking of Astrologie And that in this discourse hee would play the part of an other Mirmecides making a great ado about a small matter But to what purpose is it to stande much on this article since the trafficke of the one and the other countrie may easily cleere it We haue out of England Wooll Tinne Fish and many other thinges in great quantitie In exchange whereof wee furnish them with wine salt woad and diuerse other thinges which is the cause that Rochell Bourdeaux and generally all the coast of Normandie Britaine and Guienne is brought into great perplexitie when the traficke ceaseth with Englande Out of Spaine I confesse we haue very good Horses for seruice although they come but by stealth Which I doo neuerthelesse against my will because that confessing this article I am constrayned to accuse the negligence and sloth of our Frenchmen For if we would maintaine such races of horses and mares as are seene at Lauedan our traficke with Spaine should be accounted of meere charitie for as much as we shold helpe theÌ„ very much without being holpen or eased by them For the marchandise of a fewe perfumed gloues and such other small baggage deserues not to be accounted of And for their behoose they are constrayned to borrowe of vs by reason of the drinesse and barrennesse of their countrie that which is most necessarie for the life of maÌ„ which is corne As for wine they haue sufficient There remaines the traficke of wooll of kersyes and clothes both woollen and linnen which comes not to the thirde part of that which our Marchantes haue out of Englande Neither will it serue to say that he may haue store of corn out of such places as he holdeth in Italy as out of Naples Sicily and Millaine For they which husbande the matter after this manner do not consider that this were but robbing of Peter to pay Paule Sicily is fruitefull I graunt but it behooueth that Malta and the Goze be sustayned by her fruitfulnesse except they will in abandoning of them expose themselues for a pray to the Turke Moreouer a great part of the commodities of Sicile are employed on the maintenance of Italy But in respect of Millaine and of Lombardie the Spaniarde findes such difficultie of carriage that hee can not well helpe himselfe with the commodities thereof except the sauce cost him much dearer than the fish is worth Touching Naples Apulia and Calabria as they are lesse fruitfull so also the Spaniard can be lesse holpen by them The like may be sayd in respect of the lowe countries Some peraduenture will finde it strange that I stande so much on the infertilitie of Spaine seeing that the great meanes which this Nation hath to helpe vs with make a more then suffieient counterpoise for this default Heere must I needes employ that Quolibet which the Iudges of Rome were woont to
being ouer-laden do diuerse times of meere charitie and good will yeelde them so much succour as to take some part of their burden into their owne ships Yea so courteous friendly be our Frenchmen that they constraine the Spaniardes whether they will or no to receiue the effectes and testimonies of this their charitable courtesie Besides all this the Indians begin to waxe shrewd lads and to make no more so much account of glasses pins and such other Spanish giftes peraduenture because some bodie hath made them taste this saying of Sophocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though faire the giftes of foes may seeme Vnfriendly alwayes do them deeme And if other causes wanted is it possible that the possession of a thing so ill gotten should endure long Do we thinke there is any Indian vnder the subiection of the Spaniardes which cryeth not ten thousand times a day in his language this sentence of Aristophanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alas how hard a thing it is to serue against ones will a master that of wit of sense and reason can no â—kill Aristotle sayth that a countrie is possessed and helde by a Tyrant in the same manner that mens bodies are with an agew How many sighes and groanes do we thinke that the poore Americans being by such a feruent feuer so long tormented cast foorth which mount vp to the eares of him that holdeth the sterne of the matters of this world Do we thinke that the hande of God is shortned that hee can not when he sees time execute the threatnings which he hath vttered by the mouth of his Prophet against these murtherers robbers and wasters Where is that state in the world be in neuer so flourishing that can be exempted from decay and vtter ouerthrowe What wisedome what counsell what force is it that can warrant it out of the hande of the almightie and euerliuing God Mischiefe runneth vp and downe saith Euripides from house to house in most rich and exquisite wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mischiefe from house to house doth go As winde which passeth to and fro The same with greater reason may be sayde of Monarchies in which we may see from day to day the accomplishment of this threatning which is so wisely set downe by Hesiodus speaking of Iupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He soone puls downe the mighty ones and poore from dust doth rayse He soone correctes the crooked ones and rootes out wicked waies Which is then seene especially when the sinnes as well of the Prince as of the people enforce God to breake his patience The Mathematicians holde that the augmentation of the greatnesse of thinges maketh them seeme to approach neere vnto our sight though in verie truth they approch not at all But with the sinnes of men it fareth much otherwise which being heaped one on the other doo approach and present themselues before the sight of the liuing God who oftentimes punisheth the people in the Prince and the Prince in the people whose iustice is not ruled by the same square that mens iudgements are directed in the which according to the Lawyers Noxa caput sequitur that is Penaltie pursueth the principall Whereof we haue a manifest and notable example in Abimelech the king of Gerar who excusing himselfe vnto Abraham vseth these wordes What haue I done vnto thee and wherein haue I offended thee that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom this great sinne Nowe if Abimelech do call adulterie a great sinne how shall we call that which we can not better describe then by the conformitie thereof vnto that example set downe by Suetonius in the life of Claudius in the xxvi chapter of his booke But if this speech be thought by any to be ouer darke I referre him to that which the Lawyer Paulus hath written lib. 39. vnder the title Si quis D. de ritu nuptiarum and hee shall plainely vnderstande my meaning But this is not all for there are yet in this behalfe other sortes of wickednesse as much or more abhominable then the other which they thinke to keepe secret as if the saying of the Poet Musaeus had not place as well in this age as in the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oft times we heare that sounded openly Which we thought had beene done full secretly Now then if we thinke Gods iustice to be immutable let vs knowe and be well assured that he will visite such and so execrable wickednesse which may with more honestie then ease be concealed and will at last how long soeuer he foreslowe it make the Spaniards and their king to feele his vengeance A cruell Tyrant on whose wretched head The wrath of God to fall is readie spread To be short the time will come ere long and will not tarie that this wicked Nation which for these hundred yeares hath made a trade of pilling and praying on others shall be exposed for a pray vnto other Nations The time I say draweth neere when eyther the Indians or else the king of Spaine his Lieutenants themselues shall reuolt from him and become executors of God his wrath against the couetousnesse and crueltie of their owne Nation Now remayneth to be considered the third and last point of this discourse that is to wit whether of these two Nations being become our enemie hath most meanes to annoy vs. This point may well be cleered by that which hath beene discoursed in the former touching the meanes which eyther of those Nations hath to succour vs with all Yet so it is notwithstanding that if the Englishmen should happen to set foote in France and especially in Guyenne it would be as hard for vs to stay a great part of the Nobilitie and Gentlemen from taking their part as to burie the remembrance of the good turnes and pleasures which their houses haue receiued heretofore at the handes of the kings of Englande especially considering that the Charters of the greatest houses of Guyen are as many testimonies or rather as many authenticall recordes of the obligation wherin they are bound to the memorie of the kings of England moreouer falling at ods with the English euerie one knoweth that they haue good diches large and deepe such as can not be drayned On the contrarie part according to the opinion of that great Captaine the Admirall Chastillon it were no lesse easie then expedient for vs to ouercome the Spaniards if we warred vpon them as we ought that is to say if cutting off the riuer at the spring head we would set vpon them at home in their owne countrie of Spaine which is a land very easie to be entred into being both vnfurnished of strong townes which cannot but hardly be succoured froÌ„ Germanie wheras on the contrarie part our armies should be backed by the countries of Languedocke and Gascoyne both of theÌ„ well stored with victuals and men of warre so that in France that quarter may wel be called at this day the storehouse of Mars If I should adde nothing else yet notwithstanding the causes heretofore set downe being well considered do sufficiently conclude of themselues that to preferre or to match in equalitie the allyance of Spaine to that of England were openly to show our selues vnnaturall and vnkinde to our allyes It were I say to shew our selues blockish and vnable to discerne the nature that matcheth iumpe with ours from that which is cleane contrarie vnto ours and manifestly to oppose our selues against the benefite and welfare of our countrie The Spaniardes as we haue sayde are couetous craftie proud and rauenous Shall we change then our franke liberalitie into a slauish and insatiable couetousnesse shall we change the generositie of the Lyon into the subtiltie of the Foxe shall we become of gentle and courteous arrogant and disdainefull and of milde and meeke cruell and rauenous shall we so bereaue our selues of those vertues which haue gotten vs reputation through out the whole world as that there shall remaine no more vnto vs of Frenchmen but euen the bare name And yet if we neerely consider the naturall disposition of the Spaniarde that miserable exchange whereof I now spake will be euermore noted as an euident and sure testimonie of our ouer great facilitie in making so great account of that Nation who resembling Iuie hath alwaies made those to feele the most pernitious effects of her most hurtfull malice which haue beene most straightly allied vnto her Now for as much as prayer is accounted the duetie of an honest man towards his countrie I pray to God O France that thy preseruation increase may be a continuall mirror of his goodnesse wisedome which shineth in the gouernment of great estates and kingdomes And that to the same end he vouchsafe to open thy eies that thou maiest discern that poyson mixt with hony by the which they go about to worke thy ruine and the vtter ouerthrowe of thy honour and greatnesse FINIS Salustius in Iugutha Hesiodus in his booke of workes and daies Cicero 1. offic Caesar lib. 1 de bello Gallico Caesar lib. 2. de bello Gallico Plutarchus in Theseo Plato in Lysida Cic. 2. de natura deorum Ramus de moribus veterum Gallorum Caesar lib. de bello Gallico Plato in Timaeo Arist. lib. 1. cap. 1. polit Arist. Ethic. lib. 4. cap. 3 Comines cap. 34. Herodian in Commodo Plutarch in the life of Cicero Comines cap. 112. See the historie of Bellay Theocritus in 〈◊〉 Prolo Callimachus in hymno Iouis Guichardino lib. 15 Guichardino lib 16. Homerâ— Iliadâ— â— Virg. Eglog 1. Plutarchus in Phocione 〈…〉 Looke Froysard Se Froysard Pindarus ode x. Pith. Cicero in Lucullo Pindarus ode 1. Olym. Pind. od 1. Nem. Cicero in Lucullo Plinius li. 7. Cap. 21. Guichardine lib. 12 Thucidideâ— lib. 1 Arist. lib. 7. cap. 7. politic Pind. ode 1. Nem. Machiauell in lib. de principe Theophrastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sophoc in Aâ—ace Aristophanes in Plut. Arist. Metaphys lib. 1. ca. â— Esay 33. Euripides in Electra Hesiod oper diebus Vitellius lib. 4. Theox 129 Caius li. 20 vltimo D. de Noxal Action Genesis 20 Suetonius
remayned in arrerages But laying aside these colours of Castillan Rhetorick I say roundly that our French tongue is so bare that it hath no other tearme fit enough to specifie the good dealing of the Duke of Alua but theft and robberie And therefore if at this day he practise as well in Spaine with the lute as he hath doone with the harpe in Flanders king Phillip may well sende backe his Seuerino into Italy But howsoeuer it be the king his master hath reprehended his auarice but yet not with rigour hauing respect peraduenture to the order of the fleece which I dare well say hee hath no better reason to beare then because he first fleeced and then deuoured as a rauening Wolfe the innocent sheepe of a good shepheard For we must not thinke that hee and the rest of that Spanish rascall spared any more the bloud then the purses of the poore people of the lowe countries for they had commandement so to do And their Prince was not with anything so much moued as in that they did not handle thē yet more extreemely That soone mayest thou O new Pharao by thy miserable death make an end of the waylings of so many desolate persons But if any one thinke that the courages of the Spaniards haue been so inuenomed against those of the low countries for the different of Religion he showes that he is as little acquainted with their naturall disposition as with the state of their affaires It is about a hundred yeares since they discouered a new world vnder the conduct of Christopher Columbus who in my iudgment would neuer haue vndertaken this voyage if he had thought that the men whome hee brought thither as if they were charmed by the cup of Circe should straightwaies be transformed into Lions Panthers Tigres and other sauage beastes The Indians and Americans are poore barbarous and simple ones such as by good conuersation and godly perswasions might easily be wonne vnto Christ which way the Frenchmē haue since that time both wisely and happily followed But in truth we may well say that this new Indian and American world hath not beene so much vnknowen in times past as the new and enormous cruelties which these diuels incarnate comming out of Spaine do there put in practise O Turkes O Scithians O Tartarians reioyce yee now sithence at this day there is found in Christendome a Nation which by their wicked and detestable deeds go about to burie that hatred which is borne to your barbarous crueltie But I dwell too long on so tragicall a subiect which notwithstanding I do with as great griefe as with iust occasion Laying aside then such an argument as is sufficient to make Democritus weepe let vs speake of two articles eyther of which is such as hee had neede to be possessed with an humour more then Heracliticall that hearing and considering them neerely could abstaine from laughter It is of their ciuilitie and modestie Touching the first if any haue had that good hap neuer to haue beene conuersant with Spaniards and would notwithstāding be informed according to the truth of their Gothish ciuilitie hee can not see a more liuely portraiture nor a draught drawne by the hande of a happier Appelles then Terence in the description which hee makes of harlots in his Eunuch in these tearmes Quae dum foris sunt nihil videtur mundius nec magis compositum quicquam nec magis elegans And a little after he addeth Harum videre est ingluuiem sordes inopiam quà m inhonestae solae sint domi atque auidae cibi quo pacto ex iure hesterno panem atrum vorent I would say more were it not for displeasing of the delicate sort and we haue here set the Spaniardes on stage like good Apothecaries to furnish our selues with laughter at their charges And I pray you what man is there so melancholy that could forbeare laughter seeing a burden-bearer a cobler or a carter to call himselfe Caualiero or else to see a Caualiero of Spaine going thorough the fields to carrie the fragmentes of his dinner in a budget and to play a thousand other peasauntly partes which the carriers coblers and carters of our countrie would disdayne once to haue thought on The Mathematicians teach that in the operations of Algebra the most equall is often reduced vnto lesse The speeches of the Spaniardes do much resemble this diuine Algebricall misterie In so much that ordinarily these great and magnificent titles of a grand Caualiero hauing ten thousand duckets of reuenewe make as much beeing taken at their true rate and value as an vnthrift a rascall and a runnagate hauing scarse thirtie Maluedies in his purse to pay for patching of his pantofles So that one may well say to those magnificent Dom Diegos as sometimes said a great personage of Athens your discourse is like to the Cipres tree which being great and high bringeth foorth no fruite To be short he that would see a liuely picture of an Attalus a Suffenus or a Thraso without troubling himselfe too much in turning ouer Martiall Catullus and Terence let him onely consider the sterne lookes and stately speeches of a Spaniarde And although these tarcelets of Saracens be qualified as I haue sayde yet haue they with blowes of pistolets so blinded the eyes of some of our Courtiers that they are not ashamed to maintayne that wee are much bound to these honest creatures For my part I confesse I am not so sharpe witted as to see the foundation of this obligation except they will take it in the same sense that Antiochus did saying that he was much beholden to the Romains who hauing shortned his authoritie and power had eased him of a huge and heauie burden Euen so are wee indebted to the Spaniards in that they haue eased vs of such trauailes as the estates of Flanders Naples and Millayne might haue brought vnto vs. And moreouer to intreate yet farther of their good affection towardes vs is not this a testimonie of their cordiall Spanish amitie which they vsed in times past to our ancestors according to their cruell nature that hauing wonne the battell of our men they slue afterwardes all the prisoners they had in their hands as Froysard witnesseth Would any mā craue a clearer interpretation of that which heretofore I alleaged out of Guychardine that this Nation is most insolent when they haue found their aduantage to discouer themselues as they are that is to take off the maske of their hipocrisie It is also a faire testimony of their courtesie towards vs that cōtrary to their promised faith they massacred our men in Florida about twentie yeares since I had almost forgotten to produce one notable effect of their courtesie towardes vs that is the imprisonment of king Francis which himselfe tooke the more greeuously as Guichardine reportes because the remembrance of the English courtesie towardes king Iohn was deepely engrauen in his memorie What testimonie of amitie towards