vpon the countrey of the enemie and to see our owne flaming with fire and spoiled and ransackt by our enemies Moreouer he which assaulteth is more couragious then hee which is put to his defence adde hereunto that the feare and astonishment is much the more and greater where it is not foreseene and preuented Now as soone as a man entreth within the enemies countrie he shall soone take knowledge both of the good and euill that may befall him therein he shal quickly discouer the commodities or the discommodities of the country Liu. Dec. 4. lib. â— Saying of P. Sulpitius to the Romans Remember well that which P. Sulpitius saide vnto the Romans and take it to your selues as if he had spoken it vnto you to wit That they had had good experience by that which was past how their warres were alwaies more happy and fortunate and their armies much more puissant in the countrey of the enemie then in their owne Hearken to the counsell which Hanniball gaue vnto Antiochus Idem Decad. 4. lib. 4. and make your profit thereof better then he did Assure your selfe that the countrie of the enemy will yeeld you souldiers who desire their libertie and will furnish you with victualls and all commodities for your armie Let the faults and ouersights of others make you wise doe as Cyrus did who cast himselfe away by contemning the counsell of Croesus Herodotus and by not making any recknoning of Tomyris his enemie Halicar lib. 1. Take heede that you doe not incurre more blame in this behalfe then all others and it may bee more deseruedly because you haue euer and doe daily vse too too much to contemne and not to regard your enemie Certainly this is the first and principall cause of the ruine of all estates when they contemne and set not by their enemies and when they will not hearken to any thing that shall bee alledged to the contrary For the question is not now of entring into a forraigne countrey to subdue and conquer it or to get to bee Lord and Master of it but onely to restore vnto libertie so many peoples and nations who doe crie and call for aide vnder the yoke and burthen of this tyranny and to deliuer your owne subiects from the armes of the enemie who hath gotten footing in the best and goodliest prouince of your realmes and kingdomes If you doe not as I aduise you I feare me least to morrow they will take yet some other of your townes and the next day another and so afterwards at one blow will seize vpon all the rest Take heed therefore to that which I tel you I would not haue you for the assailing of your enemie to leaue your selues vndefended but that in doing of one thing you do not let passe another because 4. or 5. thousand men which you men of Guyen Languedock Dauphine and other prouinces will not bring you to any such want of men but that you may haue meanes enough to defend your selues both in Picardie and elsewhere Thirdly to depriue a king from his Crowne and scepter and to dispossesse him of his realmes and dominions Two things do soone depriue a Prince of his crowne and scepter crueltie and licencious liuing when he is a tirant cruell or of a wicked licentious and lewd life there needeth no great forces Two thousand men which Charles the 8. King of France gaue vnto Henrie Earle of Richmond his cousine german remoued for he was the grand child of Katherine sister of Charles the 7. his grandfather who had to her first husband Henrie the fifth king of England were sufficient for the said Earle passing ouer into England to gather together men enough to bid battel to Richard the third in the which Richard was defeated and slaine most shamefully The cronicles of England by reason of hir crueltie and tyrannie Peter king of Castile the sonne of Alphonse the Iusticier The histories of Spaine for his tyrannie and many cruelties which hee committed got the sirname of cruell and was for the same cause slaine by his brother Henrie the bastard The crueltie which Christierne the second of that name Many histories brother in law to Charles the fifth vsed towards the principall and chiefe Nobles of Swethland made him lose the said Realme and consequently also the kingdomes of Denmarke and Norwaie which he was rightfull king and Soueraigne The kingdome of Spaine was taken from the King Roderike a most loose and licentious Prince The common historie of Spaine onely by twelue thousand Moores whom the Earle Iulian Captaine of the towne of Septa procured from Vlit king of Barbarie who in the yeare 713. passing into Spaine in Marchants ships had for their Chiefe and Generall Tarif Abâ—n Zarca who being blind of one eye gaue the name vnto the Towne of Tarifa which was before called Carteya and hauing destroyed the Towne of Seuill did take and ruinate many others both iâ—â—he Prouince of Boetica and in Portugall and did ouerthrow in set battell a cousin of the sayd king Roderike which Roderike himselfe afterwards assembling his forces vpon the riuer of Guadelethe on the seuenth of Iuly or according to others on the seuenth of September in the yeare 724. did giue battell vnto the Moores in the which hee was ouercome and vanquished and immediatly after he lost almost all Spaine The wicked liâ— of this king was the onely cause of this losse and of the ruine of that kingdome and especially because he had dishonoured Caua the daughter of the sayd Earle Julian who vpon this occasion finding himselfe grieuously outraged gaue free entry vnto the Moores by that towne of Septa which is as it were the key of Affrike and Europe Besides he did serue for a guide vnto them in that their inuasion At which time the said Mores had very good and happy successe in their affaires in Spaine by reason that they found the people not vsed nor accustomed to the warres as they are not now at this day likewise Antiochus the Great for his dissolute disordinate life at such time as he should haue set Greece at libertie and haue made warre vpon the Romaines for the assurance security of his owne Empire was reduced to such termes that he saw himselfe constrained in the end to accept peace of them vpon such conditons as pleased them And retiring himselfe out of Europe and Asia he was glad to withdraw himselfe into a corner as their vassall and tributary The Annalls of France Childericke for his voluptuous liuing and for seeking nothing but for his owne pleasures lost the Crowne and kingdome of France By all which examples sufficing as well as 6000. moe may be seene how little strength and small forces there doe need to trouble and ruinate the enemy in in Spaine which hath not at any time induced nor had any Prince so tyrannous and cruell nor of such wicked and licentious liuing Fourthly
Portugals Euen so did the valiant Alphonsus Henriques the first King of Portugall begin to entitle himselfe King and Lord of the Portugals An honorable testimonie of the loyaltie of the Portugals This valour of the Portugals was not then at that time onely but it hath still continued euen to this day for wee our selues haue seene in the yeere 1580. how the King Don Anthonio with lesse then fiue thousand footmen Portugals being but euen nouices in Armes and young souldiers did defend himselfe for many dayes against more then twentie thousand old souldiers of the Duke de Alna In the yeere following on the fiue and twentieth of Iuly being S. James his day Scipio de Figueiredo de Vasconcelles a Gentleman whose valour and fidelitie is well knowne and of whom there is often mention made in Histories being Gouernour of the Iles of Assores hee defended himselfe in plaine field with lesse then foure hundred Portugals against more then a thousand Castillians whom Don Petro de Valdes had made to take land in the I le of Terceras neere to the citie of Angra The Portugals were no souldiers but mechanicall persons handycrafts men and labourers and amongst them there were not ten Gentlemen for the Gouernour had left them in the Towne for the defence and gouernment thereof The Castillians were old souldiers amongst whom as is reported there were two hundred men who had beene Commanders in Armies of Castile and they fought from foure houres after morning till foure of the night at which time they caused a great quantitie of Kine to be driuen downe from the Mountaines with the which they brake the rankes and order of the Castillians to the intent they might come to handy-strokes with them and by this stratageme comming to the sword A good stratageme they ouerthrew them Some of the said Castillians saued themselues by swimming many were drowned and there were buried by iust account 875. A notable victorie of the Portugals vpon the Castillians Conestagio 8. fol. 234. pag. 1. Of the Portugals were slaine by the hand of their enemies fifteene and by the fall of a wall sixe and some hurt The famous Conestagio doth recount this Historie otherwise but falsely howbeit that hee confesseth that there were slaine sixe hundred Castillians and thirtie Portugals But I haue heard what passed in this encounter of many Gentlemen Spaniards my countreymen who were present at it and especially of one that was borne in Valentia named Don Gasper who saued himselfe by Sea being sore hurt and of a Drumme that was a Castillian and of a Portugall borne in Villa Vicosa the which two onely had their liues saued being found vpon the Sea-shore after the heat of the fight was past There died one of the nephewes of the Duke de Alua and one of the nephewes of the Marquesse de Santa Cruce and a nephew of the aboue-named Don Pedro de Valdes and that renowned Philip Hartada an Arragonnois and seuentie more of such as were the eldest brethren of sundry good Houses of whom a good part were neere neighbours to Salamanca To be briefe there died all the flower of Castile for that they seeing how Portugall was yeelded vnto them so easily and hauing heard that the Iles were very rich and that the East Indie Fleet was like to fall into their hands and being allured with the late sacke of the suburbes of Lisbon which was valued at three Millions they had embarked themselues for this seruice as cheerefully as if they had beene going to a Wedding This is a thing well knowne that foure or fiue young Portugals from betweene eighteene and twentie yeeres of age did at Lisbon with their Swords and Cloakes onely make no account of a dozen of Castillians By these reasons men may vnderstand that that which Walsingham sayth is not a ridiculous thing much lesse a Brauado But returne wee to that wee had in hand Within a few dayes after there came certaine Embassadours to the Duke of Lancaster sent from the King of Castile who in all humilitie did demaund to haue peace but the Duke would not hearken vnto them Notwithstanding hunger and the pestilence constraining him to retyre into Portugall to the Towne of Trancoso they came againe to seeke him out being sent thither vnto him the second time by the said John King of Castile with their former request shewing vnto the Duke by many good reasons and arguments the great profit which would ensue of a good peace made betweene them The Castilian demandeth peace of the Duke of Lancaster in all humilitie Thereupon did the Duke giue them audience and in the end did accord to their demand howbeit that it was full sore against his will First because he was giuen to vnderstand that the King of Portugall was willing to haue it so And secondly which in effect was the thing that did most vrge him because he was aduertised that the troubles and warres began afresh betweene the French and the English and that there were certaine Seditions growne in England by reason whereof hee should not be able to haue any fresh succours from thence The Castilian constrained to receiue conditions to his disaduantage whereof it seemed he had then great want and the mortalitie which was in his Armie did now threaten him that hee should haue need of a further supply The accord therefore was made betweene the King and the Duke in this sort That Henry the eldest sonne of Iohn named Prince of Castile should espouse Katherine the onely daughter of the said Duke and of Constance his wife and that they two should succeed in the Realmes of Castile and Leon and other his Seigniories That the King should endow both the Mother and the Daughter as he did giuing to the Mother the Citie of Guadalaiara Medina del Campo and Ouiedo and afterwards being with her in the said Towne of Medina he gaue her Hueta also and to the daughter for her Dowrie hee gaue the Esturies making and naming her Princesse and his sonne Prince of Esturie And from that time forward the eldest sonne of the Castillian King hath alwayes borne and had the surname of this Principalitie as of Dauphine in France the Dolphin Besides it was couenanted That he should giue vnto the Duke sixe hundred thousand Franks of Gold for his returne into England and fortie thousand Franks of yeerely rent during the liues of him and his wife Iohn of Castile accepted all these conditions and that very gladly for albeit he had France and the Frenchmen also on his side and the King of Arragon likewise with whose sister hee had beene marryed of whom was borne the said Prince Don Henry and Fernand who was afterward king of Arragon All Spaine with the succors of France against Portugal which gained notwithstanding against all right and equitie and to the preiudice of the true and lawfull heires and had also Charles the third king of Nauarre to his
all Spaine and France it selfe also and it may be hee would not otherwise haue failed to haue sent a good part of those forces euen for England at the least for Ireland Portugall the principal cause of all the warres By those last words aboue vsed by the King and the former recited examples may be easily discouered not onely the ingratitude of this peruerse and vn pleasing Catholike but wee may also collect and gather that Portugall is the principall cause of so many warres so many murthers and mischaunces and that if the same were wrung out of the hands and power of this tyrant the most Christian King and the other Princes of Christendome should dwell in peace the Potentates and common wealths of Europe should be in rest the Cardinals at Rome should not be at his direction nor the elections of the Popes at his will and pleasure ouer the which he doth so tyrannize that in each of them he maketh himselfe the first person and as the saying is preferreth himselfe before the holy Ghost There is neuer any election of a Pope How Philip doth germandise the elections of the Cardinals and Popes but he nameth some three foure or fiue persons to the end that the Conclaue of Cardinals should choose one of them was there euer seene greater impudency or presumption that a mortall man should dare vsurpe Gods office Ha most Christian King it is the part of your Maiesty to defend and maintaine the soueraigne and chiefe Bishops they are in their possession to be defended and preserued by the most Christian Kings of France and to that end haue they endowed them with so great priuiledges liberties and prerogatiues Banish therefore and driue away Sir this monster breake the head of this Serpent tame this Lyon and deliuer the Church from this so tyrannicall seruitude and hard captiuitie Restore vnto your pupils their wonted peace and liberty to the intent they may with hardinesse chastise the euill and vicious and without feare reward the good and vertuous How often haue the soueraigne Bishops desired to honour and doe good to some persons in recompence of their vertues and merits and to correct others for their vices and haue not beene able to performe either the one or the other Oftentimes against their wils haue the Popes permitted the wicked to triumph and more often haue they consented that the good should endure afflictions Who did better deserue to be made a Cardinall if I may not say Pope then that famous learned man Doctor Martin Aspilcueta of Nauarre Martin Aspilcueta a Nauarrois whose memory shall be eternall both for his doctrine and for his holinesse and vertue Neuerthelesse onely because Philip could not abide him for defending against him the cause of that reuerend Prelate Don. Fra. Bartholmew Carrance Fra. Bartholmew Carrance Archbishop of Toledo a religious person of the order of S. Dominicke Archbishop of Toledo and for maintaining also with many and strong reasons that the Portugals ought of right to choose their King by election and for prouing by most firme and infallible arguments that his Catholike Maiesty did possesse the Realme of Portugall by vniust and tyrannicall title was therefore thrust out of all and dyed in the estate of a poore and simple Priest Who did euer in all reason deserue better or more worthily to be strangled and burnt then N and yet because Philip would haue it so hee liueth still and triumpheth Wherefore most humbly I beseech both your Maiesties euen for the honour of GOD wherein your selues haue more interest then any other that you would vouchsafe to attend this matter of so great importance and that you would vndertake to leuy and make ready a good Armie to passe into Spaine and to consider withall how great is the prudence the industry and subtilty of this common enemy that your Maiesty would regard his actions his ambition and his tyranny that you would awaken and grow to a resolution knowing that you haue so great a tyrant to your Neighbour as of himselfe alone is greater then all others that euer were or which now are in the World Tyranny as natural to Phâ—lip as is laughter to a man all of them set together and who hath gotten like his predecessors all that which he possesseth by pure and plaine tyranny which is indeede so proper and naturall vnto him and doth belong vnto him as properly and vnseparably as laughter doth to a man Giue me leaue I pâ—ay you to proue that which I speake by most cleere and certaine Histories to the intent I may take away all occasion from those who are addicted to ill speaking and to deceitfull dealing to thinke or take me for a lyar for this that I say may be verified by all the Historiographers of Spaine both ancient and moderne which are worthy to be credited or haue any truth in them some of which doe liue yet at this day and it is no long time since they made their workes and imprinted them with the fauour and at the costs and charges of the said Philip. And this I will endeuour to proue as briefly as I can and I will shew how in all the Realmes and Prouinces which the King Catholike possesseth in Spaine whereof I my selfe being a Spaniard doe know somewhat hee possesseth and holdeth them by tyranny committed many times and often And for as much as to proue that which I intend it shall suffice to touch onely that which hath happened since the 380 yeeres last past I will not speake of any thing that hath befalne before the yeere of Christ 1217. Castile tyrannized â—he first time Henry King of Castile the sonne of Alphonsus the noble dying left his eldest sister Blaunch Queene of France which was the mother of S. Lewes who was then but two yeeres old Garibay lib. 22. cap 41. and his Father who was not yet King of France was occupied in the warres of England whither hee was called by them of that land against their King called King John who was reputed for a tyrant Henrie being dead as is sayd his youngest sister named Berangera the wife of Alphonsus King of Leon with her sonne Fernand encroched vpon the possession of the Realme of Castile and vsurped it against the right of the sayd Blanch her eldest sister and consequently against the sayd S. Lewes her nephew Fernand being dead Alphonsus his eldest sonne called Emperour of the West because some of the Electors of the Empire had elected him whereas the residue had chosen Richard the brother of Henrie the third King of England made an accord with the sayd S. Lewes the cousen German of his father touching the succession of Castile in this manner That Fernand the eldest sonne of Alphonsus should eâ—pouse Blanch the daughter of the sayd S. Lewes with condition that the children borne of that marriage should inherit Castile Of them twaine were issued Alphonsus and Fernand who were
and puissant doe despoile and consume the others who are of lesse puissance Now we know that there are two especiall reasons for which the Authour hath prolonged and drawne out at length this his Discourse enriching it with Histories so singular and beautifying it with such rare authorities and examples The former is for that as he hath endeuoured liuely to depaint vnto vs our enemy and to make vs know the naturall disposion of those Nations of whom we haue great cause to take good heed seeing that all that which he hath spoken doth set forward this his intent and purpose he saw it would not be any inconuenience to vse therein some prolixity If a man by compact as bound thereto by another or of his owne proper motion and free will and vpon curiosity would vndertake a voyage of some three or foure leagues not hauing any time prefixed nor limited for dispatch thereof what harme would it be vnto him if in his passage he doe find some Gardens where he may recreate and refresh himselfe from the trauell and wearisomenesse of the way So doe you my Masters reade this Treatise at your pleasure vse it for your recreation and take your delight in the sweete odours of her flowres and pleasant posies You neede make no great hast there is no man that doth vrge you thereto A second reason of the prolixity of this Treatise is for that as the Author is driuen of necessity to handle the vertues and the vices of diuers persons and sundry Nations so his will was that each of them should haue his due desert the good and those that haue done well praise and honour but the euill and vitious blame and reprehension In the end of this Treatise you shall find the explication which he promiseth Fol. 143 in the which there are many things both of great curiosity and also as necessary to the matter in hand as any of the rest For that in knowledge vnderstanding and experience hee doth farre exceed me as his worke doth shew apparantly Touching the which briefly I dare not affirme any thing but this that each word of his is a sentence and that each sentence containeth many I must confesse that to some persons in particular his Treatise will be ill accepted but what remedy he hath spoken but the truth and what he affirmeth he proueth and hee alledgeth nothing without his Authour to iustifie it And truly I for my part am of this opinion that it is not against reason to publish the wickednesse and vices of some one particular person which being true may be made knowne to euery man especially when the knowledge thereof may redound to the great good and benefit of the weale publike But to come to an end let me entreat you to take in good part that which I haue said A Table made by the Author of the principall things contained in this Treatise THe reasons which haue mooued Philip king of Castile to stirre vp warre in Fraunce and what opinion he hath of the French page 2. The league in Fraunce imitateth that in Spaine in the yeare 1463. page 4. Philip against his promise causeth the captaine Anthonie to hanged page 4. What paines and labour Philip hath taken to procure warre against the most Christian king Henrie the 3. deceassed by the meane of the king now being and of the promises which he hath made vnto his Maiestie for that purpose page 6. The great desire which the late king Henrie the third had to haue set Portugall at libertie page 8. That Portugall is the cause of the warre in Fraunce page 8. How necessarie and important a thing it is that the enemie haue warre made vpon him in his owne countrie page 8. What the nature and disposition is of the naturall Spaniards page 15. What sorrow and griefe the Princes and Lords of Spaine did take to see the inuasion and vsurpation of Portugall and what desire they haue to see it deliuerer page 17. The malice of the Castiliannation and their disloyalty against strangers when they haue any occasion offered them to domineere and rule ouer them page 19. The enmitie and hatred of the Castilians against the Portugals page 22. The loyaltie and fidelitie of the Portugal page 24. The cause why Portugall was not restored to her libertie in the yeare 1589 when the king Don Anthonio drew the English into Portugall with a true declaration of that voyage page 27. The great riches found at Lisbon page 29. The reason why so many faults were committed in that Armie of the English page 33. That the most Christian king and the Princes and Potentates of Europe haue very great cause and interest to hinder the Portugals from according with the Castilian page 33. A deduction of certaine reasons betweene the Author and a Frenchman vpon the voyage which it behoueth the French to make into Spaine and what losses they haue had for default of putting the same in execution in times past page 36. What the state and condition is of an assailant and of a defendant page 40. That tyrannie and crueltie and a disordinate and dishonest life is the cause of the ruine and destruction of great Estates and Monarchies page 43. The cause wherefore the king Rodericke lost Spaine page 44. That the English heretofore going into Spaine with the Portugals did constraine the kings of Castile to demaund peace in all humilitie and what conditions to their great disaduantage they were constrained to receiue of them and of the valour of the Portugals with the honourable testimonie of the king of Castile and of the force and puissance of Portugall against Spaine from page 50. to 53. Where and by what way Spaine may be inuaded and the enemy easily ruinated page 55. The Portugals most impatient vvhen their honour is in question page 56. How and by what meanes the king of Castile hath so easilie vsurped the realme of Portugall page 57. What and how great the force of Portugall is the negligence of the king Don Anthonio and of his Counsell page 59. The vnlawfull and vniust treaties made by king Philip with Muley Malucco whereof ensued the losse and destruction of the king Don Sebastian And how Philip doth reioyce triumph at the prosperitie of the Turke and for what cause he forbeareth to hinder the Turke from making warre in Europe which he may easily doe page 60. The description of Portugall with the greatnesse riches and puissance thereof page 65. King Philip much addicted to Cosmographie and greatly practised and expert in histories page 70. That the Castilians for these three hundred yeeres last past haue done nothing of any worth without the Portugals page 73. That Portugall is the principall cause of all the warres and reuolts which haue bin since the yeare 1580 euen till this day and will be still if order be not taken to the contrary page 74. How king Philip doth gourmandise and incroch vpon the elections of the Popes
and Cardinals page 74. That tyranny is as proper naturall to the Castilian as laughter is to a man and that all which he hath in any part of the world hath bin vsurped either by his predecessors or by himselfe vniustly and by plaine tyranny and that it is now a long time since the predecessors of Philip haue vsed to serue their turne by poysoning page 76. The hatred which the Ecclesiasticall and Regular persons of Portugall haue to Philip king of Castile page 85. The nature and disposition of the Portugals page 86. Iohn the second king of Portugall the scourge and chastiser of the Castilians page 87. That the realmes of Arragon of Valencia and the Countie of Barcelona other Seigniories do appertaine of right to the Duke of Loraine and how Fernand the great grandfather of Philip was one of the maisters of Machiauell page 88. The crueltie of Philip and how he maketh no exception of persons be it Pope Nuncio Bishop c. page 89. 91. That king Philip promised fourescore thousand Duckats to haue the king Don Anthonio killed page 95. The blindnesse and inueiglement of those who beeing the followers of king Philip doe excuse and defend him page 97. Good and wholesome counsell for subiects towards their Princes page 99. The great rents and reuenues which Philip draweth yearelie from the Churches of Castile page 101. The offer made by Philip to them of the pretended Reformed religion to cause them to make warre against the late King of Fraunce page 104. How greatly Philip hath pained himselfe to trouble the estate of the French king by the meanes of some of the chiefe heads both of the one religion and of the other page 105. The reason wherefore king Philip yeelded the citie of Arzil to Muley Hamet page 107. The great difference diuersity betweene the manners of Philip king of Castile and Anthonio king of Portugall page 107. The cause why Don Anthonio refused the meanes to recouer his realme of Portugall page 109. Offers made by king Philip to Don Anthonio page 109. The explication promised by the Author page 119. Of the prouerb Jf the Cockerell had not come the Cocke had bin taken page 119. Of Auila page 121. Of Simancas page 122. The iudgement giuen by the Lackeys against the Archbishop ef Toledo page 123. Of Gelorico page 124. Of the Castle of Coimbre page 125. Of the king of Castile page 126. Of Egbert the first king of England page 132. Of the Castilians and Castile page 132 The reason why Braga entitleth it selfe Primate of Spaine page 132. Toledo Cordua and other kingâ—â—mes of new Castile set at libertie and recouered from the Mores page 132. Of the Cities of Spaine page 134. Of the townes of Spaine page 135. THE SPANISH PILGRIME OR A ROMISH CATHOLICKES DISCOVERIE By way of exhortation Wherein is shewed by good and euident reasons infallible arguments most true and certain histories and notable examples the right way and true meanes to resist the violence of the Castilian King to breake the course of his designes to abate his pride and to ruinate his puissance MOst excellent Princes they which doe make profession of wrastling or of fencing doe principally studie how to discouer the trickes and deuises vsed by their aduersaries in these kindes of exercises for that hauing once marked and taken notice of the same they doe enter into the lists and present themselues in place and doe combat with so much the more hardinesse and assurance as hauing conceiued thereby a full and assured hope to ouercome their enemies and by giuing them the foyle to gaine the prize propounded for the victory In like manner ought we in all affaires diligently to search out the originall of euery thing that we may foresee and preuent all the inconueniences which may grow therein to the intent they may not endamage vs in the time to come afterwards Now that which we in this Treatise ought most curiously to put in practise is to know and discouer the reasons which haue moued Philip King of Castile to make warre in France with so great expence and charge of his treasure with so great losse of his people and with so great decrease and diminution of his dominions especially in the Low Countries If the most Christian King Henrie the third were liuing he could say as much as a certaine stranger his seruant comming from Spaine in the yeare 1583. in the moneth of May did giue him to vnderstand and that was that the sayd King Philip seeing how his most Christian Maiestie had permitted Monsieur de Shosse the County du Brissar The reasons that moued Philip king of Castile to stir vp warres in France what opinion he hath of the French nation and other Lords and Gentlemen to goe with an army by Sea to giue aide and succour to Don Anthony the true rightfull King of the Realms of Portugall who had beene elected King according to the custome of the Portugals by all the cities and townes of the sayd Realme and by many Prouinces and Signories out of Europe being dependants of the same Realme and Kingdome The said Philip did deliberate in a solemne set Councell to stirre vp and procure a ciuill warre in France saying the French nation is at this day of such a nature and likewise the English that they neuer thinke vpon the time to come nor care for any thing but for the present and that which they haue in hand as being more desirous to gaine day by day three or foure Crownes then to keep three or foure thousand already gotten so farre are they changed from their old and naturall disposition For in former times they had a desire to goe abroad out of their owne Counttey for the succouring of Kings and Princes afflicted despoyled of their Realms and Dominions and to make warre vpon the Infidels and to chastise tyrants whereas now their thoughts are quite cleane altered and they doe set their minds altogether to the gotting of money vâ—on any conditions whatsoeuer and they are now growne to be no lesse in loue with the lasciuiousnesse and delights of their owne country then they are in dislike with the sterility and extreame heat of Spaine other discommodities of this countrey and for this cause we shall the more easily perswade and induce them to make warre within their owne countries euen against their own brethren cousins parents and countrimen rather then abroade against their enemies And for this cause I will and am resolued to spend one million of gold the more yearely to the intent I may keepe and entertaine them alwayes in domesticall and ciuill warres So that being held occupied and hauing their hands full in their owne countrey they shall not be able to resolue to passe into the Realmes and dominions of any other And so by meanes hereof shall I be able easily to preserue the Realme of Portugall to my sefle with all that doth depend
your Maiestie to a gentleman who had the managing of this businesse and had made an ouerture thereof vnto you did gaine you the affections of all good Frenchmen who did thereupon imprint you in their hearts and much more when it was knowne that your Maiestie had aduertised the most Christian king of the same in the year 1583 Insomuch that his Maiesty did permit you the yeare following 1584. to make an assembly of the chiefe Heads and Lords of the religion at Mountaban where it was well knowne that your Maiesty did sharply reproue those which had plotted these troublesome practises and others which were seene afterwards to bee set abroach by the enemy in the yeare 1585. And that your Maiestie did then make an accord reciprocally neither to enterprise nor to deliberate vpon any thing the one against the other And it was reported that all the pretended reformed Churches in this assembly did require your Maiestie for their Chiefe and secondly Monsieur the Prince of Conde and that all this was done by the permission of the said most Christian King who did greatly repent himselfe that hee had let passe the oportunitie to giue aid and succours to the late king of Portugall for the recouerie of his Realme as himselfe declared to that stranger aboue mentioned being at Bloys in the yeere 1589. At which time he complained of the tyrannie and irreligion of Philip and sent him into England there to entreat vpon his affaires with the Queene and the King of Portugall vnto whom hee promised that the first thing which he would doe after he had recouered Paris should be to send an armie into Portugall and to make warre vpon the enemie within his owne countrey and to constraine him to demand peace as the English with the aid of the Portugals had at other times constrained his predecessors to doe the like And in case that the said King of Portugal did and should vndertake the Voyage as it was giuen him to vnderstand that he was so resolued he prayed him that so soone as he should be arriued thither he would aduertise him hereof to the intent The desire that the Frēch K. Henry the third had to restore Portugall to her libertie that immediately vpon his comming into Portugall or any other part of Spaine if he had but two thousand men yet hee would send them away with all speed because he knew full well and was most assured that if the enemie were once entangled in Spaine and kept busied at home hee should soone be rid of him in France as the euent did make it manifest For as soone as the newes came that the King of Portugall was at Lisbon the most Christian King for the accomplishing of his promise commanded the late Monsieur the Marshall de Biron that he should put himselfe in a readinesse to passe into Portugall with as great speed and diligence as was possible for to succour the Portugals and to giue aide to their rightfull King Don Anthonio to reestablish him in his Kingdome But God which with a iust and equall ballance doth weigh and examine all things did display his wondrous workes where and when it pleased him Portugall the gate of the war in France Hereof then we doe gather two things the first That the enemie to keepe Portugall hath brought and caused the ciuill Warre in France the second That our deliuerance and his ruine doe depend vpon this That there be sent a good army into Spaine whereof he is exceedingly afraid Wherefore most excellent Princes to deliuer your estates from the danger that threateneth them and to set them in assurance you ought to vndertake and to enterprise this Voyage so importune and so necessarie for all Christendome without hauing any regard to the charge thereof be it neuer so great considering that in not doing it and that presently you shall euery day more and more in time to come bring your selues into hazard and extreame danger Take example by the times fore-past and looke vpon the instructions contayned in Histories written by men no lesse curious then vigilant and well affectioned to the weale publike and in reading and vnderstanding them make your owne profit and benefit of them Agathocles after he had beene about seuen yeeres King of Sicily being enuironed both by Land and by Sea within the Citie of Syracusa by the Carthaginians and finding himselfe in great trouble and perplexitie How important a thing it is to make war vpon an enemy in his owne Countrey as being lately forsaken of many people of his owne Realme who had at the first beene partakers with him and perceiuing also that he wanted both victuals money and other necessarie munitions for the warre and that it was not possible for him to escape out of the hands of the Carthaginians if he did not vse some draught or deuice which had not erst beene put in practise He did at the last leaue within the Towne a brother of his owne to whom hee committed the commaund and charge thereof and left with him for the defence thereof a certaine number of men whom he knew to be well affected vnto him and taking with himselfe certaine other troopes he embarked them vnknowne to any whither hee went and setting sayle to Africke hee there landed where hee warred so couragiously vpon the Carthaginians as if they had beene but his equals And hauing at the first beginning defeated certaine of their Captaines that came against him he ouer-ran harried and wasted all their Countrey hee burnt and ransacked all their Townes Villages and houses of pleasure round about Carthage After which victorie and good fortune with a certaine number of souldiers Bandoliers and aduenturers which came and ioyned themselues with him a thing vsuall and ordinarie in such tumultuous and troublesome times he encamped within a League of Carthage By this stratageme his affaires did not onely prosper in Africke but throughout all Sicily also for Antander so was his brother named being certified of the good successe of Agathocles tooke courage vnto him and sallying out of Syracusa vpon the Carthaginians that besieged him hee woon their trenches and hauing slaine a great number of them hee made such hauocke amongst them that this their ouerthrow and the victories of Africke being spread abroad and reported from thenceforth all the strong-holds and places of Sicily that before held with the Carthaginians did then reuolt from them This was about 314. yeres before the birth of Christ and did altogether abandon them which was the occasion also that Agathocles returning victorious into Sicily did all the rest of his life time afterwards enioy it quietly and peaceably After the death of Agathocles and his partizans the Signiorie of Carthage continued the Warre for the Conquest of Sicilia in such sort that in the end they carryed it and held the whole Island in their possession which was about 277. yeeres before the birth of Christ Whereupon the Romanes considering of
all these their exploits and perceiuing that the puissance of the Carthaginians was very great and that they held not onely the greatest and best part of Africke which they had subdued by force of Armes but also many peoples of Spaine with sundry Isles in the Sea round about Sardinia Italy they did very wisely imagine that this neighbourhood of theirs would proue very dangerous perillous vnto them if they should finish and goe through with the conquest of all Sicily For this cause they tooke such good order in prouiding for their affaires as they brought the Carthaginians to this extremitie that they had no more in their possession saue the Towne of Erix the which Amilcar Barcyn the father of Hanniball did defend against them most valiantly for a long time and did therein maruellous deeds of armes Notwithstanding This was about 240 yeres before the birth of Christ the Carthaginians seeing that they could not withstand nor resist the force and puissance of the Romans they sent a messenger vnto Amilcar commanding him to render and deliuer vp the Towne immediately and to make peace with them to the greatest honor profit and aduantage that he could possibly for the state of Carthage Amilcar doing as the Seigniorie had commanded him gaue vp the Towne to the Consul Luctatius and within few dayes after following the course of his affaires returned into Africke where hee had many victories against certaine seditious persons and so he setled the estate of Carthage in rest and quietnesse In the yeere 237. This done hee made a voyage into Spaine taking with him his sonne Hanniball who was not then aboue eight or nine yeeres of age together with his mother who was a Spaniard and three other of his younger sonnes Asdrubal Mago and Hanno of whom Amilcar their father was wont to say A saying of Amilcar touching Hannibal and his other sonnes That hee nourished foure fierce Lyons whelpes who were resolute to worke the destruction of the estate of Rome Amilcar then being in Spaine by his prudence and liberalitie did gayne the hearts and good affections of the Spaniards that he knew well he should be able by their meanes to haue about againe with the Romans to recouer from them both Sicilia and Sardinia which they had also in their puissance and that so in the end he might passe from thence into Italy and there to procure their vtter ruine and destruction But being preuented by death In the yeere 228. he charged his sonne Hannibal whom hee had coniured to be during his life an vtter and vnreconcilable enemie to the Romans to put this his enterprise in execution Hannibal after the death of Asdrubal his brother in law who succeeded his father in law Amilcar in that gouernment being then made gouernour of Spaine In the yeere 223. tooke the Citie of Saguntum which is now called Monvedre after hee had held it besieged the space of eight moneths In the yeere 217. After the taking whereof he began to dispose and prepare himselfe to the voyage of Italy and hauing with great trauailes and many difficulties passed the Alpes In the yeere 216. he obtayned in proces of time so many notable victories against the Romans and did put them in such feare and terror Hannibal passeth into Italy that they did in a manner hold themselues vtterly vndone forlorne And so had they beene indeed if they had not beene aduised to send Scipio into Africke Scipio goeth against Carthage who made such cruell warre so forcibly and so violently vpon the Carthaginians that hee constrayned them to call home Hannibal out of Italy who within short time after with the whole estate of Carthage was ouerthrowne brought to nought as is well knowne vnto all men And so by this meanes were the Romans eased and deliuered enioying peace and quietnesse and the Carthaginians vndone defeated and subdued and their estate which had beene so famous and renowned was vtterly ruinated and brought vnder the power and puissance of their enemies Xerxes King of Persia seeing himselfe in a miserable estate and bethinking how he might deliuer and rayse himselfe vp againe he made choyse of certaine of his seruants fit for the execution of his intended purpose and them hee sent into Europe with store of money to corrupt the Orators of the Townes and Commonwealths of Greece and hauing corrupted them of Athens and of Thebes hee made them to rise in armes and to make warre vpon the Spartans Plutarch in the life of Agesilaus By this meanes Greece being set in trouble and dissention sent for Agesilaus who hauing at that time subdued a great part of the Empire of Persia and being willed to come home was enforced to quit and abandon the same for the relieuing of his Countrey from those troubles wherewith it was entangled And because the Money of Persia had an Archer engrauen on the one side thereof the same Agesilaus had a saying That ten thousand Archers had driuen him out of Asia and had beene the cause to make him loose a most stately and puissant Empire By this pollicie then did Xerxes rid himselfe from the trouble and extremitie wherein he was driuing out his enemie from his Countrey and recouering his estate that was neere ruine and confusion By these examples most excellent Princes was Achaius King of Scotland Achaius King of Scotland the sonne of Elfinis a singular good Prince and of excellent vertue induced in the yeere of Christ 791. to make a perpetuall and irreuocable Peace and League of Amitie with Charlemaâ—â—ne King of France at such time as he saw himselfe hardly bestead by the Saxons English who then possessed the better part of Great Brittaine which within a few yeeres after was called by one onely name England The other Kings the successors of Charlemaigne considering that this peace and amitie was more necessarie for them as being more to their profit and aduantage then it was to the Scots themselues who sought it they haue continued the same euen till this day and by meanes thereof haue oftentimes constrayned the Englishmen when they haue beene in warres enmity with them to retire and withdraw themselues out of France and many times also they haue kept them so busied in their own countrey that they haue had enough to do to defend themselues And they haue taken from them both the desire the means to passe into strange foreine Nations Money giuen to the Scots by the French yea there haue bin some of the French kings who haue giuen to the Scot to this end and purpose more then 500000. Crownes which was as much in those dayes then hauing regard to the change and difference of the times as two millions are at this day I will omit many other Histories which make notably to this our purpose because I know well that these are sufficient to shew how greatly it concerneth and importeth
touching your incredulitie and the opinion which you haue that the loue of a mans countrey doth easily deceiue them and make the remedie of their miseries and seruitude to seeme easie surely wee may with good reason call this incredulitie a blind â—nueiglement and darknesse of vnderstanding and therefore I come once againe to say as I haue sayd and I doe againe and againe aduise you That to send a good and well conducted Armie into Spaine or other parts of his Dominions will be the onely meane to resist and withstand the enemie to breake the course of his designes to beat downe his pride and to destroy his puissance And albeit that this may well be granted to follow by that which hath beene aboue spoken yet I will proue it by one other example onely which being most true maketh very much to our intended purpose Henry Count of Trastamara The Histories of Castise Portugall England c. the bastard sonne of Alphonsus the Iusticier by the aide of the French had slaine the King Don Pedro his lawfull brother Of this Peter there remayned two daughters The youngest Isabel espoused Edmond de Langley the fifth sonne of Edward the third King of England This Edmond hauing gotten sundry victories in fauâ—ur of the Portugals who accompanied him against the Castillians in Spaine did manage those affaires with such prudence and wisdome that he constrayned the sayd Henry King of Castile to accept and receiue of Fernand King of Portugall who was in a manner brought to vtter destruction both he and his whole Realme such conditions of peace as were most ignominious and dishonourable and very preiudiciall both to himselfe his vassalls and subiects In regard of which his notable deedes and deserts the said Edmond was afterwards made Duke of Yorke by Richard the second King of England his Nephew the sonne of Edward the Blacke Prince his eldest brother in a Parliament holden at Westminster in the yere of Christ 1386. Of these two Edmond and Isabell descended the Queene of England likewise named Isabell The other daughter being the eldest of King Peter and called Constance espoused Iohn of Gaunt the fourth brother of the sayd Edmond both by father and mother and Duke of Lancaster by his first wife Blanche who had by him Henry the fourth afterwards King of England and two daughters of which the eldest Philip was Queene of Portugall the wife of Ivan the Bastard Of John of Gaunt and Constance was borne one onely daughter called Katherine of whom we shall hereafter make further mention The said John of Gaunt in regard of his wife Constance did entitle himselfe King of Castile and Leon Guaribay lib. 15. cap. 25. and for the obtayning of his right to that Kingdome hee passed from Gascoigne which was then vnder the Dominion of the English into Spaine with eighteene thousand footmen and two thousand horse where with the aide of the Portugals who were his good friends he tooke the Groigne From thence he went into Portugal out of which he entred into Castile marching euen to the Citie of Burgos which was distant from the place of his departure more then a hundred and twentie Leagues The entry and inuasion of the English with the Portugals into Castile And from the time of his first arriuall he tooke and made himselfe Lord of all the Cities Townes and Castles which hee found in his way besides such as being farther off did come to render and yeeld themselues for very feare and terror And he might easily haue passed on much further if his people had not died who by reason of their disorder which they kept and by their ill rule and demeaning of themselues were oppressed with extreame famine whereof ensued this plague and pestilence amongst them And they were reduced to such necessitie of Victuals The amitie of the French and English out of their owne Countreyes that they were constrayned to haue recourse euen to the Campe of their enemies where then was in fauour of the King Iohn of Castile Lewes Duke of Burbon accompanied with the French forces of whom they demaunded reliefe for the sustentation of their poore and wretched liues The which being perceiued by John the Bastard then elected King of Portugall he complayned to the Duke of Lancaster telling him that he held it not good nor conuenient that his souldiers should goe to entreat with the enemie affirming that these might more endomage him then the others and that therefore he should immediately recall them and forbid them to haue any communication conference or parley with any of the contrary party otherwise that hee would fight against them altogether The valour of Iohn the Bastard King of Portugall Thomas Walsingham and would cause them all to be put to the sword the one for the loue of the other Thomas Walsingham an English Historiographer doth set it downe in these very words and he sayth that the King of Portugall had then with him foure thousand Portugals well armed Some haue esteemed the saying of this Historiographer as very ridiculous or as a meere Brauado onely The valour of the Portugals but they are much deceiued for these foure thousand Portugals hauing their King for their Chiefetaine and Leader had beene sufficient to defeat twentie thousand Castillians The same King with fiue thousand An Historie worthie the marking and so many Portugals and a hundred and fiftie Englishmen did defeat the said Iohn King of Castile both of them being present in person in the battaile of Aljibarot and put him to flight hauing with him foure and thirtie thousand fighting men of the which died vpon the place twelue thousand and there were of prisoners ten thousand taken by foure thousand and so many Portugals and a thousand Englishmen who remained masters of the field for there died in the fight about a thousand Portugals and fiue hundred English who fought as if they had beene Lyons About the same time Don Nunalvres Pereira This Historie is well worthie the marking the battell was called the battel of Valverde Constable of Portugall with three thousand footmen and a thousand horse defeated fiue and twentie thousand Castillians and slew and tooke the principall and chiefe men of Castile The same King before that he came to reigne and afterwards had many victories vpon his enemies no lesse admirable then that other insomuch that a certaine Nobleman of Castile being in speech one day and deuising with his King which was the said John he sayd vnto him Sir I cannot conceiue the cause why the King of Portugall with so few men hath so often vanquished you seeing that you haue alwayes had fiue or six against one of them The King answered him The cause is for that the King of Portugall doth fight against me being accompanied with his children and I combat against him being accompanied with my subiects I am King and Lord of Castile and hee is King and Lord of the
friend yet he knew neuerthelesse that hauing ciuill warres in his owne Realme and Portugall his enemy hee should hazard the fortune of all his estates and dominions of such power was the Realme of Portugall against all the rest of Spaine This is most certaine and assured The paissance of Portugall that at all times and as often as Portugall shall haue the ayd and fauour of France or of England or of any other strange Prince whatsoeuer she will soone constraine the king of Castile to whom it is as a bridle to yeeld a reason and to submit himselfe to the yoke and to receiue such conditions as shall bee both dishonourable and preiudiciall And those of the Duke had beene much more to his profit and aduantage in this accord if the king of Portugall had been willing thereunto because he hauing the sword in his owne hand hee might haue made partition of the countrey at his owne will and pleasure he was the iudge and did what seemed good in his owne sight Plutarch in Apothege Hee that hath the sword may deuide the lands as he listeth Thereof it came to passe that the Duke departed not very well contented with the King notwithstanding that he had giuen him in marriage Philip his eldest daughter An exhortation to the French King c. Oh that it would please your Maiesties to consider well this that I tell you and to the which I would willingly perswade both your Highnesses and other the Princes and Potentates of Europe and that you would once know your owne puissance and being assisted by your neighbours with their Shipping Gallions and hardie Mariners with their Artillerie Munitions and other furniture for the Warres and of which they haue great abundance besides the ready forwardnesse and willing desire which they haue to accompanie you as hath beene most apparant for these many yeeres you shall finde that you alone haue men enough and forces sufficient to make your selues the Iudge and Arbitrator of these Affaires and holding the Sword fast and firmely in your hands it will be in your powers to make partition of the Realmes and Prouinces of Spaine and you shall be able not onely to take backe vnto your selues that which is belonging and appertaining vnto you but you shall make them to render vnto euery man his owne What greater honour What greater felicitie can there be Defend Princes your right which for so many Ages you haue inherited from your predecessors There wanteth not euen at this day in your Realme of England neyther Champions of Saint George nor other late Captaines such as Noble Essex Drake Candish Forbisher Flawkins Norris Williams Likewise in the Realme of France who neyther wanteth Martelles nor Pepins nor Rowlands nor Oliuers nor Renaulds In stead of the twelue Peeres of France you are enriched with more then twelue hundred of the like Your neighbors for one Richard will furnish you with an hundreth and their Allyes will fit you with an Ogier so fully adorned with all perfections and so expert and well practised in the Art Militarie and so followed with good and valiant souldiers that the Constables of Castile the Counties de Fueutes and the Verdugo's with all the residue of their companions shall haue no oddes nor aduantage of them This is the right and direct way this is the most certaine and most assured meane to haue a good and happy peace euen by the strength of your owne armes without the vse and employment of any supporters You shall giue lawes vnto the enemy according to your owne will desires you shall force him to accept of such conditions as shall be profitable and commodious not onely to you and your owne realmes but to your friends and allies also What can the enemy doe if you should passe into Spaine with an armie well furnished of all necessaries The qualitie of a good Generall and being led and conducted by some Prince which may bee chosen and named by your Maiesties for chiefe and Generall of the same such a one as shall bee descended of some great and ancient house and of noble bloud and accompanied and adorned with such graces and rare gifts as may easily draw others without any difficultie or grudging to submit themselues to his cōmand and one that shall bee able to gouerne with great prudence and wisedome without doubt the enemie would hold himselfe vtterly forlorne and vndone as indeed he should be no lesse and hee would esteeme himselfe happy and well apaid if we would suffer him to remaine Lord of Castile he would restore vn your Maiesties the realme of Nauarre and surplus of that which he and his predecessors haue vsurped vpon France vnto the most excellent Duke of Loraine he would restore the Realmes of Naples Sicily Arragon Valentia and Catolonia and such other signiories as are dependants of the same and the Realme of Portugall to whom of right it appertaineth And he would be brought to doe reason vnto the house of the Duke de Neuers of the Duchie of Brabant of Limbourg or Lothier and of the towne of Antwerpe Likewise it would constraine him to restore the Palatinate and Zwitzerland If you should demand of mee on what side it were most fit and commodious and conuenient to enter into Spaine I say that if you would enter by Nauarre whereof his Christian Maiestie is the naturall and lawfull king you should euen at this day there finde the grand children of them which haue lost their liues and their goods for the seruice of his ancesters and many others likewise who doe loue and desire him as their rightfull king and Lord and will incurre all worldly hazards and dangers for him especially he being turned true and perfect Catholike If by Arragon the wounds thereof are yet so fresh that the bloud thereof doth yet euen now seem new to abound If by Portugall the sores are yet open in the quicke flesh and remaine altogether vnheaded and that with such griefe and dolour that euen those verie hands which should offer to touch them though it were to remedie them would make them to quake and tremble for Horrent admotas vulnera cruda manus And as it is a verie difficult and hard matter for a sicke man being in captiuitie and seruitude to recouer his health so it is impossible for any man though he should liue a hundreth yeeres to see those two nations the Portugall and Castilian to agree and loue together notwithstanding the king of Castile doth at this day entreat the Portugals in comparison of his ordinarie and naturall crueltie with some gentlenesse and doth maintaine them in their priuiledges and liberties The Castilian prowd and arrogant The Portugall impatient For proofe whereof leauing an infinite number of reasons that might be alledged one onely shall suffice and that is because the Castilians are extreme proud and arrogant the Portugals too too impatient when their honour is any way touched or
fiue thousand Marauedis which was at that time no small reuenue in comparison of that it is at this pay being about 12 duckats and a halfe allowing 400 Marauedis to each duckat and gratified him with sundry other gifts and great honours Fernand wrote vnto Jsabel the successe of this battell giuing her to vnderstand that if the Prince had not come the King his Father had beene taken Whereupon he returned him this answer that if the Cockerell had not come the Cocke had beene taken and hereof came that prouerbe which wee told you Guaribay sâ—tteth downe these last words and confesseth the very truth Neuerthelesse touching the residue of the History he reporteth a thousand vntruths which may be verified by the History which Damian de Goyes hath written of this Prince Don Juan in the which he saith Damianus de Goyes in the life of the Prince Don Iuan. that the Prince would haue kept and remained in the field where the battell was foughten by the space of three dayes if the Archbishop of Toledo had not disswaded him who with great instance and earnest entreaty caused him to retire into the City because the weather was extreame cold and his men were sore trauelled and wearied and had beene ouer-watched for want of sleepe And he said vnto him Sir your Highnesse hath kept the Field long enough these three houres you haue staied here are as good as three dayes and one houre is as much as three Some write that in memory of this victory King Edward the fourth of England sent vnto this Prince the order of the Garter And the Castillians had such ill successe continually against the Portugals that to grace themselues because the King Alphonso was defeated and forsooke the field though his sonne held the field and remained vanquisher yet they shame not to attribute vnto themselues the honour and victory of this battell Alphonsus Raymond the onely sonne of Vrraca the daughter of Alphonsus the sixt surnamed the Emperor was borne in Auila Auila a City of Castile and was nourished and kept by them of the City during the raigne of Alphonsus King of Aragon called the warriour together with his wife Vrraca Queene of Castile Mother of the said Raymond Now there were great reuolts and troubles in Castile in the which they of Auila following the party of Raymond against the said Alphonsus his Father in Law did so much that the Father in Law was dispossessed of the gouernment and the Sonne in Law was installed in the siege royall And for this cause this word hath passed for a common prouerbe The fidelity of Auila and Auila is for the King Simancas Touching Simancas you are to vnderstand that in the yeere 1463 Henry the 4 raigning in Castile at the perswasion of some of the Princes many other Cities and Townes did reuolt from him and grew into a rebellion which they called The league of the Princes and they entituled themselues Princes of the League And in imitation hereof did Philip King of Castile in the yeere 1582 baptize the League which hath beene the occasion of so many mischiefes and afflictions of which Fraunce hath especially tasted and had experience for these nine yeeres last past This is that League which hath wrought so great damage to the Church of Rome and hath so ruinated and pulled it downe as it shall neede many hundreds of yeeres to restore it againe But to our matter in processe of time the Souldiers of the Kings Army being greatly augmented and their puissance much increased they came to the City of Toro and the King hauing aduertisement that they of the League were issued out of Valladolid and that hauing broken downe and razed the walles of Begnafleur they were gone to Simancas he sent presently Iohn Hernandes Galiude his Captaine Generall with 3000 Horses for the succours of the Towne which being entred into Simancas were besieged by them of the League who notwithstanding were more afraid then those whom they had besieged The Lackies within the Towne who shewed themselues to be of a wonderfull good courage hauing assembled themselues one day in a great number and mocking those that had besieged them did make a picture which represented the Archbishop of Toledo whom because he was a Rebell against his King and Lord they called Don Opas the brother of the Count Iulian who caused the Moores to enter into Spaine against the King Rodericke After which one of the Lackies being appointed for a Iudge Iudgement giuen by the Lackies against the Archbishop of Toledo sate himselfe downe on the iudgement seat commanding the prisoner to be brought before him which was the picture of the Archbishop and he gaue iudgement vpon him in this manner For as much as Don Alphonso Carillo Archbishop of Toledo Guar. lib. 17. cap. 14. following the steppes of the Bishop Don Opas the destroyer of Spaine hath beene a Traytor to his King and naturall Lord rebelling against him with his places and Fortresses and with the money which he put into his hands to doe him seruice For these causes hauing seene and considered of his deserts by his triall wherein hath appeared his wicked practises and felonious offences we doe therefore condemne him to be burned and that he be first trayled and drawne through the streetes and publike places of Simancas and that in the execution thereof the common cryer shall cry and proclaime with a loud voice This is the iustice commanded to be done namely that this cruell Don Opas shall be burnt for his offence and trespasse because hauing receiued diuers places fortresses and monies of his King hee hath notwithstanding reuolted and rebelled against him Quien tal haze que tal pague That is to say So doe so haue The iudgement being pronounced another Lackey taking the picture between his armes with an open cry threw it forth of the Towne hauing in his company more then three hundred Lackies and immediately two of their company made a great fire to burne it not farre from the campe of the enemy who looked on whilest they were doing of it and whilest the picture was in burning all the Lackies together with open throat cryed and sang Esta es Simancas Don Opas Trahidor Y no Penaflor Which is to say This is Simancas Don Opas O thou Traitour And not Pegnastor With many other speeches to that purpose Which song of theirs was for a long time after vsed in Castile and was commonly sung both in the Court and throughout all that Realme Celorico After that the Portugals had deposed Don Sancho surnamed Capelo from his Realme and Kingdome Don Alphonso his brother who was then County of Bologne vpon the Sea was chosen Gouernour of Portugall by the same Portugals This election which they made together with the deposition of the said Sancho was approued and confirmed by Pope Innocent the 4 in a Councell held at Lyons which was the cause that the said Alphonso went
THE SPANISH PILGRIME OR AN ADMIRABLE DISCOVERY of a ROMISH CATHOLICKE Shewing how necessary and important it is for the Protestant Kings Princes and Potentates of Europe to make warre vpon the King of Spaines owne Countrey Also where and by what meanes his Dominions may be inuaded and easily ruinated as the English heretofore going into Spaine did constraine the Kings of Castile to demand peace in all humility and what great losse it hath beene and still is to all Christendome for default of putting the same in execution Wherein hee makes apparant by good and euident reasons infallible arguments most true and certaine Histories and notable examples the right way and true meanes to resist the violence of the Spanish King to breake the course of his designes to beate downe his pride and to ruinate his puissance LONDON Printed by B. A. and are to be sold by Thomas Archer at his shop in Popes head Alley ouer against the signe of the Horse-shooe 1625. THE EPISTLE OF THE French Translator to all the Protestant Kings Princes and Potentates in the Christian World Most excellent Princes IT was my hap to contract amity with certaine Gentlemen of Arragon and other Spaniards not Castillians for to them I wot not how to carry any affection which should exceede the prescript rule of the Gospell of whom I vnderstood many things tâ—uching matters of State which were to me strange and vnknowne by reason that there were amongst them some personages exceedingly well learned and most conuersant and expert in all Histories and notably well seene and practised in the affaires of the World There was one aboue the rest in their company a man of great spirit iudgement and experience who had seene a great part of Europe and hauing beene for a long time in Portugall had dealt and conuersed with the Portugals whose Language he spake naturally and had read all the Histories of that Realme and was so well acquainted with all their affaires and knew them all so particularly that I did greatly wonder at it For in things that were to come I found him in manner of a Prophet in so much that for the viuacity and quicknesse of his spirit and the long experience which hee hath had he seemeth to me to haue as great knowledge in things to come as if he saw them present before his eyes He made proofe vnto me by many reasons which did not onely plainely conuince my opinion but did as it were bind me hand and foote that these voyages and others of like kinde would neuer draw with them any other profit nor serue to any other purpose then to waken the sleeping dogge and to re-enforce the common enemie Now considering that Don Philip King of Castile hath a Councell the most choise and excellent such as neuer Prince in this World had a better his seruitors most loyall and faithfull great forces and abundance of treasure vpon the which all other things doe depend and yet notwithstanding all this hee doth not leaue daily to cause diuers Bookes to be imprinted in his fauour and defence I doe therefore desire to haue drawne from this learned and worthy person some thing written with his owne hand which I might present vnto your Maiesties and to this end did I diuers times make request vnto him but I could neuer get him to yeeld or condescend thereunto Wherefore bethinking with my selfe that as pouerty griefe and melancholie doth bury and as it were kill the spirits of a man so the commodities of this life contentment and cheerefulnesse doth reuiue and quicken them I determined because I saw him sad pensiue and melancholicke by reason of his exile and misfortunes out of his owne Countrey to procure his pleasure and contentment knowing that by this meanes I might obtaine the accomplishment of my desire I did therefore set open my gates and my House vnto him I presented him with my Purse and made him partner of my Coyne I cherished and entertained him for many dayes and for loue of him some other of his company And by this curtesie I made him so beholding to me that afterwards hauing many times held dispute and conference together I caused him in the end to take his Pen in hand Thereupon did he compose in the Castillian Tongue this Discourse which he entitled Trattado paranaetico and he presented it vnto me The which when I had read a most strange admiration or astonishment did rauish me for that I neuer saw I will not say in so little a Volume but not euen in great Bookes so many curiosities reported so many and diuers Histories things so secret and particular admonishments so necessary to be embraced nor counsels so iust to be followed And knowing perfectly the excellency of this worke and how greatly important it would be to be seene of your Maiesties and by the Kings Princes Potentates and Common-weales of Europe And albeit I know my stile to be rude and barbarous yet such was my ambition I confesse mine owne infirmity that I was not willing that any other should haue the pleasure in doing it In some places I haue augmented it holding it so to be needfull for the better and more cleere vnderstanding of the History Touching the originall I thought it reason not to abridge or cut off any part thereof I most humbly beseech in regard of your most Christian Maiesties to receiue it with that good affection which Princes oweth to their Subiects who for his seruice will not esteeme to hazard the losse of all that hee possesseth much lesse to make himselfe vncapable for the obtaining of that which of right is due vnto him and who for the good and honour of his Countrey will spend his life most freely and willingly God preserue and blesse the most Christian persons of your Maiesties with so great abundance of spirituall graces and assist you and make you to prosper with so many riches of temporall blessings as is possible to his diuine Maiestie Amen The most faithfull Subiect of the most Christian King of France and loyall Seruant to the most wise and excellent King of England I. D. Dralymont The Publisher to the Reader FRiendly Reader thou hast in this little Pamphlet an incomparable treasure a rich store-house and magazin full of precious speeches true Histories rare examples liuely reasons and wholsome counsels the which if their Maiesties and the Kings Princes Potentates and Common-weales of Christendome would embrace follow and put in execution without doubt they should soone obtaine and find a medicine for so many mischiefes a remedy for so great and continuall afflictions and intollerable trauels wherewith their Subiects haue for so many yeeres wrastled and contended And I dare assure them that by obseruing the aduise here giuen them they shall preserue their Estates in time to come from all danger for euen as the great fishes doe persecute and deuoure the small and little ones so in like manner those neighbours which are most mighty
vpon it And whatsoeuer it shall cost me the keeping yet the profit will be greater then the expence for that each yeare I doe leauy thereof neare three millions of gold and continuing in the possession of the same It may be that in time I shall be able to gaine the affections and good wils of the Portugals howbeit that I know they be now at this day very contrary against me But hereafter if I get them once to be my friends and hauing with them their strong ships gallions and other vessels of warre besides the good counsell and conduct of all their sage and experienced mariners I shall make my selfe sole and absolute Lord of all the Ocean Sea and I shall cause my selfe to be redoubted and obeyed throughout the whole world and so wil I retaine keepe in my hands this realm which of all the kingdoms of Spain is of most importance to the intent I may leaue it sure peaceable to my successors This is the sum of the speech which Philip had and of the conclusions which he tooke with his counsell in the city of Tison in Nouember 1582. after the arriual thither of the Marquesse de Santa Cruce at such time as he returned victorious from the Iland of S. Michaell In the same Councell was by him also laid the first and principall stone The league of France made in imitation of that in the yeare 1463. Stephen Garibay lib. 17. cap. 10. 11 12. whereupon the late League of France was founded And there it was first by him ordained concluded and baptized in imitation of that which was so named and made by the rebels in Castile against King Henrie the fourth and which afterwards was againe reuiued in fauour of Isabell and Ferdinand his great grand parents This great designe and resolution of his was faithfully reported vnto the said King as hath beene said by this stranger his seruant with many particularities and amongst others that the Castilian had sent into France nine sundry men of purpose to corrupt with mony and faire promises the Princes Lords and Gentlemen of France of whom many were particularly named who from thence forward held the party of Philip and many which were ready to doe the like as the euent did afterwards make manifest And the said Philip to gaine likewise the Captaine Landreau had once resolued to send into France the Captaine Anthony a Portugall who being married at Rochel was at that time prisoner in the Castle of Lisbone and for this effect had granted him his life with offer of his good fauour by the meanes and procurement of the Alcade Tayade A leade is the grand Prouost of the kings house who did oftentimes repaire to the castle of purpose to see and visit him and had conference with him for a long time together Notwithstanding Philip fearing least he should discouer the practise caused him afterwards to be hanged notwithstanding the promise hee had made him This Captaine Anthony discouered the whole matter vnto a certaine personage in whom he had great trust and affiance and requested him to keepe it very secret till such time as he should be gotten into France to aduertise the most Christian king thereof and the king of Portugall vnto whom the said Captaine Anthony had praied him to communicate it as he did And as touching the Captaine Landreau he was enforced to take part with the Castilian and to accept the mony that was offred him for the safetie of his owne life whereof also he aduertised the king of Portugall who was then at Beauvais on the Sea and hauing giuen him to vnderstand to what intent he had done it he prayed him to looke to the safeguard of his person for that he was in exceeding great danger The which the said Prince Don Anthonio did within few dayes after proue to be most true and had beene taken if he had not saued himselfe with great speed as there was then taken one of his sonnes with many gentlemen Portugals of his traine by the people of the Duke de Mercaeur who did ransacke and make spoile of all that did appertaine both to him and his traine of whom some held themselues happy that they could get away in safetie Of these nine men of whom I haue spoken certaine were apprehended who discouered the whole intention of the enemy Notwithstanding as little and small reckoning was made thereof at that time as there is now at this day of any thing be it held neuer so necessary and needfull to free vs from vtter ruine and destruction Moreouer the same stranger of whom wee haue made mention did at the same time of his comming advertise the most Christian king that it was reported throughout all Spaine among all persons of any good sort and qualitie that his Catholike Maiestie had resolued to enter into league and to confederate himselfe Sir with your Maiestie and to make you great proffers to your exceeding great benefit and aduantage so that you would make warre vpon the sayd late king your predecessor Besides it was reported that he promised to giue vnto your Maiestie a pension of two hundreth thousand crownes a yeare Howbeit some say that this was onely to be for an earnest and assurance of his promises and they doe affirme this for most certaine that the two hundreth thousand crownes were all in a readinesse within a castle named Oxagaui appertaining to the Lord of Luxes not farre from Rounceual And it was further reported at the same time Philip by vnlawfull treaties laboreth to stir vp war against the French king that the said Philip to be the better assured of the amitie of your Maiestie did demaund to haue in mariage the Ladie your sister with this condition that the children which should be borne of this mariage were they sonnes or daughters should be inheritors to the realme of Nauarre and that hee would giue vnto your Maiestie in recompence the Isles of Sardinia Maiorque and Minorque and would moreouer bind himselfe to establish your Maiestie at his owne proper costs and charges king of Guyene and that he did also desire to giue you in mariage the Ladie Isabel Clare Eugeuia The practise of a good Catholike the infant of Spaine his eldest daughter together with the Duchy of Mylan promising to that effect to get a dispensation from the Pope and all such declarations as should be needfull thereunto Your Maiestie should know these things here alledged better then any other and whether the report which ran thereof at that time when he did hold treatie with you were true or no. Surely this was a great tentation but the loâ—e which your Maiestie bare to your countrey and the obligation of loyalty which you ought vnto your king had more force and interest in you then all the promises of an ambitious Tyrant The bruite which ran thereof throughout all France and also the certaine report of the ill entertainment giuen by
the Protestant Princes and most Christian King of France to free your selfe from the encombrance of this burthen now laid vpon you and to send a good armie into Spaine for as much as by such a voyage well handled and to good purpose dependeth both the safety of your selues and the ruine of your enemy If you make warre vpon your enemy within Spaine hee shall be compelled to call home all his forces not onely from France the Low Countries but al those which he hath in Lombardy Naples Sicily Sardinia and other countries The meanes to ruinaâ—e the enemy we had good proofe and experience hereof euen of late For as soone as the Castilian saw the English possessâ—d of Calice hee did incontinently send for all his gallies of Naples Sicily and Genes He sent to intreate the grand master of Maltha to send him the Gallies appertaining to the knights of the Religion Which had been done if the French Gentlemen which were of the order had not opposed themselues against it He caused in all haste the Forces which hee had in Brittaine to passe into Spaine and there is no doubt but hee had likewise called home all those which he had in other countries if the English had remained there any longer time You see then most excellent Princes that by passing into Spaine you may withdraw from oâ—er your heads the sword of the Castilian and deliuer your country from his proud yoke and tyranny But you will say the enemy hath great and puissant forces and a great number of old and expert souldiers by whose meanes albeit they be farre off yet being called backe into Spaine he will greatly endamage and annoy you and consequently your voyage may proue vnprofitable and perhaps very dangerous and so you may be enforced to retire and returne home againe not onely with shame and confusion but which is more in great trouble and extreame perill But vnto this I answer Good and sound counsell First if you do all things with prudence and good aduise you reape thereby incredible profit and commoditie and the danger will be small or none at all Secondly that in Spaine there are many places vpon the Sea coast which you may easily take and command and whose situation is so strong by nature that if they be fortified by art and the industrie of man you shall defend and keepe them with a very small charge and much more easily then the enemy doth keepe Blauet in Brittaine and those will serue you for sure places of retrait Thirdly in Spaine there are many nations which do hate the Castilian extremely for that they haue beene tyrannized either by himselfe or by his predecessors and these when they shall see themselues aided and assisted in good earnest and to purpose for the great desire which they haue to be at libertie will soone take armes against the enemie Fourthly those Souldiers which are out of Spaine being called backe by their Lord and master cannot arriue there within foure moneths at the soonest and within two moneths may you arme and furnish fit and ready for the warres all those of the countrey which will take your part For this is most certaine that the very Climate of the countrey doth helpe and aide to make them able and actiue I my selfe and many others in Portugall haue sometimes seene a company of new souldiers at their first entring into garrison to seem rather a troupe of beggers and poore rascals rather then souldiers al of them being so poore naked and miserable as we had pittie to see them and yet within foure or fiue dayes after that they haue beene new apparelled and well appointed if you had seene them settled in the garrison you would haue said that they had beene great Gentlemen and they did carrie themselues with so good a grace and countenance as if they had beene braue and old trained souldiers I doe assure you that two moneths will suffice to them of the country to make them souldiers The greatest difficultie is to make them abide and not to feare the fire of the Hargubush Moreouer the Prouinces of Spaine are rich as all the world knoweth The nature of the naturall Spaniard and the inhabitants make not any account nor reckoning of their wealth when there is any question for the recouering of their libertie For in this case they will not spare to spend it liberally as was to be seene by the offer which they made to king Philip after that the Englishmen were retired from Calice and therefore by sending of money into these quarters they will gather together fiftie thousand men of warre to passe into Spaine for their succour defence and preseruation sooner then the enemie shall bee able to cause fiue thousand to come thither from any forraine partie If any man shall say that seeing two moneths are sufficient to make the naturall Spaniards good souldiers the enemy may therfore much sooner assemble and arme a great number of men then we shall get for succour I answer I would agree thereto if there were in Spaine armes sufficient wherewith to arme and furnish them but they are so rare and daintie there to be had that there bee many great townes notably well peopled within the which a man cannot finde fiftie Hargubushes Armes very rare in Spaine And if there were any store of armes to be had yet the Spaniards in Spaine would take armes sooner and much more cheerefully for their libertie then for the seruice of one that tyrannizeth ouer them Especially the Princes and great Lords who doe desire nothing so much as that there were some realme or prouince within Spaine in full and free libertie and which might be gouerned by it selfe to the intent it might serue them for a place of refuge and sanctuarie as they had the like in times past For Spaine being in manner as an Iland at this day the Princes Spaine in maner of an IlaÌ„d Lords and Gentlemen of marke cannot easily withdraw themselues from thence by meanes whereof they are held in great slauerie and subiection When there were seuerall kings in Nauarre Arragon and Portugall if the Castilians were at any difference with their king or the Nauarrois the Arragonois or Portugals with theirs they would haue retired themselues the one to the other by whose liberalitie they were euer prouided of all things needfull and necessary for the life of man and sometimes with greater ease and commodity then in their owne countrey as it happened in the time of Fernand king of Portugall and of Henrie the second king of Castile who slue his owne naturall and lawfull brother which was the cause that County Don Fernand de Casire and Don Alvar peres de Castre his brother Men Suares Grandmaster of Alcantara Suer Iuan de Parada Gouernour of the Realme of Galatia Petro Giron Grandfather of Calatraua Alonso Giron his Nephew and many other great Lords and Gentlemen with a great number of Cities
Portugall hee vsed this speech vnto him Captaine Ferras I would gladly know what should be the cause that made you to follow the partie of the French against me seeing wee are of one and the same Nation for albeit you be a Portugall and I a Castillian yet are we both Spaniards The Colonell made him this answere Sir when the Portugals doe trauaile abroad out of their owne countrey whether they be rich or poore their onely end and scope is to get them honour and reputation For mine owne part I had the meanes to liue honestly in my countrey like a Gentleman neuerthelesse being resolued to see the world I began to cast my account with my selfe what course I were best to take Hauing made my reckoning I conceiued with my selfe that I should purchase me more honour by bearing Armes against the greatest Captaine of the World then in taking of his part to serue against any other and for this cause I tooke Armes against your Maiestie The Emperour smyling sayd I beleeue that this is not the cause but rather the old rancour and hatred which the Portugals beare to the Castillians Portugall answered him againe in great choller Sir An excellent answere of a Portugall to Charles the 5. I sweare vnto your Maiestie That neyther for good nor for bad I trouble not my minde with the Castillians not so much as to thinke of them The Emperour making semblance as though this answere did content him did embrace him many times and often but hee iudged of the Portugall as his affection led him for hee had enough of the bloud of a Castillian by his mothers side to make him to hate him A little Leauen c. And thus may you see the vntruth of Conestagio His Historie is well written and in a good style but most false and full of passion for hee both reprehendeth and iniurieth all those of whom hee speaketh yea euen King Philip himselfe in whose fauour hee wrote it and for this cause principally it was forbidden in Portugall But leauing Conestagio now that we haue shewed how the Castillian Nation is much more maligne and peruerse then all the other people of Spaine I will tell you one thing worthy to be noted ere wee proceed which doth more neerely touch the Portugall Nation than any of the rest that is That all those Nations generally are so desirous of libertie that they doe seeke by all meanes possible to obtayne it being readie to receiue euen the Deuils themselues if they would be readie to further and fauour them in the same And yet if any strange Nation should passe into Spaine to any other end they would vse the vttermost of their endeuours to stop their passage and to hinder their entrance making little or no reckoning of their liues and much lesse of their goods and substance When I doe speake of causing strange Nations to passe into Spaine I must tell you thus much That they shall be much more welcome and finde better entertainment of the people of the Countrey when they shall be mingled many and diuers Nations together then if one should goe thither alone for that this diuersitie will take from them all conceit and suspition which they might otherwise haue that their comming were to make a conquest of their countrey and not to procure their libertie and freedome and so they would vndoubtedly receiue them ioyfully and with all assurance In like manner if the Tyrant should commaund them to goe to the warres out of their owne countrey especially if it were for their Religion they would serue him more faithfully then did Auila and Simancas in Castile or Celorico the Castle of Coimbre in Portugall For proofe hereof The meaning hereof is expounded in the end of this Treatise you may remember how in the yeere 1588. the King of Castile in his Fleet and Armie by Sea that came vpon the Coast of France sent two Regiments of Portugals each of them consisting of eight hundred men or thereabouts The loyaltie of the Portugals These forces notwithstanding that in regard of his vsurpation of the countrey they were enemies to him yet hauing promised to serue him faithfully in this voyage in the fight which they had against the Englishmen and Flemings they did make such proofe of their valour that they did farre excell all the rest of the Army in prowesse and deedes of Armes and they alone did more for the seruice of the King of Castile then all the residue of his Allyes insomuch that there was none of them who had command and gouernment in the Army that were receiued with honour by the King Catholike saue only the Portugall Colonels Portugall Colonels in the Armie of the yeere 1588. namely Gasper de Sousa and Antonie Perera The which Perera before that time had serued and fought most valiantly for the defence of the libertie of his Countrey and for the seruice of his true and naturall King against the said King of Castile at such time as hee entred into Portugall with a mightie Army to inuade it In the yeere 1582. when Don Aluar de Bassana Marquesse de Santa Cruce did encounter vpon the Sea with the Lord de Stroce those which fought best and shewed themselues most valiant was the Marquesse de Fauare Marquesse of Fauare a Portugall most true and faithfull to his Countrey and to his King and by whose counsaile and aduertisements a certaine great and excellent seruitor of the estate and of the King Don Antonio had his life preserued besides certaine other Gentlemen his countreymen Who tooke the Ship called the Reuenge The taking of the Reuenge of England belonging to the Queene of England euen Don Lewes Coutigno a Lord of Portugall who before time had beene most true and faithfull to his Countrey and for the defence of his King fighting against the Duke de Alua had receiued many mortall wounds in the battaile of Alcantara the same day that Lisbon was lost which was in the yeere 1580. and the 26. of August And for the more distinct and cleare demonstration of the truth of this matter I will recite vnto you a most true Historie In the yeere 1589. Don Anthonie King of Portugall accompanied with the Englishmen and Hollanders made a Voyage into Portugall and casting anchor in the Hauen of Penicha they of the Castle began to play with their Ordinance vpon the armie but the Captaine of the Castle Anthonio de Arauio a Portugall being ascertained that the king Don Anthonio was in that armie he forbad the Cannoniers to shoot any more and caused a white Ensigne to be put forth vpon sight whereof Don Anthonio commanded that euery man should goe on shore and take their way towards the Towne the which they did not without some resistance made by certaine companies of Castillians who in the end were forced to retyre with the losse of some of their people The first that arriued to the Towne was
the County of Essex a Prince of the bloud Royall of England and one that was adorned with many morall vertues This Lord comming to speake with the Captaine of the Castle which was vpon the Wall one of his companie sayd My Lord the Earle of Essex is come hither by the commandement of the Queene of England in whose name hee commandeth to haue the Castle rendred vnto him The Captaine answered him Philip King of Castile hath committed the keeping of this Castle vnto me and for the same I haue done him homage in regard whereof I will defend it against all those that shall seeke to dispossesse me of it and I will not yeeld it vp to any person saue to the King Don Anthonio because his it is and I acknowledge him onely for my King and Lord and if he be not in this armie as hath been told me that he is I would aduise that euery man doe retyre himselfe otherwise I shall cause you all to loose your liues Vpon this word the Countie of Essex retyred himselfe to the Sea side and there went to meete him the Lords Scipio de Figueyredo Vascoucelles late Gouernour of the Terceras and Anthony de Brito Pimentell and other Gentlemen Portugals of the Kings trayne who vnderstanding by the Count the speech of the Captaine went on directly to the Castle and assured the Captaine that the King Don Anthonio their Lord was come thither Within a while after the King arriuing there and calling the Captaine who knew him by his speech hee made him this answere Sir I come to open the gates vnto your Maiestie The port being opened he kneeled downe before the King and kissing his hands The yeelding of the Castle of Penicha deliuered him the Keyes of the Castle This is most true that if he would haue held good the English armie had not bin able to haue taken that Castle it was so well furnished and prouided of artillerie and all things necessarie for besides great store of Iron peeces there were 85. of Brasse All these examples doe shew euidently how faithfull the Portugals are to them to whom they haue once promised and plighted their faith and fidelitie And for as much as I know that your Maiesties haue conceiued an opinion of me as of a person giuen to be somewhat curious and who is acquainted with the accidents which passed in this Voyage and that your Maiesties haue a desire to vnderstand what was the cause why Don Anthonio did not continue in Portugall and what made him to render vp this Castle and other places which were impregnable and to returne into England with his armie without doing any other act of any worth and with the losse of the greatest part of his companie with which he was embarked I will briefely recount the successe of this Iourney crauing many particularities because to count them all it would require much more time then is requisite for the finishing of this Treatise I say then that as God when he chasteneth humbleth great Estates and Monarchies doth suffer and permit for the sinnes of the people such as are like Pharao's Nabuchodonozors Caligula's Nero's and Dioclesians vsing them as his executioners and hangmen as Attila called himselfe the Scourge of God and Tamerlan the Wrath of God so it seemeth he hath permitted that K. Philip should be his minister the executioner of his wrath anger and that in his secret iudgement beyond all apparance of humane reason his will is not yet that Portugall should be deliuered and set at libertie for it is not possible that men should be so blinded to their owne losse and destruction as they were in this Voyage if the Diuine puissance had not blinded them by taking away the vse of their sence and vnderstanding The greatest part of the Armie was embarked at Douer The declaration of the Portugall Voyage in the yeere 1589. the 24. of March and from thence went to Plimmouth From thence they departed all together the 29. of Aprill at which time perceiuing their numbers to be greatly diminished by the contagion that was amongst them in stead of taking the direct way to Portugall they set their course for the Groine where the most part of the souldiers died and all the best Canoniers insomuch that their forces were much abated and they gaue thereby good leysure vnto the enemie both to send fresh men into Lisbon and to draw out of Portugal those who were any way suspected as they did indeed take from thence more then an hundred Lords and Gentlemen of marke Noble men taken out of Portugall by the Castillian who were all of them very contrarie to him and by their absence were greatly missed both of their King and countrey They came to the Groine the sixt of May where they were till the twentieth on which day they did againe take shipping and set sayle towards Portugall where they tooke land at Penicha the sixe and twentieth From thence hauing left in the Castle certaine souldiers with Anthonie de Brito Pimentell aboue named who is the chiefe of the House of the Pimentels of Spaine and about 800. sick men they tooke their way the Generall Drake by Sea and the Lord Generall Norris by Land with 35. or 40. horse and some 6000. foot so ill armed that a good part of them wanted their Swords and there was not of them aboue 50. Corslets the cause whereof was want of Waggons and Carriages for to carry them ouer the land and the souldiers themselues were constrained to carry their powder on their shoulders Besides many of them at their departure out of their lodgings had left their Pikes and some their Harquebuses loading themselues with pots bottels of Wine which they found there in great abundance Wine marreth all the which in very truth did the more hinder and endomage them for by meanes hereof they fell into diuerse diseases and died in great numbers the English Nation not being accustomed to drinke Wine alwayes their Beere is not so strong a kind of drinke The day following 3. leagues before their arriuall to a Towne called Loires Vedras the keyes of the Castle were brought to the king Don Anthonio which Castle is so strong that 20. men with necessarie munitions may keepe defend it against 100000. All the way along to Lisbon which is 60. good miles there was not one Castillian that durst appeare and 7. horsemen English did put to flight 60. Castillians From thenceforth many Portugals came to kisse the hands of their King in great abundance notwithstanding for that they came without armes hauing beene before disarmed and for that there was no body of whom they might get or haue any neither for loue nor money howbeit that they brought with them good store of siluer purposely to that effect they did the most part of them returne againe to their owne houses and there could not be armed of them aboue one thousand foot and
the Countie de Altimira and the Leane of S. Iames de Compostella and many other Gentlemen insomuch that they of the citie had resolued that as soone as they should see the Fleet and sea forces of the English to passe the Tower of Bethleem or the Armie by land to giue an assault vnto the citie the Cardinall of Austria would haue embarked himselfe with all his people to passe on the other side of the sea and for this purpose they held all the Gallies and many barkes in a readinesse to set saile Amongst which there were many hired for 300 duckats for the passage of three leagues onely This counsell being ended and Drake himselfe being a boord the ship called the Reuenge did set saile about three houres after noone and tooke his course towards Lisbon Some thought he went to see the channell of Alcacena which is an entry into the Hauen by which men do commonly passe which would auoyd the danger of the Tower of S. Iulian because in this councell where had beene called many old Pylots Portugals Tower of S. Iulian. who were very expert and well acquainted in that sea it was resolued that the Fleet and sea forces should enter that way for their more surety besides that at that time there was water enough for them by reason of the coniunction of the Moone Drake taketh the Sea contrary to the resolution taken in counsel and the winde also was very fauourable vnto them Notwithstanding Drake when it grew towards euening turned the head of his ship to the Westward by reason he was aduertised that there passed by a Fleet of thirty saile of Esterlings of the which hee tooke 25. or 26. But this hindered the resolution formerly taken so as it sorted not to that effect which was purposed And it constrained the Lord Generall Norris The embarking of the army for England the King and the Earle of Essex to embarke themselues the day following and to take the Sea where they met with Drake the Friday following I suppose that this short Discourse which I haue here set downe without specifying of any other the particularities of this expedition will suffice to satisfie the desire of your Maiesties and to shew the cause why there was nothing done in Portugall and that Gods will was not as yet to re-establish her by the meanes of this voyage And I say moreouer that the principall cause The reason why so many faults were committed in the English Armie for Portugall why so many faults and ouersights were committed and that nothing was performed or put in execution according as had been resolued in councell was because this armie was leuiâ—d by Merchants whereas in matters of this kinde Princes onely ought to employ themselues and that with a setled and aduised deliberation in such sort that there ought not any name of an army to be vsed but by and from them onely and they ought to haue more interest therein then any other and ought to be at the whole and onely costs and charges both of leuying and maintaining of all armed forces And last of all to them alone doth belong the choyse and election both of the Heads and Leaders and of one Generall and chiefe Commander vnto whom as to the Soueraigne all the others should be subiect and obedient See then the reason why the Lord Generall Drake being named and sent by Merchants who were most ingaged in this voyage did frame himself to do that which they would and what came into his owne braine and fancy rather then that which the other Lord Generall Norris did well and wisely aduise and counsell him who was a man of singular experience wisdome and vnderstanding as well in politike gouernment as in deeds of Armes and all matters of warfare For this worthy Lord did striue and labor by all meanes conuenient to haue made a longer abode in Portugall both in the quarters of Lisbon and elsewhere but after that the army had once set sayle the said Lord General Norris could not from thence forward by any entreaties perswade Drake to set foot on land againe in Portugall and not so much as to take one Citie where it was wel knowne that there was not any forces nor any resistance made neyther was there any meane for the enemie eyther to haue succoured it or after the taking thereof to besiege it for one yeere at the least Besides that with the same it is most certaine that they might haue found in Gold Siluer Silkes and Clothes more then a million of Duckats Moreouer the said place might easily haue beene fortified and by that meanes might haue commanded many other places and afterwards money being sent into France England Holland and other parts they might haue leuied and led thither aboue fiftie thousand souldiers sooner then the enemie could haue gotten together fiue thousand And this I thinke will suffice for your Maiesties to vnderstand that which you desire in this behalfe But now let vs returne to the purpose which wee had in hand We haue said that by this one example it may easily be perceiued how faithfull and loyall the Portugall Nation is to them vnto whom they do once promise faith and loyaltie and therefore God graunt that they doe not accord nor vnite themselues to the Castilian and that neyther your Maiesties nor the other Princes and Potentates of Europe doe not consent nor permit them to doe it nor doe giue them occasion to lose the hopes which they yet haue of their libertie And you ought not to attend or stay vpon the death of Philip for it may be that the Portugall will more easily accord with the sonne then with the father And further as the Monarchie of the Castillian is neyther gouerned nor conserued with the sword but by good and sage counsaile so albeit he should die yet the same counsaile continueth and remaineth still Besides for these many yeeres of late it hath beene gouerned without his presence and therefore there is little or no hope for any great change or alteration by his death Now of what great weight and importance this matter will be Don Francisco de Ivara the father of Don Diego de Ivara lately Embassadour at Paris during the League did confesse and make knowne vnto a French Gentleman at Madril in the yeere 1579. The Gentleman is yet liuing and can testifie the truth of that which I will now tell you The said Francis demaunding of that Gentleman who was then newly come from Barbarie where the late King had sent him for certaine of his affaires what newes hee brought out of that Countrey his answere was That the Moores were in a notable feare by reason they had intelligence that the King Catholike did leuie a great Armie to passe into Barbarie to reuenge the death of his Nephew the King Don Sebastian The speech of a Spanish nobleman to a French Gentleman Whereunto the sayd Francis replyed It is not
then his owne proper safety and that the Princes of Italy doe seeke his friendship and amity which I hope they will doe continually in regard of the publike good that may ensue thereby he iudgeth and not amisse that it may turne to his domage and detriment and that it may be an occasion to breake off the course of his great designes and enterprises Viz. The House of Austria which is indamaged by the Turke For this cause doth hee reioyce at the losses and misaduentures of the Christians notwithstanding that the mischiefe doe light vpon his owne flesh and bloud in so much that the prosperity of the Infidels maketh him the more proud and haughty And this is it that hath made him so hardy The Embassador of Venice ill intreated by the Castillian as to giue ill entreatie to the Embassadour of Venice if it be true that is reported if hee be not hindred ere long hee will giue worse entertainment to all other without any exception of persons Hee thinketh that Almaine and Italie especially in their afflictions and troubles will haue need of his helpe and assistance by reason whereof he is perswaded that they will not resolue themselues to follow and fauour the partie of the most Christian king by meanes whereof hee shall bee well able to effect his affaires in France If hee had beene disposed to hinder the Turke from making warre in Europe hee might very well haue done it by molesting and disquieting him in the East Indies as the true and lawfull kings of Portugall haue done Hee needed haue done no more but haue ioyned with Xatama the great King of Persia the friend of the Portugals for to keepe the Turke in awe and within compasse Infinite are the praises wherewith Historiographers haue celebrated the victory which D. Stephen de Gama a Portugall The victorie of Stephen de Gama against the Turkes Gouernour of the East Indies did obtaine against the Turke vpon whom hee made warre for that effect and purpose This battell was fought at the foot of Mount Synay Gama made many knights at the foote of Mount Sinay after which the said Gama made many Portugals knights for bearing themselues valiantly in that battell amongst the which there were two of speciall marke who being issued of noble parents did leaue behind them an immortall memorie of their honour and glorie The one of them was called Don Juan de Castre The victory of Don Iohn de Castre who afterwards being Viceroy of the said East Indies did get that famous victory which you may read of in the life of the king Don Emanuel in the which with lesse then foure thousand Portugals he defeated an infinite number of enemies and put to flight Moiecatan Constable of Cambaia who being sent by the king Mamud his Lord and maister with foureteene thousand men to succour the citie of Diu which held the Portugals besieged within the Castle he was constrained to leaue 300. of his men dead vpon the place hauing lost the Guydon royall with all their baggage Iuzarcan the yonger a great Lord in those parts was taken prisoner and Raman the Gouernour of the said citie which was great goodly and populous was there slaine and the Portugals made themselues absolute Lords of the citie Of this valorous Captaine Don Iuan de Castre who is now at this present in France is the grand child and he also hath beene as faithfull to his king and countrey as the said Don Iuan his grandfather The other of those two knights was called Don Lewes de Altaida Don Lewes de Altayda afterwards Countie of Aâ—ouguia who being in Almaign at the battle which the Imperialists gaue to the Duke of Saxonie and the Princes of his partie Anno Dom. 1548. 24. Aprill Charles the fift did him great honour by reason he surmounted all the rest in that iourney and recouered the imperiall Guydon which the enemies had once gained in so much that the Emperour gaue him all the honour of this victorie according as himselfe wrote vnto Don Juan the third king of Portugall his brother in law Don Lewes de Altaida Gouernour of the East Indies the first time and cousen German who had sent him thither for his Embassador and this noble man was twice Viceroy of the East Indies First in the life time of Don Sebastian at which time hee defended it against all the forces of Asia both Moores and Paynims had made a league against the Portugals who both by defending themselues an assailing of their enemies did purchase perpetuall and immortall glory Don Lewes Viceroy the second time Afterwards being made Viceroy the second time after the death of the King Sebastian during the raigne of King Henry and knowing that the people of Portugall had chosen and appointed certaine Gouernours to gouern and defend the realme after the death of the said Henry and that they had named ceâ—taine Iudges also to decide the cause touching the difference vpon the succession of that kingdome he said openly I for my part will not yeeld vp the Indies to any other His saying touching the possession of Portugall and the East Indies then to whom the Realme of Portugall shall be adiudged Insomuch as some say that they which followed the partie of the Castilian knowing well that the Iudge would neuer admit him to the succession of Portugall and being drawne on by the counsell perswasions and faire promises of the Castilian himselfe which were sent vnto them ouer land adde hereunto the notable diligence and industrie which he vseth in all his affaires They caused the said Lewes to bee made away with poyson so died that valiant and faithfull Portugall Don Lewes de Alcaida poysoned and there succeeded him in that gouernment a most vngratefull and notable Traitour who presently after deliuered vp the Indies to the enemy To the intent the happy memory of Don Stephan de Gama might be preserued there is an Epitaph set in a Pallace builded by Gama himselfe after his returne from the Indies neere to the towne of Setuval in Portugall which in the Portugall language though somewhat glossely is thus written Quem Cauelleyros armou O pé do monte Sinay Stephan de Gama his Epitaph Vâ—io acabar aquy That is to say He which made so many Knights At the foot of Mount Sinay Here as you see now doth he lie But to our purpose At this day Philip hath more force more puissance and many more commodities to hinder the Turke on that side of the East Indies from making warres in Europe then all the other kings of Portugall haue had heretofore Howbeit as that is not the way to aduance his ambitious desires so cannot he abide in any case to heare thereof For though it were a good deede and well done yet it will not be any helpe vnto him towards the preseruation of this his Monarchy of Portugall which he hath vsurped with so many
depriued of their right by Sancho their Vncle the yonger brother of their father Fernand Castile tyrannized the 2. time and â—eon the first time who died hauing the gouernment of the Realme of Castile and Leon in the absence of his sayd father Alphonsus which then was gone into Italy there to sollicit his friends and to make meanes for the Empire As soone as Fernand was dead the sayd Sancho tooke vpon him the gouernment Ierom Gudiel in the History of the Girons Garib lib 13. cap. 16. getting the possession of many cities and towns in Castile against the will of Alphonsus his father who dying at Seuill vpon a friday the 2. of Aprill 1284. cursed his sonne Sancho calling him disobedient rebellious vsurper and a tyrant and pronounced and named for the true and right heires of his Realmes and Seigniories his grand-children Alphonsus and Fernand and in case they should die without children then Philip the hardie King of France his cousine German remoued the sonne of the sayd S. Lewes his Vncle. But neither the curses nor denuntiations of the father nor the feare of God could make Sancho to render or restore to the others their right but he still detained it and left for his heire his sonne Fernand the fourth of that name Alphonsus surnamed the Iusticier king of Castile the sonne of the sayd Fernand and the grand-child of Sancho amongst many tyrannous acts by him exercised is reported to haue committed one act most vnworthy not onely of a king but of a man euen of most vile and base condition for that it was an action full of notable treasons and infidelitie Don Iuan le Tuerto Lord of Biscay murthered For hauing inuited Don Iuan le Tuerto that is to say the squint eyed Lord of Biscay to dine with him he caused him most cruelly to be murthered in the yeare 1327. And albeit he had begun to discharge himselfe of this murther for a season yet he could not disguise nor couer his tyranny Gariba lib. 14 cap. 4. Biscay tyrannized for that afterwards hee caused him to bee condemned as a traitor and confifcated his lands and Seigniories and within a short time he seized vpon them all namely about a fourescore townes and castles The same Alphonsus caused Don Aluar Nugnes Osorio his Gouernour to be slaine who had before receiued of him many great honours and fauours and afterwards being as certained of his death which was in the yeare 1328 hee seized vpon all his liuings The Countieâ— de Trastamares vsurped The Countie thereof slaine Garib lib. 14. cap. 5. Castles and great Treasures and vpn the Countie de Trastamara and within a few dayes after he caused him to be condemned at Tordehumos as a traitor and hauing made him to bee digged vp out of his graue hee willed his body should bee burned and his goods confiscated Henrie the 2. a bastard sonne of this Alphonsus Count de Trastamara slue his brother Peter of whom we haue formerly spoken and possessed himselfe of the Realmes of Castile and Leon â—â—â—â—e tyranâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 third 〈◊〉 Leon 〈…〉 disinheriting his Neeces Constance and Jsabel who with a solemne oath had beene acknowledged Princesses and heires of Castile first by the estates assembled at Seuill to that end and purpose and afterwards at Albuberca 1363. And if it had beene true that these two sisters had no right in the said realmes because hee alledged them to be bastards by the same reason had the sayd Henrie much lesse right and interest in them for he was not only a bastard but murtherer also of his owne brother And in such like case was Fernand King of Portugall the great grand child of Sancho aboue named right inheritor to the said realmes as was the king Don Peter his cousine german remoued and cousin german also for Beatrix the mother of Peter was the sister of Peter the father of Fernand. For this cause Samora Toco Cindad-Rodrigo and other citties and townes of the realmes of Castile and Leon did call in the said Fernand and offered to receiue him for their king especially the realme of Galitia which was wholly resolued to render it selfe vnto him And for this reason did Fernand go in person to take possession of the Groigne The History of Fernand king of Portugall anno 1369. and he might as well haue seized vpon the other places and holds if the Portugalls would haue consented thereunto For they did purposely oppose themselues against the desire and will of their King for two reasons the first was because they had good tryall and experience that there wanted much of that valour in Fernand which was in the father and his auncestors the second was The Portugals haue an ill opinion of the Castilians because the Castilian Nation is so maligne and peruerse as the Portugals doe hold it for a maxime among themselues that it is dangerous to haue any thing to doe with them yea to haue any command ouer them as hath beene before touched And I say yet once againe that their nature is so maligne and peruerse that the venome and poyson thereof doth so spread it selfe abroad that they which are their next neighbours and borderers doe feele the reuerberation of their malignitie and malitious disposition insomuth The malignity of the Castilians that some of them when they leaue and abandon their owne countrey and doe withdraw themselues into strange and forraine lands are more wicked and malicious more dangerous and more to bee feared then the very Castilians themselues In the yeare 1474. after the death of Henrie the fourth king of Castile Jsabel the sister the wife of Fernand king of Arragon did most tyrannically get possession of the Realmes of Castile and Leon and of their other Seigniories excluding Jane the daughter of the sayd Henrie her brother who in the yeare 1461. had been acknowledged Princesse and inheritrix of the said Realmes for default of heire males in a full assembly of the three estates which were assembled to that end at Madrill by the commandement of her father And the first persons which tooke the oath of fidelitie and did so acknowledge her were the infant Don Alphoâ—sus and the sayd Isabel the brother and sister of the sayd king after whom all the residue did the like euery one in order according to their degrees And after that shee was againe the second time acknowledged Princesse and heire of the sayd Realmes in Val-de-Loçoia after diligent enquiry made vpon the legittimation of the sayd Princesse which was done by the Cardinall de Alby a Frenchman who to that effect was come into Castile by the commandement of King Lewes the eleuenth of France the which Cardinal in the presence of all the Princes and Lords of the Realme hauing caused the mother to be sworne and take her oath demanded of her if the Princesse Dame Jane her daughter were the daughter of the King her husband whereunto shee answered vpon
her oath that shee was Secondly the King which tooke the same oath and protested that he did fully beleeue and assure himselfe that this infant Dame Jane was his daughter and that in all certaintie hee had continually so taken and reputed her euer since she was borne and therefore he did wil and command that the oath of fidelitie and obeysance which was vsually accustomed to be taken in his Realmes and Dominions as due to the eldest of the Kings children Guarib lib. 17. cap. 2â— should be made vnto her These are the very words of Steuen Guaribay Hierome Surite who is yet liuing doth rehearse this historie very plainely and distinctly in his generall history of Spain and how Henrie being ready to yeeld vp the Ghost Hierome Surite in the generall historie of Spaine did euen then maintaine that the said Iane was his daughter and that he commanded his Confessor openly to reuale it And the said Guaribay affirmeth that Henrie did confesse himselfe the space of a good hower before his soule departed from his body and that he being in good and perfect quietnesse of sense and of a sound and good memory after he had named the executors of his last will and testament and declared them for the Gouernors of this Realm and had giuen commandement that his seruants should be payd out of his treasures and iewels he named the said Princesse Iaene for the vniuersall heire of all his Realmes and dominions calling her by the name of his daughter and recommending her with all his affection to the sayd Gouernours By that which hath beene sayd appeareth clearely that the Realme of Castile in lesse then 258. yeares hath beene tyrannized foure times and that of Leon thrice and all the other Realmes and Seigniories likewise which are dependants of the same the which the king Philip possesseth euen at this present day by a most vniust wrongfull and tyrannicall title This also is one thing worthy to bee marked and which may be seene by the histories both of the same authours and of diuers others namely that when there hath happened any difference or disagreement vpon the sayd succession they which haue beene in possession haue altogether preuayled and made their title euen by the right of those very parties whom they haue dispossessed which is the greatest tyranny that can bee And that this may the better be perceiued I will alledge onely two examples Rodrigo Sanches Bishop of Palance recounteth In the life of Iohn the first king of Castile how Iohn the first King of Castile and Leon of whom wee haue before spoken seeing that John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster pretended the sayd Realmes of Castile and of Leon to appertaine vnto him for the reason heretofore alledged hee said in defence of his claime that the sayd Realmes did of right belong vnto him The cunning of Iohn the first king of Castile as being the sonne of Iane and the Grand-child of Don Iuan Emanuel and of his wife who was the daughter of Fernand de la Cerda the lawfull heire of the sayd Realmes because his brother Alphonsus was deceased without children and that for this cause hee did hold them with a good conscience and that he did not hold them from his father whom himselfe confessed to be a bastard The other example is like vnto the former For in a great assembly of Princes Lords and other principall personages held in the towne of Trogillo for the taking of the oath of fidelitie to Fernand the second king of Arragon The policy of Fernand the â—econd King of Arragon c. and Isabel his wise Queene of Castile the sayd Fernand pretended that hee had more right of himselfe then the sayd Isabel and that hee ought to be acknowledged as the true and principall heire of the sayd Realmes of Castile and Leon not as husband to the said Isabel but as discending in the right and lawfull line male of the kings his predecessors because hee was the sonne of John the grand-child of Fernand and the great grand-child of Iohn the first who on the side of his mother same Iane the grand daughter of Fernand de la Cerda as hath â—eene sayd was the true and rightfull heire of the said Realmes Jsabel knowing the intent and ambition of Fernand her husband resolued to bend and employ all her force and puissance for the maintaining of her right and for a reply to his speech she said That that which hee had spoken was to bee granted if women had not beene vsually admitted to the succession of those Realmes but seeing the custome was to the contrary therefore her said husband ought not to bee preferred and for proofe of that which she sayd she named certaine women which had succeeded to the said crownes amongst others Katherine the daughter of Constance and of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster aboue mentioned where she did assure her selfe had beene admitted and receiued to that inheritance as the grand-daughter of her graund-father Peter and that Henrie the husband of the said Katherine her ancestors had right thereunto onely by meane of the said Katherine his wife For these reasons Jsabel was preferred before Fernand and she was acknowledged as the true heire of the said Realmes of Castile and Leon and he reputed to haue right onely as her husband and companion and not otherwise And this is it which Marin Sicilian speaketh of In this assembly of estates saith he Fernand seeing himselfe king and Lord of the most of two third parts of Spaine Marin Sicilian partly in his owne right and partly in his wiues and hauing there prefent all the Lords and Deputies of citties and townes which were their subiects he did endeuour by all meanes to cause himselfe to be entitled king of Spaine but those of that assembly would in no case yeeld their consent thereunto but to the vttermost of their power did oppose themselues against it and did thereupon giue vnto the kings of Castile a new title which Philip holdeth and retaineth at this day hauing augmented those Realmes and Seigniories which both the said Fernand and Charles the 5. his father did successiuely vsurpe each after other The Translator Philip Caried on with the same winde of ambition as were his great grand father and his father Philip caried away with the ambition of his ancestor causeth himselfe to be called king of Spaine vpon an exceeding desire which hee had to vsurpe this title of King of Spaine and seeing that the Realmes of Spaine would not accord nor agree that he should so entitle himselfe and that in the assembly of estates which he held in Portugall in the yeare 1581. within the towne of Tomaâ— it was expressely defended him and that himselfe had taken a soâ—emne oath neuer more from thenceforth to take it vpon him neuertheles he caused for all that like a notable tyrant certaine monies which he coined in the Indies and in Flanders to
which worse is in Castile and J protest vnto you that although I doe against my will enter in the realm of Castile yet shall not Castile euer enter within me And so as he persisted in this fidelitie to his countrie and disauowing of Philip by his commandement there was poyson giuen him whereof this godly graue learned and excellent man died in the flower of his yeares The like misaduenture happened to Don Laurence Don Laurence Prior generall of the Cannons Regulars of Saint Augustine of the congregation of the holie Crosse of Coimbre who for his singular prudence and religion wherewith hee is notablie adorned had three seueral times with great coÌ„mendation honor executed dischargd this charge What shal we say touching the immane and brutish crueltie vvhich he hath practised in Portugall against an infinite number of other notable personages namelie against that most reuerend Father Frier Steuen Leyton â—ryer Steuen Leyton of the order of Friers Preachers the kinsman of the Duke de Aueyra and of the Duke de Leyria and of other Princes and great Lords vvho vvas twise Prouinciall and thrise Vicar generall of his Order And albeit that all the vvorld did admire the miraculous life of this vvorthie man yet because hee had tooth and naile as the saying is defended the right of his countrie the said Philip caused him to bee taken and imprisoned depriuing him of his voyce actiue and passiue and of the exercise of his Priesthood which vvas the occasion of his death through extreame griefe and sorrow These things and manie others hath hee committed against a great number of persons both Regular and Ecclesiasticall vvhome to recken vp vvere infinite All those aboue mentioned they haue bene either ill intreated or else put to death by the commaundement and order of his Maiestie that is so Catholike as is vvell knowne by true and manifest proofes and by most cleare and euident coniectures It may bee that one day you shall see touching this matter a more ample and large historie then this same vvhich containeth onelie his cruelties towards his neighbours and yet not all of those neither See an epistle vvhich Anthonie King of Portugall sent vnto Pope Gregorie the thirteenth of that name in the yeare 1584. Behold then how hee dispatcheth all his affaires and in what manner hee dealeth with all the world It was not long since there was taken in the Citie of Leon a packet of letters written with his owne hand and sent to the Constable of Castile within the which were found certaine graines amongst the letters and a certaine Gentleman suspecting somewhat gaue of those graines to eate to manie liuing creatures which all died immediatlie Another like matter as this same happened within a while after in the franke Countie of Burgoigne in a certaine house where the Constable of Castile had lodged after his departure from thence a chamber-maide of the house founde a ball within a verie faire purse within which ball shee thinking to haue founde some great treasure founde certaine graines of which was made the same proofe and experience and all those creatures that did eate thereof died This is that notable tyrant which doeth all that hee can doe to the vttermost of his abilitie and that dareth seeke to take away the life of the most Christian Maiestie To wit of â—he Queene of England and Prince Maurice Count of Nassau c Fol 216. p. 2. 80000. duckats promised by king Philip to kill Don Anthonio and other Princes by such shamefull and abhominable meanes as there is none but would shame to write them saue onelie maister Hieronyme Franchi Conestagio of whome wee haue formerlie spoken For hee in the seuenth booke of his historie saieth that Philip did prize the life of the Priour that is to say of Seigniour Don Anthonio king of Portugall at fourescore thousand duckats as beeing a rebell and disturber of the publike peace and quietnesse And so did hee handle another Prince that was both his cousin germane and cousin germane remoued and so manie wayes of kinne vnto him and so strictly allied vnto him in friendship and amitie that they carried themselues each to other as if they had bene each others father yea and as if they had bene but one person and yet did hee vse him as if hee had bene a common theefe a robber a malefactor and a man of no reckening nor estimation And this horrible and abhominable crueltie doeth not end in Portugall but it passeth ouer the sea and the Pyrenean mountaines into Fraunce and into England where he hath bent and imployed all his meanes to take away the liues of the Monarches of those realmes O barbarous O abhominable hang-man and murtherer hast thou no shame If thou be a Catholike as thou doest entitle thy selfe how is it that thou knowest not what a deede of shame and enormitie it is to commit murther God would not that any man should touch Caine himselfe who had murthered his owne brother and commanded that if any were so hardy as to kill him that he should bee seuerely punished Genes 4. Omnis qui occiderit Caine septuplum punietur Whosoeuer shall kill Caine shall be punished seuen sold If thou doe know this why doest thou not keepe the commandements of God eternall The good workes I say not of Saints nor of Christians but euen of Idolaters which hauing no knowledge of the true light doe follow onely the simple law of Nature doe they not worke any shame in thee Doest thou not remember what the Romanes did when Pyrrhus Pyrrhus his Physitian did offer Fabricius Fabritius to poyson him And how they handled the Schoole-maister to the children of the Fuliscians which came to betray to them to Camillus Lucius Florus Pompo Mela. Lucas Tudensis Paulus Câ—sirus and many others If thou thinke that these Examples bee nothing to the purpose learne what sentence they gaue against Seruilius Caepio who returning to Rome with victorie and demanding that he may triumph in recompence of his seruice done to the commonwealth by the death of Viriatus whom he had caused to be slaine by treason and for that he had subdued a great part of Spaine to the Romane Empire they pronounced this iudgement against him that both the said Caepio and the murtherers of Viriatus were more worthy to be chastised then to be recompenced and that there was no reason they should allow any reward for the destroying of their enemies and the victories gotten against them by money and through corruption Quae victoria empta erat à Senatu percussores indigni praemio iudicati By this then that hath beene said may bee seene as in a mirrour the crueltie of this maligne and peruerse tyrant whome many will not beleeue to bee such a one as in very deede and in trueth he is but contrariewise without all consideration as people blinded peruerse and obstinate they will striue and contend to
hath extended Religion in Affrique hee hath euen of late against the institutions of the order of the Knights of the Religion of Iesus Christ and others concluded and made peace in Barbarie with the Infidels to the intent hee might with the more commoditie make warre in Europe against the Christians And what doeth hee at this day against the Turke but onely dallie and trifle with him Touching the third of your propositions histories doe well recount and all men may assure themselues how much hee loueth the Ecclesiasticall persons and what reuerence hee beareth to them that are religious In times past it was neuer seene that any Ecclesiasticall or religious person hath beene put to death in Spaine for any matters concerning the estate The greatest crueltie and most rigorous seuere iustice that the Arrian Princes shewed vppon them for being contrarie to their opinions was to imprison them and to keepe them enclosed within Monasteries True it is that of some of them they did put out the eyes and afterwards some Princes did cause them to be put to death secretly in prison but as for the gallowes and such like infamous deaths they knew not what it meant saue onely since the reigne of his Maiestie that will be held for so great and so good a Catholike And I for my part do beleeue that he is no lesse and yet I know he is but a very bad Christian for I make no doubt but he beleeueth all that which the holy Catholike Apostolike Romane Church our mother teacheth and instructeth vs howbeit I know full well that he doth not obserue any of the precepts commanded in the Decalogue And as concerning the rest of your allegations made in his excuse although that Philip hath builded vp a great number of Monasteries and many Churches endowing them with rich reuenues yet all this will not make me but that I must needes take him and acknowledge him for a notable tyrant and a most cruell Prince Historiographers haue written largely of the cruelty of Brunhault Brunhault caused ten kings of France to be put to death howbeit that some would excuse her and doe attribute this fault vnto the first Writers and they doe affirme that shee caused to be put to death ten seuerall Kings in France and many other persons of great quality Also they write of her that shee caused a great number of Churches to be builded and did prouide them of so great goods and riches that it is a very strange thing to be reported See what Gaguin Gaguin writeth thereof in so much that if a man would compare the charge and expences of Brunhault with the meanes shee had he would greatly maruell how this woman was able in one age to build so many Temples and assigne vnto them also so good and large reuenues Now Brunhault hath deserued another manner of praise and commendation for vsing so great liberality towards the Church then doth Philip because shee gaue of her owne and Philip giueth of other mens In Spaine they finde great fault with those that will steale a sheepe and will giue the feete for Gods sake and so doth his Catholike Maiesty hee draweth from the Clergy Tercias Subsidio Pila Escusado in so much See the meaning of these words a little after that of ten he taketh at the least fiue and one Prelate payeth more vnto him then 2000 labourers or 4000 Gentlemen See then how liberall he is to the Clergy and by the meanes of these feete of his sheepe hee buildeth vp Monasteries and other Churches and endoweth them with great reuenues Moreouer who is he that hath medled with setting to sale the Townes and Castles which were of the iurisdiction and vassals of the Church It is your great friend Philip whom you accompt so vertuous and so Catholike The Translator Tercias is the third part of the rent which a Prelate receiueth yeerely out of his Benefice or Spirituall liuing Subsidio is an ouerplus and certaine summe which he payeth out of the two third parts which remaine and of other reuenues appertaining to his estate Pila is that summe which he taketh of all the Parish Churches in Spaine namely of euery Parishioner that is of them that are of any wealth he taketh the tithes or tenth part And some of the regular persons who doe possesse anâ— hâ—ritages in the same Parish doe helpe to pay this tribute after the rate The Regulars themselues doe pay tithe also of all that which they possesse euen to the Apples Oranges and other fruits of their Gardens Escusado is a certaine summe which the Clergy both Ecclesiastical and Regular persons because they may not beare armes doe pay vnto the King Catholike to be excused in that behalfe Obiection I know well you will reply vnto me and alledge that the rents of the Churches of Spaine are so great and excessiue that although the Prelates doe pay vnto their King the one halfe of them yet they doe all of them still continue and remaine rich because there be some Prelates in Spaine which haue greater reuenues yeerely then 50 or 60 Prelats in France Answer Hereunto I answer that although it be so yet his Catholike Maiesty may not spoile the Church of her goods which Princes and others Catholike and deuout persons haue giuen vnto her And if the dowry of any Damosell or maiden be priuiledged how much more ought that so to be which is giuen to God and to our Lady and to the Saints who as Histories doe specifie haue foughten visibly and really and haue beene seene in sundry battels personally doing of great miracles And therefore seeing that his Catholike Maiesty doth take away from the Churches that which is giuen them for the causes and reasons by vs alledged he committeth fraud and sacriledge which may be an occasion that hee himselfe may happen ere he die or his successors for him to repay the same againe For this cause did Nebuchadnezzar wander vp and downe for many yeeres in the fields in the shape of a brute beast Daniel 4. and Balthazar his sonne saw that horrible vision of a hand writing vpon a wall his future death and destruction Daniel 5. Acts 5. Ananias and Saphira his wife fell downe dead at the feete of Saint Peter We haue many examples touching this matter in the holy Scriptures and many more in pâ—ophane Writers and there is a great number of them euen in Spaine especially in Castile The Queene Dame Viraca the Daughter of Alphonsus the sixt Emperour The common Histories of Spaine going out of the Church of S. Isidore with the riches which shee had taken thence fell downe dead at the Church doore Don Alphonsus the warriour her Husband for the like matter was vanquished by the Moores in the battell of Fraga and was neuer more seene nor heard of after that time neither aliue nor dead The King Don Henry brother germane to the mother of Saint Lewes being but a ladde
was slaine by the hazard of a brick or tile falling vpon him within Placentia Some doe attribute this his death to the carelesnesse of the said Henry for not prouiding a remedy albeit hee were in his tender and younger yeeres against the extortions done vpon the Churches by the children of the Count Don Nugno de Lara who were Tutors to the said Henry and Gouernours of his Realme and they doe affirme that all those disasters and mishaps which Histories doe write of did happen by the occasion of those his Tutors These examples may suffice to proue vnto you the abuse and inualidity of your reply and to shew that your Philip by laying of his hands vpon the Ecclesiasticall liuings as he hath done cannot excuse himselfe of fraud sacriledge and tyranny and so by this meanes with an ill conscience hee stealeth the sheepe of another man notwithstanding that hee giue againe the feete for God sake And yet ouer and aboue all this I doe assure you euen in the faith of an honest man that if there were no other vices the person of King Philip saue onely these two to wit tyranny and cruelty and if hee were a true obseruer of the rest of the Law and faith Catholike I would excuse you of your blindnesse and inueiglement but you may hold this for a certainty that his abhominable workes will proue any man whomsoeuer to be an egregious lyer that shall be so hardy as to defend that hee is no such manner of man For this enemy and generall persecuter vnder the cloake and shadow of a Catholike hath done more mischiefe and committed more insolencies against the Church of Rome then all the other persecuters that euer went before him Will you see the proofe how you are abused and how bad and vile a Christian hee is Open your eye liddes and you shall see how he bewrayeth it euen as if a man should with his finger point at it In the yeere 1575 this King Catholike being aduertised that the late Monsieur did make great preparation to enter with a mighty Army into Flaunders hee beganne very secretly to sound certaine of the principall Lords and chiefe heads of the pâ—etended reformed Religion within the Prouinces of Languedoc Foix Bearne Bigorre and of the Countrey de la Bort neere to Guipuscua ouer against Fontaraby to know if they would vnder his protection defend their liberty promising them that he would cause an Army of Almaines to descend against the most Christian King Offers made for King Philip to those of the reformed Religion to make warre against the late French King and that hee would giue them fiue hundred thousand crownes yeerely to that effect and for the entertainement of the Ministers of their Churches beating into their eares and making them beleeue that the enterprise of Flaunders which the Duke of Alanson had vndertaken did not tend to any other end but onely to entrap and to make another massacre of them as had lately beene done vnder the King Charles the ninth his brother when the Lord de la Noue was taken and the Lord de Iuoy was put to death betweene two Tables with many other Lords and Gentlemen He had the better meanes and opportunity to treat with the said Churches by reason there were many Catholikes mingled amongst the Huguenots all of which did gouerne and demeane themselues according to the conuentions and agreements made betweene them and a great Lord of France and the Lord Mounsieur de Chastillion howbeit that afterwards this vnion was broken Some of their chiefe heads did giue eare vnto those perswasioÌ„s of Philip insomuch that there were great preparations made for a strong mighty warre against them which succeeded not long after when Brouage was taken Besides the said Lords and heads of the reformed Religion with some of their Ministers being entred into a great iealousie of the most Christian King now raigning who was then King of Nauarre and of the late Monsieur the Prince of Condy they resolued secretly within the Towne of Montauban to call in strangers of their Religion to be their Protectours and defenders And to that effect they sent one of their Ministers into Almaine feining that they sent him vnto the pretended reformed Church of Metz. Notwithstanding the matter was discouered by one of the principall Lords newly drawne to be of their Religion who had taken great indignation against a Minister of his owne and because hee had been an assistant at the same Councell he thought he had beene of the same minde also and did therefore reproue him saying that he greatly maruelled how he could suffer such a quill to be thrust through his nose without laughing at it But the Minister excused himselfe assuring him that he knew nothing of that matter But that was an occasion that the practise brake off besides that they were not well agreed amongst themselues whom they should choose to bee their chiefe and protectour some of them desired the Duke Casimier others would haue England and some others the Duke of Sauoy who all that time did not know any thing at all of that which passed betweene him and the Ministers But after that at such time as the young Duke now presently ruling came to succeed his Father he being aduertised thereof sent vnto the King of Nauarre to demaund the Lady his sister for his wife one named Seruin was dispatched as the messenger to that effect and after him a Viscount who seeing great difficulty in the demaund went by Bearne into Spaine where he treated the mariage of the Infant D. Katherine at this day Dutchesse of Sauoy which mariage Don Amadis the bastard brother of the said Duke afterwards effected This mariage came well to purpose for Philip because by this meanes hee assured himselfe of the Duke that he should attempt nothing in Portugall where he knew full well that after the death of King Henry there was great diuision amongst the Portugals for that some would haue had the Lady Katherine Dutchesse of Bragancia others the Lord Don Anthonio and in a manner all well neere not liking to haue any of those which were named would haue had the said Duke of Sauoy being the Graund-childe of a Daughter of Portugall who as the report is if hee had gone thither during the inter-raigne in Portugall at the time of that dissention and by reason of their vnwillingnesse to admit the one or the other of those aboue named he had without doubt beene receiued of all the Portugals To proceede and to shew you yet more plainely what manner of man this is for whose loue you doe euen seeke your owne destruction and in whose seruice you are so forward and so diligent I will adde here somewhat more touching this matter for it is not possible to vtter all that may be spoken to that effect It is not long since that for to follow the steppes of some other good and godly Catholikes as himselfe is he
foretold and as it were prophecied as the prinâ—ipall counsellers of estate both in Fraunce in England can well testifie both all this which is come to passe in this behalfe and hath also foreshewed all that which hath beene lost in Fraunce and to what end and issue things will grow at the last if there be not some better order taken in these affaires And I beleeue that if they were demanded the question they will tell you how I haue passed away my time with as great griefe and discontentment as a man possibly might do to see the enemy daily to prosper and to waxe more proud and arrogant by your owne proper sufferance consent and wilfulnesse for this cause I am in a manner wholly resolued to leaue and abandon the conuersation of men to retire withdraw my selfe into some solitary mountaine Notwithstanding because I know and am acquainted with all that hath befalne for these 50 yeeres last past in the greatest part of Europe I doe therefore tell you as one that hath had experience of these matters that as yet you may recouer if you will all that which hitherto you haue lost and both deliuer your friends and bridle your enemies And you may take such order that the time to come shall be more happy and fortunate vnto you then the time already past hath beene And moreouer I doe assure you that sithens the losse of great part of Christendome wonne by the Turke the late losse of the most part of Germany the hereditary possession of the King of Bohemia all Switzerland with the great hazard of losing all the Netherlands who are now striuing for breath against the King of Spaines mighty powers now in the field which I for my part doe thinke to haue proceeded from the very hand of God as of your louing Father who by a fatherly loue doth chastise you to the end you should awaken you out of your security and negligence I haue beene euer since resolued to set downe in writing that which I haue so often pronounced by word of mouth to so many persons of speciall marke and quality before that euer they did entreat me thereunto And this is the cause that if this my writing doe not produce that publike good and that effect which I desire I protest that from henceforth I will for euer hold my peace and be silent Neuerthelesse I most humbly beseech your Christian Maiesties and all the Princes and Potentates of Europe and all the great Lords and Officers of the Crownes of England and of Fraunce that it would please you to descend into your selues and at your leisure according to your accustomed prudence and wisdome to consider that good fortune and felicity doth not consist so much in the conquest and subduing of great Seigniories and large dominions for the time present with an intent to leaue the same to your successors but rather to assure confirme and preserue them for the time to come to your children and posterity to the intent that when it shall please God to call you hence they may quietly and peaceably enioy them in peace and tranquility without any trouble disquiet or hinderance For it is a farre greater vertue to preserue and keepe that which is gotten then to get and purchase new things daily Non minor est virtus quà m quarere parta tuêri The poore Pilgrime beaten by Time and pesecuted by Fortune P. Ol. I am resolued to make warre vpon the Castillian wherein if you also will beare a part assure your selfe you may account me as one of your most faithfull and surest friends But if you once grow to any termes of peace and amity with him then seeke you some other with whom ye may deliberate vpon that matter AN EXPLICATION OF THE PILGRIME VPON THE PROVERB IF THE COCKErell had not come the Cock had not bene taken And of the loyaltie of Auila and Simanchas in Castile and of Celorico and the Castell of Coimbre in Portugall Item What the diuersitie is betweene the King of Castile and of Spaine and who they bee whom wee call Castillians and what is vnderstood by Cities and Townes HEnry the fourth King of Castile of whom wee haue before spoken being at the point of death If the Cockerel had not come the Cock had not beene taken named foure Executors of his Testament to gouerne the Realme after his death and to marrie his daughter the Ladie Iane two of which Executors to wit Don Aluaro de Estugniga Duke de Areualo and Don Diego Lapez Pacheco Marquis de Vâ—llena ioyning with the Archbishop of Toledo named Don Alphonso Carrillo Don Bertrand de la Cueua Duke de Albuquerke the Maister of Calatraua Don Rodrigo Telles Giron Countie de Vâ—egne Don Iohn Telles Giron hif brother Marquisse of Calis Don Alphonso de Aguilar and manie other great Lords with foureteene Cities of Castile sent vnto Don Alphonso the Affrican King of Portugall praying him that he would take to wife the said Queene Dame Iane the which the King of Portugall accepted against the willes and good liking of many of his Realmes who would not by any manner of meanes haue to doe nor meddle with the Castillians By reason of this mariage in the yeere 1475 Don Alphonso went into the Lands and Countrey of his said wife where he had many encounters and combats with Fernand King of Arragon the Husband of Jsabel the pretended Queene of Castile and with his people till such time as they encountered in the battell which was foughten neere the City of Toro The battell of Toro in March 1476 which was ordered in this manner the King Alphonso had made one Campe of the Lords and Nobles of the Realmes of Castile and Leon with some Portugals the Prince Don Juan his sonne who was come to the succours of his Father had made another Campe of his Portugals without any Castillians mingled amongst them The King Fernand made also two campes the one of the Castillians which tooke his part and his wiues and the other of Arragonois the Catalans the Valencians and such other peoples and Nations as were the subiects of his owne Realmes and Seigniories whereof himselfe was Lord and commaunder Fernand encountring with Alphonso defeated and ouercame him and hauing taken his Guidon royall made him forsake the field and to betake himselfe to flight But the Prince Don Iuan gaue in and charged so resolutely vpon the Castillians that he made them to flie and hauing slaine many of them vpon the place he tooke a great number of prisoners and himselfe remaining whole and entire with his Forces did with singular hardinesse and magnanimity assaile Ferdinand also the vanquisher of his Father and making him to flie did recouer againe the Guydon royall which the said Alphonso his Father had lost The History of Portugall saith that the Prince did great honour vnto a Knight which saued the said Guydon and gaue him an yeerely rent or annuity of
officers of the said realme who would assist him doe their vttermost endeauors to serue him faithfully to the intent they might remaine in their countrey with their charges offices vnder the obeissance of a naturall king not of a Castilian And if the most excellent Duke of Lorraine were disposed to restore Arragon Valentia Catalonia c. he should haue an Admirall many officers of those realms to accompany him they would hold esteeme theÌ„selues for most happy fortunate to deliuer their cuntry froÌ„ the tyranny yoak of a stranger to redeliuer it to a naturall lawfull Prince If the Portugals likewise would determine and resolue themselues to choose by election as they haue right so to doe some Prince or some other of the people either white or negro for it is most certaine that to deliuer themselues of the tyranny of Philip they would be content to receiue to their King the meanest negro of Guinee if he be a Christian and will liue in the Realme with them they are fully perswaded and they haue reason that this would be a great help and furtherance to the accomplishment of their desires to finde for their defence and preseruation a Constable of Portugall a Marshall and Admirall and all other such like officers of the Realme and their records and writings done in their owne tongue the fashions of their garments and the surnames of their families Contrarywise if it be graunted and yeelded vnto Philip that he may once take vpon him this title of King of Spaine it is most certaine and sure that he will make onely one house royall of all Spaine with a Constable Marshall or Marshals and Admirall graund Maister great Chamberlaine maister of the Horse and all other such like officers of the Realme all which shall be called of Spaine generally and they will call themselues also by the name onely of Spaniards and so will vnite all of them into one onely bodie which will turne to the great dammage and preiudice of the particular states and kingdomes of Spaine and to the great profit and surety of Philip and his posteritie Full little do strangers know of what importance this matter is and thereof it commeth that they speake so fondly and foolishly when they talke thereof which is a thing greatly to be blamed and reprehended in them considering that it is against the law which sayth Inciuile est de re incognita iudicare that it is a great inciuility for any man to iudge of that which hee doth not vnderstand The nations of Spaine doe see very well what mischiefe this may bring vpon them and therefore they doe resist and withstand it with so great force and vehemencie The Castillian knoweth full well the great aduancement and assurance which would hereof ensue to his estate if he could reach so farre and that is the cause he is so earnest to get himselfe entitled king of Spaine He is as we haue before sayd very expert and well seene in histories as his predecessors were also before him and by reading of them he hath learned that this is the most easie meane and readie way to commaund peaceably and to gaine the affection of all the Spaniards Histories do shew vs Egbert king of West Saxonâ— in England how Egbert a valiant and magnanimous Prince being chosen king of the realme of West Saxons in great Brittaine which Realme contained the prouinces of Cornewall Deuon Sommerset Wiltshire Dorsetshire Hampshire and Barkeshire and trusting vpon his skill and knowledge in the art military which hee had learned in Fraunce vnder Charlemaigne where he had beene banished for many years he resolued to make himselfe King Lord of all great Brittaine leauing Scotland apart And beginning his enterprise he first subdued the prouince of Wales which is the strongest of all the rest After which he wanne the Realmes of Kent Mercia Northumberland and the Realme of the East Saxons called Essex Or rather North Saxon in Norfolke hauing gotten this prouince and those foure realmes Egbert seeing himselfe now Lord of fiue and that there now rested no more to conquer but the Realme of Sussex so called of the South Saxons and that of the East Saxons called East Anglia of whose forces he made no great reckening And bethinking with himselfe how he might assure and secure these dominions and Seigniories vnto himselfe he determined not onely to roote out and extinguish the name and memory of the Brittaines the ancient inhabitants of that I le but also gaine the good willes and affections of his subiects by a new name and so by that meanes to draw vnto himselfe the residue which remained yet vnconquered To this effect and purpose he ordained and appointed and by a perpetuall edict commaunded that from that day forwards all those seuen Realmes should bee named by one onely name England and that all the inhabitants should name themselues Englishmen Egbert the first king of England And by this meanes hee came readily and fully to the ende of his desire In imitation of this Egbert Fernand the second king of Arragon and the fift of that name king of Castile seeing himselfe Lord of the greatest part of Spaine and that there rested no more for him to gaine saue onely Nauarre and Portugall he employed all his forces and endeauours to obtaine from the Princes realmes and prouinces of Spaine that which they refused to wit that hee might entitle and write himselfe King of Spaine With the like ambition and desire Philip his great graund-child pretendeth that the Realmes of Spaine and now of late Portugall haue constantly resolutely denied him and which you doe giue him so readily and so liberally So that now I thinke you will perfectly vnderstand the cause wherefore Philip doeth write himselfe King of Castile and of Leon Castillians and Castilo what it meaneth New Castile all those kingdomes which the kings of Castile haue gotten from the Moores The particular names of the kingdomes of new Castile when they were recouered from the Moores Toledo first set at liberty anno 1086. c. For so the nations of Spaine and the Castillians themselues call him howbeit that you doe make a iest and toy of it not knowing how much it doeth import them so to do and therefore I hope that from henceforth you will by these instructions both know your owne ignorance and correct this your fault and ouersight We call them Castilians which are naturall and borne in the Realme of Castile and in those Realmes which the kings of Castile with the aide of the Kings of Nauarre Arragon and Portugall other Soueraigne Lords of Spaine haue gotten and wrested out of the hands and possession of the Moores all which Realmes wee name â—y one onely name new Castile Of these Realmes that which was the shortest time in the power and puissance of the Moores was the kingdome of Toledo which was restored to