in danger for the time to come not to be beleeued any more in the truth vvhere before the dissimulation of false pretences and of the openest Hypocrisie that might be carried the credit of most sacred Truth and of most perfect Devotion CHAP. 3. Maximilian the Emperour is advertised of the Troubles begun among his Sonnes THere came three Postes very lately vnto the Majestie of the Emperour Maximilian the second and presently it vvas knowen how they brought him advertisement that the Arch-duke Matthias had taken Armes against the Emperour Rodolphus his Brother seditiously requiring the Kingdomes of Hungary and Bohemia and the absolute Dominion of Austria and other Provinces These ill newes infinitly troubled the mind of the Emperour for he vvell knew that the discord risen vp among his Sonnes vvould giue the enemies of the House of Austria that content vvhich they so much desired Whereupon yesterday morning very early that Prince presented himselfe before Apollo and vvith many teares demanded of him vvhen the evils of the House of Austria so long before commenced through the cruell combination of all Germany against it should have an end and for vvhat demerit such fearefull scourges vvere sent vnto his House Vnto this demand Apollo answered in this sort All the troubles and persecutions of your Family great Emperour shall cease vvhen it shall vvholly abandon those ambitious thoughts of desiring to command over Hungary and Transilvania vvhich hath given vnto Germany such iealousies that to secure her auncient Liberty from the power of your House shee bendeth all her study to nothing more then to the depression of it for the Germans fearing greater prejudice from your acquests then from the victories of the Turkes are fully resolved rather to lose Vienna then recouer Buda And then also shall all Germany vnfainedly loue your Arch-Dukes when deposing their present ambition they shall make it appeare that they desire to be equall and not superior to other Princes of Germany CHAP. 4. Philip the second King of Spaine after some contestation about his Title entreth with great pompe into Pernassus THe mighty King of Spayne Philip the second who some two months since arrived at this Court was not permitted before yesterday to make a publicke and solemne entry because that on certaine Tryumphall Arches which with a Royall magnificence were erected vnto him by the Spanish Nation these wordes were written Philippo secundo Hispaniarum vtriussque Siciliae Indiarum Regi Catholico Italiae pacis Auctori foelicissimâ— Which distasting the greater part of the Italian Princes they required them to be cancelled saying That they would not at any hand acknowledge from the Spaniards that peace of Italy which with ready mony they bought of the Hollanders This aromaticall matter was a long time disputed and albeit the Italian Princes had concludingly proved in iudgement that the present peace of Italy was not to be acknowledged from the good mindes of the Spaniards who would haue seized on it all had it not beene for that great diuersion but altogether from the warres of Flanders yet in the greatest heate of this contention the Queene of Italy with her wonted prudence pacified the matter for hauing called all her Princes together she advised them to leaue ostentation and vain-glory to the Spaniards and applying themselues to substantiall things to continue feeding them with breath The concourse both for number and quality of Princes which assembled to grace and serve so great a King was the greatest and the honorablest that euer Pernassus had seene And so powerful a Prince had place amongst those Monarchs which are famous in the world more for prudence and advisednes vsed in peace then for valor shewed in warre and greatly did the Learned marvaile at the Imprese which he carried painted in his Standard generall of a writing penne wherewithall by the testimony of Historians it plainly appeared that in the potent Kingdome of France and other places where good occasion had beene presented vnto him to employ it he had caused greater batteries and ruines then Charles the fift his Father had done or could do with most part of the Cannons of all Europe An Imprese that was much commended by the sacred Colledge of the Vertuous it being greatly to the honor of all Writers that a Penne in the hand of a man who knew how to mannage it could worke such memorable effects So mighty a King was entreated in Pernassus alla grande for euen the chiefest Monarchs of Christendome thought it a great reputation vnto them forto be able to serue him insomuch that the day after his entry being vnder the Barbers hand the famous Queene of England continually held the bason vp close to his beard and the warlike King of France Henry the fourth counted it a great glory vnto him to wash his head the vvhich he performed vvith such excellent dexteritie as if he had beene borne for the Trade although some malignants haue published that it was without Soape and onely with very strong and sharpe Lye This great Monarch was presented by all the Vertuous of Pernassus with sundry Presents of Poesie and other most elaborate Writings the which he exchanged with much liberalitie And to a learned personage that presented him with a most worthy and honest Discourse wherein he shewed the way how the noble Parthenope and the whole Kingdome of Naples that by the robberies of Souldiers corruption of Iudges oppressions of Great-men and by the generall ransackings of the ravenous Vice-roys which from Spayne are sent thither to be fatned is now come to vtter desolation may be made to returne vnto the ancient greatnesse of his splendour he gaue twenty Ducats and consigned the Discourse to his Confessor charging him to yeeld him a good account of it as of a Worke that was very holily written But vnto a sufficient Politician that presented him with a long Discourse howbeit cleane contrary to the former entreating of the meanes which was to bee vsed for afflicting the sayd Kingdome of Naples more then now it is how it might be reduced to such calamity and miserie that the generous Steed which without Bridle and Saddle the Seate of State doth with ill fortune carry for Imprese should patiently endure both Pack-saddle and Burthens yea and quietly draw in the Coach too because he held that to be vnderstandingly written according to the true termes of good Policie hee gaue twelue thousand Crownes a yeere and created him a Grande of Spayne CHAP. 5. Most of the Princes Common-vveales and States of Europe are weighed in a payre of Scales by Lorenzo Medici SEeing it is apparent that the Romane Common-weale after the acquisition it had made of the Empire of all Italy could in a short time arrive to that Vniuersall Monarchy which is yet so famous to the World and whereunto many ambitious Princes haue since in vaine aspired it hath beene a generall receiued Opinion That that Potentate who in State and Forces is suffered
to attempt it The weight of this Kingdome was answerable to that of the last fifteenth yeare which amounted to sixteene Millions But the English to giue more weight to their Kingdome would haue put the Kingdome of Scotland into the Scale when the Scottish Nobilitie with drawen swords in their hands opposed themselues freely protesting that they would never suffer their Country to be annexed to the Kingdome of the English for yet fresh was the lamentable example of the miseries of Flanders who when she saw her Earles become Kings of Spayne foolishly beleeved that shee should command over the Spanyards whereas soone after not Spayne was sacked by the Flemmings but Flanders by the covetous and cruell Spaniards and that which made vp their miserie Charles the fifth the Emperor and King Philip his sonne by their continuall residence in Spayne of Flemmings became Spanyards The vnfortunate Flemmings by losing their Prince of naturall subiects grew to be esteemed strangers and men of little faith And so Flanders the naturall Country of Charles the fifth the Patrimony of King Philip became according to the termes of moderne Policie a State of fiue States and began to be governed by strangers with those jealousies and with those oppressions of Customes Taxes Contributions and Donatiues as begat those bad humors those ill satisfactions from whence since hath proceeded that ciuill warre which after an vnspeakable profusion of Gold an infinite effusion of bloud an incredible losse of honour to the Flemmings was converted into a covetous merchandise of the Spanyards Therefore the Scots by such lamentable miseries haue learned not to permit their King vpon any termes whatsoever to abandon the Royall Seate of his ancient Kingdome for to place it in a greater newly fallen vnto him in which case the Scots should vnder their cruell enemies the English be sure to suffer all the calamities which inferiour Nations are wont to endure at the hands of the superiour Some that were present at this Act report how the Spanyards told the King of England that those Scots which had spoken so arrogantly in the presence of his Majestie were to be seuerely chastised to whom the King of England answered That the Spaniards ought not to giue that counsell vnto others which had proved so pernicious to themselues and thereupon hauing commanded the stay of weighing their Kingdome hee assured his Scots that ere long he would giue them all possible satisfaction After this the vast Ottoman Empire was put into the Scale which the last fifteenth yeare arrived to the summe of two and thirtie Millions but now was found to be lesse then sixteene the strangenesse whereof made all the Princes very much to marvaile and particularly the Venetians who could not beleeue such a fall whereupon they desired that with more diligence it might be reweighed and it appeared how in that litle time running betweene the first and this second weighing it had fallen eight hundreth twenty and two pounds whereby it was manifest that the Ottoman Empire heretofore so terrible to the world now consumed with luxury covetuousnesse and idlenesse runneth headlong to his ruine which gaue great contentment to all those Princes Nevertheles it was observed by some of the wisest there present that the Spanyards were not so glad of it as the rest out of a doubt they had that the depression of the Turke would be the exaltation of the Venetian State Then came the Polach Senators and put into the Scale their Kingdome which in regard of the small authoritie the King hath there and the too much command which the Palatines arrogate vnto themselues made but a poore reckoning for it did not amount to six Millions of pounds whereas in times past it alwayes exceeded twelue After them the Signory of the Councell of Tenn put into the Scale the flourishing estate of the Venetian Commonwealth most admirable for the greatnesse thereof and oportunitie of scituation fitting for all great enterprises which went beyond all expectation in the weight for it came to eight Millions the cause whereof was sayd to be the huge masse of Gold which those wise Senators in so long a time of peace had gathered togither into their Treasury Next came the Swittzers the Grisons and other free people of Germany and brought their Comonweales to the Scale How beit the Princes required that they might be weighed each one severally by it selfe wherewith the Germanes were well contented so that it might be done But Lorenzo having put the Commonwealth of Basil into the Scale it appeared that the greater part of the other Common weales of Germany were all so linked together that it was impossible to seperate them one from another which put a many of ambitious Princes there in a sweate Then the Duke of Savoy caused his State to be put into the Scale by his noble Knights of the Annonciata which equalled the weight of the last fifteenth yeare but Lorenzo having added into the Scale that most noble prerogatiue of Title which the sayd Duke Charles Emanuell enioyeth of the Prime Souldyer of Italy it was seene to aggravate the weight a Million foure hundreth and twenty pounds After this with a pompe and Maiestie matchable to Kings appeared the Duke of Lorraine whose State though litle equalled the weight of great Kingdomes and it was considered that it fell out to be so by a certaine good fortune which that Prince had to haue his States so happily seated that he could easily put the Lowe-Countreys into grievous difficulties by impeaching the passage of those succors which the Spaniards conduct thither out of Italy whereby he hath growen into such reputation that to the most offerer he selleth for ready Gold the marchandise of that his adhering in such sort that after he had dreyned the Spanyards asmuch as any the devoutest French Lord of the Holy League whatsoever syding afterwards with the French he knew so well how to change his coppy that a King of France such as was Henry the fourth the great Duke of Toscan and the Duke of Mantoua were glad of his allyance And fully to make vp the Spanyards iealousye the famous Venetian Commonwealth drew into her pay a Prince of that House with such affection that if that great Lady had not made a vow of perpetuall chastity and her nature according to the custome of some Indians had not bene stytched vp the first day she was borne by the Venetian Signory most jelous of her honor it was verily beleeved by many that she would haue taken him to husband It was observed that the Duke of Savoy envyed much the felicity of this Prince because he finding himselfe also seated betweene the French and the Spanyards of Milan as the Duke of Loraine was betweene the French and the Spanyards of Flanders in stead of so many benefits and so many commodities as fell vpon the Duke of Loraine he had received most cruell kickes not onely from the French then his enemies but from
hemselfe to the vast Ottoman Empire said vnto him That the crueltie which he vsed onely vpon light suspitions against his chiefest ministers was held by all the world to bee a bloudy course it being a received opinion that men of extraordinary valour and merit should not be layd hands on but for great and prooved offences And that when the Ottoman Princes did even justly take away the lives of their ministers the custome of seizing vpon their Estates to their owne vse and thereof vtterly depriving the children did scandalize all good justice because it seemed that with such cruell rigour the Estates rather then the faults of the delinquents were hunted after To this so open a correction the Ottoman Empire answered with admirable gravity That hee was growen to that greatnesse wherein hee was seene by the onely two most powerfull meanes of reward without measure and punishment vvithout end And that the sole foundation of he quiet of every State being placed in the fidelity of the most important ministers Princes were not to seeke any thing with more care then with immense rewards to allure them vnto faithfulnesse and vvith infinite punishments to terrifie them from trecheries That those ministers vvhich have in their power the Forces Command and Governments of States not beeing able to erâ—e but in most important matters it vvere the counsell of a foolish Prince vpon suspitions of that moment to arraigne accuse and heare the justifications of the offendor but in such a case the Prince which will runne no danger ought to indevour to surprise his minister vpon the sudden and to deale so securely that the execution of the punishment may precede even the accusation itselfe That many times it had fallen out that he with a suddaine chastisement had preuented the consummation of most foule treasons Which resolution though he acknowledged to be most seuere yet he knew it had so wrought that there vvere neuer seene in his State any Counts St Paul Princes of Orange Dukes of Guise d' Aumale du Maine de Mercure and other foule monsters of disloyaltie vvhich vvith the shame of those Princes that vvith halters poynards and axes knew not how to preuent such dangerous offences haue beene seene otherwhere It being a rule in matters of State as common as secure That that minister which giveth to his Prince the least shadow of suspicion of his faith incurreth a capitall paine because those Captaines which haue the care of Armies in their power are bound like the wives of Honorable personages to liue with such puritie of minde that they be free not only from blame but from the least suspicion of a blame-worthy thought That touching the seazure of his Basshawes estates after their death he thought he might truly say that the entertainements gifts and wealth wherewithall other Princes rewarded their ministers in comparison of those inexhaustible riches which he bestowed on his well-deseruing Officers were vile and poore as those Royall Treasures which Ruften Mahomet Ibrahin and infinite others left behinde them after their decease haue fully testified That the greatest regard which a Prince ought to haue in rewarding his ministers consisteth in prouiding that the vnmeasurable riches wherewith he bought of them infinite fidelitie may not possibly at any time be conuerted to the prejudice of him that vsed the liberalitie That from the grieuous disorders fallen out in the States of other Potentates he had found it to be a matter most pernicious vnto Princes that the extraordinary riches left by a deseruing minister should passe vnto his children not hauing first deserved it by their vertue valour and fathers said fidelitie of the Prince That he had not out of couetousnesse as many misjudged confiscated the great inheritances of his Basshawes but that by the coÌ„moditie thereof those subjects should not be idle consequently vicious which being descended of fathers of notable valour gaue the Prince assured hope they would imitate the vertues of their Progenitors That the gate of his Treasure stood perpetually open to the heyres of his ministers to restore them their fathers enheritances twice doubled when they with their fidelitie and valour should deserue them and how much the riches of men vicious and subject to ambition were apt to disturbe the peace of any Kingdome how great soeuer well appeared by the fresh examples which he had seene both in France and Flanders Whilst the Ottoman Empire spake in this manner he obserued that the renowned French Monarchy with the shaking of her head seemed to declare that she no way approued those reasons whereupon somewhat the more moued he said thus Mighty Queene my custome in seizing vpon the estates of my Basshawes is profitable for the greatnesse and quiet of my State and in regard of the friendship that is betwixt vs I would to God the same course were obserued in your France for you know full well to what vse Henry the Duke of Guize conuerted the exceeding riches wherewithall the liberall Kings Francis the first and Henry the second rewarded the merits of Duke Francis his father You and I and all those that raigne do know how the sweetest bayte that can allure men is a Crowne and there beeing no man which for to taste neuer so litle of it but would hold it a great pleasure for to expose euen his life to manifest danger of losing it Princes ought to be most vigilant in keeping with extreamest severitie the passages thereunto closed vp against all men nay they ought to accomodate their affâ—â—â—es in such sort that no priuate man whatsouer should once hope to taste of so sweet a thing And I tell you freely that if your Duke of Guize had in my State but only thought that which with such publike scandall he boldly put in execution in your Kingdome of France I wold the very first day haue given him that blow whervnto your King Henry the third although hee were incited vnto it by the greater part of the Princes of Italy could neuer be drawen vntill the very last hower of his shamefull disgraces and euen at that instant when the sore of the French vprores vvas become an incurable vlcer for where ambition raigneth among Nobles Princes are constrained to shew themselues all severitie continually keeping scaffalds in readinesse and prepared to punish the seditious and rebellious and their Treasury open to reward the quiet and the loyall that Prince beeing vnworthy to command that hath not the vnderstanding how to make himselfe be obeyed neither can there be a more scandalous matter seene or met withall in a State then that the Prince should liue in jealousy of an Officer which ought to tremble before him But it is the propertie of you the Princes of Christendome making profession of Learning and directing your selues by rules of Policie to call me Barbarous and my secure way of proceeding Tyrannicall whilst in the meane time yee suffer your selues to be reduced by your heroicall vertues of
then such grievous disorders about thirtie yeares past his Maiestie commanded that the infortunate Count S t. Paul the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Guize should be closely carried in a Caroch by Gio Francesco Lottini the secret Register of Morall precepts in this Court vnto the porch of the Delphicke Temple vvhere those three great Princes vvith their hands without fingers and all so foully torne as if they had beene gnawen with dogges vvere shewed by Lottini to the people vvhich came in and out at the Temple vnto vvhom vvith a lowd voyce he said Yee faithfull Vertuous devoted vnto Learning and holy Morall precepts by this so miserable calamitie of these vnhappy Princes depriued of the vse of their hands which God preserue vnto you take example and learne vvhat it is for a man to suffer himselfe to be carried to such simplicitie as to plucke Crabbes out of their holes with his owne hands for the benefit of another CHAP. 15. The Monarchy of Spayne inviteth the Cardinall of Toledo to be her Theologian which he refuseth and why THe report goeth in this Court that the Mighty Monarchy of Spayne by her chiefe Secretarie in vited the worthy Cardinall of Toledo vvith allowance of a large pension to assist as her Theologian in the Royall Councell of State to the end that no hing should be determined there vvhich might be against his conscience This matter filled the vvhole Court vvith marvaile in regard euery one knew how litle that Prelate in the rebenediction of the most Christian King Henry the 4. favoured the affaires of his Prince for vvhich cause no man could imagne the occasion vvherefore so vvise a Queene in a businesse of such weight should vse the service of so diffident a subiect Those vvhich make profession best to vnderstand the manner of proceeding of the advised Spanish Nation even in this resolution acknowledged the inveterate prudence of the Kings of Spayne vvhose proper custome it is never to be at quiet vntill that vvith pensions vvith honorable Charges with all kinde of loving demonstrations and humane deuises they haue drawen vnto their partie all such great subjects as they see to be alienated from their Interest and from vvhom they know that one day yet they may receive services The chiefest Confidents of so great a Cardinal deliuer that his Lordship very gladly accepted the noble Charge propounded vnto him howbeit vvith this condition vvhich by the Spaniards vvas presently rejected that whensoever vvith the authoritie of the sacred Scriptures vvith the Doctrine of the holy Fathers vvith the ordinances of the Cannons he should make the Royall Councell capable how the resolutions made in it vvere disagreeing from the Lawes of God and men he alone then vvould haue power to hinder the execution of them and all to the end the World might know That the Royall Theologian in that Councell was only to helpe the conscience of his King vvith the will of God not to serve for a maske to establish the Dominion of Kingdomes over men for it seemed too shamefull a matter vnto him that such a one as he should be employed to authorise the diabolicall impietie of the moderne reason of State and to make most stinking Assa fetida appeare vnto simple people very excellent Muske CHAP. 16. The Spaniards attempt the acquisition of Savoy but doe not prevaile SEeing that for to draw the French naile out of the table of Milan vvhere it vvas fixed the ill-advised Italian Princes had made vse of the Spanish pickaxe which entred in such manner into the very table it selfe that it was neuer possible since to draw it forth with any kinde of pincers whatsoever all the Potentates of Europe and especially the Italian Princes which perceived that the Spanyards after the servitude of the Milanesi openly aspired to the absolute Dominion of all Italy to the end they might secure that remainder of libertie which is yet resting in her agreed amongst themselves that every five and twentieth yeare the Chaine vvhich the Spanyards haue forged for the Italian servitude should vvith exact diligence be measured by persons thereunto deputed And comming a few daies since accordingly to measure it the Italian Princes to their infinit amazement found that so odious a Chaine vvas encreased vvith fiue most prejudiciall linkes presently whereupon the Politicall Smithes were called who very carefully made an aslay of the yron added to the Chaine and they found that the first linke vvas forged at Piombino the other at Finale the third at Correggio the fourth at Porto Lungone and the last at Monaco Greatly did the Princes marvaile at the strangenesse of this accident and many of them were ashamed tht thorough their carelesse simplicitie the Spanyards had encreased the Chaine of the Italian servitude much more in peace then they could haue done in warre with foure Armies With these strange exorbitances the Italian Princes were so incensed against the Spanyards that they told them freely how if they did not containe themselues within the bounds of honestie and modestie if the Italian files would not suffise to reduce that miserable Chaine to his due measure they would make vse of the French and if with them neither they could obtaine their intent they would procure enough from England and Germany yea and in case of desperation they would not sticke to furnish themselues with those excellent damasked ones that are made in Turkie Whilst the Italian Princes were in this contestation there arrived a Poste which in all hast had beene dispatched out of Italy vnto them with this certaine aduertisement That the Spaniards were forging another linke in Savoy to be added vnto the Chaine of their servitude in regard of which newes the renowned Venetian Libertie instantly opened her famous Arsenall and all the Princes of Italy ranne to arme themselues the warlike French Monarchy cōmanded her Nobilitie to horse all Germany put themselves in order to passe the mountaines and the numerous Fleetes of the English and Hollanders set saile towards the streights of Gibraltar when just in the nicke even as all the World was in Armes a new Poste arrived vvho pacified the minds of men with this intelligence that indeed it was true how the Spanyards had laboured vvith all possible industry to forge that most important Linke of Savoy but that they had sweat in vaine because in the soldering it broke CHAP. 17. The Duke d'Alva beeing arrived at Pernassus in complementing with Prospero Colonna they fall foule about defrauding the Colonesi of their Titles DOn Hernando de Toledo Duke d'Alva a few dayes since arrived at Pernassus and by expresse order from Apollo a diligent examination of his actions beeing made by the militarie men he was found worthy to be admitted into Pernassus amongst those famous Captaines which without effusion of bloud knew how to vanquish an enemy more by patience and art then by open force or valour that durst hazard the fortune of Kingdomes vpon the doubtfull