THE PRESENT state of Spaine Translated out of French ET VSQVE AD NUBES VERITAS TVA Imprinted at London by P. S. for Richard Serger 1594. THE STATE OF SPAINE IT is a thing noted from all antiquitie that God hath appointed in this worlde the certayne continuance of Monarchies estats and families hath lymited the prosperity and thraledome of nations and bounded the very liues of all men liuing neuerthelesse as well in matters of state as priuate those are founde moste durable which retayne and keep the greatest perfection and excellencye from their creator Some being ordained to serue for ministers of his furie othersome for examples of his diuine bounty and grace For we see many men and sundry estates whome God hath from moste base foundations and petty beginninges raised and aduaunced to the most supreame degree of power and dignity inuesting them with mighty Empires and boundlesse kingdomes With whose power as of men little vertuous it hath pleased the almightye to serue himselfe but as with a scourge to punish the Enormous sins of his people others haue beene ratified from God aboue in this most soueraigne degree of all humaine maiesty in recompence of their holinesse of life and vnreprouable dealing among men But so soone as the one or the other beganne to forget the occasion for which they were placed in this world which was to set forth the kingdom honour and glory of God onely whome they together with all men ought to confesse to be their general Lord and father and that they haue gonne a boute by false pretextes and sinister meanes to aduaunce their owne priuat honor and glory and not that of their great Lord and maister Then God who alone raigneth whome onely we oughte to serue casteth them downe headlong destroyeth their monarchies desolateth their kingdomes and rooteth out their posterity from off the face of the earth For example the crowne of Castile aunciently a little country gouerned by Iudges afterwardes by Earles in the end by Kings created through the beneficence of Samson the fourth of that name King of Nauarre sirnamed Samson the Great was by Jsabel vsurped from the daughter of Henrye laste of that name Kinge of Castile the saide Jsabell matched in mariage with Ferdinando sonne to king Iohn of Aragon whose kingdoms encreased almost in our memory into a mighty puissaunce and state But for that the possessors therof not resting content with those blessings which God hath giuen them here on earth haue in hostile maner inuaded the Countries and possessions of other Princes they seeme at this presente to menace their own ruine as I hope to dilate more at large This Prince then ambitious if euer were any in this world amongst other his famous feates of Armes to the ende to inueigle the earle of Roussillon from Charles the eighte king of France made no bones to abandon his owne Cousin Germaine and brother in law Ferdinando kinge of Naples to the furie of those Armies whome Charles the eight marched against him for the recouery of the sayd kingdome Then during the raigne of Lewes the twelfth breaking al conditions of League and amitye forcing the degree of kindred and alliaunce which hee had with Frederick then king of Naples he confederated with king Lewes to dispossesse Frederick of his kingdome of Naples and to share it betweene them two as in effecte they did Afterwarde vnder a collour of supporting Pope Julius the second his quarrell againste the Emperour Maximilian and the kinge of Fraunce but of a troth for very feare he had of the greatnes of our king who then might haue chased him easely out of his vniust possessions which he held in Italie he entertained the Pope in deadly grudge againste him and stirred vp the king of Englande and the Switzers to warre vppon his iacke Inuaded likewise from his owne niece Catherine vnder pretext that hir husband was adherente to the French King the kingdome of Nauarre her owne proper inheritance which when he had conquested hee could find no better deuise to assure it vnto himselfe then by a false pretence protesting howe he was ready to make restitution thereof to his neece conditionally that lest he should be too much ouer seen a truce should be acorded him for a yeere with the king of Fraunce during which in liew of restoring it he fortified al places therof as much as he porsibly could razed al the rest of the citties so tresses and Cittadels making expresse inhibition that there shoulde not be any tillage of the earth at al to the end he might take away all meane of recouering the places by him vsurped and fortified in the sayd kingdome Yet this was not all For with his force hee could finely sow his subtilty and helpe himselfe with the cloake of religion to make his matters the better causing to excommunicate the kinge of Nauarre husbande to his said neece for that he had taken the parte of king Lewes the twelfth a Prince so good and so holy that as yet of vs all hee is called by none other name then a saint and a very father of the people and vpon this excommunication he sente very many preachers into the kingdom to turne the peoples harts from the obedience of their true kinge and Queene their lawful Princes And what with this matter succeeding so well vnto him and what with the death of the sayde kinge and Queene of Nauarre which hee sawe fell out soone after within eight moneths together hee suffered his young nephewe Henry their sonne to bee trayned vppe by certaine ministers in the opinion of Martin Luther and for the same effecte sent vnto him some expresly himselfe who drawing the Pope into hatred for the wronge don vnto their father to excommunicate him at the instance of his vncle Ferdinando who longe before had gaped for that kingdom it was no hard matter for them to transporte the heart of these young Princes especially that of Margaret his wiues sister to the great king Francis from the hatred of the Pope to the hatred of his very religion it selfe This is then the iust and true meane by which the Crowne of Castile hath receaued her ample encrease by annexing to it so goodly a kingdom as is that of Nauar. But what fell out afterwardes Ferdinando enioyed it a small time no more then he did the rest of al his other Kingdomes God permitting them to passe vnto another famely that his childrē both male femile who were many in number shuld die before him except onely Joan who was maried to Philip Arch-duke of Austria a generous Prince but of a very short life after whose decease she fell beside her selfe leauing notwithstanding behinde her the two greate Princes Charles Ferdinando sons begotten by the Arch-duke of her owne body This Prince Charles beeing come to the Crowne by the death of the said Ferdinando for he ruled King notwithstanding his mother Joan was aliue detained as prisoner by
they know that they are of the ancient Demaines of the crown of France Flanders making one of the members of the kingdome and being one of the principall seates of the twelue Peeres They crye with a lowde voice that it was not in the power of king Frauncis the first then prisoner so to abandon and giue them away and that in this case there ought to be restitution made seeing the lawe is held currant of all that a prisoner locked vp fast in prison as was then the said king hee is not bound to performe any promise made but remaineth afterward in liberty of his faith Those of Lille Douay and Orchies principall citties of the low Countries do know and confesse how by right they appertain to the kinge of Fraunce for Phillip the Hardy hauing promised Charles the fifte kinge of Fraunce who let him haue them at his mariage with the inheritrix of Flaunders to returne againe them vnto his right so soone as God shoulde haue called vnto him Lewes de Mayle Earle of Flaunders his father in lawe and bound himselfe by contract paste at Peronn the twenty of September 1368. vnder obligation of himselfe his heyres and successors and vpon paine of the Apostolicall censures wherunto the king of Spaine stands answerable vpon perill of his owne soule And as for Milan Sicilie Naples all the world knoweth what rights Fraunce hath in them all And as for the kingdom of Maiorica the Earldomes of Sardinia and of Roussillon out of which are as yet owing to the Crown of France the 300. thousand crowns which Lewes the eleuenth disbursed when they were engaged to him for that summe Lewes of Aniow had the gift thereof which the Ladie Marquesse of Montferrat sister and lawfull heire to Iames the last king of Maiorica presented him As for Biscay it appertained to the Duke d'Alenzou of Fraunce by the right of his mother Maria de Lara Lady of the said country but shee could neuer recouer her prerogatiue from Henry second of that name kinge of Castile earle of Tristemara inuested seignieur thereof by the aide only armes of Charles 5. king of Fraunce who sent thither Bertrand de Guesclin his Constable to ceaze it for Henries right who installed him therin And by this king albeit a bastard commeth all the title that king Phillip at this presente raygning hath in Spaine as in like manner from the side of Bastardes commeth all the rights and titles which he pretendeth to Milan Naples Sicilia which are not as yet in too great assurance to him As for Arragon beside the quarrell of the donation made by Pope Martin successor of Nicholas to Philip the third king of Fraunce or to Charles his second sonne to the preiudice of Peter kinge of Arragon husbande of Constance the daughter of Manfroy of Naples and bastarde to Fredericke the second Emperour and king of Naples the rights of Mathew of Castelbon Earle of Foix and Bearne on the behalfe of Joane the daughter of Iohn son to king Peter of Arragon sauing also the deedes of guift paste by Rene d' Aniou king of Sicilia to Lewes the eleuenth king of Fraunce by whose only aide he was crowned king of Arragon in the citty of Barcellona the house of Lorraine may pretende herin also som right bicause of Yolant daughter to the Duke of Bar maried to Lewes of Aniou who was forced to compound for alrights for one hūdred sixty thousand Florins And as for Portugal it is a thing as yet of very slender assurance in the house of Spain as well by reason of the auncient emnity and an old quarrell which is betweene these two prouinces as for the rights which may bee pretended therin amongst other by the successors either hauing right from the house of Boloing frō which the coūtry of Boulenois in Picardy is at this presēt anexed to the crown of Fraunce For Alfonso kinge of Portugall marying with Mahault or Mathilda countesse of Boloing had by her two children it fel out as she was in the country of Boulenois to sette order in the affaires of her husband the Earle the K· of Portugal being rauished with the beauty of Beatrix bastard daughter to Alfonso surnamed the sage or Astrologian King of Castile Leon and Toledo where al things were so well agreed vppon betweene them two that this Castilian king without other ceremonie maried her leauing Mathilda who liued twelue yeares during this dishonest mariage or rather concubinage and being returned into Portugall was forced to returne into Fraunce to make her complaintes to the king and afterwards to Pope Alexander the fourth who soone excommunicated the Portugal king and his new married wife Neuerthelesse the children of this his illigetimat wife did not forbear to vsurp the kingdom frō those who wer lawfullie begotten on his first Raynucio the D. of Parma at this present hath also most apparant right on the part of Maria his mother daughter to Edward son to king Emanuel of Portugal the king of Spain who hath vsurped it being issued but of one of Emanuels daughters Rainucio being descended of the son there commeth also a third chalenger Don Antonio K. of Portugal who is the son pretēded bastard of Lewes the elder brother of Edward but legitimated by the Pope by sentence of the of the holy Sea who after the full scanning of his title was elected king of portugall by the people according to the mentall law of that kingdome The kinge of Fraunce Henry the fourth demandeth the kingdome of Nauarre as to him appertaining by the right of his mother heire to that Catherine aboue said the neece of Ferdinando of Arragon whose proper inheritance which was that kingdome cannot be thus lost to her dommage when her husband should haue fallen into som enormous faulte To him appertayne the places of Sosierra depending from al antiquity of that kingdome which Queene Isabell the firste wife of Ferdinando by her testament and for discharge of her conscience gaue order that they shoulde bee restored as hauing bene vsurped by those of Castile from Nauerre To him appertains moreouer the Duchies of Gandia Mount-blanc in Arragon and Pegnafiel the Earledome of Ribargorcea the Infantasgo of Castile the cittie of Balaguer and the Townes of Castrocheris Harao Villalon Cuellar the which king John father to Ferdinando of Arragon gaue to the kingdome of Nauarre vpon condition that in recompence thereof he might enioy the said kingdom during his life whether hee had issue or not by his marriage with Blanch daughter to Charles king of Nauarre third of that name beeing the little sonne of Philip d'Eureux of the house of France and there are also due vnto his Maiestie foure hundred twenty thousande one hundred and twelue Florins of gold six shillings eight deniers money of Aragon as wel can witnesse the mariage of the said Blanch to the restitution of all which territories and to the paiment of euerie penie of these sums the
Austria Earle of Flanders of Artois and of Charrolois the fift at day of Iuly 1499. the saide Lorde Chancellour being then in the Cittie of Arras in the Bishoppes pallace And for that such great actes and ceremonies which haue bin vsed and obserued therein to the honour exaltation profit and aduantage of the King and his Crowne are worthie of perpetuall memorie I haue beene so bolde at his instance to couch in writing all that I could see and vnderstand touching this present act and busines and especially since the nine and twentie of Iune last past vntill the fift of Iuly next ensuing And to come to the matter certaine and true it is that the Lord Chancellor departed the same day at after dinner from Dourlent in the countrie of Picardy to goe for the Cittie of Arras where he arriued before night being all the way accompanied with the Lordes de Rauestain and de la Gruture with Charles de la Vernada Knight of the same place Master Christopher de Cremona Counsellers of state and ordinarie Masters of Requests of the Kings house Master Ralfe de Launoy Baily of Amiens Master Francis d'Estain Hugh de Baigel Almaury de Quinqui ville Nicholas de Foix Philip d'Estas Richard Nepueu Peter de la Vernada common Counsellers Macé Toustain the Kings Proctor generall in his Priuie Counsell John Bourdelot the Kings Proctor generall in his Courte of Parliament at Paris Antony le Viste Register of the Chauncery of France Dreux Budé John de Villebresme Ralfe Guyot Philip Maillart Notaries and Secretaries to his Maiestie and to me And as the Lord Chauncellor came with this traine within a mile and halfe of the Cittie of Arras riding in gallant order hauing before him the Gentleman Vsher of the priuie Councell carrying vpon his shoulder in open sight his mace grauen and imbossed with the Kings Armes after the Gentleman Vsher followed next the Clarke of the Signet who carried the Scale as the vse is when the Lord Chauncellor rideth his circuits into the Countrey on either side of this Clarke of the Signet marched one of the two kinges of Armes of our Lord the King enrobed with their coates of Armes to wit Mont-ioye the chiefe king of Armes of France and Normandie here came to meete the Lorde Chancellor the Bishop of Cambray Thomas de Pleures Knight Chancellor to the Archduke the Lorde Earle of Nassau the Lorde of Fiennes and diuers others both Knightes and Squiers most of them of the Archdukes Councell The Bishop addressing himselfe towards the Chancellor signified vnto him that the Lordes of his companie were sent by the Archduke his Master to informe him that the saide Lorde Archduke was most ioyfull of his ariuall and likewise of that of all the other Lords in traine with him that they were al the welcōmest men that might be with other faire speeches gentle greetings sweete salutations all this nobilitie doing great reuerence and honour to the L. Chancellor and giuing princely entertainement to all the Nobles of his troupe for the which the L. Chancellor returned most honorable thankes to the Archduke and to the other Lordes who were come thither in his behalfe And soone after they on both sides tooke their way to goe vnto the Cittie As the whole company arriued at the entrance of the Suburbes the Chancellor was met by the Archduke himselfe who to receiue him the more honorablie and to meete him by the way was departed on horsebacke from the Abbey of Saint Vas in the Cittie of Arras and had passed cleane through the greatest streete thereof And so soone as the Archduke accompanied with a great number both of Knightes of his order with Squiers and other officers of his household who were marshalled on euery side to make way and place for the Chancellor and those of his traine to passe perceiued the Chancellor hee put his hand to his hatte and vncouering his head hastened on his Mule to march towards the Lorde Chancellor whom hee embraced holding still his hat in hand and there gaue him the gentle welcome demaunding him in this manner How dooth my Lorde the King To whom the Chancellor answered very well God bee thanked as hee intended to declare vnto him more amply The like great entertainement gaue this Archduke to the Lordes of Rauestain and la Gruture saluting graciously the Masters of Requests and the other of the Kings Counsaile who were there present After many friendly speeches and countenances past betweene the Archduke the Chancellor and the Lorde Rauestain the Archduke holding still his hatte in his hand and would not bee couered except the Chancellor would also put on the Archduke and the Chancellor roade on their way to enter into the Cittie the Chancellor still holding the right hand and the Gentleman Vsher to the Kings Councel bearing vp his mace in open sight and the Clarke of the Signet hauing the Kinges seale vpon his backe as the custome is when the Chancellor rideth thorough the Kingdome and the two Kinges of Armes in their order nor was there any other there on the behalfe of the Archduke or Chancellor which thing was and hath been greatly noted as well by the Archdukes people and officers as by the other Cittisens and Countrie whereof there was no small number both within the Cittie and without thither flocked to beholde this their magnificent entrance Thus the Archduke conducted along the Lorde Chancellor still parling vnto him vncouering his head oftentimes and by no meanes would not put on againe except the Chancellor were couered as soone as hee and thus did hee bring him along vnto the verie porch of the cloyster of the great Church whence the Archduke would by all force carrie him into the Bishops Pallace in the which the Lorde Chancellor hath alwaies been lodged nor coulde the entreaties and requests which the Chancellor made vnto him to content himselfe that hee had done so much vnto him for the honour of his King preuaile any thing at all Vpon these enterparlies the Archduke departing from the Chancellor withdrew himselfe into the Cittie of Arras to his lodging in Saint Vas his Abbey and the Lorde Chancellor into the Bishops pallace accompanied with the Earle of Nassau and other great personages of the Archdukes house and afterward euerie one of the Chancellors trayne retyred themselues into such lodgings as the herbingers had appoynted for them After many goings and commings to and fro which by the Lorde Bishoppe Thomas de Pleures the Countie Nassau the Lord of Mont-labais and other of the Archdukes officers during all the dayes of Munday Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday following being the first second third and fourth of Iuly were made to the Chauncellour into his lodging to treate and conclude vpon some poynts and articles propounded by the Kinges Proctor generall in his Courte of Parliament The said matters comming to an issue upon thursdaye request was made by the Archdukes officers to the Lorde Chancellor that