him soughte by all meanes possible the alliaunce of Fraunce promised by infinite Treaties especially in that of Noyon to be accomptable for the kingdom of Nauarre which for all tha the neuer was And tasting more and more the sweetnes of cōmanding he got vnto him made speedie prouision for himselfe of the two militarie Orders of that of Saint Iames and of that of Calatraua in Spaine to the preiudice of his brother to whom they were resigned opened his eyes also to the Empire obtained it enioyed all the Kingdoms and Seigniories both left him by Ferdinando of Arragon and these which his mother the foole held likewise the Estates of Flanders and the prouinces there vnto annexed leauing his said brother only some corner of a country towards Austria wherewith after some wrangling betweene them he did as a moderate prince content himselfe being neuer afterwards much mooued against his brother new created Emperour but because he was still egging him to resigne to his son Philip now at this present raigning the estate of King of Romanes whereof he was possest to the ende Philip might to the preiudice of the saide Ferdinando his vncle succeed in the empire Ambition most assuredly is a thing greatlie detestable before God who will haue men to content thēselues with the lot which he giueth them in the earth but the pretexts which are taken of the pure seruice of God for an other subiect are worst of all and crie for vengeance before his holy face I will not say this prince Charles the first vnder collor of defending the catholike religion in Germany went about as som haue said to inuade the estate and libertie of the princes of Germany but this I will aduouch that hee and Philip king of Spaine his sonne haue employed themselues by confession of his owne men and none of his meanest seruantes the one of them yet liuing as I thinke the Seigneur de Champigny not long since high Treasurer in Flaunders brother to the Cardinal Granduel towards the protestants of Germany following the steps of the abouesaid Ferdinādo of Arragon their predecessour to cause the deceased king of Nauarre to bee instructed in the opinion of Luther to the ende to make him the further frō the crown of France from the alliance of the Frēch frō the recouery of his kingdom of Nauar. But if he who seduceth but a litle simple child be pronounced by Gods owne mouth to be of worser state then if hee were cast into the bottome of the sea with a milstone tyed about his neck what shal his iudgment be towards him who seduceth not only a child but causeth others to seducea king a whol kingdome but this not sorting so good effect as they coulde wish there were 50000. crownes sent to the king of Nauarre then besides some horses in gift to moue the war in France the which 50000. crownes for al that wer refused witnesses good ynough of this most wicked inclination vile affectiō of the King of Spain may be the Marquessat of Saluces vpon the which hee hath caused 2. seuerall enterprises to be made by his son in law the Duke of Sauoy at the first it was recouered by the sage conduct of Mounseur de Rhets Marshall of France and the pernicious league made for the ruine of al Frāce nay rather of all the Estates of Europe wee need no other testimony of his good nature and dispositon towards euerie one of vs the places borrowed in Germany from the Archbishop of Liege and Colonia there to foyst in his garrisons when hee list and to leuell right from thence at the empire to the preiudice of his coosens the children of Ferdinando of Austria vnder shew of making rāpire against the Protestants of Germanie for the good of the Catholik religion forsooth his practises past and euerie day put in vre in Italie his agents sent into Poland Denmarke England Scotland and other corners of the world say the same and wel may we liken the king of Spaine to those who detaining an inheritance wrongfullie seek by greater wronges and outrages to driue the true heirs farther from the recouerie of their owne But the iudgments of God are great his counsels woonderfull and the effectes of his iustice inestimable He suffereth according to the Apostles saying that we be cōmō lie punished by those against whom we haue trespassed The king of Spaines fathers and he himselfe haue sought by all means to ruine the kinges of Fraunce and particularlie Henry the fourth raigning at this present and by abusing the muffler of religion to recoyle this lawful successor from the crown of France whom they see full of valour and fed as they say with the bloud and marrow of the Lion ready prest one day to chalenge his iust inheritance But God who hateth him more who abuseth the holie name of religion than him who hauing bene seduced by purposed malice as our king hath hath turned from it would that this king should bee newe borne who beeing deliuered from so manie snares laide to entrappe and snare him hath receiued the Crowne of Fraunce presented vnto him by a puissant Armie who hath submitted it self vnto him with all the greatest States and honestest people of France And when Euen then when al the world iudged him by the malicious cariages and practised death of the deceased king Henry the third the farthest from the diadem thereof Germanie for her part shee openeth her eies to defend her selfe against this kinge of Spaine who as an eagle supposeth to holde already in his talēts the empire of the whole world The like doth Italie and already this building of kingdomes patched together of so many vsurpations beginneth to dissolue and shake in sunder Already the states of Holand and Zeeland knowing by the iuste iudgement of God howe wrongfully they were forced and distracted from the obedience of laqueline of Henald their Countes and lawfull Princesse who for to saue her owne selfe was constrained to forsake her estate haue puld their necks out of the yoke and made themselues free choosing rather to die then to be subiect to a Domination so intollerable as is that of the proud Spaniard The prouinces of Zutphen and Gueldres taken away from their lawfull Seigneurs by the deede of guiftes which the laste Duke Charles of Bourgundie who died before Nancie sought to get at the handes of Duke Arnald then his prisoner to the preiudice of Adolf his sonne haue slipt the coller also of his obedience and the Country of Frizelande hath don no lesse The best aduised inhabitants of the lowe Countries of Flaunders Henald and Artois held out their armes to the king of Fraunce nor onely for the excessiue impositions as of paying two shinllings for the grinding of a quarter of wheate foure shillings for a cow which is the slaughter or kept to giue milke and other such like petty taxes for which they pay full deere in Flaunders but for that
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
king of Spaine standes bounden yet at this day This is not al the verie kingdome of Castile may lawfullie be called in question for the king of France as being the true successour of Saint Lewes and herein can bee no prescription alledged For it is neuer admitted in matters concerning kingdomes and things purchased by fraudulent dealing His Maiesties right is this Henrie the first of the name king of Castile and Toledo sonne to Alphonso the 4. of Castile and to Leonora daughter to Henrie the second king of England and to that Leonora whome Lewes the young king of France put away and dying without issue by the fall of a tilestone vpon his heade left his sisters the elder called Blanch mother of S. Lewes the second Berenguere wife of the king Don Alfonso of Leon and the third Leonora wife to the king of ragon Nowe when the saide Berenguere by ordinanuce of Pope Jnnocent the thirde of that name had bene seperated from the King of Leon her husbande for that they were neere in Consanguinitie together shee retyred her selfe after that tovvardes Henrie her brother with her sonne Ferdinando which shee had by the King of Leon and hauing gotten infinite fauourites in the court of Castile seeing the King Saint Lewes farre distant from her and much busied in other warres shee handled her matters so cunningly to the preiudice of this S. Lewes she caused her son Ferdinando to bee elected King of Castile and Toledo vppon the confidēt hope which she gaue the Castilians that in the person of her son should the kingdom of Leon be reunited to that of Castile that they shuld auoid by this mean the domination of a French Prince being but a stranger amongst them S. Lewers began quickly to look to make instāce for his Kingdoms again but whilst they did finely hold him play with fair promises to restore him al again he being not able to transport himselfe thether by reason of his warres in hande the vvhole remained amongest them euer since I knowe well the Spaniardes alleage that S. Lewes compoūded afterwards by means of the mariage of his daughter Blanch with Ferdinando of Leon son to Alfonso the wise Astrologian elected in fauour of the French to be Emperour of Germany against Richard son to King Iohn of England But grant we that it were so which notwithstanding can neuer be accorded them the K. of France remaineth not without a second right to the said Kingdoms For afterwardes God permitting not that anie so vniust vsurpation should take place Alfonso the sage was deposed and depriued of the Empire by Rodulfe elected and placed in his roome in his owne life time was also bereaued by Sancio his second sonne of part of his kingdomes thorough the aide of a Moore-king named Mahomet Myr of Granado with whom this Sancio made league to war vpon his father whereupon Alfonso growing into great indignation and fearing least he should dispossesse the little infantes issued of his second sonne Ferdinando de la Cerda but then latelie dead to whome the kingdomes did of right appertaine he gaue him his curse and disinherited him declaring by his Testament for heire in his kingdomes the eldest borne sonne of his elder son and in case he might not possesse them did substitute to the preiudice of his two other sons Iohn and Iames Philip son to S. Lewes vnto whom pricked with the testimonie of his owne conscience hee confessed these kingdoms of Castile and Toledo to appertaine And in case the rights of Saint Lewes should come to cease and faile that then these realmes should come to the children of the said Ferdinando de la Cerda whereof there is as yet some remainder in Spaine which possible will not be content to bee tongue tyed for euer And one of the descēdants of this Ferdinando de la Cerde Alfonsus who was father to John d'Espagne Constable of Fraunce behauing himselfe as a kinge of Castile and Toledo made a present to Philip d'Eureux king of Nauarre of the country of Guipuscoa Alaua and Rioia which had ben territories and appurtenaunces of Nauarre all which the kinge of Fraunce who is at this present may as yet as kinge of Nauarre reclaime and iustlie challenge for his owne right I will not staie my selfe at infinite other rights which not onely Fraunce but the Empire and other particular Princes may pretend in the dominion countries which the king of Spain holdeth who by allusiō to the house of Austrich may be called Riche of other mens goods I will not touch the share which the king of Spains daughters may pretend with his sonne as well in the kingdome of Leon as in other goods partable from all times betweene sons and daughters Little will I also speake of the signall dommage of the diuision of lands and goods pretended by the defuncte Emperour Ferdinando of Avstria against Charles the first his brother father to this king of Spaine Phillip rayning at this present What should I counte the reuoults which are daily practised in the indies by reason of the intollerable imposts which the king of Spaine maketh them endure who constraineth them to pay euery yeare as in Spaine likewise their part for the obtaining of the Popes Bull that they may eate flesh egges and cheese vpon fish dayes both the men and women poore and rich of citties and villages all without difference from seuen yeares of age vpwardes And vrgeth them to this inconsideration of the expences he is at in obtaining the saide Bull which none may refuse to take albeit he woulde neuer eate butter and cheese in all his life And that which is taken for a head in Spaine is two Reals which is twelue pence sterling and in the Indies is taken for euery poule eighteene or tweenty Reales Counte you after the rate what it doth amounte vnto in such a world of people and without the forsaide Bull none may nor ought not as saye these good hirelings preachers of Perdons be buried in hallowed groūd nor once come within the Church doore O abhominable abuse O sinne againste the holy-ghost of those who terming themselues defendours of religion sell vnto their owne subiects the help succour which they say to obtain for the health of their soules See what a goodly reuenewe this is and like to bee be long time fauored of God But in the meane time it is the greatest of all Spaine O miserable and vnnaturall French men who closing your eies to so many iniquities do suffer your selues to bee seduced by this GOLDE so ill gotten There remaineth their inquisition which serueth their turne rather to rob the goods of the innocent and miserable then to containe men in any religion wherof they were but as it were a maske an muffler Thus Spaine groweth to bee dispeopled by these cruelties intollerable and by the Alcaualle which they call the tenthpenny of euery thing boughte and soulde yea of the very habit
zeale but not ruled as saith the Apostle according to knowledge but what haue you done trulie you haue furnished bellows and straw to kindle the coales of our quarrel O furie O madnesse vnbeseeming your Priesthood So is it come to passe that millions of your flocks are perished with out confession without sacramentes without sepulture Of a hundred Churches scarce shal ye finde one standing whole nor in ten parishes hardlie one parish-priest if it bee not in the countries reduced to the Kinges obedience This was the matter that moued Mounsieur Vigor one of the most famous Doctors of diuinitie in France for his singular learning made by the holie Father Archbishop of Narbona to say in his sermons vppon the feast of Trinitie and S. Martin Jf God woulde so much afflict vs as to giue vs a King who were a Turke or an Heretike yet must not wee leuie Armes againste him nor warre vppon him for the great mischiefes which ensue thereupon These very words are cōtained in the books imprinted before the troubles but are maliciouslie put out in the new imprinted by the League for feare least this knife of truth shuld cut the throate of these suppostes of 1easing who could not abide so good a lesson in so good an authour But now our King is God bee thanked most Catholike and when hee were not so God who caused himself to be enregistred in the records of the Emperour Augustus when he caused the whole world to be taxed the commandement to pay the tribute vnto Caesar albeit he were a prophane Pagan the example also of Saint Paul who appealed vnto Nero a most wicked Emperour shew that the King being such as God sendeth to take the royal place is to be obeyed The examples likewise of the thirtie three Popes being all martyrs died consecutiuelie one after another haue shewed vs the same who neuer caused sword to be vnsheathed against the persecuting emperours or any other heretikes The same did S. Gregory the Pope dedicating his dialogues to Theodolinda wife to Agilulphus King of Lombards holding as yet then his paganisme that thorow the sweet perswasion of his vvife he might be brought to christianisme purchase peace vnto the church Did not Pope Leo the like prostrating himselfe at the feet of the vvicked Attilas No lesse did Pope Iohn the first of that name going from Rome to Constantinople to the Emperour Iustin to pray him to set open the Temples of the Arrians which he had caused to be shut vp fearing least the Arrians which might consume of themselues would disturb and trouble the peaceable estate tranquillity of the Church Doubt ye not also but that our holy father the Pope moued by these examples wil seeke to repaire the wrong donne vnto our king by some misinformed of his iustice or possibly caried headlong away with the Spanish passion He shall find him to bee such a one that he is the eldest sonne of the Church hee will call to mind how our king is descended from those who haue consecrated and giuen in almes to the Church the fairest flowers of their garland and the best of their good Alas His holinesse cannot do lesse for our king Henry the fourth then by one of his predecessors hath beene donne within these fewe yeares to the Quene of Sweden being excommunicated and in relapse receauing her with all ioy and gladnesse in the person of her embassadors into the bosome of the church The holie fathers haue neuer refused the penitent princes witnesse bee the peace of Constance and other decrees wherof the histories and holie Councels are fully replenished His Holinesse may see how much is enuied the share which god hath giuen our king in the earth But hee shall say to the king of Spain the greatest spiter thereof that which Pope Boniface the 8 told most wisely Albertus of Austria who by his cunning working caused himselfe to be elected Emperour to the preiudice of William Earle of Nassau then Emperour of Germanie whome he slewe in battel he shal tel him I say that hee who hath slaine the Emperour with his own hand is vnworthy to bee inuested and confirmed in the Empire For it is by his onely hand and handling that this death and slaughter is purchased in our kingdom of France wherein he went about and was willing to cause himselfe to be called king but God bee thanked hee hath lost his labour therein The holie father who was in the time of Emanuel Emperor of the East wold not once harken to the offers hee made him to cause the Greek Church to bee reunited with the Latine vpon condition that the Empire of the West being vacant by reason of the depriuation of Frederick shuld be reunited with that of the East foreseeing also that it was a matter greatly to be suspected whereby to make the vniuersall Church to depende but of one only power among men and should his Holinesse so much weaken a King or a kingdom of Frāce which is the true arme of the church to suffer all the world to be ouerflowne with a king and a prouince meer mixed with races of Moores Saracens and Gothes than with true Christians hauing more holines and respect to sacred thinges than is borne to the least village in Fraunce His Holinesse shall know that the kinges of Fraunce their peoples haue bent their forces made good for the Church then when Asia Afrike Spaine Italie and almost all the world were full of Arrianisme and heresies let him remember also and his successors may for euer cal happilie to remembrance in their holy sea how that in the year of the birth of king Philip of Spaine at this present was fatall and dismall to the holie Sea hauing therin the Army of Charles the fifth his father surprised and sackt Rome ransommed the holy father Clement and his cardinals ruined profaned the temples churches of Rome which Attilas beeing named for his inhumain cruelties the scourge of God refused to do King Henry the fourth of France knoweth right wel that he must one day giue accompt of his charge that God wil cause him to be obeyed honored and serued of his subiects as he wil obey honour and serue God Hee knoweth how the first marshall king and father of the whole worlde Adam before his fall was respected of all liuing creatures as Lord thereof but after his reuolte the verie beastes rebelled against him the Lyon began to dismember tear him in peeces the horse to kick and winch at him the dog to snarl and bite at him and so al the rest in their kinds began to bende all the vigour of their furies against him and that God hath possibly permitted the same to be done to him by some of his subiects albeit if they turn not again to their allegeance they can neuer escape the diuine vengeance because their king hath by the suggestion of his enemies wandered astray in Religion