not for long tyme to yeld their neckes to this halter of Inquisition Yea they not onely ranged ouer to the vttermost Indians and to the farre distantes landes seuered from vs by the huge streame of the Ocean but also vnder pretense of orderyng religion they spoyled the poore and simple inhabitantes of those contreyes of all their goods and possessions and of their wiues children and liues yea and cruelly lyke butchers tearyng them with all kinde of tormentes they slew them by heapes and brought them to such miserie and wretched plight that a great number of them chose rather to slay them selues than to come vnder such cruell subiection of vnnaturall men Yea not long agoe they employed all their counselles all their practises and left no way vnassayed to bryng whole Germanie in slauerie vnder the same yoke And so farre with the authoritie and threateninges of the bishops of Rome dyd they driue on the Emperour Charles the fift of famous memorie euen in a maner agaynst his will and long witholding himselfe that the best and most noble princes he proclaimed traitors and made most deadly warre vpon them as vpon sworne enemies and vnder the pretended cloke of rebellion armed the protestant princes the one agaynst the other he brought the frée cities into most dishonorable slauerie of the Spanish soldiar and made the maiestie of the most noble and sacred empire subiect to the lust and vntolerable desires of most villanous persones Which most cruell yoke if partly the valeancie of the Germaine princes and partly the equitie and gentle fauor of the Emperour him selfe at length perceiuing the mater as truth was had not shaken of or taken away whole Germanie might long ago haue ben in such case as now is that parcell thereof from whense are now most vniustly banished and forced to sue for and pleade the cause of our afflicted contrey oppressed not onely with most greuous tyranny but also with most vnworthy sclanders and to protest before almightie God and all mankynde that there is no other cause of our calamitie but euen the same which had nere ouerwhelmed whole Germanie namely the gredy ambition of these men that vnder pretense of stablishyng religion labour to enlarge their dominion throughout the whole by right or wrong And so much the more earnestly they endeuour to bryng it into the low contrey of Germanie bicause it is by allyance of the princes by the communitie of one kyng and by auncient entercourse of merchandise and conuersation somewhat nerely conioyned vnto them therfore of long tyme they thinke that they may lawfully enforce vpon vs the Spanish lawes and ordinances Spanish maners and the Spanish yoke of Inquisition abrogatyng all our contrey lawes abolishing all memorie of the Germane name destroyeng our priuileges and oppressing our libertie When they long sins espied that the contrey though it be not great yet florisheth in wealth and power and is so fensed agaynst foreine force not onely with strong townes and castelles but also with good lawes and ordinances with large priuileges prerogatiues immunities and other liberties that so long as it hath her owne princes fauor it is easily able to defend her auncient fréedome they haue these many yeres euidently purposed and practised diuerse wayes to bryng the inhabitantes into suspicion and displeasure both with the Emperour Charles the fift and with kyng Philip his sonne to accuse them for heretikes and rebelles and so to persuade to haue them estemed as enemies and traitors that by this meane the contrey which for many respectes they accompted most commodious for their purpose might be spoyled of all right of libertie subdued and added to their dominion Sometyme they pretended this color that the seignories were to many and too seuerall sometime that in respect of the number of seignories the lawes customes and ordinances were too diuerse sometyme they alleged that the people were to wilde and proude by reason of their priuileges immunities and liberties sometime they brought the kyng in ialousie of the too great wealth and power of his subiectes sometyme they informed that the entercourse trafiques of foreine nations were suspicious Finally they left nothyng vntryed that might any way seme to serue to agreue his minde toward them Principally they vrged this one thyng that the auncient libertie of assemblie of the estates in parlamentes that hath continued in all ages greatly abateth the power of the prince for that their both by most auncient vsage of their forefathers it was so prouided and by the promises and couenantes of the princes them selues cōfirmed with their othes it was so ordeined that the princes should not decrée or do any thyng to the preiudice of the peoples libertie or of the authoritie of their lawes without the will and assent of the estates of the whole contrey and that therefore they more regarded the actes of the Estates than the kings proclamations that they estemed the kyng not as a kyng but as some cōmon Duke or Earle or rather gardian of their right lawes to gouerne the common weale not by his owne authoritie but after a prescribed forme of lawes and the ordinances of the estates moreouer that as it is in most frée commō weales so they yerely create of them selues magistrates burrowmasters with soueraine power of negatiue voyce that strangers are deharred from bearyng office in the common weale ecclesiasticall men by the lawes and statutes of the land are excluded from power of iurisdiction so the way stopped vp for the princes nerest faithfullest seruantes to atteine any gouernement These and such like things say they in tymes past haue often euen occasion to the commonaltie proudely to disobey the commaundement of theyr princes yea to burden their Lordes and princes to lawes and conditions yea and if their Princes attempted any thyng agaynst the vsage and will of the estates they haue presumed to chasten them some tyme with penalties sometyme with emprisonment and sometyme with deposing them These thyngs sayd they are not to be suffred of Princes Therfore they long most earnestly trauailed with Charles the Emperour and with Philip his sonne that the whole contrey might be reduced into one bodie and made subiect to one forme of lawes and iurisdiction brought to the name and title of a kyngdome and that abrogating the power of popular magistrates and lawes it might be gouerned with new lawes by discretion as the kyngdomes of Sicile and Naples be that haue bene atcheued by conquest Wherin when they saw that they labored in vayne both bicause the states of all the townes most strifly withstode it and perhappes also for that the Emperour hym selfe beganne to smell their sinister purposes and vntrue meanyng they differed that mater to a more commodious season and this yet by the way with their importunate sclanderous cauillynges they obteined that afterward he wold neuer in any wise suffer the solemne parlamentes
shut vp in a most horrible prison because he was agaynst the sending of the Albane and dyd abhorre from the cruelty of the edictes sette out agaynst the religion bearing singuler fauour and grace towards the lower Germanes bruting abroad most vayne and diuers rumors of the cause of hys death What they haue done vnto the Quéene I had rather other men should imagine then that we should report This truely all men do behold how this theyr faythfull champion the duke of Alba doth behaue himselfe He commeth into a quiet prouince all those beyng thrown out or voluÌ„taryly gone into exile whom he looked to haue had as hys aduersaries He is receaued most honourably of all men neyther was there any one found which with hys most redy obedience to the kinges legate dyd not testifie hys faythfull hart towardes the king But he out of hand ordereth them not as the kinges louing subiectes but as enemies and traytors equally raging and extending hys cruelty both vpon the professors of the Gospell and papistes compelling he constrayned the chéef Princes contrary to the aucthoritye of the lawes to the liberty of theyr priuiledges and chiefly contrary to the decrees and appointmentes of the sacred and famous order of the golden fléece of the brotherhoode of Burgundye to plead theyr cause in chaines and when they refused that kinde of iudgement as vnméete and to be suspected profering themselues redy to stand before equall Iudges he chopt of theyr heads the rest which by their godly and holsome counsels had defended the peace of theyr countrey and by theyr wisedome stayd the tumultes of the people and effusion of bloud he pronounceth as enemies and traytors to theyr king and their contrey and so compelleth them will they nill they by taking vpon them armour to try themselues vngiltie of so great treason The which theyr taking of armour done by them for necessities sake as godly men may iudge he hath since that time not only made as a iust occasion of slaundring vs with hys cauils but also as a goodly title of Iustice in executing hys tyranny and therupon forthwith he putteth in practise that which he had before determined Therfore he first put all the magistrates which were thought once to fauour iustice out of theyr auctority and place wyth great ignominy and reproch he substituted in theyr roomes contrary to theyr lawes and orders naughty packes abounding in all sinne and wickednes and he appoynted as be thought good a new senate house of Spaniardes before whome matters of lyfe and death should be pleaded the which for that cause should be called the bloudy senate and by that meanes he did depriued all the lawfull and ordinary magistrates of theyr iurisdiction and hearing of matters graunted to them by the lawes he filled the gallowes and the Iubbits full of the poore people conuicted of no other crime but of geuing credite to the kinges letters patentes to the gouernesse edicte and theyr graunted licences and to the magistrates consenting therunto and thereupon of hearing of sermons he destroyed many with the sworde he burned many aliue wyth a small fire he beheaded many before theyr causes we pleaded many he spoyled of all theyr goodes and possessions poysoned to death with the filthye stincke of the continuall prison But the vngodly persons whose whole lyfe had bene stayned wyth infamy being before as it is manifest bought out with money haue gaue them license to plead wyth theyr witnesses he cut out many of theyr tonges whome he put to death after least they should testifie of so great iniustice he burnt many of theyr tongues with a whot payre of tonges to some he tyed theyr lippes together through with an iron sharp on both sides others hauing theyr mouthes most beastly set awry with terror and anguish the matter and bloud dropping downe together he cruelly drewe to most pytifull slaughter He pretermitted nothing of Phalaris his tyranny neyther did he only wyth tormentes thus vexe the professors of the gospell but those also which most fauoured the popish religion and they which had endeuored with all theyr power that nothing should be moued agaynst the king As for those which could not behold the calamitie of theyr countrey but had for the auoyding of the present dauÌ„ger conueyed themselues away he appoynted them a day of appearaunce and therwithall scarce staying for the day appoynted he rushed in vpon theyr goodes adiudging them confiscate to the kinges Exchequer not only spoyling poore widowes innocent orphauntes and very papistes of their dowry and patrimony but also deceyuing the creditors of all their iust debtes and lawful titles He conuerted the inheritaunce of innocentes from their kinsmen and alians to whom for the beheding or ciuill death of the right and next heyres they by law and right did appertayne most wickedly to hys owne vse and commoditie He tooke from cities and townes all theyr liberties lawes statutes priuiledges he ouerthrew all order of humanitie he clearely tooke away all duties of Christian charitye chiefly commaunded by the lawes of god For by edict he forbad that no kinde of maÌ„ whether he were their father sonne kinsman or whatsoeuer should shew any kinde of charitie to those that professed the Gospell or were banished for default of appearaunce at the day appoynted and thus he alienated and withdrew the mindes of children from theyr parentes of parentes from theyr children and of wiues from theyr husbandes In the towne of Traciet of Mosa he put a father to death because he had for one night lodged in hys house his owne sonne which had bene for a space absent before And likewyse he murthered an other well known citizen because he gaue the sixt part of a bêª of corne vnto a poore widow burdened with the kéeping of iiij children whose husband was before put to death for religions sake He bereaued also an other of hys lyfe because he sent hys fréend a little money ouer into England He compelled honest and chast matrones borne of worshipfull stockes by flight and voluntary exile to saue themselues and by begging to prouide meat for themselues and theyr children only because they receaued their husbandes into theyr houses He threw down many mens houses because they had receiued letters from theyr frends of their helth and welfare But what did spare the dead By hys Edict he straightly charged that whosoeuer dyed without shrift and auricular confession his goodes should be confiscate and hys body hanged on a Iubbit then the which what can be thought or inuented more cruell more contrary to all humanitie and Iustice séeing it hapeneth daily that many sodenly that haue no time to bethinke them of theyr former sinnes He placed ouer cities not souldiers but enemies and theues which might violently abuse the riches wiues children and liues of the citizens according to theyr euill lust and he graunted them licence to do what should please them fréely without punishment for was there
of sense and reason whose vnderstandyng is so blynded that he beleueth that these good and well disposed persons doth séeke nothyng els but to kéepe the prouince of Belgie vnder the kynges authoritie to defend religion and mainteyne lawes seyng all their actions and doinges do openly pretend shew that they haue no other kyng no law or religion but their onely auarice and most beastly couetousnes they make a glorious pretence as though all the Belgians were Lutherans rebelles and traytors to the kyngs maiesty bycause forsooth they would not submit their neckes to the yocke of the Inquisition that is to say they would not willyngly and of their owne accord yeld vp them selues to the beastly lust and vniust tyranny of most pernicious persons But truly if they had their kyng for theyr enemy they would neuer haue so faythfully obserued their loyalty towardes him neyther would they so carefully haue retained all their cities townes and castels in hys fidelitie tuitiō neyther would they so faithfully haue geuē credite to the kyngs edictes the kynges name the kinges brode seale to the Gouernesse and in so doyng should neuer haue runne into so many so great calamities by their so light credulity neither should the Duke of Alba once haue set foote into these countryes for they had infinite occasions and oportunities offered them of dissanulling the kinges authoritie of alienating hys cities of striking league with other nations adioyning vnto them and of kéeping backe the Alban duke from the borders of theyr prouince And yet for all thys dare not the aduersaries affirme vnlesse they be most impudent that thys was once mentioned amongst them or spoken of But let it be so that they were rebels is it lawfull therfore for the King to violate hys faithfull promise to peruert the lawes both of God and man and to pollute all thinges both holy and prophane wyth thys vnaccustomed tyranny We read that in the time of our auncitors many of the cities of Flaunders dyd rebell agaynst Maximilian the most mighty king of the Romanes and the citizens dyd not onely openly refuse hys gouernement and deteyned wyth them for the space of eight yeares his sonne Philippe against his will but also did most cōtumeliously throw Maximilian himselfe into prison but afterwardes beyng ouercome by the helpe of Frederike the Emperour and other the princes of Germany they yelded thēselues agayne to hys authoritie then thys good prince Maximilian in thys so odious rebellion and hauing bene so iniuriously handled was so farre from doing any thing lyke vnto the Albane Duke that he not onely with great gentlenes receaued hys subiects agayne into his graces fauor but also with great clemency worthy of so great a prince restored vnto them agayne all theyr priuiledges and auncient immunities By the which hys vncredible lenitye he made the hole prouince most obedient in all pointes to hym and hys posteritie for euer But these men neuer remitted any tribute any subsedy or burden layd vppon the kinges most faythfull subiectes whose loyaltie towardes the King coulde neuer wyth any crime be attayned beyng alwayes obedient to the kinges commaundement who had offered vp by humble supplication all theyr riches and substaunce vnto the kings good will and pleasure desiring to haue nothing frée from the Kinges commaundement but onely a cleare conscience in religion the which they ought to kéepe vnpolluted vnto God alone And they humbly desired to redéeme the libertie of religion with an extraordinary and farre more gréeuous tribute then the Christians redéeme theyr religion of the Turke or the Iewes obtayne theyrs of the pope Yet notwithstanding these men I say spoyling those faythfull subiectes of all theyr riches forbid them the vse of fyre and water ayre land as if they were the most deadly enemies of all mankinde yet haue they God knoweth committed no offence but only geuen to light credite to the kings edicts which in manner were established as firme lawes neuer to be reuoked and so they simply beleuing the kinges letters and name kept diligently their sermons in the which there was nothing preached but the pure woorde of God and they dayly admonished to shew theyr obedience to the prince and his magistrates Yet these tyrantes doth with most horrible cruelty oppresse the hole prouince without respect either of the innocent or offenders and wyth most insatiable auarice spoyling them torment them wyth most barbarous tyranny Can any man now doubt what it is that these men haue hertofore laboured to bring to passe or whereunto they haue bended theyr mindes set theyr eyes and applyed theyr most reuening handes Or is there any man so blind that can not sée what hath bene the cause originall of these foresayd tumultes in Belgye or so blockish that he can not perceiue that these honest men I meane the good maisters and byshops of the spanish inquisition haue from the beginning onely gone about to alienate the kinges minde from hys subiectes and by euery small or none occasion to accuse them of rebellion that as they haue most furiously executed theyr tyranny in the kingdome of Naples Cycell and the countrey of Millen in new India and in the chiefest partes of Spayne so they might by some maner of meanes furiouslye rage in the lowe Germany and by litle and litle when occasion shall bee offered in highe Germany and that vnder the colour of defending the Popes religion they might oppresse the hole libertie of the citizens in Belgie take away theyr magistrates authoritie and violate the hole power of theyr lawes bring the kinges maiestie subiect to theyr authoritye and that they themselues might without law or order at their pleasure cōmaund what they wyll take what they lyste kyll whatsoeuer should offend them empty the rich mens coffers and make themselues lordes and gouernors of all thinges But if any man shall thinke that these thynges because they be present not yet throughly finished can not easily be iudged vpon let hym coniecture and take iudgement of thynges alredy past In the which we appeale vnto your maiesties most mighty Emperour and ye renowmed princes of Germany call to remembraunce what they haue heretofore done in Germany what with what fetches and counselles they haue wrought you shall perceaue truly theyr old artes you shall know these old Spaniardes you shall know these old Inquisitors for euē these be they which with their greuous cauils and sclaunders with the terror of the Popes name haue oppressed the most famous princes of Germany before Charles the v. which kyndled a most dolefull firebrand of ciuill dissention in the very bowels of hygh Germany and vnder the cloake of rebellion dyd set the Protestant Princes together by the eares beyng altogether ignoraunt of their trechery the which haue defiled all things in Germany with their wicked flagitious actes the whiche haue gone about to ouerthrow the liberties of Germany and lawes of the Empire and
or generall assemblies of the estates of all the prouinces to be kept as it had ben vsed in his progenitors tymes and that he placed in gouernance Ecclesiasticall men and such as not only by the law of God the ciuile and canon lawes but also by the auncient custome of the contrey by sondry decrées of the Dukes of Burgundie were excluded from iudiciall offices and from bearyng ciuile rule in the common weale Finally to make them selues in easier way to that dominion that they had conceiued vnder pretense of stablishyng religion they with importunacie procured such rigorousnesse of edictes agaynst those that professed the doctrine of the Gospell as neuer any contrey neuer any citie neuer any common weale had sene before For they had fully persuaded hym as is also conteined in the expresse wordes of the edict that Luther whoe 's doctrine those dyd follow professed the Pelagian error set naught by all the holy fathers and doctors of the Church abolished all Magistrates ouerthrew all ciuile gouernance and politike order stirred vp the people to take armure made them apt to murder steale wast and destroy with fire and finally gaue euery one leaue to lyue as he lysted In the which Peter a Soto a Spaniard hys confessor one of the maisters of the Spanishe Inquisition not of the meanest sorte dyd further them verie much By the whiche persuasion they easilie inforced the Emperour Charles a prince otherwise by nature gentle and mercifull to decrée and without the assent of the estates to publishe and from tyme to tyme to renew most cruell Edictes and such as séeme rather to be written with bloud then with inke not that he ment to haue them executed with extremitie but that he hoped by the terror of this vnaccustomed crueltie to call the peoples myndes from the studie of of that religion which he in conscience accompted wicked of the which his hope and meanyng he gaue no smale profe in that exposition of the Edictes which he afterwardes set out wherin it was appoincted that the Magistrates should by all meanes possible somewhat mitigate the extreme immoderate crueltie of the former edictes but the good masters of the Spanish Inquisition did sone by their craft subtiltie suppresse that exposition and it came at length to that tyranie that they dyd not onelie execute the full rigour of the Edictes but they obserued also a new kynde of Inquisition not much vnlyke to the Inquisition of Spayne that thereby they might atteyne vnto the full authoritie of that office function which they had long before obteyned of the byshops of Rome Therfore in the yeare of our Lord God. 1550. when the kyng of Spayne was auctorised in Belgie with great and importunate sutes they obteined an Edict as concerning their Inquisition whereby they dyd vsurpe take vppon them so much auctoritie and power of the Citizens and inhabitans of the whole prouince as they thought sufficient for the subuertyng of the auncient liberties for the disanullyng of all their accustomed priuileges but the senators and the estates of Brabant with long ernest sute first stopped this their wicked enterprise and afterward the most noble princes Marie of famous memorie Quene of Hungarie with great fayth singular pietie with no lesse wisedome suppessed it For both when the Emperour Charles was at the counsels holden at Augusta she went vnto him and obteyned that the crueltie of the Edictes should be somewhat mitigated and that the whole name purpose of the Inquisition should be omitted and also many tymes after she stoutlie set her selfe agaynst the deceytfull dealynges and rashe attemptes of the Inquisitors and diuines in so much that at the length by their letters sent into Spayne she was accused of heresie before the Emperour But she alwayes bent her whole intent and purpose to kepe the people of Belgie in the Emperours good grace and fauour to her power to take awaie all the enuie and hatred wherewith they were oppressed of their aduersaries With the which her most mercifull and wise dealyng she so faythfully ioyned the hartes of the subiectes towardes their prince that they for her sake thought no burden to be refused in so much that in many thynges they dyd most willinglie preferre her gracious fauor and good wil before the right of their auncient liberties graunted by the lawes statutes of their progenitors For in all restraintes taskes tributes or leuies they shewed them selues at the first commaundement so obedient that the princes could desire nothyng which was not deliuered them with ful consent of al their good willes and that with spede So that almost for the space of ten yeares they dyd gladlie mainteyne that great doubtfull and most daungerous warre whiche was made against the most mighty kings of France they most willinglie bestowed the greatest part of the charges thereof the which by common bookes of accompt maie be proued to surmount the somme of xl thousand millions of Florence neither dyd they geue at any tyme so much as a smale suspicion of rebellion Although in the meane tyme neuerthelesse these good maisters of the Inquisition whyle Charles reigned by the coulered shew of the foresayd Edictes and in the begynnyng of kyng Philips reigne by the graunt of a new Edict bearyng with it the kinges auctoritie which they purchased by their subtell wiles craftie persuasions raiged most furiouslie in the most part of Belgie but especiallie in Flaunders Hannonie Artesia Turnete and Insule in many places of Holland robbyng spoiling and most butcherly murderyng the people with furious violence and extreme tyranny From the which they absteyned least that their deceypt and subtiltye beyng detected this foresayd commaundement wrested out by craft should by the kynges new letters pattentes be called in agayne Neither yet were they without their frendes in the Court which beyng daylie conuersant with the kyng dyd alwaies cloake and couer their crueltie and insatiable auarice with the vayle of godlie Religion At the length the kyng hauing ended his warre agaynst the French men and preparyng to take his iorney into Spayne his subiectes for their singular obedience and their most faythfull redynes in all affaires thought they might iustlie hope for some relesse frō their other burdens but cheflie and especiallie they perswaded them selues that they should haue the yoke of the Inquisition taken from theyr shoulders But the kyng was so farre from satisfiyng their expectation that he did not onelie not remit or mitigate the crueltie vsed to them before but also encreased and augmented the tyranny euen as though their peace other matters had bene for none other cause concluded but that they might the frelyer spoile poore men of their goodes and most cruellie torment their consciences For at that time especiallie the Inquisitors by their old accustomed deceyptes and by the fayned shew of settyng forward religion obteined of the kyng newe letters
and succourers Granuellanus had left in great authority at hys departure do set this matter abroch to the vttermost of their power and therwythall accordyng to that state of gouernemente which he left when he departed they easely wrong into their owne hands the whole rule and authoritie of the common weale They do gouerne thrée courts of the counsellors at theyr pleasure they spoile the noble men of all their authoritye finally they determine and appoynt all thinges according to theyr lewd appetite euen as though Granuellanus himselfe were there present among them in authority nothing lesse séeking to set vp their Inquisition and to establish theyr bysshops then they dyd before They exercised all kinde of cruelty against those that professed Christes Gospell séeking to extirpate and roote them out wyth the gallowes fire and sword in such sort that at the same time at Antwarpe which is an Erldome of the holy Empyre besides an infinite number whom they did destroy some by day and some by night most cruelly openly and in the middest of the marketstead they stroke one to the hart with a dagger as they were a burning of hym vnder a Iubbet because they saw that both the cruelty of the punishment and the honesty and godlinesse of the man being well knowne vnto all men did stir vp the people to pitifull complaynt and bewayling of hys case There was also an other man taken wyth him whose pardone the noble prince Elector of Palentine because for his honesty he loued him because he was teacher maister of the schole at Hedelberge dyd most earnestly sue for But they wicked tyrauntes would not dismisse him before he was almost consumed to death wyth a sicknes taken with long imprisonment and by the filthy smell and sauour therof But to what purpose shoulde I recyte their extreame tyranny wherwith they oppressed those cities in the which they might do what they list with more auctoritie and lesse daunger seyng their boldnes was so notable that in Cameracis a Citie by all auncient and vndoubted right of the Emperours without controuersie obeying his lawes and statutes they were not afeard to apprehend an honest godly man because he preferred vppe vnto the Magistrates a bill of supplication in the name of no lesse then a M. Citizens by whom he was chosen and appointed to execute that charge whose request was nothyng els but that they might fréely with the good leaue of the Magistrate reteyne the confession made at Augusta which they confesse them selues to folow yet notwithstandyng they I say were bold to apprehend hym within lesse then 4. houres after to behead him though he did appeale from them to the Emperours Maiestie infinite is the number of such thyngs which the committed contrary to all order of law equitie or right they caused euery wise man with feare to looke for some open rebellion of the people or rather the vtter subuersion of the prouince if there were not with spede some remedy taken Therfore at the length in the name of the gouernesse the nobles Egmundanus was sent vnto the kyng with commission to declare vnto his Maiestie that vnlesse it would please him to stay the rash enterprises of certeine men to mitigate the seueritie of the Edictes and vtterly to abolishe the Inquisition he should looke for the emynent destruction of the whole prouince the kyng aunswered hym very gently and promised to pleasure hys prouince of Belgie in any thing they could reasonably request so that in shorte space they should haue all thynges well ordered according to their hartes desire he likewise gaue them in charge that they should take counsell together and deuise some meanes whereby they might without any hynderaunce to the Catholicke Religion preuent withstand such emynent daungers promising faythfully to allow confirme that which they should lawfully deuise For the spedie performaunce hereof at the returne of Egmundanus to Belgie there was appoynted a counsell of thrée Byshops thrée Diuines thrée Canonicall Lawyers and thrée Ciuilians to whom the whole charge of findyng this good order was committed Not long after beyng moued thereto by the importunate suyte of the Spanish Inquisitors and Byshops and by the letters of Grāduellanus but especially compelled by the fearefull threatninges of the Popes Legates thunderyng out not onely excommunication but also eternall damnation except he dyd by all maner of meanes yea though it were to the vtter subuertion of the whole prouince of Belgie establish and set vp the Inquisition and cleane roote out the leaft reliques of the new religion he chaūged his minde vtterly refused the order of gouernement deuised in Belgie not bycause it dyd not appointe most greuous tormentes for the Gospellers or bicause it was farre different from the rigorousnes of the former Edictes but bicause it semed somewhat more remisse and mercyfull in certeine pointes lastly by his letters he streightly commaundeth that the Inquisition should be established and set vp thoroughout all Belgie and that to the Inquisitors of euery prouince and the chief counsellours thereof should adioyne them selues and ayde and helpe them with their counsell and force to the vttermost of their power that all old Edictes should be executed in euery pointe the Byshops should be admitted and installed in euery Citie the decrées of the councell of Trident should be published euery where And briefly that nothyng should be omitted whiche serueth to the rootyng out of those whiche professe the Gospell Moreouer he very much blamed the Iudges and Magistrates of euery prouince that they did not with more seueritie execute the popes edicts his decrées attributing the cause of all heresies to their dissolute negligence and foolish pitie When these letters were receiued contrary to all mens expectation were sent to the Magistrates of euery prouince and that the kings last wil was openly knowen and published great heauynes great trouble of mynde finally great feare and terrour came vpon them all The estates of Brabantie put a bill to the gouernesse declaryng that it neither could nor ought to be brought to passe in that wise in their prouince yet they could get no certein aunswere but one very darke doubtfull and that a great while after the same was done of the Flaundrians the Namurcensians the Geldrians and of the other prouinces next adioynyng yea and that the Church men and Abbottes to be brief there was so great amase terrour amongest all men that they all of what degrée or estate so euer they were of feared their owne safetie they sée all their hope confidence whiche they were wont to put in their innocencie and honest lyfe cleane taken away They sée it impossible for any man to escape the rash attemptes the troublesome cauils malicious sclaunders of the wicked For by this meanes any mā might conuey into euery good mans house chamber or chests some of the forbydden bookes of the which there was an
common wealth executed in so much that she gaue by publike auctoritie vnto many of the nobles and of the confederate princes charge ouer cities in the whiche they should set all thynges in order accordyng to the due prescript of the former decrée that they should assigne places out for the buildyng of Churches and for the peoples assembly to heare Sermōs and that they should with open protestation will all men to be secure and voyde from all feare and daunger and certeinly to persuade them selues that the garisons of souldiours should nothyng endammage them With the whiche thyng all the people began excedyngly to reioyce and to lay a part all feare as though out of a most boysterous tempeste they were already arriued in a most quiet hauen stayeng them selues vpon the publike promise thus made taken and confirmed by writyng They began to builde their Churches and fréely quietly to set forth their religion But yet notwithstandyng the furious madnes of their aduersaries was not pacified although they had already punished the ouerthrowers of their Images with greuous punishementes and did sée the innocencie of these Churches most manifestly witnessed by their open confessions But rather most proudly auauntyng them selues as though they had gotten a iust occasiō to punish the rebelles and that they should nothyng feare hereafter the nobilitie the whiche did manifestly shew them selues to be heauely displeased with the insolency of of the Imagebreakers they began by litle and litle but openly to encrease the nomber of their garrisons and to set them in their Cities with this pretence onely to withstand the insolencie of the Imagebreakers and thus they armed them selues with all thynges necessary vntill such tyme that they had brought their matters to as good effect as they desired perceiuyng the people quietly to rest them selues vppon the faythful promise of the nobilitie and gouernesse set forth in the kinges name vnder hys seale and letters patentes and that the noble men also were quiet not once mysdoubting that they should haue bene so wickedly and vnfaythfully deceaued they began openly to shew foorth what theyr meaning was for in such places where as they might be most bolde and in the which the magistrate was appliable vnto their desire first with new commaundementes obscure and doubtfull edictes and with scoffing interpretation they began to disanull the auctority of the published commaundement as concerning the late contract and in many places to delay from day to day the sealing of the writings of the publike promise and with sundry cauils to deceaue the miserable citizens and in many places to put those magistrats whose dealing they knew wold be alwayes with iustice out of their offices and contrary to the orders of the cities in their roomes to substitute most wicked men prompt and redy to all kinde of impietie and then at the length as though all hindraunces had bene taken away they began with great insolency by force of armes to disturbe the companies assembled at sermons tauntingly to reuile the ministers and citizens to worne them with wepons and lastly with open tyranny to oppresse them imprisoning many hanging many banyshing many and appointing new kind of othes wherby men should binde them to the popish religion contrary to the former decrée couenaunted and established before and to accompt those which denied to obey for enemies and traytors to the kinges maiestie Morouer they did rebaptize infantes which were baptized before they spoyled all the professors of the Gospell of theyr weapons and armour they armed and stirred vp the rest of the comminaltie agaynst them as agaynst the enemies of the common wealth Neyther onely did the sacrificing priestes or preachers out of their pulpits as it were with an open outcry stir vp the people to take armour agaynst them but also in many places the Magistrates themselues which were appoynted by the Cardinals officers and Inquisitors sounding allarum gaue open licence vnto the sedition and tumultes of the people against the miserable Gospellers the which were then lately called Gwesians that is to say Beggers and rascals And hereupon began the most dolefull and late calamitie of the noble prouince For euen then first of all was that famous citie of the Valentians beséeged in enemies wise of hys owne familiar frendes and citizens because forsooth they refused vppon the sodaine to receaue within theyr walles the cruell souldiers in that number that was commaunded them that is to say foure bandes of horsemen and fiue ensignes of footmen but tooke vnto them a day to deliberate in alleaging many causes that it would not be commodious vnto them to receaue them séeing they had as yet before theyr eyes amongs theyr neighbours a most cruell and doleful president of the souldiers rashnes for not long before in the countrey and towne of Sancto Amandus nexte adioyning vnto them the very same which were thrust in contrary to theyr lawes and priuiledges contrary to the fidelitie of the promise before geuen violently robbed and spoyled the poore miserable people that professed the Gospell of all they had in so much that from the very yong infantes they pulled theyr hose from theyr legges they defloured by course one after an other after the most horrible example of the Beniauntes the chaste matrones and virgines and at length in most cruell wise set them to open sale at the sounde of the drome they put to death many burnyng them by litle and litle with small flames and with theyr swordes opened the wombes of matrones great with childe The remembraunce of which horrible thynges iustly terrifieng the Valentenentians they humbly desired that they should not be cōpelled to receaue within their walles and houses such kynde of souldiers vnto whose auarice lust and crueltie they perceiued them selues their lyues wiues children and consciences should be at lēgth in most seruile bondage seyng that for foure yeares space before they had payed of their own proper costes and charges vnto the garrisons of souldiers their wages vpon this condition that they should neuer hereafter bee vexed or burdened any more with souldiours Neither yet dyd they so manifestly refuse it but that they dyd openly in most humble wise signifie vnto the gouernesse and to the rest of the primates rulers of the prouince that they were ready to receaue the souldiours of what nomber soeuer if they had a capitaine appointed thē for that they shuld not hinder the libertie of Religion whiche they had graunted confirmed vnto them not long before by the Edict of the gouernesse by the authoritie of the kynges letters patentes by the nobilities constant confirmation and with assent of all the Magistrates But they nothyng at all preuayled by this their modestie and equitie of their cause but forthwith they were openly proclaimed as traytors and rebelles the Citie was besieged vntill that at the lēgth when they beyng persuaded therto by the letters of the gouernesse promising all kind of clemency had