as he hath and the same Post perhaps that brings a packet from the King to him brings another from their Abettors to them acquainting them with the whole proceedings and counsels preparing them aforehand for opposition this I know for truth and this I reioyce in as conducing much to the Catholick good But quoth the Nuntio are there none of the hereticall preachers busie about this match Me thinkes their fingers should itch to be writing and their tongues burn to be prating of this busynes especially the puritanicall sort howsoever the most temperate and indifferent cary themselves The truth is my Lord quoth the Ambassadour that privately what they can and publiquely what they dare both in England Scotland all for the most part excâ—pt such as are of our faith oppose this match to their utmost by prayers counsels speeches wishes but if any be found longer tongued then his fellowes we haue still meanes to charme their sawcinesse to silence them and expell them the Court to disgrace them and crosse their preferments with the imputation pragmaticke Puritanisme For instance I will relate this particular A Doctor of theirs and a Chaplaine in ordinary to the King gaue many reasons in a letter against this mariage and propounded a way how to supply the Kings wants otherwise which I understanding so wrought underhand that the Doctor was committed and hardly escaped the danger of his presumptuous admonition though the state knew his intent was honest and his reasons good Wherein wee on the other side both here and with the Arch Duke haue had bookes penned and pictures printed directly against their King and state for which their Ambassadours haue sought satisfaction of us in vaine not being able to stay the print or so much as to touch the hem of the Authors garment But wee haue an evasion which hereticks misse our Clergie being freed from the temporall sword and so not included in our treaties and conditions of peace but at libertie to give any hereticall Prince the Mate when they list whereas theirs are liable to accompt and hazard are muzled for barking when ours may both barke and bite too The Councell table and the star-Chamber do so terrifie them as they dare not riot but run at the stirrop in excellent coÌ„maÌ„d and come in at the least rebuke They call their preaching in many places standing up but they crouch and dare not stand up nor quest behaue theÌ„selves like Setters silent and creeping upon their bellies licke the dust which our Priests shake from their beautifull feete Now quoth the Duke of Lerma satisfie me about our owne Clergie how they fare .. For there were here Petitions made to the King in the name of the distressed afflicted persecuted and imprisoned Priests that his Maiestie would intercede for them to free them from the intollerable burdens they groned under and to procure their liberties and letters were directed from us to that end that you should negotiate this demand with all speed and diligence Most excellent Prince replyed Gondamore I did your command with a kinde of command my selfe not thinking it fit to make it a suite in your name or my Masters I obtained them libertie to walke freely up and downe to face and outface their accusers Iudges Magistrates Bishops and to exercise their functions almost as freely altogether as safely as at Rome Here the Nuntio objected that he did not well to his judgement in procuring their libertie since they might doe more good in prison then abroad Because in prison they seemed to be under persecution and so vvere pittied of others and pittie of the person prepares the affection further Besides then they were careful over their owne lives to give no offence but abroade they might be scandalous in their lives as they use to be in Rome and Spaine and other Catholik countreys and so the opinion of their holynesse which upholds their credit and cause against the maried Clergie would soone decay But the Ambassador replyed he considered those inconveniences but besides a superior command he saw the profit of their libertie more then of their restraint For now they might freely conferre and were ever practising and would doubtlesse produce some worke of wonder And besides by reason of their authoritie and meanes to change places did apply themselves to many persons wheras in prison they onely could deale with such as came to be caught or were their owne before And this quoth he I adde as a secret that as before they were maintained by private contributions to devout Catholiques even to excesse so much more now shall they be able to gather great summes to weaken the State and furnish them for some high attempt by the example of Cardinall VVoolsey barrelling up gold for Rome And this they may easily doe since all Catholiques rob the hereticall Priests and withhold tythes from them by fraud or force to give to these of their owne to whom it is properly due And if this be spied it is an easie matter to lay all upon the Hollander and say he carries the coyne out of the land who are forward enough indeed in such practises and so ours shall not onely be excused but a flawe made betwixt them to weaken their amities beget suspition betwixt them of each others loue But amongst all these priests quoth the Inquisitor generall did you remember that old reverend father Baldwin who had a finger in that admirable attempt made on our behalfe against the Parliament house such as he deserving so highly adventuring their lives so resolutely for the Catholique cause must not be neglected but extraordinarily regarded thereby to incourage others to the like holy undertakings Holy father quoth Gondamor my principall care was of him whose life and libertie when I had with much difficultie obtained of the King I solemnly went in person attended with all my traine and divers other well willers to fetch him out of the Tower where he was in durance Assoone as I came in his sight I behaved my self after so lowly huÌ„ble a maner that our adversaries stood amazed to behold the reverence we giue to our ghostly fathers And this I did to confound them their contemptuous Clergie and to beget an extraordinary opinion of holinesse in the person pietie in us and also to provoke the English Catholiques to the like devout obediencie and thereby at any time these Iesuites whose authoritie was somewhat weakened since the schisme betwixt them and the Seculars and the succeeding powder-plot may vvorke them to our ends as Masters their servants Tutors their schollers fathers their children Kings their subiects And that they may doe this the more boldly and securely I haue somewhat dasht the authoritie of their high Comission upon which whereas there are diverse Pursevants men of the worst kinde and condition resembling our Flies Familiars attending upon the inquisition whose office and imployment it is to disturbe the Catholiques search their
VOX POPVLI OR NEWES FROM SPAYNE translated according to the Spanish coppie Which may serve to forwarn both England and the Vnited Provinces how farre to trust to Spanish pretences Imprinted in the yeare 1620. VOX POPVLI OR NEWES FROM SPAYNE translated according to the Spanish coppie HIs Catholique Majestie had given cōmandement that presently upon the return of Seigneur Gondomar his Leiger Embassador from England 1618 a speciall meting of all the principal States of Spaine who were of his Counsel togither with the Presidents of the Counsel of Castile of Arragon of Italy of Portugall of the Indies of the Treasure of Warre and especially of the holy Inquisitiō should be held at Mouson in Arragon the Duke of Lerma being appointed President Who should make declaration of his Majesties pleasure take account of the Embassadors service and consult touching the state and religion respectively to giue satisfaction to his holynes Nuntio who was disired to make one in this assembly concerning certaine overtures of peace and amitie with the English and other Catholike proiects which might ingender suspition and jealousie betwixt the Pope his Maiestie if the mistery were not unfolded and the grond of those counsels discovered aforehand This made all men expect the Embassadours returne with a kinde of longing that they might behold the yssue of this meeting and see what good for the Catholike cause the Embassadors imployment had effected in England answerable to the generall opinion conceived of his wisdome and what further proiect would be set on foot to become matter for publike discourse At length he arrived and had present notice given him from his Majestie that before he came to Court he should give up his account to this assemblie Which command he gladly received as an earnest of his acceptable service and gave thanks that for his honour he might publish himself in so judicious a presence He came first upon the day appointed to the Counsell chamber exc the Secr. not long after all the Counsell of state and the presidents met there wanted onely the Duke of Lerma the Popes Nuntio who were the head and feet of all the assemble These twoo stayed long away for divers respects The Nuntio that he might expresse the greatnes of his master loose the sea of Rome no respect by his oversight but that the benches might be full to observe him at his approach The Duke of Lerma to expresse the authoritie dignitie of his owne person and to shew houw a servant put in place of his master exacts more service of his fellow servants then the master himselfe These two stayed til all the rest were weary of wayting but at length the Nuntio supposing all the Counsel set launched forth and came to roade in the Counsel chamber where after mutuall discharge of duetie from the company and blessing upon it from him he sate downe in solemne silence grieving at his oversight when he saw the Duke of Lerma absent with whom he strove as a competitor for Pompe and Glorie The Duke had sent before understood of the Nuntios being there and stayed something the longer that his boldnes might be observed wherein he had his desire for the Nuntio having a while patiently driven away the time with severall complemēts to severall persons had now almost run his courtship out of breath but that the Duke of Villa Hermosa president of the counsel of Arragon fed his humor by the discharge of his owne discontentment upon occasion of the Duke of Lerma his absence and beckned Seigneur Gondomor to him using this speech in the hearing of the Nuntio after a sporting manner How unhappie are the people where you have been first for their soules being heretiques then for their estates where the name of a favourite is so familiar how happie is our state where the keyes of life and death are so easely come by poynting at the Nuntio hanging at every religious girdle and wher the doore of justice and mercie stand equally open to all men without respect of persons the Embassador knew this Ironicall stroke to be intented as a by blow at the Nuntio but fully at the Duke of Lerma whose greatnes begā now to wax heavy towards declension and therfore he returned this answer your excellencie knoweth the state is happie where wise favorites governe Kings if the Kings themselves be foolish or where wise Kings are who having favorites whether foolish or of the wijser sort will not yet be governed by them The state of England howsoever you heare of it in Spayne or Roome is too happie in the last kinde They need not much care what the favorite be though for the most part he be such as prevents all suspition in that kinde being rather chosen as a scholler to be taught and trayned up then as a tutor to teach of this they are sure no Prince exceeds theirs in personall abilities so that nothing could be added to him in my wish but this one that he were our vassayle and a Catholique With that the noyse without gave notice of the Duke of Lermas entrance at whose first approch the whole house arose though some later then other as envie had hung plummets on them to keep them downe the Nuntio onely sate unmooved the Duke cherished the observance of the rest with a familiar kind of carriage too high for courtesie as one not neglecting their demeanors but expecting it and after a filiall obeysance to the Pope his Nuntio sate down as president vnder the cloath of state but somewhat lower then after a space given for admiration preparation and attention he began to speake in this manner The King my master holding it more honourable to doe then to discourse to take from you the expectation of Oratorie used rather in schooles and pulpits then in Councels hath appointed me president in this holy wise learned and noble assembly A man naturally of a slow speach and not desirous to quicken it by art or industrie as holding action onely proper to a spaniard as I am by birth to a souldier as I am by professiion to a King as I am by representation take this therefore briefly for declaration both of the cause of this meeting and my master his further pleasure There hath bene in al times frō the worlds foūdatiō one chiefe commander or Monarch upon the earth This needs no further profe thē a bak loking into our own memories histories of the world neither now is there any questiō except with infidels heritiques of that one chief Cōmander in spirituals in the unity of whose person the membres of the visible Church are included but there is some doubt of the chief cōmander in temporalls who as the moon to the sun might govern by night as this by day by the sword of iustice compell to come in or cutt off such as infringe the authoritie of the keyes This hath been so well understood long since by the infallible
thousand souldiers scarce one hundred dare discharge a musker and of that hundred scarce one can use it like a souldier And for their armes they are so ill provided that one corselet serveth many men when such as shew their armes upon one day in one place lend them to their frēds in other places to shew when they haue use And this if it be spied is only punished by a mulct in the purse which is the officers aime who for his advantage winkes at the rest and is glad to finde and cherish by connivence profitable faults which increase his revenue Thus stands the state of that poore miserable country which had never more people and fewer men So that if my master should resolve upon an invasion the time never fits as at this present securitie of this mariage and the disuse of armes having cast them into a dead sleepe a strong and wakening faction being ever amongst them ready to assist us and they being unprovided of shippes and armes or hearts to fight an universall discontentment filling all men This I haue from their muster-masters and Captaines who are many of them of our religion or of none and so ours ready to be bought and sould and desirous to be my masters servants in fee. Thus much for the state particularly wherein I haue bent my selfe to weaken them and strengthen us in all these haue advanced the Catholicke cause but especially in procuring favours for all such as favour that side and crossing the other by all meanes And this I practise my selfe give out to be generally practised by others that whatsoever successe I finde I still boast of the victory which I doe to dishearten the heretiques to make them suspitious one of an other especially of their Prince and their best Statesmen and to keepe our owne in courage who by this meanes increase otherwise would be in danger to decay Now for religion and for such designes as fetch their pretence from thence I beheld the policie of that late Bishop of theirs Bancroft who stird up and maintained a dangerous schisme betweene our secular Priests and Iesuites by which he discovered much weaknes to the dishonour of our clergie and prejudice of our cause This taught me as it did Barnevelt in the Low countries to worke secretly and insensibly betweene their Conformists and Non-conformists and to cast an eye as far as the Orcades knowing that busynes might be stirred up there that might hinder proceedings in England as the French ever used Scotland to call home the forces of England and so to prevent their conquests The effect you haue partly seene in the Earle of Argile who sometimes was Captaine for the King and Church against the great Marquis Huntley now fights under our banner at Bruxels leaving the crosses of S. George S. Andrewe for the staffe of S. Iames. Neither doe our hopes end here but we daily expect more revolters at least such a disunion as wil never admit solid reconcilemēt but will send some to us and some to Amsterdam For the King a wise and vigilant Prince labouring for a perfect union betwixt both the kingdomes which he sees cannot be effected where the least ceremony in religion is continued divers sharp and bitter braules from thence arising whilst some striving for honour more then for truth prefer their owne way wil before the general peace of the Church the edification of soules he I say seekes to worke both Churches to uniformitie and to this end made a journey into Scotland but with no such successe as he expected for divers of ours attended the traine who stirred up humors and factions and cast in scruples and doubts to hinder crosse the proceedings yea those that seeme most adverse to us and adverse from our opinions by their disobedience and example helpe forward our plots and these are incouraged by a factious and heady multitude by a faint irresolute clergie many false brethrē being amōgst their Bps. by the prodigal Nobilitie who maintaine these stirs in the Church that thereby they may safely keepe their Church livings in their hands which they haue most sacrilegiously seased upon in the time of the first deformatiō which they feare would be recovered by the Clergy if they could be brought to brotherly peace agrement for they haue seene the King very bountiful in this kind hauing lately increased their pēsiōs setled the Clergy a cōpetēt maintenance besides out of his owne meanes vvhich in that kingdome is none of the greatest having brought in and restored whole Bishopriks to the Church which were before in lay-mens hands a great part of the Nobilities estates consisting of spirituall lands vvhich makes them cherish the puritanicall faction who will be content to be trencher-fed with scraps and crummes and contributions and arbitrary benevolences from their Lords and Lairds and Ladies and their adherents and followers But quoth the Inquisitor generall how if this act of the Kings wherein hee is most earnest and constant should so far thrive as it should effect a perfect union both in the Church Common wealth I tell you it would in my conceite be a great blowe to us if by a generall meeting a generall peace should be concluded and all their forces bent against Rome and we see their politick King aimes at this True quoth Gondamore but he takes his marke amisse howsoever hee understand the people and their inclination better then any man and better knowes how to temper their passions and affections for besides that he is hindred there in Scotland underhand by some for the reasons before recited and by other great ones of ours who are in great place authoritie amongst them hee is likewise deluded in this point even by his owne Clergie at home in England who pretend to be most forward in the cause For they considering if a generall uniformitie were wrought what an inundation would follow whilst all or most of theirs as they feare would flock thither for preferment as men pressing towards the sunne for light and heare and so their owne should be unprovided these therefore I say howsoever they beare the King fairly in hand are underhand against it and stand stiffe for all ceremonies to be obtruded with a kinde of absolute necessitie upon them when the other wil not be almost drawne to receive any When if an abatement were made doubtlesse they might be drawne to meete in the middest but there is no hope of this with them where neither party deales seriously but onely for the present to satisfie the King and so there is no feare on our side that affections and opinions so divers will ever be reconciled and made one Their Bishop of S. Andrevves stands almost alone in the cause and puls upon himself the labour the losse and the envie of all with little proficiencie whilst the adverse faction haue as sure friends and as good intelligence about the King