the promulgation of the Councell of Trent and the constitution of the Inquisition was vrged by the Popes Legate against the intercession of the Senate and the liberties of the Church of France That in England by the treacherous practises of the Iesuites the hearts of her maiesties subiects were drawne from their alleagiance As for the Scots such matters were set abroach euen in the Court that those of the better sort and such as studied for the common good and peace of the realme by the dissention of some Nobles and the Kings youth were banished which vnlesse it were presently remoued it would hazard the estate of their Church and raise warre betweene England and Scotland The miseries of Belgia it being so ouerpressed by the Spanish powers and they euery day encreasing promise no good successe to their Church In Heluetia by the Popes contributions subtilties and the most turbulent preachings of the Iesuites these two yeares haue bene ciuil warres Insomuch that the Bernates imbracers of the reformed Religion should be oppressed by the power of the D. of Sauoy The Churches of Suecia stand wauering whilest the Popish ceremonies are there kept and Iesuites frequent the Court and feare least their perswasions should alienate their King And for Germanie in the which by the care sinceritie of the most mightie Princes the surest and safest harbours are giuen to the Churches the Pope doth what in him lyeth to confound and ouerthrow In Coloine he hath stirred vp such tragedies against that Princely Elector the ende whereof vnlesse it be brought vpon his owne head he hopeth wil be the confusion of all Germanie This Embassage although it was beningly receiued of all the Princes to whom it came yet new disputations troubles arising in France about the death of Alanson the dangers encreased D. Chytreus Georgius Ernestus the last Prince of Henneberge died this present yeare Idem Elias Thacker was hanged at S. Edmonds-Bury in Suffolke and Iohn Copping for spreading certain bookes seditiously penned by one Robert Browne against the booke of commō praier established by the lawes of the realme their bookes as many a could be found were burnt before them I. S. Iohn Lewis who named himselfe Abdiot an obstinate heretike denying the Godhead of Christ and holding diuers other detestable heresies much like to his predecessor Mathew Hamond was burned at Norwich Albertus Alasco free Baron of Lasco Vaiuode or Palatine of Syradia in Poland arriued at Harwiche in Essex and on the last of April came by water to Winchester house in Southwarke where he remained for the most part of his abode Frances of Valois Duke of Alanson attempted diuers exployts in the lowe Countries the issue whereof fell out to his misfortune wherefore feeling himselfe sicke he retyred from Dunkerke towards Fraunce where hee fell into so straunge a iudgement that euen the Phisitians beganne to doubt him for a flixe of blood issued so continually out of his nose and mouth that they were still forced to hold him a Basen whereinto hee voyded the cleare and pure blood whereof he dyed Some say this happend either by his riotousnesse in the lowe Countries or for griefe of the hard successe of his affaires there or by Salcedas meanes that was executed His death weakened the most drowsie heads it brake all the bonds that staied the proceedings of the League and caused it presently to waine at Chalouns Rhemes Troy Dyon and Mezeiuel Historie of France The tenth of Iuly William Nassau Prince of Orange in the one and fiftie yeare of his age was slaine with a Bullet by Balthazar Gerardus otherwise called Serach See Genebrardus This villaine beeing taken aliue confessed that hee was neither set on by the French nor Spanish but did it of his owne minde thinking that thereby hee did God good seruice foorthwith hee was punished with such a death as the qualitie of so hainous a fact deserued Yet a certaine writer of Coloine setteth him downe for a Martyr See Dauid Chytraeus H. Earle of Darbie by the Queenes maiestie was sent Embassador to Henry the third the French King the 30. of Ianuary to inuest him with the order of the Garter Hyperas the eight day of April and Briges which next to Gaunt is the chiefe Citie of Flaunders a little before the Prince of Orange his death in the moneth of May was recouered by the Prince of Parma all former offences forgotten so that they would restore the Catholicke religion of Rome and performe true allegiance to the king of Spaine Assoone as the League perceiued that diuers Townes had made great fiers for ioy of her byrth it was presented to the Pope that he might giue it his blessing auouch it for his and declare it to be for the Catholicke Apostolicke and Romish Church But Gregorie the 13. desiring to shewe himselfe the Father of all Christians and a Pastor and not a dispearser of his flocke considering that the raising of Armes against a most Christian Catholicke king was wholy contrary to the doctrine of the Gospell the examples of Christ and his Apostles and the lawes of policie and state certified the Leagues Deputies that he could not approue their inuentions and to conclude sent them back againe without an answer And not long before he dyed hee said to the Cardinall Est that the League should neuer haue Bull Letter nor Commission from him for hee knew not what they meant and that hee would not serue for a fire-brand to kindle a warre which he could by no means quench In the prime of this yeare the first of April S. Walter Raleigh tooke his voyage for the discouery of that land which lieth between Norembega and Florida in the West Indies and returned in August following preparing afterwards for a second voiage S. H. Gilbert attempted to discouer with intention this country of Norembega to settle an English Colonie there in the yeare 1578. accompanied with a company of Gentlemen of good calling and ten sailes of all sorts of shipping but the iourney tooke no successe for all their ships inforced by some occasion or mischance made their present returne that only excepted where his brother S. W. R. was Captaine who tooke his course to the West Indies but for want of vittailes other necessaries when he had sailed as farre as the Ilands of Cape de Verde vpō the coast of Affrica he was cōstrained to set saile and returne for England But S. H. G. enterprised the voyage the second time and set to sea with three shippes and pinnases this yeare 1584. in which iourney he lost his life This yeare also S. W.R. encouraged by the reports of his men of the goodnes of the soile and the fertillitie of the country which they had discouered the last yeare past and now by her maiestie called Virginia furnished with 8. sailes of all sorts set them to the sea appointing S. Richard Greenfeeld his Lieutenant enioyning him either to
vnto the people The 18. day of May Charles the ninth of that name sonne of Henry de Valois and of Catherine de Medicis was sacred king at Reimes in Campagne and soone after crowned at S. Denis in France The Churches of his kingdome to the eye-sight flourished to the preiudice whereof was made an Edict called of Iuly notwithstanding which they maintained themselues with great testimonies of the blessings of God In the meane while the king of Nauarre the first Prince of the bloud next vnto the kings brethren sent for Peter Martyr and Theodore de Beza to be at the disputation of Poissy which were sent thither by the Lords of Zurich and Geneua The 24. of August the Prince of Conde was recōciled by the King and his Councell with the Duke of Guise who vpon the Princes words which he spake on high I hold him and them for villaines which haue caused my imprisonment answered I beleeue so it nothing toucheth me Soone after the gouernmēt of the kingdome during the kings minoritie who was then but ten yeares old an halfe was cōfirmed to the queene mother In the meane while the deputies of the Churches and certaine other Ministries with safe conduit arriued at Poissy presented vnto the king a request for the order of the disputation and also the confession of their faith who with good countenance receiued thē promising to communicate their requests vnto his Councell make them an answere by his Chancelor In the beginning of September many requests were presented to set forward that which was begun and finally the 9. of the said moneth in the presence of the King Prince Lords and notable persons of the kingdome of France as wel of y e one as the other religion Theodore de Beza in the name of all the French Churches after publike inuocatiō of the name of God made long oration cōprehending a summary of all the Christian doctrine held preached by the Ministers of the reformed Churches and his oration finished he presented their cōfession of faith which was receiued deliuered into the hands of the prelates to prepare themselues to answer it But they opposed themselues only against two Articles of that oratiō The one of the Supper and the other of the Church and pronounced their answere by Charles Cardinal of Lorraine who had for his maister Claude Despence a Doctor of Sorbone who once shewed some seed of religion This answere hauing bene made certain daies after the oration the Ministers prayed that they might reply straight way but it was deferred to an other day and audience was giuen them but not so notable as the first thē fel there out a sharp disputation which began an other time after a third oration Then entred into conference fiue of the Romane Churches side with fiue of the reformed Churches who after a long disputation vpon the matter of the Supper retired without according any thing assuredly Frō the end of this moneth vntil the end of this yeare diuers leagues factions were made against the Churches seditiōs were stirred at Paris and in other places against the Christians assembling to heare the word of God the kings councel being occupied to prouide by some Edict against the mischief to come to procure rest for the kingdome About this yeare died Shuvenckfeld a very pernitious heretike who by his wicked doctrine greatly endamaged the Churches of Almaine The summe of his principall errours was to reuiue and renew againe the heresie of Eutiches For hee maintained that the humaine nature of Iesus Christ ought no more to be called a creature but we must think that it is at this day swallowed vp by the diuine nature by that meanes cōfounding the two natures Vpon this foundation so badly placed he established other mōstrous opinions the fault was in not wel cōsidering the vniō of the two natures in Christ and the communicatiō of the properties But these opinions are not dead with him but contrary haue bene renued promoted by such who will needes at this day haue the the humaine nature of Christ infinit In the moneth of Ianuary which was then 1591. because they then began the yeare at Easter and at this present we begin it the first of Ianuary an assembly was made of the most notable persons of all the Parliaments and other renowmed people besides the priuie Councellors which decreed and set foorth that notable Edict named of Ianuary which permitted free exercise to them of the Religō through all the kingdome of France prouiding good securitie for all people and rest for the Common-wealth Many thought that hereby the Churches should haue rest when soone after newes arriued of the massacre of Vassi committed by Francis the Duke of Guise who in his owne presence caused 42. persons of the Religion to be slaine and a great number others to be wounded being all assembled to heare the word of God This was the beginning of the ciuil warres of France For the Duke of Guise and his partakers tooke Armes on the one side The Prince of Conde the Admirall and others meaning to maintaine the Royall authoauthoritie the Edict of Ianuary and the Churches that were vnder the protection and defence thereof opposed themselues against them by Armes also and the war began through all the kingdome where infinit cruelties were exercised in diuers places against them of the Religion as the history of our time maketh mention Many Townes Fortresses were besieged carried away by assaults sacked spoiled more cruelly thē by the most barbarous people in the world diuers encounters bloodie battailes namely that of Dreux wherein the two chiefe Captaines of both partes remained prisoners many of the Nobilitie and souldiers as well Straungers as French were slaine Churches dissipated and dispersed in most part of the Prouinces and a maruellous desolation in infinite Families Maximilian the Emperour Ferdinands sonne was declared king of the Romanes the 14. day of Nouember and sixe daies after he was crowned two moneths before he was crowned king of Boheme Peter Martyr borne at Florence an excellent Theologian and professor of Theologie at Zurich where he writ bookes full of great and sound doctrine died the 12. day of Nouember being then of the age of 63. yeares The ciuill warre continued in France notwithstanding the taking of the Prince of Conde and the Constable The Duke of Guise hauing laid siege before the Towne of Orleance being kept by them of the Religion was wounded in the shoulder with a Pistoll shot the 18. day of February and died certaine dayes after in great torments By this meanes Orleance was deliuered a peace concluded the moneth following the Edict of Ianuary abolished in the most part of the Articles to the great disaduantage of them of the Religion which notwithstanding tooke hart and in the quarters maintained themselues in their accustomed order In the moneth of Iuly
to the Princes Army arriued vpon the marches of Limosin where an hotte feauer tooke him and carried him out of the world the 11. day of Iune leauing for Commander of his troupes Wolrad Count de Masfeld who brought his Army nigh to the Princes foure daies after this accident and performed greatly his due with the other Lords that accompanied him in all the rest of this warre hereof is a witnesse that which happened in the encounter which was the 25. of that moneth at what time if a great ruine had not come the Army of the Catholicke Romanes had bene ouerthrowne yet they loft a great number of their auantgard and afterward the Princes got many places in Poictou Although the Princes were strong yet they neuer ceased to demaund peace but their Herauld was not suffred to carrie their request vnto the king so warre was continued and the Princes besieged Poiters where they lost time and many people by diseases happening in their Campe. Whilest things were thus confused in Fraunce and Flaunders the Emperour Maximilian the 18. day of August suffered the Lords and Gentlemen of the Archduche of Austrich to enioy a free exercise of Religion in their Townes Villages and Castles after the doctrine of the confession of Ausbourge The 27. of the same moneth Cosme de Medices Duke of Florence was created and after solemnly proclaimed at Rome great Duke of Thuscane by the declaration of the Pope Pius the fift The Parliament of Paris condemned the Admirall as guiltie of treason who notwithstanding was of great authoritie in the Princes Army couragiously acquiting himselfe of the charge he carried without any apprehension of the daungers wherevnto he was still subiect by murderers and poisoners which were daily sent to sley him One of which who had once bene his chamberlaine was put to death for the like attempt by the sentence of the Princes Lords and Captains of the Army the 21. of September After the one Army had long time sought the other finally they encountred in the plaine of Montcontour the third of October and there was a generall battaile wherein after great losse of both sides but more of the Princes especially of their Lansquenets and a part of their French footemen the field remained vnto the Catholicke Romanes which made great triumphes thereof through Europe But in lieu of following their victory they stayed vpon the siege of the Towne of S. Iohn d' Angeli which was yeelded to them by composition at the end of certaine weekes during which time the besieged occupied themselues so well that the Catholickes lost many thousands of men and that of the most resolute of their troupes by meanes whereof the Princes had meanes to reassure theyr people to gather in their forces and to prouide for the affaires of warre so that the Catholickes found themselues againe to begin The sixteenth of Nouember the Duke of Alua caused to bee published in the lowe Countries certaine Letters of absolution and pardon of the king of Spaine for such as were absent and would returne into their houses but this deceit serued for nothing but to bring in birdes too much alreadie tamed with the too much violence of so bloudie a Fowler The 24. there was discouered in England a coniuration or rebellion of certaine Earles which would haue planted Poperie in that Kingdome But the Queene prouided there so well for all things that their forces remained wholy vnprofitable The third of December S. Iohn d' Angeli was yeelded by composition Sansac other Catholick Romanes were shamefully chased from before the Towne of Vezelay in Bourgongne after great losse of his brauest souldiers to the number of 150. The rest of the yeare passed in diuers exployts of warre heere and there to the great hurt of both parts and to the ruine of the kingdome In the beginning of the yeare 1570. the Princes and Lords of the Religiō of the kingdome of France desiring peace had diuers negotiations about it but at that time nothing was concluded but warre continued the Churches then being very desolate The Theologians of the Countrey of Saxony being then in great contention for the intelligence of certaine Articles of Christian doctrine namely of Iustification of free will of good workes of things indifferent and of the presence of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ in the Supper By occasion whereof they assembled themselues in a Towne of the Duchie d' Aumale called Zeruest where by the stepping in of a certaine Doctor of Tubingue called Iames Andrew a man then very renowmed in all Almaine through the Prouinces whereof hee had not ceased certain yeares to runne to cause that monstrous opinion of the vbiquitie of Christs body to be receiued by the meanes whereof the errors of Nestorius and of Eutiches auntient heretikes and their complices are againe renewed there was made a certaine agreement which after was reiected and controwled by diuers Theologians Heerevpon afterward happened greater troubles which euen at this day doo endure by the practises and slaunders of that vbiquitarie Doctor Whilest the Christians contended with their voyces with their writings and blowes of sworde in diuers places of Europe and that the Westerne Antichrist sought by all meanes to maintaine his tyrannie the Antichrist of the East did what hee could by meanes of Selim Soliman his successor the Turke to encrease his domination For Selim sent his Embassador who arriued the 27. of March at Venice and denounced warre against the Venetians if they refused to yeeld him the I le of Cyprus Which they refusing there was preparation for warre on both sides The 4. of Aprill the Ministers of the Churches of Lithuania and Sathogitia comprehended in the kingdome of Polongne held a Sinode in the Towne of Sendomire where they agreed vpon certaine Articles touching the Mediatorship of Iesus Christ and the holy Supper to the end they might all agree in one concordance of doctrine During this time the troubles of France continued The Electors Palatin and of Saxonie assembled at Heidelberge with certaine Princes and great Lords of Almaine for to honour the marriage of Duke Cassimere who espowsed Elizabeth daughter of the Duke of Saxonie sent large Letters to the king to exhort and induce him to enter into a pacification About the end of Iune the king of Polongne and the Muscouite made a truce for three yeares The Muscouite was then sore troubled with extreame famine In the moneth of Iuly the estates of the Empire were assembled at Spire to prouide for the affaires quietnesse of Almaine The Emperor was there in person with his two daughters Marie and Elizabeth which were affianced vnto the kings of Spaine and France vnto which they were sent In the moneth of August the Duke of Alua put to death in the Towne of Antwerpe a great number of souldiers of the garrison of Valenciennes for a mutinie against
tarry himselfe or to leaue some Gentlemen of good worth with a competent number of souldiers in the Country of Virginia there to begin an English Colonie After they had sailed a certain number of leagues on the sea by force and violence of fowle weather they were seperated one from the other so that S.R.G. being singled from his fleete all alone arriued in the Iland of Hispaniola in the West Indies about the midst of Iune following In the moneth of May the Prince of Parma recouered the Towne of Bruges which next to Gaunt is the chiefest Citie in all Flaunders all matters forepassed forgotten vpon condition they would restore the Catholicke Romane religion and become true leigemen to the king of Spaine They of Gaunt likewise all their Townes about them being taken by the Spaniards and all their passage for prouisiō stopped vp as also constrained through famine entered into counsell either of deliuering their towne or else of some reconciliatiō and the Prince of Parma offered them the same cōditions which they of Bruges had all which the Senators addicted to the Romane religion and the Citizens thought good to imbrace And Imbysa who being Consull sixe yeares before was the cause that their pacification was broken and the expelling of the Popes Agents necessitie thus constraining yeelded therevnto The Pope daily vrged by his Embassador the Emperour Rodolphe that his Calender might be receiued vsed throughout all Germanie But although the Emperour commaunded it to be kept and obserued in the kingdome of Bohemia Austria and other his hereditary possessions yet the Princes of Saxonie and others constantly refused so to do following the counsell of Augusta But the Bishoppes for the most part and amongst those Ernestus of Coloine Elector and the Bishop of Monasterie began to allow of it in their Diocesses The Senate of Augusta said that in allowing of this Calender they intended nothing against the quiet of Religion but for policie sake that they might exercise their vsuall marchandise with the subiects of those neighbour Princes and Bishops which had receiued it and that all manner of confusion in iudgements markets and other publike places in the Citie risen by the difference of the Calenders might be auoyded the which decree was obtained Which when it was published at Augusta the Ministers of the Gospel wrote to the Senators that they would obey the decree in all politicall affaires but in their Churches and celebration of their Feasts exercises of their religion they would by no meanes obey the Pope Therefore the 24. day of May they denounced to their auditorie the Feast of the Ascentiō of Christ the next day the 28. of May to be celebrated which the Bishops had finished one moneth before The Senate taking this in ill part caused the Superintendent to be carryed out of the Citie but the Citizens knowing thereof ran first vnarmed then with weapons and at the gate of the Citie tooke their Pastor out of the Cart but the tumult increasing the Ministers of the Gospell at the intreatie of the Senate disswaded the Citizens from sedition and appeased them When some should be chosen out of the Senate Patricians Marchants and the Commons which should determine this controuersie To these the D. of Wittenberge and the Senate of Vlme ioyned their Embassadors who the 4. day of Iune which according to the Gregorian Calender was the 14. doo so arbitrate the matter that al faults remitted they after that throghout the whole Citie should follow the new Calender which should be kept in policies and both the Churches of Religion Notwithstanding the peace and quietnesse of it should remain constant and firme And that it should be lawfull for the Ministers of the Gospell to protest vnto their Auditors that they had chaunged nothing nor would chaunge any thing in that doctrine which they had hitherto preached vnto them nor that they did obey the Pope but the Imperiall maiestie and politicall magistrates in obseruing keeping the new Calender with the rest in the Citie D. Chytraeus About the middle of Iune Syr I. Perrot Knight was sent ouer to be Lord Deputie in Ireland This Deputie by the aduise of the Councell of Ireland thought it best to bring the whole land into shyre grounds whereby the lawes of England might haue a thorough course and passage And what S. H. Sidney had done in fewe Countries that be performed in the whole realme and to euery new County he appointed assigned seuerall Sheriffes Hollen Vpon the K. of Frances deuise when he was K. of Poland Manet vltima caelo the Leaguers made this Distiche Qui dedit ante duas vnam abstulit altera nutat Tertia tonsoris nùnc facienda manu Ericus Duke of Brunswicke the sonne of Ericus who spent the better part of his life in Belgia Italie Spaine and gaue himselfe more to the Romish religion then the true doctrine of the Gospell imbraced of his Nobles and subiects in the fiftie sixe yeare of his age departed this life at Papia in Italie vpon whom this was written Papa tibi Papiaque fuit non patria cura Hinc procul a patria te tegit vrbs Papia Whom Iulius founder of the Vniuersitie of Iulia succeeded in the kingdome D. Chytraeus Iohannes Basilides the great Duke of Mochouia or Emperour of Russia who for 25 whole yeares had afflicted scourged Linouia with warre this yeare ended his tyrannie with his life Who after the manner of Russia is reported to haue bene verie godlie Beeing readie to die hee called his sonne Faedor so they call Theodore and the chiefe of his Nobilitie to him in whose presence with a godly exhortation he committed the whole Empire and ioyned to him foure of his wisest Counsellors who should haue care of him and the Empire whom hee perswaded that being warned by him they would abstaine from making warre and make peace with their neighbour Kings and Princes He commaunded also that for ten yeares space they should remit his subiects sore wasted and brought to pouertie by his waries all his tributes taxes and Subsidies that in this space they might recouer themselues and to all his Captaines he gaue free leaue either to stay or depart after this done he was shauen and betooke himselfe to a Monasticall life and so dyed Idem The same time that Amurathes ioyned the North part of Tauricus Cherronesus to the Turkish Prouinces all the Christian Churches at Constantinople of which I vnderstand there are about 30 in Monasteries and otherwise remaining had almost bene conuerted into denne◠and holes of the religion of Mahomet by the earnest motion of the high Bishop of the Turkish Priests whom they call Mufti And when the Grecians Armenians and other Christian nations most humbly pleaded and alledged the priuiledges granted by Mahomet the second and other succeding Emperours to the Christians for a free exercise of their religion the answere was that they were tollerated
Rodolphe although hee had this opinion that Amurath would deny that the truce was broken by him notwithstanding knowing that it is the Turkes custome not to restore those Cities which they had once taken maketh all the power he can to resist his Forces M. G Belg. William Lantgraue of Hesse a most wise vertuous learned Prince being 70. yeares of age departed this world William Duke of Brunswicke the sonne of Ernestus a Prince of most sincere Religion dyed likewise leauing behind him seuen sonnes whom he had by Dorithie the daughter of Christian the third King of Denmarke D. Chytraeus At this time deceased likewise Iohan 3. King of Suetia the Father of Sigismond the 3. King of Poland As the Leaguers were promised great things by the Estates of Paris and the partakers of Spaine held it for a most certaine troth that the Duke of Parma would returne yet the third time with puissant Forces to doo some notable exployt thereby to couer the shame of his two former voyages and so to assure the K. of France to King Phillip or to the Princesse his daughter But death cut off the thred of his life together with his enterprises the 2. of December 1592. His bodie was carried to Parma and buried without any great solemnitie in the litle Chappell of the Cappuchins with this Epitaphe Alexandr Farnesius Belgis diuictis Francis obsidione leuatis vt humili hoc loco cadauer eius reponeretur manaauit 3. nonas Decem. 1592. Et vt secum Mariae eius coniugis optimae ossa iungerentur Genebr The Senate and the people of Rome caused his statue to be made and set vp in the Capitoll M. G. Belg. After much conference commings goings Letters and answers frō the deputie on each side the supplications of those which desired in such sort that the king who since he withdrew himselfe from the Court of France for 15. yeares before had made open profession of the reformed religion cōtrary to the aduice of his Ministers went to see heare Masse sung in the Cathedrall Church of S. Denis the 25. Sunday of Iuly where he was receiued of the Archbishop of Bourges and other Prelates with certaine peculiar ceremonies peculiar receiuing which was incontinently published throughout the Realme with diuers censures as well of the Catholicke nobilitie as also of those of the religiō wherof not one followed this example The Preachers belonging to the League publike priuately before after the truce their discourses at Paris other places were that the Masse which they sung before the king was but a deceit That the Pope should not recatholize him that it was lawfull for the people to rise against him his officers that it appertained to the Sorbonists to iudge whether the Pope ought to receiue him as King And if peraduenture hee should doo it neuerthelesse hee might be held for an hereticke and one excommunicate that it was lawfull for any particular man to kill him that should say he was vnited to the Catholicke Romane Church D. Chytraeus The Parisians and other Townes that held for the League desired that the King of Spaines daughter might be marryed to the Duke of Guise and so be crowned King and Queene of France Ernestus Duke of Pomerian a Prince endued with singular vertues most bountiful to the Churches Vniuersities departed this life leauing his successor Philippus Iulius of the age of seuen yeares who was committed to the custody and protection of Bogislaus Chytraeus In Poland the marriage of Sigismond the 3. king thereof and Anne of Austrich the daughter of Charles the Archduke was solemnized Idem In Belgia Maurice Count Nassau the sonne of William Prince of Orange and Gouernour of Holland tooke the Mount Gertrude a Towne well fortified bordering on the confines of Brabant and Holland when for three moneths he had besieged it and they by force and famine were constrained to yeeld although Petrus Ernestus Count Mansfeeld to whom after the death of the Duke of Parma the king of Spaine committed the gouernment of the lowe Countries labours in vaine by his forces to raise the siege At Aquisgrane the dissention in Religion raised great tumults but they of the reformed Religion had the worst The Turke spoyled and deliuered many Townes in Hungarie and Croalia but comming with his Forces to Gomorra he was most valiantly resisted He not only presecuted at this time the Christians but the Persians also vpon some cause vnkowne the truce being broken and inuaded them with two hundred thousand men where he made great hauocke sparing none After this the Christians had a notable victorie ouer the Turkes in Hungarie and did kill in fight put to flight more then fiue thousand of the Turkes Charles Guise Duke de Maine vnder the colour of restoring the Catholick religiō in France were confederate with the Pope and the King of Spaine against Henry the 4. K. of France and Nauarre therefore out of euery Prouince of the kingdome elected certaine Embassadors to holde a Parliament at Paris there to determine and set downe for a Catholike king Pope Clement the eight sent Phillip Cardinall of Plaisans And the King of Spaine his Embassadors At this time the King of France was againe excommunicated Afterward the Duke of Guise the sonne of him that was slaine by Henry the 3. being of the age of 25. yeares was nominated and elected King by certaine of the confederates but the Senat Parliament of Paris not admitting that any one should be King vnlesse he were of the blood royall he was not proclaimed neither would the Guise beare the citie thereof D. Chytraeus Vpon this the King of France as before is declared bare-footed with a candle in his hand went to the Temple of Saint Denis and being confessed to the Archbishop of Bourges and absolued of his heresie had solemne Masse and remoued the Preachers of his late professed Religion out of his Court. At Riga in Liuonia the Kings Commissaries amongst their affaires of the Estate vrged them for the restoring of the religiō to the same estate it was determined with king Stephen and the Churches likewise that the Iesuites should be againe admitted into the Temple of S. Iames and Mary Magdalen whom the yeare before the incensed Citizens had expulsed So by these meanes that the Senate and people of Riga should hold all the other Churches within the Citie and the suburbes with all the goods profits and reuenewes belonging to them But the Senate and Citizens refusing to entertaine the Iesuites as being most vnquiet turbulent spirits and the very brands of discord and sedition as also the better part of them desirous to keepe and continue in their Citie one onely religion of the confession of Augusta Or if they should altogether obey the Kings authoritie and the present necessitie of the time and fate thinking it better the secular authoritie as King Stephen had set it
of the Lorde and was consumed with vermine and died miserably because hee yeelded no glorie vnto God and so the persecution ceased Heere is a second mirrour of Gods iudgement against such as oppresse the Church Saint Paul after his conuersion returned fiue times to Ierusalem At his last beeing there hee recited the Historie of his Ministerie in the assembly of the Elders of the Church His preachings were greatly spread abroad neither ceased hee to plant the Gospell wheresoeuer he went as it appeareth in the Acts. He preached at Rome by the space of two yeares although he was a prisoner Where before there was an assembly of the faithfull as the Epistle to the Romanes witnesseth Philippe the Apostle preached in Samaria where there was a Church which retired thither after the death of Saint Steuen In Azote the Church assembled from thence it went into the Maritine Townes Peter the Apostle also preached the Gospell in many Townes as is at large seene in the Historie of the Acts. Origine in his Tome vpon Genesis saith it seemeth that Peter preached in Pontus Galatia Asia Bithinia and Cappadocia to the dispearced Iewes There was also a Church in Babilon as he himselfe witnesseth in the fist of his first Epistle In Phinicia and Siria in Tyre Sidon Serentia Silicia Pamphilia Pisidia Attalia Lycaonia Also in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithinia Misia and Phrigia Vnto these did S. Peter write The seuen Churches of Asia are named in the Apocalips namely Ephesus Smirna Pergamus Thyatirus Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicia Aboue all the Church of Antioche was most famous where the Disciples were first called Christians Some say this was the thirtie and eight yeare after Christ others fortie Paul and Barnabas remained there one whole yeare Acts. 11. and 13. Saint Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist after hee had preached the Gospell through all Asia he finally retired into the Towne of Ephesus where he remained many yeares From thence the Church might easily spread it selfe into Europe which was nigh therevnto Now we see the beginning of the Kingdome of Christ and as it were a renewment of the world About the yeare 42. the vengeance of God fell vpon Pilate For after the Iewes had accused him of too great crueltie Lord Vitellius then Gouernour of Siria commaunded him to goe to Rome to answere the accusations that were to bee laid against him But as hee was in the way hee died Tiberius as Iosephus reciteth in the eighteenth of Antiquities Chapter fiue Eutropius in his seuenth booke saith that Pilate was nipped and pinched with so great anguishes because Caligula troubled him that striking and beating himselfe with his owne hands he sought to destroy himselfe See Eusebius in his 2. booke Chap. 7. This same yeare it is held that Saint Mathew writte his Gospell in Iudea The same yeare the Tetrach ship of Herodes was deliuered to Agrippa and a great discomfiture now the second time was made of the Iewes in Babilon See Iosephus in the last Chapter of his Antiquities Claudius the fift Emperour was chosen to the Imperial dignitie the aforesaid yeare and raigned fourteen yeares and nine moneths Herodes Agrippa the yeare 15. and the third of Claudius held the Kingdome of Iudea of the gift of Caligula and Claudius Beeing departed from Rome to come to Ierusalem hee thought good to make a shew to the Iewes that he loued their Religion and after to gratifie the high Priests he put to death certaine of the faithfull At this time Churches were gouerned by the Apostles which were instructed in the schoole of the sonne of God and therefore there is no gouernment to be compared to this Yet in this time the dwell had his instruments in Churches gouernment that is to say false Apostles and false bretheren Euen alreadie wrought he the secret of Iniquitie by his Antichrist 2. Thessa 2. and 1. Iohn 2. and 4. There were Heretickes Titus 3. Dogges Philip. 3. Wolues and men speaking peruerse things Acts 20. People which were neither hotte nor colde Apoca. 3. If at this time Sathan had such license how bolde thinke we will he be now that they are gone Amongst them which now gouerned the Church some were giuen Apostles to visit Churches Their charge was to sowe the Gospell throughout the world They had no place assigned Besides the twelue Paul and Barnabas are called Apostles Acts 14. Epaphroditus is called the Apostle of the Philippians Philippians 2. Andronicus and Iunia are called notable amongst the Apostle Romanes sixteene Prophets are they which had the gift not onely to Interpret scripture but also to apply it to the true vse S. Paul preferreth Prophecie before all other gifts Euangelistes hadde an office which came nigh vnto the Apostleship The difference was onely in the degree of dignitie Of this estate was Timothie and his like which succoured the Apostles 2. Timoth. 4.5 Philip is called an Euangelist Act. 21. b. 8. Doctors were for the conseruation of the puritie of Religion that the holy doctrine might bee kept and published Saint Luke ioyneth Prophets with Doctors Acts. 13. a. 1. Priest signifieth Auncient not for that they were of an age but because age commonly hath with it more wisedome experience and grauitie Vnder this name are comprehended as well Pastors as such as were ordeined for the Regiment of the Church S. Peter calles himselfe Priest shewing thereby that it was a common name Deacons is a general name of seruice but is taken for such as had the charge to dispence the Almesses Actes 19. a. 22. Ministers or seruants are called Adioints or such as accompanied the Apostles in their viands Timothie and Erastus ministred to S. Paul Act. 19. a. 22. Bishop and Priest was then one same name and office Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Euagoras witnesseth it But afterward whilest Schismes endured one was chosen from amongest the Priests and set in the most principall place and called Bishoppe or Superintendent And therefore the office of Bishoppe was after helde to bee higher then the Priests Saint Paul commaunded Titus to place in euerie Towne Priests or Bishoppes Titus 1. a. 5.6.7 See Acts 20. f. 28. With the good seede which was all ouer as is said dispersed there beganne also heresies to be cast into the Lords field The first and most pernitious were the Simoniaques The originall whereof was Simon Magus borne in a Towne of Samaria which Iustin calleth Triton and Eusebius Gitton a man exercised in Letters who by his Arts enchaunted many in Samaria before Philip had conuerted them As is recited in the Acts. Chap. 8. After S. Peter had discouered his wicked Hipocrisie hee went away in such despite that making a mingle-mangle of the dreames of Philosophers and Painims with the religions of the Iewes and that which he learned of the Gospell he corrupted and transferred to his owne person that which was spoken of Iesus Christ of the holy Ghost and of the saluation of man
Religion then that of the Protestants Moreouer if they thought good of it hee had a great desire to send Theologians and learned men into Amaigne or else if they woulde they might sende theyr learned Diuines into Fraunce to communicate together of certaine points of Religion The Senate of Auspurge receiued the doctrine of the Gospell The 24. of Iuly the Town of Munster is besieged and by might taken by the Count d'Obersten Captaine of the Armie and by their Bishop About the end of the moneth of Ianuary Iohn de Leiden Head of the Anabaptists Coipperdolin and Chrechring his companions being tyed to postes were slaine at Munster the Head alone confessing his fault and something repenting Henry King of England had by his wife Anne Bullen a faire daughter called Elizabeth The Emperour entred into Prouence with his Armie but wanting victualls for his Campe he was constrained to retyre to Gene. A great number of his souldiers dyed and amongst others his Lieutenant Anthonie de Leue. Francis the King of France his eldest sonne dyed at Tournon vpon Rosne of the age of 18. yeares Sebastian de Moncucul an Italian was drawne with 4. horses For giuing him poyson as it is said Perone besieged by Henry Count de Nassau and by Adrian d'erouy Count de Reux There arose a great sedition in England against the King For that bee had plucked downe and banished the Popes authoritie The Emperour by Sea returned from Genes ouer into Spaine Alexander de Medices Duke of Florence is slaine by Lawrence his kinsman promising him the enioying of a Ladie his neighbour of excellent beautie Iames the fift King of Scotland espowsed Magdaline king Francis his eldest daughter The Emperours Armie in Artois vnder the conduction of Florent de Bure tooke by force S. Paul besieged Terouanne but could not winne it The eleuenth of October was borne Edwarde King Henry his sonne of England of Iane Semer which he tooke to wife after Anne Bullen Anne de Mont-mourancy is created Constabled France which is a soueraigne degree of honour which office had bene vacant 15. yeares since the reuolt of Charles de Bourbon The Emperour and the king Francis assembled Nice where the Pope was to make a peace betwixt them and although they accorded not in the principall yet they concluded a truce betwixt them for tenne yearers Margarite the Emperors bastard-daughter after the death of the aforesaid Alexander is married vnto Octauian the Popes sonne in lawe Henry of England caused the Relickes of S. Thomas of Canterburie to be taken out of his Schrine and made them publikely to be burnt The Emperour and king Francis met at Aignes mortes in Languedoc and entertained one an other Charles d' Egmond Duke de Gueldres deceased very olde and William Duke of Cleues possessed his Countrey as well by the dead mans will as by the Nobilitie of the Countrey Castelubro a Towne of Illyrica in the gulfe of Ambracia is taken from the Turke by the Emperour and the Venetians allied together Touching this Pope Paul amongst a great number of his acts I will recite but this litle following that the world may know how great their sanctitie is which the Papists maintaine with an his voyce to be Peters succors and the Vicars of Iesus Christ This Paul was an Astrologian a Magician and Diuine and amongst his most familiars had one called Denis Seuila a Magician whom therefore afterward hee made a Cardinall with one named Gaurice of Portugall Cecius and Marcell Negromancians and wicked villaines Of these did hee enquire the fortune of himselfe and his bastards He got his red hatte in this maner Hee had a sister called Iulia Farnese which hee deliuered to Pope Alexander that hee might be a Cardinall and Bishop of Hostia and to finde meanes to pay his debts For those good Popes commonly are so inflamed with whoredome that they make no difficultie to promise redde hats and Bishopprickes to such as will bring them their sisters or else that which is more horrible their young bretheren to violate Many by such practises obtaine great riches fatte Benifices And as Agrippa saith there is no shorter way then that to come therevnto This murderer poysoned his mother and a Nephewe to this end that all the succession of the Farneses might fall vpon him Moreouer seeing the other of his sisters whose carnall company he had sometime had followed too openly the maners and conditions of them of the house of Farnese and that shee loued more the company of others then his hee poysoned her also Beeing a Legate in Marke d'Ancone in the time of Iulius the second hee most wickedly abused a maide issued of a noble house of that Towne For hee counterfeited and disguised himselfe feigning to bee one of the Gentlemen of the Legates house so vnder the colour of a promise to marrie her deflowred her Who after shee knew the truth what hee was and that shee was not his legitimate wife but his whore at the least by the Canon lawe shee became almost out of her wittes And of this marriage came that great Porteenseigne and Captaine of all Buggerers and Sodomites Peter Lewis As one Nicholas de Chesme found him one day adulterously abusing his wife Laurea Farnese who was the saide Pauls Neece hee wounded him so well with his dagger that hee carried the marke thereof all his life Hee slewe with poyson Bosuis Sforza the husband of his daughter Constance whom before hee had often vsed as his whore to the ende hee might more at his ease and with greater libertie enioy her This Dotard very tyrannously oppressed them of Peruse and droue from the Seignorie Ascanius Columne a very iust Prince This detestable Robber and Rouer tooke and vsurped for himselfe the Towne of Camer after hee had driuen away the Lady thereof which was a woman endowed with a rare and singular religion and prudence and did so much with his practises with Cardinalls that hee exchaunged the said Citie of Camer which was not his owne with the townes of Parme and Plaisance to the end to make his sonne Lewis Lord maister of them Which act afterward by a iust iudgement of God was cause of the death of the said Peter Lewis He often consulted with his Cardinalls how hee might hinder a Nationall Councell in Almaine and commaunded his Embassadors that they should enflame the hearts all Princes against the King of England Anne de Cleues sister of William Duke of Cleues is accorded in marriage to the king of England In the moneth of Maya Comete appeared in the ayre and almost the same day deceased Elizabeth the Emperours wife In August Castelnouo in Illirica is taken againe vpon the Emperor by Barbarosse the great Turkes Lieftenant almost all the garrison of the Spaniards slaine The Citizens of Gaunt rose vp against Mary Regent in the lowe Contries for the Emperour for which cause it was need-full for him to haste
I say not Father Take to thy selfe now the treasures the Tapistries and the Prouince of Mustapha and gouerne it at thy pleasure Is it possible I should fall into thy spirit infamous man without all humanitie against all right to put to death so valiant a person as neuer was nor shal be the like in the house of Ottomās Ha ha I will take good order that thou shalt not impudenly vaunt glory that thou hast done the like to me And straight drew his dagger and strooke it so farre into his owne bodie that he fell downe dead vpon the earth Which so soone as his Father knew he made a maruellous mourning and yet left not to seize vpon all his goods which caused a tumult in the Campe of Mustapha but it was nothing in regard of that they did after they knew of his death In such sort that Solyman to the great danger of his life was constrained to chase away Rostan and to dispoile him of all his honours and dignities This death came wel for the Christians whose great enemy Mustapha was who tooke great delight in sheading their blood It brought also such great displeasure vnto the Turkes that therevpon followed amongst them this prouerbe Gietti Soltan Mustaphat That is all we thought on is ended in Musthapha For they thought that he would haue enlarged their Empire which they looked for at no other hand The French tooke Verceil in the Countrey of Turin but seeing they could not keepe it they spoyled pilled it and retyred Edward King of England being in his mortall bed in the moneth of May Northumberland caused one of his sonnes to espowse Iane Suffolke the Kings cousin This King of the age of 16. yeares dyed the 6. of Iuly to the great damage of Christian Religion So soone as Mary was peacibly Queene of Englande at her arriuall at London she caused to be tooke out of prison the Duke of Norfolke and the Bishop of Winchester a pernicious man and made him Chauncellor The Emperours Hoast after it had raced Terouane marched into Artois and there in the moneth of Iuly forced Hesden which the king of France had a litle before taken There was slaine Horace Fernese the husband of the kings bastard daughter and a great number of Gentlemen prisoners A battaile in Saxonie vppon the Riuer of Visurge betwixt the Duke Maurice and the Marquesse Albert wherein Albert was vanquished and Maurice victorious strooken with a bullet whereof he dyed two dayes after A deare victorie bought with death Michael Seruet de Ville-neuisue a Spaniard a pernicious hereticke hauing of long time written execrable things against the Trinitie proudly maintained them at Geneua after long detention the participation of the Councell of the Churches and faithfull Common-wealths of Suecia finally in the ende of October was condemned by the Lordes of the said Towne to be burned aliue The hardnesse of his heart was such that being vpon the wood hee would neuer confesse Iesus Christ the eternall sonne of God but only the sonne of Dauid and the sonne of the eternall God In England by the decree of all the Bishops of the kingdome then assembled the Edicts and statutes of the deceased King Edward concerning Religion were defaced and made voide and the Popish doctrine approued and allowed Albert agreed with Augustus the brother of Maurice by meanes of the King of Denmarke and of the Elector of Brandebourge Iane Suffolke Queene of England as is said by King Edwards testament and the three sonnes of the Duke of Northumberland were declared culpaple and condemned of Treason Iohn Alasco a Polonian Gentleman with a great number of the French and Flemish Churches flying from England did wander and stray a certaine space of time into Denmarke and Saxonie seeking a place to dwel in But they were euery where refused not only of a place of habitation but also they were commaunded to get them out yea in winter time not suffering them to remaine in their hauens The cause of this inhumanitie and inhospitalitie was their difference for the doctrine of the Supper of the Lorde whereof we haue before touched Finally a place was allowed them in East Friseland in the Towne Emden where a Church was open for them and granted by the Countesse of the said Emden a true Christian Princes Ferdinand being at Vienna reiected the supplication of the Estates of his Countrey which demaunded to permit the administration of the Supper of Iesus Christ whole vnder both kindes Iohn Fredericke Duke of Saxonie after his deliuerance from captiuitie agreed with the Duke Augustus and he acquited to him and his heire Males the Electorship the Country of Misne and the Townes where the Mines be yet he held vnto himselfe the name and Armes of the Elector The 20. of February Sibille of Cleues wife of the said Iohn Frederic dyed at Vinaine Eleuen dayes after the said Frederic also deceased happily in his Country amongst his children and other friends and the same day that he dyed was borne vnto the Elector Augustus a sonne named Alexander Thomas Wiat an Englishman conspired and rose vp against the Queene of England because of the straunge marriage she enterprised with Phillip the Emperours sonne On an other part of the kingdome Henry of Suffolke gathered people against her The one and the other were declared enemies of the Commonwealth taken and at diuers times beheaded The 12. of February Iane Suffolke King Edwards cousin germaine instituted heire of the kingdome by his testament was with her husband beheaded After them was made a great butchery of heads at London and Westminster where the Queene then was Elizabeth also her sister was imprisoned vpon her suspition Sienna was besieged by the Pope and the Duke of Florence Peter Stosze which defended it made a sallie vpon them and ouercame a great number of their people Charles Duke of Sauoy spoyled of the greatest best part of his Countrey dyed leauing Emanuell Philebert his sonne heire King Henry about the end of Iune tooke Bouuines Dinan Marienbourge Bius and wasted all the Country besieged Renty vpon the Marches of Artois but the Emperour comming and skirmishing together the king departed in the moneth of August remouing his siege from thence The Kings Armie in Tuscane which Strosze conducted was surprised by the Imperialists and for the most part ouerthrowne Phillip the Emperours sonne arruied the 19. of Iuly in England the 24. following the marriage was made betweene him and the Queene at Winchester The Marquis Albert chased from his Country withdrew into Lorraine and after to the king of France The Emperour caused a Fort to be builded nigh the place where Hesden was Cardinall Poole in a full assembly of all the Estates of the kingdome of England commenced the 12. of Nouember was restored into his dignities goods and honours of which he was depriued by King Henry the eight
and the Prince vnto the court after stared them prisoners and handled the prince very rigorously On the other side their forces assembled on all sides to ouerrun the realme The king of Spain should enter into Bearne to ruinate destroy the queen of Nauarre and to solemnise the entry of the Estates the prince should haue bene publikely beheaded afterward straigt vpon the conclusion of the Estates the Armies marched to sacke and spoyle such as were suspected and the people were suffered and countenanced to runne vpon all such as were religious to dispatch them with out other Inquisition And to the end to leaue none aliue the King should cause all the Princes Lords and Knights of the order to sweare and seale all the articles of Sorbone sending to the fire without longer proces all such as denied it The Chancelor did the like with such as were of the order d'la longe robe about the court The Parliaments Prelates had charge to do the like with such as belonged to Iustice and to the Cleargie Likewise Ladies honorable womē were not forgotten This being done the Inquisition of Spain entred into France to begin new tragidies But as all things were vpon the point to be executed God cut the strings thereof striking the king Francis with an Apostume in his eare wherewith after he had languished certain dayes he was finally stifled and dyed the fift day of December 1560. hauing only raigned 17. moneths This death ouerthrew the disseines and purposes of the Duke of Guise and constrained the aduersaries of the reformed Church to yeeld some reliefe vnto the faithfull who had that yeare giuen them in mockery the Huguenots because of their night assemblies to muse deuise new subtilties and persecutions whereof we will God willing speake briefly in the years following but yet the Churches in that yeare prospered in all Prouinces with infinite witnesses of God his fauour towards his and of his iudgements vpon his enemies of all estates Some of the Religion were publikely executed in diuers places but for one which died there came a thousand to the doctrine of the Gospell In so much that it was incredible the great number of persons which this yeare and that following forsooke the Romane Religion to come vnto the Christian This yeare Scotland was troubled with a ciuill war by the practises of some which would needs commaund all ouer vnder the colour of maintaining the Romane Religion but they frustrated of their hope and the reformed religion began then to set foote in that kingdome by the fauour and assistance of Elizabeth Queene of England The Queene widowe of Iames the fift died in the moneth of Iune Martin Bucer and Paul Phagius whose bodies had bene buried and burned foure yeares before in England by the sollicitations of Cardinal Poole were established in their first honor and their memorie publikely celebrated the 30. of Iuly The 10. day of Aprill before died that very learned and modest person Phillip Melancton an excellent ornament of all Almaine after whose decease many wicked spirits troubled the Almain Churches which during his life they durst not haue enterprised Ioachim Camerarius a man very learned and his great friend hath described his life The moneth of Ianuary before tooke also from this world Iohn Alasco a Gentleman of Polonia one very affectionate to the aduancement of the kingdome of Chist whose memory is precious in all Churches About the end of the same yeare Emanuel Philebert Duke of Sauoy warred vpon them of the vale of Angrogne and their neighbours professing the doctrine of the Gospell which after assaying all meanes of peace to conserue it offering their Prince all that good subiects should do defended themselues though fewe in number so couragiously and were assisted of God that after many combats they were left in peace which at this present they enioy the fauour of Margarite of France Duchesse of Sauoy amongst other humane meanes seruing them greatly both then and afterwards In the same Countrey of Piemont were seene many prodigious wonders the like in France Austrich Pologne Almain At the begginning and vntill the end of this yeare 1561. the French Churches encreased openly shewed themselues Katherine de Medices Queene mother hauing all affaires in her hand was counselled by the Princes of the house of Bourbon by the Admirall and other great Lords of the Religion by meanes whereof the greatest of the Romane Religion entred into league with them and so made priuie preparation for great troubles and vexations after hapning In the moneth of Ianuary the Princes and great Lords being assembled at S. Germaine in Laye an Edict was made the seuenteenth of the said moneth which on the one side gaue some release and libertie vnto them of the Religion and on an other side curbed and brideled them After the Councell assigned on the ninth day of September following was a conference and disputation at Poissy betwixt the Doctors of the Romane and reformed Churches In that same moneth the Electors and Princes of Almaine being assembled at Neubourge in Turinge to take Councell for maintaining the confession of Ausbourge by them presented vnto the Emperour Charles the 5. Anno 1530. gaue audience about the beginning of February the Popes Embassadors which commaunded them to send their Embassadors vnto the Councel assigned at Trent to effect which they offred for the Pope their M. such safe conduct as was possible to desire The 7. of February the Electors and Princes made answer that they found it strange that the Pope being the cause of all the cōfusions then in the Church should go about to assemble a Councel to assigne it vnto them whom he had nothing to doo to command that they did not neither euer would acknowledge any soueraigntie to belong vnto the Romane seate yea they were assured that it appertained not vnto the Pope to conuocate or call a Councell And after they had shewed the orders and filthinesse of the Romane Church and that it were good to regard and looke vnto the meanes to procure a generall and free Councel they sent away their Embassadors and after they writ vnto the Emperour Ferdinand that they all with a commō aduise agreed vnto the confessiō of Ausbourge afterward they published in an Imprinted writing their causes of reculation against the Councell of Trent These Embassadors went into diuers other places to the same effect but they receiued no good answere o any King Prince or great Lord making profession of the Gospell but especially the Queene of England would not giue leaue to the Abbot Martinengue who was sent by the Pope vnto her to passe the sea to come into England The 5. day of March the Pope caused to bee strangled in the night time in the S. Angelo the Cardinall Charles Caraffe he beheaded also in an other prison the Counte of Palliane and certaine other Cardinalls the next day shewing all their bodies
Conrad Gesner of Zurich a Phisitian learned in the tongues and humane sciences laborious and painfull amongst others and who very diligently writ a perfect and full historie of all beastes foules fishes and creeping things died also in the moneth of December leauing infinite other writings in all sorts of litterature alreadie Imprinted and others to Imprint About the end of this yeare the King Phillip sent from Spaine into the lowe Countries an Edict wherby he ordained that the auncient and new placarts against them of the Religion should be executed that the Inquisition shuld be throughly established and the Inquisitors fauoured in the exercise of their charge that the decrees of the Councell of Trent should be receiued and obserued from point to point These Letters Patents were the cause of all the troubles following and not yet ended The 7. day of Ianuary 1566. Michael Gillier a Monke of Lombardie being come from one degree to an other till he was Cardinall finally was chosen Pope and called himselfe Pius the fift The 21. day of the said moneth the Emperour Maximilian second of that name held his first Imperiall Iourney at Ausbourge where the affaires of Religion was handled Frederick Count Palatin de Rhene and chiefe Elector of the Empire a Christian and magnanimous Prince constantly maintained the pure doctrine and the true reformation established in his Countrey by meanes whereof he made himselfe redoughted of all such is resisted him either openly or secretly and was well beloued of the Emperour and of the greatest in Almaine He was then accompanied with the Prince Cassimere his sonne who kept him good company and a great company of the Nobilitie In the moneth of March and in the other following hapned great troubles in Scotland and finally the King himselfe was strangled in the night and the chamber wherein hee was ouerthrowne with Cannon powder An Earle of that Realme espowsed his widow but being ouerthrowne in battaile by the Nobilitie he fled out of the Realme The Queene thingking to saue her selfe in France was stayed prisoner in England Iames the sixt the sonne of her and her slaine husband at this present King of Scotland of the age of fifteene or sixteene yeares is a Prince of great hope In the same moneth of March at the Imperiall Iourney at Ausbourge the Emperour there assisting it was decreed that the affaires of Religion should remaine in their present estate but for the affaires of the Empire they prouided especially for the warre against the Turkes In the beginning of Aprill certaine great Lords and Gentlemen of the low Countries leagued themselues in good number against the Inquisition pretending the same to be contrary to the liberties of the lowe Countrie The people banded themselues and the Assemblies of them of the Religion began to encrease In so much that the fourth of May there was publike preaching at Antwerpe without the Towne fiue weekes after within the said Towne At the same time such as were leagued against the Inquisition were surnamed les Gueux The cause hereof was for that some of the principalls going to present a request to the Councell of the estate the Sieur de Barlaimont their aduersary said to an other Councellor that sate nigh him Voici mes Gueux Great and litle after that tooke a deuise wearing apparell of gray cloath and peeces of money about their necke hauing on the one side the kings Image and on the other side a beggers dish with this Inscription Faithfull to the king euen to the begers dish In the moneth of Iune Iuly and the other following fell a sharpe warre in Hungary against the Turkes but the end was not very good for the Hungarians and Almaines lost many men in diuers encounters also many strong holdes especially at Zigeth which was besieged by Soliman himselfe who dyed a fewe dayes before the taking thereof Selim the second of that name succeeded his father Soliman was acknowledged and crowned Emperour of the Turkes in the moneth of September and soone after transported himself into Hungarie to prouide for the affaires of that warre and then straight departed towards Constantinople leauing one of his Bâ—ssâ—es called Pertaw to continew who with a puissant Armie of Turkes and Tartarians forraged Hungarie and Transyluania committing very straunge saccagements and cruelties The Vainoda of Transyluania called this Bassa to his succours to recouer certaine places occupied by the Hungarians but perceiuing such succours did wholly ruinate ouerthrow himself he sound means to surprize the Tartarians cut them all in peeces and so dissipated all that Turkish Armie first himselfe beeing well chastifed for drawing such people into his Countrey Iohn Functius a learned Chronographer amongst all them of our time Matthias Horst and Iohn Shnell Ministers of the Gospell at Conigsprucke in Pruse were beheaded the 28. of October for the crime of conspiracie against the Prince Albert who had established the Osiandrisme that is to say the dreames and errors of one Andrew Osiander concerning Christian righteousnesse and other points of Diuinitie which errour these three maintained and would haue reuenged themselues of Albert who had purged his Countrey of that infection The death of Soliman the great whip of Christendome gaue some release vnto Almaine Selim preparing himselfe to make warre vpon Venetians but the Emperour decreed a new warre within Almaine it selfe against Frederick of Saxonie sonne of the dead Elector taken in battaile by Charles the fift The cause heereof was that Iohn Frederick supported and gaue refuge vnto William Grembach and other Gentlemen which were banished out of the Empire because of the murder of Melchior Zobel Bishop of Wirthbourge Augustus Elector Duke of Saxony the Cosin-germaine of Iohn Frederick had the charge of this warre whervnto he prepared himselfe in the moneths of October and Nouember and about the end of the yeare he laid siege before the Towne of Goth where there was a Citadell or Castle one of the strangest in Almaine Iohn Frederick Grombach and others were there which sustained the siege certaine moneths They of the Religion encreased maruellously in Flaunders Brabant and in many other Prouinces of the lowe Countries and their affaires got so forward that the 20. day of August the Images in the Churches of Antwerpe were broken in peeces The Images of other Townes were vsed incontinently after the like handling euen with an incredible swiftnesse by the simple people with such an astonishment of euery one that none of the Magistrates opposed themselues against them William de Nassau Prince of Orange Gouernour of Antwerpe hauing done what he could to hold things in an euennesse and considering that it should be impossible for him to withstand the tempest which he sawe comming gaue place to the time and resolued to retire himselfe into Almaine admonishing other Lords to do the like seeing men made account to think vpon meanes to conserue the priuiledges of the
prisoner The Flemings in a certaine request presented vnto the Emperour and the states of Almaine assembled at Spire declared that that imprisonment was practised by the Inquisitors of Spaine because the Prince condemned the dealings of the Duke of Alua and the rigor of the Inquisition and bore great amitie vnto them of the low Countries against which they proceeded with a straunge violence which coÌ„tinued more more In the month of February the Elector Palatin stayed in his hands a great sum of money descried in the country of the Empire which was going vnto the Duke of Alua into Flaunders by reason whereof there was great notice threatnings but in the end the marchants were faine to pacifie and content him The sixt day of March the Prince of Conde Cassimere besieged and assaulted the town of Chartres so that their troupes made ready to goe to the breach the king sent to offer a peace which was incontinently accepted and the second Edict of pacification published in the Campe the 30. day of the same moneth of the same tenor as the first But this accord endured not for so soone as the Duke Cassimere was retired they of the ReligioÌ„ were assailed as they went homeward and in their houses and people were dispatched on all sides to seaze and take dead or a liue the Prince of Conde the Admirall the Lords Gentlemen and Captaines professing the Religion so that in a moment appeared the third ciuill warre on all sides what remonstrances soeuer the Prince could make to cause the contentions against the Edict to cease The 20. day of March died Albert Marquesse of Brandebourge Duke of Pruse of the age of 78. yeares a Prince right noble vertuous learned wise and fearing God He repurged his Countrey of the errors of Andrew Osiander Anne Mary of Brouswic his wife by his second marriage deceased the same day and left a sonne called Albert Frederick then of the age of 15. yeares The 25. day of Aprill William de Nassau Prince of Orange and Anthony de Ludain Count Hochstrate published their defences and iustification against the personall adiornament decreed vpon them by the Duke of Alua at the instance of the Proctor generall and shewed in their writings vnto whom the cause of all the troubles of the lowe Countries ought to be imputed and that they were nothing culpable of these stirres In the moneth of May certaine people being chased from diuers Prouinces gathered themselues together attending the Count de Hochstrate and other Captaines but they were ouerthrowne and the most part cut in peeces by the troupes of the Duke of Alua. In the same time the Count Lodowick tooke Armes and seazed vpon many places in Frise The Duke of Alua sent incontinently an Army of Spaniards vnder the conduct of the Count d' Aremberge They encountred the 24. of May where the Spaniards were ouerthrowne their Captaine slaine in the field the Count Adolphe Lodowicks brother was also slaine as hee pursued the victorie But because the Prince of Orange and others that were adiourned appeared not at the day assigned they were declared criminalls of treason The first of Iune the Duke of Alua greatly stirred with the death of the Count d' Aremberge caused to bee beheaded at Bruxells many Gentlemen amongst others the two Barons of Battembourge and foure daies after the Counts d' Aigment and de Horne which had done great seruice vnto the Emperor Charles and King Phillip The same day the house of the Count de Curembourge where the Lords of the League assembled when they made their request was sacked and destroyed and a piller placed in the middest thereof with a writing that it was raced for the execrable coniuration made therein against the Catholicke Romane Religion the Kings maiestie nor the estate of the Countrey At the same time the Count de Bure the onely sonne of the first marriage of the Prince of Orange a Student at Louaine was taken carried into Spaine against the priuiledges oâ— Brabant and of the Vniuersitie of Louaine After there was an Edict published forbidding â—â—pon conâ—â—â—â—â—cie 〈…〉 any way or 〈◊〉 doe with 〈…〉 the Count Lodowick was alwaies in the field the Duke of 〈◊〉 â—â—nt an Army to ouerthroâ—â—â— him who attended 〈◊〉 resolutely But at the ioyning his souldiers refused to fight so that hee was constrained to saue himselfe by swimming ouâ—â— a Riuer nigh vnto that place had leauing many of his people there the 21. day of Iuly The Prince of Orange seeing that the Duke of Alua continued in his strange and bloudie actions after diuers sorrowful coÌ„plaints vnto the king of Spaine wherof there was no account made published his iustifications and tooke Armes and conducted his Army with such speed that quickly he passed Meuse resolued to giue battaile to his enemie But vpon the point to fight his souldiers demaunded siluer which the Prince not able to do ledde a part of his troupes through Brabant and Hainaut and entred France where the Princes and Lords of the Religion called him to their succours Then the Churches of France and the lowe Countries were very desolate As for the lowe Countries the Duke of Alua and the bloudie Councell sought by all meanes to roote out Religion to plant the Inquisition and to ruinate all the Countrey killing publikely and secretly an infinit number of innocent persons The affaires of France were in no better case For from the peace made vntill the ende of August there were slaine in diuers fortes more people of the Religion in Townes and the fieldes without any distinction of Sexe age or estates then there died in all the second warre The 23. of Iuly died in prison Charles Prince of Spaine hauing attained the age of 23. yeares Certaine daies after deceased Elizabeth Queene of Spaine The 28. of the same moneth Iohn Duke of Einland was chosen king of Snede in the place of his brother Henry who for his demerites was deposed Three Moones were seene at one instant in heauen in egall and sufficient distance one from an other especially in 〈◊〉 the ninth day of August The Towne of Treuers long 〈◊〉 before besieged 〈◊〉 Archbishop thereof 〈◊〉 â—â—â—bgâ—t to 〈…〉 by the mediation of the Emperour and 〈…〉 In the same mâ—â—â—th the Empâ—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 many times bene desired at last permitted the Lords 〈◊〉 Gentlemen of Austrich professâ—â—â— the Gospell to 〈…〉 in their Castles 〈◊〉 and hoâ—sâ—s 〈…〉 doctrine contained in the confession of Ausbourge The 23. of the said moneth the Prince of Conde being vpon the point to fall into the power of his enemies saued himselfe with his wife and children and departing from Noyers in Bourgongne accompanied with the Admirall of Sieur d' Andelot and of their traine passed the Riuer of Loire at a Forde and were constrained to saue themselues at Rochell Then began the third ciuill warre in France wherevnto both parties prepared
themselues Iane d' Albert Queene of Nauarre an excellent Princesse came thither to find her brother in lawe the Prince of Conde brought with her her son Henry then very young From that time that campe of the Religion was called the Army of the Princesse They presented and published many Remonstrances which serued for nothing and Churches were dissipated and dispersed in the most part of Prouinces and very rigorous Edicts published against them of the Religion Henry Duke of Aniou and brother of King Charles the ninth being then chiefe of the Army of the Catholicke Romanes The Chauncelor d'l'Hospitall perswading to peace was sent to his house and his Seales giuen to an other The Almaines and other Straungers were sollicited on both sides to come to their succours The Emperour behaued himselfe very wisely in this behalfe The 21. day of October sixe Theologians of the part of Augustus Elector of Saxonie and as many on the side of Iohn William Duke of Saxonie were assembled at Aldenbourge to agree the controuersies hapning amongst these Theologians vpon certaine points of Christian doctrine The Duke Iohn William assisted there personally that conference and disputation continued vntill the beginning of March in the yeare following and there was at large disputed vpon Iustification and many Articles depending thereon As the acts of the disputation do shewe The 25. of this moneth Paul de Ridnend sieur de Mouuans a braue and valiant souldier amongst the French Captaines much affectioned towards Religiō was ouerthrowne with his footmen of Prouence and Daulphine by the companies of horsemen of the Duke Montpensier of the Count de Brissa◠and other Catholicke Romanes were slaine in the field with a great number of souldiers and losse of many Ensigne Such as escaped ioyned themselues to the Princes Army The 12. of Nouember the Captaine la Coche a Gentleman of Dauphine was ouerthrowne with his troupes by the Duke d' Aumale betwixt Metz and Sauerne He was taken and after put to death About the ende of Nouember the Prince of Orange not beeing able to take order in the affaires of the lowe Countries withdrew into Almaine with certaine warriours attending the departure of the Duke de Deux Ponts who prepared to giue succours to the Princes In the meane while the French Armies besieged and tooke diuers places remaining in the field notwithstanding the rigour of winter which killed a great number of souldiers Christopher Duke of Wittemberge and Count de Montbelliard died the 28. of December About the same time 5500. Reisters conducted by Philibert Marquesse de Bade and other great Lords of Almain passed Rhene and soone after they entred The Queene of England about the 23. of Nouember tooke three Spanish ships laden with great riches The sixt of Ianuary she made a reason of her action in an Imprinted writing Wherein she shewed how litle the Duke of Alua his menaces astonished her During the moneths of Ianuary and February the next Countrie to Strasbourge was seene full of people of warre Almaines readie to enter France The Prince of Orange was in great distresse about pleasing of the Reistres but in the end he appeased them and ioyned himselfe to the Duke de Deux Ponts who before he departed wrote largely vnto the King the reasons that mooued him to succour the Princes and them of the Religion and the next morning mounted on horsback and the 12. of March he mustered where there were found seuen thousand and sixe hundreth Reistres well mounted besides the troupes of the Prince of Orange and of certaine French Lords and Gentlemen and certaine Lansquenets footemen The last day of February the Duke of Alua adiourned by publike Edict all fugitiues of the lowe Countries to appeare in person within six weekes after vpon paine of confiscation of their goods They doubting his crueltie thought it better to loose the sleeue then the arme In so much that no person returned therfore the Duke fatted himselfe with confiscations and continued also to feede himselfe with the bloud of such faithfull as he could catch The thirteenth day of March Lewis de Bourbon Prince of Conde fighting valerously in the battaile fought nigh to Coignac in Poictu amongst the troupes and Army of the Catholickes was ouerthrowne from his horse to the ground taken prisoner vpon his faith and against all right diuine and humane slaine with a Pistoll behinde on his head by one called Montesquian The Catholicke Romanes made great reioycings at that death thinking to haue gained as much as if they of the Religion had now no helpe at all There were also great triumphes made at Rome Many Gentlemen and valiant Captaines were slaine with the Prince The Admirall de Chastillon hauing gathered together his troupes vnder the authoritie of Henry de Bourbon Prince of Nauarre and of Henry de Bourbon Prince of Conde sonne and successor of Lewis both of them as yet very young hartned so euery one that the Catholicke Romanes willing to pursue their victory with an inconsiderate boldnesse were beaten downe before Coignac had other notable great losses after that The Princes the Admirall the Lords Gentlemen Captaines and souldiers of the Army renewed their former oath to do their duties in opposing themselues against the violence of the enemies to procure a good peace to the glory of God to the rest of the churches of al the kingdome The Queene of Nauarre brought the Prince her sonne into the Armie and after hauing made many good remonstrances and reasons to encourage and stirre him to the performance of his dutie towards God and his Country she retired into Rochell Then waxed the warre hotter then before with diuers exploits and chaunces on both sides The estates of the Empire were assembled at Francford the 14. day of Aprill to prouide for the affaires of Almaine In the same moneth the Pope sent vnto the Duke of Alua as a recompence of so great paines as he had taken to maintaine the Popedome an helme and a paire of gloues blessed with great ceremonies on Christmas day Paul the third sent the like present vnto the Emperour Charles the fift after he ouercame the Protestant Princes The seuenth day of May Francis de Colligni Sieur d' Andelot Colonell of the French footemen very affectionate towards the maintaining of the true Religion a Knight without all feare and greatly dreaded of the Gospells enemies died of poison in the Towne of Saintes Many other great Lords and Gentlemen of the Religion died in the same manner before and after by the cunning art of certaine poysoners sent through Fraunce and better recompenced for such execrable acts then the wisest valiantest and faithfullest seruants of the Crowne The Duke de dreux Ponts being entred into France maugre the hinderance of Claude d'Lorraine Duke d' Aumale besieged and tooke Charite a Towne placed vpō the Riuer of Loire and passing forward to ioyne himselfe
Trent made great a sonne and two nephewes of his ratified the promises of marriage of the Prince of Nauarre with Margarite of France whereof his predecessor made difficultie and carefully and readily prouided for the good assurance of his temporall greatnesse The ninth day of Iune Iane d' Albert Queene of Nauarre an excellent Princesse amongst all them of her time daughter of Henry d' Albert and of Margarite d' Valois sister of king Francis the first going to Paris to giue order for diuers things requisit for the honor of the Prince her sonnes marriage fell suddenly sicke and died to the great griefe of them of the Religion and of all persons that loued the rest of France which this Princesse had procured by all meanes The 12. of Iune the Duke de Medina Coeli being sent from Spaine into Flaunders to gouerne in the Duke of Alua his place was shamefully ouerthrowne by them of Flushing lost 12. hundreth Spaniards 16. ships and foure of them were burnt in his presence hee sauing himselfe by flight The bootie was very great and almost inestimable On the 15. day an alliance was confirmed at Paris betwixt the King of France and the Queene of England who sent thither the Lord Clinton her Admirall The 16. the Prince of Orange published the causes wherefore hee againe tooke Armes against the Spaniards and their adherents in the lowe Countries The 25. certaine Gentlemen of Frise with good troupes holding the Prince of Orange his part seized vpō Dordrec and other places of Holland which ioyned themselues on that side The exercise of Religion was again set vp to the great despite of the Duke of Alua and the Spaniards Three dayes after the Prince of Orange writ at large vnto the Emperor shewing him the causes of that warre In the mean while certain Almain Lords leuied Reiters to succour the Duke of Alua. Sigismond August king of Polongne died the first of Iuly without heire-males which gaue occasion vnto Katherine de Medices Queene mother and Regent in France to send Embassadors into Polongne to the end to obtaine the Crowne for Henry Duke d' Antou her second sonne then liuing The 19. of Iuly the Emperour put the Prince of Orange to banishment from the Empire and pronounced him acquited from all priuiledges and rights and all his goods confiscated if he continued with strong hand to enter into the lowe Countries This notwithstanding the Prince pursued that which he had begun But in this moneth of Iuly 7. or 8. thousand French men marching to the succours of the besieged at Monts in Hainaut before they came there were defeated their chieftaines taken and they of Monts straighter kept in The Prince passed Rhene tooke Ruremond the 4. of August Louaine yeelded Maligues and certain other Townes were surprised After he drew towards Monts to succor his brother But the news of the pitious estate of Frāce brought such a change that the Prince was constrained to cut off his way to enter his troupes and retier himselfe into Holland whether he was called by the estates of the Countrey being accompanied with a small number of people This retrait so encouraged the Duke of Alua hauing now nothing to hinder him that the 21. of September he made himselfe maister of Monts by composition and kept promise with the Count Lodowick causing him safely to be conducted vnto the lands of the Empire After this Maligues was abandoned by them which the Prince left there and all other places before taken were taken againe into the hands of the Spaniards From Monts the Duke went towards Malines the first day of October Certaine Burgesses and all the Cleargie met him with Crosses and Banners but it serued for nothing for as much as they had receiued the Prince into their Towne he gaue the pillage and spoile of the Towne to the souldiers which tooke their pleasure there three daies slew many men and violated many women and maidens Whilest the lowe Countrie Churches sobbed thus vnder such tempests they of France which were thought should haue enioyed some long rest were rudely beaten and as it were flatly ouerthrowne by a maruellous straunge accident Wee haue before spoken of the death of the Queene of Nauarre as she came to Paris about the marriage of the Prince her son This Prince afterward called the King of Nauarre Henry de Bourbon his Cousin Prince of Conde Gaspar de Coligni great Admiral of France le Count de la Rochefoucand the Marquesse de Reinel many Lords Gentlemen and Captaines which had alwaies borne Armes against the Catholike Romanes came to the Court about that marriage at the kings request This marriage hauing bin solemnized vpon Monday the 18. of August the Friday following the Admirall was grieuously wounded with the blowe of an Hargabush shot out of a certaine window by a man then not sufficiently knowne called Maureuel a waged murderer yea one of the most execrablest manquellers of the world who afterward by the iust iudgement of God lost the same arme with which he gaue that detestable blowe The Sunday following the Admirall was most traitorously slaine in his chamber and cast dead out of the windowes vpon the pauement where he was knowne of Henry Duke of Guise After they rushed vpon the other Lords Gentlemen Captaines which were slaine also some within the Castle de Louuine others without This was done betimes in the morning All that day and morning was employed by such as they call Catholicke Romanes in sleying men and women of the Religion many not sparing women bigge with childe no nor litle children They continued this the dayes following but not in so great number because the murderers found not any more to sley The day of the wounding and the Sunday the King dispatched Letters expresly vnto the Gouernours of the Prouinces whereby he aduertised them that that disorder hapned besides his knowledge and to his great griefe by the practises and enmities of the house of Guise and that he determined to take good order therefore in the meane time hee would that his Edict of pacification should in each point be maintained Briefly he imputed the Admiralls wounding and death whom in the said Letters he called his Cousin to the particular quarels of the houses of Chastillon and Guise But meer contrary on thursday the 28. hee declared and caused to be published that that massacre and horrible murder had beene done by his expresse commaundement and to preuent a conspiration of the Admirall and his partakers wherof notwithstanding neither he nor his Councellors made it appeare nor could produce any profit although it was much prooued and desired of many Whilest great and litle were thus hungring and thirsting after innocent bloud the same Sunday the 24. of August certain Priests by Art made a great Thorn-tree in the church-yard of S. Innocent flourish at noone time of the day and cryed a myracle a myracle This
encreated the rage of the people against them of the Religion And although the Priests in the meane while filled well their powches by such an inuention making the people beleeue that the Catholicke Romane Religion began now to flourish againe in Fraunce yet their deuise was soone after discouered and the tree remained destroyed but euen then when it flourished some said that God had shewed to all mens eyes the innocencie of such as were slaine and that by such a token hee assured his Church that it should not perish as the persecutors pretended but that it should florish vnder the crosse against all hope of men as that Tree florished extraordinarily Moreouer certain weekes after le Sieurs de Briquemald de Caragues excellent men which had done great seruices to the Crowne the one by Armes and the other in affaires of iustice were in hatred of the Admirall and of Religion hanged strangled within Paris in the presence of the king himself his mother his brethren They maintained euen to the last sigh the innocency of the dead Admiral and of them of the religiō shewing a singular cōstancy in their deaths Certaine yeares after they were iustified by the Edict of Henry the third the next king and their names declared honorable as also the before mentioned massacre was cōdemned disavowed But men cōtented not themselues thus to haue imbrued the towne of Paris with blood but in like sort were all of the Religion handled at Meaux in Brie at Troys in Champagne at Rouen at Orleans at le Charite at Burges at Lyons at Romains in Dauphine at Thoulouse at Bourdeaux with so barbarous disloyalties and cruelties that scarce our posteritie will beleeue it In few dayes with them of Paris were slain more then thirty thousand persons olde and yong of all quallities men women and children as bookes in Print do shewe euery day The King of Nauarre and the Prince of Conde were constrained to abiure Religion The Parliament of Paris published a diffamatorie arrest and iudgement against the Admirall whose bodie was taken from the gibet and so secretly buried that his enemies could not finde it out Many persons forsooke Religion some vpon infirmitie others vpon despight so that so hard a proofe discerned the false from the true Christians Rochell Sancerre Nismes in Languedoc Montaubon in Querci and a fewe other Townes in the kingdome after diuers consultations maintained themselues and kept the exercise of Religion which put the authors of the murthers and confusions into a new paine as shall be touched hereafter Amongst so many troubles commencements of greater sorrowes a new Starre appeared in heauen as great as the day Starre nigh the Starre Cassiopec of the figure of a Lozenge This beganne the ninth day of Nouember at night It stirred not from the place the space of three weekes It was thought to be like the Starre which appeared to the wise men which came from the East to worship Iesus Christ in Bethlehem straight after his birth This Starre appeared in seuen the space of nine moneths or thereabouts Hereof were many discourses made by diuers learned men Concerning the lowe Countries after the Princes retrait aboue mentioned the waight of the warre fell vpon Holland and Zeland whither the Duke of Alua sent the Captaine Montdragon with twentie Ensignes of Wallons which to the great astonishment of euery one got the I le of Suitbeuerland and constrained the Princes troupes to leuie the siege before a Towne called Tergoes In the meane while the Duke marched with his Armie and the 21. of Nouember tooke and spoyled Zutphen a Towne in Holland And to feare others and drawe them to yeeld the sooner without delay all manner of cruelties were executed by the Spaniards and Wallons in that Towne Frideric de Toledo the Dukes sonne and Lieutenant marched from Zutphen to Narden which is an other litle Towne wherof the Inhabitants at the yeelding of themselues the 30. day of Nouember were so cruelly handled against the rights of reddition and of war amongst people of any humanitie that men might iudge that this sacking and spoyle with that of Roterdam were the onely motiue and cause of the rising of other Townes which then were vpon the point to returne vnder the yoake After the taking of this Towne the Army drew straight to Harlem the Inhabitants whereof determined to defend it rather then submit it selfe vnto the mercy of people without mercy Indeed they bore themselues valiantly and sustained diuers assaultes with the aide of certaine souldiers which were sent them by the Prince and kept good defence vntill the 13. of Iuly the yeare following In the yeare 1573. the Townes of Rochel Sancerre were cruelly handled assailed and bearen by the Catholick Romans but with a diuerse issue As for Rochel being well garded and defended the newes also of the report that the Duke of Anion should be king of Polongne were cause that Rochel was deliuered and obtained peace yea and remained with her priuiledges They of Sancerre hauing beene troubled with an horrible and grieuous famine the space of certaine moneths receiued some fauourable dealing by the comming of the Polonian Embassadors which then came into Fraunce to conduct away their new king These things ended in the moneth of Iuly to the confusion of the Catholicke Romanes which lost more then twentie thousand men before Rochel Some Churches then began to respire and many tooke againe good courage to redresse some portion of so many ruines Warre was also kindled in Holland especially at the siege of Harlem where the besieged men and women executed maruellously their duties but not being able to be succoured oppressed also with famine finally they yeelded themselues the 13. of Iuly at the discretion of Frederick de Toledo who drowned hanged beheaded more then two thousand souldiers The Burgesses escaped death by the payment of a great summe of money which they straight disbursed In the moneth of April before they of Flushing obtained a memorable victory ouer the Army of the Duke of Alua and cast into the sea a great number of Spaniards After the taking of Harlem Frederic besieged Alemar a Towne nigh therevnto resoluing with himselfe to make a goodly butchery of the Burgesses if they could obtaine it But he was constrained to leaue his siege after great losse The Prince on the other side found meanes to obtaine the strong Castle of Rameken and the Towne of S. Gertrudenberghe They of Linchuse ouercame the Nauall Army of the Count de Bossu and tooke him prisoner the 12. day of October whilest Leiden was besieged of the Spaniards The second day of September the Duke of Alua forsooke the lowe Countries making his iourney through the Franche Counte Sauoy and Piemont to embarke himselfe at Genes and so to saile into Spaine carrying with him an infinit bootie from the lowe Countries which he left in great heate of warre betwixt the hands
Yet notwithstanding the Churches were redressed and encreased in diuers places maugre the rage deuices of Sathan whilest the king called the Estates to Blois where he made his entry the 18. day of Nouember and all the remainder of the yeare after was imployed vpon diuers conferences amongst the Deputies The affaires of the lowe Country bore themselues as followeth In the moneth of February 1576. the Prince of Orange obtained a Fortresse of great importance called Crimpen in Holland whereby hee warranted Suindree and all other places thereabouts During the siege of Ziriczee the Commander died of the pestilence at Bruxelles the 5. day of March Then the gouernment of the lowe Countries was by the king remitted into the hands of the Councell of the Estate In the moneth of May following Ziriczee being not able to hold out any lōger was yeelded to the Spaniards who straight after began to mutenie vnder colour of paiments due vnto them and determined to haue surprised Bruxelles so to pay themselues The Inhabitants hereof aduertised prouided so well for theyr assurance that the Spaniards found the gates shut wherat they were so despited that without any resistance about the ende of Iuly entring Alost a Towne situate betwixt Gaunt Malines and Bruxelles they vsed there the inhabitants as in a place takē by assault And bicause they continued their disorders by the winking of certaine of the Councell of estate In the beginning of September the Captaine of Bruxelles well accompanied entred into the Pallace and in the name of the Estates of Brabant cōstituted prisoners amongst others the Counties of Mansfield and de Barlaiment Assonuile Councellor Barti Scharemberg Secretaries Soone after the Spaniards were declared Rebels enemies to the King his country by an Edict of the Councell of Estate published the 22. of September For all this the Spaniards left not running hither and thither putting to flight all such as in the field made head against them and by the intelligence they had with the Lansquenets they entered into the towne of Mastricht which they pilled This done they ioyned themselues together marched towards Antwerpe arriuing there they got in at the Citadel or Castle the 4. of Nouember and sodenly assailed the companies of souldiers and all the inhabitants of the Towne with a maruellous fiercenes resolution during many daies pilling sacking spoyling the towne one of richest fullest of marchandise in all Europe they massacred slew many thousands of persons of all ages sexes Estates and of diuers Countries burnt one of the richest quarters of the Towne with the magnificall and most sumptuous house thereof briefly they committed there all maner of wickednes The Estates of the fifteene Prouinces which till then had bene Spanish hauing learned to their cost that they which thus handled them looked for nothing so much as wholly to ruinat and destroy them made a peace with the Princes the States of Holland Zeland the 8. day of Nouember in the Towne of Gaunt During all those tempests God conserued the reformed Church of Antwerpe and certaine others also as sometimes in Babilon he conserued the companions of Daniel in the middest of the burning Fornace and Daniel himselfe in the Lyons den Incontinently after the spoyling of Antwerpe the Almaines would needs remooue their goods to Valenciennes but they were preuented by the Inhabitants and driuen away out of the Towne the 10. day of Nouember They of Groninghe in Friseland maintained themselues in the like sort and arrested prisoner their Gouernour who meant to haue spoyled theyr Towne And at this time all the lowe countries were in armes readie to runne vpon the Spaniards extreamly hated of them all Iosias Sinder an execellent Theologian professor of holy letters at Zurich dyed the second day of Iuly in his age of 45. yeares He left some bookes which were full of solide doctrine and especially exceellently refuting the Antitrinitaries and Vbiquitaries Stephen Bathori Vaiuoda of Transiluania hauing beene crowned King of Polonia the first day of May tooke order for the affaires of his kingdome and prepared himselfe for the war against the Moscouite He left the churches of Poland in peaceable estate The Emperour Maximilian hauing held his last Imperiall Iourney at Ratisbone dyed the 12. day of October beeing about the age of 55. yeares Rodolphus his eldest sonne King of the Romanes of Hungarie and of Boheme succeeded his Father Maximilian in the Imperiall dignitie being the second of that name Assoone as he was proclaimed Emperor he caused the Embassadors of Poland to be released and sent to Amurath to demaund truce which was without any difficultie graunted because that the Turke hauing had aduertisement of the warre which the king of Persia prepared against him could not any way assure himself to make resistance in so many places his Empire elsewhere being sorely weakened by the iust punishment of God with plague and famine Ieronimo Conestagio Frederic Elector Palatine of Rhene a Prince fearing God greatly affectionating true Religion the ornament true Iosias of all Almaine died the 22. of October being 26. years of age His eldest sonne Lewes succeeded him in the dignity of princely Electorship who chaunged the doctrine discipline which his father had happily established in the Countie Palatine In the moneth of Ianuary February and March the Estates of France were at Blois where the last Edict of pacification on was reuoked after infinit practises and the Duke Alenson forsooke the part of Polititians and of them of Religion From thence followed in sommer next a new warre against them of the Religion which lost the Townes de la Charite vpon Loire Issoire in Auuerne Melle and Brouage in Guien with great desolations especially at Issoire The Marshall also Danuile forsooke his confederates and did the worst he could vnto the Churches of Languedoc finally a sixt Edict of pacification was treated of at Bergerac and agreed on at Poitiers in the moneth of September by the meanes whereof the former was abolished and the Churches more troubled then euer they were insomuch that after that they had nothing assured yet notwithstanding God maintained them in many places against the opinion of great and title In old Saxonie which we now call Westphalia Salentinus Bishop of Padeborne and Archbishop of Coloine being the last of the honourable house of Eisenberge voluntarily resigned both his Bishopprickes and tooke to wife Antouia Witelma the daughter of Iohn Counte of Arenberge and sister to Charles Arenberge Whom in the Diocesse of Padeborne Henry Duke of Saxonie Archbishop of Breme succeeded and in the Electoriship Gebardus Truchesses the sonne of William Lord of Walnogh Dauid Chytreus Iohn de Austrich the bastard sonne of the Emperor Charles the fift was sent as Gouernor into the lowe Countries He before hee entered into Brabant confirmed the pacification of Gaunt and made an accord with
the Estates the 12. day of February The next morning the Spaniards forsooke the Castle of Vtrich according to the accord and the 20 of March folowing they which were in the Townes and Citadell of Antwerpe came out with their bootie The Almaines remained in the towne vnder the Colonels Foncquer and Fronsperge attending paiment the 2. of April the Spaniards came out of Mastricht Iohn de Austria made his entry into Bruxells by the 1. of May and tooke his oath according to the statutes of the Countries the eleuenth of Iune hee went to Malignes where hauing performed that he came for hee retyred vnto Namur and laide hold of the Castle the 24. of Iuly the Estates hauing discouered the drifts and practises of Iohn de Austria stood vpon their guardes and discouering what hee went about against them got the Castle of Antwerpe and constrained the Almaines quickly to dislodge seazing diuers places and dismanteling the Citadell or Castle of Antwerpe ioyned it to the Citie of Antwerpe the 28. of August and in the moneth following caused their iustification to be published taking armes for theyr defence calling the Prince of Orange to their succours Who arriued in Antwerpe the eighteenth day of September and fiue dayes after at Bruxells being of all receiued with great ioy hee was after the 22. of October chosen Gouernour of Brabant About the same time was there trouble at Gaunt and Groine which after was appeased Genebrardus Mathias Archduke of Austria the Emperours brother being called to be Gouernour of the lowe Countries made his entry into the Towne of Antwerpe the 21. of Nouember and the 17. of December he accepted the gouerment of the countries vpon the conditions proposed vnto him by the Deputies of the Estates The Churches of Holland and Zeland florish they of other Prouinces of the low countries begin to hope well Stephen Bathori King of Poland this yeare made warre vpon the Dantzick but after certaine encounters a peace was accorded vpon conditions Sebastian King of Portugall sent Peter d'Alascoua Embassador to Phillip King of Spaine with commaundement to treat of three point that is for aide in the action of Affricke for the marriage of his daughter and for enterview The Embassador obtained all three the promise of marriage with one of his daughters when she should come to yeares that the Catholick king should goe to Gradalupa to meet with K. Sebastian and as for succours he should furnish men gallies to vndertake the enterprise of Alarache the which was spoken very coldly Philip confirmed the succors of men gallies so as the Turke should send no mē into Italy and that they should vntertake Alarache in this yeare the whole being referred vnto their enterview at Gradalupa In the Parliament held at Blois Pierre d' Epinac Archbishop of Lyons rose vp and before them all declared his reasons touching the Cleargie the Lord of Senscey spake for the nobilitie and Versoris for the common The two first by a multitude of reasons wonderfull speeches concluded that it was most fit and conuenient that there should be but one Religion in the realme The third shewed that the people wholly desired the revnion thereof so it might be done by peaceable and quiet meanes without warres But the Cleargie and Nobilitie after many difficulties caused the Parliament to breake vp so that vnder the ashes of the last warres which as yet were hot there might be found the sparkes of a great fire For after many messages although in vaine sent by the King to the Protestant Princes the warre began again for the Prince of Conde rose vp in arms and swore not to leaue them vnder whose protestation was placed Deo victricibus armis vntil he had brought the realme into her former splendor dignity But the reasons that perswaded peace to the King got the vpper hand of those that desired warre and therevpon an Edict of peace was made at Poitiers with great contentment on both parts and the Prince of Conde the same night he receiued it caused it to be published by torch-light although with lesse aduantage on his side then the first for it restored the exercise of the Catholicke religion in the places where it had beene prohibited it suffered mens consciences to be free yet without publike exercise but onely in the Townes and places whereas then it was openly preached and to Gentlemen of qualitie and degree in their owne houses yet there was some difficultie in the execution and obseruation of this peace which the conference at Nerae betweene the Queene mother and the King of Nauarre soone auoyded but the wound not well healed did still bleede by means of the furious disorders of those that were his chiefe doers but the yeare one thousand fiue hundred eightie one it was wholly ioyned and drawne into a scarre See the Historie of France Syr Martyn Forbisher tooke his voyage by sea about the the end of May towards the North and West discouering vnknowne Countries and came againe rich laden into England about the end of September following The Pope forasmuch as this intended warre by Sebastian was attempted against Infidels opened his spirituall treasures graunting the Bull of the Croisada which till that time was not brought into the Realme The ninth of Nouember there appeared in the Zodiaque in the signe of Libra neare vnto the station of Mars the goodliest and greatest Comet that hath bene seene in many ages the which hapning in the progresse of this warre amazed many who looking to examples past said it was a signe of vnhappie successe and that comming frō a corrupt aire it did endamage the delicate bodies of Princes And for as much as the auncient Captaines with their diuines did interpret it to good not for that they beleeued it but to incourage the souldiers the Portugall likewise taking it for a fauour said that this Comet spake vnto the King saying Accometa which is to say in the Portugall tongue Let him assayle them not hauing any such beliefe but for flattery fearing more the Kings choler by reason of his rough inclination then the heauens Ieronimo Conestaggio After the sixt Edict of pacification in France the King hauing published certaine ordinances in regard of policie sollicited much the Prouinces of his Country to get mony of them wherevpon followed great discontentment In the meane while the souldiers being dispersed in many places and yet hauing weapons in their hands gaue them of the Religion to thinke they could not long continue in quietnesse yet the Churches maintained themselues in diuers places About the end of March the Towne of Geneua had great alarums many troupes appearing in diuers places to haue surprised it but their comming being discouered and the towne holding her selfe vpon her guards there followed no exployts of warre The Queene mother made diuers progresses through the Realme of France to maintaine said she the publike repose and so
fell to a peace about the end of this yeare The Cardinall Don Henry brother of King Don Iohn the third grandfather of Don Sebastian was by a generall consent of the Nobles and Gouernours chosen and sworne king of Portugall who like an other Anius was made king of a preist of whom Virgill saith in the 3. of his Aeneiads Rex Anius Rex idem hominum Phaebique Sacerdos Of this Cardinal say the Portugalls that he was borne in the Eclips of the Moone and in the Eclips of the Moone he died M. Cyprian Val. Almaine was troubled by the cries and factions of the Vbiquitaries against whom certain Princes common-weales and learned mē opposed thēselues both with liuely voice writing The faith and obedience of the king of France his subiects began to decline Vpon the 31. of Ianuary Henry Cardinall King of Portugall departed this life he began to die in the Eclips of the Moone and died with the end thereof as if that the celestiall signe had wrought that effect in him being a man of a weake body which it doth not in strength or at the least not so suddenly as Astrologians do write neither is the houre to bee neglected being the same wherein he was borne 68. yeares before This was the last King of Portugall in whom ended the right Masculine line And as the first Lord of Portugall although vnder the title of an Earle was called Henry so doth it seeme the last should be so termed He was Bishop Gouernour of the Realme Inquisitor Maior Legate Apostolicke and King On the sixt of Aprill being wednesday in Easter weeke about sixe of the clocke towards euening a certain Earthquake happening in London and almost generally throughout England so amazed the people as was wonderfull for the time This Earthquake endured in or about London not passing one minute of an houre but in Kent and on the Sea coasts it was felt three times as at Sandwich at sixe of the clocke at Douer at the same houre These and many other places in East Kent the same Earthquake was felt three times to mooue at sixe at nine and eleuen Hollenshead The first of May after 12 of the clocke in the night was an other Earthquake felt in diuers places in East Kent namely at Ashford and great Chard King Phillip performed the funerall obsequies of Sebastian in the Church of S. Ierome at Madrill although it was secretly muttered that the Duke of Alua should say the King should haue performed it in Potugall in our Ladies Church of Belem where the other kings are accustomed to be interred inferring it may bee that Phillippe was successor vnto Sebastian or at the least should assure himselfe by force of the succession after Henry causing himselfe to be sworne Prince Ieronimo Conestaggio In the beginning of Iune the Frislanders passing Rhene returned into their Countrie and meeting the Count Hollocke with 22. Auncients and two thousand horsmen gaue him an ouerthrow in which were slaine of the Counts part one thousand and fiftie and on their owne side but fiftie and fiue by this encounter the siege was raised at the Groine and many Townes Hauens and holdes of Friseland were redeemed Genebrard After K. Henries death whē Katherine Duchesse of Brabant Anthony the bastard sonne of King Lewis and others had promised themselues the next succession at the last Phillip king of Spaine who was for that named of the dying Cardinall was inuested by the consent of the Lords spirituall and temporall Others chiefly they of Lisbone did sweare to Don Antonio but Phillip with a great power both by sea and land of the which he made the Duke of Alua Generall came to Lisbone and expulsed Don Antonio and recouered the Citie Who beeing hotly pursued by Sanches d' Auila was constrained to flie into France and England for succour Chytreus In the moneth of Iuly Stephen king of Poland comming out of Luchem in Moschouie tooke by force two Fortresses Vualisium and Vsuum and after that Vuielukim but hauing lost many of his men at the end of the yeare hee returned Genebrard On the nineteenth day of August the king of Spaines prescription was published against the Prince of Orange at Namours In these monethes of Iuly and August Fera a Citie in Picardie was deliuered to the Huguenots Emanuel Philebert Duke of Sauoy died this moneth a Prince most famous for his courage wisedome and religion leauing his sonne and heire and sucessor Charles The first day of September of this present yeare the Grecians and Muschouites began to recken the yeare from the worlds creation 7089. Certain Spaniards and Italians confederate with the Earle of Desmond and some of the Cleargie of Ireland landed there and tooke certaine holds and Castles but they were soone discomfited and chased away Ferdinand Duke of Alua began to exercise his tyrannie at Aquisgrane a chiefe Citie of the Empire vpon certaine Citizens and others that came from Antwerpe and the lowe Countries such as were of the reformed religion by whose conference and conuersation very many of Aquisgrane when they had embraced their profession desired of the Senate that they might vse a publike exercise of their Religion which when it was denied neuerthelesse they met openly at Sermons and the celebration of the Sacramens Which beeing shewed vnto the Emperour certaine Commissioners were appointed to roote out the religious and onely to establish the doctrine and rites of the Pope The Emperour himselfe wrote also vnto the Senate that they should banish those Preachers forth with and that they should iustly keepe the old lawe which was that none should be admitted of the Senate vnlesse they were altogether Catholicke D. Chytraeus The eight day of October immediately after the new Moone there appeared a blazing Starre in the South bushing towards the East which was nightly seene the aire being cleare more then two moneths In this yeare there was great abundance of corne wine and all maner of fruite and in Autumne in many places Roses did bud againe A great sicknesse did followe spreading it selfe throughout all Europe This is the yeare which the Grecians holde for the seuen thousand yeare from the beginning of the world Genebrardus Iohannes Martianus a Millanois Embassador for Spaine to the Turke hauing obtained a truce for three yeares returned from Constantinople into Spaine but so as neither desired others friendship but that the Turke molested by the Souldan feared the Christians and the Spaniard hauing enough to do at home was constrained by warre to seeke repossession of his owne Idem In Ianuary Proclamation was published at London for the reuocation of sundry the Queenes Maiesties subiects remaining beyond the Seas vnder colour of studie and yet liuing contrary vnto the lawes of God and of the Realme And also against retaining of Iesuites and Massing Priests sowers of sedition and other treasonable attempts I. S. Queene Anne the wife of King Phillip fell sicke
haue bene a continual prisoner then to be deliuered after such maner D. Chytraeus Two things gaue an alarum to he League one the assembly at Mountauban the other the voyage of the D. d'Espernon to the K. of Nauarre which it tooke as brands to kindle her fire and began to send out Commissions in all places in the kings name who disauouched them prohibited the raising of souldiers The first point of their disliking shewed the reason which mooued the Cardinall of Bourbon the Princes Lords Townes and Commons beeing Catholickes to oppose themselues against the heretikes Secondly because they were offended that the Parliament which they would haue had to be holden concerning warres to be made against the Huguenots had beene reuoked Thirdly to breake the Edict of pacification Fourthly because they stood in feare that if the King should die without children there would rise great trouble for the succession of the Crowne whereof the King of Nauarre had great hope since the death of Monsieur the kings brother by the practice of his friends and fauourers of the king Fiftly because of the great preparations of warre made both within and without the Realme that should be readie by the 15. of Aprill then next ensuing to execute that which they said had beene concluded in an assembly at Magdebourge the 15. of December 1584. against y e religion the king and his subiects by the which it was agreed that the Queen of England should furnish 5000. Rutters 4000. Switzers 12000. English Count Palatine Prince Cassamire and the D. Pomeranie each of them 4000 Rutters The Lantgraue of Hesse two thousand 500. The Duke of Wittemberge 2000. The Lords of their League besides the Queene of Englands Forces 5000. Switzers The Kings Protector and Consull of Scotland 2000. Scots The King of Nauarre the Prince of Conde their Associats twentie and fiue thousand Harquebusiers and 4000. horse that had sworne neuer to make peace with the King of France but with all their consents to maintaine the Prince of Orange in the lowe Countries against the King of Spaine and to helpe the Emperour to get the Domaines of the Empire withholden by the Pope and to send their deputies from all places in the moneth of March to Basill and Switzerland there to determine the differences of the Lords Supper Sixtly because those of the religion would not yeeld vp the Townes by them held for the assurance of the execution of the Edict of peace Seuenthly because of the vniuersall abuse suffered in placing of Officers in leauying of monies and by inuention of excessiue oppressions laid vpon the people And lastly against such as at abusing the Kings fauour and authoritie had in a manner seazed vpon his person impeached the ordinary accesse of honest men vnto him consumed the Kings treasures braued the Nobilitie out of the libertie of iustice spoiled the Cleargie of their Tithes and perswaded the King that it was necessary for his seruice to weaken and diminish the authoritie of the Catholicke Princes and Lords Vpon these iust occasions they said they were forced to meete in armes H. of Fr. The League made warre against the Huguenots seazing vpon the best Townes of the Catholickes in all the Realme Religion was preached in Guyenne and they went to driue it out of Picardie the Huguenots were Rochell and the Leagues Army marched straight to Paris they were at Mountpellier and the League set vpon Marsaille which by meanes of the second Consull of the Towne they tooke who afterward was hanged Antwerpe a Citie Brabant the most famous Towne of all Belgia and Europe after Alexander Farnese Duke of Parma had stopped their passage by the Riuer by the space almost of an whole yeare constrained by famine and the daily tumult of the common people who desired peace returned to the obedience of the king of Spaine yeelded to the Duke vpon very meane conditions On the 26. of Iune arriued at London Deputies for the Estates of the Netherlands or lowe Countries and on the 29. of the same they came to Greenwich where by vertue of their commission from the vnited Countries they presented to her Maiestie the soueraigntie of those Countries to wit of Brabant but the commission for the siege of Antwerpe not fully authorised of Gelder of Flaunders Holland Friseland Zeland and Vtrick I. Hooker The Queene of England of her most gracious compassion and mercie tooke into her protection and defence the estate of Poland and Zeland Syr Frances Drake Generall of the English Nauie tooke his voyage to the coasts of Spaine and America that thereby hee might weaken the power of king Phillip hee tooke the greene Promontory where the ships that are to goe to America lie at Roade Then came he to Hispaniola an Iland of S. Domingo in the beginning of Ianuary where he stirred vp the slaues of Affrica and Aethiopia who had there their Colonies and were so cruelly handled that many times in dispaire they offered violence to themselues to fight for their libertie who being armed by thē killed the Spaniards and deliuered vp the I le He tooke all their gold which was ready shipped for Spaine 254. peeces of Ordinance and returned richly laden with gold into England before Autumne with 23. ships D. Chytraeus At this time was the conspiracie of Anth. Babington Salisbury Tytchbourne Abington c. against our most gracious Soueraigne incited thereto by Mary Q. of Scots who for this traiterous attempt were arraigned conuicted condemned executed according to the law made for traitors A great victory hapned to the Queen in Ireland against the E. of Arrane and L. Feruhurst who were banished out of Scotland These practised with the Guise the Spaniards brought with thē 3000. Scots into Ireland and at Conocke they were put to the sword by S. Ri. Bingā gouernor of that prouince Chytraeus Vpon the 8. day of September Robert E. of Leicester accompanied with diuers honorable personages Captaines and souldiers with a traine to the number of 50. sailes of ships and hoyes set forward toward Flushing where he was princely entertained by Graue Maurice second son to the deceased Prince of Orange I. Hooper The Pope excommunicated the King of Nauarre the Prince of Conde declaring him incapable to the succession of the Crowne of France abandoning his person and his Countries for a pray to such as could obtaine it but they sleigthly regarding it opposed themselues against it The K. of Nauarre complained himselfe to all the estates of France in that they had caused the succession of a king being yet aliue to be decided in the Court of Rome made the title of a Prince of the bloud to be iudged by the Pope and suffered the Consistorie to giue that which belonged not vnto them he sent his Letters to the Cleargie the Nobilitie and the Commons The Princes of Germanie that sought to aide such as were of their religion perceiuing France to
entertain hold the people in a vain hope of deliueraÌ„ce but all this while famine made warre against the Parisians Gregorie 14. before called Nicholas was borne at Millaine his fathers name was Frances Sfondrate of an auncient wealthy family He was elected Pope in the place of Vrbane The 8. day of Ianuary he instituted a Iubily and commaunded it to be published Anth. Cicca After this he made Gcnerall of the Churches army Count Sfondrate his nephew and sent him with an army into France to the maintenance of which warre he contributed fiue hundred thousand ducats besides other 40000. poundes of his owne He created his nephew Duke of Mount Marian the which state for that the great D. of Florence for his conspiracies and rebellioÌ„ against the church was put to death was now void by confiscation and therfore the Pope said he might bestow it where he thought good A great dangerous tumult hapned at Cracouia the king himself being there vnder the name of religion chiefly by certaine schollers who egged on by their maisters the Iesuites assaulted violently such houses where the exercise of religion different from the Popes were celebrated This was soone appeased by the magistrates but the third night when they thought all had beene quiet they gathered their companies together and set fire on the house D. Chytraeus The Princes Romane Catholicke Lords which were the Kings partakers perswaded with him to frame himselfe to the exterior profession of the religioÌ„ and by the D. of Luxembourg who had before made a voyage vnto Rome in their name they practised with the Pope to that end On the contrary side the Protestant Lords beseeched the king to haue them in remembrance who were so faithfully imployed for him Other of his Councel pressed vpoÌ„ him to prouide for his peaceable subiects as wel of the one as of the other religioÌ„ Also that he wold preuent the new attempts of the Pope and his adhaerents against France And these sollicitations begat an Edict for the vpholding of the two religions in his kingdome D. Chytraeus An act was made by the high Court of Parliament at Chalouns and at Tours against the Popes Bulls his Nuntio and his Legate in France This likewise was proclaimed We haue proclaimed and do proclaime Pope Gregorie the 14. of that name an enemy to the common peace to the vnion of the Romane Catholike Church to the King and to his roial state adhearent to the conspiracie of Spaine a fauourer of rebels guiltie of the most cruell most inhumane and most detestable parracide traiterously committed on the person of Henry the 3. of most famous most Christian and most Catholike memorie Christian Duke of Saxonie Prince Elector died of the age 31. yeares D. Chytraeus Gregorie the 14. fell now sicke of a quotidian Feuer hee was also troubled with a continuall flix and the stone whereof he dyed and was buried in the Chappell of the Gregories in S. Peters Church Hee sate in the seate ten moneths and as many dayes and it was vacant 15. dayes Anth. Cicca In this time there was a great dearth through the most part of Italie and other Christian Prouinces after which followed a great plague There dyed in Rome from August 1590. vnto the end of August the yeare following 1591. threescore thousand Idem Innocent the 9. before called Antonius Fachiuertus Cardinall of the 4. holy Crownes He was borne at Bononia and before hee was Cardinall by Pope Gregorie made Patriarke of Ierusalem Fredericus Wilelmus Duke of Saxonie and Iohannes Georgius Elector and Marquesse of Brandebourge had the Protectorship of Christians sonne these no further vrged his mandates concerning Religion and recalled home many Ministers of the Church and Superindents who had not obeyed them and therefore banished by him a litle before his death D. Chytraeus The Duke of Guise by a cord which was giuen him wherwith sliding downe out of a window escaped out of prison and fled to the Lord de la Chastre The great Chancelor of Poland Zamoscius rebelled against his leige Lord with an Armie of 30000. men Pope Innocent the 9. being 70. yeares of age and hauing ruled two moneths odde dayes dyed So that in the space of fourteene moneths 4. Popes dyed Sixtus Vrban Gregorie and Innocent and it is to be thought the most or all of them dyed of poyson For Brazuto is not dead that giueth them poyson This Brazuto killed 6. Popes with poyson as it is to be read in the life of Damasus The seate was vacant one moneth and a day Edmond Coppinger and H. Arthington conferring with one of their sect called William Hacket they offered to annoint him king but Hacket taking Coppinger by the hand said You shall not need to annoint me for I haue bene already annoynted in heauen by the holy Ghost himselfe then Coppinger asked him what his pleasure was to be done Goe your way both said he and tell them in the Citie that Christ Iesus is come with his Fanne in his hand to iudge the earth Which they did in diuers streets crying also repent England repent and in Cheapeside got vp into a Cart and preached how this Hacket represented Christ that they were two Prophets the one of mercy the other of iudgement sent and extraordinarily called by God to assist him in this great worke and were witnesses of these things For these misdemeanors and spreading of false prophecies as also for his traiterous words against the Queenes Maiestie Hacket was hanged But Coppinger dyed in Bridewell and Arthington long after was reserued in the Counter in Woodstreete in hope of repentance I. Stowe Hippolitus Aldobrandinus Cardinall was elected Pope by the name of Clement the eight When Sebastian King of Portugall went with his Armie into Affrica hee requested hostage of Muhameth to whom hee deliuered his sonne Mulei Xeques him Sebastian sent Magaza but they both being slaine in the battaile of Alcazar 1578. Xeques was sent into Spaine and brought vp vnder King Phillip At the last this yeare hauing before by degrees perswaded to become a Christian was baptised with his kinsman other of his Nobles in the most famous Monastery of S. Laurence and vowed euer after to continue true Christians Genebrardus The 16. of Ianuary Cassimere Duke Palatine to the great sorrow and discomfort of the Church of Geneua departed this life Ladislaus King of Hungarie and Boheme died of the age of 18 yeares This yeare Amurathes Emperour of the Turkes prepared for warre against the Christians The cause was this The truce taken was yet kept betweene the Emperour and the Turke to the great quietnesse of both their subiects But in the meane season a peace was concluded betweene the Turke the Persian Wherefore many of the Turkish Bassâ—es perswaded their Emperour to make war vpon the Christian and so forthwith he dispatched a puissant Army into the confines of Hungary The Emperour
maiestie And euen as he was receiuing them for his farwell a yong stripling named Iohn Castil of 18. yeares of age a Drapers sonne of Paris who was got into the Chamber amongst the preace drew neare vnto the King before he was almost perceiued of any bodie and suddenly would haue stabd him into the bodie with a knife but by reason that his maiestie was very readie to take vp the Lordes which were on theyr knees before him in his stooping hee strooke him on the face on the vpper iaw on the right side therewithall cutting out one of his teeth Wherevpon hee was apprehended by the Captaine of the Garde to whom the King commanded after hee had throwne his knife to the ground to let him goe saying that he freely forgaue him But afterwards vnderstanding that he was a Scholler to the Iesuites hee sayd and must it needs be that the Iesuites should be confounded by my mouth This villaine being brought vnto the Bishops prison freely declared the circumstance of his trayterous intent and that he was perswaded thereto by his maister a Iesuite who said that it was lawfull to kill him that hee was excommunicate of the Church that hee was not to be obeyed nor to be taken for the King vntill such time as he was allowed by the Pope For this he was executed and the Iesuites of Claremount with whom this fellow was brought vp and all other throughout the whole Realme of France were commaunded within three dayes to depart their Colledges and after 15. dayes to leaue the realme D. Chytraeus In the beginning of this yeare Amurathes the third Emperour of the Turkes the sonne of Selim in the 48. yeare of his age ended his life and Empire with much blasphemie and impatience Whom Mahomet the third beeing thirtie yeares of age succeeded who before hee performed his Father Funeralls hee caused eighteene of his brethren borne of diuers Concubines to bee strangeled and most honourably to be buried with his father in the same monument He suffered his 27. sisters to liue in Teragliuun And that no more might bee borne hee comaunded tenne of his fathers wiues to be throwne into the Sea and hauing richly furnished his owne mother he sent her to dwell in a farre Countrie Genebrardus This Mahomet is the thirteenth Emperour from Othoman Ferdinand Arch-duke of Austria the sonne of Ferdinand the Emperor and brother of Maximilian the second departed this life The one and twentieth of February likewise dyed Ernestus his brothers sonne Archduke of Austria Gouernor of the Prouinces in the lowe Countries being 42. yeares of age Idem Some of the Deputies of the Court which were sent to search Cleremount Colledge which belonged to the Iesuites hauing seized vpon many papers found among them certain written bookes made by a Iesuite Priest named Iohn Guiguard since the generall pardon giuen by the king at Paris there was written in these bookes many vile matters as well against H. the 3. as against H. the 4. now liuing containing nothing but traitorous practises for the which the Iesuite being sent for auouched by meanes whereof he was found guiltie and therefore executed The K. of France proclaimed open warres against Spaine and the Spanish Army is ouerthrowne by the Marshall of Bouillon in the Duchie of Luxembourge The King after two yeares suppliant intreaties to the Pope at the length was absolued by the Pope at Rome and receiued into the lappe of the mother Church and declared the most Christian king of France The conditions propounded were these That the king should receiue the Councell of Trent and giue commaundement that it should be kept throughout all his Realme but and if in some of his Prouinces he could not do it without danger of new seditions he should aske leaue of the Pope That hee should within the compasse of one yeare remooue the young Prince of Conde being 9. yeares of age from the company of heretikes and to bring him vp in the Catholicke Apostolicke Romane religion That he should restore all the reuenewes and goods which he had taken from his Bishops and Abbies Lastly that he should by his Letters certifie all Catholicke Princes of his conuersion and detestation of all heresies After this the Church of S. Peter which before was shut was now opened Then the Pope said to the Orators of France that as hee now opened againe to their King the doore of the Church Militant vppon earth so should his Maiestie endeuour likewise by a liuely faith and good workes to make his way into the triumphant Church of heauen D. Chytraeus Vpon the Church doore were placed the armes of the K. of France with this inscription Henricus 4. Galliae Nauarrae Rex Christianissimus Whilst Camerac is besieged by the Spaniards Phillip king of Spaine created Albertus Arch-duke of Austria and Cardinall of Toledo Generall of all his Forces in Belgia Hee was the sonne of Max. 2. Emperour and Mary the sister of Phillip King of Spaine the fift in order after Rodolphus the Emperour that now is borne in Nouember the yeare 1559. Genebrardus The D. de Maine seeing the Spaniards take other course then was accustomed his Forces slaine his credit crackt his destruction at the doore though late yet at last he sought by mediators the kings fauour which he obtained vpon this receiued grace the D. wrought the yeelding vp of Soisson Pierfont and other places to the King The Duke of Aumale who onely remained among all the chiefe Leaguers lawe being prosecuted against him in the Parliament of Paris he was found guiltie of treason in the highest degree so that his Image of likenes being made it was drawne in peeces with foure horses and his goods and lands confiscate to the King The most famous Poet and Orator of all Italy Torguatus Tassus died this yeare at Rome The Garrisons of Peronne Amiens and other places that he held for the king began againe in Ianuary their former courses against the enemies Countrie still killing and sleying certaine Spaniards and Wallons Marseill is brought to the kings subiection George Lantgraue of Hesse the sonne of Phillip a vertuous wise and religious Prince departed out of this world leauing his sonne Lodowicke to succeed him Albert Arch-duke of Austria and Gouernour of the lowe Countries entered Bruxelles with great pompe accompanied with the Dukes of Fere and Aumale and Philippus Wilihelmus the Prince of Orange his sonne Before his comming there was great hope of peace but after his arriuall he made no mention of peace for that he foresawe there would be none graunted D. Chytreus In the beginning of March the Cardinal gaue such order that the besieged within the Towne of Fere were succoured with some munition and for his first exployt against France in the beginning of Aprill did so dispose of his Armie at that time most mightie so pollitikely and secretly that in fewe dayes hee besieged assailed and
with plaine force wonne the Towne and Castle of Calais in spight of all the Kings Forces and the resistance of the besieged There dyed in the taking heereof a great number of the Nobilitie of France The Cardinall following this new wonne victorie besieged the strong Towne of Ardres in the beginning of May and became maister thereof the 23. of the same moneth seuen daies before Fere was yeelded to the King vpon composition Chytraeus The Emperour appointed Alphonsus Duke of Ferrara Generall against the Turkes who thirtie yeares before in the time of Maximilian the second the father of Rodolphus had waged warre against them at his owne charges But hee beeing the last Duke that was of his house and hauing had no issue by his three wiues was very desirous to leaue a certaine successor before hee departed and therefore he desired the Pope that Cardinall Est might be his heire and to that end offered him a great summe of gold but the Pope stifly denying to do it the expedition for Hungary was intermitted by the Duke of Ferrara D. Chytraeus Christian the fourthking of Denmarke the sonne of Fredericke the second of the age of twentie yeares was crowned King In the moneth of Iune the Queene of England sent a Fleete of 16. sailes well appointed with munition and vittaile vnder the conduct of Robert Earle of Essex into Spaine who with a prosperous gale hauing passed the bound of France and Portugall the 20. of Iune arriued neare Gades and lighted vpon the 12. Apostles of the king of Spaine of the which S. Phillip carried 900. souldiers and 62. peeces of Ordinance and 57. Marchants ships bound for the Easterne Indies But when in these straits they had fought with them valiantly and happily and had set S. Phillip on fire the rest conueying themselues into the deepe the Earle came on land with part of his company and when he came neare the Citie the gouernours and knights of the Citie to the number of 400. came out who seeing the English so well appointed drew backe into the Citie but such was the courage of our men that following some of them got into the Citie with them some at the assult got vpon the walles and recouered the Market place although they were much troubled by the Citizens from out of theyr houses and house tops The same euening the greatest part of them got into a Castle the lower part of the Citie was spoiled the vpper part was ransomed for 12000. Ducats And for the Indian fleet they offered great store of gold But the Duke Medine would not let it be redeemed and therefore set it all on fire The losse of which was 12. Millions of crownes The English Nauie in August following returned to England D. Chytraeus The Spaniards greatly incensed with this daring enterprise of the English of their owne free will gaue a great summe of money to their king whereby to make new ships and leuie new forces against them and in the moneth of October the Fleete loosed out of the mouth of Tagus into Corouis a Hauen in Spaine towards the farthest North in the territories of Gallicia which Ptolomey calleth the harbour of the Artabry a people by the Promontory Artabrum which is in Portugall But when the Nauie came neare the coasts of Gallicia by night it ranne vpon the Rockes where 30. of the Spanish ships perished the rest went forward to Corouis and attempted nothing else this winter The Emperour appointed Arnold Baron of Echwartzenberge in Belgia Marshall of the field in Hungarie against the Turke in the place of the D. of Ferrara whom the Pope Clement the 8. would not graunt that his adopted heire should succeed him Anne Q. of Poland the widow of Stephen the sister of Sigismond Augustus died this yeare being 70. yeares of age leauing great store of treasure behind her which shee gaue to her sisters Catherines children Q. of Suetia Sigismond the 3. king and Anne his sister The last of Aprill deceased Syr Iohn Puckering Knight Lord Keeper of the great Seale he died of a dead Palsie and was buried at Westminster In Prussia a Prouince in the kingdome of Poland the chiefest Bishops armed with the kings decrees against the true Churches of the Gospell remooued many Preachers out of their Parishes into the Countrie and vpon S. Iohn Baptists day tooke possession of the chiefe Church in the Citie of Turon the like was done at Meua and Stargardia besides they earnestly desired that the Church of S. Maries which was neare the Market place might be deliuered to them with the Monasteries of S. Briget and that therein their religion might bee freely exercised and all their causes belonging to the Consistorie to be referred to their Officialls in the Citie and to be iudged by them Iacobus Fabritius Gouernor of the Colledge was peremptorily cited to Subcouia for that he allowed preached maintained publikely the doctrine of Caluin and as they inferred against the expresse priuiledges of the Citie the constitutions of the Commissaries and the decrees of the Senate concerning religion But the Senate excusing him said that the Citizens were not bound to appeare out of their Citie the Bishops sent their Commissaries into the Citie who with their Officialls should there proceed against him The King himselfe likewise commanded that the Senate should deliuer vp the Church to the Bishop of Subcouia within certaine daies or should agree with him But Agria a neare neighbour to Poland being newly taken by the Turkes and the Court was busied in counsell how to auoyd new dangers the Dantiscanes were quiet till Easter the yeare following The estate of the vnited Prouinces of Belgia Geldria Zutphen Holland and Westfrizeland Zeland Vtricht Friseland the Groine c. with the Q. of England and the K. of France entered a league of defence for themselues and offence of their enemie the K. of Spaine None of these could make peace with him without the consent of all Which was also agreed betweene the king of France and the vnited States of Belgia that the kings of Scotland and Denmarke should be vnited to the societie of this league The 22. of Iuly the right honourable H. Cary Baron of Hunsdon and Lord Chamberlaine to the Queene deceased at Sommerset house in Strandstreet and was honourably buried at Westminster The second of Iune the Emperour Rodolphe caused all the Princes Electors and others of his dominion with the Embassadors of those that were absent to come before him in the Pallace of the Bishop of Ratisbone who all appeared the next morning and accompanied him to the Church and from thence to the Court where when euery one according to their calling had taken his place Philippus Ludouicus stood vp and made an Oration in the name of the Emperour Rodolphus Caesar wherein he shewed how the Emperour of the Turkes Sultan Amurathes had broken the truce which was made in the yeare 1591. by Haly Bassa in
theyr Princes 5 To withstand these sentences and that they do not bind the conscience 6 That they must looke into the actions of the Prince or his conscience 7 That by the Christian religion no order may bee appointed to the Salique lawe that the king be constrained to be a Catholicke 8 That an herelike by diuine grace is a Christian 9 That it is not lawfull to resist a Prince that is an heretike 10 That a Catholicke king may permit and suffer two religions in his kingdome 11 Not to punish heretikes nor to compell any to be Catholickes 12 To pray for those that are excommunicated as well the liuing as the dead and that publikely in Churches and to performe this the Cleargie to be bound vpon paine of departing the Realme 13. That Confessions may be reuealed for iustice sake This yeare Arnald Whitfeeld Chauncelor of the Realme in Denmarke came Embassator into England and Christian Barnice his assistant they had audience at the Court then at Tiballs Turnbaut is deliuered vp to Graue Maurice And this yeare Belgia was in reasonable guietnesse The States of the vnited Prouinces entered a mutuall league with the Queene of England and the King of France defensiue and offensiue against Phillip the King of Spaine their common enemie The king of France with often excursions and assailes had troubled and vexed the confines of Artesia and Hamonia The Cardinall Albertus being at Bruxells and thinking of repairing his Army found great difficulties for want of money for king Phillip refused to pay the Italian Merchants and those of other Nations their money who tooke monstrous vsurie of him so that he complained that by this meanes his kingly patrimonie his annuall reuenewes and extraordinary subsidies were consumed Yet that he might keepe his word and shewe himselfe to be of a good conscience he turned the controuersie into religion and appointed two of his and his sonnes Confessors to disswade these Merchants from taking this vnreasonable vsurie and to tell them what daunger their soules were in if they did not remit it in the meane season certaine of the creditors became bankerupt the rest by their example were afterward afraid to lend the King any money D. Chytraeus The Emperour Rodolphus promised Sigismond Duke of Transiluania new supplies of souldiers and money and with great solemnitie receiued him into the fellowship of the golden Fleece Maximilian againe was made Generall by the Emperour The Pope by his Embassador Iohannes Franciscus Aldobrandinus promised to send ten thousand Italians into Hungary at his owne costs and charges and made the D. of Mantua their Generall The higher Saxonie sent a thousand horsemen and the lower Saxonie as many Francouia Bauania Suenia and the other Countries Bohemia and Austria sent in their aide likewise These all marched towards Pappa the which after eight day siege they tooke from thence to Raba which yeeded without any assault but hearing that Mahomet Bassa was comming towards them and finding themselues too weake to bold out that place against them they went backe ouer Danubie into Scythia towards Gomorrha The Turkes eight dayes after besieged the Castle of Totes whilest the Christians Armie lay Idle which went downe to Watsia and there hearing that the Turkes came towards them they went to Strigonia Alphonsus Duke of Ferrara whom the yeare before gone the Emperour Rodolphus determined to make Generall of the Turkish expedition departed this life whose Dukedome Caesar Est bastard being in his life time appointed his heire and cessor presently possessed The Pope was much discontented with this and forthwith strooke Caesar with the thunderbold of excommunication and made warre vpon him Christian the 4. king of Denmarke was married to Anne the daughter of Ioachimus Fredericus Marquesse of Brandebourghe by the Archbishop of Magdebourghe This yeare dyed in the higher Germanie Iohannes Postius an excellent Poet and the chiefe Phisitian to the Count Palatine Graue Maurice made a bridge vpon Rhene Berke was besieged of him and yeelded within twelue dayes which hee fortified Syr Robert Cecill principall Secretary Maister Harbert Maister of the Requests Sir George Carewe Lieftenant for the Ordinance and others prepared for their Embassage into France and set sayle from Douer the ninteenth of February Syr Robert Cecill returned the fift of May out of France In the beginning of this yeare many Princes died Iohannes Georgius Marquesse of Bradenbourghe of 37. yeares died leauing behind him sixe sonnes and foure daughters The same moneth of Ianuary died Richard Count Palatine of Rhene at Sinouerne where he kept his Court. Him followed Theodorus the great Duke of Muschouia In the lower Saxonie died Henry Duke of Brunswicke and Luzemburge the sonne of Ernestus and Clare the wife of Bogislaus Duke of Pomerian The last of Ianuary Anne Queene of Poland the daughter of Charles Arch-duke of Austria departed this life This moneth the Pope Clement the 8. made warre vpon Caesar Est Duke of Ferrara for the Dukedome but the matter was taken vp and the Duke yeelded vp Ferrara vnto him but all the other Cities and Townes he enioyed and by the Emperour Rodolphus was created Duke of Mulina The Pope annexed this to the Popedome Sigismond Prince of Transiluania who hitherto had held out with an inuincible courage against the Turkes in the beginning of this yeare chaunged the course of his life and surrendred the Prouince of Transiluania to the Emperour Rodolphe and his heires least it should fall into the hands of the Turkes A peace was concluded betweene the Kings of France and Spaine in the lowe Countries at Veruini in the beginning of May Pledges sent into France from the Spaniard were Philippus de Croy Franciscus de Mendoza the Admiral of the kingdome of Arragon Charles Prince and Countie Aremberge Ludouicus de Velasco the Popes Embassadors that made the peace were Alexāder Cardinal de Medicis and Generall of the order of the Franciscanes Bonauentura a Sicilian The King of Spaines deputies were Iohannes Richardotus President of the Councell Iohannes Baptista and Ludouicus Verreiken the K. his Secretary in the lowe Countries Amongst the conditions of peace this was the chiefe That former iniuries and vnkindnesses forgotten these Articles of peace that were set downe in the yeare 1559 at Camerac betweene Henry the second king of France and Phillip the 2. king of Spaine might be kept The whole pacification was comprehended in 35. Articles and printed at Paris and Poloine Calice Capella Ardea and other Cities of Picardie were restored to Henry the 4. K. of France by the Spaniard The Queene of England perswaded the Hollanders to peace who notwithstanding preferred warre before a trecherous peace with the Spaniards Therefore Albertus Arch-duke going into Spaine to be married Franciscus Mendoza Admirall of Arragon chiefe Generall of the Spanish Forces hauing brought his Army to Rhene prepareth it against the Hollanders and the vnited Prouinces They of Aquisgrane two yeares before condemned by the sentence of Caesar