of Holland it self as other Prouinces but the Synod refusing to heare the Arminians as dilinquentes condeÌ„ned them their doctrine being reduced into fyue capitall articles and heerupon by a seuere Proclamation were the ArminiaÌ„s forbidden to preach or hold assemblies for the exercise of their religion some hauing been killed for attempting the contrary some banished some sustayned confiscation of their goodes and some imprysonment where they yet remayne though in the meane tyme their number doth not diminish but dayly more and more increase throughout all the Countrey aswel in villages as in citties Thus haue you the beginning and ground of this great controuersy wherof no end can be determined It resteth now for Conâ—lusion of my intended discourse that heere I set downe whether in respect of Religion the State of England may be moued to continue their help and assistance to the Hollanders The religion therfore of Holland is first to be rightly known and conceaued and then wel to be considered I meane that which hath beene and yet is principally mantayned by the States therof to wit that which is opposit vnto the Arminians and doth now vulgarly beare the name of Caluinian or Gomarian doctrine as hath beene saâ—d The Arminians against whome they of this religion do contend did in the tyme of their formamed Aduocate Berneue't sollicite and â—abour that the States might haue the authority giuen them of Supreme Headship of the Church and some affirme that they also sought to haue Bishops after the manner of England but herunto the Caluinian Gomarists in all earnestnes opposed themselues and especially against the hauing of supremacy or superintenâ—eÌ„cy in their Churches wherein they went so farre that they published openly in their printed bookes that whatsoeuer they were that went about to make men the heades of Churches would make of men Idolls and of themselues by so doing Idolaters What think you now of the conformity of this religion to that of England where by established Actes of Parlament it is death to deny the Temporall Prince to be supreme Head of thâ— Church He that denyeth this in England is by the law to 〈◊〉 as a traytour he that affirmeth it in Holland is by their doctrine to be held for an Idolater Our Bishops in England were wont to persecuâ—e Puritanes for denying their authority what would they say to these professors of Reformation that make them Idolaters These be purer then Puritanes being distilled into a farre purer strayne or quinâ— essence Is not this a religion trow you that deserueth by English Protestants to be fougâ—ten for to haue the wealth of England coÌ„sumed for vpholding the cause and quarrel thereof What may we think of our most Royall Kinges expresse Commaundement to haue the Communion receaued kneeling They would shew themselues to haue leggs as stâ—â—fe as the legges of Elephants rather then they would fynd anâ— knees to bow thereunto let it be commaunded by what authority it would And I do verily belieue they would be without communion all the dayes of their life rather then to receaue it with so much vnease as of not sitting And as for the Crosse which his Maiesty hath likewise commaunded to be vsed in Baptismâ— how is it possible they would endure it seing they sticke not to say It is the marke of tâ—e 〈◊〉 By which saying the world may maâ—ke that themselues are beasts indeed And England may thinke it self very ill aduised and very vnhappy to a first the quarrel of a people in regard of religioÌ„ whose Religion is so opposite to theirs as this is and the professourâ— wherof if they were subiects of England and there resident would by the lawes of the Realme be seuerely punished But much more vnhappy should England be if heerafter by the fayling of his Maiesty the Prince his Highnesse both whome God long preserue such a Sect should come to be set vp and aduanced there Doubtlesse most wellcome to their Puritan Brethren who then would triumph and iumâ—e with them to the full and with them beare the only swâ—y in persecuting the Pâ—otâ—stants in England as the others now do the Armintans in Holland One conceyte more commeth to my mynd to note vnto you before I take my leaue and this 〈◊〉 that wheras in the late Synode of Dort some of our English and Scotâ—ish dâ—uines being sent thither to assist the Caâ—uinian-Comarists about the condemnation of the opinion of the Armâ—ntaâ—s they could so notwithstanding piettily put to sylence the â—omarists for making of them Idolaters as though there had beene no such matter euer by them thought vpon and that on other syde the Gomarists could be so kynd as to sit in the company of English Idolaters and quietly hold their peace from challenging them to be such yea and without all scruple of conscience to eate and drinke with them and to parte very good friends Surely heere is in this case a great moderation and suspension of spiâ—it to be noted in both seeing the one knowing what the other kept in his bosome no reproach of being traytours or Idolaters did burst forth between them Thus hauing giuen you a briefe and true Relation according vnto your demannd I will not be further tedious vnto you but with respectfull remembrance and of as great desyre of your good as of my own recommend you vnto him from whome only all good proceedeth FINIS Faults escaped in the Printing Page Line Fault Correction 17. 17. from all from him Ibid. 22. published polished 29. 8. honorified homofied IFany other faults haue escaped it is desired of the Gentle Reader to correct them of his courtesy the Author being farre absent from the Print
OBSERVATIOâ—â— CONCERNING THE PRESENT AFFAIRES OF HOLLAND AND THE VNITED PROVINCES Made by an English Gentleman there lately resident since written by himselfe from Paris to his friend in ENGLAND Printed Anno M.DC. â—â—â— THE AVTHORS EPISTLE TO HIS FRIEND WORTHY welbeloued Friend you shal please to vnderstand that at my late being at the Hage in Holland I receaued your leter wherin you desire me to describe vnto you the Countrey condition of the people as also to know my opinion of their cause and quarrell against the King of Spayne about which they haue so long troubled the world Moreouer how I find theÌ„ in their thankefulnes vnto our State for so longe sticking vnto them and ayding them And what those differences are which are lately risen vp among them about matters of Religion This letter of yours I had no tyme to answere froÌ„ thence neither would the answering it there haue beene conuenient I therefore deserred the answere vntill my comming into France to which iourney I was resolued before the receit of your letter because to deale truely with you I could not any longer endure to heare the lauish and vile speaches which a sort of base vnbridled people dayly disgorged against the Maiesty of our King whereof in the ensuing discourse somwhat more shal be spoken And indeed this intollerable demeanour of theirs toward the Maiesty of so great and so bountifull a Prince and to whome they are so much beholding hath giuen me good cause aswell to looke into the iustnesse of their wars against the King of Spaine as into their in gratitude vnto the King and State of England and therby to become the more able to giue you satisfaction to the demands in your letter I must notwithstaÌ„ding confesse that since my aryuall heer in Paris I haue for some whyle deferred it for as on the one side I had a great desyre thereunto so on the other syde I found in my selfe a kind of vnwillingnes to begin it which vnwillingnes I protest vnto you proceeded of a conceaued feare to offend you when in deliuering you the very true and playne truthe of thinges as they are you might fynd me altered in mynd and iudgment from what I was when I was coÌ„uersant with you in England But considering that the true duety of a friend is with his friend to deale vnfaignedly I haue now at last vndertaken the taske so to do And in such regard must intreate you to excuse me and not to let my ignorance of the time when I coÌ„uersed with you be put in opposition against the better knowledge which experience of ryper years hath yielded me for you must think that by trauailing abroad in other Countryes conuersing with men of vnderstanding of diuers nations who in these parts are accustomed to frenesse of speach by reading the iudicious writings of such credible Authors as haue noted downe the actions of State of this time as also by the obseruatioÌ„s which myselfe haue made I haue seen as it were a mist wipâ—d away froÌ„ before myne eyes and thereby am come to discerne that which truth reason hath made manifest vnto me as I make no doubt you also will become to do when with vnpartial patieÌ„ce you will haue pleased to read what heere for your satisfaction I haue written that thereby we may agre aswel in mind iudgment as we do in ancient amity And thus leauing you to God in all kind affection I take of you my leaue You know the hand From Paris the 20. of March after this stile computation THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS A Briefe description oâ— the Country People of Holland with a true relation of the beginning of their rebellion against their â—lawfuâ—l Soueraigne Lord King Philip the second of Spayne Chap. I. How dishonoraâ—le it was for Queene Elizabeth of England to take the Hollanders parts against the King of Spayn how she oppressed and impouerished her subiects for thâ—ir sakes and endangered her owne Crowne and Kingdome Chap. II. Whether England hath receaued any benefite by defending the quarrell of the Hollanders or whether the Hollanders haue endeauoured to deserue the friendship they haue receaued from thence or haue any way shewed themselues gratefull for it Chap. III. Whether England can expect any benefite by continuing to take the Hollanders parts and whether the Hollanders do deserue the same by wishing or desiring the continuance of the State and Gouernement of England as now it standeth Cha. IIII. Of the present state of the Hollanders of the diuision among them about matters of Religion and whether respect of Religion may vrge England still to assist them Chap. V. CHAP. I. A briefe description of the Countrey and People of Holland with a tâ—uâ— Relation of the beginning of their rebellion against their lawfull Soueraigne Lord King Philip the second of Spayne HOLLAND at the creation of the world was no Land at all and therefore not at the first intended by God or nature for a dwelling place of men for it was then long after a sea and consequently the habitation of fishes Had it been meant for a habitatioÌ„ of men it had not only been such high ground that it should not haue beene continually subiect to the inundation of the â—ea but also haue beene able to haue yeelded the inhabitants bread to eate wood or stone to build withaâ—l and the foure elements would not haue conspired together to be there all naught by being naught vnto men to shew their dislâ—ke of vsuâ—pers that depriue fishes of â—heir due dwelling places Being then at the first wholy sea by reason of the flaâ—s shallows thereof â—t was partly by banâ—kes raised of 〈◊〉 and earth through the labour of mâ—n and partely by sandy downâ—s o◠〈◊〉 driuen together by the râ—ge of the waues encroached vpon gotten from the sea by the old Ancestâ—urs of the now Inhabitantes The Coâ—nâ—rey then except these banâ—kes and doâ—â—nes lyeth all as low and leuel as water hath made it In it are neither mountaynes nor fountaynes nor hath nature affoarded them within the earth the meanest of the seauen mettalles or any mineral matter at al. But what shal I speak of their want of mynes in the earth when they haue want of earth it self and yet notwithstanding their want therof are faigne to make vse of that litle they haue for their fuell and so begin to burne vp their Countrey before the day of Iudgement Grasse they haue and that is all the greatest good that their ground can affoard them and heerof butter and cheese are the wittnesses but for this one benefit they want many which other Countries haue that haue this as wel as they To say the truth I do not know any benefits peculiar to themselues whereof they may boast except only two the one is their hauing of a Country which is the fittest for rebellioÌ„ in all Christendome and the other is that by reason of
beloued of all these Sectes that in the end they might benefite themselues by that which most preuailed Wherupon in the Moneth of April in the yeare of our Lord 1566. in the Towne of Bruxells they exhibited vnto the Lâ— Margaret aforsaid a supplication wherin they requyred a repeale or moderation of all rigorous Placartes or Lawes made concerning Religion Let now any man of reason or iudgment consider of the lawfullnes of this demaund and whether themselues that demaunded it could with good conscience moue the same the very mouing of the demaund it selfe plainely arguing little respect or conscience in the demaunders declaring plainely that the thing they sought was for their owne endes and that taking part at the last with that Sect which came to domimere aboue the rest as in the end one must needes doe they might sticke thereunto and so by flatte and open rebellion make vp their mouthes by the ouerthrowe of the ancient Clergy that was in possession of good 〈◊〉 and huinges to which all these new Sects did beare equal hatred albeit ech or them did neuerthelesse hate one another This request being as is aforesayd presented vnto the Lady Margaret in the moneth of April she promised them to send it into Spaine and to require from thence resolution and answere tâ—ereof The request she sent but the answere they attended not but gaue fâ—â—thwith such hart and encouragment vnto the Sectaryes that within few weeks after the request was sent away they began to preach publikely in sundry Townes and Cittyes vpon a selfe assumed authority euen in despite of all Lawes and Magistrates and thereupon fell to robbing and spoyling of Churches throughout al the Countrey Vpon this the King of Spayne as a Prince most carefull of his Oath and of the good of his subiects was enforced to send into these Netherlands the Duke of Alua to take vpon him the generall gouernment which in so troublesome a world was too great a charge to be menaged by a woman This Duke ariuing in these partes in the moneth of August in the yeare 1â—67 which was the yeare following the Lady Margaret resigned vnto him the gouernement and departed out of the Countrey The Duke now being placed in the gouernement began to learne out and informe himselfe what persons they were that had conspired togeather in this busines and had giuen the onset and countenance vnto these rebellious Sectaryes and Sacrilegious Church-robbers finding the Earles of Egmont and Horne and some other Gentlemen to be culpable of this crime they were apprehended and beheaded in Bruxels But VVilliam of Nassaw Prince of Orange the chiefest Ring leader of this sedition so soone as he heard of the ariuall of the Duke got him away into Germany and by his flight declared himselfe to be guilty as by experience afterward it proued Heere now it is to be considered whether in the sight and iudgement of the whole World the King of Spaine had not all right and reason on his side to vse such meanes as he did for the punishment of such capitall offenders and to imploy the subiects of one Countrey for the chastisement of the Rebells of another when he had no other remedy And whether any King or Prince liuing in the world could in honour or iustice winke at put vp such great and capital crymes and insolencyes committed by his subiects as is a generall and publique sacrilegious Church-robbery and the spoyling of the Clergy for the preseruation of whose priuiledges he had so solemnely taken his oath and to suffer the dooers quietly to passe vnpunished to let euery man openly professe follow such new and neuer heard of doctrine as his owne fancy should inuent or of his owne choice he should best like which euen those themselues that are at this day the successours of these first rebells in some of these Netherlands doe find so inconuenient for gouernement that notwithstanding their first profession that euery man ought to haue his free exercise or Religion according to his owne conscience they do prohibite to such as they like not The Duke of Alua hauing caused iustice to be executed first vpon some of the principall conspiratours and after vpon other inferiour offenders did at last in the yeare of our Lord 1570. by order from the King of Spaine cause a general pardon to be proclaimed wherof if VVilliam of Nassaw Prince of Oâ—ange and his adherents had taken the offered benefite all further troubles had ceased but to the contrary they laboured both by secret seditious preachers as by other such like agents to spread abroad that the King of Spayne had broken the Countrey priuiledges as thogh the Countrey had had priuiledges that churches might forsooth be robbed no man called in question for it that euery man might professe what religion he listed were it neuer so naught or new the prohibiting whereof and the conseruation of Ecclesiasticall priuiledges to which the King was sworne being the only cause as to all the world was apparent why the sayd King was constrayned to send the Duke of Alua and Spaniardes into the Countrey which els had neuer beene thought of So as the true blame which the King of Spayne hath deserued is not for breach of priuileges but for seeking to restore priuiledges which his disobedient subiects had broken the which if he had not done then might he haue beene thought negligent and carelesse of his Oath but this the equity of his conscience would neuer permit I am not ignorant that some fooles haue made other fooles belieue that the King of Spayne at his departure out of these Netherlands did promise euery seauen yeare to returne thither againe and that the breach of his promise gaue cause sufficient for these his subiects to rebell This foolish allegation deserneth no answere Yet least some wiser people might be abused by fooles I â—ill leaue them to consider that there was no cause why his Maiesty should bind himselfe to any such condition his predecessors before him hauing beene free and the Countrey comming vnto him by right of succession as it did to them Experience hauing also shewed the inclination of the people to rebellion being grown proud by reason of their Wealth and new-fangled also by reason of the choyce of Religions in so much that the Duke of Alua saw it necessary to mayntayne certayne garisons of soldiers in castles conuenient fortifyed frontier places in the Countrey which he made known vnto the King of Spayne sent vnto him for prouision of money because he found the sayd King vnwilling to haue his subiects of this Countrey burdened with any more taxations thereabout But what successe heereof ensued shall appeare in the next Chapter CHAP. II. How dishonourable it was for Queene Elizabeth of England to take the HollaÌ„ders parts against the King of Spayn How she oppressed and impouerished her subiects for their sakes and endangered her owne Crowne and Kingdome BEFORE I
begin to speake of Queen Elizabeth of England her assisting the rebelled subiects of Holland against the King of Spayne it is not impertinent to the purpose to call to mind whether there were any cause of emnity giuen vnto her by meanes of any wronges or iniuryes offred her by the King of Spayne in former tyme in regard wherof she might now take the oportunity of reuenge This King Philip the second of Spayne hauing beene maryed in England to Queen Mary was neuer known to haue beene disaffected to the Lady Elizabeth for so was she then called but coÌ„trary wise did shew himself to be the greatest freind â—he had in the world which heeâ—e in briefe to declare you must nore that this Lady Eâ—izabeth being then a subiect vnto her sayd sister Queen Mary chaunced to fall into sundry troubles for which she was imprisoned in the Tower of â—onâ—on and retayned in durance at Woodstoâ—k and other places M. Fox the Author of the English Protestant Martyrologe wryting of this Ladies inprisonment declareth not any cause why but because he putteth her in his history of others that suffred for protestant religioÌ„ he intendeth to haue his reader imagine her to haue suffred some persecutioÌ„ also for the same cause whereby he thinketh not a little to honour her But had her troubles beene for Religion indeed Fox would then neuer haue omitted to set down her examinations about the same and her answeres thereunto in defence of some such poinâ—s as are in controuersy betwen Catholiks Protestanâ—s as about the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament or about prayer to Saints or prayer for the Dead or some one or other point as wel as he hath set down the examinations and answeres of so many others to their great glory as he takes it but heer is nothing found Fox in this in silent and leaues his reader to imagine of himself that it was for religioÌ„ For something it was but that it was for religioÌ„ be could not make manifest for that this Lady in al the tyme of the raigne or her sister dayly did heare Masse went vsually to Confession and in all points shewed her selfe a Catholike yea three weekes after she was proclaymed Queene she had Masse in her own Chappell in the Court and permitted it to be sayd in all Churches throughout the whole realme for the space of seauen monethes after which is no signe of being so resolue da Protestant as that she would suffer imprisonment for that religion Her troubles in very deed were for sundry offences against Queene Mary her sister which being found to be such as might perhaps haue cost her her life if they had come vnto publique triall of Iustice the King of Spayne was so greatly her freind that he stayed the proceeding thereof and so not only saued her life but quit her also from the publike blot and stayne of treason and heerin he was so earnest that on a time when she was to haue come to her answere he did so importune Queene Mary his wyfe to let the matter passe in sylence that she sayd vnto him My Lord You speake very earnestly now for her but I pray God she do not one day make you repent it A certaine Spainsh Author wryteth that the King was therevnto also moued vpon some consideration of state for Queen Mary of Scotland being then maryed vnto the french king Francis the second if the Lady Elizabeth had dyed there had in apparence byn great possibility that the Kingdomes of England Scotland and Irâ—land might come to haue beene annexed vnto France the sayd Queene of Scotland being the next heyre in bloud vnto them all Queene Mary of England at last hapning to dy King Philip her husband notwithstanding the caueat giuen him by his late deceased Queen did so coÌ„tinue his good affection vnto the now Queene Elizabeth that being then in the Netherlands he sent ouer vnto her Monsieur de Assonuile to congratulate her aduancement and to signify his gift vnto her of all Queen Maries Iewells which being his owne he might iustly haue detayned vnto himselfe if he would These Iewells she seemed very thankfully to receaue and sayd vnto this Monsieur de Assonuile that she thought her brother the King of Spayne might thinke much in her for change of religion but quoth she there is but little difference betweene his religion and ours almost all that he hath in Latin we haue in English and we do not as others do for we mayntayne a clergy of Bishops and other Prelates so vs we are in effect as before And whereas there was held a treaty of peace between the Spanish French Kings vpon the taking of S. Quintins the king of Spayn would yield vnto no agreement with the French vnlesse it were also conditioned that Callis should be restored backe vnto Queen Elizabeth of England and heerin were his commissioners that treateâ— with the French so earnest that in the end the french to be rid of their importunity were faygne to confesse vnto them that they knew that they tooke more paynes then they were desyred to do for that the English had playnly told them that they had not set them on work in any such busynes which was a signe that they desired not to be beholding vnto the king their maister Of which wheÌ„ the king had knowledg he stood no more vpon the rendring of Callis but concluded his peace with the french without it which as thinges did afterward fall out proued a happy turne to himself These proofes of this Kings good will vnto Queene Elizabeth being thus made manifest to the world who would haue thought that she would not only haue omitted all signes of gratitude but within a litle after become an enemy to such a friend yea and so great and capitall a one as seldome any History can giue witnes of the like Seeing then that no acts of gratitude are to be sought after let vs then see what effectes of emnity ensued insteed thereof First then to begin withall omitting her refusall of the King of Spaynes kind endeauours for getting the French to restore vnto her the Towne of Callis we will returne vnto the duke of Alua his expected prouisioÌ„ of money from Spayne mentioned in the former Chapter This prouision beâ—ng the summe of six hundred thoâ—sand Ducates comming out of Spayne 〈◊〉 the Netherlands in the moneth of Dâ—cember in the yeare 15â—1 was on the West coast of â—ngland seized vpon and aâ—rested by the English By meanes of which wrongfully detayning this money of the King of Spaynes the Dâ—ke of Alua was forced to demaund the tenth pennv of euery mans goods that was of ability for his supply â—ut this demand of his caused chiefly thorough the said English arrest was cause of a far greater detriment vnto the King of Spayne then that wrongfully detaâ—ned money came vnto so as the one great wrong was the cause of another far greater For heereupon
suppose the Hollanders to deserue the same in regard of a kind of loue and affection which they beare vnto that State albeit no effect or shew of good deeds to proue it doth anv way breake out This inuisible affection must then be imagined to consist in a true desire they haue to the countiuuance of the present State Gouernement as now it standeth Les vs then see how likely it is by first of al calling into consideration the affection they manifest themselues to beare vnto our Kings Maiesty of England for this ought to giue the first and best light vnto this great obscurity Surely if I should relate vnto you what myne owne eares haue heard in this point you would stand amazed Respect of conscience and duty doth not permit me to repeate those most odious Epithets which without any râ—spect of Maiesty are euery where common in these rebellious Hollanders mouthes And I protest vnto you that I verily thinke they did neuer more spytefully raile against the King of Spayne whome they hold for their greatest enemy Their wordes as I sayd I will not repeate for feare least an alleadger of the calumnyes of others might be taken for a subtil calumniator himselfe but if you doubt of the truth heerof make further enquiry of such as since the late famous battaile fought in Bohemia haue come out of Holland into England for there want no witnesses to affirme this to be true And if you shall chance to meet with One who for affection to the Hollanders will rather dissemble then confesse the truth especially being demaunded therof in EnglaÌ„d I doubt not but you wil meet with Two who will affirme it and withall confesse that there is not any remedy to â—hâ—rme their durty mouthes and much lesse to any purpose for an Englishman to oppose himselfe against the lauish tongues of such an vnbridled multitude of cocks crowing vpon their own dunghil And who can otherwise imagine but that they who are in authority amongst them be content that the common sort doe speake that which themselues also thinke and in priuate speake the same as well as they seeing in publike they shew no dislike therof That the Hollanders do desire the continuance of the present State and Gouernement of the Realme as now it standeth by wishing the long raigne of his Maiesty of England and of the Prince his Highnes after him who can imagine since all their driâ—ts do wholy tend to their owne ends and that the Count Paâ—atine by his Mothers side is of the house of Nassaw to which house of all otheâ— vpon earth they are most deuoted and that by the sayd Count Palatine his attayning to the Crown of EnglaÌ„d diuers of the same house that want liuings as wel in Holland as in the Duchy of Bullion as also in other places might come to be aduaÌ„ced in England And no doubt since the Count Palatine hath already had the tast of one Crowne they will the more desire the pleasing of hiâ— appetite with another The religion of England they also like not and therefore in regard of a more pure and perfect Reformation they do out of zeale and conscience the lesse desyre the continuaÌ„ce of the State as it is Their freindes the Puritanes haue long since giuen them to vnderstand how ilfauourâ—dly the Religion of England is now reformed and what great want they haue of a Holland-discipline and such a worshipfall Consistory of Church-counsellours as they hâ—ue there in euery of their Townes They haue also enformed them of the great lyuings that certayne men in England do possesse who beare the name of Bishopes and whose large reuenewes would fall out very fit for sundry poore Countes of the aforesayd howse of Nassaw to begin withall til confiscation of English Noblemens lyuinges might be able to make them the more capable of the titles of Dukes and Princes And this being matter to reflect vpon I will so leaue it vnto your further ponderation and proceed to giue you satisfaction according to your demaund in the rest CHAP. V. Of the present state of the Hollanders and of the diuision among them about matters of Religion and whether respect of Religion may vrge England still to assist them THAT the Hollanders haue a will to continue their warres to the end that at last they might in quiet possession attayne to their wished great Republike of the whole seauenteene Netherland Prouinces with such adiacent and Anseaitcke places as they could come to incorporate and annexe vnto them there is no doubt but their want of meanes to vndergoe this charge wherof no end can be determined is also out of doubt It is now about some two yeares ago that I saw a note of calculation made of their debts which then appeared to be about six millions of florins for the which they payed do yet yearly pay interest It is not lyke that this debt is diminished but that it is rather since that tyme much augmented besydes theyr yearely châ—rge of mayntayning their presidies and fortifications they haue beene at a great deale of lost cost in their monethly great summes of money disbursed for the ayding of the Count Palatine Their meanes and trafficke of marchandize is well known to be nothing so good as it hath beene and dayly to declyne to worse and worse for they haue not only had exâ—reme losses by pirates but haue shewed themselues so vnpartiall that because the English Merchants should not thinke them only bent to spoyle their trade they spoyle their trading amongst them selues in so much that Holland doth not only spoile the trading of Zeland but euen in Holland they dayly study to spoile the trade one of another so as it hath beene noted that when in Amsterdam it selfe some Merchant hauing gotten priuate aduice from his correspondent els where that in such or such a place such and such a commodity will be well vented and that this Merchant thereupon fraighteth a ship with wares accordingly another that perceaueth him to be fraighting though not knowing whither his voyage is intended will straight wayes and with all diligence fraight a ship also with the self same wares and follow and dogge him by sea till he arriue to the same Hauen vnto which the other is bound and so by hindering of his gaine catch away the bread out of his mouth And as by this so by all other wayes and meanes â—ch one seeks to spoyke and hinder another for all will be Merchants aswell the Boores in the Villages as the Burgers in the Towne This then trading then thus hindred what by Pyrats what by the multitude of Merchants and other wayes spoyled they cannot draw sufficient meanes for the maintenance of warre only out of toles and customes neither can it be raysed by taxes and impositions layd vpon the people they being already more heauily burdened that way then they are able to beare and farre beyond the tenth penny which the Dulde of 〈◊〉