stormes You are not ignorant how there is now a Parliament holden in England that bode vs no good in Holland a dayly consultation with present preparation In France a Councell together with an vnaminity of Kings and Peeres for some great vndertaking How nerely then concernes it vs of Spaine to be vigilant and to looke about vs first for the maintenance and aduancement of the Catholique Religion and holy Church Secondly for the defence of his Maiesties Kingdomes and Territories Thirdly to heare the grieuances of the people groaning vnder the heauy burthen of exaction and oppression though the couetuousnesse of publique offices Fourthly for the supply of the Treasury which a late hath beene much exhausted partly by preparation by Sea against our Common enemies Turkes and Hollanders and partly by the extraordinary entertainment of Charles Prince of Wales the charge wherof amounted to 49. thousand Ducates Fift and lastly for giuing the world satisfaction and the taking away of those vile scandales and imputations which euen within these few dayes haue beene and are hourely cast vpon vs especially as they giue it out in dealing doubly and dishonorably with England concerning the Treaty of the Match He hauing ended the D. of Braganza the next began thus I am sorry that I liue to see the day that the Honor of Spaine which was wont to dazle the eye of Europe with the vnsufferable splendor of its brightnesse should now be ouer cast with the blacke cloud of disgrace and the name of a Spaniarde so redoubted ouer the world become branded with the infamous attributes and epithites of false ambitious proud and cruell and those Nations who were wont to adore vs for our faith contemne and scorne vs now for treachery and falshood Certes loyalty and the Religious obseruance of our promises and faith was anciently held our prime vertue insomuch that Fey de Spagna grew into a Prouerbe like the gold of Ophir out valewing any other that I speake no new thing or vntruth you may plainely perceiue it by the multitude of discourses pamphlets and pasquills that are dayly vented against vs from all parts of the World wherein wee art iested at derided disgraced by verses and vnseemely Pictures especially of late dayes from Holland France and England yea as I vnderstand in songs and Ballades sung vp and downe the Streetes in many places whence this imputation vpon so iust and braue a Nation so potent a Monarch at the brandishing of whose sword Europe trembles should proceede I cannot ghesse yet desire to be satisfied herein in the King my Mr. and kinsmans behalfe my kinsman for you all know my neere alliance vnto his Maiesty and my Poesie may intimate no lesse vnto the world which is Pues vos nos after you we being next in blood if the issue Royall should faile But I am a fraide the ill carriage of some priuate men at home perhaps our Embassadors in For. raine parts haue throwne this aspersion vpon vs hauing eyther giuen abroad to many ouertures of our designes or attempted their ends with ouermuch hast and violence which in time and by gentle hand might haue beene easier won as a bough whose fruite we meane to gather is brought downe by degrees which else might breake and we loose our longing Surely in the first me thinke our Nation should not easily offend we being esteemed the most close and reserued to our selues in the world as the euent of our greatest and most important actions haue sufficiently shewne Did we not in 88. carry our businesse for England so cunningly and secretly as well in that well dissembled treaty with the English neere Ostend whereto for vs were deputed Aremberge Champigny Richardot and other as in bringing our Nauy to their shores while their Commanders and Captaines were at bowles vpon the hoe of Plimouth and had my Lord Alonso Guzman the Duke of Medina Sidonia had but the resolution but in truth his Commission was otherwise he might haue suprized them as they lay at Anker and the like In Ireland when Don Ivan d' Aquila had gotten footing in the Irish ground ere any of the mist How were our plots and correspondence with Biron carryed with infinite the like examples Touching the latter the Spanish Nation hath of all other in the world beene held for the most sober stayd and wise and were wont neuer to attempt any thing but vpon great and long aduice accounting it with Quintus Fabius more honorable to bee accounted droanes or cowards then to hazard our affaires or Armies French like onely in a vaine-glorious hastinesse to gaine the Honor of charging the first So that it seemeth strange to me that we haue I know not vpon what grounds incurred the hate and scorne of other Nations and that we especially of the Nobility should be thought ill of since of Nobility ours of Spaine hath beene euer held the most illustrious and eminent of the world The Duke hauing made an end Gondomar easily raysing himselfe from his chayre wherein he sat vpon two downe pillowes and resting himselfe vpon a little Brasill staffe spake as followeth My Lords I can deriue this slaunder of our Country and hate of our selues from no other fountaine then the Fanaticall humors and distracted spirits of some of the English who find themselues not a little gall'd and vexed with our politique delayes heretofore and now our finall reiection and I hope shaking hands with that Hereticall Nation for euer for if your Alteses and Honors will but consider what aduenture and boote we haue made by them I thinke you will say we might well endure these British Northen and cold blasts meane time in so suffering for our Catholique King and in the Catholique cause we ought to take such approbry rather as an Honor vnto vs then otherwise Moreouer if we shall consider who are the Authors of these lying Plamphlets wee shall finde to proceede from the pennes of light and vnstayed wits with intent eyther to winne the opinion of good intelligencers and statistes together with the aiery applause of the Vulgar or to rayse to their desperate Fortunes when the tempest is ouer as it oft hath happened and now likely we being fallen off from England and the Treaty at an end Yea but quoth the Duke of Medina Caeli what should be the reason of that inbred and Naturall hate the common people of England should beare to vs and our Country aboue any Nation in the world the Hollanders Turkes and Indians excepted Arch. B. Toledo Quoth the Arch-bishop of Toledo herein we are much deceiued for his Catholique Maiesty and our selues all haue very many faithfull and fast friends in England who would not sticke to hazard their liues and fortunes in the Seruice of his Maiesty might time and occasion be offered yea and some none of the meanest The Marquesse of Castello Rodrig then arising vp with a graue countenance and a deliberate vtterance said is it possible that any place
of Count Henry Vanden Berges Iourney this last winter into Frizland yes doubtlesse as the euent shewed For hee vpon my knowledge was secretly informed that the Spanish Horsemen had caused in Antwerpe and other places all their horse-shoes to be altered and as many new to be made as would suffice for sixe or eight thousand horse all calked sharpe and frost-nayled of purpose for trauaile ouer the Ice whereby hee knewe as hee is most circumspect and prouident that some enterprise was to be attempted vpon either Holland or Frizland in that time of the great frost The expeditioÌ„ of Count Henry Vanden-Berge into Freezeland all Fennes Riuers and Marishes being passible by reason of the thicknesse of the Ice for it froze continually therefore he doubled the Garrisons within the Frontier Towne sent certaine Troopes of horse to obserue and watch the most suspected places for passage and had shippes abroad to bring him tydings vpon the least motion or occasion Lastly he sent in waggons six thousand Skippers and Water men to breake Ice in the most common and likely places of passage in the Riuer of Rhine Isell the Wael and about the ditches of Townes Marishes and other places neither did his prognostication saile him For Count Henry Vandenberg presently after our Consultation at Madrill had his Commission at Brussells for eighteene thousand horse and foote with which and eleuen peeces of Ordinance and a great multitude of Waggons he passed by Emmerick in exceeding bitter and could weather towards Frizland but turning another way between Duisburgh and Bronkhorst a Castle belonging vnto the Graue of Stirumen which hee tooke and spoyled hee came to the Isell with 4. peeces of Ordinance whereof one the Ice breaking sunke the rest hee lest at Bronkhorst hauing passed the Riuer hee fortified his foote at Diterbusch with trees he filled vp the Riuer The Estates beleeuing hee went directly for Arnhem they sent Marquet with troopes of horse and certaine foote Companies but Vandenberge saluting the Towne with a volley of small shot and beside making a shot or two into the Towne with his great Ordinance departed I heard great quoth Pennatiore outrages were by him committed in that Iournie wherein he spared neither Age nor Sexe Crueltie replied Gonzales is naturall and inhaerent to our Nation for except our victories be drowned in blood we cannot tast them It is most true that he gaue way to his Souldiers in the depth and greatest bitternesse of the frost and snow this last winter to turne men and women starke naked out of their houses to shift for themselues in the open fields to rauish young Girles not aboue eight or ten yeares of age wilfully to beate out the heads of their Wine and Beare Vessels that they might drinke onely water in that extremitie of could weather that many Infants their parents flying away for feare at their returne were found either starued for foode or frozen to death with the could hauing neither fire nor cloathing What quoth Don Pedro slept the Prince of Oreng all this while or was no manner of reueng taken by the Dutch Yes it seemed so quoth Velasco for the most part of our Spanish Souldiers were cut off in their marching away and retreat by the Garrisons of Duisburgh Arnhem Dauentrie Campen and Zutphen beside great numbers who perished with extremitie of cold some hauing their noses some their hands frozen and rotted off beside those that were starued for want of bread so that wee cannot boast of this voyage wee staying in the Velue but seauen dayes which a Spaniard had not seene in aboue thirtie yeares before All this discourse quoth Count Gondomar had on all sides I see tenderh to no other end then to intimate our disabillity and disproportion of strength if wee should vndertake a present Warre against the Netherlands without either making our selues maisters of great Brittaine a thing which his Maiesties Predecessors for this hundred yeares haue aimed at and we may truely say and beleeue is a matter impossible or by faire meanes intreate them from the Cliffes of Douer to be but onely Spectators while wee wrestle for the remnant of our right in the Low Countries wherefore at the last to end and shut vp this our Consultation I haue with Aduise drawne together certaine Heades and Conclusions as Maximes of State for the present and future securing of our Countries and selues which I humbly submit to all your gratious and honorable censures Herewith Gondomar kissing the paper deliuered the same to the D. of Braganca which the D. againe deliuered to a Secretary of Estate commaunding him to reade them openly and distinctly before the whole house the contents whereof were as followeth 1 First aboue all thinges to maintaine and vphold the Catholique Religion against Pagans and Heretiques and to doe our best to plant and propagate the same in all places of the world 2 To hold fast with both hands if wee can the friendship of his Maiesty of great Britraine which setting and declining from vs let vs labour to reassure and gaine by all meanes possible vpon what pretence or condition soeuer for hereupon depends the fortunate or ill successe of all our affaires either now for the present or hereafter imitating herein good Enginers or Workmen when they would build a Bridge to keepe off or turne the maine Channell another way 3 That being effected otherwise let vs thinke neuer to take Weapons in hand Let St. Gonzales Spinola with your selfe breake at an instant into Braâ—ant and trie your strength vpon Breda or Bergen op Zoome giuing them an alarum in those parts while Count Henrie Vanden-Berge ioyned with Tillies Forces shall by Wezell or Rees passing the Rhine come like an inundation vpon them in Freezeland 4 That our Garrisons be doubled in Dunkerke Ostend and other Townes of Flanders and the hauens well guarded and defended 5 That the Emperour take a truce for sixe yeares with his deadly enemie Bethlem Gabor and that we hold good correspondence with the D. of Savoy and the Venetians 6 That all shipping be slayed whether English French Scottish Hamburgers or of what Nation soeuer till our pleasure be further knowne 7 That all our Magazins and store-houses be examined and furnished with all manner of prouision lead powder match bullets and cordage 8 That a certaine number of Ships be newly built and sent into the West Indies as well to secure and guard our Nauy home as to supplant those Hollanders who haue gotten sooting in our Kingdome of Peru. 9 That all strangers of what Nation or Country soever be banished the Land 10 That wee take an order for the reliefe of such Priests and Iesuites as shall be banished England and Ireland and to encrease the number of our Intelligencers 11 That we barre the English French Dutch Scottish and other Nations whatsoeuer from all accesse to the Indies either to traffique or plant 12 That we set vp and maintaine the Inquisition in
all our Dominions and to enhaunse our Customes 13 That we make our selues able to encounter whosoeuer shall oppose or stop our passage on the narrowe Seas and that we giue it out what ever our intent is that our Fleets passe that way onely but for the chastising of the Hollander 14 That hereafter wee entertaine no English nor Scots into our pay but the Irish onely to the intent after they haue gotten experience and are able to commaund they may stand vs in stead in case we should hereafter make any attempt vpon Ireland 15 That we call in as much of our gold and siluer as is possible 16 That you speedily write to our Ambassadour in England to giue notice to all our trustie well beloued the Iesuites and secular Priests with some of the best minded Catholikes towards vs that they labour as much as in them lyeth to take away all aspersion whatsoeuer may tend to our dishonuor for this cause to giue vs notice of all scandolous Bookes Pictures Inuectiues Pasquills c. that shall be printed against vs in Holland England and other places That they curiously search into the proceedings of the Parliament and send vs an abbreviate of all the passages thereof with what forces and how soone they resolue to succour the Low-Countries Lastly that in the Name of their obedience to his Holinesse and obseruation to his Catholique Majestie they labour where euer they liue to educate and instruct their freinds Children in the Catholike Religion and timely to enable either their sonnes for our Seminaries or their Daughters for our Nunneries so the houses shall bee supplied still with novices our Treasuries with money and wee with freinds and instruments at all occations Concerning these two last propositions for a conclusion I will produce a Letter vnto me subscribed with the handes of many of the chiefe among them whose pourtraitures with their names yee haue here inserted of the manner of their proceedings and that you may know they spend not their time in vaine in England For I must my LL. tell you I hold intelligence with the wisest and best learned among them and where euer they are transeo per medium illorum Therefore I thought it not amisse by a draught to let you see them in their Consultation as they were wont to sit at the house of one L. a Goldsmith in Fetter lane by Holborne in London this L. L. a Goldsmith and one that furthereth the-Printing of Popish Bookâ— hath for many yeares closely kept a Printing house to the great furtherance and increase of the Catholique Religion in that Land for by his meanes thousands thousands of good Bookes hath beene dispersed over the Land which albeit they are sold at an excessiue rate and he hath beene a great gainer by them yet are they printed and reprinted againe and much money gotten by them though vttered at a third hand but I will reade the Letter it is not long your Honors therefore daigne it the hearing Illustrious and excellent Lords it is now wee all thinke a long time since wee heard from your Honor or recieued any instruction from you concerning the businesse you wot of we in England here are like shortly to groane vnder the heauie and vnsupportable burthen of persecution but wee shall I hope the better indure it so long as our cause is warranted and our constancy assisted and increased by the prayers and suplications of the Church we labour dayly in the Catholique Haruest and recover with wonderfull successe thousands of soules from the Abysse of Perdition into the bosome of the Church the onely difficulty is in con cealing our selues and intendments from that many headed Monster Herisie Wee walke openly and haue our time alotted vs till the 14 day of Iune next which is the vtmost period of our stay in the meane time wee desire to be advised by your Lordship what afterward were fittest to be done of vs for your Honours depth of Iudgement and all admired pollicy is the compasse by which we all Steere to escape present danger Our Lord protect your Honour to all our Comforts and our blessing be vpon you From London this 3. of May. 〈◊〉 haue here seâ—â— the true portrature of the Iesuits and pristâ— as they vse to sitt at Counsell in England to further y e Catholicke Cause D. Wright D. Bristow F. Barlow D. Bishop F. Fisher F. Pattison F. Porter D. Smith F. Sweete F. Ployden F. Louett F. Wothington F. Heyham F. Palmer F. Townsend c. To this Letter I gaue them this answer as followeth Holy Fathers I receiued your Letters to my great comfort but I confesse I am neerely touched with the so suddaine approach of your common calamitie but as the greatest sore findeth his salue so the greatest affliction some consolation or other in the middest of extremitie For mine owne part know that I will not be wanting to your comforts in any thing that lyeth in me or that I can procure in your behalfes either from his Holinesse at Rome or my Master his Catholique Maiestie here The times are dangerous carrie your selues therefore wisely with that peruerse Nation which scornes you and hourely consulteth how to sweepe you from the face of the earth and even now haue they the broome in their hands I meane the present Parliament who will leaue no dust or Sluts corners behind them favour you are to expect none therefore with the Foxe when hunted out of breath you must relie vpon your Arts and subtle sleights Of which nature may be these following If your credits be so good with any great or eminent personage make him your Instrument to sow dissention betwixt the Prince people imitating herein Souldiers when they would get an aduantage of flying or running away they vse to set fire on villages and their baggage that they might escape vnseene by the benifit of the smoake Learne or devise new and the most difficult Characters for writing Letters with all the sleights and devises of privy conveyance you may practice Physicke as Doctors of Padua or set vp bills as Mountebankes venting collor'd Oyles Balsames counterfeit Bezar perfumed Lozenges Receipts for the tooth-ach with a thousand the like get the perfect and true receipt for any one disease or ach it is enough to gaine credit to your practice and make you passe for currant If you send any youths over to our Seminaries let them be the Sonnes of the richest and ablest men so shall you not want a place for retraict and meanes to relieue you at an extremitie Young Gentlewomen you may convey over to Bruxells or whether you please by putting them in boyes apparell theyr hayre being handsomely tyed vp with a Fillet and a wrought cap worne over it with a great broad-brimmd Hat If you would at any time convey over any Silver or Gold the Searcher commonly may be couzened if you send it over in Pasties baked provided that you haue some of
flesh onely to eate or giue away as a cullor for the rest For the venting of hallowed Oyle Beades Agnus-Deies Maddalles Pardons Crucifixes c. You may doe it by some one poore yet trustie Catholique or two to goe vp and downe the Countrie in the habit and nature of Pedlers this also is a good way to hold intelligence with friends in many places I haue knowne some vnder the cullour of selling Tobacco haue carried Letters handsomely preuily in the balles or roules Also wee advise you if persecutions come vpon you to flye into Scotland for a season and when you see your best time returne againe for it seemeth by this Proclamation you sent that you are not bannished Scotland therefore that may be a good shelter vnto you Be sure to haue going in the North or west part of England two Printers presses at worke which let be well stocked also a small rouling presse for litle pictures of Saints Veronica's heads Crucifixes and the like much money may be gained hereby Haue a care whensoeuer any Booke or Picture comes out to our preiudice set some freinds to buy them all vp though you burne them forthwith except some few which faile not still but to send vs of every sort three at the least for they will bee vnto vs of great vse Many moe directions Holy Fathers there are which are alike necessary to be thought vpon but I referre them to your owne graue and pious considerations So committing you to the tuition of our blessed Lady and my selfe to your holy and deuout prayers I rest From Siuill this 6. of May. Count Gondomar hauing made an end they all with one voyce applauded and highly commended his directions and Counsell not onely for his particular Letter but for the wise carriage of himselfe heretofore in many and weightie affayres that concerned the Catholique Religion the honour of his Maiestie and the generall good of the Estate Esteeming him worthily honored with the Title of a Grande at home in Spaine and of his Maisters Ambassadour abroad hauing effected more by his wit and pollicy then could haue beene wrought by the strength of many Armies And now when they were almost come to a period and full conclusion of their Consultation for that time there came a Messenger in post who brought Letters from the King to Count Olivares his favorite to call him to the Court vpon some speciall imployment what it was could not bee certainly knowne but as I heard some complaint was lately come out of England against the Ambassadours resident there moreouer that a great fight had beene lately betweene nine great Spanish ships 5. men or ships of warre of Horne and Enchuisen in Holland wherein the report went the Hollanders had taken two and sunke one whereupon they all arose vp together in a great confusion euery one hasting to his horse which stood ready in a faire base Court without they tooke their way some with Olivares to the Court others to their owne houses where I leaue them till wee heare further of their proceedings TO THE ILLVSTRIOVS MAGNIFIQVE AND GRAVE Assembly of the High Court of Parliament in England HEre as in a little glasse may you Most Honorable Great and Graue Senate viewe the epitome or rather the effect of a seauen yeares Treaty with Spaine yee may plainly see the holde and assurance wee were euer like to haue had of that Nation yea euen when wee thought our selues surest of them Here wee may to our warning of taking heede whom wee trust behold to the life the Haughty-Pride Thirsty-Couetousnes and kind dissimulation of the same Fox populi Count Gondomar the * For they say he is a Grande in Spaine GREAT Here may the Netherlands perceiue the imminent danger that hung-ouer their heades shortly without doubt to haue fallen vpon them had not the Spanish ambushes beene timously discouered Heere may that Illustrious King and the most renowned and second Queene Elizabeth for her constancy and spirit of Bohemia and princes Pallatines of the Rhine consider how assuredly faithfully the surrendring of their Pallatinate should haue beene performed In a word heere may wee all see the great Mercies of God towards vs whose providence it hath beene that we should cleare our selues from these Spanish Rockes that all this while lay vnder water and vnseene doubtlesse to our ruine had wee not I say by immediate helpe from heauen beene relieued Let vs then as wee are one people of the same Language Religion Lawes Gouerned by the same Gracious and good King embrace with that wise Lord and graue Councellor as in his Poesie Vuam cor vnam viam then neede not our Brittaine so famous of ould for her triumphes and many victories over other Nations nor care a strawe for the vaine and windy threats of proude Spaine nor the menaces of the most daring Aduersarie whosoeuer Your Humblest servant who is and euer shall be T. S. FINIS