Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	king_n	prince_n	state_n	2,872	4	5.6626	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93939	The siege of Antwerp. Written in Latin by Famianus Strada, Englished by Tho: Lancaster, Gent.	Strada, Famiano, 1572-1649.; Lancaster, Thomas, gent.	1656 (1656)	Wing S5781; Thomason E1612_2; ESTC R208442	87,922	211

commerce But what safety can the naked Merchants expect from armed souldiers accustomed to pillage Surely this City hath sufficiently had a lamentable grievous experiment of sacking burning and plundering For the prevention of which outrages that Antwerp may have no just cause for the future to feare your prudence most excellent Prince by this dayes conditions for which we are come hither to treat with you we hope will provide Prince Alex. answers the Agents To these his Excellency in a few words made answer that willingly he accepted of the treaty with Antwerp And as hee referred the valour and acts of his souldiers unto Gods benignity and his blessed mothers assistance so the Antwerpians ought to acknowledge that all their forces leagues with Cities and Provinces and succours from forraign Princes were in vain against the power and right of the legitimate Lord of the Low-countreyes In stating the conditions he would bury in oblivion the Amwerpians Delinquencies for having waged warr against God and their lawfull Soveraigne and incited others of the Low-countreys as with an allarme from that strong hold to defection but would rather have respect to his Majesties clemency and from thence would moderate the chiefest of their conditions And dismisseth them to three Presidents In the interim hee had appointed men of understanding wisdome and no ways partiall with whom they might more freely conferre Therefore they should depart to them to treat of the articles and then hee would deliver the Kings minde not in the worst sence Hee had chosen for that purpose Pamaelio Richardott and Vandenburge Presidents of the privy Councell of Artois and Mechlin and committed every thing to their judgement and wisdome To whom he referred all things except the Articles of obedience to the King and religion the Articles pertaining to obedience due to the King and religion onely excepted which hee with more then ordinary care as he had received an expresse from his Majesty reserved to himselfe for when long agoe his Excellency had proposed it to the King thereby to make the Ant verpians more willing to surrender whether hee should set a certaine time to the Hereticks wherein to dispatch their affaires or to permit them so long untill there might be hopes of their better disposition and reducement His Majesty made reply The King thus expresseth his mind concerning religion that he should not grant an unlimited time what hope or perswasion soever there was of their reconciliation Upon which subject because hee had often at other times treated I thought it best to insert one of the latest letters from Spaine concerning this matter part of which was written with his Majesties own hand In every treaty or parley with Cities or Castles that come into our hands let this be your first and last regard that in these places the Catholick religion be settled without leave to the Hereticks of professing or exercising their sects or doctrines in City or countrey unlesse you grant them some time for composing their affaires and let that be limited concerning which matter I absolutely command that no dubious clause capable of interpretation or moderation be inserted that those may assure themselves who desire to live in our Belgium to make choyce either of the true worship of the ancient Romane faith or after their prescribed time is ended forth with to seeke their habitation else-where Which things if they be performed I put my confidence in the Almighty power to whose honour and service this warr hath for so many yeares been managed with so great losse of bloud and expences that all things for the future will proceede fortunate and that his heavenly majesty will out of his wonted providence always so moderate our affaires that men by their happy successe may understand of what importance it is to put their confidence in the Divine goodnesse and to preferr the service due to him before all secular businesse But if God by reason of our great offences will have it otherwise I think it better to spend all my Kingdomes for his sake then for any humane respect to decline from this if not a lucky doubtlesse a pious determination And truly this firme purpose of his Catholick Majesty was very apparent to be acceptable to God for on the same day these were written by the King which was the seventeenth of August on the same day the Antwerpian agents at their meeting at Bevera receiving their articles delivered up the City When notwithstanding when they begun to treat with the Kings Commissioners The Agents treat with the Presidents they differ about three articles the businesse of their reconciliation seemed to be very intricate and would go but slowly on For they insisted immoveably on these three heads above others That religion as then it was might freely bee exercised that the Castle now halfe down might not be repaired That no garrison of what nation soever might be admitted into the City Yea when they understood that the Commissioners were not impowred to treat about religion they told the Prince of Parma they would proceed no further with them unless they might have power for that also And Aldegund Aldegund promiseth great matters if liberty of conscience be granted amongst other conferences one time staying with his Excellency foure whole houres alone in private discourse concerning this article stuck not to affirme that upon that condition of freedome in religion Zealand and Holland yea all the confederate Belgica might be drawne to the Kings obedience And would take it upon him and was confident for that authority which he had with the Provinces Put Prince Alex discourse with him was wholly to the contrary shortly to produce a great benefit to both parties But his Excellency utterly dashing all hopes of liberty and confusion in religion whereby as hee said the Cities and Provinces divided into sects and factions could neither live in peace amongst themselves nor with God or their Princes Gods Deputies upon earth courteously admonished him that they should consider the daily decay of their forces succours from France by reason of the troubles there past all hopes the subtile delay of the English the invincible power of the Catholick King not to be exhausted by any expences nor tyred out by warr and indirectly hee insinuated some things which might bee of great concernment for his own private interest with hopes of favour from his Majesties clemency And those things hee uttered before Aldegund with such eloquence with such courage and with words wholly dictated to him as hee after writ to the King by Almighty God Aldegund is wonderfully taken with his discourse that Aldegund admiring the vigour of his discourse professed after his departure thence he had often treated with many eloquent persons but hee never met any more efficacious and affable then the Prince of Parma and that with reason hee might use that of Asdruball concerning Scipio viz. that Prince Alexander

appeared farr more admirable to him in presence then fame had set him out for his warlike actions And indeed whether taken with the wordes and civility of the Prince of Parma or wholly hopeless of supporting the siege any longer And is more forward for the surrender by little and little hee made shew that his minde was altered being more propense to treat on the surrender Moreover in a book which afterward he set forth Yea in a book which afterwards hee set forth he extolleth Alexanders virtues and the Kings cause when hee had to the life extolled the deeds performed by Alexander Farneze his mercy towards the conquered sanctity in keeping his Oath and other vertues pertaining to a Generall amongst other things hee added that King Philips subjects could not with a safe conscience take up armes against their King Which confession not rashly uttered in talke but witnessed in writing he being a man of great authority among the States and a grounded Calvinist was a great blemish to the confederates cause And was therefore hated of the confederates Hee thenceforth daily growing out of favour and hated by them was not afterwards admitted to any Government in the Common-wealth But then the Agents and the Kings Commissioners often meeting together The conditions imposed upon the City at the surrender lastly after some debates in the Prince of Parmas's presence the article concerning religion was in the first place confirmed one and that the ancient Catholick profession being appointed to the Antwerpians They were commanded to reedify the Churches which they had rased and to restore the ejected families of religious orders into the City into their owne houses possessions Which Article concerning religious orders when the Agents would thus have penned it that those religious orders should bee reduced into the City which had had their residence in Antwerp in the Emperour Charles the fifths dayes A deceit discovered in them His Excellency understanding by that fraud the Fathers of the society of Jesus whose assistance hee chiefly made use of against the Hereticks to be excluded utterly rejected it and would have all orders equally included In repairing the Castle and in placing a garrison of Spaniards and Italians from whom the Citizens desired to be free hee dealt more favourably Yet the Article was thus That the Prince of Parma should draw with him into the City a garrison of well affected nations and if the Hollanders and Zealanders were reconcil'd to their Soveraigne the City should be exempt from the Castle and garrison for ever after if not he would provide for the safety of Antwerp against the neighbouring Zealanders and others In the rest of the conditions the Prince of Parma being very liberall gave pardon in his Majesties name to the Antwerpians of the high Treason committed against their King restored to the City its ancient priviledges granted the Hereticks foure yeares to tarry in the City to settle their affaires And although hee might with reason have charged the City with the greatest part of the huge expences laid out at the siege yet hee was contented to exact only foure hundred thousand Florens 160000. Crownes nor that to be payd all at once for his souldiers pay It was also agreed that the prisoners on both sides should be released though the Royalists had more then the enemies unlesse they had already covenanted for their ransome Tilinius onely excepted whose case although reserved to the King his Excellency promised to recommend him to his Majesty and to effect that as some dayes before hee had dismist Lanoy into France to be exchanged with Count Egmont so Tilinius should ere-long follow his father Whilst these The articles are read in the City and other Articles being in all twenty seven were read by the Commissioners returned to Antwerp in presence of the Magistrates people with great attention of all there was suddenly heard a huge noise of Cannons from the bridge on the Scheldt the adjoyning forts which still increased when many going out of the City and looking from the banks and towers reported that a cruell battle was then fought at the Farnezian bridge and upon the banks rampires of the River And it being rumoured that the English succours were arrived and had set upon the Royalists the Antwerpians are at a stand about admitting the conditions And without doubt either the French or English succours were arrived by whom the Spaniards being suddenly engaged as unprovided would not doubtlesse long subsist against the fresh and hardy enemy Whereupon many of the people verily believing it as oftentimes HOPE and desire makes men credulous upon new designes and encourage by those that were against the surrender forthwith take armes and constipating the Commissioners demand a longer time to deliberate on the conditions untill they were certified by frequent messengers one after another that there appeared no ayd from France or Navy from England but that it was a joyfull and fayned combat of the Royalists And one of them Seeing themselves deluded they returne againe to heare the conditions a witty conceipted fellow having informed himselfe more fully affirmed that no auxiliary navy was arrived from England but that the Grecian fleet had brought the golden Fleece from Colchos to the Prince of Parma The occasion of the mistake But they being thus deluded and offended with the incendiaries returne againe with the same levity as before they had broken off to heare the articles of their surrender The solemnity of Alexanders receiving the golden Fleece But not a few were drawn with a desire to see that military triumph celebrated in the royal Army for the solemnity of the Golden Fleece which Chaine sent by his Majesty long before Prince Alexander had deferred to receive untill this time that now secure of the Antwerpian Victory he might enter the City more graced by that dignity The description of that celebrity And the souldiers for their love and reverence to their Generall made all things more stately for armed companies ranged in Battalia at their posts were extended from the Camp at Bevera where the Prince then resided even to Calloo and from thence to the Scheldt and Bridge The chiefe Commanders of the Army placed themselves on the Bridge the banks of the Scheldt the Castles Rampires and ships all glittered with armed Regiments Saint Philips fort in the head of the Bridge on Brabant shoare was chosen to augment the pomp To which his Excellency moving from Bevera on horse-back accompanied by the chief of the Nobility and entertained by the way with showes of warlike skirmishes sometimes of horse sometimes of foot when hee arrived at the bridge which resounded with the joyfull Eccho of shoutes and Trumpets hee was saluted with a volley of Cannons without intermission thundering from the Castles Forts and shippes Having passed the bridge and entered the chappell of Saint Philps after Masse sung by

any Diocesse in all the Netherlands of so great esteem and reduced a City the Flower of the Belgick Cities and with it the Seigniory of one of the seventeene Provinces to their true and lawfull Soveraigne at that time when having received letters from his Majesty For the restitution of the Castle of Piazenza he renders thanks to the King with Mechlin of the restitution of the Castle of Piazenza which had beene kept by a Spanish garrison he was in condition to render him thanks for his royall liberality with the welcome newes of the Victory But ere long having at last subdued Antwerp The agents treats with Alex about the delivery of Antwerp hee sent farre more acceptable tydings to the King for Aldegund when hee saw the publick affaires in despaire thought privately to provide for himself and hastened forward the Commission intended to the Prince of Parma from the Magistrates and people The agents or commissioners were twenty one the chiefe amongst whom were William Merode Lord of Duffle John Sconhove Andrew Hessell and Philip Marnixius Aldegund himselfe Consull of the City Who being received by his Excellency at Bevera I have heard that Aldegund in the name of them all and in the presence of the Royal and warlike Councell Aldegunds Oration spoke after this manner Wee come not hither most mighty Prince timerously to apologize for our whole years resistance in defence of our owne For who could have conceived the least feare of the most potent City in all the Belgick Provinces from so few besiegers and you your selfe I presume as no valiant man can affect the cowardly would rather have wished then approved of our facility and feare Wee had sufficient knowledge of the number of your souldiers the necessities of your Camp were not concealed from us your Navy not considerable complaints rung through your Army and tumults were daily expected Was it likely that you with ten or eleven thousand souldiers for those were the most with which you first attempted this great designe could have continued the siege of such a City block it up by land and stop passage by water with your horse make inrodes into Brabant and hinder reliefe from neighbouring Cities obstruct so vast a River above against the forces of Gaunt and below against the power of Holland and Zealand invade so many Castles on the bankes of Scheldt oppose Navy against Navy which then you had not any make good the bringing in of provision unto your Army And fill all places with Castles guards and Sconces no surely had you had fifty thousand fighting men nay if every one of your souldiers had had a hundred hands a piece could you have been thought of ability to attend to so many things at once in places so distant and divided in effect so difficult in labour so continuall in necessity so urgent And yet with this handfull of men you have besieged Antwerp both by water and land possest your selfe of Flanders and Brabant by frequent stations every where placed conveyed provision and what else was needfull for your Army at the siege through a channell of your owne making Erected Castles and Forts upon narrow banks and in the overwhelmed fields and what wee onely could believe possible because we have seen it done coped with a River which had the Ocean to assist it yea subjugated the Scheldt or rather the Sea with a Bridge standing against the furies of the swelling Ocean against the violent encounters of the Ice amongst continuall conflicts with our Navies Yet we broke down the bridge not without your great losse yea your animosity thereby increasing in a trice repaired it Wee turned the Scheldt into the fields and sought passage els-where You following the River hither also by a new bridge divided it and objected that over-crosse Causey against our Navies We assayled the Causey digged it through and opened a way there for our shipping yet you replust us thence when wee thought our selves Victours made up the clefts and breaches and obstructed all hope of passage What Engines what stratagems have wee left unattempted What strength of navies what fiery wonders what inventions of swimming Castles can there bee we have not set forth as much as by wit as much as by art could be imagined we have performed The Heavens the Sea hell onely excepted we have call'd to our assistance wee have taken into our society And yet with all these we have neither removed you from our Walls nor struck you with the least feare but rather have ministred new fewel to your incensed breast for the conquest of other Cities and further dilating of your armes and victories You have atchieved most invict illustrious Prince an enterprize than which the past and present Annalls cannot produce a greater We often have read and sometimes beheld that a Generall laying siege to an hostile City whil'st hee forceth and taketh one hath lost another elsewhere You whilst with your Army you straightly attacque Antwerp as if secure of us at the same time in Flanders take Dendermund by force subdue Gaunt by famine In Guelders dis-arme us of Nievmeghen And in Brabam compell Bruxels and Mechlin to a surrender And so whilst you lay siege to one City you extend your victories rising from victories into three severall Provinces at once As if to fight with one enemy at once were too small a taske for your noble spirit But the recitall of all these daily disputes betwixt the besieged and besiegers tends onely to this that it may plainly appeare that we conscious of our owne forces did not rashly undertake our defence nor having had tryall of your fortune do cowardly give it up God and your valour O Alexander have afforded you the glory of subduing Antwerp and posterity will allow us also some honour for not yeelding too hastily One thing as well for yours the King your Uncles sake as our owne wee intreat and earnestly request that as by conquering you have understood how great a City you have overcome so in taking and possessing it you will diminish nothing of the majesty strength thereof nothing of the monument of your Victory nor any thing of his Majesties possession and tribute But diminish them you will if either by confining the Citizens minds to a certaine religion or imposing a garrison of externs over their bodies and fortunes you change the state and Government of the City Antwerp if any City in all Europe flourisheth for the present The number of Citizens and strangers can scarcely bee reckoned The Scheldt as large as it is cannot containe the Merchants shippes of all regions when warr hinders them not Lastly no Empory in the whole world conjoynes associates more Provinces together and wealth of countreyes by communion of traffick The fame of the place will endure as long as solitude of Religion threats of Castles and terrours of a Garrison do not shut up this Sanctuary SAFETY is a nurse to