haue declared to obey our soueraigne Princes and Magistrates and beside they know right well by the behauiour of Rebels that the greatest euil in sedition treason as Cornelius Tacitus others haue learnedlie described is That euerie one woulde commaund hauing no other counsel or reason then their owne wil. Moreouer the most factious and turbulent will euer presume on most authoritie by whom the Magistrates and peaceable Cittizens are ordinarily suspected and are in danger to be prescribed robbed killed or banished There is such mixture of defiances as nothing is ingendered but hate suspition and priuie dissembling so that all honestie all Fayth and humilitie is vtterly forgotten and violated and true reconciliation euer-more hindered All things amongst Rebels are very miserable yet if there fall out any thing to their own desire nothing is more miserable then such a successe as not onely makes them to be more arrogant and vntractable but rather entertaines or nourisheth them more more in mischiefe Do ye not behold that of necessitie the Duke De Maine must doe all things by the aduise and will of the Spanyards although by them he pretends to conquer Marie the Duke of Parma he is too fine to serue them as a Seruaunt he rather wold vsurpe for himselfe if he could a cruell and tyrannicall gouernement to maintaine himselfe by force ouer-throw the Noblemen of this Country afterward beate down the people with feare and terrour VVill not you then take aduantage offered against these Rebelles If yee loue your King and Countrey as I thinke ye doe lay hold yet on the vallour of your Auncestors who valiantly repulsed the Spanyard when hee would haue entred Fraunce made a famous slaughter of all his followers Consider the vnfortunate fal ruine of the ancient estate of Greece very latest Empire therof of Carthage Rome Italie and infinite other Common-weales kingdoms and Signories which onely happened by partialities and deuisions Phillip de Commines heereof wrote well and truelie Such dissention and discordes saith he are verie easily sowne amongst rebellious people and they are a true signall of the ruine and destruction of a Countrey or Kingdome when they take roote therin as they haue doone in diuers other Common-weales and Monarchies And to thys purpose if I were not well assured that the mallice and ambitions of the rebellious Leaguers rather thē destenie is the cause of the desolation of thys estate I could say as Salust sometimes saide of Rome I am perswaded seeing all things that had beginning must haue end that then by destinie the ruine of Rome shall approch when the Cittizens fight against the Cittizens and so beeing spent and weakened shall be exposed as a pray to some King or strange people otherwise all the Nations of the world assembled together cannot ouer-throwe this Empire But any man not sinisterlie carried awaie doth euidentlie perceiue that the originall and source of the downe-fall of this estate except God set his hand to in time ariseth frō the rebellion of these Leaguers so long time practised by the Spanyard and his adherents To escape then from so great an euill withdrawe your selues my Lords to this partie reconcile your selues to your King and relieue your Countrey exposed by the Rebels as a pray to the Spanyard who hath no little while beene plotting and practising this deuice for his purpose Demosthenes fore-seeing the ruines of Greece through the vnderminings and policies of Phillip King of Macedon who kept it in deuisions not only Cittie against Cittie but the Cittizens deuided against each other in euery Cittie by corruppting the chiefe Gouernors that were drawne to take part with him imployed all his paines to reconcile the Athenians and other people of Greece from such dangerous factions and to regard the maintenance of their estate For my selfe I haue not the eloquence of Demosthenes wherewith to perswade yee but this I plainely giue you to vnderstand that an other Phillip King of Spayne hath vsed the like deceits in Fraunce wherby to spoile and ruinate the Countrey as Phillip King of Macedon did in Greece to make himselfe Lord thereof Fly my Lordes fly this partialitie cause of so great troubles pernicious to the publique societie and priuate kind of life euermore readie to hurte and which bringeth no meane damage according to the occasion and occurrences of the time your selues do daily behold the effects heereof for the Armie of the Leaguers beeing hemde in with this partiall Monster as well among the French-men as the Spaniards it will come to passe that without any great labour bestowed by the King their owne deuision wyll both frustrate their enterprises and hinder the victorie they liue in hope to haue euen as it happened in the battaile of Cannas where the Romains lost the day thorow the partialitie of the two chiefe Leaders Paulus Aemilius and Terentius Varro I cannot thinke that the Duke De Maine and the Duke of Parma the onely commaunders of the League will agree long time together but that the one must giue place to the other for the Spanyard is too braue arrogant to holde yoke with the French Rebels hauing occasion so fayre and fit for the purpose whereby to gette the maisterie ouer them now or neuer My Lords you that are faithfull Gentlemen and Seruaunts to the King me thinks thys one cause should induce a good accord and vnion among ye for the seruice of his Maiestie that ye shoulde be both iealous and enuious of the charge and honors distributed by his highnes not to haue thē trans-ferred to such as are so farre vnder you in woorthinesse and vnlesse this fire of iealousie kindle the sooner in yee it will redounde to the great disaduantage of the publique affaires and your own proper ruine As for the rest of you my Lordes that side it with the Rebels wrap not your selues in theyr offences loose not your selues altogether in the heape of theyr discords nor yet forget that you but defend their perfidie impietie in so myserable a confusion forsake such part-taking They can talke enough that the publique Lawes and common rights ought to be kept as also the auncient receiued religion of Christian Catholiques the liberty of the estates the comminalty of the Citties the authority of the Princes Officers of the Crown the Magistrats and Parliaments yet notwithstanding they trauaile day and night as by their effects is plainly discerned to trouble all these by disorder and sedition and to thrust the estate into the hande of a stranger who makes himselfe assured therof alreadie except next the helpe of God you ioyne with vs to remedy this danger The Leagues and deuisions that were in Gaule betweene the Sequani and Autini when as Iulius Caesar there arriued was the cause that brought the Gaules vnder the Romaine obedience This League of Rebels is more pernicious dangerous to the estate were it not we
to increase and make vp the number of thy newe Spanish Armie the League of Arragon against theyr King rayse vp the vsurpers of Zaell in the Realme of Valencia I will propose no other Rebels to thee then onely of the Spanish Nation confederates Nursses of thy Fore-fathers extreame cruell and agreeable to thy humours The Rebels of Gallicia who cast off Ramis the third King of Leon The coniuring Bishops that scaffolded theyr King of Arragon and made him pay an honourable fine because hee had taken the reuenewes of the Churches whereto hee was constrained by necessitie to satis-fie the charges of the wars against the Moores in the yeere one hundred foure-score and two Get to thee also by the same enchauntments the Rebels of Sallamanca against the King of Leon Of the Nauarrets by whom neuerthelesse these seditious were besieged taken and chastised Of the Lords of Lara who mooued great threatnings and attempts in the raigne of King Henrie of Castile An Almorand quarrellous and sedicious against the estate of Nauarre The mutinous of Ebora hauing for their cheefe leaders Gonsallo and Vincent Ianes If the Spanish Tyrant Phillip if his sonne in lawe the Duke of Sauoy if the Duke of Parma who is come to thy succour for his owne profit and his maisters suffice not with theyr forces in steede of them which haue beene vanquished by our inuincible Hercules and his valiant Noblemen call vppe to thy ayde by thy charmes the predecessours of thy King no lesse cruell and bloody to wit Alphonsus King of Castile and Leon vnhappie vicious and most tyrannous Almundir desirous to raigne Berenger the murtherer of his brother Remond whervpon hee dyed very miserably Bermond the 21. King of Leon Henry the fourth of Castile Eringo who poysoned the King Bamba and raigned ouer the Gothes Don Alphonso the 11. who caused his brother the infant of Castile to bee smothered Ferdinand of Arragon who conspired with the Duke of Ferrara to poyson the King Don Ferdinand Garcia King of Leon Mahomet the fourth King of Granado and many others besides If the women that beare thee company haue not their wits sharpe enough to aduance both thine their own affaires withdraw thy selfe to hell and there consort thee with that wicked Queene of Metz Brunechilde the Sorceresse by nation of a Spanish Goth daughter to Atanagilde the twelfth King of the Gothes whom Sigibert King of Mets married for the plague of France And if thou wilt for company ioyne with her Goswind the Gotthish Queene who conspired against King Richard very troublesomely take likewise Brunehault Fredegonde and all the deuillish women of the world Ayde thy selfe yet if thou pleasest with Cerberus the Sisters Eumenides and with all the horrible route of hell because thy selfe art very hell in-deede Reuiue againe all the Monsters vanquished by auncient Hercules but being thy selfe so monstrous thou hadst neede fortefie thee well with the Monsters already subiected by the force of the aduenterous Thebane Doost thou trauaile thy selfe to seeke on the earth and vnder the earth all that is an emie pernicious monstrous cruell turbulent bloody barbarous odious horrible and contrary to vertue knowing the same to bide in thine owne selfe Needest thou any other assistance then thine owne other forces or other horrours Thou surpassest all the horrours of earth and hell all the malices of the ayre and neuer was any crueltie or treason exercised but thine hath surmounted them Canst thou not content thy selfe to haue thys Geryon of Spayne thy succourer Are not these thy fathers strong enough to maintaine thee in thy greatnesse But when thou shalt be thus assisted with all that I haue spoken of can all these forces all these cruelties treasons charmes Magical-arts Fryers frocks and hoodes these Monsters the horrours infernall these Furies ouer-throw our Alcides The body is stronger then the shadowe and trueth more forcible then falsehoode Thou groundest thy selfe on an vniust cause on humaine strength and exceeding violence our Hercules in his iust cause buildeth not on fleshly forces but on GOD onely that established him the vertue equity and right of hys claime thy in-iustice and ambition are the enemies that hetherto haue disgraced and defiled thee Thinkest thou to conquer by flattering and embracing thy foe the spye that betrayes thee and discouers all thy enterprises Would God thou hadst beene smothered in thy byrth then had not this estate beene in such combustion where thou raignest but thou hast gyuen him the fayre collours which beguileth thee and strengtheneth vs thou hast honoured and shaddowed him with the goodly titles of Catholique zealous the enemie of the Heretiques and Pollitiques the Freende of the Common-wealth and the holie Vnitie These couertures are too slender and feeble to blinde the eyes of our Lynceus and are no other to thee then Nets to wrappe thee in as Venus with Mars by the cunning of Vulcane or as ambuscadoes on suddaine to surprise thee Thou flyest fayre with thy enemie after thee following at thy heeles and euer-more to our great aduantage he spurres thee and yet as I haue said keepes thee companie albeit thou hast deckt him with so many double Crosses and bought Pater nosters after the fashion Castillane and Albanois as hee seemes to thee thy speciall friende thus louest thou thy fraudulent coulloured enemy and hatest and pursuest vs to thy vttermost And albeit so many learned pennes haue discouered him for a bold-faced shamelesse beast defacing his faire glistering collours where-with like a Peacock hee makes thee follow him about let vs once againe lift vppe this counterfeite Masque and wee shall see wyth what Chymaera and with what Hydra our Hercules hath to deale He that vnder thy Ensigne makes open war vppon vs and couert warre vppon thee or rather this enemie that fights for vs against thee for he neede not doubt but the faithlesse ambition which thou hast brought foorth and begunne will bring both thee and thy other Coniurers to a miserable end decks himselfe with feigned loue to the Common-weale the holy vnitie VVhat publique-weale what holy vnitie meanes he Callest thou it cōmon-good to ruinate so many Countreyes and Citties is this detestable League this coniuration so pernicious to the estate and the Catholique Religion a holy vnitie If it be the effects doe publish themselues VVas neuer seene such out-rages such impieties wracke of Religion corruption licentiousnesse and Atheisme as since thou thus exaltedst thy selfe and hast trode both iustice and Religion vnder foote thy Armes haue brought in thys dysorder and generally hath dyspersed bothe bloode and fyre Thou prophanest iustice thou forcest and slaue-like leadest it vnder thy irregular and most indirect Lawes thou makest the Catholique Religion the Goddesse of warre that strikes spoyles and kylles Hast thou no shame Knowest thou not that Religion is full of peace and makes it her glorie to suffer and endure torments and not to torment any Knowest thou not that
could alleadge so that Saule acknowledging his humanity by the demonstrations he had of Dauid at his comming forth of the Caue he fell into teares and thus spake vnto Dauid Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rendred me good whereas I intended thee euill and thou hast shewed mee this daie the good thou hast doone me for asmuch as when the Lord had gyuen me into thy handes yet thou wouldest not kill me For who shall find his enemie and let him depart into a good waie wherefore the Lord will reward thee with good for that which thou hast done vnto me this day And nowe I beholde and knowe for a certaintie that thou shalt be King and the kingdome of Israell shall be stablished in thy hands Such were the words of Saule to Dauid beholding the humanitie Dauid had vsed towards him by which pardoning of hys enemy he aduaunced hym and was so farre of from beeing auenged as hee withdrewe himselfe from his right of raigning in the Kingdome which God had giuen him I cannot omit in thys case another deede of Dauid toward Saule The Ziphians being come to Saule in Gibea aduertised him that Dauid was hid in the Mountaine of Hachilah which was face to face before the Desert of Iesimon Then Saule renuing hys mortall enmity against Dauid accompanied himselfe with three thousand able men and pitched his Campe on the Mountaine of Hachilah Nowe Dauid dwelled in the wildernes and knew by hys espials that Saule was come neere him wherfore in the night hee came to the place where Saule had placed his Campe and hymselfe slept within the Fort hys Tents beeing pitched rounde about him and very neere him was Abner the sonne of Ner the chiefe Captaine of hys Armie Which Dauid perceiuing discended into that place with Abisay approched neere his enemy Saule when Abisay thus spake to Dauid God hath closed thine enemie into thy hand this day now I pray thee let me smite him once with my speare to the earth and I will not stirre a foote from thee wherto Dauid answered I will not haue him smitten for what is he can lay his hand on the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse And Dauid said furthermore So truelie as the Lorde liueth no harme shall be doone him but rather God shall smite him or his day shal come to die or he shall discend into battaile and there perish The Lord will keepe me from luying my hand vpon his holie and annointed but I pray thee onelie take hys Speare that standes at his heade and his Cruse of water and so let vs depart Thus Dauid contented hymselfe wyth thys brauado euer-more declaring hym to be no way excusable that should attempt any thing against the person of the King Let me say beside that Saule beeing slaine in the fight against the Philistines and Dauid hearing tydings of hys death was very sorrowfull and vsed meruailous lamentations commaunding him to be brought before hym that had cut off his heade who thought to delight hym with bringing the head of Saule saying that he had doone him to death when Dauid mooued with pitty and anger How is it quoth he that thou wast not afraid to lay thine hand on the Lords annointed Thy blood be vppon thine owne heade for thine owne mouth hath testified against thee saying I haue slaine the Lords annointed All the water of the Sea cannot then serue to wash the murderers of the late King neyther shall any of them be held excusable that pursue the life and estate of hys successour our vertuous and most valiant Prince But thou alleadgest the Prouerbe common among the barbarous Si ius violandum est regnandi gratia violandum est If right be to be violate for a kingdoms sake it is to be violate Wherfore then vsest thou the pretence of Religion and common-good to ouer-throw the most simple with these deceits Thys prouerbe is of Tyrants and Atheists who regard not that God is the reuenger of Kings and returneth euill to such as enterprise against theyr estates VVhat aduauncement receiued Absalon listning to the pernitious counsell of Achitophell and following it attempted against the person of King Dauid hys Father What happened to Adonia who thought to vsurpe the Realme against Salomon hauing deceiued the Mother of the King as very well it was made knowne vnto him afterward How is it chaunced to those who to the hard hap of Fraunce taking a morsell wyth the Spanish enemie and the trecherous League haue troubled thys estate Howe will it fall out with such who after beeing in fauour wyth the coniuration dyd by a Monke murder the late King let them not now stand doubting seeing that GOD is iust But to confute the colloured obiection of the Leaguers at thys day who say that the King is of a contrary Religion and thereby pretende an excuse for theyr conspiracie Haue they not read in the holy Scripture that Ieroboam king of Samaria had raiected the auncient Religion VVhat Prophet perswaded to make war against hym Hys Sonne dyed of disease because of hys sinne the ruine of his Realme was fore-told him but not executed by hys Subiects offenders against the Law of God Great euils befell to Achab the Realme of Israell for hauing brought in new Religion by the perswasion of Iezabell Daughter to the King of the Sidonites false Prophets were permitted the Altars were destroyed and the better sort of people put to death Neuerthelesse Elias the chiefe Prophet of that tyme albeit he was of wonderfull zeale yet did not hee cōmaunde that any one shoulde rise against the King The Prophets of God were hid in Caues an hundred in one place and an hundred in an other secretly nourished with simple breade and water the good men of behauiour afflicted on all sides and yet was none of them offended with the King or any enterprise prepared against hys person The Prophet onely shewed him his sinne and that GOD would punish it by drought three yeeres and a halfe but who euer read that hee incited any one to contend against his Prince Farre off from him was quae vim vi repelleret he willed none to repulse violence with violence and so to deliuer their Countrey but hearing that Iezabell sought for him to put him to death he referred vengeance to the hand of God only who sheweth himselfe a Reuenger when any one is vniustlie punished by the Magistrate whome no man is permitted to resiste with armes according as it happened to Achab and Iezabell For besides the death of many Prophets they caused righteous Naboth to bee murthered thereby vniustly to gette his Vineyarde and then our God who reserued the punishments heereof till conuenient time suffered Achab to endure such necessitie as hee ouerthrewe himselfe and was slaine As for Iezabell shee was throwne from the height of a Towre by her Eunuches rent in peeces with dogs her members
scattered in the vineyard of the innocent whose death shee had before sollicited Dyed not Athalia who put to death all the royall Children of Ochozias whereto withstood the high Priest Iehoiada that reserued Ioas in whom the reigne was afterward established and made peaceable But very true is it that when Ioas fell into forgetfulnesse of thys good turne hee consented to the death of Zacharia sonne to Iehoiada for which cause God suffered that he shoulde be slayne by hys owne proper seruants which notwithstanding none of the sacrificing Priestes nor Prophets woulde attempt or perswade considering that aboue all things the person Royall is to be reuerenced How many Prophets were in tymes past put cruelly to death by Kings who neuer excited any tumult against them but rather councelled and induced them to repentance Esay was parted through the myddest of the bodie with a Sawe by the commaundement of the King Manasses Ieremie was kept prisoner vnder Zedechias by the Gouernours of the Lande of Beniamin The three Children were cast into the midst of the fiery Fornace by the commaundement of Nabuchodonozer King of Babilon Daniel was two seuerall tymes cast out to the Lyons vnder the raigne of Pagane Kings Yet reade we not that these dyd so much as speake euill of the Princes Magistrates that gaue such sentence on them Looke then vpon our Sauiour Christ hymselfe the true example of iustice albeit hee knew the wicked intent of Pilate did he make any acknowledgement of hauing power from aboue Where dyd he commaund to force the cruell Magistrates albeit he could haue done it when himselfe pleased Moreouer did he not reproue the wish of S. Iames and S. Iohn who desired that fire might discend vppon Samaria because theyr entrance there was refused S. Paule albeit he were smitten before the Prince of the Priestes dyd he not freely say He knew not his greatnes when he reproued him For it is written quoth he Thou shalt not curse or speak euill of the Ruler of the people howe much lesse lawfull is it then to attempt any ill against hys person But still thou obiectest that the King is of a contrary Religion The late King whom thou dydst murder was not he a Catholique yet in thy bloodie passion hast thou not slaine him cōtrary to the will of God And shold it be that our King were of a contrary Religion and an enemie to the Lawes of God which hee is not but feares honours him cherisheth his subiects both of the one and other Religion would gladly pacifie hys Kingdome requires to be instructed if he were in errour is that sufficient cause for thee to kyll him whom GOD alone hath lifted to thys authoritie The contrary were more necessary rather as S. Paule sayth To ouer-come euil by dooing good so that our good works may serue to stop the mouthes of ignoraunt and foolish men whereby those may be confounded that esteeme Religion to be an enemy to the publique quiet For who doubts that Nabuchodonozer was not a man of pernicious opinion when hee destroyed the Temple ouerthrew the Altar pyld away the holy Vessels led captiue the people of Israell into Babilon and constrained many to worship the Image which he caused to be erected yet neuerthelesse so farre were these people from conspyring against him as Baruch the Scribe to Ieremie in the name of them wrote to the Iewes that remained at Ierusalem that they should pray for the life of Nabuchodonozer King of Babilon and Balthazar hys Son See Daniell himselfe was not he faithfull to Darius and Cyrus theyr successours Albeit he was a stranger and a Captiue found he not grace of thē for hys loyall seruice yet notwithstanding he was by nation a Iewe the other Gentiles he the seruaunt of God the other Idolaters he a Prophet of God the other blinded in al their doctrines I would haue all the Prophets alleadged find me but one that vnder any pretence whatsoeuer it were dyd at any tyme take Armes against hys Prince yet were they vsed but as vagabounds glad to lyue in Mountaines in sollitarie and desert places to escape and not to mooue persecution S. Iohn the fore-runner of our Sauiour Iesus Christ saw in his time Herode Idumean a counterfeit Iewe vsurpe the Realme of Galilee and Iurie he knew the Romaines to be Gentiles and Idolaters that they had by force not right depriued the people of Israel of theyr lybertie brought them to be tributarie ordained Gouernours after theyr owne minde and doone such things against the people of God as hee myght well complaine on and lament did he for al that purpose any thing to their preiudice or teach them to reuolt against theyr Empyre The Pharisies came to hym for counsell gaue he them any meane to mutinie against the Romaines The Souldiours and men of war came to hym sayd he any thing else to them but that they should remaine contented wyth their wages Dyd he say to them that the Romans ought not to raigne or because it was permitted that therfore they should rise agaynst them Moreouer Herodias molested him King Herode hated him because he was not a pleaser of theyr persons He knew wel that his death was plotted by Phillips wife dyd hee therefore animate his Disciples to sette themselues against her or Hered or dyd he practise any meane to escape Nothing lesse but willingly entred the pryson submitted hys necke to the Executioner offered himselfe to the death hauing good meanes by hys followers that day by day visited hym to rayse a mutinie among the people for his deliueraunce For how should hee haue prepared the Lords way if at that time and place hee had shewed himselfe impacient Hee was the fore-runner of hym that taught him to obey pay tributes doe the rest of hys dutie to the Princes of this worlde albeit they were Pagans and Idolaters That it should be so our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST dyd hee euer preach or permit that any one should styrre against Caesar he so much despised it as beeing demaunded if it were lawfull to pay hym tribute or no hee aunswered Giue vnto Caesar that which is Caesars and vnto God that which is Gods I say furthermore himselfe although he was poore yet paid he the Trybute for him and S. Peter commanding him to take out of a Fish a peece of money to dyscharge there-with his duetie Hee sawe the Publicanes and gnawers of the people to be exacters ransackers of poore soules vnder pretence of seeking the Romaine Princes right neuerthelesse he neuer did or would take occasion to murmur but himselfe haunted to the Publicans and dyd eate drinke wyth them He well noted the ambition of the Kings of the Gentiles saying they would stand vppon the tytles of gouerning yet did hee euer animate the people to chase them frō their seates He knew the cruelty of Herod the iniustice
haue a King that wel enough wil preuent them but God especially on our side who hitherto hath ouerthrown the enterprises of the Rebels and theyr Defenders and will confounde the one with the other that in the end we may haue the maisterie ouer them Behold howe the Spanyard woulde reconcile and bring ye into quiet if it were possible for him if so be the King and his fayre forces had their hands bound to gyue leaue to these Rebels and their gracious Deliuerers to vse them at theyr pleasure Doe not yee remember the ciuill warres that endured so long time in the reignes of King Charles the sixt and Charles the seauenth occasioned through the partialities and dissentions betweene the houses of Orleaunce Burgundie when the Burgundians caused the King of England to enter Fraunce The times were then so full of calamity and miserie the French being afflicted with warre famine pestilence so cruelly as the Fieldes were long time fallowed and vnmanured the Cittie 's ransacked the houses and Fortresses ruined destroyed and burned the great Lordes and loyall Officers of the Crowne the most worthy heroyick valiant personages kilde massacred or banished then was iustice prostituted and brought into bastardie merchandise and publique negotiation abolished In breefe all religion and humanitie violated for certaine yeeres was so great a mortalitie in Paris as the Woolues could not be kept out but entred the Cittie and deuoured the dead bodies Are we not now in danger to beholde the like times If the French Rebels get not some whol-some Elleborus and become wise by the remembrannce of passed examples well may they doubt to see farre worse troubles For the violence of this warre so long time closely practised and intended tooke beginning by excesse of treasonable offences and afterward proceeded by murder of the King the progresse and end cannot but presage but to be worse then the warres I haue alreadie alleaged Let vs be aduised by what wee haue seene because the testimonie of sight is more assured and certain then that which we receiue by hearing and we know that there is nothing so diuine humaine holy religious chast nor anie thing so well established and ordained but the rebellion of these Leagues hath troubled spoiled broken violated defaced and ouer-thrown See yee not alreadie a most deplorable estate of all the Leagued and rebellious Citties Semblable to the opinion of Thucidides vvho speaking of the vniuersall dyssention which in his tyme happened in Greece most ellegantlie in these tearmes set downe his minde So soone as anie noueltie or insolence is vnderstoode to be committed in a Cittie there are such as presently practise howe to make it worse prouoked moreouer to enterprise new stratagems eyther to declare themselues more insolent or for their burning desire to be reuenged And what-soeuer euil is doone they haue arteficiall names to disguise it withall which for their excuse they change into contrarie signification as if they were no such matters as they call them For they tearme rashnesse to be hardinesse and magnanimitie so that such sudden fellowes are called valiant defenders of theyr freendes Softnes or temporising they name honest feare modestie couert cowardlines violent rage couragious resolution wise and discreet deliberation cloked dissimulation So by these meanes he that is most vehement and audacious is reputed faithfull and as they say verie zealous and wel affected to the cause and he that wil not ad-here to thē is held suspicious As for him that brauely executes their enterprises and reuenges he is a wise and able man but much more he that knowes best how to fore-see and discouer the intent of his enemie and prouides that no man on his side shall depart from the faction or stand in feare of the Resister In breefe who most readily out-rageth or offendeth others is praised but especially he that can induce another to execute his determinations Such a faction is farre greater among strangers thē freends or kinred because they are disposed to all enterprises without any excuse euen so conspiracies and assemblies are not doone by authoritie of the Lawes or for the weale publique but for auarice against all reason and the fayth kept among such is not for Religion as they would haue it seeme but to entertaine such contagious euill in the Common-wealth Thucidides declared that such was the valour and courage among these partialists as the one party thought nothing that proceeded frō the contrary faction and altogether tended to no other end then the extermination and destruction the one of the other As for anie appointment or reconciliation made with theyr sollemne oath there was very slender assurance in their words when they had neyther feare or reuerence in an oath because they wold keepe them no longer then while they found occasion to lay hold on theyr aduersaries or some-what returned to their own aduantage These factions proceeded of couetousnes and ambition and they that were the cheefe heereof in the Citties made an honest pretence of euery partialitie Each one in words debated the defence of the Common-wealth but theyr deedes did witnesse the contrary because that without hauing any regarde to the common-good they laboured but to satis-fie their owne greedines making profit of others spoyle executing vengeances as themselues pleased If there were any one that shewed himselfe a newter he was forth-with assailed by both parties where because he was affected to neither side or the enuie of them to see him in quiet he was thrust into the euil which the other suffered In such ciuill diuisions the mishaps are so great that without cōsideration of good turnes and benefites receiued or the vertuous actions of excellent men the people so furiously cast themselues vpon them as they cease not to pursue them euen to death or banishment As it happened in Athens to Themistocles Aristides Demosthenes and Phocion in Rome to Coriolanus Camillus Scipio Affricanus Cicero and others Beholde ye not my Lordes you that should see more cleerely thē the rest euen a like forme of estate among these Leaguers and Rebels Will yee not acknowledge it to be an extreame disorder and insolence See yee not heere tyranny in place of Monarchie which is the most perfect firme and surest fourme of a Common-wealth so highly commended by Homer It is not good saith he that many haue an equal authoritie but one sole King to haue the prehemenence to him hath God giuen a golden scepter therwith to cōmand and well gouerne his Subiects Heere you see in stead of an Aristocratia which is the iust and ciuill administration of certaine vertuous personages who haue all their thoughts and deliberations prouided for the Weale-publique beeing called by the Latines Optimates such as through the will and consent of the soueraigne Prince haue euermore beene ioyned to thys Monarchie to keepe it in a temperate state cōdition is now growen among vs a confused