The Spaniards monarchie, and Leaguers olygarchie. Layd open in an aduerisement [sic], written by Signor Vasco Figueiro a gentleman of Portingale to the rebellious French: wherein is discouered the tyrannie of the one ouer the kingdome of Portingale, and the treacherous rebellion of the other in the kingdome of France, with a patheticall persuasion to the French to returne to the obedience of their naturall and legitimate king. Englished by H.O.

The Spaniards monarchie, and Leaguers olygarchie. Layd open in an aduerisement [sic], written by Signor Vasco Figueiro a gentleman of Portingale to the rebellious French: wherein is discouered the tyrannie of the one ouer the kingdome of Portingale, and the treacherous rebellion of the other in the kingdome of France, with a patheticall persuasion to the French to returne to the obedience of their naturall and legitimate king. Englished by H.O.

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Title page

TO THE GENTLEMEN READERS.

A FAITHFVL ADVERTISEMENT OF SEGNIOR VASCO FIGVEIRO A GENTLEMAN OF Portingale unto the rebellious French.

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A FAITHFVL ADVERTISEMENT OF SEGNIOR VASCO FIGVEIRO A GENTLEMAN OF Portingale unto the rebellious French.

IF the Gréek Achamenides shewed himself so carefull for the safetie of the Troians his sworn enemies, that after hauing discoursed of the horrible cruelties, that the Prince Vlysses and his people had receiued by the hand and tooth of the cruel Antropophage Poliphemus, he admonished them to fly with diligence from the Sicilian shore, the repaire of that inhumane Cyclops. It séemeth vnto me, by a more forcible reason, as well for the auncient alliance which our nation hath had with the French, as also hauing bene disciplined in a better schoole, then that of this barbareus infidell: that I am obliged, by the lawes both diuine and humane, to demonstrate vnto you, so much as in me lyeth, the good affection which I beare vnto you. Then (Sirs) being induced by this example, and many other good reasons, knowing by experience, the tyrannicall and barbarous gouernment of Philip king of Spaine, the vniust vsurper of our kingdome of Portingale. And séeing you Frenchmen (I speake to the ignorant, and those which are gone astray) are come like the Troians to the Sicilian shore, to cast the anchor of your turbulent rebellions, and indiscréete affections, still longing for noueltie, in the daungerous and vnassured port of the inexorable ambition of this Philip. My desire is to aduertise you as a good neighbour & charitable friend, to weigh your anchors spéedily from this port, making sayle to the shore from whence you haue strayed: that is, to returne to [Page] the dutie of true and naturall Frenchmen, which the impetuous wind of a temerarie sedition hath caused you to abandon, and so to cast your selues foolishly into the hands of a forraine Prince, which can not tend but to the euident ruine of your libertie. For this is he (who like that infamous Polyphemus, which acknowledged no other God but his belly) so he may féed his own insatiable ambition, careth not with what garbage soeuer it be: & therfore maketh no conscience wickedly to violate, euen the law of God it selfe. Now as this miserable Achamenides made vnto the Troians, a long narration, of the inhumanities of Polyphemus, before he exhorted them to flie, that he might not séeme to amase them, without iust occasion: so am not I ignorant, that I ought by the same example, to recount in what maner Philip vsurped our realme, and with what rigor he hath sithens managed his tyrannicall gouernment, lest I should be thought to build my discourse vpon the wind, and induce you to auoyd shipwracke, without yéelding example, or pertinent reason. I could spend the time in recounting particularities, were it not that they are so manifest to the world, that it were but lost labour to rehearse them. Notwithstanding to satisfie those, which for curst heart will yet stand in doubt, I will speake a word or two, and so away.

It is knowne vnto all men, that the king Henrie, who before was Cardinall, the predecessor of Don Anthonio our naturall and legitimate king▪ in the assemblie of the estates of his realme, established fiue gouernors for ye administration of ye said Realme after his death, vntill Don Anthonio made manifest the right which he pretended to the crowne: ordaining that the other competitors should not in the mean time attempt any thing vpon the said Realme, vpon paine, of repelling their pretensions. But while these things were in doing, Philip hauing corrupted by rewards and promises, thrée of the said gouernours, and manie of the nobilitie, directly contrarie to this ordinaunce of the sayd Henrie and the states, entred the said Realme by force of armes, and seased him selfe of some especiall places. Which the people and states perceiuing, without any delay, because periculū erat in meum, acknowledged incontinently Don Anthonio for their [Page] soueraigne, beséeching and vrgently pressing him, to take vpon him, the title and qualitie of king, which after many refusals, he condiscended vnto. In such sort, that he was established king, with all the solemnities thereunto required, and sithens being assisted by part of his good subiects, he came in battell against the said Philip, vnto whom the fortune of warre gaue the victorie: in such sort, that our said Don Anthonio was forced (hauing escaped infinite dangers of death, by the ambushes which were layd for him by the tyranny of Philip) to retire him selfe into France, and afterward into England. The said Philip being come to the top of this tyrannous vsurpation, hath pardoned neither great nor litle, neither anie sexe or qualitie, that he knewe had bene, or might hereafter oppose them selues to his tyrannie. The Princes, Lords, Gentlemen, gouernours, captaines, officers, Ladies: both the secular and regular, the priests and religious, partly killed in diuerse maners, partly detained in perpetuall prison, partly banished the Realme, part chained in galleys, and part vagabonds wandering in the forrests, and hiding themselues in dens, for feare lest they should fall into the hands of these mercilesse hangmen, do sufficiently testifie his cruel and sanguinarie ambition. I will content my selfe with naming of some few hereafter, referring them which would know farther, to the copie of an Epistle written by our king to Pope Gregorie the thirtéenth, albeit that was but in the beginning of our miseries and slaughters, which are sithens so multiplied, that the number is now infinite.

The Spaniard séeing him self enriched with the spoiles of our king, contenting not him self with this pray, imagined it should serue but as a ladder, to mount vp to the top of an absolute monarchy. And being drunke with the greatnesse of this happy successe, he began to plot higher attemps in his spirit, as ambition neuer wanteth matter, proposing France for the marke of his other enterprises, but knowing well that he might not attempt openly, and that herein force of armes might turne rather to his dammage then profite, he resolued to follow the aduise of Lisander, namely, where the lyons skin is not strong enough, to patch [Page] it with a péece of the fores. But then he imagined, that nothing could more securely, and more soone eleuate him to the top of this greatnesse, then a forcible ladder of gold, vnderpropped with a more then Punicke subtilty, and masked with a false semblance of integritie.

Likewise séeing that he had principally two great obstacles in France, namely the late king, and Monsieur his brother: he deliberated to remooue the lesser. And to come to the point of this enterprise, knowing the naturall auarice and ambition of the Dukes of Guise and Maine, (who following the trace and instruction of their father, and their vncle the Cardinall, pretended to enrich their Bonnet, with the thrée floure deluces: and if not of all three, yet at least of a part) he easily corrupted thē with rewardes and promises: in so much that shortly they accorded vpon the death of Monsieur, either by poyson, or otherwise, and that by a Gentleman of his own traine named Salsede, who being attainted, and conuicted of the said enterprise, was drawne in péeces with horses in the citie of Paris, hauing first discouered and accused those which had practised with him. But your king, who ought according to the enormitie, & importance of the cause, to haue made exact search, & iustice vpon the culpable, ouer whom at that time he had sufficient puissance, caried not him selfe toward the truth, with that diligence that the importaunce of the cause did merit. Et haec prima mali labes. For he knowing the humour of the abouesaid, he ought infallibly to haue held them suspect of great mischiefes in his Realme.

For all this the Spaniard altered not his enterprises, but cō trarily continuing, and more and more augmenting the pensiōs of his two partakers, practised euery day new matters. Finally a few yeares after he obtained that which he had long expected: for lo, Monsieur. being made away, not without euident suspitiō of poison, & now ye Spanish king not being able any longer to cō taine the heat of his ambition enclosed, or hidden, shewed himself so amorous of France, that without ceassing he cheared & courted it, solliciting continually his partakers to venter: and briefly, leauing nothing vndone, which he thought might conduct him to [Page] the port of his desires, which being not able to reach vnto, it hammered his head, & gnawed his inwards with a tedious torment.

Suppressing his passions, as impatient, that his partakers could not withdraw or diswade her from her fidelitie: he had recourse vnto that remedie which customablie foolish and desperate louers vse, namely some fine Dariolette or Magician: and indéed he searched so much and so curiously, that at last he recountred with a mischieuous and craftie harlot, not ignorant in Magicke, who had bene engendred, nourished, brought vp and entertained in the proud and magnificke Pallaces of Rome: whom hauing furnished in abundance, with all that was requisite for her affaires, recommending vnto her all the artificialnes of her craft, but especially to keepe her selfe disguised vnder the maske of the Catholike religion, he presently sends her into France. And this is that mischieuous and traiterous harlot, which is called the holy league: a name truely fatall and pernitious to euerie well ordered Monarchie and common wealth.

This sorcerie and subtletie of the League is incontinently receiued with great applause of the partakers, & pensionaries of Philip king of Spaine, who leaue nothing vndone that they may make her séeme plausible vnto France. The king himselfe maketh semblance of a faire countenance in entertaining it courteously, yea making great difficultie to giue credite to his most faithfull subiectes, friends and seruants, who pertinently declared that it was not begun for other end, but to withdraw France from his obedience, and finally to rauish her from betweene his armes. But the good prince is alreadie so charmed by her alluring speaches, that contrarily he sweareth onely by her, and acteth whatsoeuer shée commandeth, at least giuing outwardly sufficient demonstrations, like to that infortunate Priamus, who was so bewitched with the sorceries and subtleties of Helena, that instéed of giuing credite to the true speaches of his owne daughter Cassandra (who prophesied vnto him the misfortunes that should in the end fall vpon him and his kingdome by meanes of this faire Dame) he not onely taunted her as a foole, but also detained her in prison▪ Alas you Frenchmen, how manie [Page] true Cassandras hath your king had, which foretold him the ruine both of him, and you. Notwithstanding it is manifestly séene what small estimate, both he and you haue made of their holy and profitable aduertisements: nay you haue bin so far frō giuing credit to this infallible Oracle, yt otherwise you haue mocked & searched for ye authors, as mē guiltie of some capital crime. And herein you may be compared to the Orithains, who after they had whooted and hissed at Euphraces the Orator, they imprisoned him as a perturber of the people, for that he aduertised thē to take héed least they submitted themselues vnder the tyrannie of Philip king of Macedon, as afterward they found it too true.

Now this damnable League, this impudent courtisan, proposing her selfe to corrupt the fidelitie of France, gained first of all secretly those whom she knew gaue most credence vnto her, as manie of the nobilitie, some of the officers, as well of the kings as of the cities, and in a manner all the Ecclesiasticall persons: who (oh horrible shame) made no conscience to sell for ready money, their eloquence and knowledge (which they ought to haue imployed in preaching the gospel, and instructing the simple people in the feare of God and obedience to their king) to corrupt the constancie and fidelitie of France, but Quid non mortalia pectora cogis auri Sacra fames? Where is the time that the kings of France, and their Magistrates, yea all good Christians, had in such indignation, those which dared to take either rewards or pensions of forraine Princes? that if any were noted with this crime, he was sure without either grace, or remission, ignominiously to loose his life: for this iustice hath bene one of the firmest pillers, which haue so manie ages sustained the excellencie of this Monarchy. But sithence that kings and their officers haue neglected this vertuous obseruation, it may easily be perceiued, how the state of their Monarchie hath bene more and more shaken. All other kings & princes obserue inuiolably this maxime, & he which infringeth it is punished according to the rigor of the law: for vnder shadow of these liberalities, strangers take knowledge of the estate of the realme, and so seduce the subiects. And in this manner Cambyses espied & deceiued the Ethiopians.

[Page] Now the preachers (by meanes of their mercenarie tongues) forget no art that may serue their purpose to suborne France, but vse all meanes possible to make the king odious vnto her, in altering by little and little, by their flattering discourses the sincere amitie, and faithfull loyaltie, which she hath alwayes held entirely towards him: either exalting euerie pettie imperfecti [...], aboue his great perfection: either in blaming, accusing, or attributing vnto another, the glorie onely due vnto him: and contrariwise in all things magnifying the greatnes, and vertues of this amorous Spaniard, whom they paint out accomplished with all the perfections that may be imagined. Briefely, they omit nothing, wherby they may substract France from her king: who séeing, vnderstanding, and knowing all the practises that were managed against him, notwithstanding flattereth himself, or rather is so bewitched by this League, that he will neither beléeue, nor chastise, ye opprobrious iniuries, which were publikely attached against him, yea euen oftentimes to his face: so much, as it séemed, did he feare to displease or offend her, which gaue such audaciousnes and courage, to these naughtie packes, that no man was accounted of, vnlesse he ranged himselfe with the League, to vomite out a world of iniuries against the authoritie of the king: and he which could gorge out most, whether in preaching or writing, was accounted the most honest man: yea euen those who are his owne creatures and fedde at his table, are not ashamed to set themselues against him, and rent his renowne by all manner of iniuries & slanders. As namely one called Roze, bishop of Senlis, the true portrature of ingratitude, who among manie other iniuries vttered one worthily meriting a corporall punishment: yet this good prince was content onely for his chastisement to banish him the court. Likewise an Aduocat of Paris named Breton, was so impudent as to publish to the world a book against him repleate with mischieuous calumniations: notwithstanding it was euē against his will that iustice was executed vpon him. But for these holy preachers did they approue this act of iustice? nothing lesse, but rather reprooued it, as a tyrannicall act: so that one of them named Boucher, was so shameles as [Page] to preach, that the cord wherwith the Aduocat Breton was strangled, was a thousand times more honorable, then the scarlet robe of the president which condemned him. I cannot here forget a certain Parisian, instructed and prompted by Madame de Mompensier, who faigning himselfe mad, entered ye Louure, vttering a thousand detestable words against the person of the king, yet for his knauerie, he was but simplie whipped in one of the o [...] ces of that place. Behold how this prince brooketh these iniuries which were disgorged, and that impudently against him and his authoritie. Behold how careful he is to extinguish the fire which kindleth to borne him, and the estate of his realme: so that well may it be said of him, Malum est quidem habere imperatorem, sub quo nemini licet quicquam facere: sed multo peius est quando omnia licent omnibus.

The League hauing now had a long time to practise vpon France, ouer whom she had alreadie gotten this aduantage, that it easily gaue her credite in whatsoeuer, aduised with her selfe that it was now high time to let them, which had set her a work, sée some better fruits of her trauell. So that leauing off words & such like matters, she will now venter vpon practise, wherein the dice chanced so well, that her enterprise fortuned euen to her wish. And this was when she called the Duke of Guise, with his other partakers into the citie of Paris against the will of the king: who (as well for the more assurance of his person, as to ferret out certaine mischeiuous naughtipackes, lurking priuily in the said citie, which put in feare the good seruants of the king, whom the League termed by the name of Polliticks) placed the guards of his body in certain places of the citty: but the League caused him soone to know, that shée had so throughly altered the will of the people, that they were farre more affectioned to the said Guysard, then to him himselfe: which he then perceiued when it was too late to remedy. Thus within lesse then thrée or foure houres, the Parisians were so animated against the kings guard, by the instigation of the Duke of Guise, (as himself vaunted and braued in certaine letters directed to the nobility of France) that they killed & hurt diuers of them: yea ye king himselfe [Page] was scarsely spared: for the Barricados were planted within the gate of his Louure, in such sort that he thought his stay would be far more perillous then his departure. This is that infortunate day, which ye preachers haue extolled as the most fortunate day which happened of a thousand yeares in France, and which they themselues in open sermon, baptised by the name of Barricados: as in truth it hath beene very aduantagious for the master whom they serue.

The king hauing receiued this indignitie of his France, in ye capitall cittie of his realme, and in the sight of all the Princes in Christendome, who were there resident in the person of their Ambassadours or Agents, did he shew himselfe to be mooued or angrie? not at all: but as if he had too much let loose the bridle of his malignant affections, fearing a worse euent, he is content to put vp the wrong, and to accuse himselfe. So seeking to reconcile himselfe with her, he made it knowne, that he would assemble the estates of his realme, by whose aduise and counsell he would hereafter rule all his actions: and that he might shew some confirmation of his will, he casheard in one morning about 33. of his Edicts.

At the first bruit of this declaration, the League séemed somwhat male content, fearing that if Fraunce being admonished, and reprooued by her king, should haue any remorse of conscience for her fault, shée would returne to her former duety: yet considering that she had so practised her nearest counsailors, that they would speake nothing but by her mouth (like a good scholler that Fortune had put in her hands, to mount the more easily, whether she aspired) made shew to wish nothing more then the conuocation of the estates: meane while letting not slippe an houre vnimployed, either in resolliciting her old partakers, or purchasing new: but especially watching that none might be at this assembly, but those whom she knew to be of her partie, whom shée instructed from point to point, what they had to do.

Whilest ye Prouinces, were assembling to prepare, their Articles, she suffered not the time to passe vnprofitably, giuing aduise to her partarkers in those things which were necessarie for [Page] their Articles, to some to besiege Boulogne, to others to beleager and batter Iamets, and to others to possesse themselues of the Marqueship of Saluce: yet not forgetting to aduertise her Master what she had happely negociated, as also the good estate of the affaires which she then managed, requiring him with all spéede to imbarke, that puissant army which he had so long equipped to that end: whether to vsurpe England, or to visite France in forme of an Ambassage, whereby to make proofe of her good affection, and to encourage her reuolt against her king: but either the one or the other might haue bene preiudiciall to the French king, if the issue had fitted their expectation: but God by his grace myraculously ouerturned it, for this great Armada, which was termed inuincible was broken, defeated, and dissipated, beyonde all humaine expectation, by the valiauncie and magnanimitie of the fléete, which the Quéene of England had sent forth, to defend the coastes of her realme.

Albeit the defeating of this Armada somewhat vexed the Spanyards, and not without cause: for that it clipped the wings of their other enterprises: notwithstanding the League was not any whit dismayed, but pursued more hotly her affaires, as willing to repaire this ruine, by double diligence. And indéede shée effected so farre with the king, that he solemnely sware and protested to vnite himselfe with her, and hereafter to be solely ordered by her counsell: so that the king was so blinded that he sware the destruction of himselfe, and the extirpation of his, by an Edict ensuing, named for this cause the Edict of reunion.

The time being come, where the estates ought to assēble, their Deputies showed themselues at Bloys, where the assignation was giuen. Then was question made in this assemblie, that the king, and his France, or rather the League, should giue vnderstāding of their affaires, to those which were called to determine thereof. For this part of France, had alreadie retired their affection, from their naturall king, to yéeld it to the king of Spains, yea from their owne children and heires, to commit it to the said [Page] Spaniards in such manner, did they effect that the kings established, a foundamentall law of his kingdom, whereby no heretike, or fauourer of heresie might euer come to the Crowne. In this sort excluding the king of Nauarre, whom the League held for an hereticke, and the residue of the house of Bourbon, his cousins (except some few) from their naturall, and legitimat, right, to the Crowne of France. Thus the League not onely depriuing him, but also employing all their might, to root them out, by force of armes. Briefly, the French League, might not abide the sight of her owne children, but hated them, with a most mortall hate. So that hauing giuen away her soule from her owne king, like an vniust stepmother, she disherited her legitimat children, to inuest bastards, or straungers, in their fathers heritage.

And which is more, she is not contēted to haue drawen away, this great corner stone from the foundations of the kings estate, (for in stéede of adding another good foundation for this vniust law, she haled away one of the best, to the end to ouerthrow it) as may be séen, in that she bound his hands in the administration of his Realme, yea euen to the taking away of those few which remained of his most faithfull, auncient, and domesticall seruants: placing in their stéed, those whom she thought most affectionat towards her. Thus was this good Prince depriued of his legitimat successours fallen in a manner frō his dignitie, diminished of his puissance, & abandoned of his most faithfull, and loyall seruants.

What resteth now therefore for vnfaithfull France, but to cast herselfe betwéene the armes of her good friend the Spaniard? the king so timerous, that he dare not hinder her, and albeit he durst, all his meanes are remoued, hauing not one onely heire, nor one, or at least few seruants, that either would or could aide him to retaine her.

Furthermore, she hath bin so shamelesse, as to enterprise vpon the life of the king, for that being vtterly impatient, and transported with a foolish affection, she sought all meanes to rid him away: so that treading vnder feete, the feare of God, and shame of men, she resolued vpon his death, what euer came of it. She néeded not greatly trouble her selfe, to séeke one, to execute her mischieuous [Page] will, a thousand are readie to enterprise it, euen to the perill of their life. Albeit among so great a nūber, she discouered her selfe but onely to one, whom she especially loued, & put most affiance in, who was a hundreth times more readie to obey, then she to commaunde. Yea, such a one as most inflamed her to practise vpon the enterprise. Behold then this good Prince, ordained by this French League, to a miserable death, and who must be the bloudie parricide, but the Duke of Guise? onely the execution thereof remained which had not bin long delayed, had it not bin for the prouidence & mercy of our God, who as he hath a care, especially ouer the person of kings (Rex venerādus curae est Deo, saith the Poet) manifested vnto the king this bloudy conspiracie, giuing him meanes by the aide of some of his faithfull seruants, which yet remained, to preuent the traiterous, murtherer & parricide, who had vowed to take away his life, or at least his libertie. And thus was he taken in the nett, which he had spread for others: yea the hand of the Lord, stretched euen vpon the Cardinall his brother a man of the same stampe. But surely they had the reward, which they had rightly deserued, wherewith Hermeas was payed by the king Antiochus. As also accustomablie it happeneth, that. Nimium potētes, & regibus suis, formidofi proceres, aut auditi miserum, & tragicum tādem vitae exitum, ab ipsismet regibus, à quibus se formidari, & metui voluerunt, consequuntur. If France, at the fall of this man, were meruailously moued, much more, were the League, and Phillip. Hauing lost the best feather of their wing, and the strongest piller, which supported their attempts. Now France seing, that her floud, was discouered, knew neither what countenance to make nor what way to take: whether to entreate pardon of the king, whom she had so detestably offended, or following on, with her mischieuous resolution, to perseuere in the amitie, which she had sworne to Phillip. And I verilie beléeue, that she had retained the former opinion, as most safe: had not the League, in vsing, more fine and artificiall subtleties, then euer before, by the seducing of the vnfaithfull preachers, induced, perswaded, yea, and cōstrained her, to follow her last resolution, setting before her eyes, the enormitie [Page] of all the faults, that she had committed against the authoritie of her king: who would be so irreconciliable, and inflamed with a desire of reuenge, that he would neuer be induced to open the gate of his mercie. Thus desperatlie she resolueth, that seing the dice was cast, she would runne fortunes hazard: as also the ardēt affection, that she had to change her naturall Prince, to assay the gouernement of a stranger: which she earnestlie wisheth for, albeit to her common dammage, and extreme ruine. The Gaules (saith Caesar in his Commentaries) loue noueltie, and desire to change their Signorie: so that there néeded no great labour, to incite them to a generall rebellion; & yet the seditious preachers adding oile to fier, by their charming Sermōs, and vniust declaration, make processe vpon the bodie, by which processe, the Colledge of Sorbone, acquited, the people, frō the oth of fidelitie and obedience to their Prince: and without any scruple of conscience to take armes against him, to extirpat both him, & all those which shall sustaine, or defēd his quarell. As if the Colledge of Sorbone were aboue the king, to licence his people to violate the most firme, and holie lawes of the Realme: now in such case, if often hapneth (as Caesar saith) that some are pricked forward with auarice, others with desire of reuenge, or any other light folly, which ordinarilie aecompanieth the cōmon people. Moreouer the great ones labour to set the vulgar sort in a tumult, wherein hauing committed some great mischief, they may be ashamed to repent, or craue mercie, others there are, who are drawne by a hope, to become great men: which (as saith Salust) maketh men, but of meane condition to venter their life. Now before this French League will commit her fortune to the field, she would remoue all such stumbling blockes, as might hinder her actions, or interrupt the course of her vnbridled rage, in such sort that she captiuated or banished the Cities, all those whom she neuer so litle suspected to be seruants to the kings. And then began France, so to ruffle, that the League, & her preachers had gathered a puissāt armie, whose leader must be the Duke du Maine, whō you cherish no lesse, thē his late deceased brother: but O France, to what end doest thou march accompanied with such a terrible courage, as [Page] though thou wouldst affray, and subdue the whole world? is it to maintaine the authoritie of thy king? or to conquer, new lands planting the borders of thy Monarchie, vpon thy neighbours? or finally to recouer those, which the auncestors of thy Spaniards, yea, and he himselfe hath vniustly robbed thée of? no, no such matter. It is to abase, and beate downe the greatnes of my king, for that he hath takē away the life of my Minion, who (might I haue had my will) should haue taken away his. To this end, do I muster so many men in field, to sacrifice their bloud, for the expiatiō of the offence perpetrated by the king vpon the person of my fauorite: As also my fields shall be ouerflowen with the bloud of the French, for an earnest pennie of my Mariage dower, with Philip king of Spaine, for that so is his pleasure, and he instantlie requireth it as a token of my affection. Ah miserable France, well may it be cried out against thée.

Gallia, quis furor? heu: quae tanta licentia ferri.

Gentibus inuisis Gallum praebere cruorem?

You long for nothing so much as a bloudie warre, and you imagine thereby to triumph incontinētly ouer your king, to yéeld your selfe afterward to a forraine Prince: but brainsicke as you are, you consider not the message, which the great warrier Metellus sent vnto king Bocchus. The entrāce into warre (saith he) is easie: but the end difficult, neither are the beginning, and issue thereof in the power of one, and the same person: euery one euen the veriest coward in the world, may easiely begin it, but the end thereof is onely at the pleasure of the conquerour.

The king perceiuing France, to rush with such furie vpō him, to auoid those inconueniences, whereinto he might fall, iudged that his best remedie, was to abrogate and suppresse that iniust law, whereby at the instant request of the League, he had declared his legitimat, and indubitat heires, incapable of succession to the Crowne, and to recall them, neare vnto his person: together with all his old, & faithfull seruants both to sustaine the assaults of his rebellious subiects, as also to abate the pride of their ouerrash insolencie: who in the meane while, made a sodaine assault vpon him, in the suburbes of the Citie of Tours, frō whence they [Page] were so valiantly repulsed, that they were constrained to make a shamefull retraite.

The king had no sooner made declaration of the things aboue said, but he might sée him selfe assisted, with a great and couragious armie composed of the Princes of the bloud, of the most faithfull, and magnagnimous Nobilitie, and of the better sort of his people, friends, and confederates, who neuer failed him at néed. So that all trembled for feare, where his armie passed, the towns which opened not their gates, were soone ouerthrowen, nothing might resist his puissance, and brieflie all stouped vnder his authoritie.

Thus hoping to moue France, to acknowledge her offences, and to demande pardon, which she might easilie haue obteined of his gracious clemencie, he caused his armie to approche, euen to the gates of Paris: then were both France, and the League in extreme perplexitie, without all hope of safetie. France was sore vexed and tossed in spirite, manie doubts, and difficulties, trouble her braine: the worme of her conscience, doth gnaw, and pricke vncessantlie, and so liuely, that she féeleth as it were an vnsupportable torment. Of the one side, she balanceth the enormitie of her mischiefs, which plonge her into a mortall dispaire, and on the other side, the great mercie of the king, which farre surpassed the heaps of her misdéedes, lifting her to an infallible hope of some great good: and I doubt not but that shortlie she had returned to acknowledge her faults, and cordially to cleaue to her king, who had handled her so graciously, if God would somuch haue fauoured her, as to take away the vaile from before her eyes, that she might discerne, truth, from falshood, and euidentlie sée the errour whereinto the charming sorceries, & craftie illusions of this pernicious League, had caused her to stray: and so cast her headlong, into a bottomlesse pit, ouerflowing, with all calamities, and miseries: but it pleased not the diuine goodnesse of God, to endue her with so fauourable a grace, as one vnworthie for her detestable vices to receiue it: as in truth full well hath she deserued the paines that she hath suffered, yet (so obstinate is she in her wickednes) that she séekes no amendment.

[Page] The malicious League séeing France, in this doubtfull anguish, gathered her spirits together, to forge more craftie subtelties, then euer before, to cause France, to runne to armes, after the death of the Duke of Guise, and so throughlie intrudeth her, into her former errours, that waxen more fellonious then euer afore, she reconspireth the death of her king: and yet holdeth an other course then afore. And therefore bethinketh to enterprise it by treason, and by such a one as might do it with least suspition: so that hauing throughly discoursed of her affaires, she cōcludeth, that Religion, should serue her as a couert, to commit this damnable parricide. Then was found out an execrable traitor, a Iacobin Frier, who driuen by a diabolicall spirite, enterpriseth to the hazard of his life traiterously to murther his naturall Prince. O detestable crime, and so horrible, that there is not a name so cruell or obhominable, as may sufficientlie expresse it. Damnable Monkes, do you read in the holie Scriptures that it is lawful for any man to murther, I say not onely his king, but euen the basest man on the earth? the law of God expreslie forbiddeth to defile, the hands in humaine bloud. God commaundeth (in the booke of Deuteronomie) to take the homicide frō the aultar, and to slay him: but as for kings, he hath giuen them a particular priuiledge, as he saith by the mouth of the Psalmist. You shall not touch mine annointed, much more you shall not kill him. Dauid also forbore to lay violent hands vpon king Saul his enemie: albeit he had him at aduantage. Did the Apostle teach you to commit this execrable fact, when he said. Obedite praepositis vestris etiam discolis? dare you thē in this manner tread vnder féete the law of God, whereof in wordes you vaunt your selues to be so zealouslie affectionate, shame befall vpon you, mischieuous, and traiterous hipocrites, who preach vnto the people, the law of God yet your selues will not follow it.

Euen the ethnicke Pagans shall condemne you in the latter day: for albeit they were ignoraunt, yet they caried this respect vnto the Princes of their land, as to terme them (in reuerence) the liuing pourtraitures of the supreme diuinitie. Harken what said one of the Poets. Rex est Imago animata Dei. But suppose [Page] he were so wicked as you, and the treacherous Leaguers would faine him to be, yet ought we to obserue this good aduertisement. Principes boni voto quidem expetendi, qualescun (que); tamen tolerandi. But certaine it is, that he was endued with all the perfections requisite to make a Prince worthie of the greatest prayse, and the onely imperfection that he had (which was but to great an imperfection in a Prince) was, that he showed himselfe somwhat to negligent for the maintenance of his greatnes, and conseruation of his estate.

Now, then hath the French League, mischieuously caused her king to be murthered: who féeling the extremitie of death, to approch neare vpon him, declared in the presence of all his Princes, and Lords of his Realme, the king of Nauarre as naturall, and legitimate successour to the Crowne (as in truth he is, and that most apparent) ending with these wordes the course of his life.

Incontinently all the Princes, all the Lordes, and all the Officers of the Crowne following the declaration, and last will of the deceased king acknowledged the king of Nauarre, and that according to all equitie to be king of France, which all the whole armie likewise acknowledged. Now France being left a widow of her king, & consequently mistresse of her selfe, according to her owne opinion & will (for it is a sure maxime, that the king neuer dyeth in Frāce) let vs accord to her vnreasonable appetite: what face setteth she vpō it? doth she mourne, or is she sorrowfully discōforted? Doth she show any signe of sorrow in her widowhead, which ou [...] [...]o haue bin drowned in teares? No, but cōtrariwise, she reioyceth so extremely, that she setteth publickly forth, a thousand, and a thousand signes of ioy, as among many others her bonfires being so great, that euen her furthest neighbours, were lightned with the flame thereof, whō notwithstanding, she thinketh scarcelie aduertised by this exteriour signe, of her vnmeasurable ioy, and therefore will certifie them by expresse letters: poore vnfortunate France, which makest vertue of thy vice, and glorie of thy infamie: poore inchanted France, which reioycest when thou shouldest swimme in teares: but thou wilt not care to doe otherwise, while thou art bewitched by the enchanters of [Page] this diabolicall League.

But now let vs sée, what will become of this widow: let vs sée to what Prince Frāce desireth to betroathe her selfe: for I thinke she will yéeld but onely to one, otherwise she should doe contrary to the nature of all other common wealths, who finallie haue submitted themselues vnto one onely Monarke, as approuing the gouernemēt of one to be better then of many: which the Satrapas of Persia, also approued when as they constituted Darius for their souueraine Monarche. The Romane common wealth also, after it had béen a long time furrowed, and tossed by the ciuill warres of particular persons. Maluit parere vni, quam pluribus. Furthermore in priuate families one commandeth ouer the rest: as the head ouer the inferiour members: Yea euen in nombers. The vnitie (as saith Plato is most estéemed). Philo Iudaeus in his booke of the creation of a Prince, teacheth that the gouernement by one onely, was ordained by the commandement of God. Let vs hearken vnto the iudgement of Homer: Non bonum est multorum principatus, vnus Princeps esto.

It appeareth then, that there is no sort of gouernment more excellent or commendable, then the Monarchie which France is not ignorant of, and therefore will not be subiect to many: but she will chuse one to fit her own fancie, as though she were ignorant, that in a Monarchie, an election is perillous, & that nothing hath made her so redoubted and puissant, as an immediat succession of Princes barring the gate to electiō, which all Monarchies and well ordered kingdomes haue curiously obserued. But if this poore abused France, remaineth still opiniated in her election, yet the expresse commandement of God forbiddeth her to elect a forraine Prince, as it is written in the 17. of Deuteronomie in these wordes. From among thy brethren shalt thou make a king ouer thée: thou shalt not set a straunger ouer thée, which is not thy brother.

Many examples might be produced to this purpose, of common wealthes and kingdomes, which haue béen destroyed, onely for trusting and subiecting thē selues too much to strangers. For this cause Bartholomeus Coleon, reprehēded the Venetians (who for [Page] his merites toward their common wealth, had erected his statue in gold) as hauing to inconsideratly aduentured their common wealth into the hands of a stranger. The Corinthes had not fallen into a tyrannicall gouernement, if they had not submitted thēselues vnder Timophanes a forraine leader. The Brittaines were chased their Realme by the English Saxons. The Spaniards by the Moores: and the Gréekes by the Turkes: onely by crauing succour of them in their warres: yet this Frēch League passeth a degrée further: she not onely calleth in the Spaniard to aide to destroy her owne children: but she will wholy submit her self vnto him, and make him her soueraigne Lord: which because she might not as yet openly, and absolutly doe, for some considerations, she aduiseth vpon some fit expediēt to couer her mischieuous intention: and to the end to cloke her theft, which she secretly desireth to commit with the said Spaniard, she elected for her king by forme of acquit Charles Cardinall of Bourbon, a man ouerworne with age, whom she had purchased to no other end, but to alienate the Crowne, being wel assured that he could not hinder, but rather profit much for the negociatiō betwéene the Spaniard and her, as before times he had alwayes done, for this Prince, she had expreslie reserued for this affaire.

But the late king hauing (as it séemed) foreséen this accident, to hinder him from disturbing the state any more, had committed him to a place, where being surely guarded, neither his rebels, nor the Spaniard, might aide him at their deuotion, which meruailously disquieted them. For Fraunce of her selfe could do nothing to any effect without the authoritie of her beane king, as I may terme him: whom she onely vsed as a couert for her traiterous monopolies, and inuentions against her legitimate and naturall king: albeit he had not right, or title to the Crowne, the king being liuing, whom to be deliuered of, they would euen remoue heauen and earth, if it were in their power: but seeing all this was to no purpose, because the said Cardinall was surely guarded by the good, & faithfull seruants of the king, she recoursed vnto force of armes, and setteth a great armie in the field, which charged vpon the king, being at that time, with a small cō panie, [Page] at Deipe, and there abouts: promising vnto themselues, either to slay him, to captiuate his person, or at the least to cause him flie the Realme: but God so assisted him, by his own prowesse, and the valour of his owne souldiers, with the succours sent vnto him by the Quéene of England, that his enemies had but onely the wil to hurt him, & the grief, because they were altogether vnable to hurt him: for the king defeated, and repulsed them valerously, and afterward searched them euen at the gates of Paris, from whence they durst not appeare, to answere him in battaile which he presented vnto them.

The Spaniard for his part continually entertaineth France with faire wordes, & great hope of new forces, sufficient enough aswell to set the fained king at libertie, as to defeate him, which truely and by good title is called king. And in déede fiue or six mouethes after the charge vpon Deipe, was the Countie Egmond, sent with a great troupe. The Pope also sent his Legate, to comfort & encourage her. In such manner that a puissant armie presented it selfe to the king, who sodainely set him selfe in battaile aray in the plaine of Yury, where God once againe so miraculously fauoured him (although his enemies forces were twise as great as his) that he gained ye victorie, hauing slaine the greatest part of his enemies, amōg whom was the Countie Egmond, and put the rest to a shamefull flight, which sore troubled Frāce: and yet behold another worke of God, who working for his annointed, about two monethes after tooke the Cardinall to him selfe.

This vnexspected death of the Cardinall rechargeth her, with diuers and troublesome thoughtes. She saw that the king had a puissant armie, which so encreased euery day, that he had conquered a good part of his kingdome, and which more tormented her, she saw that he had blocked on all sides the Citie of Paris, which then suffered an extreme defect, both of victuals, and other commodities: which occasioned the people to open their eyes, which superfluitie of ease, & the charmes of the League, vntill then, had shut vp and vailed: and surely they would willingly haue yéelded to the king, had not the damnable League by her subtelties, & the force of her partakers, retained thē in their obstinacie, whether [Page] they would, or no. Thē began France to perceiue the fraude of the Spaniard, and the illusions of the League, acknowledging that being foolishly perswaded, she had committed vnpardonable faultes against her king, and that perseuering in her follie, she had rashly takē armes against him, whom she ought to haue cherished more then any Prince in the world, who notwithstāding is so mercyfull, that she might haue promised her selfe, that he would forget all that was passed. So that she fully determined to send to his Maiestie to entreate of peace, but that she was so watched by the League, and intāgled in her laberinthes that she might doe nothing, without her knowledge or consent, who counselleth her, to propose vnto the king, among other Articles these two following.

1. That he should change his Religion, into the Romish Catholike Religiō, a thing that she knew well that the king, would neuer accorde vnto, especially at that time.

2. That he should pardō all those, which are coulpable of ye death of the late king, a thing which he neither might, nor ought to do.

And as touching the changing of his Religiō, albeit he holdeth it for the most true, and holy, notwithstanding he hath alwayes protested, that he would submit him selfe to the decrées of a holy, & frée Councell, generall or nationall, assembled to determine of the two Religiōs which are professed in his kingdome: to the end to embrace that, which shalbe iudged most Christian, & to reiect the other. But that he is an heretike he denieth, for that no Councell, hath condemned the Religion, which he professeth to be heresie. But put case his Religion were hereticall, yet it maketh not either him, or any other person incapable to possesse those goods, which naturally and lawfully belong vnto him, and to force his conscience in regard of Religion, were a thing vneasie to doe. If his Religion be not good they néede not feare, for that he cannot long vphold or maintaine it in his Realme, séeing Iesus Christ hath said, Euery plant, which my heauenly father hath not planted, shalbe plucked vp by the roote. They may sée, a faire plea vpon this question, in the 5. of the Actes, where a Doctour of the law, named Gamaliell, speaking of the Religion, and doctrine of [Page] the Apostles, said vnto the high Priest, and to the Iudges. If this counsell, or worke be of men, it will come to naught: but if it be of God, ye cānot destroy it, least ye be found euē fighters against God. And doe not you, manifestly resist the word of God, to sustaine a Religion by the point of the sword, and enforce men to follow it? It is euident God neuer planted his, by the sword of Princes. To hope also that the French king, will leaue his Religiō, to the end to enioy peaceably his kingdome is a vaine hope, and I beléeue he will neuer do it, if the Monarchie of the whole world were offered vnto him, for that he estéemeth it, a great breache both to his conscience and honour, if it be not (as I haue said) first condemned by a Councell.

The League knowing then, that France could not treate a peace with the king, vpon the conditons before said, and that by her obstinacie she reaped such great discommodities, that at the length would bring her to reason: she solliciteth her more, & more to persist in her mischeiuous opinion, and the more the people cry out with famine, so much the more doe the preachers entertaine them in their rebellion, playing the Orators vnto them, like as aunciently Critognatus, a Captaine of the Gaules, did vnto the inhabitants of Lauxois, being besieged by the Romanes: who propsed vnto them, that it were farre more honorable, to eate one an other, then to yéelde them selues to the mercy of the Romaines. But Critognatus was farre different from these preachers more inhumane, then the very Canibals, for that he did it for feare of comming into bondage: and these to the end to yéeld France, and her poore people, vnder the yoke of a miserable tyrannie: he showed him selfe truely zealous of his countrey, and the name of the Gaules, and these are thereunto mortall enemies: for they haue nothing but the French names, whereas in heart they are Spaniards, aboue foure and twentie carrects.

Now to the end to comfort the people in their aduersitie, they féede them with a hope of succour, which shall remooue that long, and insupportable siege. And ind indéede the Spaniard, after hée had set all his wits awork, caused the Prince of Parma to march into France, against the king, who togither with his nobilty, [Page] and other men of warre, presented him battaile foure or fiue times, with a magnanimous courage, so that the Spaniard for all his brauadoes, was so astonished at the sight of this valorous armie, that he neuer dared to come to blowes, contenting himselfe, to lurke about Paris, to consume the rest of that small portion of victuals, which remained in the countrie and townes thereabout. The king séeing that the Spaniard had taken this resolution, licensed some of his nobilitie to depart, and separated himselfe a few leagues from Paris, making dayly couragious assaults vpon the enemie, who for all his great brauadoes, and proud rodomantadies, tooke onely two small Hamlets, not without the losse of a great number of his souldiers, which were soone taken againe, and that before his face: and hauing done these two memorable exploits, he thought it best to trusse vp his baggage, and returne to his lodging, for feare of greater losse, to the vtter abasing of his reputation: which he did not so secreatly, but that the king made him fasten his spurres, and leaue part of his glorious feathers behind him. For he pursued him without cealing, now in the forefront, now on his wings, and now at his taile, euen vnto the borders of Flaunders. Thus in briefe behold, all the succours and aduancement, that France receiued of her great friend Philip king of Spaine, by the comming of the Prince of Parma. Behold the people left in greater calamitie, then euer before, and their affaires still growing from euill to worse: the king surprising to day one towne and to morrow another.

Poore abused France, dismaske and pul away the vaile, which the League hath put before your eyes, turne away your eare, from her craftie illusions: breake the bonds wherewith she hath captiuated you, and purge your braine with some good antidote, against her charmes: and then, not till then, shall you perceiue, in what darkenes, in what errour, in what captiuitie you haue bene detained, whilest this accursed League hath gouerned you: then your selfe shall be iudge, how much you haue lost of your beautie, of your authoritie, of your greatnes, of your fidelitie, of your libertie, of your wisedome, and of your forces: which before, [Page] and that from the beginning were redoubted, not onely to your neighbours, but euen to the most renowned nations, so that if you would looke backe vpon your selfe, you should sée, that your visage is so changed that you could not know it, nay you would be afraid to behold it. Consider all your members, and Organes, apart by themselues, and you shal finde all your members defeated, beaten downe, féeble, and weak, and your organs all peruerted and gone astray in their offices. Your neighbours which were wont of late, to feare, and redoubt you, doe now hisse at you, pointing with their finger, and mocking at your desperate rage, and miserable follie, which hath made you more cruell then Medea, against your owne innocent children, whom you most cruelly pursue, and without all humanitie massacre, as if they were your most mortall enimies, that had conspired your death. Take patience awhile, to hearken vnto one of your most affectionate neighbours, who will set downe nothing which shalbe vnreasonable, but rather wholly to your aduantage and profite.

Imitate that vertuous Prince Antigonus, who fréely hearkned vnto a plaine countrey man (whom he met with by chance) reprehending the vices, wherewith he was attached: and albeit he felt himselfe pricked to the quicke, yet he tooke all in so good part, that it returned greatly to his profite: correcting afterwards, that which the good man had noted to be vicious in him, and being returned to his court, he said vnto his minions, that he had learned that of a peasant, which he neuer knew before, namely, the truth, which his flatterers had alwayes kept hidden, and disguised. In like manner (miserable France) depart but a little from this fraudulous League, and her traiterous preachers, to learne, not of one of your domesticall flatterers, and deluders, but of a simple stranger, desirous for your owne good & safetie, to cause you to know the sincere veritie, which this long time you haue not heard of, for that you would neuer giue eare to anie discourses, but those of your deceiuers, depart therefore but a while out of your court, and I will cause you sincerely to vnderstand, what you haue hereafter to do.

[Page] Demosthenes perswading the Athenians to resist Philip of Macedon, exhorted them not onely to repulse the vsurper, but consequently to chase out of their cittie certaine Orators, whom by rewards he had drawne vnto his faction. In like manner I aduise you, that to auoid the tyrannie of Philip of Spaine, it is néedfull to betake you to your weapons, and more then high time, to exile this pernitious League, and her corrupted preachers if they will not amend, contenting themselues to preach the gospel, as Iesus Christ hath enioyned his Apostles, whose imitatours and successours they faine themselues to be. Go (saith Christ) throughout the whole world, preaching the gospel vnto euery creature: he commandeth them, not to meddle with the estates of Princes, to seduce their people, causing them to reuolt against thē, nor to cause their doctrine, to be obserued by armes, committing cruel and bloodie butcheries, vpon all persons without any exception, as these our venerable masters haue done for these thirtie yeares, and do yet sollicite others to do: and herein must I néeds commend the policie of all other kingdomes, which forbid vpon grieuous penalties, that diuines should in their sermons dispute vpon matters of state. But how dare I take in hand to beate downe so puissant a Prince, redoubted to all Europe, who hath so great commaundement ouer me, bieng subiected vnder his puissance: your naturall and legitimate king, of whom it may be well said,

Rex quo iustior alter

Nec pietate fuit, nec bello, maior, & armis.

He onely it is that may vaunt, as sometime that great chieftaine Abarius vaunted: Sweat, dust, and such like things are more delectable vnto vs then the most delicate fare. And briefly this is he, who from his cradle hath followed the counsell, that Plinius secundus giueth to a magnanimous Prince, which desireth to be skilfull in militarie affaires. Princeps (saith he) vt sit Militaris debet prius multum, & dium bello periclitatus esse: sic enim disciplina militaris scientissimus erit. This is he which is more then sufficient to breake all the attempts and enterprises of the Spaniard: yea euen to pursue him into his owne countrie if neede [Page] were, which he knowing full well, hath for this long time sowed discention betweene you, and hath enterprised: to make him odious vnto you, fearing that if you should both march vpon one foote, he should be constrained to take héede to himselfe, without enterprising vpon his neighbours: so that he should fal from this high attempt to become Monarch of the world. It is méere simplicitie in you to redoubt the said Philip, séeing his greatnes is growne onely by the negligence, floath, and malice of those, ouer whom he hath tyrannically vsurped, as namely ouer vs Portingales. In like manner would he waxe great by your ciuill dissentions, which are vnto him as a bridge to passe ouer vnto your soueraintie. For making you beléeue that he wil (as a friend) succour you against him, whom falsly you intitle your enimie, he will vse the same subtletie that this other Philip of Macidone vsed, who vnder colour of assisting diuers people of Grecia against their neighbours (saying that it was the dutie of a friend, & confederate, to lend succours to others in their vrgent affaires) easily possessed himselfe of their common wealths.

And thinke you, I pray you, that Philip of Spaine, will tell you by his hyred preachers (for you will not hearken to any other) that he wil first reduce you vnder his gouernment, & afterward handle you rigorously? for my part, I thinke him more wise, neither doubt I that you thinke otherwise: but rather to the end to intrappe you, he promiseth you more good, then you dare hope or wish for of your legitimate king. But if you haue any discretion, be it neuer so little, you will make no receit of such excessiue promises, for that they are too much suspect, and too full of distrust, which in this case ought to finde some place in you. Men haue inuented diuers thinges conuenient for the defence and conseruation of their citties, as wals, ditches, trenches, bulwarks, bastiles, engines, artillerie, and such like, which haue not bene done without great charges by ingenious mechanickes and workmen. But sage discretion findeth naturally in it selfe, an inexpugnable rampire, especially in a free people, against the assaults and inuasion of a tyrannous vsurper: and what rampier is this? a distrustfull foreséeing, wherewith [Page] if you be thoroughly fortified, no encombrance shall annoy you, but you shal conserue your deare libertie, wherof the Spaniard is a sworne enimie, and vsurper.

Good God: how grieuous would it be vnto you, if after al this, you make the Spaniard possessour of you and yours, and that by your owne meanes: murthering one king, reiecting another, who is your legitimate king, disaduowing your owne children, contemning your nobilitie, disdaining your most faithfull people, ouer whom you haue made innumerable extorsions. And briefly after hauing suffered all the mischiefes in the world, on your members afféebled with trauell. Instéede of finding in this Spaniard all recreation, pleasure, swéetnes, courtesie, rest, and tranquilitie, he should cause you to enter from a feuer to a frenzie. For to deliuer you from warre, which you most desire, what face soeuer you set vpon it, for that it is grieuous and wearisome vnto you, he cannot doe it though he would, for that he hath too strong parties, not to speake of strangers, which thing if it may go by vsurpation, haue as good right in your kingdome as he. You haue good example of my saying at your doore, euen Flaunders his patrimonie, which is now a thousand times lesse in peace, then it was in the beginning of their troubles. I assure my selfe that the least warres that you haue vpon you, as well of his part, as by his occasion, shall be more tedious vnto you, then all those, which for this thirty yeares you haue supported, yea comprising the last (albeit in good earnest they felt the extraordinarie rigour of the Spaniard,) which notwithstanding in comparison of these future, haue bene but as childes play: albeit it was long of those which first began them, to the great griefe of the most faithfull, who were forced to defend themselues against the arrogancy of the Guysards, who would tread them vnder their féete. And albeit herein they had committed some fault, which cannot be said, for that they did it for their defence, yet are they neuerthelesse in some sort excusable, for that they are houshold children. For like as he which is borne in a rich and puissant family, if he happen to do any thing vnfitting, and contrarie to his duetie, is not to be blamed, or reprehended so sharply as [Page] a stranger: but if some seruant or stranger hath lost, or wasted, that whereunto he hath not any right, how much more foully should he fault? and how much more grieuously were he to be reprehended? Now it goeth farre otherwise with the Spaniard, for not onely he is not French, but also he hath nothing in him worthy to be simbolized in the least degrée, to the good and laudable nature, I say not of the Princes, but of the meanest gentlemen of France.

All this notwithstanding is nothing in regard of the dolourous heartbreaking, which incessantly shal torment you, hauing in stéede of the master, one of his seruaunts to rule and gouerne you, by the name of a Viceroy. Yea albeit he should giue you some French Lord (but make account he will take héede to that) he wil not handle you better thē vs Portugales, or the Neapolitans, and Milannois, and all those which are vnder his subiection.

If the Grecians found it strange to haue Philip of Macedone absent from their Pithian games, whereat if he assisted not himselfe, he caused some of his court, to be president: will the proud disdaine of your Philip, be more tollerable vnto you, when he will not daigne, I say not to honour you certaine moneths euerie yeare with his presence, but not to visite you at all? and yet surely the administration of such a kingdome, is of farre more worth, and importance, then the feast of I know not what games, and pastimes. And yet moreouer, you haue bene always accustomed to talke familiarly with your king, and to remonstrate vnto him, whether in priuate or publike all your affaires: you alwayes saw your king president in the congregation of your estates. You I say are they, especially aboue all other nations, who desire nothing more, then to content your eyes, with the presence of your Prince.

But herein in my opinion he shal beare himselfe maruellous discréetely, for that he ought not to entertain himselfe with you, but in a tedious manner, by reason of the iust distrust he may haue of your fidelitie. For séeing you haue falsified your faith to your legitimate Prince: séeing you haue killed your rightfull [Page] king, séeing you haue shewed your selfe a stepmother to your owne children, to adopt strangers, good occasion may he haue to hold your loyaltie alwayes in suspect: which you may as easily violate towards him, as you haue done towards your naturall and legitimate Prince. And be you sure, that he will soone make you tast of the frutes of his distrust, by taking away all those which may any wayes be obstacles to his enterprises. Make account, that he is not ignorant, that Tyrannidis inducendae, ac stabiliendae prima initia sunt frequens accusatio, & in quouis crimine adiuncta delaesa maiestate Principis. Itemque delatorum authoritas. Which he throughly practised in Flanders, causing the Counties Egmond and Horne to be beheaded: besides diuerse other, as also the Prince of Orange, whom he caused traiterously to be murthered. And as for vs Portingales, hath he spared vs? I will make you partakers of some examples of his clemencie towards our Nobilitie. The Countie de Vimiose Constable of Portingale being slaine in fighting for the libertie of his countrie. The Spaniard confiscated all his goods, and sent his mother with her seuen daughters, prisoners into Castile. Diego de Meneses sometime Viceroy of the East Indies, and gouernour of the towne of Cascais, was publikely beheaded, and one of the Captaines of the sayd to towne, named Henry Perera, was ignominiously hanged, notwithstanding his nobilitie. Emanuel Serradas was executed by the sword in the Ile of Tercera. And the Countie de Torres vedras gouernour of the sayd Ile, was in like manner beheaded. The same end had Peter Alpoen, after that Philip vnderstood yt our king Don Anthonio was retired toward France. Sfortia Vrsino a valorous Captaine, was likewise empoysoned. These few, which I haue collected from a great number, may suffise, because I would not be tedious vnto you. And therefore by the example of the miseries of our Realme, take héed in good time, least that happen vpon yours (if the Spaniard become maister) which Tacitus writeth, Sub tyrannis & iniustè imperium occupantibus, omnia sunt bellis ciuilibus, proditionibus, mutuis coedibus, exilijs plena, &c. I take you to be so benigne a mother, that you would féele an extreme gréefe, to sée your Nobilitie, the honour and stay of your authoritie to be massacred or banished. And albeit [Page] it had prouoked you by a thousand outrages, as the League hath vndertaken falsely to perswade you: yet would you impatiently support this horrible and cruell tyrannie.

Now then you sée into what infortunate calamities, this pernicious League would precipitate you into. You sée, how she séeketh nothing but to destroy you, to enrich Philip with your dammage. And you sée that she enforceth her self to charge your neck with such a waightie tyrannie, that you shal cōtinually remaine courbed vnder the burthen therof, without being able to redresse your selfe. But I hope that by this time you haue reculed farre backe from her, yea euen wholly chased her from your eares, and that returning to your selfe, you will be gouerned by reason: by whose good counsell you shall returne vnto your king, and be appeased with your Nobilitie, who heartely desire to reuiew you, more excellent and magnificall then euer before: as full easily you may be, being assisted and maintained by the most vertuous and magnanimous king, that euer swayed your crowne. Oh how comly wold it be, to sée you reuested with this faire French robe, embrodered with the flour deluces. Oh how neat it wold be, ouer this Spanish motley robe, which for a time you haue worne, which hath made you so vgly and deformed, that you are become the fable of all your neighbours, who take you for some foolish sot, not knowing you being so foolishly disguised: but take but once againe your owne habite, and they will both honour and reuerence you. These faire floure deluces will put them in minde of your integritie, and vnmoueable constancie towardes your king, which if you kéepe inuiolably, then shall you triumph ouer the arrogancie of the Spaniard, if he should offer hereafter to disquiet or disturbe your felicitie.

But now I come to you people of France, diuided principally into two parties, whereof the first part, which is the lesser, hath continually remained entire and faithfull to their Prince, what faire language, what subtleties, what menaces, what prisons, what tortures, what cruelties, and what losse of goods soeuer, that the League and her partakers had plotted or inuented, to leade them to their deuotion. The other part being farre greater, hath not only run at the first furie of ye League, to reuolt against their [Page] king, but also hath taken in hand to intraine & corrupt the sound partie: and yet remaineth plunged in their obstinacie. To these two parties agreeth well the difference, that Demosthenes put betwéene those of Athens and Thebes. The Athenians as true citizens, and men zealous of the common wealth, would fauour Philip of Macedon no further, then honestie and vertue would permit them: but the Thebans contrariwise serued him for an ardent couetousnesse of gaine and particular profit, which they hoped to draw thereby, not apprehending any farther, like men of base vnderstanding, the rigor of a tedious seruitude. Now as for you sage Athenians, you faithfull Frenchmen, me thinketh you néede no aduertisement, to entertaine you in your dutie, séeing the League, by so many and so many crosses, troubles, & persecutions, hath not bene able to diuert you: I estéeme you so constant, that nothing shalbe able hereafter to distract you: you are men rather worthie of immortall praise, which shall neuer fayle you, then any admonitiō, and therfore I should be but too tedious to exhort you to conserue that, which I know you do most affect, namely your libertie & fidelitie. And albeit Demosthenes played the orator often to his Athenians, yet were if néedlesse vnto you, because you are more vertuous then the Athenians. But it is to you, that it is more then néedfull, not to speake, but to cry out, O you senslesse Thebans, you rebellious Frenchmen, you traiterous brokers of your goods, your friends, your parents, your wiues, your children, your selues, & your countrey, which ought to be more deare vnto you, then mischieuously to deliuer ouer to a cruell tyrannie. But you are runne further then the Thebans of Graecia, for they being grosse heads, and without any foresight, couetous, and such as only respected their profit, enriched them selues by the harmes of their fellow citizens: but you faile not for want of understanding or of ignorance, but rather through rage, fellonie, and fore determined malice: like certaine Orators among the Orithains, or like the Olympians among ye Atheniās: so you being once infected by this pernicious League, haue stirred vp by your flattering orations and lying pamphlets, the most simple to rebellion, and therein detaine them, as it were by force and violence. For these poore idiots are so drunken by your mellified [Page] and seducing sermons, that they suffer them selues to be led by the snoute like beares and elephants.

What say you now you unfaithful Frenchmen, abused by the Sorbonical seducers? because you haue once shaken off the yoke of obedience to your king, will you neuer more receiue it? Well may you be likened to a sauage and outragious beast, séeing you haue taken such vnbridled libertie: or if you submit your selues to obedience, you will chuse a head to your owne fancie. And in déed better it is to obey in what sort soeuer it be, thē euilly to cō maund, and continue so long time confusedly, in a chaos of Anarchie, which is most perillous, Nihil anarchia periculosius, saith Plato, and herein you follow the aduice of Tacitus, Praestat sub malo Principe esse, quam sub nullo. I perceiue then, you would acknowledge a superiour, but not he whom God and nature hath giuen you, being induced to this resolutiō by the prattle of your Preachers. And why? forsooth he is not of the Catholicke religiō, which it may be he will take away from vs, and constraine vs by violence to embrace his religion, as the Quéene of England hath done in her Realme: but as for the Spaniard, he is a Catholike, whom we loue better then our naturall king, aswell for that respect, as for the promise he hath made to gouerue vs with all clemencie, for that he desireth not to be our king, but only to maintaine vs in the Catholike religion. Briefly, nothing leadeth vs hereinto, but the conseruation of this religion, he being at this time the eldest sonne of the Romish Church.

I haue before satisfied you concerning the first part of your obiection, when I declared, that your king will entertaine you in libertie of conscience, vntill a Councell haue determined of both religions, and assure your selues for certaine, that herein he wil inuiolably obserue his faith and promise.

Touching the second obiection, that the example of the Quéene of England causeth you to mistrust, yt your king notwithstanding his promise, will force you to obserue the religion reformed. I perceiue that you haue bin misinformed of the state of England touching this point: for the Quéene neuer made promise vnto her Catholicke subiects to continue their religion: but contrariwise the Estates of her Realme caused her at her coronation to sweare [Page] to maintaine the religion reformed: yet for all this, it was neuer yet found, that she constrained the conscience of one onely Catholicke, to renounce his religion to liue in the reformed: true it is, that according to her oth, she hath forbidden the Masse to be publikely said. As for the Catholikes which haue bene executed, they haue bin condenmed with all the solemnities requisit to the procéeding of rightfull iustice, as being attainted, and conuinced by their owne confessions of high treason against her Maiestie: either for rising in armes against their Soueraigne, or for being so detestable, as to dare make attempt vpon her sacred life. How much had it auailed your late king, if by this laudable example he had chastised the perturbers of his state, who now finally haue digged his graue? Herein this sage and vertuous Princesse, hath caried her selfe so discréetly & modestly, that she is cherished and reuerenced by all the Princes of the earth. And surely her actiōs are so vertuous and laudable, that all men beléeue vndoubtedly that the spirit of God guideth her alwayes, as it were by ye hand. Yea I am perswaded, that ye greatest Prince in the world, would estéeme him selfe happie, if he might second or imitate her in the administration of her estate. Yet notwithstanding that impudēt lyer and slanderous deceiuer, who at the entrance of the League, published foorth a booke, intituled the English Catholicke to the French, was plunged into such impudencie, as falsly to alledge actes so cleane contrary to the procéedings of this famous Quéen, as I durst sweare she neuer once imagined, onely to the end to cause you to feare, & redoubt the gouernment of your legitimate king, a prince as vertuous as any this day liuing vnder the sun.

And lest any man thinke, that any particular affection hath incited me to take her cause in hand, I protest, that nothing but the plaine and sincere truth (which hath caused her innocencie to be knowne, against these calomnious falshoods, & maketh her praiseworthie in all her workes) hath incited me to sustaine the equity of her cause: and albeit that God and nature do otherwise sufficiently bind me, yet should I be too ingratefull, if I should forget the royall magnificence, and more then sisterlike amitie, which her benigne clemency hath demonstrated, and dayly doth demonstrate to our king secluded from his kingdome: as also the gracious [Page] benefits which we his poore exiled countrimen haue receiued, and yet do receaue of her vnspeakeable liberalitie.

The last part of your obiection is, that nothing occasioneth the Spaniard to be so desirous to command ouer you, but only to cō serue among you ye Catholike religion: ah poore senslesse souls: for gods sake do but giue eare, to what I shal briefly recoūt touching his actions in this point: & then shall you plainly perceiue, whether the zeale that he beareth towards your religion solliciteth him to be so charitable vnto you. Hath this great Catholike king spent the treasures, or hazarded the life of his subiects, only for the aduauncement of the Christian faith against vnchristian Princes? nothing lesse. To verifie this to be true, Pope Gregore 13. proposing him selfe to the ayd of certaine Christian Princes, to make an enterprise vpon the Persian, for the augmentation of the Church, requested this Spaniard to giue them some succours: which he not onely flatly denied, but which is more, would not lend any of his galleys, albeit the holy see offred to fraight them at her owne charges. Moreouer how dealt he with our late king Don Sebastian, whose death all Christendome hath sufficiēt cause to bewaile: who (desiring to assist Mulei Mahumet king of Fez and Marocco, agaiust Mulei Maluco his brother, who had expulsed him his Realme, a worke surely worthy of so Christian a Prince, and aduantagious to the whole Church, for the good conditions he had compounded with the stranger) required the Spaniard his vncle to succour him in this expedition, who accorded that he should haue fiftie gallies equipped, & iiij. thousand fighting men. Which Mulei Maluco perceiuing, incontinently offred him certaine townes on the sea side to desist from his promise, which he spéedely accepted, not shaming to breake his othsworne to his nephew, to contract alliance with a barbarous infidell: so much did auarice raigne ouer him, as to cause him violate the lawes of God & men: but he was payd with the same money that he lent, for that sending his Ambassadour named Vanegas, to take possession of the town of Rarache and others promised vnto him: the Barbarians mocking at his trecherie, constrained the Ambassadour by force of the Canon, to retire sooner then he was willing. But it may be you will say, he bare him selfe politickly in these [Page] two actions, to conserue and maintaine his estate: as if humane pollicie were to be preferred before the law and honour of God. I, but for all this he hath shewed him selfe a very zealous Catholike, & hath caried a particular respect toward those which make strict profession of this religion. Well, let vs sée if that be true. After he had inuaded our Realme, and that among infinite other Ladies, he had banished into Castile the wife of the Agent of our king Don Anthonio, his children and mother in law, he drewe thrée of his sisters, chast, and holy religious, out of the monastery of S. Clare at Lisbone, and confined them likewise into Castile. But he hath dealt maruellous clemently with them in sauing their liues, albeit seruile and miserable. Yea but sith the women are thus dealt with, the men must be handled more rigorously, & surely herein he hath throughly acquitted himself, witnesse a good religious, named Frier Iohn, of the order of the Iacobins, who for embracing the libertie of his countrey, was hanged in the Ile of Madera: another Frier, Hector Pintus of the order of S. Hierome, was cōmitted to the hands of certaine souldiers in Castile, where he was afterward empoisoned. Frier Iames de Noronba a Iacobin brother to the Counte de Mire, was so cruelly beaten, and hurt by the souldiers, that he ended his life. A Doctor named Frier Augustine, of the order of S. Augustine, and Frier Emanuel Margues a gray Frier, were chained together with rouers and théeues in a galley, which was afterward taken by the Turkes, vnder whose crueltie, I leaue it to your iudgement to imagine what torments these poore religious haue suffred. Frier Gregory of the order of S. Augustine, was also captiuated in the gallies. Frier Lewes Soarez of the order of the Trinitie, hauing bin tortured with a thousand torments in prison, was afterward exiled. Frier Anthonie Seneuse was constrained to lurke secretly in the forrests, to auoyd the bloody rage of this Philip king of Spaine. And briefly a million of others, who haue bene, and are dayly, either drowned, strangled, empoysoned, prisoners or fugitiue.

You might sée a sufficient number of them flie for refuge into France, who yéeld more then sufficient testimonie of his cruell barbarisme. But for what occasion or to what end were all these cruelties committed? These good men were faithfull Portugals, [Page] contrary to your Preachers, & therfore he feared, lest they should moue the people to recouer their libertie. I speake not of an infinite number of the heads of our Nobilitie, wherwith the gates of our townes are stuffed, and repaired from day to day. Yea but he hath throughly gratified all those which were fauouring in the vsurpation of our Realme: surely according to their merits, and the bountie of the sayd Spaniard, a people who commonly loue treason but hate the traitors, when their own turnes are serued: he hath made them know when they haue demanded recompence for their seruice, that albeit they haue sold & betrayed their countrey, yet he is nothing in their debt, and that a man were ill aduised to buy that which is his owne. Behold the faire reward of their trecherie, and the payment of their sale. Christian Var de Vegua gouernour of the Castle of S. Iohn, can beare witnesse hereof, who hauing deliuered that place to the Spaniard, for a good annuall pension during his life, in steed of enioying this promise, he was incontinently banished for ten yeares into Affrica to make warre against ye Moores. And if you desire to know further herof, behold the request which these traitors presented vnto the sayd Spanish king, beséeching him to kéepe his promise: and the answer which he gaue them, you shall find it in the end of the Iustification of our king Don Anthonio, touching the war which he made vpon this Philip: so that if he hath left any (hauing chased away the rest) in their charges, and gouernments, which are not of any great importance, he holdeth thē so short, & setteth such néere espials vpō thē, yt they are as it were in a méere captiuitie.

Consider now if you run not the same race: as for the faithfull Frenchmen, whether secular or regular, albeit throughly Catholikes, it is alreadie concluded (as it were of necessitie) that they shall passe through the Spanish butcherie. And as for you faithlesse traitors, make you no better account, for that your naturall French humanity (which difficultly can be vtterly extinguished) cannot long suffer the proud & intollerable Spanish arrogancie: which the Spaniard full well knowing, at the least suspition he may take of your first and naturall affection (as by good right he may alwayes hold your fidelitie in suspect) will not spare you any more then the rest. The reformed religion, as it serueth him [Page] now for a pretext to impaire himself of your kingdome, although you called him not: so shal it also serue him as another pretext, to couer his tyranny with a mantle of iustice, whilest he tormenteth & massacreth those, whom he shall perceiue, may giue him the least trouble or impeachment, making them beléeue, that they are of the religion reformed. For my part I beléeue that you are not so voyd of iudgement, euen the most grosse among you, that you do not foresée what I haue rehearsed, whereupon I esteeme you so much the more sottish, mischieuous, & disloyall toward your selues, séeing you precipitate your selues, as it were with blinded eyes, from a fast footing to so dangerous a perill, as is imminent ouer you.

Are these the effects of a king terming him selfe so great a Catholike? Is this the reuerence he beareth to the holy Apostolicke see? Is this to shew himself the sole protector and piller of ye Christian church as he impudently vaunteth in his titles? Is this to be the true Pastor of the people, as Homer writeth of ye prince Agamemnon? Is this to be like the good housholder? Is this to vanquish his will, to handle those so rigorously, whom he hath conquered by force of armes? Surely it is farre worse then that pagan Cyrus, who curteously intreated the Caldeans, whom he had vanquished. It were good he went to the schoole of that excellent historiographer Xenophon, who teacheth this good lesson to all vsurpers, Noui populi bello parti, sunt beneficio afficiendi: quo lubentius nobis parere velint. Néedlesse it were to set before your eyes, the dammages and miseries, which you haue supported in these warres for the Spaniards sake: you doubt not that the rich are become poore, that the néedie haue spoyled other of their goods, to reuest and possesse thē selues therof. The poet Theognides yéeldeth the principall reason thereof, when speaking of the like sedition vnto yours, he saith, Baiuli imperant, mali super bonos.

I néed not to rehearse the taking of townes, by the armie of your king of townes (I say) wherinto the souldier was constrained to enter by assault, wheras you the inhabitants haue not only lost the most part of your goods, but also your own honor and the honor of your ancestors, who had some interest therein. And verily vnworthie you are to receiue any milder chastisement, albeit all be against the intentiō, will, and expresse commandement of the king, séeing you are so hardned in your rebellion, that you make all the resistance yt possible may [Page] be, vntil ye soldier (hauing first escaped a thousand & a thousand deaths, which you leuell vpon his head) surmount you by violence of armes. And yet which is more to be deplored, few towns become sage by the misfortune of others: wherin may be noted the iust vengeance of God, which permitteth not long vndelayed the punishmēt due to your mischieuous offences: yet do I not think, that you would continue so obstinate, were it not for those treacherous preachers, and others, who haue Hispaniolized harts, like Philistides, Menippus, & certaine other orators, and partakers of Philip of Macedon amōg the Orithains: for carelesse are they of all your miseries, so they may satisfie the desires & commandements of the Spanish king their Master, who desireth nothing so much, as the finall destruction of France: which he litle estéemeth, so he may possesse it, and wold sée it wholy ruinated, so he might loose nothing of his owne: & the more it shalbe disfurnished of power, and disabled with men, the more easily may he Hispaniolize ouer it: knowing then that he cannot subuert it, being vnited and conioyned, he whetteth his wits to the end to diuide it. Thus could not France be subuerted but by it self, like the common wealth of the Romans, of whom it is said, Mole sua ruit. Salust hath left written, that the auncient Romans were accustomed to say, yt they felt themselues strōgly enflamed with vertue, when they beheld the monuments of their ancestors. In imitation of these noble Romans, behold ye rebellious Frenchmen, the images of your ancestors, their vertues, & laudable actiōs, pourtrayed and grauen in the quiers of your histories, and you shall sée, that they haue alwayes combated to maintaine the libertie of France, sauing in ye raigne of Charls the sixt, by reason of the dissention betwéen the Dukes of Orleans & Burgundie: at what time they made a great breach in their ancient constancie, diuiding themselues, and permitting the king of England to take déep rooting in the kingdome of France: which notwithstanding Charles the 7. sonne of ye forenamed, wholy rooted out: and all the French (like men awaked out of a profound sléep, which had a long time securely detained them) remē bred them selues to be true and naturall Frenchmen, which haue neuer, at least very seldome suffred thē selues to be gouerned by forrain Princes. If you be curious to search more anciently, the immouable constancie of the French or Gaules, it is all one, you shal sée it liuely depainted for more then 1650. yeares ago, in Caesars commentaries, [Page] who without great trauell & difficultie, could neuer subiect them to the Romane Empire: which maketh me promise vnto my selfe, that you séeing these things, wil blush for shame, so entirely to degenerate from their braue courage and constancie, being rather in euery thing contrary vnto them. They conspired, they reuolted, they tooke armes, they warred without fearing any kind of death. And why? To conserue their libertie, their fréedome, & especially not to receiue the garrisons of the Romane Empire, redoubted, and commanding ouer the whole world: of whom the greatest kings held them selues happy to be called the friends and confederats. Briefly, nothing was more odious vnto them then forraine garrisons: as Ambrorix & the Captains of Tournay demonstrated to Titurius and Cicero the Lieutenants of Caesar. But contrariwise, you league your selues, you rebel, you run to armes, you enter into warre, and expose your life to a thousand dangers. Against whom? Euen against your natural and legitimate king, whole vertue is a thousand times more cōmended of strangers then of his owne subiects. To what end? To murder him, as you haue done his predecessor, or to chase him out of his realme, that you might seruilely subiect your selues. To whom? To Philip, a Spaniard, odious for his ambition & tyrannie to the whole world: & after to admit his garrisons, will you nill you, into your townes, proud garrisons, arrogant garrisons insolent garrisons, insupportable garrisons: and briefly, garrisons more then barbarous: who wil vse you, your wiues your children & goods after their own appetite, you not daring to shew the least semblance to take it in euil part. I speake not idlely, neither do I recount fables or lies: you shall not be handled more curteously then your neighbours: the garrisons which shal bridle, & triumph ouer you, shall not be compounded of lesse tyrannous and cruell soldiers, then those whice presse vs so hardly, yt scantly we can take our breath: nay happy shall you be if it be not worse. Your french soldiers, which haue conuersed any time in the army of the Prince of Parma wil witnesse, if so be they will tell truly, that I am not a lier. Yet if you desire to haue more sufficient testimony of my spéech, informe your selues of the towns of Brittaine, where the Spaniards haue long inough soiorned: yea which is a country, which the said Spaniard wold make you beléeue were appertaining to him: albeit he hath no more right then to the other prouinces of France, for yt king Francis the first, & since that [Page] king Henry his sonne, vnited this dutchie by the consent of ye Estates of the countrie, to the Crowne of France: in such sort, that it is of the essence of that Crowne which neuer falleth vnto the distaffe. If you submit your towns to the tyrannie of Philip, looke hardly to sée in thē, by these impudēt garrisons, that which we dayly sée in ours, the churches profaned by a thousand filths, villanies, and horrible sacrileges: virgins violated, matrons defloured: & briefly the places and stréets regorging wt the blood of poore slaughtered innocents. Yea these infamous soldiers haue borne so litle affection to the Catholike religion, as to fix publikly vpō the gates of ye Cathedral church of Lisbon, execrable propositions against the doctrin of ye Gospel, & the decrées of holy Coūcels.

Yea, but if these garrisons be so rigorous as you say, we wil chase them out of our townes, & retire our selues from the seruitude of the Spaniard. I pray you was it easie or possible to your ancient Gauls, notwithstanding they enterprised it, to deliuer them selues from the subiection of the Romans, vntil after many ages, & at such time as the said Romanes had worke cut out for them in other prouinces of their Empire? To the Grecians, from that Philip of Macedon, and at this day from that of the Othomans? To the Brittains, from that of the English Saxons? And sée you not, that we haue not bin able to recouer our fréedom, whatsoeuer our king might do, either by the succours giuen him by your late king, or by those giuen him by ye Quéene of England about some 26. months past. No no, when you haue once suffred your selfe to be troden vnder foot by such a proud & puissant vsurper, it is more then difficult to raise vp your selues. It is not easie to remoue the bridle when it is once put within the mouth, no more thē for Horaces horse, who permitted himselfe to be bridled, for the desire he had to vanquish the hart in his course: but it fell out otherwise then he expected, for he could neuer since affranchise him selfe from the bridle, nor seruice of man.

For Gods sake, ye Frenchmē, after the example of your ancestors, be iealous in kéeping your precious liberty, be faithful to your prince, and banish away from you this disordinate appetite of nouelty, in desiring to assay the dominion of a stranger, what euer he be. For if it be dangerous (as Salust saith) to make experience of new seruants, it is without comparison farre more dangerous to proue a new maister, and principally so seuere and rigorous, as is the Spaniard. If in the [Page] time passed you haue offended, studie to repaire this fault, & you shall soone and with facilitie do it, if you rid from your heart this indiscréet affection of change, this foolish persuasiō, that the king wil take away the Catholike religion: and this pestilent root of auarice, which hath wholly wasted and corrupted you, as it hath done many other people. Do so hereafter, that Philip may not say of France, as Iugurth somtimes reproched the citie of Rome, where for money he had wrought all things to his aduantage, and departing from it, oftentimes looking backe, brake forth into these words: O Citie readie to be sold, and sodeinly to perish, if it find out a marchant. But your auarice hath alreadie done so much, that France is in farre worse estate, for that it hath found a marchant that hath alreadie gone through with it. Notwithstanding thanks be to God, he hath not yet taken possessiō therof, and I thinke the earnest money he hath giuen, will proue a desperat debt, for that the sellers might not warrant the sale, hauing no right thereunto, nor repay the money without great difficulty: and albeit they had some right, yet the good counsell that Scipio gaue to Iugurth, who laboured by rewards, to purchase particularly the amitie of the people of Rome, ought to haue made him more wise. It is dangerous (said Scipio) to buy that of a few persons, which appertaineth to many. Take good héed, that this mischieuous auarice take no further hold on you, lest you cause your posteritie and forraine nations to say of this Philip, as of ancient was said of Macedon: Non Philippum, sed aurum Philippi subegisse Graeciam. And of our Philip: Non Philippū Hispanum, sed eius aurum subegisse Galliam. I am not ignorant that many among you know not of what force this money of Philips is, hauing neuer touched it as his partakers, many Captaines, officers, preachers, and others, haue throughly done. For these are they which haue miserably sold you, and assure your selues, that you shall haue daily more & more mischiefs heaped vpon you, till you stop the mouth of these faithlesse preachers, or banish them as a mortall pestilence, if they will not as I haue aforesaid, teach onely the pure word of God, reprehending vices, for that is their vocation and no other. Which if you do, and withall craue pardon of your king for your rash rebellion and offences: I dare promise, that he will vse his accustomed clemencie towards you: and receiue you, not only as a benigne king his faithfull subiectes: but as a charitable father his welbeloued children.

[Page] As for our lamentable and desolate Realme, the blood of our nobilitie, and of our best citizens, the imprisonment, exile and banishment of others: our losses, miseries, and briefly our hard captiuitie, which so hardly restraineth our throte, that scantly can we speake, and albeit we could, yet is it forbidden vs, least we loose that benefit to cōplaine, exaggerating and redoubling the paine of our insupportable martyrdomes, either by losse of life, imprisonment, or at the least exile & banishment. Let all this (I beséech you) be as a cleare mirrour, to the end looking therein, you may sée, may feele, touch and apprehend, that which you contemplate: and then, I doubt not but it may be sayd of you, Post infoelicem, rebellionis successum, populus facilè inclinari solet, ad vetus obsequium repetendum. Suffer not your selues any longer to be seduced by the subtleties presents, nor faire promises of this Spaniard, who herein, as in all other things, is farre more malicious then the Ciclops Polyphemus, for he vsed no artificiall subtletie to draw men to him, and deuour them: but Philip like an ingenious architect of all iniquities, inuenteth millions of meanes to deceiue, and tyrannize ouer you. Sed fugite, ô miseri, fugite, yea euen so soone as possible may be, lest hereafter you be constrained to do that which willingly you would not do. Be mindfull to recouer, and preciously to reserue that gorgeous title, which you haue alwayes carried, aboue all other people: namely, inuiolable fidelitie towards your king: retaine euen with both hands that inestimable libertie, which your ancestors haue conquered by a million of dangers, and left intailed frō hand to hand to your posteritie. Finally let this be engrauen in your hearts, that you are French men, that is to say, most affectionatly zealous of your countrey, king and libertie, yea redoubted to all other nations, as being issued out of the stocke of ye ancient warlike Gaules: who oftentimes by force of armes haue terrified the Romane commō wealth, being the terrour of all other nations. The Romanes (saith Salust) conquered all other nations, but as for the Gaules, with them they combated for safetie and not for honor.

It would highly content me, might I vnderstand that ye haue followed my sincere and faithfull aduertisement: beléeue, that I haue brotherly aduertised, and faithfully counselled you to your great vtilitie and profit, and that all the rigorous & more then barbarous cruelties of the Spaniard which you haue heard, are as true, as his tyrā nous [Page] iniquities are manifest to the whole world. These things haue I discouered vnto you, as an eye witnesse, hauing remained in Portingale after the departure of our king, no lesse miserable then poore Achamenides, abandoned of his Prince Vlysses in the deserts of Sicilie. For I haue alwayes euen to this present liued poorely in dens, most often, in forrests, rockes, and caues, and sometime in some litle corner of my friends house, like a languishing prisoner, which hath continually hanging before his eyes, ye apprehension of a cruell death. Shew not your selues lesse credulous to my true spéech, then were the Troians to that of the Gréeke Achamenides,

Most happie the man which keepeth a care,

By other mens harmes to learne to beware.

Sirs, I haue declared vnto you how mischieuously you haue bin seduced by the Spanish faction, which pretendeth to vsurp your realme, and captiuate your libertie: for this is the finall end of the plots & Monopolies which he hath practised, and of the dissentions, which he hath ingeniously sowed among you. Now therfore my desire is to aduertise you in few words (but especially those, which may carrie an opinion, that I haue compiled this discourse, not so much for your good, as for the affection that I haue to sée your king, to the particular contentatiō of him and his, peaceably to possesse his kingdome) that nothing hath incited me to this admonition, but the brotherly charitie, & the good wil that I haue to sée your troubles asswaged: to the end that you be not hereafter tormented by ciuill warrs, & that the Spaniard possesse not any more your sottish affections: but rather after so many & so great trauels, which willingly you haue heaped vpon your selues, you may enioy a long & peaceable trāquillitie, which all good men ought to wish for, & with hands lifted vp to demand of the diuine goodnes of God: and not maliciously to nourish and enkindle warre, which finally heapeth most miseries vpon those which do most séeke after it. Behold thē your case, taking all things that I haue said in the worst sort, touching the estate of your king, flattering your selues, yt without great difficultie he shal neuer become Master of his kingdome whilest you are his aduersaries, & fauorise the partie of the Spaniard, or any other his enemies, & that for this occasion, I haue takē in hand to induce you, to reconcile your selues towards his Maiesty, & require pardō of your follies. But ye case is farre otherwise, then either you think, or your preachers [Page] giue you to vnderstand. He is not (thanks be to God) so disfurnished of courage, of good and faithfull subiects, nor of the assistance of his affectionat friends, who are puissant & many, but that he can both easily & speedily bring you to what reason he will, and wholly purge his realme of this lothsome Spaniolized League, yea, and follow the Master thereof by the trace, were he neuer so litle pushed forward by ambition. For you know wel, how many townes he hath forced & reduced to his obedience, and that euen at the first sight. Neither are you ignorant, that his only clemencie hath retained his puissance frō forcing, subuerting & saccaging the citie of Paris: herin shewing himself rather a father then a king, not willing to do that against his people, which he well might do, & their obstinat rebellion had iustly deserued. But me thinketh it is now more thē hie time, not any longer to abuse his patient clemēcie, lest at length it happen to your own great harm, as saith the prouerbe, Patientia nimium laesa conuertitur in furorem. The example of many kings, yea of your own kings, who haue chastised their people according to their merites, ought long agoe to haue brought you to this consideration, amēding your selues, rather to day then to morrow. And indéed there is great apparence that he wil now betake himself to rigor, séeing his clemencie cā not vanquish your obstinate courage, by ye great preparatiōs of war which forrain Princes addresse to assist him: as the Q of England, who hath already sent good auantcurrors: all the Princes of Germanie, many Princes of Italy, the kings of Scotland, Denmark & Sueueland, & other septentrional Princes. Yea, if he would require the succors of the great Turk, it is certain he might be furnished. In such sort that I sée, that if you do not shortly remedy it, in submitting your selues to his Maiestie, the most terrible storme that euer lighted vpon France, is euen now readie to light vpon you, to breake a sunder & subuert the very eybrow of your proud and detestable rebellion No no, looke not that the Spanish king with all his double pistolets, craftie subtleties, & arrogant brauados shalbe sufficient to turne away neuer so litle this impetuous & cruell tempest, hanging within two fingers of your head. Recourse therfore spéedily to your Prince, before he hath exiled his mercie and clemencie. I verily hope that by this you are become wiser then you were, & so shall your monarchie herafter become more excellent then euer before, vnder the gouernement of so vertuous & magnanimous a king.

FINIS.

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§

§

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THE SPANIARDS MONARCHIE, AND LEAGVERS OLYGARCHIE. LAYD OPEN IN AN ADVERISEMENT, written by Signor VASCO FIGVEIRO a Gentleman of Portingale to the rebellious French: wherein is discouered the tyrannie of the one ouer the kingdome of Portingale, and the treacherous rebellion of the other in the kingdome of France, with a patheticall persuasion to the French to returne to the obedience of their naturall and legitimate king.

Englished by H. O.

Praeiudicium saepè tollit omne iudicium.

Imprinted at London by Richard Field for Iohn Harison. 1592.

TO THE GENTLEMEN READERS.

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[Page]

COVRTEOVS Gentlemē, to your censures I commit this labour of mine, small and simple, it is the first (I will not say) it may be the last. If you accept and applaud it, I am throughly animated to enter into some matter of more cōsequēce, & such as I know shalbe acceptable. VVhat the vulgar either imagine or speake, I care not: for with Horace.

Non ego ventosae plebis suffragia venor.

It is no feather of fancie, for that I accompt it base, to fetch such light marchandise so farre as Valentia. If you expect extraordinarie elegancie, I answer, that a Translator is bound rather to search fit words, to expresse his Authors meaning, then inuent words running on the letter, to content ouercurious fancies, which I contemne as dictionarie method; and thus much can I assure you, that albeit it hath no title fetched from the Bull within bishops gate, as a figge for a Spaniard, yet doth [Page] it discouer so succinctly and briefly, a Spanish imitatiō of Machiauellized axiomes, that what other volumes at large, this in a leafe doth plainly demonstrate. If any obiect, that this treatise serueth for french men, and not appertinent to vs. I answer, that their wit reacheth no further then their owne home. For is not our Iland the marke that Philips ambitious humour especiaily aimeth at? hath he not sent his inuincible Armada, to make a conquest of our vltima insula? Nay would he not repute him selfe an absolute Monarch, if he might but get any interest within vs? And haue not we a viperous brood of puritan Papists, and reconciled Leaguers, that dreame vpon a new inuasion? with good foresight by this treatise they may be warned, and true subiects armed. VVhich successe God graunt.

Yours H. O.

Information about this book

Title statement

The Spaniards monarchie, and Leaguers olygarchie. Layd open in an aduerisement [sic], written by Signor Vasco Figueiro a gentleman of Portingale to the rebellious French: wherein is discouered the tyrannie of the one ouer the kingdome of Portingale, and the treacherous rebellion of the other in the kingdome of France, with a patheticall persuasion to the French to returne to the obedience of their naturall and legitimate king. Englished by H.O.

Figueiro, Vasco, gentleman of Portingale.

Edition statement

1592

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A00734

ID [STC]

STC 10865

ID [STC]

ESTC S102056

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99837857

ID [PROQUEST]

99837857

ID [VID]

2204

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A00734)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 2204)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 226:08)

Source

— The Spaniards monarchie, and Leaguers olygarchie. Layd open in an aduerisement [sic], written by Signor Vasco Figueiro a gentleman of Portingale to the rebellious French: wherein is discouered the tyrannie of the one ouer the kingdome of Portingale, and the treacherous rebellion of the other in the kingdome of France, with a patheticall persuasion to the French to returne to the obedience of their naturall and legitimate king. Englished by H.O., Figueiro, Vasco, gentleman of Portingale., H. O., fl. 1592..

Extent

[48] p.

By Richard Field for Iohn Harison,. Imprinted at London :: 1592.. (Original title not traced.) (Signatures: A-F⁴.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

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