We doubt not but your Excellen. Lordsh, worsh. & beloued are: yet minde­full of the manifolde amiable exhortations done vnto you by vs at seuerall times, tending to pro­uoke your Excellencies, Lordships, worships &c. onely once with a ripe and settled sence, to consider the wicked pretences of the Spaniards & their ad­herents: enemies to the welfare, rights, preui­ledges, [Page] goods, and persons of the Netherlands: namely, vtterly to destroy & ruinate (generallie) all the inhabitants of the Netherlandes, of what e­state, quallitie, or condition so euer: which indeede hath been their originall, & deep noted mischieuous and shamefull pretence.

It is not also vnknowne to vs (although the said pretence be nothing lesse beleeued, & helde for most vnreplicable amongst you then with vs) that yet notwithstanding some of your Excellencies, Worships &c. Partly through the naturall instinct of their Noble kindenes, and partly by perswasi­ons, are reduced to a selfe feeling knowledge &c. & that through the Archdukes meanes, and their highnesses presences, these matters might be righ­ted and brought to a better point. But considering that we haue a perfect knowledge of the continu­ance of this Spanish pretence which ceaseth not, but with their adherents (by all meanes) ende­uour to procure the ruine & ouerthrow of these Ne­therlands, thereby for euer to reduce them to the thral-dome of the Spanish yoake, and according to their owne appetites & pleasures to rule▪ not onely ouer the good inhabiatantes of the same, but also o­uer their cōsciences, bodies, rights & goods, which the Archduke himselfe shall not be able to preuent nor remedie. Wee haue not been able to conforme our selues to any such liking but to the ende your Excellēcies Lordships, worships &c. nor our selues, be not throwne downe headlong into an eminent, Infallible, continuall, & vnrecouerable ouerthrowe and seruitude, we hauing compassionatly found it better (with a stedfast courage) to cōtinue & persist inour laudable resolution, originally, sprung from [Page] the chiefest & notablest Persons & members of the generall Netherlandish Prouinces of all estates & conditions. Trusting assuredly vpon the mercifull helpe of the Almightie God: vpon the fauours, aides, & assistaunces of the Kings, Princes, and common wealthes, with which we are in league, & friendship, together w^t the iustnes of our cause: & with all patience to expect (especially by meanes of your Excellencies, Lorships, Worships &c. good furtherance, direction, & inward wise gouerment in your states) a godlie & most wished issue thereof. And to that ende most willinglie to beare all the burthens, perrils, charges, & paynes: which in so holly, laudable, honourable, seruiceable, & needfull a resolution shal be requisite: without that at any time we haue, or euer shallbe mooued to any kinde of alteration, by meanes of that vnworthy transportation, done of these Netherlands, by the late king of Spaine vnto their Highnesses: we hau­ing in regard of the same (after the said transporta­tion) by our letters & verball cōmunications, held with your Exe Lo. Mo. &c. Cōmissioners: earnestly admonished, y^t good care might be takē vpon y^e mat­ters of war on your sides, aswel within & w^tout the land: & we trust y^t if the same were censured with an vnpassionate & vnpartial mind, & w^t cleare eyes wel looked into, none were able vprighly to iudge, but y^t the said deceiptful transportation was vnce­plicable tending to the assured and eminent ouer­throw & suppression of the general Netherlands, & of all estates and persons therein. Your Excellen­ties, Lordships, Worships, &c. manifestly see, heare, vnderstand & feele, what passeth among you, & you [Page] are able easily to coniecture what else is apparant to follow: in so much that we esteeme it needles to write any tedious circumstance therof. Onely, as yet we will most friendly wish, exhort & pray your Excellen. Lord. Morsh. &c. earnestly to consider the worthy & laudable reputation, which by your Exc. Lor. Mor &c. and our fore-fathers, hath bin pur­chased so many hundred yeeres a goe: & vntill this present is left vs a leuelled lyne, for vs to follow therby, & to be come true Champions & defendors of the free Netherlandish rights & priuiledges in generall: and perticularly of the countries, mem­bers, citties, & the inhabitants thereof. And to ex­amine if the contents of the said anullated and vn­worthy transportation, and the dealings which si­thence haue followed (& yet dayly are continuing) do agree together, with the duties wherwith your Excel. Lord. Wor. &c. their worthy housen, estates, posterities (but especially our beloued naturall country) is bound vnto: if yee, (which we by no meanes can perswade our selues vnto) wee must beseech God Almighty of his mercy to illuminate & endue your Excel. Lor. Wor. &c. with a more soun­der iudgement and vnderstanding: But if in case your Exc. Lo. Wo doiudge the said pretended vn­worthy transportatiō (although it hath bin accep­ted through necessity, d to shun a further or greater mischiefe) to be dishonorable, deceiptful, & a shame­ful spot & blemish vnto al worthy Netherlanders: Considered moreouer, that the proceedinges of the Spaniards & their adherents follow theron, & vn­til this present, do continue frō bad to worse, aswel in matters of State as in war, are (as we assure [Page] our selues, that most of your Excellences, Lord­ships, Worships, &c. well know) are altogether ru­inous & intollerable: And consequently your Ex­cellences, Lordships, Worships, &c. are not bound nor beholden vnto them, as those which warre and striue against the generall good, and the Nether­landish Lawes, Rights, and Priuiledges. If like­wise your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, &c. consider how all the extremitie of Forces, Inter­dictors of trade and commerce, con [...]piracies and plots, to intrap her princel [...] Maiestie of England, and th'united Prou [...]nces, dayly appeare and are discouered: and not only their pretences are vaine and forcelesse, but allo haue a quite contrarie ope­ration. That the treacherous enterprises vpon Citties and Forts of the French Kings, giue great occasion, that some day or other, a sodaine & tirrible reuenge may be vndertaken. That the Bookes, and famous Libels and odious Ballades, where­by they seeke to make the French King and his pro­ceedinges, hatefull in the Commons hartes, and to make the Rights of Succession of the Crownes of Fraunce and England doubtfull, are nothing e [...]e but idle prepositions, onely tending to the irita­tion and prouoking of their Maiesties: And that in vaine it is attempted, to rayse tumultes and dissentions among the Communaltie of th'united Prouinces, since that the [...] (prayse vnto Go [...]) their Conditiō considered, are in estate a hundred times better, and more assured, then the Communaltie on the Spanish, or their Highnesses side: and that they not hauing any reason of mistrust in their lawfull Magistrates, nor of their actions, do beare [Page] themselues most quiet and obedient. But that to the contrarie, the Commons of the Spanish or Arch­dukes side beeing that all matters do dayly ware worse and worse,) That the authoritie of the States, Prelats, Princes, Lordes, Nobles, and Citties, of the Counties both generally and perti­culerly, more then euer tosore, is troden vnder foote and reduced to no regard nor respect. Yea, that a [...]l matters haue their foundation and ground vpon Straungers, with a deiection of all worthie Inha­bitants and home-borne Nobilitie, not only in the gouernement of the pricipall Citties and Fortes, but [...]ufficiently in generall in euery thing: except that sometime heere and there Proforma, in some matters they seeme to doe some thing to the pur­pose, the which also (they once beeing Maisters) would soone leaue aside.

That the Countries and Inhabitants are rob­bed, disrobed, and disfurnished, not onely of a [...]l trafficke, negotiation, nauigation, welfare, and dealings; but also the very three fourth partes of the good Inhabitantes, are vtterly destitute of all meanes of maintenaunce. The principall Citties conu [...]rted to Doue-cots, the Villages and Coun­trie groundes euen brought to the extreamest poynt of pouertie, eaten vp and ransackt by the men of Warre: and [...]et the Soul [...]iers themselues to ill payde, that the mutenie[?] o [...] one partie cannot be appea [...]ed, but there are two l [...]ke, or worse, to be expected. And that in brie [...]e, it is most euident, that all [...]ill fall into a most apparant dangerous desperation.

This then all considered, we pray your Excel­lencies, [Page] Lordships, Worships, &c. that in effect, the nee [...]efull remedies heereto may be taken in hand and ministred. And namely, that it may please you to effect thus much, as that their Highnesse will vouchsafe to depart out of the Netherlandes, to purchase a more quieter and securer partage or portion: At which time, it wi [...]l be little difficult for your Excellencies, Lordships, Worships, &c. and vs together, to make the Spaniards & other Stran­gers to follow them: and for the best part of their adherentes, to make and conuert vnto good and worthy Netherlanders.

If now by any one this were helde for an Im­possibilitie, & that your Excel [...]encies, Lordships, Worships, &c. could not securely take, nor vse this courte; that it may please them then to the con­trarie to beleeue: that if in case your Excellen [...]es, Lor [...]sh [...]ps, Worships, &c. will furnish vs with so much Money and meanes for sixe Monethes, as importes the halfe of the oulde or [...]inarie Taxe of Brabant,Flaunders, Artois, Haynolt, Valencinen, Lylle, Douay, Orchies, Namen, Tournez [...]e, Tour­rage, and Mechelen, to the same: which through Gods gracious permission, we inten [...]e this▪ [...]eere to performe in maner of Warre: And in respect of their Highnesses, keepe themselues quiet, or tall to vs▪ (which we put to your Excellencies, Lord­ships, Worships, &c choyce and good lyking, that the matter by Go [...]s helpe) shall be brought to that passe, that your Excellencies, Lo [...]dships, Wor­ships, &c. themselues, shal iu [...]ge therein to be most apparant lignes of good successe.

And touching th'assurance, whereon diuers [Page] kinde harted and well enclyned persons trouble themselues, are kept backe and stand reselute, your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, &c. shall them selues set or hold such orders, as well of the Gouernement as of Religon, as themselues shall thinke most meete and conuenient: neither neede to put any doubt therein, but may be assured that therein by vs nothing shal be done nor attempted. Assuring moreouer your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, &c. that in so laudable, honorable, ser­uiceable, and needefull a cause, neither your Ex­cellences, Lordships, Worships, &c. nor wee, shall want any backing, support, or succour, from the neighbour Kinges, Princes, Common-weales, our neighbours and allyes. Wher [...]vpon, once more most friendly wee require your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, &c. that you will commit to obliuion all passions, suspitions, and former mista­kinges: and with this good oportunitie and occa­sion, to accept and imbrace this ground, as beeing the right and onely way to bring the Netherlands into their auncient rightes, welfare, peace, tran­quilitie; and to her most famous and flourishing former estate: without giuing any eare vnto the new pretended Forces, which are nought else▪ but such as will cause a greater destruction & miserie. Otherwise, and in default hereof, wee foresee that the damages, calamities, and miseris, are destined this yeere to fall more greater, then euer hereto­fore: whereof, before all the worlde, we will be helde guiltlesse. Heerewith, wee beseeche th' Al­mightie GOD, most high and well Reuerent, Noble, Right Worshipfull, Worthie, Learned, [Page] Wise, Prudent, and most discreete Lords, Friends, and Neighbours, to inspire your Excellences Lord­ships, Worships &c. with that which may stretch to the good an [...] Welfare of the Netherlandes, and the good [...]nhabi [...]a [...]ts thereof.

Your Excellences, Lordships, Worships, &c. good friendes and neighbours. The generall estates of the vnited Prouinces: And by order of the same signed.