WElcome deare Sonnes unto our Court of Rome, A­postolicke and holy blessings shield all the house of Austria from evill, and advance both your for­tunes and your Crownes.

Thy feet most (holy Father) I doe kisse, if I misse thy blessing, the Imperiall Crowne from Austria will be lost which heavens forbid, for then we are undone; Bohemia Re­bells doe joine with Sweden, the Hereticks from Danawe to the Rhyne; they combine both heads, armes and forces against Rome and Austria to helpe the Palatine that cursed Calvinist with his partakers, those damned Schismaticks and Hereticks, who upon our ruines seeke to build their fortune, which makes me thus to move you Holinesse, and crave your helpe now in this extremity, for if we fall, the worser it will be for you.

The keyes of Peter, and the sword of Paul shall shut, open, and cut in peeces the gates of Heaven, Nations, Lawes, and Rights, and turne the darkest nights into cleare dayes; and those lands which have denyed our dignities, Ile make a Keldoma and field of bloud: Ile thunder out my Bulls against Hereticks, and make their land a place of dead mens sculls, I will implore the Saints, and Hell, and Purgato­ry, both shall roare, ere any Calvin or of Luthers Sect with Roman bayes shall insult on our teritories.

Your threats and curses are now despised by those vile Here­ticks, they hold your blessings of no more force then is the skipping [Page] of a foxes taile; in briefe, they are all so disobedient, that whether you blesse or curse they doe not care, they feare not what your Holinesse can say, there is nothing that can drive them from their Heresie, helpe by your counsell therefore holy Father, and shew us means to quiet all this stirre.

Thou maist by reasons and Ambassages, by questions, an­swers, and the like, winne time a while, but these be out of date now, now swords, not words,, doe arbitrate Kingdomes, and we have still used delayes, and shifts so oft, that all our enemies perceive our craf­tines; send unto thy neighbours, friends & subjects, that thou maist thy selfe defend from surprise my Legats and my Nuntioes, I will hast to hatch more forces amongst the Catholicks, Mentz, Cullen, Triers, Catholicke B. varie, thou hast with others in Germany, from Flaun­ders, Brabant and the Popish King, thy true friends will quickly bring thee succour; and though my selfe, with Florence may not send our armes so soone, we will lend our money: the Cantons and the Swit­zers shall be hired, who doe hold themselves ingaged to our See, Ile send to Urbin and to Martina, to Ferar, and to Genoa, to Savoy, and to Venice, and to Piemount, to France our eldest sonne, and to Saint Dennis, Ile fetch the Saints from heaven, the fiends from hell, but Ile quell those drunken Germane Traitors: Is not thy Spanish Cousen here with thee? Who doe feare Europe, and the new found world, the Churches Atlas, and the Empires prop? We hope to stoppe by strength, wit or gold those proud attemps and daring of the Dutch, and breake their forces cost it never so deare.

If Caesar, and your Holinesse have ended, observe the answer of the Spanish sonne, no Germane Prelates, nor Bavaria can doe it, nor King of Pole, your selfe, nor any man, nor Florence Duke, nor Brabant joind with Flaunders, nor Cantons, Switzers, nor the greatest Catholicke if all were joyned in one, yet could they not with all their force that can bee got by them bring timely succour a­gainst the combination those Almaines, Graves, have in every land, ex­pect no helpe from Venetia or Savoy, who deadly hate and feare the house of Austria, I looke for no helpe from my brother France, for if [Page] he see us downe heele sing and joy: and Caesar if thou lookst at home for aid, thy state is tottering, and thy strength perisheth. Thy Austrian subjects are infected also with Luthers heresie, and have forsaken the Papall dignity, and may combine with their fellow Lutherans, and if thou dost send to Thracia for succour, the faithlesse Turke (thou know­est) will not from Asia, Spaine, thou must helpe, or what will Caesar doe, and how can Rome helpe Spaine, and Caesar also having so many places to supply which stands in need? wherefore doubtlesse, if I shall cause India Armies to be recald from thence, and our Italian forces march from us, leave Millaine, Naples, and our silver fountaines un­guarded, naked, and march over the hills through Grissons Countrey, leave the strength of Spaine, or venture our Armado once more to nar­row seas, and so lose more at once then we have got in threescore years before, then thou at Vienna, I at Arragon may shave our heads & turn Monks, you count your friends but doe not count your foes, whose strength, whose numbers you cannot quel, the Northerne tract of Eu­rope from Britaine, tending to last as farre as Transilvania, save Hol­land and some other of their owne trifles (Oh me) in fourescore years how they are growne you see, three Kingdomes, England, Scotland, Ireland be, with Denmarke, Norway, Sweden, six besides those two which they have won being eight in all, and our Kings are but three, the number of their Princes, Dukes and Earles, with their free Lords and States are a great number, besides their many Pals­graves, and their Mootgraves, with all their Landgraves, and their Burgraves; and as their numbers, so their spirits are made great with hopes of their prodigious starre which blazed over Germany the last December, portending change of State, and their expositions and their combinations of situations, times and Scepters; and of Rome, of Ba­bell, and of hills and dales, of beasts of Dragons, and such fearefull things wherewith they cheare themselves, and triumph as though they would give us all the overthrow: the eleventh and twelfth of Esdras they apply against the Imperiall Monarchy, and that the Lion com­ming from the wood is understood of the King of Sweden, and that the Lion should the Eagle foile, and in triumphant sort divide the [Page] spoile. The Rebels thus interpreteth this, whereby the Catholiques are vext greatly; therefore they say that as the Eagles they doe spread themselves ore many Catholique Kings, even so the Lyon in the Armes of Sweed, will sure protect those Heretiques from feare, and Sued (they say) turn'd Anagram, is the Christian Macchabeus; they further say Gustavus is his name. The fame of this mans fortune doth so much them cherish, that their good successe makes me now to stand in feare to be put downe, wherefore I pray you see now if any meanes be left to set me free.

An uncouth shivering makes my blood to chill, and strange amazement doth fill my sinewes; I wonder much that they are so skil­full against us, thus to apply this Prophesie: I also doe admire how they would frame such Anagrams on Swede; but though those hopes doe cheare their froward mindes, yet let our Emperours thoughts contemne all feare, for it is not Fortune turning of her wheele can make our noble resolutions stagger: I wonder much those blinde He­retiques cannot remember in their hardned minde, how I am on Saint Peters Chaire so plac't that they can neither waste nor ruinate the place which is within my grave protection, though (for a time) they put them to perplexity, for I will so trouble them with my band of Jesuits, they shall not withstand them; doubt not but I will finde a Stratagem to save Romes Caesars, and the Diadem of Spaine.

But holy Father I am certified that they deride your Councell and Policy, and how of you they make an Anagram, can frame the best and betterest of their wits: as thus,

• Supremus Pontifex Romanus.
• ANAGRAMMA.
• O non sum supra Petram fixus.

Most sacred Pastor of the flock of Christ.

They say thou art not fixed on the Rocke, but I suspect that they are all inclin'd, that they doe believe in minde what they say, alas for Rome, alas for Ferdinando, alas for Philip, must I be forced to with­stand my owne, the Emperours, and the Churches enemies, and so lose both my selfe, the Church, and Empire all at once!

And they finde out such strange prodigies to fill the Cath­liques with feare and doubt; Ile make them know that I am fixed firme upon Saint Peter, and shall never be cast downe, my benediction, or my malediction can raise a State, or ruine a Nation: The Heretiques on Saint Peters doe build their faith, and I am upheld as from his per­son, and from him all power is given unto me, to binde and loose, to shut and open heaven: And whilst I keepe the Keyes none shall come in that have beene in those mad rebellious wars.

All you can say, and all you can devise, they value not, but despise it utterly: the Duke of Saxon is gone from our side, and joy­ned with the King of Sweden, and why should we expect for more from him then Charles my Predecessor did before, who gave them all and more then I can tell, yet shortly after in that great contention twixt him and Luthers Rebels, hee forsooke his benefactors and turned a­gainst them; and by these Civill Warres what is our gaine, more then millions of our people have been slaine, Dampiere, Bucqu [...]y, and va­lient men, whose like we have no hope againe to injoy, our subjects with great taxes are compelled, our Provinces laid waste, our Cities sackt, our fruitfull fields untild, and unmanured, past hope to be recu­red, maids, wives, and widowes, defloured, ravished, our Lands with spoile and ruine all destroyed, fire, sword, and famine, hath these twelve yeares raigned ore mine Empire in every place, our friends fall off, our treasure is rackt, and all we have wel neare consumed and wa­sted, and all the mischiefes that can fall, we and our people by warre have endured, whilst many thousands that were wont to give, doe beg or starve or live miserably; and late that most unluckie overthrow, my trusty Tilleys losse and deadly stroke, Prague and Bohemia King­domes, all is lost, our Townes of Franckford, and of Anow won, Hall, Hervested, and Hurst, with mighty Mentz, out chiefe Elector Bishop, fled away, my Generall W [...]lstan and Don Balthazar fled to Polonia from the Swords fury; This makes our foes to swell with vi­ctory, and all is worse then tongue or pen can tell.

No Prince can compare with my losses, for I have had more then a double share; great damage have I had in Asia, in Bra­sill, [Page] and in Farnambuck, the furious Rebels have caused me to feel with places of importance, their civill hatred to our State and Realme, by foyling, spoyling, and ruinating them, my India is surprised and taken by them, wherein subsisted all the hope of Spaine; besides at Belgia, I have had misfortune, my Towne of Weazell's taken in a trap, the Busse, a place of great importance lost, long time defended, with exceeding charge, and late that unrecoverable blow in Zealand, where our forces all were broke, Sloopes, Puicks and Lighters, 78. perished, 6000. men, tane prisoners, many wounded, 4000. hand Granadoes, and of Brasse 430. peeces was taken, eleven harrells of good money likewise taken, and many hundreds of our souldiers slain, with store of Ammunition, shot, and powder, all lost in that unlucky expedition; all this past the last September, for which our foes re­joyce, our friends are grieved, whilest onely Dunkirke are rude Ren­negadoes, have made bravadoes against mine enemies, they onely have done things of speciall moment, taken from Merchants and small fisher boats, and now and then a Collier, or a Catch of Oysters, seldom meeting with their equalls, for which rare acts their fame abroad is spread, as though they had subdued and won the world, when every wise man knowes their Townes and Ships to be but dens of Thieves. Have all my Ancestors to sixe discents, by conquest, wedlocke, and such like other Ligaments, tyed fast Earldomes, Dakedomes Crowne and Empire, hoping for Westerne Monarchy at last, and is the period of our greatnesse, hope, and our declining now begin to haste? Nassaw, Nassaw, you hatefull Father and Sonnes, cursed be your name and house, you first did gather the fearefull Rebels into warlike bonds, which now doe State it in the Netherlands; there where you writ nil ultra once more, and set sterne pillars barres to Spaine.

Thus holy Father have you briefly heard the cause of all our anger and our griefe, by reason of those dangers now related, which so perplext our mindes and hearts, by these so many losses, and we feare ere long will befall us; wherefore if Rome have any sercret wisdome laid up in store for evill times, or evill did make wicked He­retiques feele the power of the Church; then Father now is the time [Page] and houre: Remember how Fredericke heretofore frighted thy Prede­cessors, this may hazard thy fortune more, utterly suppresse thy selfe, the Romane Church, and us, except by some prime stratagem fetcht from beneath, thou mayest thy selfe and friends from danger keep, for if these Heretiques be once our masters, then farewel Pope and Papall dignity.

And are our friends so few and false? and be our foes so ma­ny and so lusty? Once Innocent of Rome in former ages, hath us'd three Kings for Lackies, and dare they now make warres against Caesar without our leave? Then our furies wake, helpe me to store of Pistols, poysoned knives, to fire, and powder, and Manacles, bid Raviliack, and Clement high them hither, let Guido Faux, and Garuet, all come, all those that doe excell in policie, are Sonnes of Iskariet, and Achitephel.