Part 2

This then beeing the state of these thinges, what lawe, what reason, or example may be obiected to the contrary, but that it is lawfull for the Queene of England, whose scepter, diademe, kingdome, liuing, and life, are greedily thirsted after by the Spaniard, so potent and so malicious an enemie, to doe that against his fautors and fauourers so often premonished, which was lawful for the Emperour, for the Empire, for the king of Swethen, for the king of Denmarke, for the Prince of Orange, for the States of Netherland, yea for the _Hanse_ men themselues to doe in the like cause, but not in the like danger, and extremitie as this is.

[Sidenote: Anno Do. 1302.]

Nay, if wee thought it requisite to alleadge any thing out of the priuiledges themselues, whereof they haue so often, and so much complained, as being many yeeres withheld from them by iniustice, wee might offer the charter of _Edward_ the first king of England, to be perused, granted in the third yere of his raigne: in which charter wee reade these expresse wordes.

[Sidenote: An exception in the priuiledge.]

_That all the aforesaide Marchants may at any time carrie, or cause to bee carried into or out of the kingdome of England, their marchandizes, which they shall bring with them, or buy here or otherwise come by, excepting to the countreyes of the manifest and notorious enemies of this kingdome._

So that either they must denie, that the king of Spaine hauing practised such cruell and horrible things (I would to God we might not say stil practising the same) is an enemie to the Queene of England, or els by the wordes of the aforesaide charter, they must confesse that they are included within those boundes and limites, which they may not passe, if they desire to bee called and accompted friendes.

We may adde to all this, that it is a thing able to be shewed and proued in the Courts of Records of the kings of England, that heretofore the warres arising, and continuing betwixt the kinges of England and of Fraunce, the goods of these Hanse men were so subiect here in England to arrestes, as now they are, vntill they grew more warie, and had put in sufficient Sureties, that they woulde not from that time transport any part of their goods into the prouinces and dominions of the French king.

By these reasons we take it plainely, and fully demonstrated, that her Maiesties Captaines by Sea, in the present arrest of the Hanse mens goods, haue committed no iniustice against their pretended priuiledges, but rather that they haue vtterly lost them for this pranke of theirs, in causing victualles and martiall furnitures to bee conuayed to the countries of her manifest and notorious enemies, directly contrary to the wordes specified in the priuiledges. Although her Maiestie is not purposed, notwithstanding all present extremities, and this most vile and most barbarous part of the Hanse marchants, to proceede in dealing with them, according to that seueritie of law which iustly she might execute, but is nowe thus farre onely resolued, to confiscate all the corne and prouisions of warre: and as for the shippes themselues, and other sortes of marchandise in them, shee is content to dismisse them for the present.

[Sidenote: The fauour and liberalitie of the Queene of Englande, no lesse to the Haunse men, then to the English themselues.]

But nowe touching the matter of their priuiledges, for which they keepe such a stirre, in complayning to the Emperour, the states of the Empire, and al other princes els, which neuerthelesse are cleerely found to haue beene broken, and forfeited in the time of _Edward_ the sixt, that most noble and famous prince. The Queene of Englande can sufficiently proue, that these Hanse men haue deserued no benefite or fauour at her hands, euen by the lawes of the Empire it selfe, if her Maiestie thought the argument necessary to stande vpon. It is a very apparant thing, that her Maiestie neglecting and not regarding the vniust pretenses and forged suggestions, wherewith these Hanse men haue charged her among strangers, hath yeelded to them no lesse a benefit of free negotiation, then to her owne subiects, without any other restraint but this, that in liewe and memorie of so singular a fauour, they also on their parts should graunt the like freedome in their portes, and cities to her subiects, and marchantes: and yet like vnkinde people, and without respect to this fauour, they returne to their olde byas, & cease not to attempt thinges dangerous to her Maiestie, and by the opinions of all princes in no case to bee suffered.

These _Hanse_ men were at the like controuersie sometimes with the kings of _Denmarke_ & _Swethen_, by reason of certaine like priuileges in the kingdomes of _Norway_ and _Swethland_, and the matter grew so hot that it brake out to an open warre: but with what fruite or gaine to the state of the _Haunse_ men? This was the issue: they were forced to accept such conditions of priuiledges, not as they challenged but as the foresaid kings thought iust, & equal. By which president they might learne if they were wise, not to accept only, but most gladly & thankefully to accept the conditions offered by her Maiestie, as proceeding from such a kind of liberalitie, that may make them in this case superiours to all other Strangers, equall and alike with her owne Subiects. But if they continue in this their stubbernesse and ingratitude, let them take heede least they plucke vpon themselues that most iust reward of their most peruerse behauiours, whereof they haue felt the smart before this, both in _Swethlande_, _Norway_ and _Liuonia_ also.

Seeing then these _Hanse_ men haue receiued from her Maiestie many great benefits, but no ill deserts at any time, shee desireth the Emperours Maiestie, and the rest of the Princes and States of the Empire, to giue no credite to the rumours spread abroad by them, or by the friendes of the Romish Church, or by such as are corrupted with _Spanish_ pensions, men suborned of purpose to scatter these false surmises, to the ende that we being drawen to a mutual dislike and hatred, they in the meane time may the sooner and the more easily bring vs, and the Religion which we professe (if it were possible) vnderfoote.

[Sidenote: The desire of the Queenes Maiestie for a peace through Christendome.]

And further her Maiestie intreateth, that this heauie warre entred into with the _Spaniard_, for the mainteinance whereof no small but huge summes are of necessitie required, and wherein the quarrell is not in her owne behalfe onely, but for the safetie of all the Kings, Kingdoms, and Dominions of Europe that professe the sinceritie of true Religion, and for that cause are as much hated of this Spanish enemie and his Romish Confederats, as her Maiestie is, may at the least in this one thing seeme more tollerable, and lesse difficult and labourious to bee continued, in not suffering the foresaid _Hanse_ men, to transport to the forenamed common enemie, out of their Kingdomes, Dukedomes, Ports and Straights, any victuals or instruments of warre, by ordeyning seuere corrections vpon the rebellious and disobedient, and such as shall dare to attempt the contrary, and to thinke of her Maiestie and her actions, as of a Prince most careful, both of the vniuersall peace of Religion, and of the safetie of all and singular Princes her Confederats, & that they would by ioyning their Counsels & forces in one, vse all their power and abilitie to extinguish the practises of the Romish priesthod, that so a sincere, holy, and largely extending peace, free from treacheries, may be entred, concluded and established throughout all Christianitie, to the honour of Almightie God, and the tranquilitie of all Kings, Princes and Estates, with all increase of happines. In which cogitation, her Maiestie most sincerely and constantly abideth, and will not cease (God blessing her) to remooue all impediments for her part, to procure this good effect according to her honourable desire.

[Sidenote: The Bishop of Romes inuasion of England by his Iesuites.]

But nowe hauing hitherto spoken of the open violence of the Spanish King, and the Bishop of Rome, giue vs leaue to vse a fewe wordes also of another matter not lesse odious then the former, consisting in the subtiltie of the litle foxe: which is a thing so much the more diligently to be lookt vnto, by how much the more close and secret it is, and a thing that creepes farre without many mens knowledge. It is that same priuie legation and sending as it were in corners of certaine falsly termed Iesuites and Seminaries into this kingdome, to withdrawe the mindes of the simple and ignorant people, from their duetifull obedience to the Queenes Maiestie and the Realme. But as these kind of men doe spring of certaine runnagates, and fugitiues naturally borne Subiects, who at home, either for pouertie growe desperate, or by reason of their vicious liues, could not long lie hid: so being nowe sent home againe by the Pope, cease not vnder the habite of their superstitious profession to runne from house to house, from Towne to Towne, stirring vp the people by their whisperings to rebellion, and scattering certaine popish Buls, made and sent for that purpose, teaching the people out of them, vnder the paine of excommunication, and of a curse, that there is no hope of saluation remaining them, except they change their affections, and cast off their due obedience to her Maiestie.

[Sidenote: The manifest treason of the Iesuites, against the Queenes Maiestie, & the kingdome of England.]

Those of her Maiesties Subiects, which being taken with these Buls, and called in question for the same, haue reuealed their practises: and being moued with a conscience of their offence, doe returne to a better minde, and doe forsake that filthie sinke or dunghill of the companie and opinions of Iesuites and Seminaries: are pardoned of their former transgressions, and passe without punishment: but as for those that are rooted in their wickednesse, and remaine stifnecked in their offence, they being demaunded, whether if an inuasion of the kingdome should be made by the Bishop of Rome or the Spanish King, they would (as good Subiects ought to do) stand for the Queene or no, they answere stoutly and proudly, that they are bound whensoeuer it should seeme good to the said Bishop of Rome, to make any such inuasion of the Kingdome, and Dominions of her Maiestie, to assist and further the said inuasion, by al the wayes and meanes they can.

I aske nowe of you, what Prince soeuer you be, hauing the authoritie of a Prince, what you would doe with such monsters as these are, giuen ouer after this sort to such diuelishnes? would you suffer the cloke of popish religion and obedience, to exempt such traytors from the seueritie of Iustice? woulde you suffer them to liue, that woulde you should not liue? surely no Prince or Monarche ought or may tollerate such monstrous creatures, except he purposeth voluntarily to neglect good lawes, his people, kingdome, and life; and sinne grieuously against God himselfe. And these are the monsters that are in England committed to execution; howsoeuer the companions of their treasons, by their infamous libels spread amongst the people crie out, and say, they suffer for the cause of Religion onely, and for their consciences.

Many of her subiects, and they no obscure men, but some of the Nobilitie, and some others of the degree of knights are witnesses, that howsoeuer they stand catholikely affected, yet as long as they conteine themselues within the compasse of their duetie, & obedience to her Maiestie and the State, are neither committed to prison, nor in any ill sort vsed, only for breaking the lawes of frequenting the Churches, are peraduenture rated at some pecuniarie fine.

The ende and purpose why wee speake and publish these things, is to let all good Princes and Magistrates, and others desirous to know the trueth of things, vnderstande howe and by what meanes, as openly, priuily, by force of armes, and practises of treacherie, the state of her Maiestie and of her kingdome is assaulted by the bishop of Rome, and the Spanish King: and therefore howe conueniently and necessarily her Maiestie is drawen to resist this force and to auoyde these frauds, and with what iniurious allegations the execution of lawes and iustice, is as it were torne and rent in pieces, not only by malitious imprinted Libels, but also by painted tables and pictures, signifying I knowe not what monstrous things, resemblances of some barbarous crueltie, as they falsely calumniate and exclaime, to be vsed against the foresaid Iesuites, and Seminarie Priests, that is to say, against men guiltie of high and horrible treason.

But as for her Maiestie, she desireth to stand as a person voide of all trueth and credite with good Princes, if she euer punished any of these men with any strange or newe kinde of torment, then is appointed by the prescript of the ancient lawes of this Realme prouided against such persons, as shall be found and conuicted for Rebels and Traytors.

FINIS.

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Transcriber's notes:

The original spelling, which is frequently inconsistent, has been retained. The following words appear thus in the original: priesthod, resiant.

Some contractions, printed as vowels with a line over them, were used in the original to indicate a vowel followed by an 'm' or 'n'. They have been expanded as follows (the contraction is marked by [] round the vowel):

out of c[o]trouersie expanded to out of controuersie c[o]monly called the commonly called the hostile int[e]dement hostile intendement her owne c[o]moditie her owne commoditie howe a c[o]modious howe a commodious their intended nauigati[o]: their intended nauigation: & co[u]tenance the same & countenance the same anie precedent prohibiti[o] anie precedent prohibition Engl[a]d, whose scepter, England, whose scepter, against their pret[e]ded against their pretended fr[o] Towne to Towne from Towne to Towne paine of exc[o]munication paine of excommunication they being dema[u]ded they being demaunded