England and Wales. Sovereign

“ For it is a thing notorious & sufficiently knowen, not onely to the fewe Hanse townes, but also to all Christendome, that the king of Spaine is transported with a mortall hatred against the Queenes Maiestie of England: a witnes whereof is the intended but not performed inuasion of the kingdome, and Dominions of England by the saide king the yeere last past, furthered by him with all his force, but by the mercie of God vtterly disappointed. ”

“ 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 are represented in this ebook by ā, ē, ō, ū. Hovering over a word containing one of these symbols will display the expāsion of the contraction. ”

“ The preseruation of the people hath bene euer accompted among all nations, for the very supreame Law. Are not the Hanse townes ashamed to maintaine and pretend a priuiledge, that is to say, a priuate 12 lawe against a publike and soueraigne lawe? Did euer any king or Prince witting and waring, suffer such a kinde of trafike which should make his enemie ouer mightie, and though hee did not disfurnish himselfe, yet shoulde leaue himselfe more open vnto his furie, which otherwise were like to be vnarmed and vnable to wage warre against him? ”

“ We doubt not, but you haue heard what occasions of discorde are lately fallen out betweene vs and the king of Spaine, whereof wee cannot throughly coniecture what troubles are like to ensue. If peace arise, we meane to deny you nothing, being our ancient confederates: but if it grow to a warre, we wish you aduisedly to consider, that it standeth not with the safetie of our kingdome, to suffer our enemies to bee ayded with corne, and prouisions for warre, B.ij. ”

“ But nowe hauing hitherto spoken of the open violence of the Spanish King, and the Bishop of Rome, The Bishop of Romes inuasion of England by his Iesuites. giue vs leaue to vse a fewe wordes also of another matter not lesse odious then the former, C.iij 19 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. ”

“ For that same priuiledge of Newtralitie, is in such sort to bee vsed and inioyed, that in helping one of our confederates, we hurt not another: so that hee which helpeth one, & thereby damnifieth another, falleth from his priuiledge and contract: not because he helpeth one of his confederates, but because he doeth preiudice another, and by that fact of his, makes himselfe an enemie, as offering the first 14 iniurie, and therefore in so doing, he is to bee taken and reputed for an Adherent, and Assistant to the enemie, and a very enemy himselfe. ”

“ The king as a man bewitched by the bishop of Rome, the very firebrand and bellowes of all the ciuill warres in Christendome, neglecteth the remedies and conditions of peace that haue bene offred, and perseuereth according to his beginning, in his hostile intēdement against her Maiestie, not otherwise contentable or satisfiable then with her destruction, the slaughter and bloodshed of her people most obedient vnto her, and to bee short, with the conquest of the whole kingdome. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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, The fauour and liberalitie of the Queene of Englande, no lesse to the Haunse men, then to the English themselues. ”

“ Ships and forces twise sent into Ireland by the King of Spaine. Adde hereunto the ships and forces sent twise out of Spaine into Ireland vnder the pretext of the Popes name. As for the late treatie of peace with the Duke of Parma in Flanders, entred into vpon the mediation, and request of the good prince the King of Denmarke, how smoothe & how slie a tuche was that? ”