gundie, for the Commerce betwixt their Coun

was

Dukes of Burgundie, and Inheritour to the Countie of Flanders by the Ladie Margaret his Grandmother, which above One Hundred and Forty Years past; and the same also renewed by the Noble Duke tries. Charles his Sonne, Father to the King of Spayne's Grandmother, and Husband to the Ladie Margaret, Sister to our Great Grandfather King Edward the IVth: And after that, of newe oftentimes renewed by our most Noble and Sage Grandfather King Henrie the VIIth, and the Archduke Philip, Grandfather to the King of Spayne now being: And in later Times, often renewed betwixt onr Father of Noble Memorie King Henrie the VIIIth, and Charles the Vth Emperour of Almaigne, Father also to the present King of Spaine. In al which Treaties, Transactions, and Conventions for Confederations of Amitie and mutual the Subjectes of Commerce, it was also at all Times speeither side, to shewe mutual cially and principally contained in exFavours one to presse Words, by Conventions, Concordes, and Conclusions, that the Naturall People the other. and Subjects of either side, should shewe mutuall Favours and Dueties one to the other; and should safely, freely, and securely Commerce together in everie their Countries, and so hath the same mutuall and naturall Concourse and Commerce bene without interruption contynued in many Ages, farre above the like Example of any other Countries in Christendome, to the Honour and Strength of the Princes, and to the singnlar great Benefite and Enriching of their People, untill of late Yeeres that the King of Spayne departing out of his Low Countries into Spayne, hath bene (as is to be thought) councelled by his Counselours of Spayne, to appoynt Spaniardes, Foreners, and Strangers of strange Blood, Spaniardes and Men more exercised in Warres, than in Strangers lately Peaceable Government; and some of appointed Gothem notably delighted in Blood, as hath vernours in the Lowe Countries, appeared by their Actions, to be the chiefest Governours of all his said Low Counto the Violation of the Liberties of tries, contrary to the Ancient Lawes and Customes thereof, having great plentie of the Country. Noble, Valiant, and Faithful Persons naturally Borne, and such as the Emperour Charles, and the King himselfe had to their great Honours used in their Service, able to have bene employed in the Rule of those Countries. But these Spaniardes being meere Strangers,

The Destruction

of the Nobilitie, and the People of the Countries by Spanish Go

vernment.

having no naturall Regarde in their Government to the Maintenance of those Countries and People in their Ancient and Naturall Maner of Peaceable Living, as the most Noble and Wise Emperour Charles; yea, and as his Sonne King Philip himself had, whilest he remained in those Countries, and used the Counsels of the States, and Natural of the Countries, not violating the ancient Liberties of the Countries: But, contrary wise, these Spaniardes being exalted to Absolute Government by Ambition, and for private Lucre have violently broken the Ancient Lawes and Liberties of all the Countries: and in a Tyrannous Sort have banished, killed, and destroyed without Order of Lawe, within the Space of a fewe Monthes, many of the most Ancient and Principal Persons of the natural Nobilitie that were more Worthy of Government. And howsoever in the Beginning of these Cruel Persecutions, the Pretence thereof was for Maintenance of the Romish Religion, yet they spared not to deprive verie_many Catholiques, and Ecclesiastical Persons of their Franchises and Privileges: And of the Chiefest that were executed of the Nobilitie, none was in the Whole Countrie more affected to that Religion, then was the Noble and Valiant Count of Egmond, the very Glory of that Countrie, who neither for his singular Victories in the Service of the King of Spayne can be forgotten in the true Histories, nor yet for the Cruelties used for his Destruction, to bee but for ever lamented in the Heartes of the natural People of that Countrie. And furthermore, to bring these whole Countries in Servitude to Spayne; these Foreine Governours have by long intestine Warre, with multitude of Spaniards, and with some fewe Italians and Almains, made the greater Part of the said Countries, (which with their Riches, by common Estimation, answered the Emperour Charles equally to his Indias) in a manner Desolate; and The Riche have also lamentably destroyed by Sword, Famine, and other Cruel Maners of Death, a great Part of the natural People, and now the rich Townes and strong Places being Desolate of their natural Inhabitants, are held and kept chiefly with Force by the Spaniardes.

The lamentable

Violent Death of the Count of Egmond, the Glory of those Coun

tries.

Townes and Strengthes with the Wealth thereof possessed by the Spaniardes.

All which pitiful Miseries and horrible Calamities of these

most Rich Countries and People, are of all their Neighbours at this Day, even of such as in Ancient Time_have bene at frequent Discord with them, thorowe natural Compassion verié greatlie pitied, which appeared specially this present Yere, when the Frenche Kinge pretended to have received them to his Protection, had not (as the States of the Countrey and their Deputies were answered) that certaine untimely and unlooked for Complottes of the House of Guise, stirred and maintained by Money out of Spayne, disturbed the Good and General Peace of Fraunce, and thereby urged the King to forbeare from the Resolution he had made, not only to aide the Oppressed People of the Lowe Countries against the Spaniardes, but also to have accepted them as his owne Subjectes. But in verie truth, howsoever they were pitied, and in a sort for a Time comforted and kept in Hope in Fraunce by the French King, The French who also hath oftentimes earnestly solliKing's offers to cited us as Queen of England, both by have aided and received to his their Defence: Yet in respect that they Message and Writinge to bee careful of Subjection the were otherwise more straightly knitte in oppressed People Auncient Friendship to this Realme then to of the Low Coun- any other Countrie, we are sure that they could bee pitied of none for this long Time with more Cause and Grief generally then of our Subjects of this our Realme of England, being their most Ancient Allies, and Familiar Neighbours, and that in such Maner, as this our Realme of England, and those Countries have been by common Language of long Time resembled, and termed as Man and Wife. And for these urgent Causes and many others, we have The Queen of by many Friendly Messages and AmEnglande's con- bassadors, by many Letters and Writings tinual Friendly to the said King of Spayne our Brother Advices to the and Allie, declared our Compassion of King of Spaine this soEvil and Cruel Usage of his Natural for restraining and Loyal People, by sundrie his Martial of the Tyrannie Governoures, and other his Men of Warre, of his Governall Strangers to these his Countries. And furthermore, as a good Loving Sister to him, and a natural good Neighbour to his Lowe Countries and People, we have often, and often againe most Friendly warned him, that if he did not otherwise by his Wisdome and Princely Clemencie restraine the Tyranny of his Governours, and Crueltie of his Men of Warre, we feared that the People of his Countries should be forced for Safetie of

tries.

ours.

The Queene of
Meanes used to
England's

their Lives, and for Continuance of their Native Countrey in their former State of their Liberties, to seek the Protection of some other Foreyne Lorde; or rather to yeeld themselves wholy to the Soveraigntie of some Mighty Prince, as by the Ancient Lawes of their Countries, and by speciall Priviledges graunted by some of the Lordes and Dukes of the Countries to the People, they do pretende and affirm, that in such Cases of General Injustice, and upon such Violent Breaking of their Privileges, they are free from their former Homages, and at Libertie to make Choice of any other Prince to bee their Prince and Head. The Proof whereof, by Examples past, is to be seene and read in the Ancient Histories of divers Alterations, of the Lordes and Ladies of the Countries of Brabant, Flanders, Holland, and Zeland, and other Countries to them united by the States and People of the Countries; and that by some such Alterations, as the Stories do testifie, Philip the Duke of Burgundy came to his Tytle, from which the King of Spayne's Interest is derived: But the further Discussion hereof, we leave to the Viewe of the Monuments and Recordes of the Countries. And now for the Purposes to stay them from yeelding themselves in any like Sort to the Soveraigntie of any other strange Prince, certaine Yeeres past, upon the earnest Request of sundrie of the greatest Persons of Degree in those Countries, and most Obedient Subjects to the King, such as were the Duke of Ascot, and the Marques of Havery yet Living, and of such others as had Principal Offices in those Countries in the Time of the Emperour Charles, we yielded at their importunate Requests, to graunt them prests of Money, only to continue them as his Subjects, and to maintaine themselves in their just Defence against the Violence and Cruelties of the Spaniardes their Oppressours, thereby staying them from yielding their Subjection to any other Prince from the said King of Spayne: And during the Time of that our Aide given to them, and their stay in their Obedience to the King of Spayne, we did freely acquainte the same King with our Actions, and did still continue our Friendly Advices to him, to move him to commaund his Governours and Men of Warre, not to use such Insolent Cruelties against his People, as might make them to despayre of his Favours, and seeke some other Lorde.

staie the States

of the Lowe Countries from yeelding their Subjection to any other Forreine Prince.

And in these kind of Perswasion and Actions wee conVOL. III, PART II. 20

tinued many Yeeres, not onely for compassion of the miserable state of the Countries, but of a natural disposition to have the ancient Conditions of straight Amitie and Commerce for our Kingdomes and People to continue with the States and the People of the said Dukedome of Burgundie and the Appendants, and namely with our next Neyghbours the Countries of Flanders, Holland, and Zeland. For wee did manifestly see. if the Nation of Spayne shoulde make a conquest of those Countries, as was and yet is apparantly intended, and plant themselves there as they have done in Naples and other Countries, adding thereto the late Examples of the violent hostile Enterprise of a power of Spanyardes, being sent within these fewe Yeeres by the King The Enterprise of Ireland, with an intent manifestly conof Spaine and the Pope into our Realme of the Spaniardes fessed by the Captaines, that those Nomin Ireland, sent bers were sent aforehand to sease upon by the King of Spayne and the some strength there, to the intent with Pope. other greater Forces to pursue a Conquest thereof: wee did we say againe, manifestly see in what danger our selfe, ourCountries and People might shortly bee, if in convenient time wee did not speedily otherwise regard to prevent or stay the same. yet notwithstanding our saide often Requests and Advises given to the King of Spayne, manifestly for his own Weale and Honour, wee found him by his Counsell of Spayne so unwilling in any sort to encline to our friendly Counsell, that his Governours and Chiefetains in his Lowe Countries increased their Cruelties towards his own afflicted People, and his officers in Spayne offered dayly greater Injuries to ours, resorting thither for Trafiqué : yea, they of his counsell in Spayne, would not permit our express Messenger with our Letters to come to the King their Masters Presence: A Matter very strange, and against the Law of Na

The Refusal of the Queen's Messenger, and her Letters to the King of Spayne.

The Just Causes of Dismissing of B. Mendoza out of England.

tions.

And

And the Cause of this our writing and that was worthy to be knowen to the King, sending to the King, proceeded of Matter and not unmete nowe also to be declared

to the World, to shewe both our good Disposition towardes the King in imparting to him our Grieves, and to let it appear howe evill we have beene used by his Ministers, as in some part may appear by this that followeth. Although we coulde not have these many Yeres past any of