I forbear to wryt to her Maieftie as yet, not having full knouledg of all thingis, bot Mr Hudfone schalbe by his Maieftie despatchet the 20. THOMAS FOWLER TO LORD BURGHLEY.1 THE Master of Gray fyndes, as he thinks, hard dealing at the Kings hands; and thoughe the Chauncelour and he agree well in all fhowe, as much as may be, yet I know (more then many) it is no perfect part with eyther. But it is fuer the Chauncelour will not go an inche farder then he fees the King lykes and will alowe; and the King is not to be won in this caice, as partly I have toched it allreddy to your Lordship: and, thoughe I prefume to wryt it, the Mafter fayes and thinks I may doo him more good at the Kings hands, then eyther Chauncelour, or other in this land. And for his well fpekynge and honorynge of hir Maieftie, my foverayne, I have done my best, even very lately, as before. But the King prayes me not to fpeke for him, nor to deal in his matters, as I love him. I told him it was for his own fake, not for the Mafter of Grayes, that I fpoke, for I was fearfull that it should be bruted, bothe here and in Ingland, that he wold be fo parcyall as to ftay juftice, fpecyally in the favour of fo great an offendour. He ftyll fayes he does it for the [friendship] of a yonge lady his doughter, and beloved of his blud; and he truftes that neyther hir Maieftie nor Councell will accompt the Master and . . alyke. Nay, he affuers himfelfe of it, and fayes, If they love me, they will not, but [if] they knew him as well as I, they wold not. I will prove I do him no wronge.' I cannot goo much farder in this poynt, because he told me with fo fayne and good words, and I muft [mynd] my creddit, which is knowne to be fome what more then ordinary. To conclude, I fee no hafty.. for the Mafter. 6 1 Extracted from the original, dated 22d June 1589, in Cott. MSS. Calig. D. 1, fol. 374. A SHORTE DISCOURSE, WHEREIN IS SET DOUNE THE VERIE TREUTH OF Grecians. Alcibiades, Themistocles, Thrasibulus. Romans. Camillus, Scævola, THE vifer forte, and men beft broken in affaires of all ages, and amonge all natiouns, hes ever accomtit man to be borne, not so much for himself as for his countrye, the veilfare and libertie whairof to his uttermoft he is bounde to preas to conferve; as not only of Grecians and Romans, bot of all other nations, hes done frome the beginning infinite nomber of wife Epaminondas, and valiant men, whom the luif of thair patrie movit to expon to all kinde of daunger, and loffe thair fubftance, heritages, and thair owin propir lives; whairthrou not onlie men of noble blood ver crounit with perpetuall praife, bot many of baffe lineage ver nobilizit and acquirit immortall fame. Contrary vaies, such as haith bene inftruments, aithir to troble or to betray thair country, of vhat blood or qualitie foever they have bene, or what occafion foever they could pretende fo to doe, have purchafit perpetuall infamy and extreeme ruyne, as teftifies the registars of the lyves Appius Alex. both of th❜one and th'uther fet downe in famous hiftories. By reafon Plutarch. vhairof, confidering the prefent eftaite of this yle, and fpecially of this country of Scotland, as appeiris at this tyme devydit vithin it felf; and knawing that divers noblemen and others, fome intyfit by corruption, and fome movit rather of ignorance and blynde zeale, nor of malice, haith bene, and are prefentlic, indufit fomvhat facilly, ayther to agrye altogeither, or at least to comport vith alterations politickly intendit, partlie under the fuperficiall pretext of religion, and pairtlie under colour of revenge of the Queenes death. Tit. Livius, For difchardge of my duty to his Maieftie my foveraigne, and to my country, having dieply rypit out, and by affurit intelligence tryit, the very Cause of writing treuth of the defigne of the King of Spaine, the only mover of thes im 'LANSDOWNE MSS. Brit. Museum, No. 155, art. 165, fo. 409. Y this discourse. minent troubles, I have in this fchorte fubfequent discourse thocht meit fummarily to fett downe the fame, vithout any farther langage, or inrichment of exemples, bot only to fchaue the fimple veritie, for refolutioun of all that fchall reid or heare the fame. Not doubting bot the treuth and efficacie of the reafouns fchall fufficientlie move all indifferent and honeist men to doe thair deuty tovard thair Prince and Patrie, for thereby it schall evidentlie appeare, that the only occafioun of this great Spanish preparatioun is the conqueft of this hole yle, let that King cover his defigne as fchall please him, vith the pretendit cavfes, above specifiet, of Religioun and revenge. For although the holle inhabitants of this yle ver of the Romayn religioun, yet yt is not likelie that he should chaunge his purpose of conqueft, or effect thaym more nor he did the Catholicks of the Low Countreys and Portugall, to tham having fchawin no better favour than yf they had bene Proteftantes; following the exemple of his father, Emperor Charles the first, vho ves not greatlie movit vith love of religioun, or great love to the Catholick church, in taking Pope Clement prifoner, for that he feimit rather to favour the King of France nor him, and in ufing the faid Pope noe better then if he had bene Martin Luther him felf; vith many othyr examples that mycht be inducit to prove, that his progenitors and he hes, at all tymes and occafiouns, rather refpectit thair awin commoditie, nor relligioun, and only politickly did ufe yt to ferve theyr turne. Likevise, yt hath noe great appearaunce that he makis theis great chardges and preparatiouns for revenge of the Queine of Scotlandes death, vhois libertie during her life tyme to procure he ves mervellous flou: vhich at that tyme haid bene farre leffe chardgeable nor is nov his prefent interpryfe, vhich, if he may accomplysh as he intendis, vho ever vithin this yle is most affectionat to his courfe fhall, vithout doubt, finde a Spaniard to be a very evill neibour, and a farre vorfe maister. Yet I knoue fome thair be in this realme vho fyshes best in trovbled vatters, and are enemies to quietnes; bot by thair actiouns they are so manifeftit that I forbeare to expreffe thair names. To theis I thinke this difcourfe fhall not be aggreable, bot I am affured be others yt fchall be veyle lykit of, because, as a deutifull fubject to my Prince and veill affected to my Country, looking indifferently upon the eftaite prefent, I haue fett doun the fimple treuth, defiring the difcreet reader fo to thinke thereof vithout all partiallitie. Thair is noe man fo ignorant bot may eafilie perceave the diffing of the Spainard to have bene, and to be, the overthrou generally of this yle, for th'avancement of his ouin eftaite, and confervatioun of his monarchie, as appeared cleerely in the last yeares expedition; vhich, be the providence of God, had fuch event as ves fufficient to have divertit him from his unjuft interprise, if any admonitioun from God micht have terrifiet him, or movit him to confidder his deuty. Yit not only is he noe vayes terrifiet be the former admonitioun, bot it is nou notoriouflie knawin, be dayly most certaine intelligence, his ambition to be fo infatiable, and his diffing to be fo deiply groundit, that he is altogether myndit to profecut his former attemptat, be farre greater preparatiouns to that effect then of before. Vhich is noe neu thing either in him or his predeceffors, as is evident by the hiftorie of his progenitor, Ferdinand of Aragon, husband to Ifobella Fr. Guic. li. 5. Queine of Castill, vho, under pretext to help his tender coufin, Ferdinand Paul Jovius. King of Naples, againft Lewis the xij. King of France, being in armes for acquiring of the faid kingdome of Naples, as juft titular thairof, not only did not help his faid coufin Ferdinand, bot, be the contrarie, maide a privie league vith the faid Lewis, for equall perting of the kingdome of Naples betuein them; and deiply diffembling his intention, he sende the great capitain Gonfaluo, as it had bene to help his coufin, vho never utterit his injunctions, till the French armie ves very neere to Naples, vith vhome he joynit than, and expellit the faid Ferdinand, and his pofteritie, out of thair kingdome. And not contente of this divifioun, vhairby he obteynit the better parte of the kingdome, the King of France being paft the Alpes, and reteiring toward his auin country, he immediatly moves his lieutenant Gonfaluo to take quarrell vith the Duke of Nemours, lieutenant for the King of France, for a licht forgit caufe, vhair throu at laft be moving in expectat varre, he conqueift th'other half of the kingdome of Naples; and fo the holle came to his handes, and is poffeffit prefentlie be King Phillipp. The like ve finde of his grandfather, Phillipp Archduke of Austria, and Fr. Guic. li. 7. Fr. Guic. lib. 16. Joan. Sleyd. Cron. Angl. Tyrannie in the Guil. Guic. Hist. efter King of Spaine, vho of his ouin naturall ves nothing inferiour in ambitioun to the forenamed Ferdinand of Aragon, his father-in-lau, vhom he compellit violentlie to quyt the kingdome of Spaine, and vith great danger of his eftaite and perfon to vithdraw himself to Naples; a sufficient teftimonie of his infatiable minde towardis other Princes dominiouns, in caiffe he had not bene prevented be untymous death. To vhom fucceidit his foune Charles, the fift Emperour, and King of Spaine, vhois actiouns are foe repeut in mens memories, and fett doun foe largelie be divers famous hiftiographers, that yt ver fuperfluous to mentionat tham at all: for the league maide againft him by the holle Princes and potentates of Italie, aftir his unjust conqueft of the Duchy of Millaine, and other principauties, fufficientlie teftifies hou fearefull his arrogance and ambitioun ves to the neybor Princes of his aige. Nou have we to treat of King Phillipp, who in ambitioun farre furmountes his predeceffors; for, in his very tender aige, he ves not contente of the exorbitant conqueift maide be his ancefters, bot, intending to adjoyne thairto the Realme of England, he married Marie, than Quein thairof, vhom he inducit, fchortlie efter the marriage, to tailie the Crovne unto him, and his airis vhofoever, fayling ayris gotten betuen them felfis: and for obteyning his intente he did ufe Cardinall Poullet [Pole], both for inducer of his faid Queine, and for mediator betuein him and the fubjectis of the Realme, vho, ymmediately upon knowledg of his ambitious minde, altogether, verie vifely, rejectit his fute. But his ambitioun and crueltie hes utterit the felf, no less against fome his ouin native fubjects, chieflie in the Low Countryes, be ymprisonment, blood, and vrack, of infinit nomber of comon peple, and of divers noble men, who had bene at all tymes his cheife favorers, and moft deutifull fubjects, as ver the two brether, the Barons of Battenburg; vho, efter longe imprisonment, ver cruelly behedit be the Duke of Alva, his lieutenant. The like, or greater crueltie, he comytted against the Countes of Egmont and Horne, th'one being kinfman to the faid King, vho not longe before did overthrou, (having chardge of the King), the French armie at St Quintin, and made prifoner the Conftable of France, then Lieutenant over the French armie: and both the Countes having accompanied him in all his voyages and interprises, |