ALthough Kinges and Prin­ces Soueraignes, Kinges and Princes Soue­raignes, are to yeeld account of their acti­ons onely to almighty God, the King of Kings. ovving their homage and seruice onely vnto the Almightie God the king of al kings, are in that respect not bounde to yeeld account or render the reasons of their actions to any others but to God their only Soueraigne Lorde: and that amongst the most ancient and Christian Monarches the same Lorde GOD hath committed to vs the Soueraignetie of this Realme of Englande and other our dominions, vvhich vvee holde immediatly of the same Al­mighty Lord, and so thereby accountable onely to his diuine Maiestie: yet vve are notvvithstan­ding this our prerogatiue at this time specially mooued, for diuers reasons hereafter briefly re­membred, to publish not onely to our ovvne na­turall louing Subiectes, but also to all others our neighbours, specially to such Princes and States as are our Confederates, or haue for their Sub­iectes cause of commerce vvith our Countreis and people, vvhat our intention is at this time, [Page 2]and vpon what iust and reasonable groundes we are mooued to giue aid to our next Neighbours the naturall people of the lowe Countries, be­ing by long warres and persecutions of strange Nations there, lamentablie afflicted, and in pre­sent danger to bee brought into a perpetuall ser­uitude.

First it is to be vnderstoode (which percase is not perfectly knowen to a great nomber of per­sons) that there hath beene, Naturall cau­ses of the An­cient conti­nual traffique betwixt the people of England and them of the lowe coun­tries. time out of minde, euen by the natural situation of those low Coun­treis and our Realme of Englande, one directly opposite to the other, and by reason of the ready crossing of the Seas, and multitude of large and commodious Hauēs respectiuely on both sides, a continuall traffique and commerce betwixt the people of Englande, and the Naturall people of these lovve Countries, and so continued in all ancient times when the seueral Prouinces there­of, as Flanders, Holland, and Zeland, and other Countries to them adioyning, were ruled and possessed by seuerall Lordes, and not vnited to­gether, as of late yeeres they haue beene by en­termariages, Confederati­ons both be­twixt y^e Kings of England and Lordes of the low Coun­tries, and also the subiects of both Coun­tries. and at length by concurrences of many and sundrie titles haue also beene reduced to be vnder the gouernment of their Lordes that succeeded to the Dukedome of Burgundie, wher­by there hath beene in former ages many speci­all alliances and confederations, not onely be­tvvixt the Kinges of England our Progenitours and the Lordes of the said countries of Flanders, [Page 3]Holland, Zeland, and their adherentes: but also be­twixt the very naturall subiectes of both Coun­tries, as the Prelates, Noblemen, Citizens, Bur­gesses, and other Comminalties of the great Ci­ties and porte Townes of either countrie reci­proquelie by speciall Obligations and Stipula­tions vnder their Seales interchangeablie, The people of both the Countries bound by spe­ciall obligati­ons enter­changeablie, for mutuall fa­uours & friëd­ly offices. for maintenāce both of commerce and entercourse of Marchantes, and also of speciall mutuall ami­tie to bee obserued betwixt the people and inha­bitants of both parties as well Ecclesiasticall as Secular: and very expresse prouision in such Treaties conteined for mutuall fauours, affecti­ons, and all other friendly offices to bee vsed and prosecuted by the people of the one Nation to­wardes the other. By which mutuall Bondes, there hath continued perpetuall vnions of the peoples heartes together, and so by way of con­tinuall entercourses, from age to age the same mutuall loue hath bene inuiolablie kept and ex­ercised, as it had bene by the worke of nature, and neuer vtterly dissolued, nor yet for any long time discontinued, howsoeuer the kinges, and the Lordes of the countries sometimes (though very rarely) haue bene at difference by sinister meanes of some other Princes their Neigh­bours, enuying the felicitie of these two Coun­tries.

And for maintenance and testimonie of these natural vnions of the peoples of these kingdoms and countries in perpetuall amitie, there are [Page 4]extant sundrie autentique Treaties and Transa­ctions for mutuall commerce, Treaties ex­tant of anciēt time, betwixt the Kinges of England and the Dukes of Burgundie, for the commerce betwixt their Countries. entercourse and straight amitie of ancient times: as for example, some very solemnely accorded in the times of King Henrie the sixth our progenitour, and Phi­lip the second Duke of Burgundie, and inheritour to the Countie of Flanders by the Ladie Marga­ret his Grandmother, which was aboue one hundred and fortie yeeres past, and the same al­so renewed by the noble Duke Charles his sonne, Father to the King of Spaynes Grandmother, and husbād to the Ladie Margaret sister to our great Grandfather King Edward the fourth: and after that, of newe oftentimes renewed by our most Noble and sage Grandfather King Henrie the se­uenth, and the Archduke Philip Grandfather to the King of Spayne now being: and in later times, often renewed betwixt our Father of Noble memorie King Henrie the eight, and Charles the fifth Emperour of Almaigne, Father also to the present King of Spaine.

In all which Treaties, Conuentions for y^e subiectes of either side, to shewe mu­tuall fauours one to the other. Transactions, and Con­federations of amitie and mutuall commerce, it was also at all times specially and principally contained in expresse wordes, by conuentions, concordes and conclusions, that the naturall people and subiects of either side, should shewe mutuall fauours and dueties one to the other, and should safely, freely and securely commerce together in euery their countries, & so hath the same mutuall and naturall concourse and com­merce [Page 5]bene vvithout interruption continued in many ages, farre aboue the like example of any other coūtries in Christendome, to the honour and strength of the Princes, and to the singular great benefite and enriching of their people, vn­till of late yeeres that the King of Spayne depar­ting out of his lovve countries into Spayne, hath beene (as it is to be thought) counselled by his counsellers of Spayne, to appoynt Spaniardes, Spanyards and strangers lately appoyn­ted gouerners in the lowe Countries, to the violation of the liber­ties of the Countrie. for­reners and strangers of strange blood, men more exercised in vvarres then in peaceable gouern­ment, & some of thē notably delighted in blood, as hath appeared by their actions, to be the chiefest gouernours of all his sayde lovve coun­tries, contrary to the ancient lavves & customes thereof, hauing great plentie of noble, valiant and faithfull persons naturally borne, and such as the Emperour Charles, and the King himselfe had to their great honours vsed in their seruice, able to haue bene employed in the rule of those countries. But these Spaniardes, being meere strangers, hauing no naturall regarde in their gouernement to the maintenance of those coū­tries and people in their ancient and natural ma­ner of peaceable liuing, as the most noble and vvise Emperour Charles, yea, & as his sonne king Philip himselfe had, vvhilest he remained in those countries, and vsed the counsels of the States & natural of the coūtries, not violating the ancient liberties of the coūtries: but contraryvvise, these Spaniardes being exalted to absolute gouernmēt, by ambition, and for priuate lucre haue violētly [Page 6]broken the ancient lawes and liberties of all the countries, The destructi­on of the No­bilitie, and the people of the Countries by the Spanish gouetnment. and in a tyrannous sort haue banished, killed and destroyed without order of lawe within the space of a fewe monethes, many of the most ancient and principall persons of the naturall nobilitie that were most worthie of gouernement. And howe so euer in the begin­ning of these cruell persecutions, the pretence thereof was for maintenance of the Romish re­ligion, yet they spared not to depriue very ma­ny Catholiques and Ecclesiasticall persons of their franchises and priuiledges: 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 Countie of Egmond, The lamenta­ble violent death of the Countie of Egmond, the glory of those Countries. the very glorie of that countrie, who neither for his singular victories in the seruice of the king of Spaine can be forgotten in the true histories, nor yet for the crueltie vsed for his de­struction, to bee but for euer lamented in the heartes of the naturall people of that countrie. And furthermore, to bring these whole countries in seruitude to Spaine, these forreine gouernours haue by long intestine warre, with multitude of Spaniardes, 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 maner desolate, and haue also lamenta­bly destroyed by sworde, The riche townes and strengthes with y^e wealth thereof posses­sed by the Spaniardes. famine, and other cruell maners of death, a great part of the naturall peo­ple, and nowe the rich townes and strong places [Page 7]being desolate of their naturall inhabitants, are held & kept chiefly with force by the Spanyardes.

All which pitifull miseries and horrible cala­mities of these most rich countries and people, are of all their neighboures at this day, euen of such as in auncient tyme haue bene at frequent discord with them, thorowe naturall compassi­on very greatly pitied, which appeared speci­ally this present yeere, when the Frenche king pretended to haue receiued them to his protec­tion, had not (as the States of the countrey and their deputies were answered) that certayne vntimely and vnlooked for complottes of the house of Guyse, stirred and maintained by money out of Spayne, disturbed the good and generall peace of Fraunce, and thereby vrged the king to forbeare from the resolution hee had made, not onely to ayde the oppressed people of the lowe countries against the Spanyardes, The French kings offers to haue aided & receiued to his subiection the oppressed people of the lowe Coun­tries. but also to haue accepted them as his owne subiectes. But in ve­rie trueth, howsoeuer they were pitied, and in a sort for a tyme comforted and kept in hope in Fraunce by the Frenche king, who also hath of­tentymes earnestly solicited vs as Queene of Englande, both by message and writing to bee carefull of their defence: yet in respect that they were otherwise more straightly knitte in auncient friendship to this realme then to any other countrie, wee are sure that they could bee pitied of none for this long tyme with more cause and griefe generally, then of our subiects [Page 8]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 haue bene by cōmon language of long time resembled and termed as man and vvife. The Queene of Englandes continuall frendly adui­ces to the king of Spaine for restraining of the tyrannie of his gouer­nours. And for these vrgent causes and many others, vve haue by many friendly messages and Ambassadours, by many letters and vvritings to the said king of Spayne our brother and allie, de­clared our compassion of this so euill and cruel vsage of his naturall and loyall people by sun­drie his martiall gouernoures and other his men of warre, all strāgers to these his countries. And furthermore, as a good louing sister to him, and a natural good neighbour to his lowe coun­tries and people, wee haue often, and often a­gaine most friendly warned him, that if hee did not otherwise by his wisedome and princely cle­mencie restraine the tyranny of his gouernours and crueltie of his men of warre, wee feared that the people of his countries shoulde bee forced for safetie of their liues, and for continuance of their natiue countrie in their former state of their liberties, to seeke the protection of some other forreyne Lord, or rather to yeelde them­selues wholy to the soueraigntie of some migh­tie Prince, as by the ancient lawes of their coun­tries, and by speciall priuiledges graunted by some of the Lordes and Dukes of the countries to the people, they doe pretend and affirme, that in such cases of general iniustice, and vpon such [Page 9]violent breaking of their priuiledges they are free from their former homages, and at libertie to make choise of any other prince to bee their prince & Head. The proofe whereof, by exāples past is to be seene & read in the ancient histories of diuers alterations, of the lordes and ladies of the countries of Brabant, Flanders, Holland, and Zeland, and other countries to them vnited by the States & people of the countries, and that by some such alterations, as the stories doe testi­fie, Philip the Duke of Burgundy came to his tytle, from which the king of Spaynes interest is deri­ued: but the further discussion hereof, we leaue to the viewe of the monuments and recordes of the countries. The Queene of Englandes meanes vsed to staie the States of the lowe coun­tries from yeelding their subiection to any other forreine Prince. And now for the purposes to stay them from yeelding themselues in any like sort to the soueraigntie of any other strange Prince, certaine yeeres past, vpon the earnest request of sundrie of the greatest persons of degree in those countries, and most obedient subiects to the King, such as were the Duke of Ascot, and the Marques of Hauery yet liuing, and of such others as had principall offices in those countreis in the time of the Emperour Charles, wee yeelded at their importunate requests, to graunt them prests of money, onely to continue them as his subiects, and to maintaine themselues in their iust defence against the violence and cruelties of the Spaniards their oppressours, thereby staying them from yeelding their subiectiō to any other Prince frō the said king of Spayne: and during the [Page 10]time of that our aide giuen to them, and their stay in their obedience to the king of Spaine, wee did freely acquainte the same king with our acti­ons, and did still continue our friendly aduices to him, to moue him to commaund his gouer­nours and men of warre, not to vse such insolent cruelties against his people, as might make them to despayre of his fauours, and seeke some other Lorde.

And in these kinde of perswasions and actions wee continued many yeeres, not onely for com­passion of the miserable state of the countries, but of a naturall disposition to haue the an­cient conditions of straight amitie and cōmerce for our kingdomes and people to continue with the States & the people of the saide 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 themselues there as they haue done in Naples and other countries, adding thereto the late examples of the violent hostile enterprise of a power of Spanyardes, The enter­prise of the Spaniardes in Ireland sent by the king of Spayne and the Pope. be­ing sent within these fewe yeeres by the king of Spayne and the Pope into our Realme of Ireland, with an intent manifestly confessed by the cap­taines, that those nombers were sent aforehand to sease vpon some strength there, to the intent with other greater forces to pursue a conquest [Page 11]thereof: wee did we say againe, manifestly see in what danger our selfe, our countries and people might shortly bee, if in conuenient time wee did not speedily otherwise regard to preuent or stay the same. And yet notwithstanding our sayde often requests and aduises giuen to the King of Spayne, manifestly for his owne weale & honour, wee founde him by his counsell of Spayne so vn­willing in any sort to encline to our friendly counsell, that his gouernours and chiefetaines in his lowe countries increased their cruelties towardes his owne afflicted people, and his offi­cers in Spayne offered dayly greater iniuries to ours, resorting thither for traffique: yea, The refusall of y^e Queenes messenger, and her let­ters to the King of Spayne. they of his counsell in Spayne, woulde not permit our expresse messenger with our letters to come to the King their masters presence: a matter very strange, and against the lawe of nations.

And the cause of this our writing and sending to the King, The iust cau­ses of dismis­sing of Ber­nardin Men­doza out of England. proceeded of matter that was wor­thy to be knowen to the King, and not vnmeete nowe also to be declared to the worlde, to shewe both our good disposition towardes the King in imparting to him our grieues, and to let it ap­peare howe euill we haue beene vsed by his mi­nisters, as in some part may appeare by this that followeth. Although wee coulde not haue these many yeeres past any of our seruaunts whome we sent at sundrie times as our Ambassadours to the King our good brother as was meete, suffe­red to continue there without many iniuries and [Page 12]indignities offered to their families, and diuers times to their owne persons by the greatest of his Counsellours, so as they were constrained to leaue their places, and some expelled and in a sort banished the Countrey, without cause gi­uen by them, or notified to vs: yet we, minding to continue very good friendship with the king, as his good Sister, did of long time and many yeeres giue fauourable allowance to all that came as his Ambassadours to vs, sauing onely vpon manifest daungerous practises attempted by two of them to trouble our estate, whereof the one was Girald Despes, a very turbulent spiri­ted person, and altogether vnskilfull & vnapt to deale in Princes affaires being in amitie, as at his retourne into Spayne hee was so there also repu­ted: The other and last was Bernardin de Mendoza, one whome we did accept and vse with great fa­uour a long time, as was manifestly seene in our Court, and we thinke cannot be denied by him­selfe, but yet of late yeeres (we know not by what direction) we found him to be a secret great fa­uourer to sundrie our euill disposed and sediti­ous subiectes, not onely to such as lurked in our Realme, but also to such as fled the same being notoriously condemned as open Rebelles and Traitours, with whome by his letters, messages and secret counsels hee did in the ende deuise howe with a power of men, partly to come out of Spayne, partly out of the low Countries, wher­of hee gaue them great comfort in the Kinges [Page 13]name, an inuasion might bee made into our Realme, setting downe in writing the manner howe the same should be done, with what num­bers of men and shippes, and vpon what coastes, portes & places of our Realme by special name, and who the persons should be in our Realme of no small account, that should fauour this Inuasi­on and take part with the Inuadours, with many other circumstances declaring his full set pur­pose and labours taken, to trouble vs and our Realme very dangerously, as hath beene most clearely proued and cōfessed by such as were in that confederacie with him, whereof some are fled & now do frequent his companie in France, and some were taken, who confessed at great length by writing the whole course herein helde by the saide Ambassadour, as was manifestly of late time published to the worlde vppon Francis Throgmortons a principall Traitours examinati­on. And when we found manifestly this Ambas­sadour so dangerous an instrument, or rather a Head to a rebellion and Inuasion, and that for a yeere or more together hee neuer brought to vs any letter from the King his Master, notwith­standing our often request made to him that hee woulde by some letter from the King to vs, let it appeare that it was the Kings will that he should deale with vs in his Masters name in sundrie thinges that he propounded to vs as his Ambas­sadour, vvhich vvee did iudge to be contrary to the Kinge his Masters vvill: vvee did finally [Page 14]cause him to be charged w^t these dāgerous practi­ses, & made it patēt to him how, & by whō, with many other circūstances we knew it, & therfore caused him in very gētle sort to be cōtent within some resonable time to depart out of our realme, the rather for his own safety, as one in very deed mortally hated of our people: for the which, we graūted him fauorable cōduct, Barnardin Mendoza fa­uourably li­censed to de­part the Realme. both to the sea & ouer the sea: & thereupon we did speedily send a seruāt of ours into Spaine w^t our letters to the king, only to certify him of this accidēt, & to make the whole matter apparant vnto him: & this was the messēger afore mēcioned, y^t might not be suffred to deliuer our message or our letters to the king.

And beside these indignities, it is most manifest how his ministers also haue both heretofore ma­ny times, & now lately practised here in England by meanes of certaine rebelles, to haue procured sundry inuasions of our Realme, by their forces out of Spayne & the low Countries: very hard re­cōpences (we may say) for so many our good of­fices. Hereupō we hope no reasonable person cā blame vs, if we haue disposed our selues to chāge this our former course, & more carefully to look to the safety of our selfe & our people: & finding our owne dāgers in deed very great & imminēt, we haue bene the more vrgently prouoked to at­tempt & accelerate some good remedy, for that besides many other aduices giuē vs both at home and frō abrode, in due time to withstād these dā­gers, we haue found the general disposition of al our own faithful people very ready in this case, & [Page 15]earnest in offring to vs both in Parliaments & o­therwise, their seruices w^t their bodies & blood, & their aides with their lands & goods, to with­stand & preuent this present common danger to our Realme & thēselues, euidently seene & fea­red by the subuerting & rooting vp of the anciēt natiō of these low coūtries, & by plāting the Spa­nish nation & men of warre, enemies to our coū­tries, there so nere vnto vs. And besides these oc­casions & cōsiderations, we did also cal to our re­membrāce our former fortunate proceeding by Gods special fauor, in y^e beginning of our reigne, The Queene of Englandes proceeding for the deliue­rie of Scot­land from the seruitude wherein the House of Guyse meant to haue brought it. in remedying of a like mischief that was intēded against vs in Scotlād by certaine French men, who then were directed only by the house of Guise, by colour of the mariage of their Neece the Queene of Scots with the Dolphin of Frāce, in like maner as the ofsprings of y^e said house haue euē now lately sought to attaine to the like vnordinate power in France: a matter of some cōsequēce for our selues to cōsider, although we hope the king our good brother professing sincere frendship towards vs, as we professe the like to him, will moderate this aspiring greatnes of that house, y^t neither him­selfe nor y^e Princes of his bloud be ouerruled, nor wee (minding to cōtinue perfect frendship with the king & his bloud) be by the said house of Guise and their faction disquieted or disturbed in our Countries. But nowe to returne to this like ex­ample of Scotlande aforesaide, when the French had in like maner (as the Spanyardes haue nowe of long time attempted in the lowe Countries) [Page 16]sought by force to haue subdued the people there, and brought them into a seruitude to the Crowne of France, and also by the ambitious de­sires of the saide house of Guise, to haue procee­ded to a warre by vvay of Scotland, for the con­quest of our crowne for their Neece the Queene of Scottes (a matter most manifest to the com­mon knovvledge of the vvorlde:) it pleased Al­mightie God, as it remaineth in good memorie to our honour and comfort, to further our in­tention and honourable and iust actions at that time in such sort, as by our aiding then of the nation of Scotland being sore oppressed with the French, and vniuersally requiring our aide, wee procured to that Realme (though to our great cost) a full deliuerance of the force of strangers and danger of feruitude, & restored peace to the whole Countrie, which hath continued there euer since many yeeres, sauing that at some time of parcialities of certaine of the Noble men, as hath beene vsuall in that Countrie, in the myno­ritie of the yong King there hath risen some in­ward troubles, The Realme of Scotlande restored to the ancient free­dome, and so possessed by the present King by the meanes onely of the Queene of England. which for the most part we haue in fauour of the King and his Gouernours vsed meanes to pacifie: so as at this day such is the quietnes in Scotland, as the King our deare brother and cousin, by name, Iames the sixth, a Prince of great hope for many good Princely respectes, raigneth there in honour and loue of his people, and in very good and perfect amitie with vs and our Countrie. And so our actions [Page 17]at that time came to so good successe by the goodnes of God, as both our owne Realme, and that of Scotland, hath euer since remained in bet­ter amitie and peace then can bee remembred these manie hundred yeeres before, and yet no­thing heereby done by vs, nor any cause iustly giuen, but that also the French kinges that haue since succeeded, which haue bene three in num­ber, and all brethren, haue made and concluded diuers treaties for good peace with vs, which presently continue in force on both parties, not­withstanding our foresaide actions attempted for remoouing out of Scotland of the saide French forces, so transported by the onely direction of the house of Guyse.

And therefore, The conclu­sion of the causes of sen­ding of cer­taine com­panies of english souldi­ers to the de­sence of the oppressed people of the low countries, and to with­stand the at­temptes a­gainst this Realme. to conclude for the declarati­on of our present intention at this time, wee hope it shall of all persons abroad be well inter­preted, as wee knowe it will be of such as are not ledde by parciallitie, that vpon the often & con­tinuall lamentable requests made to vs by the vniuersall States of the countries of Holland, Ze­land, Guelders & other prouinces with them vni­ted (beeing desperate of the king of Spaynes fa­uours) for our succours to bee yeelded to them, onely for their defence against the Spaniards and other strangers, and therewith finding manifest­lie by our often and importunate requests and aduices giuen to the king of Spaine, no hope of reliefe of these their miseries, but rather an in­crease therof by dayly cōquests of their townes [Page 18]and slaughter of their people, (though in very trueth wee cannot impute the increase of any late cruelties to the person of him that now hath the tytle of generall gouernour, shewing his na­turall disposition more inclynable to mercie and clemencie, then it seemeth hee can direct the heartes of the Spaniardes vnder him, that haue bene so long trayned in shedding of blood vn­der the former Spanish gouernors:) And ioyning thereunto our owne dāger at hand, by the ouer­throw & destructiō of our neighbours, and ac­cesse & planting of the great forces of the Spany­ards so neere to our coūtries, with precedēt argu­ments of many troublesome attemptes against our Realme: we did therfore by good aduice and after long deliberation determine, to sende cer­taine companies of souldiers to ayde the natu­rall people of those countries, English power sent onely to defende. onely to defende them and their townes from sacking and desola­tion, and thereby to procure them safetie, to the honour of God, whome they desire to serue sin­cerely as christian people according to his holy word, and to enioye their ancient liberties for them and their posteritie, and so consequently to preserue and contynue the lawful and ancient commerce betwixt our people and those coun­tries and ours.

And so, we hope our intention herein, & our subsequent actions will be by Gods fauour both honorably and charitably interpreted of all per­sons (sauing of the oppressors thēselues, & their [Page 19]partizans) in that wee meane not heereby, either for ambition or malice, (the two rootes of al in­iustice) to make any particular profit hereof to our selfe or to our people, Three special things reason­ably desired by the Queene of England. 1. The ende of wars with Re­stitutiō of the low Countries to their anciēt liberties. 2. Suretie from inuasiō of her owne Realme. 3. And renew­ing of the mu­tual Traffique betweene the Countries. onely desiring at this time to obtaine by Gods fauour for the coun­tries, A deliuerāce of thē from warre by the Spa­niardes and Forraines, with a restitution of their ancient liberties & gouernement by some chri­stian peace, And thereby, a suretie for our selues and our realme to be free from inuading neigh­bours, And our people to enioyin those coūtries their lawful commerce & entercourse of friend­ship & marchandise, according to the ancient vsage and treaties of entercourse, made betwixt our Progenitors and the Lordes and Earles of those countries, and betwixt our people and the people of those countries.

And though our further intentiō also is or may be to take into our garde, The causes of taking some Townes into her Maiesties custodie. some fewe townes vpō the sea side next opposite to our realme, which otherwise might be in danger to be taken by the strāgers, enemies of the coūtry: yet therein consi­dering we haue no meaning at this tyme to take and retaine the same to our owne proper vse, we hope that al persons wil thinke it agreeable with good reason & princely policie, that we should haue the gard & vse of some such places for sure accesse & recesse of our people & soldiers in safe­ty, & for furniture of them with victuals & other things requisite and necessary, whilest it shall be needful for them to cōtinue in those coūtries for [Page 20]the aiding therof in these their great calamities, miseries, and imminent daunger, and vntill the countries may be deliuered of such strāge forces as do now oppresse them, and recouer their an­cient lawfull liberties and maner of gouerne­ment to liue in peace as they haue heeretofore done, and doe nowe most earnestly in lamenta­ble manner desire to doe, which are the very onely true endes of all our actions nowe inten­ded, howsoeuer malitious tongues may vtter their cankred conceits to the contrary, as at this day the worlde aboundeth with such blasphe­mous reportes in writings and infamous libels, as in no age the Deuill hath more abounded with notable spirites replenished with all wic­kednesse to vtter his rage against professours of Christian Religion. But thereof we leaue the re­uenge to God the searcher of hearts, hoping that he beholding the sinceritie of our heart, wil graunt good successe to our intentions, whereby a Christian peace may ensue to his diuine honour, and comfort to al them that loue peace truely, and wil seeke it sincerely.