IT is a common saieng, that loue co­uereth and turneth all things to the best, euen as hatred (to the contrarie) taketh & construeth all things to the woorst. What the Quéene of England hath latelie on these parts doone for vs, wherein also my lord the Erle of Leicester was pleased in his owne person to be imploied for our sakes, is sufficientlie knowne to all men of any iudgement. If the same hath bin doone vnto the thankefull or to the vngratefull, to welwillers, or to dis­semblers, may be perceiued out of the spe [...]ches of them that are dailie talking of the treason doone by Colonell Stanley within Deuenter, and Capteine Yorke in the Sconce be­fore Zutphen. But those that talke of it indifferentlie, will not nor cannot laye the blame on the English nation, but to acknowledge, that one man ought not to beare the blame of an others fault: much lesse then a whole king­dome beare the blame for the fault of one, two, or three traitors.

If that might be so, then ought we not to trust anie one of the Lords of the Lowe countries, among the which, such treacherous vngodlie traitors haue beene found: as in our time, the Lord of Ville, who did most lamentablie betraie the Towne of Groeninghen, and caused to be murthered the most vertuous Burghma [...]ster that he could find in the whole Towne, which procured these bloudie ciuill wars, for our punishment to happen amongst vs.

Also in Flanders the Prince of Chimay, who profes­sing the reformed religion, yea comming from the Lords Supper, did not onelie betraie and deliuer into the hands [Page] of the enimie the Towne of Bridges, but also the whole go­uernment of Flanders. And before him the Lord of Bours, who hath betraied & deliuered Mechelen: the Lord of Flo­rence Phillip Ville Lamotte, Graueling. The Marquesse of Berghen, the castell of Wowe: the Lord of Fresyn, Breda. We omit the Generall that tooke in Brussell treacherous­lie, and the Lowe countrie Collonell that would haue be­traied Berghen op Soome, but through his vnskilfulnesse, could not deliuer it, with innumerable others too long to be rehearsed. With which faults we neuer would, nor de­sired to charge the nation of the Lowe countries: neither Princes, nor prouinces, who receiued and placed them (notwithstanding all faithfull warning) to be Gouer­nours.

But héere may it be knowne of what nature these good people be, which for the fault of Stanley and Yorke, cause the whole English nation to be suspected. But if they be particular persons, they erre either by ignorance, or else they themselues bearing a traiterous minde, would ra­ther haue the Spaniards then the Englishmen. If they be publike persons, either they are of the same condition, or els would rather remaine maisters themselues. How so euer it be, they shew that they beare neither faith nor loue vnto hir Maiestie, his Excellencie, nor to the people of England, séeing they turne all things to the woorst, to the great preiudice of the guiltlesse.

If there had not béene great spite and iniurious high minde borne both to hir Maiestie and his Excellencie, in steed of thankefulnesse, and namelie by those that should haue béene a great while agoe vnder the yoake of the eni­mies, if the Almightie GOD had not bent the heart of hir sacred Maiestie to assist vs. Which soundeth euen thus, as if wee would scorne at all Princes and Potentates, when as wee haue vsed their helpe to succour vs in our distresse.

Kings and Princes which in our affaires and matters [Page] past, haue vndertaken to venter heerein their monie and subiects, ought not by such vniust censure to bee displeased, and thereby prouoked to alter their good meaning. It may be thought bad inough, that when sir Phillip Sidney hath on these parts shed his blood, and lost his life, and an in­numerable number of English Souldiors, loste their liues and perished for want: Also certeine summes of money was brought out of England hether, and consumed: and yet notwithstanding, wee stand still in need of further helpe. If then I saye we should enter into such dealings, wee erre greatlie, and declare by our vnthankfulnesse, that (not onelie) wee doo not desire anye further aide, but also determine to recompense the great good and vnspeake­able pleasures past and done vnto vs with méere vnthank­fulnesse.

The English Lordes and Gentlemen haue béene con­uersant among vs with all freendlinesse, courtesies, and good example, they haue little regarded to venter their bo­dies and lines for vs, as for their owne natiue countrie, inhabitants, and kindered.

They haue neither desired of vs lande or liuing, Lord­ships or iurisdictions, but to the contrarie, haue often­times declared, that if they maye bring to passe to rid these countreis of Spanish tyrannie, and made with vs an euerlasting couenant, to aide, helpe, and to defend each other (as themselues) that then they should desire no greater blisse of the Almightie God, nor of vs anye other thankefulnesse or recompence.

Wee haue tried and had experience in our countries, aswell of Spanish, French, Scottish, Italian, Hungari­ans, Polanders, Highdutch, Wallons, yea, almoste all kinde of Nations: their tyrannie, vnfaithfulnesse, false­hood, droonkennesse, whooredome, forceing of women, rauishing of yoonge maidens, vnnaturall and intolle­rable viciousnesse, ambition, and rapines without cea­sing.

Wherefore being of some tyrannised, of others deceiued, we are iustlie fallen from them, and conuerting our selues to a godlie Christian Princesse. Yea, a Princesse, which when wee were reiected and forsaken of other Kings and Potentates, hath not onelie sent to our aide and succour, Earles Lordes, Gentlemen and Souldiers, of whose mo­destie, sobrietie, vertue, and freendlie conuersation, we are to yeeld thanks vnto aboue all other nations, but also hath ordeined such a Prince for our gouernour, as none hath béene hithe [...]to knowne in these parts to excell him, in god­linesse, vertue, righteousnesse, fréendlinesse, liberalitie, cour­tesie, and kindlinesse. Who hath also declared in euerie place where he came, that he wisheth no other pleasure of his age, then that in dooing the worke of his Lord GOD faithfullie, he might assure and seale vnto vs the freedom of our lands and consciences, against his and our enimies, with his owne bloud. Euen as all those that haue beene in the field with him, must confesse with vs, that they neuer sawe him merrier and better disposed, then when he might come in the sight of his enimie, yea which is more, when as some Lordes were somewhat dismaied at the approching of the en [...]mie, which hee vtterlie disliking, and shewing himselfe to be highlie displeased, would aske them this que­stion: If then they thought to liue heere for euer.

Hir Maiestie thus hauing sent vnto vs such a Prince, witnessing therby, how greatlie shée dooth loue & esteeme of vs, & we on the other part, hauing receiued such innumera­ble & vnestimable benefits, & we yet (neuertheles) standing still in great need of the continuance therof, why should we then either doo vnto hir such vnreasonable and detestable wrong, or once offer, or suffer it to be doone or offered, in charging the English nation with the fault of one or two Traitors. And if we charge them therewith, what should we declare thereby, otherwise then that we mind to depart from hir, reiect hir aide, and reward the great pleasure and comfort doone vnto vs, with displeasure and discourtesie. [Page] Finallie, if we would prouoke hir Maiesties displeasure a­gainst vs, it is euen like as if we should couet to be led like Buffes by the nose, from hir bountifulnes vnder the Spa­nish tyrannie, from hir godlinesse into the vngodlie papi­strie, and to be driuen vnder the yooke, like as a people vn­worthie, vnhappie, and most slauish kind of creatures.

Some say that in England manie Traitors are puni­shed, whose quarters are to be seene round about London in great number. But would to God there were in other places moe Londons, about the which might be seene the quarters of the traitors, which in other places escape their deserued punishment: then should it be seene and knowne, that the Spanish Duckets and Pistolets, are of as great force in other places as in England. Treason is verie bad euerie where, but farre woorsse where it is not punished: the standing quarters in England shew Gods blessing vp­on that nation, who dooth reueale them, and the iustice of the countrie that doth punish them. But where some times they stand not abroad in shew, betokeneth Gods cursse, and the countrie sleeping or iustice oppr [...]ssed.

It is hard and dangerous to practise secret Treason in England against the Queene, but most easie and without danger against the state where manie heads gouerne. For, be it so that the King of Spaine would make war on these countries with traitors, what need were it for him to p [...]t his secret fréends in danger, seeing that the greatest seruice they could doo vnto him, should be partlie in shortening the deliuered vse of the souereigne power, which is aboue all things most needfull in the handling of our matters, part­lie in the seuering of the resolutions, slacknesse, and great number of reports, in prolonging of executions, all which they could or might cloake and colour with faire trimmed fauourable pretexts and protestations of our priuileges, which otherwise should bee vtterlie vnpossible to bee ob­teined.

But it is the papists money, whereby manie people are [Page] deceiued, and sedcued to vndertake such dangerous at­tempts, though the papists themselues are not to boast of anye such vngodlie déeds, shewing thereby their kind, that they haue the Diuell to their father, who from the begin­ning hath béene a lier and a murtherer.

And as touching the faithfull, they are to impute all this to the prouidence and appointment of God, who suffe­reth such things to happen for a better meane to stirre vp our slumbring mindes, to take the matter in hande with greater and more feruent zeale, and to praye and beseech the most highest God, that it may please him to blesse vs in such sort in these countries, in the disclosing of such treche­rie, as he hath blessed the Queene of England before our eies: and to grant vs at last, (for asmuch as he ordeineth all kingdomes and gouernements) that such a ver­tuous, godlie, and blessed Princesse, may haue the gouernment ouer vs. Whom God long pre­serue to the vnspeakeable comfort of all afflicted Christians.

Amen.