A Declaration of the Causes, which mooved the chiefe Commanders of the Nauie of her most excellent | Page 3

wholy bent to that treatie, with a sincere minde and vnfayned desire, beholde as then at her doores, that huge & mightie Fleete of Spaine, beholde a sort of Armies brought out of Italie, and Germanie into Flanders, labouring and prouiding for nothing els but the desolation of the kingdome of England, and the destruction of the Queene: for the Conspiratours had as it were with their fingers, appointed euery one of vs to the slaughter: they had distributed our houses and lands, and a newe Prince, a forrener was already ordeyned & created to enioy the kingdome.
If the Spaniards seeme to obiect against these so grieuous, so deadly, and so strange deuises, the succours which her Maiestie hath yeelded to the lowe Countreys, let them consider well, and they shall finde, that most of these practises haue in time preceded the transporting of any ayde to them: let them denie (if they can) that they sollicited many English Subiects to rebell, before her Maiestie, so much as thought, of the relieuing of her auncient confederats, by her honest and iust meanes.
She appealeth to the King himselfe, and to his Vice Royes in Flanders, how often, and what messengers she sent before that into Spaine and Flanders, for breeding a concord and agreement betwixt the King, and the Nether-landers, not with hard, but with honourable and equall conditions: against which aduisoes and requests, when the King began to be obdurate, and the ancient contracts of amitie betwixt the Nether-landers, and the Kings of England could not suffer them to be depriued of their lawes and libertie, and be exposed as a pray to Strangers, she at the last receiued them, being too much oppressed into her protection, onely of a desire to releeue the poore afflicted people, and not to offer the smallest iniurie to the King.
For if she had bene disposed to regard her owne commoditie, she might haue taken another course, but she did not so: seeking rather as yet, earnestly, and diligently with any conditions, if not too vnreasonable, and such as may stand with her honor, and the profite of the state of Christianitie, howe a commodious and secure pacification may be made betwixt the King, and the States of the lowe Countreys.
In vaine, and contrary to reason, hath she maintayned with great charge, that honorable Ambassage to the Duke of Parma the last yeere: in vaine was she aduertised of the monstrous Nauie of Spaine, and the miraculous swarmes of forces with Parma in Flanders, destinated & prepared for her ruine, and the spoile of her kingdome: she remained stil without all intention or disposition to send any further forces into Flanders, and was after a sort negligent, both of defending herselfe, and of extending the limits of her gouernement beyonde the Seas, with purpose to liue in quietnesse without feare, and in peace without ambitious desire of rule.
[Sidenote: Her Maiesties Ambassadors sent into Flanders to intreate of a peace.]
And howsoeuer she may be thought greedie of other mens Dominions, she sent to Parma very noble and excellent Ambassadours, who being delayed from day to day, from moneth to moneth, without any thing accomplished, she notwithstanding tooke it patiently, and suffered so farre these dangerous delayes, that the Spanish Souldiers panting with haste and greedinesse for the blood and butcherie of her Maiestie, and people most deare vnto her, were come vpon her coastes, and before her doores. In this sort was her hope deluded, and her opinion frustrated by him, contrary to the royall dignitie of both the Kingdomes of England and of Denmarke.
And if the victorious hand of God had not herein derided the cunning deuises and purposes of the Spaniards, if it had not scattered so great a terrour to all Christendome, and drenched their carkases in the Sea, what should the state of the said Hanse marchants haue bene, so busily and so contrary to al equitie and iustice, hastening to furnish him with corne & prouision for the warres? whither should the long and sacred quiet of the Romane Empire haue gone to hide it selfe? where should all other Nations that professe the trueth of Christianitie, thinke that they might haue shrowded them selues to be free from his tyrannie, and safe from his murderers and cruel executioners? If they saw not that their owne destruction was ioyned with the ruine of the Queene of England, either it must be saide that they woulde denie Christ, or that they were blinded to their owne miserie by the vengeance of God, for their secret sinnes. For where the cause of hostilitie is all one, the like effect and issue is to be looked for at the hands of a cruell and raging enemie of the trueth: for in a maner,