should I speak of so many conspiracies miraculously detected? the records shew the treasons: but it is yet hidden in many of them how they came to light. What should I speak of the opportune death of her enemies, and the wicked instruments towards her estate? Don Juan died not amiss: Darleigh, duke of Lenox, who was used as an instrument to divorce Scotland from the amity of England, died in no ill season: a man withdrawn indeed at that time to France; but not without great help. I may not mention the death of some that occur to mind: but still methinks, they live that should live, and they die that should die. I would not have the king of Spain die yet; he is seges gloria: but when he groweth dangerous, or any other besides him; I am persuaded they will die. What should I speak of the fortunes of her armies, which, notwithstanding the inward peace of this nation, were never more renowned? What should I recount Leith and Newhaven for the honourable skirmishes and services? they are no blemish at all to the militia of England.

In the Low Countries; the Lammas day, the retreat of Ghent, the day of Zutphen, and the prosperous progress of this summer: the bravado in Portugal, and the honourable exploits in the aid of the French king, besides the memorable voyages in the Indies; and lastly, the good entertainment of the invincible navy, which was chased till the chasers were weary, after infinite loss, without taking a cock-boat, without firing a sheep-cot, sailed on the mercies of the wind, and the discretion of their adventures, making a perambulation or pilgrimage about the northern seas, and ignobling many shores and points of land by shipwreck and so returned home with scorn and dishonour much greater, than the terror and expectation of their setting forth.

These virtues and perfections, with so great felicity, have made her the honour of her times, the admiration of the world, the suit and aspiring of greatest kings and princes, who yet durst never have aspired unto her, but as their minds were raised by love.

But why do I forget that words do extenuate and Time is her best commender, which never brought forth such a prince, whose imperial virtues contend with the excellency of her person both virtues contend with her fortune: and both virtue and fortune contend with her fame.

embase matters of so great weight such a prince,

Orbis amor, fama carmen, cælique pupilla:

Tu decus omne tuis, tu decus ipsa tibi!xing A

CERTAIN OBSERVATIONS

UPON A LIBEL PUBLISHED THIS PRESENT YEAR, 1592.

INTITLED,

A DECLARATION OF THE TRUE CAUSES OF THE GREAT TROUBLES, PRESUPPOSED TO BE INTENDED AGAINST THE REALM OF ENGLAND.

IT were just and honourable for princes being in wars together, that howsoever they prosecute their quarrels and debates by arms and acts of hostility; yea, though the wars be such, as they pretend the utter ruin and overthrow of the forces and states one of another, yet they so limit their passions as they preserve two things sacred and inviolable; that is, the life and good name each of other. For the wars are no massacres and confusions; but they are the highest trials of right; when princes and states, that acknowledge no superior upon earth, shall put themselves upon the justice of God for the deciding of their controversies by such success, as it shall please him to give on either side. And as in the process of particular pleas between private men, all things ought to be ordered by the rules of civil laws; so in the proceedings of the war, nothing ought to be done against the law of nations, or the law of honour; which laws have ever pronounced these two sorts of men, the one, conspirators against the persons of princes; the other, libellers against their good fame; to be such enemies of common society as are not to be cherished, no not by enemies. For in the examples of times, which were less corrupted, we find that when the greatest heats and extremities of wars, there have been made offers of murderous and traitorous attempts against the person of a prince to the enemy, they have been not only rejected, but also

revealed: and in like manner, when dishonourable mention hath been made of a prince before an enemy prince, by some that have thought therein to please his humour, he hath shewed himself, contrariwise, utterly distasted therewith, and been ready to contest for the honour of an enemy.

According to which noble and magnanimous kind of proceeding, it will be found, that in the whole course of her majesty's proceeding with the king of Spain, since the amity interrupted, there was never any project by her majesty, or any of her ministers, either moved or assented unto, for the taking away of the life of the said king: neither hath there been any declaration or writing of estate, no nor book allowed, wherein his honour hath been touched or taxed, otherwise than for his ambition; a point which is necessarily interlaced with her majesty's own justification. So that no man needeth to doubt but that those wars are grounded, upon her majesty's part, upon just and honourable causes, which have so just and honourable a prosecution; considering it is a much harder matter when a prince is entered into wars to hold respect then, and not to be transported with passion, than to make moderate and just resolutions in the beginnings.

But now if a man look on the other part, it will appear that, rather, as it is to be thought, by the solicitation of traitorous subjects, which is the only poison and corruption of all honourable war between foreigners, or by the presumption of his agents and ministers, than by the proper inclination of that king, there hath been, if not plotted and practised, yet at the least comforted, conspiracies against her majesty's sacred person; which nevertheless God's goodness hath used and turned, to shew by such miraculous discoveries into how near and precious care and custody it hath pleased him to receive her majesty's life and preservation. But in the other point it is strange what a number of libellous and defamatory books and writings, and in what variety, with what art and cunning handled, have been allowed to pass through the world

in all languages against her majesty and her government; sometimes pretending the gravity and authority of church stories to move belief; sometimes formed into remonstrances and advertisements of estate to move regard; sometimes presented as it were in tragedies of the persecutions of catholics to move pity; sometimes contrived into pleasant pasquils and satires to move sport: so as there is no shape whereinto these fellows have not transformed themselves; nor no humour nor affection in the mind of man to which they have not applied themselves; thereby to insinuate their untruths and abuses to the world. And indeed let a man look into them, and he shall find them the only triumphant lyes that ever were confuted by circumstances of time and place; confuted by contrariety in themselves, confuted by the witness of infinite persons that live yet, and have had particular knowledge of the matters; but yet avouched with such asseveration, as if either they were fallen into that strange disease of the mind, which a wise writer describeth in these words, fingunt simul creduntque; or as if they had received it as a principal precept and ordinance of their seminaries, audacter calumniari, semper aliquid hæret; or as if they were of the race which in old time were wont to help themselves with miraculous lyes. But when the cause of this is entered into, namely, that there passeth over out of this realm a number of eager and unquiet scholars, whom their own turbulent and humourous nature presseth out to seek their adventures abroad; and that, on the other side, they are nourished rather in listening after news and intelligences, and in whisperings, than in any commendable learning; and after a time, when either their necessitous estate, or their ambitious appetites importune them, they fall on devising how to do some acceptable service to that side which maintaineth them; so as ever when their credit waxeth cold with foreign princes, or that their pensions are ill paid, or some preferment is in sight at which they level, straightways out cometh a libel, pretending thereby to keep in life the party, which within the realin is