To the reader.  
HE, that generally readeth the histories, not only of the old ancient Philosophers but also of all writers in these days, shall easily perceive and understand, that the most hard and difficile thing of all other is, for any mortal man to withstand the invincible force of nature, who as we see daily endeavoureth herself to the very hour of death, to overcome man's wit, reason and force. For although we be encouraged earnestly, by our master and saviour christ, with the hope of perpetual pleasures, and the perfit belief of everlasting life, to leave these vain, foolish and most uncertain desires or delectations of this most wretched world, and boldly, without fear, to pass through the ports of death, out of this vile, caducke, 
If nature be of such strength, never think that Spaniards can change their vile nature.  and most transitory life: yet ye see, that nature is of such a mighty power, in her most overthwart operations, that all manliness, all force, strength, power, riches, honour, wisdom, and knowledge not with standing, she compelleth all men generally to fear death, to resist death and to fly from that port, through the which we should pass to everlasting life, and eternal felicity. I mean that like as nature forcibly compelleth us, contrary to all reason, to resist death, for the utter most of our power, when by no means we can escape or fly from it: Even so nature compelleth me, being an English man, for the natural love which I bear towards my country, to take upon me contrary to all wisdom, if I would seek mine own private safety, to declare the nature of spaniardes, ct discover their most vile, and detestable treasons, which by no means I can devise to express plainly, or to bring to any perfect end and good order, because their most cursed conditions be so uncertain and notable. But although I can not express my matters, either wittelye, eloquently or learnedly, yet I shall desire thee, most gentle reader: all rhetorical writing, and eloquent style laid a part, to have an earnest respect to the perfect ground of the matter: which is either the preservation, or destruction of the whole realm. The preservation of the land, if all English men will love charitably, faithfully, truly, and justly together, and every one from the highest degree, to the lowest, seek, as we are most bounden, stoutly, boldly and justly, to defend his native countri, and without fear manfully to with stand, and resist the fallible force, of our enemies. The destruction of our most noble kingdom, if one part of our nobility and commons do resist another, and treaterousli receive our enemies, assist them, aid them, or maintain them: 
In Antwerp there was at one time above xvii M. pound of English re●ones & groats of good silver, melted & new stamped to maintain your enemies.  if ye suffer them to carry your treasure out of the land, as they have done very much lately: if ye permit them to inhabit or plant themselves strongly within your coasts, holds, or haven ●ownes: if ye believe false promises: if ye will be deceived with great gifts, or beggarly bribes: if any ambition blind your eyes. And finally if there fall amongst English men dissension, strife, treason, sedition or rebellion: the whole realm shallbe destroyed, and all english men brought to perpetual bondage and slavery: yea the first, chief, and principal workers of these mischeffes, how many so ever they be, shall be brought to the most shameful death as thou mayest plainly perceive in reading this letter that followeth. In the first part of the which letter, thou shalt find such examples, as if thou diligently peruse and follow, according to my exhortation and doctrine, thou shalt find out easily a million and more mischiefs touching the vile nature of Spaniards, than I have plainly expressed in writing: In the second part I have discovered such treasons, as I found written in their letters. And I declare their words, whereby thou mayest plainly perceive, to what purpose all their flattering promises, crafty polices, great gifts and large bribes, be pretended: and how it appeareth plainly, by their own words and letters, that they pretend none other thing but only to bring our country under their subjection, & then to bring all our nobility to their utter confusion and destruction. T●rdlye I have showed the orders of tie king's court, the manner of Spaniards living, how they purpose to appoint us a viceroy, and how vilely he shall use the queens majesty, and all the whole realm afterwards. last of all I have showed thee what villainy, shame and dishonour they have reported by the queens highness and her honourable Ladies, what honour Londone hath won in punishing vice, and exhorted all men to keep love, quietness, 
Follow this counsel.  peace, and tranquillity, amongst themselves, and when necessity compelleth them, to take all wholly one perfect way, in defending their country, & withstanding their enemies: which exhortation if english men will observe, and keep, putting their whole trust in our saviour Christ, he will undoubtedly, defend them, that they may be sure to live quietly in their country, without fear of the malice or cruel tyranny of all nations. One thing I have thought necessary to admonish the in, good reder, because I am but young, and a serving man, continually brought up in service, without all knowledge, or learning, and am at this present among Spaniards, where I can have the advise of no learned man, as thou mayest perceive by the unsavoury telling of my tale, and the rude style of this my inordinate letter to place my work in order, adorn my matter with apt words, or fine eloquent phrases of rhetoric: that thou neither reprove my work, though there be many barbarycke words, and foolish phrases, ignorantly placed, out of time or good order Nor think me partial because I speak always of Spaniards vices, without reciting any virtues: Nor yet be not offended with any foolish reasons, which I according to my conscience have made concerning our religion. But rather think truly, that the natural love, which I bear ●o my native country, considering all these eminent mischiefs, which ●e at hand, and the detestable treason's, which at this present be wor●ing for your destruction, compelled ●e to send over this rude letter hately, without correcting or amending it and plainly, without dissimulation▪ to discover such treasons, as I knew, and give Englishman warning speedily, lest I should have come to late, when the matter had been past remedy. I thought it not needful to write of their virtues, because they set out all their virtue to the uttermost themselves, when they were last in England, so that every man knoweth it perfectly: but to show their hid vices and treasons, which few men did understand. And for religion, I will not in such posting speed take upon me to teach any doctrine, knowing mine own ignorance, though I have showed my rude reasons, but therein will submit myself to the correction of those, which be perfectly learned in scripture, confessing this work not to be made, to confirme● any doctrine, most humbly beseeching thee, although many men be of diverse and sundry judgements, to judge the best of this my rude letter ●o pardon mine ignorancy, 
For the defence of our native country.  & to apply my work, and thyself also to the same good purpose that I do ordain it unto, and to accept it gently, with as good a will, as I have dy●ected it to thee. Whereby thou mayest encourage me, to take other matters in hand e●reafter, for the honour and glory of god, and the common utility of my native country. The Lord jesus Christ lighten and strengthen us in all verity, and preserve England from Spanish bondage and slavery. Thy loving friend john Bradeforte.   

To the right honourable lords etc. the earls of Arū●ell, Derby, Shreusebury ct Pembroke, ●eir true and faithful servant wipeth, as to all other of our nobility increase of grace in gods favour, with perfect honour, and the preservation of their most honourable estates and country. Though ye rejoice not in reading my foolish reasons, yet give God thanks, that I have discovered such detestable treasons.  
THere have been certain pestiferous books and letters lately printed in english, under the cloak of a fervent zeal, or love towards our country, against Spaniards, by the ●euelishe device of certain heretics, thinking thereby to ground i● the hearts of all people, according t● the old accustomed and most curse● polices of hte devil, many abominable heresies, and most detestable ●rors, 
Beware of them.  stinking before the face of go● and man.  
One of the which books hath con● to my hands, entitled a supplicacio● to the queens majesty, whereby it appeareth perfectly, that the author's o● the same books knew not perfectly the nature of Spaniards: but have there written it by report, than perfe● practise. Which books because fe● men dare use them openly, lester your lordships, and other of t● Queens most honourable counsel, su●vile stinking weeds should be rot● up, and with the most foolish gath●rers cast out of the good corn, I t●● have not been red of your honour So that where the said books sho● have declared unto your lordship the nature of Spaniards, they pro● nothing at all, nor should though th● came before your sight. But according to their pretenced purpose, the● have undoubtedly infected many sim●le persons. Who, being desirous ●o gather the pleasant sweet flowers of the gospel, do lack the shoes, 
The doctors of the church.  which Saint Paul commandeth us, ●o put on our feet, that we may, with ●ut danger of pricking, pass freshly through the sharp thorns. I have ●herfore purposed, right honourable ●ordes, to leave the full answering ●o the said heresies, because I perceive the authors themselves lack that ●odly knowledge, which I desire to obtain: And some what to declare unto you the nature of them, with ●hom I am daily conversant, tru●ing your lordships will favourably receive my work, because I will declare ●othing by report or hearesaye, but ●he● those things, which I know perfectly by experience. I will write ●othing to disturb the true & most ●odly state of our religion, which ●he queens majesty most gracious●e setteth out at this present, and wherein god hath preserved me: not yet, to disturb the quiet estate of the common wealth: But in showing what is pretended to the contrary declare unto you the way, if it please you to follow my counsel, how to preserve your lordeshipes, and the whole realm, from most miserable bondage and captivity. I purpose to declare a part of the natural disposition of Spaniards: certain of thei● premeditate mischiefs, and pretenced treasons, 
Not the half.  not only against you● most honourable persons, but also against the whole realm: so far, a● I have heard, seen and proved, fo● the space of two or iii years in thei● company. My friends put me t● learn their language and compelle● me to live amongst them, because might know perfectly, whethe● their nature were so vile, as men● ported, or not. And I assure your lor●shipes, and all my friends, that the 〈◊〉 left report, that ever I heard Englishmen speak, 
The king except in all evil.  by the worst of all Spaniards, is nothing to the vileness which remaineth amongst the best of that nation, except the king's majesty. Ye will say the noble men be very civil persons. 
Objections.  In very deed I have not seen so much virtue in all the rest, as in that most noble Prince the duke of Medenazelye. 
The duke of medenazelie.  A Prince, undoubtedly, endued with perfect humility, truth, love, charity and all other prince like virtues. There be many other noble men, 
Mark the nature of the nobibilite & their polices.  undoubtedly very wise and politic, which can through their wisdom bind themselves for a time from their nature, and apply their conditions to the manners of those men, with whom they would gladly be friended. Whose mischievous manners a man shall never know, 
These be the roots of Spa. nature.  till he come under their subjection. But then shall ye perceive perfectly their puffed pride, with many mischeffes beside, their prowling, and poling, their bribing and shaving, their most deceitful dealing, their bragging and bossing, their flattering and feigning, their abominable whore hunting with most rueful ruling, their doings unjust, with insatiate lust, their stout stubbornness, crooked crabbedness and unmeasurable madness in enui, pride and lechery, which, they say, god loveth heartily, vain glory, and hypocrisy with all other villainy, of what kind soever it be: superstition, desolation, 
the worst of all is when the king doth maintain mischief continually, and bestoweth his power in wickedness.  extortion, adulation, dissimulation, exaltation, suppression, invocation, and all abomination: with in numerable more mischiefs, which I could plainly declare, that no nation in the world can suffer. Their masking and mumbling, in the ●oli time of lent, maketh many wives brent, the king being present night after night, as a Prince of most might, which hath power in his hand, that no man dare withstand: yet if that were the greatest evil, we might suffer it well. For there is no man living, but would suffer the king to have wife sister, daughter, maid and all, both great & small, so many as he list, no man would him resist. But the worst of all the company must have my wife privily, when I am present by: this is more villainy, that one must keep the door, will not that grieve you sore, ct dare not speak for your life when another hath your wife. Perhaps the king, yet that were a noble thing. Nay perchance some other slave or vile pocky knave, this thing in deed shall make your hearts bleed, when your wife beareth the mark of that nights work, which still will abide, underneath her side, and grieve her sore, half a year & more: ye perhaps with such mocks you may both come to pocks. For few of them be clear, though they make lusty cheer, as Surgentes do me tell, and some I see right well, which did me compel sore against mi will, to take so much pain, as to make plasters fine for the same thing, which hath made me cunning. But wherefore should I spend my time, in showing so many of their vile conditions, as I know most perfectly. For me think I hear some noble man start at these few principal points, 
Noble men's knaves.  saying: what a vile knave is this, that raileth so much against the queens friends▪ would to god that were true: we know most perfectly, 
No●e  they love her treasure faithfully, and her crown heartily. But if her grace work prudently, she shall perceive speedily, they love her person feignedly▪ I have not spoken the worst nor the most, like a railer, but showed a small number of ripe roots, from the which spring a thousand more mischeffes, for out of every rote spring vii branches, 
Mark how the spanish fruit springth  and out of every branch do spring vii worse worms or stinking serpents of more mortal poison, then either the roots or spitful branches. As for example, take their pomping pride, 
The first rote and first branch.  and ye shall prove their purpose once obtained, they will tread your heads in the dust, and compel you to live at home poorly, without bearing rule in the comen wealth. Think you, to live at home in your country: no they know perfectly you would then have all people upon your part and make insurrections, to drive them out of the land: they will provide for this matter, and put you to death lovingly, before you make such controversy, that they may gather up again their great gifts, upon your treasures, and maintain their gorgeous garments, with their false brybrie: their fine Spanish bravery with oppression of the poor people, and buy their lusty liveres with exceeding great excises. There be many other branches, but I show these for a brief example, that ye may by your wisdoms pick out the rest. And yet if ye pull of every branch seven. serpents, 
The serpents of the first branch  ye shall find a devilish company.  
As for example. When ye be trodden under foot, mark my words well, every skur●eie knave shall come to your house and take the best part, leaving you the worst. Ye must obey him like a Senioure, 
A Senior  ye must give them the best beds, and take the worst patiently for yourselves: for you have lord Dannes come again of them, and they shall put you in remembrance of the miseres that your parents suffered under them, which ye have forgot, they are so long passed.  
The worst of them shall be better esteemed, with the king and his counsel, than the best of your realm, ye must be glad to give them place not of courtesy, but of perforce: they must be set in the highest place, and you in the lowest. If one of them be appointed in your house, by the king or his counsel, or else received for his money, 
Objections.  the house must be his and not yours.  
And yet will he depart without taking leave or paying for lodeging.  
Some man will say, that is not true: for they have paid every man justly the uttermost penny. I speak not of that, which they have done in England, but of that which the most part of them do in these countries, and they will do, when they may bear rule, even amongst you in England.  
And yet, I think, there be some, that paid not very justly for all things when they were amongst you last. For I myself know many worshippeful men, which, if they durst, would take their oath, and seek for recompense, that lodged, ye that lodged Spaniards, in their house a year and more, and let them have half a dozen beds and chambers with all things pertaining to them, a great part of their fire wood, 
The Spaniards keep cheerless kitchens  and such other stuff for buttery and cheerless kitchen, ct c. And yet the Spaniards at their departing would neither pay for many things that were stolen, nor for many things that were lost, as they said, nor for many things, that were broken and rent, nor to speak plainly, for many things which were so bawdy, 
Pocky plasters.  with their pocky plasters, that no man could lie in them afterwards. I know diverse of them, that paid their accounts so justly, & took their leave so honestly: 
The manner of taking leave among Spani.  that their hosts knew not of their departing, but left the bakers, brewers, butchers, woodmongers and colliers, one of them to pay another's score. If they departed stoutly in these days, when they dissembled all goodness, when they trusted to win the governance of the realm and the crown with gentleness and good conditions: what will they do, I pray you, when they have the crown indeed. But to return ye must give them leave to speak, when you must hold your peace, ye must cap to them in all places where ye see them, although it be not your custom, or rather there's in deed, yet he is a very rustical beast, that doth it not to them: for ye know, the worst of them is a Senior: ye must prefer them in all things, and give all the names of honour, except majesty, to the vilest slave amongst them. Would not any man be aggrieved to read my work, if I should show all their peevish pride, is there any man so foolish, that thinketh I could not easily suck out of their pride a thousand pestiferous poisons, and yet not rack it half so sore, as a wise man both would and could do. 
The second example of flattery. The branches.  Take another example, look upon their flattery, which is the least fault of fifty and the smallest rote of all the rest: Remember their pleasant promises, repaid with preposterous performations: ye shall prove, that the vilest wretch of them all shallbe in more credit, than the best of your friends. And yet their promises shallbe so fair that an● man living would credit their words. Their countenance, shallbe so pleasant towards you, that ye would think them to be your very friends, when in very deed they shall seek your utter destruction, and to cast you out of favour. Ye shall be glad to make long labour for small matters: 
Another objection made by slatterers  and at the last not sped▪ And yet would they be in god your faithful friends. Some of their false flattering favourers will say, that all men may perceive perfectly, that I slander Spaniards wrongfully: for they have helped many since their coming into England. But remember I told you they counterfeited conditions, 
These were counterfeit conditions to disceve us.  because they might seem like unto us, and the more easily deceive us.  
For that, which they have done in England, was no part of their nature, but the greatest part of dissimulation, 
Dissimulation.  and a plain preparation to deceive our nobility. For wherefore should they seek to maintain our nobility, and the honour of the realm in his own estate: do ye think, if they obtain the crown, they will maintain the nobility and the realm upon their own charges: were it not better for them to destroy the nobility and bring the kingdom, 
This they go about diligently.  which they love so well, to their own commodities. Mark more of their natures. One of them shall laugh to your face when his acquaintance shall kill you behind your back. How many English men did the Spaniards kill in their arses, or not much above the arse, when they were in England last of favour received: most commonly one of them will talk with you pleasantly, & kill you suddenly when he seneth most your friend How many bitter biting serpents, think you, do spring out of every branch. Take their pleasant promises, where one of them shall seem your friend, and be your utter enemy. 
The serpents of the first branch. Therefore they would not that you should know their treasons. Take this point of wisdom. This is painful.  They say every fool can beware of his enemy which he knoweth: but I assure you he is a wise man, that can hear their false feigning flattery, and abhor them as his mortal enemies. One of them shall flatter you in the ●all, when another worketh mischief in your chamber. They will borrow all that you have if ye know not their conditions, & pay nothing at all. Though ye will lend them no money, yet either for fair or foul, ye must credit them till a pay day, either willingly or against your will.  
And then will they stillely steal a way and pay nothing: for the pay day shall either be at their departing, or else so long before, that of force they must take up iii times so much more to leave upon the score, before their departing.  
They will speak like faithful friends till they have their purpose, and then beraile you like devils with cursing and grinning, swearing and shaking the heads.  
So that ye shallbe glad to lose your own right, 
Note.  that ye may get out of their company. But if ye would lose your goods, to be dispatched from such villains company, how much yet shall it grieve your hearts to be under their subjection, to let them rule you continually, that they may pool you lawfully. Yet some of them will take their leave crafteli: and leave a sturdy steward to make a reckoning: and the steward in one night shall steal away and pay no thing.  
They will flatter you more falsely, than any nation in the world: 
take heed mi lords they be false traitors towards you privily.  and that many of our noble men shall prove perfectly in short time, if they work not wisely: & yet for all this ye may not say they lie, when in deed they cannot speak truth. They will boast themselves to be most righteous judges on the earth. But if ye come once in trouble, the falseste knave in their company, if his tale be once told, shall cause you to be cast in prison immediately: and there shall ye remain till ye be glad to say, that truth is falsehood, and falsehood is truth.  
For ye may not say, as ye know well enough, that the falseste knave among them hath told a false tale. Is not this equal justice: 
And shall do if I seek all my life time.  do ye not see it is in vain and over tedious to write all things. I am far past my promise, and yet the farther I seek, the more devilish fruit I find.  
Let us leave all order, and take another rote by chance, that ye may be sure ye cannot go amiss, but ye shall find every tree bringing forth her fruit plentifully. As for example. Mark their abominable and most superstitious hypocrisy.  
And ye shall prove, 
the third example of superstitious hipocrisi The branches.  they care ●or no part of Gods most holy service, but a mass only, whether it be holy day or work day. If the mass be begun before their coming, God heareth not their prayers.  
But if they be present all the mass time, though they talk of all manner bawdy vices, the matter is good enough: though they knelle, all the ●ime mass is celebrating, spying, where is the fairest woman, it is well: though they pray not iii words, and those with out all devotion, yet is he holy enough.  
If he imagine all that time, how to obtain another man's wife, maid or daughter, it is no sin: when they devise to deceive another man, to spoil him of his goods, to rob him of his good name, to ●ill him or such like mischief, it is no offence.  
If a spaniard be going to church on a Sabbath day, and remember a mischievous deed to be wrought, 
Great abuse.  he may return to his mischief, and give a rial of plate to a Priest, that he ma● say mass: & that evil which he goth about, is good and just: that day he may use all villainy▪ but if he have bē● at mass, whosoever saith he canne● sin that day, shallbe called a Lutheran, though he return after mass to all mischief, as a dog to his vomit, though he follow the world the flesh, the devil, and all his works, yet preachers say not contrary, but they be gods dear brethren. Every man knoweth, the branches, that spring out of this root, be innumerable. 
whoso speaketh the truth is half an heretic. Note the difference.  If ye cannot number the branches▪ how will ye number the buds or rather the biting serpents which spring from every branch. Ye will call me half an heretic. There is difference, between confirming of heresy, and reproving hypocrisy. I served in king Edward's time the right worshipful, and mi good master, sir william Skipe wi●he, in Lincolneshere, and although he be offended with me, because more wildly then wittily I departed from his service, yet both he, and all that country can report mi doings. For I am sure, though he knew not my departing nor knoweth where I am, yet his worship will record truly, that I never loved heresy, because I never pretended nor did any evil, falsehood or mischief, towards him. I have not spoken this, because thou shouldest think, as heretics teach, that the most holy sacrifice of the mass as we call it, should be nought: from which error thou shalt come easily, remembering that the holy catholic church hath ordained that most holy sacrifice in all parts like to the supper, 
The sacrifice of the mass the passion of Christ.  and passion of our saviour Christ, to be a perfect remembrance of his passiō●ill he return to judge the world. Heretics will say, 
Heretics  here ye may prove the mass to be but a remembrance▪ this, but, is heresy: for undoubtedly there is ministered and received, in or under the form of bread and wine, the very body and blood of our saviour Christ.  

Another sore heresy,  We read, saith another simple foul, that god made man, but we never read that a knave priest could make Christ. Nor thou shalt never read this, so long as thou livest. How is he there then: even by his most holy omnipotent word. For like as it pleased him, 
Mark how Christ is in the sacrament. The virtue of Christ in the supper consecrate in the mass.  being very omnipotent God, to make himself for the ineffable love, which he bore towards us, by his omnipotent word perfect man. So likewise, it pleaseth his divine majesty, to be ministered unto us, in the most blessed sacrament, that we being many members receiving that most blessed sacrament wortheli may receive the● our saviour christ, which is our head and being conglutinate, and joined to the same, may be made one perfect & most semeli mystical body. I would handle this matter more largely, 
Those men which will dispute in divinity, aught to be perfectly learned. The serpents of the first branch The first and most devilish serpent hath bitten the Priests. Presumtyon.  but it is not seemly to cast pearls among hogs. I mean, it is not meet, to mingle such divine matters, amongst such devilish dregs, as I have begun to write of.  
And ye remember I told you, I lacked knowledge to entreat of such high divinity: return & look what evil fruits spring out of this branch of hypocrisy, for in that they think it sufficient for them, to say, hear, or see mass, mark what followeth. The Spanish priests may, for the devilish example to all other persons, lead ●hores to church in the morning, ●ande in hand. When the Priests ●e in the temple they will talk more ●ilie and more bawdily, than all others, and yet will the vile wretches presume, to say mass immediately, thinking, as did the vile traitor judas, that he doth god good service, when he damneth his own soul. After mass will the devilish priest return, leading the whore home again, keep her company all the day time, with out exhortation to repentance, and lie with her all the night. I speak not of men's wives, but curtesaunce and comen whores, that for money receive every knave▪ I would not that any man should think the mass evil which this cursed priest doth celebrate: for the mass, which is undoubtedly gods most holy word, is so perfect and so pure of itself, 
Mark this lie.  that the evil priest can not make it worse nor the good priest can make it no better.  
The evil priest can not corrupt it nor the good priest, can not purify it: for like as if a good priest do baptism one child, and an evil priest baptism another child, 
A true example  her both the children receive one holy ghost an● are both equally cleansed from sin Even so though an evil priest say mass, and consecrate that most blessed sacrament, and ministre it to me, and a good priest doth likewise minister to another man, yet both we receive the most holy body and blood of our saviour Christ, and are both joined, 
The virtue of the sacraments is not by the priests power, but by god's word▪ the priests reward. if we receive worthily, we shallbe saved, judging ourselves saith paul  and made members of the same: for these holy mysteries be not made by the good priest, nor the evil priest, but by gods most holy word.  
Which word remaineth ever most perfect and pure: marry the evil priest, undoubtedly, offendeth many men's consciences most grievously, dishonoureth god most shamefully, with living so viciously condemneth his own soul perpetually, because he cometh presumptuously, to the ●ordes board unworthily: where the good priest, clean contrary, bringeth many to god's verity, honoureth god perfectly, with keeping perfect charity, and in living religiously, his soul shall live assuredly with Christ continnually in joy everlastingly. 
The reward of a good priest▪ the abuse of god's service damnable.  All men may perceive that I writ not this, because any man should think evil or despice gods most holy service: But because all men may know, that the very nature of Spaniards is abominable, in all things. Because every man may know, that gods most holy service is pure, and perfect: And the abuse of it is damnable: and because all men may know, 
this ought not to be  that such cursed knaves make not only gods word, which is most good and godly, most just and most true, but also all good priests, evil spoken of and abhorred in every place: what greater mischief can there be, amongst Christian men, then that the Priest should think himself cleansed with speaking the words, and the people judge themselves purified with hearing the same. Be not these worse than the Pharisees, that think to be saved with saying well and working evil: or if the jews were not saved with hearing christ himself preach, 
Hearing of mass doth save no man  how much less shall these wretches be saved with hearing mass: Mark and you shall find all such superstitious hypocrisy damnable. The gospel teacheth us, that not every one, which said, lord, lord, 
God, would have us to follow his commandments in word and deed  shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that worketh the will of god shallbe saved not the hearers of the law, but the workers, shallbe accounted just. Not those which say the commandments daily, but those which both say in their hearts, and endeavour themselves in all their doings to keep the commandments, shall please god. Not those which say in their pater noster, good lord deliver us from evil, but those which forgive their neighbours with all their hearts, 
what people the lord will pardon.  and fly from sin with all their might, shall be forgiven of God, and be saved. Yet though we do all this, we cannot justify ourselves, because we can not fulfil the law. But our saviour Christ hath fulfilled the law perfectly, 
Christ is the only redeemer and the perfect fulfiller of the law. Note.  and undoubtedly redeemed us, with the shedding of his most precious blood. And therefore he biddeth us not seek to justify ourselves, but commandeth us, to do all that we can, towards our own justification: which Spaniards neither do, nor will not do. Christian men must call themselves unprofitable servants, when they have done all that they can do: 
Ergo they be not only neighbours to mors but also, moorish jews themselves.  but Spaniards call themselves, gods profitable servants, and do nothing. what should I declare, how they carry their beads openly, to be seen of all people: how they pray in every corner of the streets, that every man may hear them: how they kneel at every man● door, before Imags knocking, crossing, sobbing, sighing wringing their hands, 
hypocrites  wagging their heads, with such other unseemly manners, that all men may perceive their repentance, and within a quarter of an hour afterwards ye shall find these dissimulate sorrows abjected, 
Good Christians doubtless and so is belzebub Alms.  and the unpenitente person among a number of arrant whores: do ye not know that most part of them, will not give alms but where they may be set in a book, that all their contremen may know, how much, and how many times in the yer they give alms. What other thing did the jews and Pharisees. Did not Christ in the vi of Matthew, 
Mat. vi.  reprove such hypocrisy: but let all christians take this general rule: that like as our pater noster can not be made evil, though cursed wretched people use or rather abuse it hypocritically, but ever remainth perfect, pure & good, even so the mass, alms deeds, holy bread, holy water, going with procession, auricular confession, beads, Images, and all other things, which Christ & the holy catholic church have commanded, ordained, confirmed and established, to move us, After the roots, take the branches out of every rote, 
Mark this multiplication.  last of all, put out the buddings, or biting serpents, so many as ye can, out of every branch, and ye shall prove, if ye reckon perfectly, that these lxxvii▪ roots, where I have named them but once, do spring lxxvii times in one year, and at every springe time, each rote bringeth forth lxxvii branches, and every branch bringeth forth lxxvii. serpents, and every serpent spiteth out lxxvii. kinds of poison.  
And the least part will kill, if they but taste of it lxx English men. 
I mean with thoughts care and misery to be in slavery.  For the Spanish ground is so hot, fertille, and fruit full, that every poison is worse than other, and the best of them all uncurable: ye perceive now perfectly that I rail not, except ye will prove Christ himself a railer. I am sure Christ railed not, in declaring the iniquities of the Scribes and Pharisees, because he spoke but the truth and not so largely as he might have done: truth cannot lie, nor rail, 
The author's excuse.  and then ye must needs grant, that I am no railing knave, though ye name me so▪ because I have spoken nothing but the truth, and not so much by a thousand parts, as I both could and would prove, if I might have leisure to write, and set out the roots, branches, serpents and poisons, every one in order, as they ought to be. Surely but that I desire to show your lordships other matters briefly, I could write of the nature of Spaniards: A volume importable. But If I should write all, that I know, ye would not credit me: ye ought to believe all that which I have written, because ye know perfectly, I have written nothing, but that which every man knoweth to be their comen customs, and immutable manners.  
And ye see by these examples, 
Morishe manners.  that I writ not half the moorish manners which they use continually. Many of my friends have given me counsel to write my letter, but not my name for fear your lordships would punish me, with imprisonment, racking, hanging, drawing and quartering, for speaking against the kings coronation, which I think ye cannot do lawfully: 
take heed yourselves, for this toucheth your lives. Like as it is honore for a true man to die for the defence of his country, so it is shame, to die like a traitor, against his country Note.  for so long as he is not crowned, that man is no traitor that speaketh against his coronation, but after his majesty hath the crown the best of you all, that speaketh against the Spaniards proceedings, shallbe proved and punished, like a rank traitor. But I have written my name plainly, that I may thereby, either give your lordships warning, to keep your honours & the whole realm out of their bondage, Or else that I may go honestly to the gallows, and end this poor life, with an honourable death, for me & my country. When your most honourable lives, if ye disenherit the realm of the crown, shallbe ended with great dishonour, wretchedness, misery, and shame, for you and your successors for ever: yet I would hope to escape, when you are sure to die. For doubtless after that Spaniards have safely planted themselves in the ●ande, they would trust me to be their faithful friend: because they know I ●oue truth, 
Spa. will never trust traitors. I say not ye be so.  and am true to my country, when they will never trust your ●ordeshippes, if ye willbe so rank & ●als traitors, as to give them the crown of our realm willingly: & I would not your lordships should think me so foolish, as to speak against his coronation, if your lordships grant to it. Some men say ye have gone so fair, ye cannot turn back. I know not what ye have done, but I am sure, what ye may do. 
It lieth yet in your power.  if ye have granted him the crown, it shallbe much better for you, to stand to that which ye may do, them perform that which ye have pronised. For I am sure, so long as the king of jerusalem is not crowned in England, ye may choose, whether ye will crown him or not. And surely if I were worthy to be one of the counsel in England, my counsel should be, that the king should fir● be crowned in the City of Ierusal● lawfully, 
For christ chose to be king of the jews.  because it is the more ancient and more noble kingdom, and bring all the jews into subjection and make them good Christians, before he should have the crown o● England wrongfully, either for fa● words, great bribes, false flattering promises, cruel menacings, terribl● threatenings, or any other false craft polices.  
I thought your lordships ha● knowledge partly of their counsel as they report, that the french kin● knoweth yours. But now I percei● their secret, privy, and conclude counsels lie hidden from your lordships, 
Rude principles.  when ye know not the 〈◊〉 principles, where upon many gre● matters be grounded: if ye do know them, and will not credit them, 
It prevaileth not, to disclos treason, if ye will not with stand it or credit the truth God witnesseth with truth, which boweth to neither party. why this letter is written. Take warning in time or else.  pardon me for writing in vain: if ye know them not, how can ye be offended with me, for declaring to your lordships such things, as be pretended to your destruction, the loss of your lives, lands, wives and children, and finally the loss of your honours, the ●uine of the realm, the suppression of ●he commenwealth, & the bondage of your country for ever. Ye ought ●he rather to credit me, because I speak nothing, god I call for wyt●es, for malice of Spaniards nor to ●atter English men: I think never ●o come seek bribes at your hands ●or my labour, and therefore it appea●th plainly, that I writ for none o●er purpose, but only to ge●e your ●rdeshippes knowledge and waring of their most moorish manners, and cursed conditions, that ye may ●e more prudently provide to with ●and their terrible threatenings, pretenced treasons, and pestiferous polices, and so preserve your honourable persons, and the whole realm out of their tyranny and bondage. Do ye think, I durst be so bold as to offend god, in speaking contrary to the truth, and lying slaunderousli and shamefully, against my Christian brother: I know we are all brethren, if we have the love, and fear of God continually before our eyes, in our saviour jesus Christ, and we ought to love one another mutually like brethren: 
Nature causeth me, to discover the Spani. treason.  but as god divided the langguages of men, so hath he caused every nation to love more naturally all those, that be borne in the same self country, than foreigners, and hath given, 
As England for English men. Spa. for. Spa. etc.  according to his ineffable goodness, certain places of the earth for every nation severally to inhabit, commanding us straightly, that one of us shall not wrongfully covet another's goods, and specially our Christian brothers, which commandment the Spaniards say they will keep. For whatsoever say they is done in England, touching the crown or the governance of the realm, 
Seeing this must come to pass take good heed to yourselves. Mark this policy. The kings first good work to England. At that mark they all shoot.  shall con● through procurement but of the counsel themselves. For we know well enoug, h say they, that there be such devilish people in England to work treason and make insurrections, that it is in vain for our king to have the crown, except the counsel will also deliver him certain of the strongest holds and port towns, mark my words well, for his refuge at all times, till his majesty may be able to bring in power to withstand his enemies: and then we shall make all our haven towns more strong, to the ●andes ward, than they be towards ●he see. But know ye for what purpose they pretend this policy: that ● small number of Soldiers, may ●ee able to keep the Realm, quietly, 
Let them not have such vantage at your hands. For the king since his coming into England cannot yet get a groat, from Spain. The king's treserer went out of england but returned not till our money was come over and new stamped, which made store ever sins in antwerp  and burn the country iii or iiii. time's every year till we can be contented, to obey all their constitutions, ordinances and laws: they brag that if they may be vitled by the see at their backs, they shall trouble, and toil English men so long, till we be able to suffer no longer, for what great trouble will it be for us to burn, between Southampton & Dover. They trust the queens highness for the kings maintenance, will pool the realm, with subsidies and benevolencies, so much as in her grace lieth, and give all our treasure out of the land, now at the kings coming to her grace: so that the kings majesty with our treasure, and his own revenues in this time of peace, shall enrich himself, that when we have small force of money because our● treasure shallbe carried out of the land the king and all our enemies may con● into the realm, and work mischief against us: for they shall have mone● from all places and aid of many nations. And they believe assuredly to be aided by the greatest part of our own country men. For the Queen & good men will take their part against heretics: they think there be but few noble men in England, but they will be contented, 
Take counsel be time. These rents be better lost, then found.  either by gift of the queens highness, or else for great bribes, rich rents and good gifts, to grant that the king may have a iust●e title to the crown, or else receive him in upon one party, that he may overcome the other perforce. And they think there willbe but few men against them for at their first coming they will give such great gifts and pay money to poor soldiers so largely, liberally, and surely, 
But when they be holpen and bear rule you shall pay it triple in excises.  that when we have scant of money, poor men willbe content to serve for their money, gentle men and noble men for covetousness to increase their livings and lands: but wot ye to what end ●ll this cometh: Though ye receive them into the land, & serve upon their part, 
If ye be true among yourselves they dare never give you battle. If they kept not covenant with Milan or Naples, how should they keep covenant with you  yet dare they not trust you, but are minded to pay you well for a time, that you may fight manfully against your own country, whiles they come skirmishing at a back wing, or else stand looking upon you: for they say they be not so mad, as to fight with english men, & be killed like beasts: but when ye have brought them in, & won them the victori & established them surely & quietly, then, as I have told you, will they destroy all you, & gather up again their great gifts upon your treasures.  
Is not this a lamentable case, that we english men, for fear of mutability or change of religion, which cometh by god's ordinance, shall seek to plant willingly such a nation in our own country, as seek the utter destruction of the same: But this is most miserable, most shameful, mos● detestable & most abominable, that so noble and prudent governors, a● your lord ships, should either for fair words, love, fear, gifts, bribes, 
Let not these things blind your eyes, then, may you like most noble governors, defend your own country. If ye neither care for your own lives nor your children, I can give you no counsel to care for the whole realm.  threatenings, manacing or any kind of covetousness, seek the subversion of their country, the destruction of the comen wealth, & the utter decay of your most noble blood for ever. this last point do I lament, more than all the rest: for if any of your most noble lineage might live in authority, as the Spaniards sai in deed, we might have some comfort, to restore the realm and the weal public to his old perfect estate: but if ye deliver the crown out of your hands, I mean not the crown of gold only, but also the power that goeth with it, ye shall in short time have so great a fall, that their shall not live one of your lineage, that shallbe able to defend his own right, nor to rule, as his predecessors have done, nor yet to revenge ●is father's death. This ye must needs grant, that it is necessary for the ●inges majesty to work the surest ●aye for his own commodity and preservation, that can be devised or found out by the advice of his counsel.  
And then I am sure there is none of you so foolish, that thinketh to bear rule in the common wealth, or about the kings majesty: 
This suspicion ha●eth your death  for all the world knoweth the most detestable and most abominable treasons, which our nobility do work against their own natural kings continually.  
And therefore Spaniards might be called men of small wisdom, if they could not forecast such dangers, 
I beseech your lordships to look uprightly, I desire you not to remember me, nor my profit.  but they have provided for it well enough, would to god your lordships knew perfectly so much, as I have seen with mine eyes, and heard with mine ears, or else would for your own profit, your own honour, your own wealth, the preservation of your country, the love of your children, & the safeguard of your own lives, credit my words. For than your most prudent wisdoms could the better provide to withstand their pretenced treasons. Ye will say, 
Make good provision with this warning Yet will they deny that ever they thought hereof. I will show only that I saw in the letters  how could this fellow see, hear, or kno● matters of their counsel: I was as all men know chamberlain to one of the kings privy counsel. And gave myself with all diligence, to write and read Spanish: which thing once obtained, I kept secret from my master, and his servants, that I might the rather with diligent service be trusted in my master's closet or study, and so read such letters, as I saw brought to the counsel chamber. Which thing I did, as opertunite served: yet I cannot understand any part of their privy and concluded counsels, but the effect of such letters as were written from one counsellor to another.  
I know not how, nor what they have determined upon the said letters, but I found this written in certain letters that were sent from the emperors majesty also, 
The effect of the emperors letters. Mark if they practise not after this sort daily  a year before the kings coming out of England, that the kings majesty should make his excuse to the queen's highness, that he would go see his father in Flaunders, & return immediately. But seeing the good simple Queen, pardon me though I follow the phrase of the letters, is so jealous over my son, as the letter termed it, we shall make her agree to all our requests before his return, or else keep him here exercised in other affairs, till we can agree with the counsel, who undoubtedli will be easeli won with fair words, great bribes and good gifts, politicly placed in time, with many other things, 
take heed mi lords ye can keep your gifts, but at the kings pleasure,  how these matters must be handled, how they must be brought to pass, how all parties must be followed, whom they might trust, what men would disceve them, whom they must win with bribes, and whom they might win with fair promises, whom they thought like true men would with stand them, 
Mark whom they call true men and traitors,  and how the false traitors would receive them: that the Emperor would appoint the king such counsellors for the same purposes, as he in many years had proved to be true and wise in their doings, so that the kings majesty might be bold at the first present, to put his trust in them, whom his father in long process of time, & with great experience, had proved and circumspectly picked out, among many false dissembling flatterers, with innumerable such prudent counsels touching France, Flaunders, Naples, Milan, Boemia, Hungry, Turkey, and diverse other countries, as between Spain and the moor.  
Whereof I know perfectly they have brought many things to pass & many they be like to obtain, all which matters, because they pertain little to our country, I will pass over with silence. 
But why then is not the Queen endowed as fully in all his xxv kingdoms. For her own destruction.  In other letters I have found the case disputed that the queen's highness was bound, by the laws of god to endow the kings grace, her husband, in all her worldly possessions and goods, so far as in her majesty lieth, and they think she will do it in deed to the uttermost of her power▪ No man can think any evil in the queens highness, though her grace be something moved, when such bonds, as touch her conscience, be beaten into her memory privily. Let all men therefore take h●de, & beware diligently, 
Let no man pretend evil to the queens person, for then god will plague the whole realm.  that no man be so bold, or rather so devilish, as once to pretend any evil towards the queens majesty, in pain of perpetual punisment. For undoubtedly ●f any evil should be wrought against her highness person, god would not only require her blood with condemning such malefactors for ever more therefore but: also would plague the whole realm most grievously for such wickedness. But if I were worthy to give your lordesh●ppes counsel, 
Being crowned he will live away and appoint you a sp. viceroy  ye should banish from the court, except when the king is present, which will be very seldom what wai soever ye work, mistress Clarentius, Elizabeth Dyas, the Lady of physic, I know not her name, and all other that speak Spanish. I will not say that like foolish girls, do love Spaniards, which might seem like to give the Queen counsel in these matters. 
women's counsels devilish  For they undoubtedly have and do beat into her head, more than all you can devise to pull out. The Spaniards know not, whether the crown do belong to the queens majesty or the realm, whether it be in her power to give it where please her, 
Mark diligently what they pretend after wards,  or in the power of the whole realm to bestow it lawfulli where it of right should be: nevertheless they can well be contented to flatter your lordships till that be perfectly proved. And if they receive any comfort therein, to bribe you freli till the same be delivered, 
Here beginneth destruction.  but then they must begin to govern and bear rule. For which government would to god I knew their counsels, or else that your lordships would believe that, which I have heard and seen. I have found other letters, which I would not that any man should credit, touching mi lord Paget. That he should be the kings adversary and the French kings seed debit, to declare unto him all your counsels. 
Talbotte the lords Grey, & Clinton must die for captains. Ye see my lords what the Spa. prepare for you.   
But in these letters be contained diverse other: as the lord Treasurer is counted the kings ytter enemy, the lord Talbot is not their friend, the lord Grey they trust not, the lord Clinton they love not, therefore they think, if these and diverse other lords in the North were made away, they should be in less danger, and the rather obtain their purpose. And yet they say, they must of necessity flatter my lord Treasurer and my lord Paget craftili, till they may obtain their purpose. Because they two be apt vessels to work treason by. Ye may well perceive therefore that they will flatter all you, seeing they flatter these whom they take for their enemies, and so feign these lies against my lord Paget invented treaterously, to make him out of the way, with the rest. For if ever the king bear rule, these which I have named shallbe examined as straitly, as the Spanish laws will extend to handle the kings enemis. There be many other noble men, whose stoutness must be pulled down, & their power abated. 
It shallbe more for your commodity, to agree among yourself Be true to your country  I writ not this to bring any of these noble men in suspection, but that ye may perceive, what ways they invent to bring variance amongst you, that they might be called to make agreement▪ for they hope, if one part of the nobility would once withstand the other, that then should they be received, though they prevail not before time. But read further and you shall know the truth. They think your lordships, my Lord Admiral, the earl of Oxford, and divers other, 
To this end ye shall prove their friendship to extend.  to be their friends: therefore they purpose if ever they bear rule to join with you in council, for a time, & the state of the realm once known, let you die pleasantly, with racking, hanging, drawing, quartering, and whirling upon whiles justly according to your deserts, 
Objection  ye will say the king doth not use his counsellors so in any countrei: in deed, the king hath in every country certain churls of the same land picked out which be crafty knaves, 
Crafty chourlish knaves.  and can find at their hearts, for their own lucre and private gains, to invent all the ways possible, to pole their own country, according as his counsel can devise to command them, and to live, as ye shall read hereafter, according to the nature of Spaniards. and so the true men to their country are traitorously over come perforce, but they make another reason for your destruction, and say they may not trust, 
Mark I see names & what example shall destroy you  those men long in the counsel nor about their king, nor keep them in authority, that willingly will be false traitors, to their own country. I found two pieces of a letter, but the third I could never find, or else I should have known perfectly, what bribes had been appointed for every noble man, 
It is better for your lordship to be Earl of Penbrok still I cannot tell what should be done, but this ye were appointed at the first  wherein the Erl. of Penbroke was appointed to be governor of the kingdom of Granatha, and to have forty thousand crowns of yearly rend: but they purpose, he shall enjoy it but a short time. Do ye think my lord of Penbroke, that ye shall have forty thousand crowns from Granatha, and live safely in England: ye must go thither with the king or some other, to take such sure possession, that ye shall never return  
For I assure you they dare not give you so much power more than ye have and let you live in your own countri▪ be ye assured ye shall offend their laws a thousand times, 
If they do not yet move it to you to go thither, they will cut of your head ni England for such profit cannot long come out of Spain The earl of Derby betrewe my lord Shreusbery lest ye lose your son & your ancestors praise for their truth. Of your son my lord of Arundel this was written or he died, fear the sequel in yourself. The Spaniards would ended this or you should understood it & therefore now deny it.  before ye know them, and your head shall perhaps pay for the first. My lord of Derby shall perceive, that neither he, nor his son shall live long after the king is crowned. The Earl of Shreusbery may well perceive they flatter him shamefully, when they go about to destroy the noble lord Talbot. I am sorry that my lord of arundel hath escaped so many treasons as have been invented before against him, and shall now be deceived and destroyed amongst vile, treaterous, and most false flattering Spaniards. And yet I am sorry that the realm should be rob of so wise, so noble and so manlike a gentle man, as the Lord matreves his only son: do ye think these things will not come to pass or do ye believe, I have not told you truth, or trust you to live still in your country: ye undoubtedly my lords, they dare not suffer you. The reason is this, they say, that nation & those men, that will work treason and be false traitors to, and against their own natural king and country, the same men so soon as they be aggrieved, and begin to smart, will work treasons against them, and their king: but these things may be wrought in their time.  
Ye think I speak my pleasure, but I assure you most truly I write nothing of suspection, nor blind judgement, but those things, which I have seen and proved perfectly and that be most surely pretended and will undoubtedly be wrought, if ye take no better counsel to withstand them. Mark my lords if these be well gotten goods, that shallbe the destruction of you, & your country for ever: do ye not increase your rents properly, when ye seek the loss of your lives, and children, without remedy: be not those bribes dear bought that bring with them the ruin and the subversion of your country, 
Mark what manifold mischiefs the beggarly bribes do bring, if it be not your deaths at the end receive them. The crafty treasons be to hard for you to understand, but by Suspecting many things. which if ye would then preserve England from bondage I would show them if I hanged for it Your lordships shall first curse the time of these bribes & false flattery. So my lord Darbes sons title to the crown by his wife will cost all three their life  the bondage of the land, the suppression of the comen wealth the beggary of all the queen's subjects, the loss of our liberty, the death of our nobility, the perdition of all our rents, lands, goods and children, these things I have found in their letters bu● doubtless, the king's counsel have pretended weighty matters towards you, in devising how these things shallbe brought to pass: these be but rude principles, but in the ground work be prudent counsels. I know ye will call and account me a veri fool because I show you the truth plainly, and put myself in danger of hanging to save your lives, and preserue● my country from bondage, but foolishly or prudently I speak nothing but that which I know perfectly, y● may take my words, as it shall please your honours: if ye work wittily: as your lourdships can do, if it please you, I shall rejoice at your preseruacion● but if ye will submit yourself to bondage willingly, now ye know the dangers that will follow, what man living would lament the miseres that shall fall amongst you. hearken there words after their writings. They purpose, if their power will serve, not to leave one living, that by any manner title, aught to make claim for the succession of the cowne.  
Ye will think there could not remain in them such cruelty: it is in vain for me to write truth, if ye believe me not. It is damnable without remedy, to call God for witness in false matters, and what would it profit me, to save your lives, preserve all England, or wine the whole world and condemn mine own conscience But in truth I dare follow the example of S. Paul, and call god for a just and true witness, that I have hard with mine ears and seen the same people, with mine eyes, that have said, if ever the king might have a just title to the crown, and obtain it, he would make that most virtuous Ladi Elizabeth's grace sure, 
The Lady Elizabeth condemned.  for ever coming to inherit the same, or any other of our cursed nation: for they say if they could keep England in subjection, they could do more with England and Flaunders, than all the rest of the kings kingdoms: therefore they will not work so foolishly, as to make dissension between these two lands and bring them in controversy or set them at variance. But invent all polices to join them both a like under their subjection. 
they have promised to bring england in subjection to Flaunders. When she must die trust not ye to live long after. Sedition among yourselves willbe your destruction for traitors seek in englishmen's variance, to bring in Spa▪ upon them. If ye live quietly within yourselves ye preserve your country against your enemies etc.  I speak of no fools, but of the wisest sort, and no mean persons, though they knew not me in such corners, to hear their counsels. Remember if this warning be not sufficient, to cause noble men to take heed, that so virtuous a Lady so beautiful, and so comely a princes, should first of all, beside all the great number, that should follow afterwards, be either banished the land, or else put to death miserabli for that, which should be her own right, by just and lawful discente. If they, that love women so well, will not favour such a Lady, how much less will they favour your lives: I speak not this, as some men would accuse me, to make sedition nor treason in the realm: for that were the best way for Spaniards to come to their purpose.  
For our enemies can never hurt us, till we make dissension amongst ourselves: such a time they look for, such a time they desire, and such a time some noble men have promised them. Let all men, because I know not those traitor's names that would prepare this time, endeavour themselves, to live, & love one another charitably and quietly, that ye may all take one way and hold together like good people, the better to preserve your country, & withstand all these deceitful and most detestable treasons, 
The queens grace deceived with flatterers  and premeditate mischiefs, which be pretended against you and your country. Ye have heard many evils, but god is witness I cannot for shame write nor declare the vile, shameful, detestable, and mo●e abominable reports, 
The Spaniards report of the queens majesty There words arge they meant more than was performed, to speak truth they purposed rather to wine her crown then her body.  which they have spoken by the Quens maie●ie: and yet her grace thinketh them to be her very friends: but this one truth I will show covertly, and wrap it in as clean clouts as I can, desiring all men and the queens highness herself most humbly, to take it after their words. The Spaniards say, if they obtain not the crown, t●e may curse the time that ever their ●inge was bound in marriage to a ●ife, so unmeet for his majesty by natural curse of years, but yet if the thing may be brought to pass, which was meant, in the marriage in a king, they shall keep old rich robes, for high festif●l days. If there be any man that doth not understand this saying of Spaniards, let the Q●enes highness, so long as her grace▪ 〈◊〉 have any favourable friendship of the kings majesty, keep herself as heig● in authority & as rich, as she is at this present, or else her grace shall perceive perfectly, as she may partly at this present, that Spaniards naturally love fresh wares, young dainty dishes, and change of new things. 
Mark the most honourable and court like customs in their courts here in Flaunders  I think the Queen will blame me, for showing this one truth, but by that time her grace shall be glad, to tie horses underneath her chamber window, to suffer vile stinking dung hills at her privy chamber stairs, to see her guard chamber garnished about with plain walls, finely furnished with rich pallets, of strong corpse canvas, well stuffed with straw, the walls most comely coloured with coals, to see sitting among her graces ye men, curriers, carmen, and cobblers, wood monges, vintners, and waggeners, pointers, pinner's, and peddlers, show makers surgeaunts, 
A misordered hospital. The chapel chamber made when strangers be present, the guard chamber The king's court much more carterly than a farmer's house in the country.  and saddlers, book binder's, bakers, breyers, with all kind of lousy loiterers, and every one a bag, a budget, or a bottle ●anged open before him, tied under his arm, or behind upon his back, more like a most misordered hospital than a kings guard chamber, that neither her highness, nor any of her nobility, can pass that way. For in deed the gard● in the kings court be such bawdy, burly beasts, that they never come in the kings chapel, except for necessity when strangers come to the court and abide the smell, of such a stinking stew. Her grace will say I speak not all. When her pallice gates shall stand open, without porters, that not only beggars, slaves, and all kind of wretches, but also oxen, kine, hoggish old swinne, sheep and lambs, goats, kids, and rams, cats, dogs, geese, ducks, cocks, and hens, with all other such good household stuff, may enter into her court, and standing, rubbing, rowteing, diggeng delving, and dunging, before her chamber window, like a good farmers house in the country, when her highness hall shall be one day hanged with rich arreisse, and half a year after, either shut, and locked up, 
the king is the vilest taverner of all his court  or else furnished finely with spinners, silke-twiners, wevers of laces, rop makers, coblars, and butchers of old hosen, most shamefully without all order, and be glad to keep within her most princelike palace a vile stingking bawdy tavern, that every one of these foresaid crafts men, 
The king selleth wine and water more dearer than other and hath the lies himself.  and all other bawds, beggars, slaves, and vile drunken wretches, may buy within her court bread, bear, nuts, apples, and cheese, and fetch wine and water out of the kings court, by iiii. penny pints, and that with the dearest, according to the old, ancient, and most honourable customs of the emperors majesties court, & the kings majesties palays here in flanders, her majesty shall well perceive, that I keep many things secret which I am ashamed to declare. Ye will think I speak the worst, but when the queens grace shallbe glad to fetch her wine out of the tavern by eight pennies, and a half penny, the quart: as the king and both the Queens do here in this court, 
The king's wine fetched out of the tavern by the quart but in England freely by jugs & bottles. My lord Ambassador is worthy of blame if more than this be not written, for he should see the Queen, be not deceived herein. Thus ye shall live when ye be in bondage. take heed ye sai not hereafter would to god we had done it, for now ye may do it  her highness shall well know, that I could show much worse orders, and many things more vile, more shameful, and more dishonourable than these, and by that time all these things be wrought ordinarily, in the court of England, ye shall smell them more unsavourly. All men that be here continually, do see much more and many worse things, than I writ. But if these things, will not make your lordship's work wiseli and be circumspect in delivering the crown, look further upon your proceedings, and when your lordships shall be glad, if ye might escape so well, to be at the Spanish counsels commandment, and wander with Spaniards from one country to another, and where ye live at this present with all plentiful provision in your own houses, be compelled to lie in good tiplinge houses, & roast half a capone to your supper and keep the rest for your dinner, with a pint of white wine and water, a pigge● petitooes, a young sheep trotters, half a loin of lean mutton and iiii. or v green sallettes, as the best of the king's counsel do live daily, ye will say, would to god we had kept the crown in our own hands, for the right and lawful heirs of the realm to whom it belongeth by just and lawful descent, and been true to our country, so that we might have reigned still, and lived more honourable, in rest, wealth and quietness, than any nation in the world. The Spaniards say your lordship's most specially, and all the rest of our nobility, with the most part of our counsel, be without knowledge, learning, language or perfect experience, and therefore they hope though not speedily, yet in process of time to deceive and over come you, with their learning, 
I desire ye should follow your own preservation  wisdom, craft, and policy. Let your children therefore, if ye love them, be brought up in learning, & wisdom, that they may be able to govern the realm prudently, after your days. And follow your lordships, for the preservation of your lives, honour and children, this worthy and notable example of the most worthy king Codrus, who seeing his country assaulted, by the most cruel tyranny of his enemies, sought by all means possible to deliver his people from bondage, with least destruction of his subjects blood: and being answered that there was no way to preserve his realm, except he himself should be slain, apparelled his most princelike person in a poor palmers weed, and after great lamentation of his subjects, which would rather have lost life, lands & goods, 
The king a turn spit.  then suffer so noble a king to die for their deliverance, became a turn spit in his enemy's kitchen, and when his adversary had prepared a great armi for the invasion of his country, he provoked with cruel words, 
If panins so much loved their country, should we Christians betray ours  remembering the comen and public weal of his subjects, which he desired so earnestly, his enemies so much, that a scurvy kitchen slave without mercy thrust him to the heart, with a hot spit of iron▪ who, being stripped naked to be buried, was known perfectly to be the king himself by a cross underneath his breast: whose death so much discouraged his enemies, that they flying before his subjects, when the battle should be fought, were slain and taken in the chase, his country preserved, & his majesty obtained immortal fame. I would wish your lordships, for your honours & the preservation of your lives and country, as I trust assuredly ye will, though not so dangerously, 
Keep the state that ye have.  as this noble Prince did, yet with surety observe this counsel: I mean ye are in such estate, at this present that ye may without the danger, or loss of any man's life, keep the crown & the realm quietli, but if ye will deliver the crown out of your hands willingly, 
Spaniards report England to be the strongest and best kingdom on the earth.  then where ye ought to venture, ye to lose in deed life, lands, goods and rents, with honour for the preservation of your country: ye shall not only lose life, lands, goods, wife and children, but also all honour, fame and renown, with the most noble, and the most mighty kingdom, as Spaniards say, on the w●ole earth, with the loss of innumerable thousands of Christian men's lives. For what nation in the world is able to suffer the very nature of Spaniards: have I not showed you many things which ye cannot suffer: ye may expel nature for a time, as Spaniards did in England lately, but all the world can not expel her so much, but she returnth in short space. what devilish nature is this, that no man can suffer: the time is short, or else I would tell you much more: their pride is of such nature, that she can suffer no man, to be fellow with her. 
The nature of Spani.  Pride would ever be the highest, and then who hath more pride than Spaniards, who can bear rule above them. 
doubtless I know no man can set forth more misery, than the peo/ ple be in in Naples and if ye go forth; ye shall come to the like.  The Spaniards deny not themselves to be the proudest and most lecherous men living, and can they then be without all other vices, seeing pride is the root of all sin, and the mother of all mischief. Their hearts will boil and borst, to see any nation near about them prosper in wealth and tranquillity. I hear say there be certain books amongst you which in deed I never saw, as the lamentation of Naples: the mourning of Milan, and such other, which have showed you the tyranny that Spaniards have used in other countries, and in those points I would counsel you to believe the same books and take heed ye come not in like bondage. For if ye do, be assured that the same tyranny, which they have used in other countries, 
But if ye will not take warning of them which do show you then shall you suffer all the plagues that be named in this book for your incredulity.  they will undoubtedly use amongst you: for if they favoured not those noble men, which they say be Christened, how much les will they favour you, whom they account worse than jews: but like as they have destroyed the nobility in other countries, even so will they according to their pretenced purposes destroy and murder you privily one after another, so soon as they may bear rule amongst you. Some Spaniards say we must not take example by those countries, which th●y be compelled to keep perforce: but be you assured they must be compelled within one year, to keep England perforce also. For doubtless English men will never pay such excises willingly, as other nations be compelled to pay against their will: nor let their rents be raised so much above the rate which they be at in these days, as Spaniards would amount them. 
Objection  Ye will say the Spaniards keep their old rentaking: 
Mark ye people of England how ye must be taxed  how can that be, when every poor man must pay yearly for every chimney in his house, and every other place that is to make fire in, as oven, fornes and smiths forge, a french crown: will englishmen, or can they suffer to be poled and peeled most miserably, in paying continually such poling pence, and intolerable tollages for all manner grain and bread, be●e, bear, and mutton, goose, pig and capone, hen, mallard and chicken, milk, butter and cheese, eggs, apples & pears, wine white and read, with all other wines beside, salt white and grey, 
Note this.  all things must pay, small nuts, and wall nuts, cherries, and chest nuts, plumbs, damassens, philbeardes and all both great & small whatsoever they may see to feed the poor commenalte, Salmon and hearing, this is a shameful thing, 
If ye can suffer this than crown the king of jerusalem. The third part of all things: keep yourselves from that bondage. Mark this yeomen and husband men, keep your liberty, that ye pay not for your own chickens when ye be sick. If ye follow this counsel, ye save your lives, your lands & country. And will with speed. For all your learning is lost, your law destroyed & all your livings decayed for ever▪ the office of true men.  tench, eel or conger this shall keep us under, and make us die for hunger, flounders, floucke, plaice or carp, here is a miserable work, that England must abide to maintain Spanish pride: ye pay your tenths for all these things, but I speak not of church rents, nor bailiffs fees, for that is but the tenth part, but this shall grieve your heart, to pay the third part more, that burden weigheth sorer than fines or rents, take heed therefore. Ye will think their commens be not so oppressed: there is not a ye man, farmer nor husband man in these parts, that dare eat a capone in his own house if his friend come to viset him, but the capone must cost him a noble, if it were worth, xx. pennies and even so of hens, pigs, geese, chickens▪ and all other things. Do ye think to make provises for all these mischiefs, which I have rehearsed: the best proviso ye can devise to make is, that for the avoiding of all these and innumerable more mischiefs ye keep the crown in your own hands, and give it to no foreign prince. For when the king is crowned, who dare withstand his doings do not the laws of England bind all men to obey him: but seeing they understand not our law, may not the king change it, as shall seem good for him, by the advise of his counsel: I need not to fear the danger of my book, for I hear say, I shallbe outlawed, with a pension writ, for iii years pension, in cliffords inn. Do it speedily, lest it take none effect: for if Spaniards bear rule fare well all English laws, the king will reach you Spanish laws, and look what laws Spaniards make is not he a traitor that speaketh to the contrary but till his grace be crowned, it is meet for all true men, to hold with the right, and speak against his coronation. Ye say, the queens highness hath all power in her hand: 
Objection  we must obey her surely in acts that be paste by parliament and confirmed by the hole realm, we ought to obey her highness during her life: but I think there is no law confirmed and passed, where by the Queen may lawfully disinherit the realm of the crown. And for that which is to come, every man may lawfully speak against it: for she can make no such law without your aid. If ye read the enchiridion of Erasmus in the leaf, 
Erasmus.  lxxv. ye shall find that the queens highness or any other Prince, 
What the queen ought to do.  that will follow god's commandment and seek the kingdom of heaven, ought not to make any laws or statutes against the comen wealth of her countr, and that she ought not to do that, which she may by her power, but that which she may do justly by the laws of the realm. 
A true example  For like as Christ was not borne for himself, nor died not for himself, but was borne to fulfil the law, lived to teach us the perfect truth of the law, and died to redeem all those that would follow his steps and keep his commandments: even so the Queen ought not to do that thing which is for her own profit, her own pleasure or her own private commodity but that which is for the commodity of the whole country, the profit of her poor people, and the strength, aid, preservation, and the comfort of the whole realm. 
How the Queen ought to govern us  Her grace ought not to govern us if she will follow Christ, but to see us governed uprightly in all spiritual matters after gods word, and in all temporal matters according to the laws of the realm justly, for our preservation  
In the four next leaves following ye shall find the office of a king, a magistrate, an officer and bishop. I show you the place because ye should remember it and follow it in this case. But if the queens grace will not seek to win heaven, with following Christ and keeping his order, for the commodity and profit of all her people, than she must without grace, in breakeing Christ's order, and leaving his steps, without any second way follow the steps of the devil, and so seeking her own private commodity, her own will & her own pleasure, run strait headlong to hell. Marry if the Queen be the last heir, so that the crown remain wholly, perfectly and lawfully in her, without any other discente, she may by god's law give it for the comen wealth of her subjects and the realm, where or to whom soever pleaseth her, and then if it be for the comen wealth of the realm, as ye see plainly it is not, she may give it to her grace's husband the king: but if it belong to the heirs of the realm, after her death, and if there be any heirs in England living after her, 
Mi lords for such counsel ye shallbe more hardly plagued in hell than ye can be in the tower. See what they take upon them or this. give a Spa. one inch, and he will take a hundredth foot.  to whom the crown ought to come by just and lawful descente, she, and all that give her such cursed counsel, do commit deadly and damnable sin, in taking, and giving it, from them wrongfully. If ye could restore it again afterwards, and so make them recompense, she might have pardon of god: but I am sure the queens grace, and all her honourable counsel, have seen the kings style where he writeth himself king of xxviii kingdoms, with England, France, and Yrelande, and there ye perceive, that he leaveth out the quen in all his writings and deeds, whatsoever he maketh or confirmth. And in the first leaf and first side of the patten, or rather the emperors will which he hath made, to establish the king jointly with him in the empire, they writ that the king won england by the queens marriage, and upon the second side of the same first leaf they writ, that the king at this present hath authority to make, change, ordain and constitute, what decres, statutes, ordinances or laws soever please him in the same kingdom of England. Seeing the king, having but the name given him, doth take upon him such power, and before he hath the crown doth expulse the Queen from all title of the realm or the crown: 
She shall be at low estate in short time.  ye may be sure that when he hath the crown, he will take from her all power and honour, saving only she may have the name to be his wife with his more beloved harlots: so that she shall never be able to restore the crown to the right heirs. 
Beware of this, it were better for your lordships▪ to lose your heads & die in the truth, then damn your fols in presumption.  I have sent you the copy of the same will, b●cause ye may know perfectly, that she shall never be able to restore the crown again to the right heirs Then seeing the Queen, and all your lordships, do know assuredly before hand, that she shall never be able to make recompense in restoring the crown again to the right heirs, and yet will presume to do such wrong, as unlawfully to take it from them: ye must needs grant and believe it truly, that not only the Queen but also your lordships, if ye resist not this wickedness, and all other that help her, or give her such cursed counsel, may be sure for such devilish presumption to go to the devil and be damned without mercy. 
Ye dysceave the Queen when ye cause her to lose her husband and her power also. Ye are deceived   
For Christ hath judged your doings before hand, saying: whosoever sinneth against the spirit shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come. Do ye not know my lords, that there was never traitor against king or Queen, that cold long prosper: & will your lordships sek the destruction of the queen & the hole realm & think to live prosperously afterwards: will ye be false traitors to the Queen & all your own country & think to be put in trust, & made men of great power in strange countries: There is no man at this present, that thinketh any treason to remain in any of the queens most honourable counsel but surely if ye crown king Philippe though ye could do it by a just law, 
Mark this part of their nature.  or if ye receive him in with deceitfulness, guile, aid, fraud or subtlety, to destroy the land: undoubtedly all the world will account you rank traitors, 
So will the great Turk. Poor bakers daughters of brussels. A farmer's act of the kings majesty in Antwerp.  and the very Spaniards themselves durst never rest in quietness, till it were rewarded accordingli. ●il ye crown the king to make him live chaste with his wife contrary to his nature: peradventure his majesty after he ●ere crowned would be content with one woman, but in this mean time his grace will every night, have v. or vi. to see which of them pleaseth him best. If they were ladies or gentle women, it were more tolerable, but bakers daughters and such other poor whores, is to abominable. In Antwerp before shrovetide, their wer● as there be many at this present, certain merchants, which had very fair wives, whom the king could not have privily. 
Where the king is so vicious, the people must neds be much worse. They brag more of this, then of all the wars that ever their king made. The king's majesty a meri midwife at mid night.   
But hearing by chance of spies, that some of the same wives were upon a night with their neighbours wife, to help her in her travel or labour of child, the king with certain other went masking the therein woman's apparel: and the kings majesty, as all Spaniards reported for a great honore, held the wives back, till she had brought forth her child.  
But what was wrought amongst the middwives afterwards, let other men judge: for I had not known this, but that all Spaniards, bragged of it themselves, that we might rejoice to have for our king in England such a stout, bold and mighty prince, as durst mask among women and play the midwife, at midnight. I could not for shame write this, but that I think the queens highness, hath heard tell how sharpeli the go●d bishop of Castila was checked, 
The Bishop of Castyll.  because he desired the king to keep himself for his wife, and told him it was not lawful for him to live in such lothsone lechery. The notable sermon, that this good bishop made though he lost his rochet for speaking against lechery and such other vices, is talked of so much throughout all these parties, that I am sure this tale cannot be hidden. I writ his name, because the queens highness is bound to give him thanks and reward him with another bishopric, 
They esteem the crown above the quen Unlike similitudes. Some good Lady show our Queen this truth, that her grace be not brought into more misery. Paget should brought in Dutch men and been viceroy if uproars cold been moved by the wrongs that the Queen attempted last year  that would put himself in such danger of trouble to cause the king her grace's husband to love her. But know ye their reports: they say the good bakers daughter is more worth in her goun then Queen Mary without her crown. God witnesseth with me, that it grieveth my heart sore, to hear such vile reports and so unlike similitudes. They say old wives must be cherished for their young rich gifts. For old wives, say they, for fair words and a little crafty cuckering will give all that they have: but how they be used afterwards let the queens Ladies and gentle women discuss. If the king do so much esteem his wife in these days, when he seeketh to obtain by her honour and great commodity: after what sort will he use her highness, when he hath obtained his purpose: doth the queens grace think to cause the kings majesty still to remain in England, with giving him the crown: No I assure you plainly? and perfectly the counsel of Spain's purpose is to establish other matters: they have determined and agreed among themselves to a point a viceroy with a great army of drunken Dutch men, with divers other soldiers. And that the lord Paget knoweth by the false flattering words, which I heard the Emperor speak before him, to the king the xv. day of April, biding the king, make much of that man, for he was worthy to be cherished, 
The Queen shallbe a Nun when the king is crowned And even so shall ye do if ye writ as long as ye live.  promising to make him the greatest man in England●, to keep us in subjection, as I have told you before, and let the Quens highness live at her beads, like a good ancient Lady. Ye see the further I go, and the more I writ, the greater evils I find▪ but I promise you assuredly, ●f I should write so much of their viciousness, as I know most perfectly, the ladies and gentle women would be much ashamed. Would to god the honourable ladies of England knew the vile reports, which Spaniards have reported by them: for than I assure you the good Ladies would not love to kiss so pleasantly, and so many times, with strangers, nor to receive and send into Flaunders so many milk mouthed messengers, and most untrue taletellers, nor receive & send so many tokens, with so loving and humble commendations to their most loving, or rather most dissembling Spaniards, in whom lieth all their love, all their hope, all their trust and confidence. Oh most abominable whores: for I speak of no good Ladies: were ye borne in England, do ye live in England, have Englishmen kept you all this long time, 
Pockye Spani. Ye would be offended to be openly named for whores & yet ye love Spa which name you openly so  do English men put all their trust in your honesty because ye should be Spaniard's whores▪ and leaving your own natural husbands and friends put all your trust, all your love, which is very little to those whom ye ought to love, all your hope, all your comfort in vile pocky Spaniards: If I being an english man should have so little honesty, and tell so many of your names openly, as I have heard Spaniards name to be their whores, many of you would lose your friends, many be banished the court, many be divorced from their husbands, & sent to their most trusty and most loving Spaniards. I would name diverse of you, which within these few days have sent your messengers, whom I could also show, and tokens to spaniardes in Flaunders, like arrant whores: but I will favour you at this present & keep the counsels, 
amend good Ladies or else.  which neither Spaniards nor your own messengers will hide nor keep close, because I trust ye will amend and be honest women hereafter now ye have warning of their vilnes. Or else do ye not know right honourable Ladies, for now I leave all whores, 
The manner of Spanish women. This is great dishonour for your husbands, shame for yourselves & a great slander for your country  that the manner of spain is, if one man kiss another man's wife or daughter it shall be lawful for her husband or father to kill him: or do ye not know that there be no women in Spain but comen whores, that will kiss any man except their husbands: this hath caused Spain. to report in every place that they may for a small portion of gold or a precious stone have the best man's wife in our realm which report hath spread so far, that the younkers of Spain do write, as god is witness that I have seen their letters to peevish boys, that the princocks be so familierli received with Ladies of England, that they have no mind on Spanish wenches: for the Spaniards say and it is so in deed in their country:  
Oscula qui sumpsit si non et cetera sumpsit, hec quoque, que data sunt, per dere dignus erat: he, which hath obtained kisses, say they, if he win nothing else, is worthy to lose that which was given him. 
But take heed with this warning, or else ye will shortly be named and shamed.  For in Spain he that can get a kiss shall have all other things: ye wot what I mean: and they think the same true in England also. Peradventure some will be offended because I speak so plain. GOD is my witness I cannot for very shame name such, as I cold & have heard Spaniards name with shame enough, nor show you half the vile reports which they according to their nature have made of you I writ not this, because I think they have obtained so much of the noble Ladies of England with kisses, as they may do of Spanish whores, nor because I think their reports true: for undoubtedly I know their words to be a thousand parts worse than their deeds: but because the good and honourable Ladies of England knowing their vile reports may use themselves more strangely towards Spaniards at their next return.  
So that they may know perfectly, that all noble men's wives and daughters with other Ladies, & gentle women, that by the courtesy of England will receive their friend with a kiss, be not comen whores for every pocky spaniard. And surely I would wish you to leave that courtesy, specially among Spaniards. I give you this counsel because I desire your honours and your husbands also, ye may take my words as it please you. 
London  The noble City of London hath won more honour for punishing whores than for any other several act: and yet Spaniards say that all their diligent watches not withstanding there be more mongrels borne within this two. years in London then Englishmen'S children. 
Mongrels  I speak not this because I think it so in deed: for I told you their words were worse than their doings, but because that most noble City may continue in their most virtuous punishing of vice, 
It is the chiefest virtue to punish vice.  remembering what vileness they would have reported if they might have had liberty. I would write many other things that appertain to their nature, how swinish they use themselves at their table, tearing their meat like dogs, drinking like horses, hanging their heads over their dishes that one part being flavored in their mouths may fall into the comen dish afterwards, smacking like hogs, how vilely they use themselves in their chambers etc. but because the time is short and many englishmen know these things, I will here make an end, most humbly beseeching your honourable lordships to pardon my doings, if I have without knowledge written any thing contrary to your expectation because I may do it of ignorance: but be you assured my whole desire is, to seek the maintenance of your honore, and in declaring such things, as be pretended against our country, 
Mi desire in writing this letter  to seek the preservation of the whole realm. I shall therefore desire all noble men, worshipful men, yeomen of the queens guard and all other officers of her highness most honourable court that they and every one of them will exhort the people in every coast and part of the realm to live in tranquillity, peace and concord by this familiar example of Esopes husband man. Who having many sons, that despicing their father's admonitions lived continually in debate and strife, studied to plant amongst them love, unite, concord & peace. His sons upon a time being at home in his own house, he commanded his servant to bring before him a burden of rods, such as husbands use for their ploughs and other business, & commanded his sons, the bundle being fast bound together, to break the same rods wholly togethers.  
But when their strength failed, the good man bade his servant untie the said burden, and the rods being loosed, he commanded every one of his sons to break one wand: which thing when they had done with ease, the good old father said, after this sort shall it be amongst you my children: if ye persever together in one loving mind perfectly, 
Note  your enemies shall never overcome you. But if ye will dissever yourselves one from another, this your devilish discord and variance shall make you an apt pray for your enemies: even so I say unto you most dear beloved brethren, that like as a castle builded in the mids of a strong rock can never be won till discord fall among the captains and soldiers, so that one part treaterouslye suffer their enemies to enter in at the gates: so likewise England is strongly compassed with strong rocks, which no artillery can pierce, and so long as english men like good faithful soldiers will lovingly and faithfully agree together, 
Keep this order and ye shall save your country  and every man from the highest degree to the lowest seek to maintain the weal public of his native country and the state of the realm, all the world can never over come us: but if the noble men or one part of the commons will aid & like false traitors receive in our enemies, 
Be sure to fly these mischiefs or else ye work your own destruction. All you have been deceived by the flattering of Spa. take heed with this warning Yet though your lordship were not perfect before take heed at the last. I desire your safe guard. This should been done if the Queen could have moved sedition by her quarrels last year to the gentle men.  or if sedition, treason, rebellion, insurrections and such like mischiefs fall amongst us and be wrought within ourselves, our enemies shall come in rejoicing at our most devilish discord, and destroy the realm, and bring all english men to such perpetual bondage and slavery as I have here before declared. Yea those that be their greatest friends & first bringers into the land are appointed to die the most shameful death so far as I perceive: there is privy treason working against you at this present, which will be brought to pass speedily, take wise counsel, man all your havens strongly, lest your enemies come upon you suddenly. I am sorry that I gave the lord Page●e warning what treason is pretended against him: for I think ambition so much blindeth his eyes, that he hath no better grace but to go about as many flemings report, to conduct a great number of high Almains privily into England amongst you to destroy your corn and destroy the realm or else to take the Lord grey, the lord Depute of calais & the hold with all, which we have here seen. Suddenly suffer not your enemies to enter into the land, as ye did the Danes in times past, in hope to drive them out after such like sort. For I assure you the Spaniards can & will provide more politic ways to suppress the country and keep us in subjection, than ever the Danes did in times past. I shall therefore exhort you, and in the name of our saviour Christ require you, to fly all manner things that may be like to make discord, debate, strife, sedition, commotions, treasons, rebellions or such like mischiefs amongst you  
And specially leave those most devilish names of papists, heretics, Lutherans, protestants and such like, according to the queens most gracious proclamation. join yourselves together with love & amity, rejoicing to take upon you the most blessed name of our saviour jesus CHRIST, the GOD of equity, peace, love and tranquillity, and to be called Christians: knit yourselves together in perfect charity, love together like Christian brethren, remembering we have all one father which is in heaven, 
We have all one father, which is in heaven, than we ought to love together like brethren.  & that we be all redeemed with one ransom, even the shedding of the most precious blood of our saviour jesus CHRIST: whose commandments if we will endeavour ourselves to keep for the uttermost of our power, and if we will take upon us his most mighty name, he will undoubtedly defend us with his most mighty arm, so that we shallbe able to withstand our enemies & live in our countrei quietly in peace, love and tranquillity, like as the children of god and loving brethren in our saviour jesus christ: to whom with the father and the holy ghost three persons and one living god, which was without beginning, beall honore and glory world without end. Amen.  
Your lordship's obedient, true and faithful servant johannes bradfordus.  
Once again beware of had I wist.   

¶ A tragical blast of the Papistical trumpet for maintenance of the Pope's kingdom in England.  

NOw fill the cup & make good cheer,  
This golden chains must neds obei:  
England is ours both far & near,  
No king shall reign if we say nay.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

Spare neither man, woman or child,  
Hang and head them, burn them with fire:  
What if Christ were both meek & mild  
Satan our lord will give us hire.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

Pope innocent our father old,  
When Peter's ke is cold do no good:  
He cursed them a thousand fold,  
And drowned them in Tiber's flood.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

He said we must Paul'S sword now take,  
Splay the banner, strike up the droome,  
Fall to array, pike and half hake,  
Play now the men, the time is come.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the spaniard.   

Our golden hat we must defend,  
Though Christ say nay, we will it have,  
And it maintain unto the end,  
All kings to us be bond and slave.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

The Pope our father hath all rule,  
The devil to him will never say nay,  
But maketh him richly to ride on mule,  
In worldly pomp which may not decai.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

The Spaniards hath sworn us to defend,  
So that we betray England to them:  
Make havoc now the people to spend,  
As Herode did once in Bethleem.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

Do you not see this English in fear:  
Their heart is driven into their hose.  
xiii. we burned of late together:  
They durst not snuff once with their nose  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

hay courage, courage, my fellows all,  
The getting ship must bear a proud sail,  
If we draw back our kingdom will fall,  
If we be stout nothing shall us fail  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

Lay shame aside, let honesty go,  
Bear out all matters be they untrue:  
Say true men be traitors & the Qu. foe,  
Banish all truth and falsehood renew.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room pull down for the Spaniard.   

Our just must we have, who can say nay,  
This god once said to our father Cain,  
The world is our reign & worldli stay,  
We shall not decay but always remain.  
Now all shaven crowns to the standard,  
Make room, pull down for the Spaniard.   

The author to England his natural country.  
England repent whiles thou hast space,  
If thou couldst repent as Niniveh did,  
Then shouldest thou be sure of god's grace  
And so might thy enemies quite be rid.  
But if thou be blind and wilt not see,  
Then hasteth destruction for to destroi the.   
FINIS.