A CONFERENCE Between THE TWO GREAT MONARCHES OF France and Spain, Concerning these our present proceed in England. Wherein is discoursed of the being of our Runaways under their Dominions, with a consideration of their dangers past, in the wars betwixt England and them.  
 portraits of Louis XIII king of France and Philip IV king of Spain 
K. of Spain.  
K. of France.    

A Conference between the two great Monarchs' FRANCE and SPAIN.  France. 
HOw now brother of Spain? how run the Cheating dice of this unconstant world?  Spain. 
Sometimes five, sometimes sevens, sometimes nine, all upon odd numbers; but if you will but give me the hearing of it, I will tell you such a sack full of news from England that will make you laugh, hold buttons hold.  F. 
Prithee be brief, I long to hear the news.  S. 
Then thus; There is a thing held there at this time which is called a Parliament, in which as it seems they use to chide offenders: now there was some which favoured our religion somewhat more than others, and faith for fear of chiding they are run for't, and lie now some under the Court of thy wings, and some under mine; and on the other side, (for they are) a many of them in the extremest some are so puffed up with pride that honesty hath got the upper hand, the Cobblers and Weavers, Sowgelder's and Tinker's, Chimney-sweepers and Butchers, do not stick to say but that the spirit moves them to preach; nay they do, do it as jealously as our ancient sex hath done at Amsterdam over a hotchpotch.  F. 
Faith this news makes me smile indeed; but prithee tell me, hast thou not some armada intended against that little Island, that Temple of delight, that Paradise in comparison of all the world again? hath the Jesuits no brains left to invent a second powder-plot, or one as bad or else worse? doth the Dragon always wake that keeps these golden apples the tree of Minerva?  S. 
Yes they have brains enough, and courage enough in setting such plots a foot, but a pox on't it takes no effect, for one had as good shoot arrows at the stars and have a cracked coxcomb for ones labour, as any ways meddle with them, for God doth overlook them and keep them safe, else could they never have scaped all those plots which I and mine had laid for them.  F. 
Why sure they are as wicked as any Nation under the Sun, how then should God be said to protect them?  S. 
For the love he bears to some, for there are very honest meaning men amongst them, which do make a conscience of their ways, which thing is most acceptable of any thing in the sight of God.  F. 
But in faith now were the time whilst the Scots are entrenched and their subjects distracted, some on this side, some on that side, to come with some armada, or forward some gunpowder plot, or some such grand treason. Oh the fruition of that same little sweet garden plot would make France and Spain flourish.  S. 
Hark a while, and you will soon grant how ridiculous this childish folly of yours is; a wise man will never attempt impossibilities, for certainly it is as easy for any single arm to equal a whole troop of men, as for you or I to effect our wishes in this thing: for certainly they have borrowed from Jupiter the heathen God, Argus with his hundred eyes to overlook all our actions.  F. 
Tush, tush, thou art just like a coward, who if he be once beaten will hardly come on to the combat again; because your invincible armada (as you termed it) was bombasted by the subjects a maiden Queen, therefore it is impossible for us to do any good upon the same land; come thou talk'st idly for want of sleep.  S. 
Why brother of France, did you never feel the force of England, look you but bacl to the black Prince where you shall find that the then predecessor sent him a ton of tennis balls instead of his right he held by the Salic Law, but he turned his balls into gunstones, and kept such a racket about France that he made the whole Court of Gallia shake.  F. 
I do not deny but that we have both smarted enough, and that is the reason I am so willing to take an advantage against it.  S. 
I tell thee what brother, I can compare England more commodiously to nothing then to a Lion which lay sleeping by the way side, a traveller coming by, would needs make sport with the Lion, as he said, by hollowing in his ear to awake him, which he did; the Lion being not used to such unaccustomed noise, rose, nor quite awaked, and roar this traveller in pieces. Just thus it fareth with us at this time, for England is asleep, and unless it be awaked, we need not to fear any thing, but if we compel it to draw its sword once, 'tis not all our entreaties will sheathe it again.  F. 
Well, thou hast given me such an Item that I will look before I'll leap, I'll surely have some great occasion before I will meddle with them.  S. 
Faith we have business enough of our own if we would but look after it.  F. 
True, yet I thank God I am at peace with the whole world.  S. 
I would that I could say so too, for I protest ingeniously I can scarce tell which way to turn myself, for on one side of me the great Turk lies like some unseen monster, devouring all which shall come before him; on the other side the Hollander is as a Devil to me, for I cannot have a ship on the seas, but if espied by him he is sure to sink for it. And again, I look every day when the portugals will fasten on me, and above all things I fear them because they have been for men in England.  F. 
Why, I prithee whither wilt thou fly in this distress?  S. 
I know not whither, unless I shall do as the fool said he would, put on a clean shirt and drown myself.  F. 
Then what will become of thy soul?  S. 
Sheh, I'll have a pardon from the Pope before I do it.  F. 
That was well thought on indeed, but hark I prithee, what dost thou think of the Pope his imperious government? dost thou think it to be lawful according to the hests of God?  S. 
Faith I cannot tell, but I had a little pity and compunction risen the other day in my stomach towards the Protestants, but they were presently down again, I hope it is the right way.  F. 
I hope so too, for if we be not, I protest we are in the wrong way, and a wrong will leads us to a wrong place & that wrong place will not yield us half the delight we expect, wherefore it behoves us to take heed what we do, and for all the pox look to ourselves.  S. 
As you think, so think I; for certainly we are guided by some wand'ring Planet, for such sudden changes in such great personages as I have seen many stand for example to confirm their assertion to be true. But hath, me thinks I could even love the English Heretical Religion, what music hath transformed me from myself? where is now the pride of our ancient Religion that it is thus turned topsie turvy? what have we lost out boasted freedom? what unknown desires are these which invade and take possession of my frighted soul? Are all those virtuous objects which I heretofore perceived in our Roman Religion vanish? Have I stood the Shocks of so many fierce wars for Religion sake, stopped mine ear against all Syre●nnotes that Heresy ever sung? to draw my bark of faith (that with wonder hath kept a constant and honoured course in this channel of my Religion) to be carried into the gulf of a continual Heresy: But now me thinks I feel my soul return again, and answer: I will first with mine own hands dig up a grave to bury the momentall heap of all my years before I'll change my plighted faith unto the Church of Rome.  F. 
Well said at last, in troth I was afraid that the beast of Rome had been some kin to a Stag, and had used to shed her horns; but thank God 'tis no worse.  S. 
If I've offended at the worst, to die is a full period to calamity.  F. 
But is there nothing to be felt after death? dost thou think that thou thus singest a requiem to thy soul before thou diest, I prithee consider, and tell me what thou thinkest out?  S. 
Why, I have heard that there is a place called the Elysian fields, where those that have done well shall rest in peace. I've heard again, that our English Heretics hold that there is only a heaven & a hell: those that do well shall enjoy the joys of heaven, and those that do ill shall feel the torments of hell: but our Pope makes us believe that there is a Purgatory, but faith I cannot tell what to think of it.  F. 
Well; farewell brother, I protest I persuade myself that the world is almost at its end, for I hear it is buzzed abroad in England that the Monuments of the Kingdom shall all be pulled down, and Crosses, of whom I have heard that Abington, and Cheapside Crosses excel all: also there must be no Organs to the utter undoing of all singing men. But brother farewell, the news you hear I pray inform me of.  S. 
I will; farewell, farewell.  
FINIS.