A treatise of treasons against Q. Elizabeth, and the croune of England diuided into two partes: whereof, the first parte answereth certaine treasons pretended, that neuer were intended: and the second, discouereth greater treasons committed, that are by few perceiued: as more largely appeareth in the page folowing.

3. First, it is not vnknowen, the Duke of Northfolke did of late yeares secretely practise to haue maried with the Scotish Q. without the knowlege of the Q. &c.

MArke wel, good Reader, the man∣ner & fourme of this Authors pro∣ceding, and how wel he perfour∣meth that whiche by his former speach, he hath made thee to looke for. He hath tolde thee pardie, that to close the mouthes of the euil disposed, that with

false reportes would hide truth, and to sa∣tisfie the good that delight in truth, euen for very conscience sake, he could do no lesse, but notifie this that he doth, &c. And the first thing he telleth thee, is so knowen a lie, and so malicious a lye, that thou shalt plainly see, y^t there is nother truth, shame, nor cōscience in him, that no good nor ho∣nest man can possibly bel••eue him, nor that there is any mouth to be stopped so impudent as his owne.

For beholding what this lye implieth, being ioyned to the next, that calleth the Q. of Scotland, your Q. most dangerous ••nemie: Who seeth not, y^• this li•• is meant to the Dukes final confusion, cōming out in this time sp••cially (when he had bene two yeares vniustly imprisoned vpon the same pretense, & whē the first false surmise thereof was by time, that trieth truth, wel worne away, & in effect confuted) to rub & renew afresh this mortal wound againe, to bring him thereby past hope of al re∣couerie.

What the Duke is by Parentage and Bloud, what rare vertues he hath ioy∣ned thereto, what his person importeth

in your common welth, & in what handes and hold it reasteth, when this commes foorth against him: you may more easily remēber, then I can dilate. And so much (I hope) e••ery man seeth in it, that he wil thinke it reason, to see the accusation more profoundly prooued, ere he ouer∣lightly beleeue it: the malice thereof r••a∣ching to the danger of the person and life of him, that bysides his Dignitie, is for vertue and wisedome a peerelesse Prince in your Nobilitie. Thus muche for the malice.

Now for the vntruth: Who seeth not, that the affirmation of this is mer••ly op∣posite & repugnant to the cōmon know∣lege not only of the Councel and Nobi∣litie, but of infinite numbers bysides of al states and degrees, and the plaine con∣trary most notoriously knowen: that is to saie, that the Duke did not onely (before any least attempt thereof) make al that were of the Priuie-Councel acqueinted with h••s intention, namely the Earles of Arundel, Penbrooke, Leicester, and the Secre••arie, bysides many others of the Nobilitie: ••ut was rather by them

mooued and inuited to attempt the same, before he sought it by any least meane: in so farre foorth, that being promised by two of the chief of them (for credite with your Q.) that h••r good wil should vn∣doubtedly be obteined vnto it, with pre∣tense of no doubt or scruple to be had ther∣of, he had relatiō made vnto him by them, that your Q. being by them moued there∣of at Otelands (if I remember it wel) in the Moneth of Iulie, 1569. did not dis∣alow the motion, but semed to like wel of it, and would at a conuenient leasure giue care to the Duke himself in that behalfe.

For which audi••nce promised (once at Guylford, than at Farnham, than at Basing, another time at Titchfild, bysides other places) the Duke attended al that Progresse, vntil by being often differred from dai•• to daie, by sundrie ill lookes & thwarting speaches let fal by your Q. against him, & namely by a secrete friend of good place and authoritie about her: he was assuredly aduertised, that so far was shee from treating with him in that mat∣ter, that already she had geuen order, that he should the ••ext night be taken in his

bedde by the Garde, & forthwith caried to the Tower.

And this being so abundantly te∣stified both by the Dukes owne volun∣tarie returne to the Courte from his house in Northfolke in Septemb••r then folowing, & by the publike displeasure and restraint of libertie, that the said Earles of Arundel, Penbrooke, Leicester, & some o∣thers did then susteine for a time: behold now, with what ••ace it is said, that he wēt about to contriue this mariage without your Queenes knowledge or cons••nt. For was it euer heard of, that a man minding to doe a thing without the con∣sent of an other, doth first treate and im∣parte the same with suche numbers of the intierest friends and seruantes of his, frō whom he would hide it? Who goeth to so many of a Princes Coūsel, & labou∣reth them, to procure y^• Princes fauor, in a a cause that he would haue hidden from the Prince?

Adde vnto this the impossibilitie, that the Duke must nedes see of compas∣sing this mariage without your Q. cōsent who held the other partie in close prison: &

ioine vnto it his assured foresight to haue thereby neither benefit, nor aduancemēt, without hauing your Q. fauor before it, and succor after it, but plainly the con∣trary, assured of all displeasure and daun∣ger of life, landes, and goodes.

Whiche pointes well waied, will discouer sundrie vnsauourie dealinges: whereof one is a d••epe dissimulatiō and great treachery in some of great credit a••out your Q that pretended to y^e Duke, to like and alow well of that match, that incouraged him thereto, that said they sawe nothing in it, but great honour to your Q. and securitie to the realme, and that promised to obteine your Q. consent thervnto: whiles withal in secrete they wrought the contrarie, persuading her to thinke & take the same, as daūgerous to her person, & pernicious vnto her state.

An other is, that wh••n they sawe your Q. displeasure to the Duke brought to the highest that they wished it at: then opening them selues, what so euer they misliked, (as impugning their fi••all and furthest ende) muste be termed treason to your Q. perilous to her

state, against her consent, without her knowledge, rebellious, seditious, and what els they list to call it.

And finally these reasons layd toge∣ther (Reader) in a wise mans consid••ra∣tiō, there should neede no more answere to any of the rest of this Libel. For where the first accusation is depr••hended to be so foule a lye, so well knowen a lye, a lye so wel testified, and a lye that carrieth in it neither reason, nor likelyhoode: what credit can the reste hope to haue? And therefore keepe it well in minde, and looke to see it, that so notorious a lye must needes be forged for some noto∣rious purpose that yet lyeth lurking vn∣discouered. But now let vs see, what h•• saith further.

Notes

• Against the D. of Norf.
• An impudēt bloudy lye in the ••orefront
• Al the Pri∣ui•• Councel al••ow••d the inte••t, the L•• ••eper ••••ce••t.
• Of this there are sundry let∣ters to be shewed•• and witnesses also to te∣stifie it.
• The cause of y^• Dukes d••parting from the Court to his owne house in Au∣gust. 1569.