Vox cœli, or, Nevves from heaven Of a consultation there held by the high and mighty princes, King Hen.8. King Edw.6. Prince Henry. Queene Mary, Queene Elizabeth, and Queene Anne; wherein Spaines ambition and treacheries to most kingdomes and free estates in Europe, are vnmasked and truly represented, but more particularly towards England, and now more especially vnder the pretended match of Prince Charles, with the Infanta Dona Maria. Whereunto is annexed two letters written by Queene Mary from heauen, the one to Count Gondomar, the ambassadour of Spaine, the other to all the Romane Catholiques of England. Written by S.R.N.I.

The introduction,

HEauen being Gods Throne, and the Earth his Footstoole, it is impossible any thing can be here spoken and acted, but will there be heard, reuealed and detected; for not onely our hearts but our thoughts, not onely our tongues but our in∣tents, lye open and are obuious and transparent, to the glorious, and relucent eyes of Gods most sacred Maiestie, who being the sole Ar∣chitector, and preseruer both of Heauen and Earth, rules that by his presence, this by his prouidence, and both by his power; and that wee Men are not by many thousands degrees so great in his eyes, as the smallest Pysmires are in ours; who lookes still in our Designes and Actions, sometimes with approbation; now with pitie, then with contempt, and anon with Choller and indignation, being himselfe the prime President, the great Moderator, the mighty Councellor, the eternall and euerlasting Iehouah; who can and will giue Lawes to all the Kings and Princes of the earth, as they doe to their subiects by their subordinate, and yet transcendent power, drawne from his most sacred Maiestie of Heauen, as the Starres who actually deriue their light, and borrow their lustre from the refulgent beames, and glorious body of the Sun.

And as this great God seated in his Coelestiall throne of Glory, with his All▪seeing and sacred eyes beholds in Heauen the thoughts and actions of men here on Earth: so likewise out of his indulgent mercy and prouidence, he likewise giues the same authority and po∣wer to his Angels, Saints and Martyrs, to doe the like; who clad in white Robes, the Ornaments of sanctity and purity, with Palme branches in their hands, the Emblemes of Peace and Ioy, and Crowns and Coronets on their heads, the rewards and markes of Glory, Fol∣low the Lamb Christ Iesus wheresoeuer hee goe, still singing these ioyfull Io Peans and Epithalamians of Haleluiah, and Glory be to God on high, Peace on earth, and good will towards men.

By vertue of which Diuine priuiledges, the maske of Spaines boundlesse Ambition being discouered and pull'd off, in supporting the Pope, and seeking the increase of his spirituall Iurisdiction, whereby his Holinesse in Exchange, may enlarge that of Spaines temporall Monarchie, so as that shall haue feete to goe, and these

wings to flie to the height of earthly greatnesse; whereby the Ca∣tholique Kings ayme, out of the ruines of Rome and Germany, to erect another Empire in the west, and endeauour by degrees to make most of the Kingdomes and Free Estates of Europe become Prouin∣ces vnto Spaine; as, some by force, some by policie, some by treache∣rie, and now England by the match of the Infanta his Daughter, with our most Illustrious and Royall Prince Charles (next to his Royall Father King Iames, our most dread Soueraigne) the hope of En∣glands life, and the life of it's ioy and hope.

I say the newes of these proiects and resolutions of Spaine, hauing with as much fortunary as celeritie, passed the cloudes, and peirced the Vaults and windowes of Heauen, it fast arriued there, to the vn∣derstanding of that immortall Mayden Queene Elizabeth, whose heart euer loued England, as her soule did Heauen, and of whose flourishing wellfare and prosperity I cannot truely auerre, whether she still remaine more iealous or ambitious? whereat grieuing with as much disdaine, as she disdained with griefe, and knowing that her Nephew and God-sonne Prince Henry, participated and burned in her zeale, that the insatiable and blood-thirsty ambition of Spaine, might not erect his Trophees vpon the Tombe of Englands down∣fall, and the ruines of her subuersion, shee speedily acquaints him with it, whome although heauen had purified and deuested of his Earthly passions, yet such was this young prince, his neuer dying zeale to Englands euer liuing glory that his Highnesse could not re∣fraine from looking red with anger, and pale with feare, at the re∣port and knowledge thereof. They consult hereon and hold it both expedient and necessary to acquaint other English Princes herewith, especially those whome they knew stood deeply and sincerely affe∣cted to England. So Prince Henry acquaints his Mother Queene Anne herewith, and Queene Elizabeth her Brother King Edward 6. and both their Father king Henry 8. who so vppon aduise here∣of, could not refraine to looke on England with the eyes of affe∣ction and pitty, and on Spaine with those of indignation and con∣tempt. So these fiue great Princes & Queenes prepare themselues to Consult on this most important busines, when loe they are suddenly met and assayled, with a doubt of no meane consequence and consi∣deration viz. Whether, or no, they should admit & receiue Queene Mary into this their Consultation, whom not her Romane merits, but

the prayers of the Protestants had brought to Heauen; When at first they considering that in heart and soule, she alwayes loued, and pre∣ferred Rome and Spain before England; they resolued to exclude her, but at last (vpon riper and more mature deliberation) considering that she knew many secrets of Spain, wherof peraduenture they were ignorant; as also that from her innate and inueterate malice to Eng∣land, shee might (either in iest or earnest) bewray something that might turne and redound to the good of England, they all consented she should be aduertised hereof, and so admitted; which was instant∣ly performed; and as the rest of these Royall Princes enuied Spaines ambition, and pitied Englands dangers; So to speake the truth, and no more, Queene Mary (still resembling herselfe) both in her spee∣ches and lookes testified the contrary; Vowing that as she loued •…•…hi∣lip the II. the Father, so she would still honour Philip the III. his Son.

Thus these three Princes, and three Queenes, not daring to con∣sult in Heauen on any thing, without permission of the Superiour powers, they all repayre to the sacred throne of the Lambe, (of that Great Maker and conductor of Heauen and Earth) whose Tribunall is enuironed with more sparkling and burning Sunnes, then we see Starres in the Firmament; and who is waited and attended on by many millions and Meryades of Angels; Where in signe of Gods glory and their humilitie, these Royall personages fall on their faces to his blessed feet, and so proffer vp their Petition to his heauenly Maiestie to haue authority, and place giuen them to Consult on this important businesse betwixt England and Spaine.

Their Petition read and considered, God out of the profunditie of his immense affection and fauour, towards the prosperity of England, (Wherein for the space of well neere One hundred yeares, his Sa∣cred Maiestie hath seen himselfe truely serued and glorified) ratifies their request, and approues and authoriseth their sitting; When de∣parting from Gods most sacred Throne; they were by a full Quire of Angels with Trumpets and Tymbrels in their hands, vshered into the golden Starre-Chamber of Heauen, which was purposely pre∣pared for them; when taking their seuerall seates, the doore shut, and guarded by Englands Tutulary Angell, with a naked brandished sword in his hand, all thinges being hushed vp in silence, and all heauenly duties and ceremonies performed, these sixe Royall perso∣nages begin their Consultation in this manner.