The plots of Jesuites

Campanella his Plot.

CAmpanella in his Book de Monarchia Hispanica (prin∣ted in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth) shewing the King of Spain how to bring England under his owne subjection, and to the Romane Re∣ligion, hath these words, c. 22. In∣stiget Primores Comitiorum aut Parlia∣menti ut Angliam in formam Reipublicae reducant; that is, Let the King of Spain instigate the leading men of the (English) Parliament, to bring England to the form of a Common-wealth. And, Omnino id agat ut Anglorum vires infringat, ad quod efficiendum Naves Hollandiae & Frisiae suffi∣cerent; si nimirum Classi Anglicae opponerentur; ut infra palam fiet, &c. that is, By all means let him make it his busi∣nesse, to break the strength of England. To effect which, the ships of Holland and Frisia will be enough, if they be set against the English; as by and by I will shew, &c.

This 25 chapter beginneth thus, Quamvis Anglus, &c. Al∣though the English doth of all Nations seem least to effect an Universall Monarchy, yet they do much hinder Spains attaining it; Queen Elizabeth hath given us examples, for she hath cherished corrupted humours, and helped Protestants with advice and supplies in the Low Countries against the Catholick King, and in France against the most Christian Prince; For she is Queen of an Island which aboundeth with Ships and Souldiers, and maketh a prey of all that Spain hath in the North, and ramble even to America, where though they cannot erect a new King∣dome, yet they doe the Spaniard very much harm; for Drake the English man hath gone round the world more than once, though Magalanes did it before him. And it may come to passe, that all the Kingdome of Baccalaos (which is neerer the English, and more commodious to them, by reason of the temperature of the aire) may

some time or other be pulled into their possession: Cer∣tain it is, and evident enough, that if the King of Spain could conquer but England and the Low-countreys, he would quickly become the Monarch of all Europe, and of the greatest part of the New-found world

Campanella goes on, advising the Spaniard to erect some new Schools or Colledges in Flanders, and to usher a new Religion into England; first, with a new Philosophy (himself hath furnished us with one) Anglorum Religio facile restingui non potest, nisi aperiantur Scholae in Flandria; interventu{que} illarum spargantur semina Schismatum in scienti is naturalibus, Stoicis videlicet, Peripateticis, & Tele∣sianis. The Religion of the English cannot easily be brought to nothing, unlesse Schools be opened in Flan∣ders, and by help of them, the seeds of Schisms in Naturall Sciences, and Stoick, Peripatetick, and Telesian Phi∣losophy be scattered abroad.

The last page of this 25 Chap. is as followeth; Insula haec reducetur in formam Reipublicae, quae perpetuas inimicitias cum Scotia gerat, actiones{que} suas non nisi lente perficiet, &c. When this Island shall become a Republick, it will be at perpe∣tuall enmity with Scotland, and move very slowly, and so do the lesse harm to Spain; whereupon, the King of Spain, as soon as the throne is empty, may step in, pre∣tending to help the English: But let him be sure to keep correspondency with some English Noble-men, who have power over the adjacent Islands, and let every one of them have full and absolute dominion in his severall place, as we read it was in the dayes of old. Then let him tamper with the Nobility of Ireland, that when the Queen is dead, that Nation may be formed either into a Common-wealth, or (at least) into a Kingdome distinct by

it self, then let him promise supplies to each of those Noblemen apart, and so much the more, because in that Kingdome or Island, Catholicks (especially Monks of the ord••r of St. Francis) are very much beloved. Now the Irish agree better with the Spaniards than with the English, either because their manners or climates are alike, and because their Countreys are neer one another. And there are in Ireland many vagabond persons who cannot indure to be in subjection, and yet they are good Catholicks and able to doe the King of Spain excellent service in the matter which we now speak of.

These and the like things may easily be prepared, that when Queen Elizabeth is dead they may be put in execu∣tion; for every one knoweth what bloody Civill wars, what alterations and changes have been oftentimes in England. So that what I have propounded will not seem strange or impossible.

To conclude: The same Campanella in his 8. Chapter of the same book laies down this rule or maxime, That the way to keep up or increase the King of Spains Monarchy, is, To keep his own Subjects in peace, and his Neighbors in contention.

Tho. Campanella having thus given the King of Spain directions how to get and keep the English Nation;

Notes

• The same advice that Cardinal de Richelieu gave the late King of France; a little before his death.
• There is more to the same purpose in the 10. Chap. which be∣ginneth thus; Omnes Magnates Monarchiam, &c. All great men, when they have gone about to set up a Mo∣narchy, have altered the Sciences, & some∣times Religion it selfe, that they might be ad∣mired. In the same Chap. his 7. direction is, to shut up all Schools wherein the Greek and Hebrew Languages are taught, because they are (saith he) the causes of heresies, and so destroy government.