The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

260 OBSERVATIONS ON A LIBEL. out any other crimes committed, but upon quarrels ticular conferences were set down concerning picked upon them for their religion here at home. this enterprise between Cardinal Riario, the pope's Her merchants, at the sack of Antwerp, were legate, and the king's deputy in Spain, touching divers of them spoiled and put to their ransoms, the general, the number of men, the contribution though they could not be charged with any par- of money, and the manner of the prosecuting of taking; neither, upon the complaint of Doctor the action, and by the confession of some of the Wilson and Sir Edward Horsey, could any redress chiefest of those that were taken prisoners at the be had. A general arrest was made by the Duke fort: which act being an act of apparent hostility, of Alva of Englishmen's both goods and persons, added unto all the injuries aforesaid, and accomupon pretence that certain ships, stayed in this panied with a continual receipt, comfort, and counrealm, laden with goods and money of certain tenance, by audiences, pensions, and employmerchants of Genoa, belonged to thatking: which ments, which he gave to traitors and fugitives, money and goods was afterwards, to the uttermost both English and Irish; as Westmoreland, Paget, value, restored and paid back; whereas our men Englefield, Baltinglass, and numbers of others; were far from receiving the like justice on their did sufficiently justify and warrant that pursuit side. Dr. Man, her majesty's ambassador, re- of revenge, which, either inthe spoil of Carthagena ceived, during his legation, sundry indignities; and San Domilngo in the Indies, by'Mr. Drake, or himself being removed out of Madrid, and lodged in the undertaking the protection of the Low in a village, as they are accustomed to use the Countries, when the Earl of Leicester was sent anmbassadors of Moors: his son and steward over, afterwards followed. For before that time forced to assist at a mass with tapers in their her majesty, though she stood upon her guard in hands; besides sundry other contumelies and respect of the just cause of jealousy, which the reproaches. But the spoiling or damnifying of a sundry injuries of that king gave her; yet had merchant, vexation of a common subject, dishonour entered into no offensive action against him. For of an ambassador, were rather but demonstrations both the voluntary forces which Don Antonio of ill disposition, than effects, if they be compared had collected in this realm, were by express com{w.ith actions of state, wherein he and his ministers mandment restrained, and offer was made of restihave sought the overthrow of this government. tutionto the Spanish ambassador of such treasure As in the year 1569, when the rebellion in the as had been brought into this realm, upon proof north part of England brake forth; who but the that it had been taken by wrong; and the Duke Duke of Alva, then the king's lieutenant in the of Anjou was, as much as could stand with Low Countries, and Don Guerres of Espes, then the near treaty of a marriage which then was his ambassador lieger here, were discovered to be very forward between her majesty and the said chief instruments and practisers; having complot- duke, diverted from the enterprise of Flanders. ted with the Duke of Norfolk at the same time, as But to conclude this point: when that, some was proved at the same duke's condemnation, that years after, the invasion and conquest of this land, an army of twenty thousand men should have land- intended long before, but through many crosses ed at Harwich, in aid of that part, which the said and impediments, which the King of Spain found duke had made within the realm, and the said in his plots, deferred, was in the year 1588 atduke having spent and employed one hundred tempted; her majesty, not forgetting her own and fifty thousand crowns in that preparation. nature, was content at the same instant to treat Not contented thus to have consorted and as- of a peace; not ignorantly, as a prince that knew sisted her majesty's rebels in England, he procured not in what forwardness his preparations were, a rebellion in Ireland; arming and sending thither for she had discovered them long before, nor fearin the year 1579 an arch-rebel of that country, fully, as may appear by the articles whereupon James Fitz-Morrice, which before was fled. And, her majesty in that treaty stood, which were not truly to speak, the whole course of molestation, the demands of a prince afraid; but only to spare which her majesty hath received in that realm by the shedding of Christian blood, and to show her the rising and keeping on of the Irish, hath been constant desire to make her reign renowned, nourished and fomented from Spain; but after- rather by peace than victories: which peace was wards most apparently, in the year 1580, he in- on her part treated sincerely, but on his part, as it vaded the same Ireland with Spanish forces, under should seem, was but an abuse; thinking thereby an Italian colonel, by name San Josepho, being to have taken us more unprovided: so that the but the forerunners of a greater power: which by Dulke of Parma, not liking to be used as an instrutreaty between him and the pope should have ment in such a case, in regard of his particular followed, but that, by the speedy defeat of those honour, would sometimes in treating interlace, former, they were discouraged to pursue the that the king his master meant to make his peace action: which invasion was proved to be done by with his sword in his hand. Let it then be tried, the king's own orders, both by the letters of upon an indifferent view of the proceedings of Secretary Escovedo and of Guerres to the king; England and Spain, who it is that fisheth in and also by divers other letters, wherein the par- troubled waters, and hath disturbed the peace of

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Title
The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.
Author
Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626.
Canvas
Page 260
Publication
Philadelphia,: A. Hart,
1852.
Subject terms
Bacon, Francis, -- 1561-1626.

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"The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England." In the digital collection Making of America Books. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/aje6090.0002.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 22, 2025.
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