Her Maiesties Ambassadors sent into Flanders to intreate of a peace. And howsoeuer she may be thought greedie of other mens Dominions, she sent to Parma very noble and excellent Ambassadours, who being delayed from day to day, from moneth to moneth, without any thing accomplished, she notwithstanding tooke it patiently, and suffered so farre these dangerous delayes, that the Spanish Souldiers panting with haste and greedinesse for the blood and butcherie of her Maiestie, and people most deare vnto her, were come vpon her coastes, and before her doores. In this sort was her hope deluded, and her opinion frustrated by him, contrary to the royall dignitie of both the Kingdomes of England and of Denmarke.
And if the victorious hand of God had not herein derided the cunning deuises and purposes of the Spaniards, if it had not scattered so great a terrour to all Christendome, and drenched their carkases in the Sea, what should the state of the said Hanse marchants haue bene, so busily and so contrary to al equitie and iustice, hastening to furnish him with corne & prouision for the warres? whither should the long and sacred quiet of the Romane Empire haue gone to hide it selfe? where should all other Nations that professe the trueth of Christianitie, thinke that they might haue shrowded them selues to be free from his tyrannie, and safe from his murderers and cruel executioners? If they saw not that their owne destruction was ioyned with the ruine of the Queene of England, either it must be saide that they woulde denie Christ, or that they were blinded to their owne miserie by the vengeance of God, for their secret sinnes. For where the cause of hostilitie is all one, the like effect and issue is to be looked for at the hands of a cruell and raging enemie of the trueth: for in a maner, all the inhabitants of the Hanse Townes are very good fauourers of the reformed Religion, and mortall enemies to the Romish errors. And would any man then beleeue, that men so well instructed, coulde more respect their priuate gaine, I will not say their filthie lucre, then their owne securitie, the preseruation of their Countrey, and the propagation of true Religion?
But what? will the inhabitants of the Hanse Townes pretend that they knewe not the Queene of Englands pleasure? The Citie of Hamboroughs letters to the Queenes Maiestie. The Citie of Hamborough by their letters written vnto the Queenes Maiestie, the 21. of September, in the yeere 1585 hauing besought her, that their ships might passe quietly vnto Spaine and Portugal, without stop or hindrance either in their passage or repassage, by her Maiesties Captaines at Sea, receiued not they answere to this effect?
The Queenes Maiesties letters to the Hamburgers. We doubt not, but you haue heard what occasions of discorde are lately fallen out betweene vs and the king of Spaine, whereof wee cannot throughly coniecture what troubles are like to ensue. If peace arise, we meane to deny you nothing, being our ancient confederates: but if it grow to a warre, we wish you aduisedly to consider, that it standeth not with the safetie of our kingdome, to suffer our enemies to bee ayded with corne, and prouisions for warre, B.ij. thereby to be armed against vs. Which things, according to your accustomed wisedomes you calling to minde, wee hope you will demaunde nothing at our handes, which may be hurtfull to our state: as for the transporting of other sortes of marchandise into those partes, whereby our enemies may neither bee ayded with victuals, nor necessaries of warre, we will not hinder you, but will permit your shippes to ride on our coastes, and to passe long with all fauour for the performance of their intended nauigatiō: with which our answere, we hope you will be fully satisfied and contented, the present state of things considered.
The Hamburgers petitorie message to the Queenes Maiestie. Secondly, whereas two yeeres after that, to wit, the last yeere the saide Burgomasters of Hamburrough sent Sebastian Berghen their Secretarie and Agent with letters vnto the Queene of England, desiring that vnder the colour and title of Newtralitie, they might freely passe into Spaine and Portingal, and repasse againe with al kind of marchandise whatsoeuer, was not the said Sebastian answered in this wise by the Lordes of her Maiesties Counsaile?
The answere to the petition of ye Hamburge messenger. Whereas the King of Spaine, hauing sent out his Nauie to inuade this Realme, to roote out the Christian Religion, & to worke the ruine & destruction of the Queenes Maiestie, hath declared more clearely then the light it self, what he would haue the Queene of England to thinke of him, she deemeth it not reasonable vpon any colour to graunt either to the Hambourgers, or any other the Haunse Townes whosoeuer, to carry corne, gunnepowder, and other appurtenances for the warre to so obstinate and manifest enemie of the true Christian Religion. That such as presumptuously durst attempt the contrary, should suffer the punishment of their vnbrideled licensiousness, if they fell into the handes of the Captaines, or other Subiects of the Queene of Englande, their goods and marchandises whatsoeuer thus transported against her Maiesties will to be made good prises to any man that can take them, no excuse of Newtralitie preuailing to the contrary.
Moreouer it is not to be omitted, that the Lords of her Maiesties Counsell aforesaid, hauing called for Maurice Tymberman resident in London, The Alderman of the Stilliard in London, commanded to aduise the Hanse Townes. and Alderman (as they call him) of the Stilliard, commanded him to giue warning to all the Haunse Townes that her Maiestie willed, and according to her Soueraigne auctoritie in her Dominions, commanded that they shoulde forbeare from thenceforth, from the beginning of the moneth of Ianuarie last past from carying of corne, and generally of all prouision of warre, cables, mastes, and like marchandise into Spaine and Portingall, whereby the enemie of her Kingdome might be the better furnished, vnder the paine of losse both of ships and goods, to be inflicted vpon such, as should violate this her princely commandement.
That the Haunse Townes were not ignorant of this inhibition, appeareth by the letters of the Cities of Lubecke, The letters of the Lubeckers, Hamburgers, and Dantiskers. and Hamborough, written afterwarde to the Queenes Maiestie, the 26. of March, and from Dantiske, the 13. of the saide moneth, before those ships set out from home, which are now taken. The same in like maner is apparant, by many bils of the hiring, and freyghting of their ships, wherein among others, this one thing is worth the noting, which was there found, that they couenanted in plaine words, with the shipmasters, that they should not passe into Spaine & Portingall through B.iij. the English Chanel & vsuall way, but on the backe side of the Kingdomes of Scotland, and Ireland, a newe and strange, and without doubt, a dangerous course: by which their intention and deede, they declared howe litle they cared for good meaning, and how carefull they were to arme and furnish the common and knowen enemie of the Queene of England. But as alwayes for the most part it falleth out, deceite doeth neuer thriue with any man, and when men thinke most to deceiue, they are deceiued, and suffer the penaltie of their guile: for falling into the handes of her Maiesties armie vpon the coast of Portugall, and euen in the entrance of the hauen of Lisbone, they were brought backe into England, and by the lawe of Nations, are become prises to him which tooke them.
Here now they cry out, that the Commaunders of our Fleete haue delt iniuriously with them, they exclaime that the leagues are broken, that their old priuiledges in England are violated, which they chalenge to belong to their Cities, and ought to be kept and mainteined. As though that any man were so madde, so farre from the trueth of things, so carelesse of his owne safetie, so great an enemie to publike securitie, that with all his might and indeuour, would not preuent the mischiefe and destruction hanging ouer the Commonwealth. He that withstandeth not wrong when hee is able, is in as great fault, as if he destroyed the Commonwealth. The preseruation of the people hath bene euer accompted among all nations, for the very supreame Law. Are not the Hanse townes ashamed to maintaine and pretend a priuiledge, that is to say, a priuate lawe against a publike and soueraigne lawe? Did euer any king or Prince witting and waring, suffer such a kinde of trafike which should make his enemie ouer mightie, and though hee did not disfurnish himselfe, yet shoulde leaue himselfe more open vnto his furie, which otherwise were like to be vnarmed and vnable to wage warre against him?
The English and French enemies: Charles the fift a confederate. In the yeere 1545. at which time the warres grew hotte betwixt the kingdomes of England and Fraunce, when the subiects of Charles the Emperour the fift of that name of noble memorie, would needes haue had free libertie of passage with all commodities into Fraunce, vnder pretext of their Newtralitie, What was the Emperours answere being a Prince of great equitie? Did he not openly pronounce that course of theirs altogether vnlawfull? let the Contract it selfe concluded the 6. day of April be lookt into.