Index Expurgatorius Anglicanus / Or, a descriptive catalogue of the principal books printed or published in England, which have been suppressed, or burnt by the common hangman, or censured, or for which the authors, printers, or publishers have been prosecuted

by W. H. Hart

"All these pointes, I say, which are largly handled in the firste parte of this booke, C. A. did greately like and allowe of, and sayde that they were pointes both true and evidente in themselves, and substancyally proved by the auther of the booke; and for the sayde author not to exasperate any parte, houldeth himselfe in these generall tearmes and propositions onely, without descendinge to perticulers. C. A. was wonte to aply them to perticuler state and case of Englishe Catholiques in these our dayes, affirminge not onely they mighte use this libertye of admittinge or rejectinge the next pretender, whatsoever his tytle were by meanes of bloud, in respecte of his false religion. But moreover, that they were bounde in conscynce soe to doe, and that none mighte without committynge grevous synne, favour, further, ayde, or give consente to the admissyon of any Prince when the place should be voyde, that was knowne or justly suspected to be enimye to the Catholique Romayne faythe, or undoubtedly affected towards the same; and whosoever for worldly or humayne respectes, as countryshippes, kindred, freindshippe, proper intereste, or the like, should beare a contrary minde to this, did greatly offende God therin, and oughte not to be accompted a true and zealous Catholique; moreover, that all such as in our dayes or former tymes have followed the contrary courses in chosinge or admittinge ther princes, not respectinge God and his cause in the firste place, accordinge to goode conscyence, but followinge those humayne respectes above mentioned, have alwayes lightly receaved theire distructyon by those selfe same Princes whome soe corruptly they preferred; wherof C. A. would recounte often tymes more perticuler examples, and notable storyes both of our Country and of others round aboute us, and alwayes woulde conclude that whatsoever Englishman after soe longe a storme of heresye woulde not sticke onely and wholy to a knowne Catholique Prince for the next successyon, woulde adventure to followe other blinde, and broken hopes and respectes agayne was not worthy to have the name of opinion of a sounde Catholique, but either of a fonde or mallityous polliticke, and thus much for the firste parte of the booke.

"Touchinge the seconde parte, wherin the severall and perticuller titles of five royall houses or lyneages are discussed,—to witte, of the house of Scotland, Suffolke, Clarence, Britaigne, and Portugall; and they by the pretencions of all such perticuler persons as in our dayes doe or may pretende to the nexte successyon of Englande, by reason of the sayde houses; as namely the Kinge of Scottes, the lady Arbella in the house of Scotland, the Earle of Hertford's children, and the Earle of Darby in the house of Suffolke, and the Earle of Huntingdon and the Pooles in the house of Clarence, the lady Isabella, the Infanta of Spaine in the house of Bretaigne, and the Kinge of Spaine with the Dd of Parma and Braganza in the house of Portugall; of all these pointes, after dilligente readinge over and wayinge the booke, C. A., his opinyon was as followeth.—First, that ther was soe much sayde in this booke for and agaynst everye one of these five houses and the different pretenders that are in eache one therof, as in a very wise and learned man's judgment and conscyence was sufficyente to brede greate doubte which house hath the best tytle by neerenes and lawfulnes of bloud onely, all and every parte havinge probable reasons for itselfe and againste his adversarye, wherof he did inferre, that if the adversitye of religion where not in all these competitors such and soe greate as it is, yet might a good man for other lesser respectes and considerations of the whole publicke, make choise of any one of these house, or at the leastewise of the principalleste, with sufficyente reason to secure his conscyence for not doinge againste the right of successyon, the sayde righte beinge soe doubtfull and ambiguous as this auther doth prove it to be. Secondly, his judgmente was, that in respecte of restoringe or establishinge of the Catholique religion in our countrye, with other pointes therunto belonginge, much lesse doubte or scruple may there be, to choose, admitte, or refuse any one of these competitors which may be presumed woulde best performe the sayde establishmente of religion, and with lesse danger, trouble, warre, bloudshed, or dangers of our Countrye and common wealthe, wherunto princypally and onely, he would alwayes say, that good and wise oughte to have theire eye more then to other lesser respectes of fleshe and bloude. And whether the partie was borne at home or abroade, weare of kindred or the like, for that the former points of religion, equitye, wisdome, couradge, and vertue in a Christian prince, maketh his people and common wealthe happye, and not whether he was borne amongst them or noe, and consequently are more to be respected in admissyon or conclusyon of any competytors. And as for the severall tytles of these five houses, C. A. was wonte to saye that he would have wished with all his harte the like I have heard Mr. J. P. say alsoe, that seinge K. H. 7th was once placed in the Crowne, and had shewed himselffe a good Catholicke kinge, his yssue might have enjoyed the same for ever without any change or further examination of theire righte; but now forasmuch as through the haynous synnes as may be supposed of K. H. the 8, his ofspringe are fallen from the sayde Catholique religion, yt semeth God's most just judgmentes that ther tytles are called in questyon; and forasmuch as the tytle of Kinge H. 7th, of whome descended the twoe houses of Scotland and Suffolke, cometh but from John, Duke of Somersette, bastard sonne to John of Gaunte, Duke of Lancaster, by his thirde wife; and then the tytle of the house of Portugall cometh from Ladye Phillippe, eldest and lawfull daughter of the sayde John of Gaunte. And that moreover C. A. had perticuler intelligence which the author of the booke seemeth not to have knowne when he wrotte yt, that yt apeareth to this daye by the recordes of England that when the aforesayde John, Duke of Somersett, (of whome Kinge Henry the Seventh and his line descendeth) was legittymate by parliamente, expresse exceptyon was made that noe pretention therby should be given to him or his posterytie for the Crowne of England; for these reasons and many others which the author aleadgeth in his booke, it semeth to C. A. that if the cause of Portugall should be put before equall judges, it woulde be very doubtfull which party woulde gette the better. And for the house of Clarence C. A. never made any accompte of the tytle in comparison of the yssue of Kinge Henry the Seventh, seinge that they of Clarence onely doe pretende by the daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, of the house of Yorke, yonger brother to King Edward the Fourth, and the house of Scotlande and other yssue of King Henry the Seventh, descended of Elyzabeth, eldest daughter of the same Kinge Edward the Fourth, whoe was eldeste brother to Duke George; soe as in the very house of Yorke the lynes of Scotland and Suffolke doe goe evydently before that of Clarence; and thus for the tytles of those foure houses. Touchinge the fifte house of Britagnye and Fraunce, whose heire is the lady Infanta of Spaine, C. A., his opinyon was that much was sayde and pithely in the booke, and that the quallitie and circumstance of the personne pretendente doe greatly comend the pretence, for that all thinges considered, he did see noe other person in the worlde soe fitte to ende all controversies, to breake all difficultyes, and to avoyde all dangers on every syde, as if this lady should be agreed on of all handes to have her title established. This C. A. would prove by manie arguments, utillityes, and commodyties which he sayde woulde ensue by this meanes more then by any other, as alsoe by the difficultyes and damages of all other wayes, whatsoever should be devised. For firste, he was wonte to saye, that if the house of Portugall should be preferred, many difficultyes would be aboute the admittinge of the Kinge of Spaine, both for that the English, of what stocke soever, would not willingly yelde to have ther Crowne subjected to any other, nor would other Christyan princes rounde aboute like of that increase of soe greate a monarchye, and consequently there woulde followe much warre and bloudshed; for the Dukes of Parma and Braganza, which alsoe are of this house of Portugall, though they be worthie Princes, yet greate difficultyes doe seeme woulde followe, both for that they wante forces sufficyently to gette and defende soe greate a Crowne; as alsoe for that theire tytles to the successyon of Englande may seeme in parte to be decyded against them alreadye in the controversye that is paste of the Crowne of Portugall, though some men will saye that there is a difference in the state of these twoe successyons. In the house of Suffolke, that conteyneth the Earles of Hertforde and Darbye there are partely alsoe the same, and partly farre greater difficultyes; the same for that the powers are not like to be sufficyente for soe difficulte an enterprise, and farre greater, for that the tytles doe seeme evidently behinde that of Scotlande, which cometh of the eldeste daughter of King Henry the Seventh, and ther is onely of the yonger syde the impedimente of the religion, wherof I shall speake presentlye. There remayneth then onely the house of Scotland, and namely the Kinge's tytle, for of Arbellae's pretention C. A. never made any accompte at all, she beinge as is knowne of a seconde marryadge, and that intangled with many difficultyes and doubtes as the booke declareth; about which tytle of the Kinge of Scottes, C. A. was wonte to saye that albeyt for the causes above mentyoned of the quiet posessyon of Henry the Seventh, he was longe desirous that noe mutation should be made in this yssue, espetyally as longe as the Queene of Scottes lived, which was a knowne Catholique, and soe longe after her death as there was any hope of the reduction and conformitye of her sonne (nowe Kinge) to the Catholique faithe; upon which hope both C. A. and Mr. Fr. P. and other the freindes labored earnestly for his prefermente divers yeares together, yet afterwardes seinge the perseverance of the Kinge in his professyon of herysie, and consyderinge that havinge bin broughte up and nourished in the same from his tender yeares, though otherwise as it is thoughte of noe evill nature, it would be hard to expecte any sure or firme reduction in a prince of his yeares and libertye, and that of this one pointe notwithstandinge depended the whole good or distruction of our whole country and realme, C. A. beganne seriously to thinke better of the matter, and findinge by searche that the small obligation that he or other of the English nation have to this Kinge in respecte of his neernes of bloud above the reste as abondantly is shewed in this booke; and that on the other syde, conscyence did forbyd him to faver a pretendor of his religyon, what tytle or nerenes in bloud soever he had. For these causes and considerations C. A. changed his whole opinion in that behalfe; espetyally after divers learned and grave men of the Kinge's owne natyon which for many yeares had labored to doe him good every way, gave testymonye upon theire conscyences, they had noe hope or probabillitye lefte of his conversyon. And matters standinge thus, and beinge once brought within differency into this ballance of due consideration, ther offred themselves alsoe above and beyonde this, divers other pointes alsoe not unworthye to be wayed,—as for example, the hard and bricke combination or joyninge together of English and Scottes natures, customes, enclinations, and wills, under one Kinge, the dislike and repugnance that all other princes rounde aboute us would have that these kingdomes should be joyned in one, from which twoe fountaynes onely (if noe other difficultye were there) woulde never wante in matter both of endlesse strife from the firste of the twoe, neither helpe to encourage, continue, and maintayne the same from the second fountayne, which twoe ga.. inconveniences beinge joyned with the former, which is the greateste and chefeste of all others, that may be to witte, the King beinge soe hartely affected to heresye and drowned in the same, and soe allyed and entrapped every waye with heritiques that if he should for a shewe or for any temporall respecte, upon the perswasyons of some pollitique or Athiste, make countenance to be a Catholicke, ther could never be any true assurance had therof, nor hope of any sincere reformation by his meanes. All these considerations layde together in the brest of C. A., (that desired nothinge but the true honor and service of God, assurance of religion, and good of his Countrye), made him very pensive before his deathe, and to write many longe letteres of his owne hand to Mr. F. P. whoe then lay sicke, and finally after much musinge, and espetyally after he had much vewed and waighed well the reasons and discourses of this booke, he wholy thoughte to have changed his minde and to thinke of another surer course for the remedy of Englande. And it seemed that this cogitation was that if all other pretenders mighte be broughte to yelde to the tytle of the lady and Infanta of Spaine, noe waye nor meanes in the worlde coulde bee thoughte of, more sweete, agreable, and convenyente for all partyes and for all effects, for these reasons following. First, that she beinge the daughter and sister of whome she is, and of soe rare worthynes in her owne person as all the worlde talketh of, she could not be but indifferente and amyable unto all, neither coulde she wante sufficyente forces for her establishment and defence afterwardes, and beinge maryed with some noble Catholique prince such as the Kinge her father should like before of, and England not mislike, albeit in theire owne personnes they woulde be strangers unto us for a tyme, yet would that quickly passe awaye, and then children would be Inglishe borne, and themselves entringe not by force, but by love and composition, would hould peace with all, and be in feare and jelosie of none, which in other pretendors cannot be soe effected; they would attende alsoe principally to the assurance of Catholique religion as the grounde of theire estate, wheras others must needes doe the contrarye for houldinge ther freindes and partyes contented, and finally by this meanes all subjectyon to forrayne countryes or natyons should be avoyded, and England should gayne the power, ritches, and freindship of Spaine to asiste it in all needes, without perill of subjectyon to the same. And if any would objecte that the lady Infanta or her ofspringe may come to live to inherite the kingdome of Spaine if the prince should have noe yssue, and consequently bringe England under that crowne, as alsoe the princypall, C. A. would saye that provisoe might be made alsoe thus,—to witte, that in such case the seconde childe or nexte of bloud might remayne with the Crowne of England, and soe avoyde that conjunctyon or subordination; moreover he sayde that noe composition could be soe profitable or sure as this, for our domesticall competitors, who otherwise of all liklyhood must needs extirpate and destroy the one the other, and all would joyne together to vex and weary the Scotts if they should come in, to which ende and effecte they should never want partyes, neither at home nor from abroade, as by reason is evidente, and soe our country therby would become a continuall feilde of warre and bloudshedde. And wheras of all other pretenders the Kinge of Spaine is knowne to be most powerable, and hath noe small title by the house of Lancaster as by this booke apeareth, noe way can be thought of, soe fytte and forceable to apease and ende that tytle, as if nowe by way of composytion he should be perswaded (as perhaps he might) to passe the same over to his daughter the lady Infanta, as by all likelyhood he might be induced to doe with good likinge alsoe of the Prince his sonne, for the affectyon that both of these must nedes beare to this lady, and for endinge of strife amonge our nation, and benefitinge our countrye, yf his Majestie by conveniente meanes were delte with herin, as C. A. greatly wisheth he mighte.

"These were the prudente and godly cogitations of C. A. in his latter dayes, wherof much he conferred with divers of his confidente freindes, and namely with Mr. F. P. by letteres as before I have sayde, and was privie to the same, and doubt not but many of those letteres and discourses are forthcominge when tyme shall serve, and for that he understoode that some of our nation that live out of Ingland did take other courses and made a devision from the reste, either upon passyon or other perticuler respectes or humaine infirmityes, not entringe soe deply and sincearly into the true consideration what is beste for God's service, and assurance of Catholique religion, and for the perfecte reductyon of our countrye to peace, justice, and pietye, he was much greved therwith, and toke it for a dangerous and evidente deceipte of the divell to bring all therby to devisyon and dissolation, as alreadye we prove by the divisyon that was broughte in Queen Marie's tyme to certayne pernityous heades amonge the principall concerninge the successyon which some good people desired and labored to have established then. But yet his hope was that upon the sighte of this booke, such of our nation as are wise and truly Catholique, seinge by the libertye and disunion all wilbe destroyed, would joyne together and with him and his freindes, if he had layde in some good meanes for savinge themselves and ther countrye, which was his owne; but a finall ende with often and most earnest protestations to such as dealte with him in these affayres that he was led by noe jotte at all of affectyon or disaffectyon towardes any prince or pretender livinge, about this matter of the Crowne, but that absolutely and onely he desired that pretender to be preferred without all respectes of country, kindred, bloud, freindshippe, or other such circumstances, whoe mighte be presumed to be most fitte forr us, and by whome most assurance, hope, and probabillitye may be had of the former desired effectes of religion, justice, peace, good govermente, avoydinge of warre and bloudshed, sufficyente forces to defende us, union, love towards the people of our nation, meanes to help them, contentmente of princes rounde about us, and the like.

"And this is all in effecte that I can write to you, ... mente and censure aboute the booke of successyon, and ... pious and prudente desires concerninge all that affayre. Our sinne permitted not to have such a man continue amongste us, for puttinge soe importante designments in execution. And soe I cannot tell whether ever any of them were broken by him to the Pope, Kinge of Spaine, or other Prince to whome they mighte apertayne. And with this I make an ende, biddinge you most hartely farewell, and besechinge our Saviour to preserve you, and directe all this greate affayre of our next successyon to his greatest glorye, and most good of our afflicted countrye.

"Yours to commaunde,
"R. P."[5]

25.

A New Discourse of a stale subject, called the Metamorphosis of Ajax. Written by Misacmos to his friend and cosin, Philostilpnos. Printed 1596.

This curious book was written by Sir John Harington, and for so doing he was forbidden the court by Queen Elizabeth, and a license was refused for printing the work. Watt, Lowndes, and all Bibliographers bear testimony to its great rarity. Dr. Johnson in his Lives of the Poets, devotes a page to a consideration and description of this curious work. He says, These tracts are perhaps the first specimens of the Rabelaisian satire our language has to boast. They are replete with that kind of humour which distinguishes the writings of the French Lucian, and partake of their grossness. The extreme rarity of these once popular trifles renders it doubtful whether Swift or Sterne were acquainted with them; yet there are passages in the works of both these eccentric writers so strongly resembling some of Harington's as almost to induce a suspicion that they had seen them; this resemblance however, may have arisen from the circumstance of their being, like our author, imitations of Rabelais and the other French writers of facetiæ.

Of the Metamorphosis of Ajax, the avowed purport is the description of a species of watercloset which Sir John Harington had invented and erected at Kelston, his seat near Bath; but he has contrived to make it the vehicle of much diverting matter, evincing his extensive reading; he has also interspersed numerous satiric touches and allusions to contemporary persons and events, many of which are now necessarily obscure, and which were no doubt one of the causes of its great popularity at the time of publication.