Although to advize maye seeme presumpteous yet what is well intended I ame more then confident, will not be either offensiue to your Lordshipp or preiudiciall to me the eather since what is nowe offered, is not for your good onlye, but for the generall all soe. The honor whereof as in some sorte you may appropriate soe you cannot but perticipate & communicate the benifit. The parable in the Gospell telleth us of a greate Kinge that maried his sonne & bad manye there vnto, yet vpon the excusalle of some & refusall of others All of what Condicion soeuer as well out of the high wayes as out of the high places we weere called and invited, As euery true Christian hath an interest in the mariage of that Kinges sonne of hea- ven, soe euerie good subiect aswell as euery great subiect hath an interest in the Mariage & well feare of the Kinges sonne here one earth which occasions soe manye, and me amongst those manye the meanest to wishe that it may bringe with it glorie to God on high good will and peace to them on earth which is much doubted cannot be from Spayne, since the motioninge of the Match bringes a generall feare yet that it cann neither be safe for the Kinges person nor good for the Church and Common weale becase that thereby thereby, there maye be inlett to the Romishe locusts, whoe like the cankerworme, may in an instant smite oure Gourd, vnder whose shaddowe wee sit safe. And then what may wee feare but the heate of persecution & dissencion to beate vpon the heade of Ionah (the best affected of Gods people) whoe cannot but fainte & wishe with Ionah to die rather then to see & indure that daye. for what will not they attempt against our goodlie Ceader tree, that the vine that theire left hand Shall plaint may growe vpp and they be sheltred vnder the branches./

But herein it is hoped, that God will enable the state soner to make preuencion of their mischife then tryall of theire affeccion for as noe person hath wounded them more deeplye soe there is noe person they hate more deadlie. And if they murdred the least two Henryes of France because they suspected them to fauour protestantes howe doe they burne in malice against him that hath professed him- selfe and blased them to his glorie and theire shame. And it is as vnsafe for men as vnpleasinge to God to reley vpon them. Henry of Burbon father to H. the 4. drawne by an inmaginarye Crowne of Sardinia, and the prince of the same lefte the protestantes both in pro- fession and person and became a persecutor of those whose protector hee was: but while'st hee cast his hopes in Spaine, Spaine decei- ved him of his Crowne And God in iustice (whoe neuer leaues anie man that leaves not him first) gaue him ouer to violent death, for a bullet toke him in his owne trenches beseiginge the protestantes in Roane Henry the 4. what battilles did hee fight, & what dangers did he eschape, euen to admiracion whilest whilest he was in defiance with Pope & Spanniard: but when in policie & wordley respect he submitted hee tas- ted the same sower grapes that sett his fathers teeth on edge. first a younge Iosuit smote him on the mouth & then a papist Rauiliack stabbed him to the hearte Whereas Queene Elizabeth the hapiest instrument of Gods glory for her sexe since the most blissed virgin notwith- standinge fewe frindes she had abroade, & the diuisions at home when she came to the Crowne beinge alone Woman yet she refused the Kinge of Spaine beinge the first and earnest suytor by the Earle of Floria his Imbassador And not-withstandinge the thundringe of the Popes bulls & Spannishe cannons openly or the workinge of his pistols priuatelie weere able to cutt of soe much as the lap of her coate, or to diminishe an heire (Much lesse the Crowne) of her heade and his Majestie that nowe is, continewinge constant in the same Religion she professed contineweth noe lesse miraculosley in Gods protexton then she did And thought there weere by but one protestant Kinge or prince in Christendomme then, besides himselfe these rather to match this, then with all the wealth of Spaine or anie other popishe Prince what therfore his Majestie hath giuen by precept to the prince in his booke & by presedent in his owne person will vndoubtedlie bee expected, And as all good men doe hope will assuredlie be performed. For as the prince proclaimes the Kinge his father by his wonderfull likenes and resemblance of the Kinge himselfe; soe it is hoped hee will neuer appeare vnlike vnto him in his other virtues, soe particularlie in the choise of his second selfe which soe neerly concernes himselfe (as your Lordshipp allsoe in your own paticuler) as none cann bee to circumspect especiallie since not a Somersett a Suffolke or a Secrettary onely but the the first man, the strongest man & the wisest man that euer was, though they weere all good men and tipes of Christ yet they weere hereby by tempted & deceyved.

To addresse this poore discourse more particularly to your Lordshipp Kinges haue allmost euer vsed to haue their fauorites, Allexander had a long tyme his Ephestion H. the 3. of France had his Espernon & Philipp of Spaine his Lermai yea the best princes haue not wanted them, for after the Reckoninge of Davids greate officers Hushay the Arkite called the Kinges freind. and Iea the Iarit is set downe to haue bine cheife aboute David which stands with reason and agrees with nature, for euery priuate man is left to affect as hee likes best neither cann affection be forced Nowe to disalowe or that in a Kinge which is left at at libertie in the meanest Subiecte weere prepostruous & iniurious for though they commanded nations as they are Kinges, yet are they subiecte to theire passions as they are men And if I may alledge it with out misinterpretacion of others as I ame free from anie illmeaninge in my selfe, who knowes not but that Christ, the reather to shew himselfe a naturall man expresseth soe much the more his passions in his often weepinge and his affeccion diuerse perticulers, but especiallie to St. Iohn if I maye not saye a favorite yet certanlye a disciple whome Iesus loued more then anie of the rest it is gods blissinge and your happines (if you rightlie accoumpt of it) to be the Kinges favorite as Peter therfore not presuminge to aske Christ or whoe it was he spake of, beckninge to the Disci- ple whome Iesus Loued (in whose breast hee leaned) to aske for him soe since men neither may or ought to be soe bould to aske or advise the Kinge in this busines soe much spoken of yet they poynte at you whoe the higher you are you are in the Kinges favour the more you are in the peoples eyes & obseruance and they expect yow will not bee wantinge in the dutye of a subiect, a councellor afauorite But as your reasons & perswasions are knowen to haue the best oppertunitie to be deliuered and the more credit to be beleeued soe in this case to bee as Moses (one of Godes greatest fauorites and famillier servantes) to stand in the gapp and diuert this plague (for soe in the most mens iudgementes and the voice of Godes people it is hard howe gloriouse soeuer or howe necessarie it seeme out- wardlie, I ame confident yow thinke the Kinges fauour & your fortunes are not for your owne endes alone, or for an ill end at all wee haue latelie seene the ende of those whoe haue purposed such endes. for promocion comes neither from the East nor from the West as a casuall thinge thinge but as Godes to the prouidence to the fall of a sparrowe soe much more to the rise of a seruant And whoe knoweth not but the same hande which raysed Ioseph in Egipt, hath aduanced yow in England for the like end. To parable yow in noe disparagment yow are younger brother by the second mariage, as Ioseph was a fayre person & well fauoured as Ioseph was the Kinge hath for honour altered your name, as Ioseph was, yow haue honoured & enriched your kindred as Ioseph did; (for hee gaue them the Lande of Goshen for theire maintenance And for the greater honour Ioseph's kindered was made knowen vnto Pharoh and yours to your our Ceasar Nowe my Lord since yow followe Ioseph soe neare & soe farr leaue not to the end. Ioseph was sent before to provide breade for Godes people to preuent famine, and since yow are set vpp for whey whey maye not wee thinke of of yow, as Mordecay said of Hester, who knowes not yow become to the Kingdome of for such a tyme endeauour both to prevente and provide that there ensue not any famine or dearth of spiri- tuall breade in this Land, whether neither that this wee haue bee either mingled or made vnsavorie with the Romish leaven, wee doe not reade of anie seruante almost better respected of his Lord and Master then Eleazer of Damascus whome Abraham had ment (had hee died childles) to haue made his heire: and wee reade not of anie seruice he did Abraham more or at least greater then in choice of a wife for his sonne Isacke Amounge the seruantes of our Patri- arch the defender of our the fayth, wee obserue none bet- ter respected then your selfe for the Kinge hath manifested hee loues not your person onlye but takes care for of your soule & labours to make as good as greate, and as happie in and an other wourld as high in this yet wee knowe not where in yow cann doe him service more, then with Eleazer to helpe chose a Rebecka for our princly Isacke & Abrahams In iunction is a good direccion not to take her amounge the Cannanites Princes in respecte of their hapines & other mens mi- seryes, seeme to be placed in an earthlie paradice havinge power to taste of euery tree in the garden where allsoe hauinge soe manie Royall branches and princly Stockes to grauft yf they shall onlye meddle with the forbidden fruite howe dan- gerous and woefull is theire Condicion for the Serpent will not onlye beguile the woman but the Philistians will intreate dalilaz & shee will beetraye Sampson soe while they plowe with our Heifer they will vnfould all our riddles, and and vndoe our estate Besides what language soeuer the father speakes the birth doth vsuallie followe the belly, and children most commonlye speakes theire mother toonge tnge tongue And wheresoeuer then is this babell, there is confusion, not of tges tongues onlye but of states Where as Christ Church is like his coate closlie wouen & at vnitye within it selfe although some ignorant Separists seeke to finde or rather to make an hole in our coate and Church which the Papistes lye in waite to make the rent worse & the desperate Iesuit if he cann will make it past amendinge it, for wheresoeuer they come they torne Christes coate into Dianices garment which settes Hercules on fyer soe sett they others in combustian. The reason is their first founder was as soldier, & euer since the way of peace haue they not knowne, at least not loued to ins- tance in particuler not vnfitt for the present purpose wee haue not heard of anie protestant Kinge that euer Maried with a contrarye Religion sauinge the last Henry of Navaire with the last Margarete of France which mariage was soe in- fortunate to the parties hauinge neuer issue, & beinge after- ward diuorsed was allsoe knowne that there was more blood spilt at those Nuptialles, then wine spent, for while the protestantes dreamed of the glorie & securetie they should haue by the match they weere most miserablie massacred And who doubtes by but what the french papistes committed againste theire owne Cuntry vpon that color & occasion the Spannishe papists would not bee glad to see done on this Kingdome vpon the like for without the breach of Charitie wee maye doubte of theire sincere meaninge though there bee a treatie of a matche since in 88. whilest there was a treatie of peace the Spannishe Armadoes came vpon vs yf therfore wee will be led by precept or example wee shall finde it was forbiden the best people of the wourld; and it vndid one of the best Princes of the wourld to marye with one differinge in Religion the coniunccion the reasons and effectes are laied downe in Deuterinomy to the Iewes that they should not take anie daughters of the neighboringe nations, though greater & Mightier then them themselues themselues to bee wifes to theire sonnes, for they will cause theire sonnes to torne from God & to serue other godes: then will the Lord waxe hott against them & distroy them suddanly All which is verefied in Soloman the wisest Kinge that euer was, whoe maried one of the greatest Kinges daughters that then was yet wee see then, that the weakest Sexe withdrewe the wisest man for Soloman became an Idolater his sonne a foole, his Subiectes rebelled & the best parte of his Kingdome rent from his pa posteritie foreuer Though Israell sinn yet let not Iuda trans- gresse & though Soloman one of the sonnes of David Maried and miscarried with Pharohes daughter, yet let not Isaacke the onelie sonne of our Abraham doe as some of the sonnes of our God haue done whoe because they see, that the daugh- ters of men bee (for out ward and politicke respect) faire take the wiues of them, from whence came monstrous enormities which like the olde giantes, fight against God and all godlines but as God doubtles hath made his Covenante with the Kinge as hee did with Abraham, as hee hath brought him out of one Coun- trey into abetter as hee did Abraham, & as hee did put into the Kinges hearte to take a late Iournie as Abraham did, from the South of the place where his Courte had beene at the begininge to giue thankes to the Lord, the same God put into the Kinge the same minde hee put into Abraham to choose a Rebecca amoungste those of the same Spirituall kindred whoe call all vpon one God the father, and doe acknowledge the one and the same Church to bee their mother, that it bee with the prince (as in manie respectes soe this) as it was with Isaacke whoe tooke Rebecca to wife whoe loued her and brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother, and was comforted after theire mothers death. Nowe if from the wourd of God (which settes downe the vnlawfullnesse of those Matches with Aliens & Strangers from Godes Covenant) wee discend downe into our bookes of Chronicles wee shall finde that God hath Crost if not curste our Aliance and associacion particulerly with the Spannishe Natione the position of that Cuntrye & the disposicion of that people, beinge as it weere soe Mallignant Mallignant & ill agreeinge, The prince of the greatest performanc that euer Kingdome or Christendome had was the blacke Prince, & yet our Chronoclies recorde, that hee goeinge into Spaine to settle Don Pedro in that Kingdome besides the monstrous ingra- titude and perfidiousnes of that Spanniard, whoe failed in the performance of his Condicions which hee had pro- mised which caused that miserable Revolt in France to the losse of our inheritance the prince was soe poysoned in that kingdome that he neuer had his health afterward./

But to come neere to our purpose & our owne tymes which are little the better for our Spannish frenshipp, I beseech your Lordshipp obserue that all the mariages of the heires & princes of this crowne made in England for this last sixescore yeares (except the seuerall matches of H.8. haue bine onely and noe where els but Spaine which howe little God hath bissed the successe shewes. Prince Artur maried the Kinge of Spaines daughter wee knowe God tooke him awaye suddenlie in a small tyme & with out issue, In polliticke respect wee would needes make a second match soe Prince Henry (after wardes Kinge) maried the same daughter but doubtlesse God was lesse pleased with the match that was leste law- full, And therefore God tooke a waye all the male chil- dreen of it, and lefte onely a daughter in whose short Raigne was shed more blood for the true religion in 6. yeares, then for the faulse in these succeedinge 60. yeares wee made then a third adventure & maried with Spaine. Queene Mary with Kinge Phillipp, which was soe discontentinge to the people that it caused ryottes Rebellion, soe dis- comfortable to the Queene that it brake her harte, & soe dishonorable & preiudicyall to this kingdome, that meerly for the Spanniardes sake wee hauinge noe differance at all with France wee lost Callice in 6. dayes which had beene about 200 yeares in our possession. Nowe if I maye make bould rather to adde then to replie & for observacion of the Contrary rather then for immitacion of the present for though I haue not soe much Iudgment nor soe little witt witt to presume to advise weere where to match, yet I assure me soe much as to thinke a match at whome cannot bee held anie wayes inconvenient wee finde the first & last of our Kinges that matched with theire Subiectes, weere Edward the 4. and Henry the 8. from which two matches God as it weere to shewe the lesse wee relie vpon others abroad, the more he will help vs him selfe at home, gaue two daughters 2. Elizabethes 2. such Queenes, then which there was neuer such blissed Instru- mentes of Gods glorie and his Kingdomes good, by establishinge peace within this land and Religion in the Church, vntill his Majesties happie comminge who brought both with him./

Thus my Lord haue I made bould to lay my poore single myte at your feet, the manie may talentes that yow haue cannot be better imployed then thus to make yow here & hereafter (ever) a faythfull servant to both your masters; yf yow would lay in waite for an opper- tunitie (which is happilie purposely offered yow) for advan- cinge God his glorie & your honor: yow cannot finde nor invent an occasion more pleasinge to God or more plausible to the best & most men, then in disswadinge privately & opposinge publiquelie by your Solid reasons this Spannish match. Since whatsoeuer the occasions & necessities of the Crowne bee, it will finde more support, by castinge it selfe into the Armes of the Subiect (which are the howses of parlyament) then by seekinge to any forraine fawninge or inviouse enimye: where- unto whensoeuer wee leaue and trust wee shall finde them Egiptiam reedes and their intencions bent rather to supplant vs then supply vs.

By him that is not ambitious, because not worthey, nor yet not afraid, because not ashamed to bee knowen to your Lordshipp in this busines.

Thomas Alured./