A Discoure Concerninge The Marrige: Propounded to: Prince Henry with: a: Daughter of Florence Written by Sr: Charles: Cornewallis beinge: The: Princes: Treasr: att The Princes: Commandement

The Alliance with Florance by Marriage of your highnes with a sister of that Duke: bringes with it neithr. to the kinge nor to your selfe aney Addition of streinght or diminution of doubtes; the two princapall markes that in all marriages and Coniunctions of that nature are Aymed att.

The Cuntrey of that Duke is farre remote & therefore of it selfe utterly un apte to yealde yow aney helpe if by acci dent you should haue occasion to use it.

His forces are hardly able to defende his owne estates . if either by the kinge of Spaine or the Pope ioyned with aney other the princes of Italy they should bee att aney tyme invaded.

The Affections (of that Duke and estate are allredy espowsed to your most suspected freindes and Assuredst enemyes. The late workinge of these Conjunctions betweene them to the engreatinge of them & perrill of us haue made it manifest. They haue by those meanes weakned us a broade; and by this Coniunction theire designe may bee to doe the like att home.

Ther e pollices and plottes of fflore nce haue seldome or neur wanted an especiall regard . to the Chayre of Rome From that see they haue Receued there greatest honnor. & from that Tripple Crowne they still hope and . exspecte the diadem of a kinge; whereunto they haue all redy made a st eppe by acquiringe that of the great Duke of Hetearia.

Noe parte nor place the kinge your fathers Courte or your owne will bee free from the eyes & undrstandinges of some that shall from tyme to tyme bee shuffled into there trayne . and little doubte there is but from that Florentine fountyne & Source of practises whereof soe bitter an exsperiance hath bine had by our neighbour Cuntreys; both Intelligences will bee given & plottes used to putt us into faccions & Garboyles to searue only ends abroad . & perhapes those of our greatest enemyes.

In noe one thinge earthly can they more merrit either of that Romane Chaire Chayre or of those kinges whome they haue of late soe stroungly & streightley united . then by drawinge this monnarchey . haueinge soe maney yeares Continued the nurse & protector of the Religion reformed . into a devission Within With in it selfe and into a suspition with all those fryndes whome a greement in religion (the surest bound that a moungst men is to bee found) soe streightly united /

The Coniunn ction moued is Collaterall not Line all and therefore more then the portion prsently to bee given noe other ayde or Assistance to bee hereafter hoped.

That serpent of Corruption which not with standing the frost of soe maney yeares disgraced wherewith it hath bine in these kingdomes, benumn ed hath yet lived & heald up the head . would nowe by receuinge a parte of her nowe into our bosome . recouer newe warmth and streinght and bee in abled againe to endaunnger us with her poyson /

There can in Reason bee little Chasticement expected for receauinge of Jesuites & preaistes the only mothes and myners of this Common Wealth or for saying or hearinge of Masse when undr. the roofe of the house of his Matie: & your highnes & soe neare unto your persons . both the one & the other shall bee daily tollerated.

His Maty that hath in all the tyme of his gouerment showed soe great an Intire regard to Justice cannot soe well with his honnor. demonstrate soe great an Inequalitey as to punish those thinges in his people abroad that hee alloweth and . permitteth in his Chamber att home.

Weare it that this Allyance might bee said to bring with it an enlargment of Dominion an Increase of revenew. or an honnor in it selfe in regard of an equalitey in blood . & dignitey . as was proiected in the marriage with Spaine / more approvable would it bee to our fryndes a broad whoe thereby might as occasion should require hope to participate of what should bee added unto us & to the Sub:ites att home / to whom the streinght & glorey of there Cuntrey would bee a Countrpoize against the distastes of ioyninge handes with a Religion they soe much abhorre.

But your highnes in this expectes . noe Amplifiinge of dominion nor Augmentacion of revenew’ more our whatsoeuer shall bee given in redy money or the most parte of it must passe into the kinge your fathers purse. your selfe obliged to a newe charge which will bee looked for to become sutable to your owne high estate & the portion that shall bee given in marriage your owne meanes beeinge but little or nothinge att all enabled / nor your person honnored marryinge with a dowghter though of a great Duke and a prince absolute with out aney nominnall subiection to aney yet not free from dependance in regard that for the principalest partes of his territors hee is feeudatory to the Tto the Empire and receaueth the Investiture of other of his estates from his mightey near bour the kinge of Spaine with out whose favour . hee shall euer haue cause to live with some feare /

Neather is that house much graced with theire towe 2 late mariages with Fraunce: ( the first beeing with a younger sonne then not like to bee come a kinge;) and the successe such as will euer continewe a woefull memorey in the hartes of that nation: the second with a kinge whoe in regard of his havinge an other wife then alive / & some other Contractes . challenged . att his handes / to whose Children hee had avowed him selfe a father / was rather Contented to accepte of a valley offred him with ease / then to Aspire to a mountayne with with those his incumbars of estate & Conscience Considred, was not likely wis to stoope to him /

It is trewe that in all other forreigne partes of Chrisendom. fitt for the regard es of your highnes eyes / yow are either prouccupated by those late marriages . agreead upon in Fraunce or Spaine; or there arise alike doubtes & ac except= ions for mattrs of differe nce in Religion / as of this in Flore nce (only those of (Germany excepted ). whoe allthough in respecte of theire depende nces . upon the Empire may in some sort bee taken for subtes . and not absolute in theire owne territoss; yet respectinge the Antiquity of theire houses . their Clearnes of blood. theire streinght by leagues & Confedracyes amoungst them selues & which is most Considerable theire Conformitey in Religion are in my weake Judgmt more parties for your highnes to Joyne with then those of Florence /

Your Conj unction with those of your owne Religion will demonstrate your cleare & undowbted Resolution not to declyne in the cause of god. This will fasten unto yow through out all Christ endome the proffessors of ye Reformation & will make yow deare to the subiectes of this kingdome: out of whoses loves yow may exspecte a permanent & Continuall treasure / not to bee equalled by the porcion of Florence weare it by maney degrees greater then can bee hoped: & whoes contrarey conceiptes upon a marriage in soe high a degree . distastfull unto them . is lickly to breed & in crease those obstructions , which haue lately bine sho wed uppon the demaundes of supply in Parlimt by the kinge your father.

Lastly might the estates . of ye united provinces out of Considration how much it may import them selues . to haue yow Joyned with those of ye Popes obedience be wrought to bee come Actors aswell in Recomendinge to your highnes a marriage in there neighbour Cuntreyes . as they weare out of there owne loues & respectes assistances att your Christninge yt maye perhapes drawe out an an Increase of some in Portion In portion and an obligation in them which may here after become of greater consequence & benefitte to your estate then what soeuer can be offered by be performed from Florence.

The like may bee wished and wrought with the subiectes att home if it shall please the kinge & yow soe much . to honnor . as to accquainte them with your Intencion to marey & with what the necessitey of the state will requirtte in portion are not likely to suffer your choyce (agreeinge in regard of Conformitey in Religion with there likeinge to bee shorte in portion to aney other what soeuer . that shall bringe with them soe maney inconveniences . as out of a Conjunction with a sister of Florence or one of soe different an opinion are to bee expected.