reliquos Principes impendentis metus commune faceret, & inprimis ad M. V. nulla interpofita mora, referret. Sed ea eft M. V. fingularis vigilantia, tantum communis Chriftianorum boni ftudium, ut & illos, ad quos ipfa potiffimùm vel temporum, vel locorum ratione pertinent pericula, animadvertat. Antevertit M. V. & hunc Sereniffimi Regis mei nuncium, idque ultrò præftitit quod poftulandum erat, cùm eidem hofti fe Regie M. Domini mei clementiffimi amicum effe, nec ei ullo in difcrimine deeffe poffe, nunciavit. Qua in re agnofcit R. M. verè magnum, verè regium, verè Chriftianum M. V. animum; agnofcit fraternum ergà fe affectum, quem gratif fimi teftificatione animi profequitur, ac profitetur, nihil tam grave, nihil tam difficile, nihil tam periculofum fore, quod viciffim M. V. caufa aggredi recufet. Moveantur utinam tam præclaro M. V. exemplo reliqui Chriftianorum Principes, velintquè potiùs tam gloriofi laboris effe cooperatores, quàm fegnes & otiofi Spectatores alieni periculi, peffundaturi quandoquè popria, dum vicina negligunt. Id verò ufu venire noftro, fi Diis placet, credant cautiores, exemplo, quos neglella Græcia, deferta Pannonia, in has conjecit auguftias. Et nos quidem eam quam cælum tulerit fortem feremus, renovatori Saguntinorum fidei, Tyriorum conftantiæ, & fi quid ufquam fortiter actum, exempla; cæterùm vicini noftri provideant, qua ratione animos firmare poffint, ad fimiles, vel (avertant omen fuperi) graviores cafus tolerandos. Nequè putent tyrannum, cujus animum humiles Sarmatarum cafe ad tam deteftandum impulerunt perjurium, fan&tiora habiturum vicinitatis jura quæ cum eis jecerit, quorum urbibus mercatura florentiffimis, opibus præftantiffimis, ædificiorum cultu Splendiffimis, jamdudum inhiat. Non detinebunt hæc, fed allicient, non extinguent, fed inflammabunt facrilegam per nefas propagandi imperii fitim. Quis enim non videt hoc unum Tyrannum intendere, quod in majorum ejus multo tempore agitatum conftet fuiffe confilio, ut occupatâ patentiffimâ in omnes Europe partes regione, omnis grani feraciffimâ, ominium ad claffem inftruendam, armandamquè neceffariorum refertiffima, innumeris fuis copiis opima apperiat horrea, navium ingentem præparet copiam, quibus Balthicum occupet finum, tranfiturus in Oceanum, ut fic binis claffibus, velut alis, ab utroque mari Europam premat, & opprimat; terreftres copias per apertiffimos, quà Poloniam fpectat, campos, in Germaniam effundat, quà euntem non montium clauftra retinere, non fluminum rapacitas poterit retardare? Volvebat bec Solymannus animo, agitabant ejus pofteri, nec ulla aliâ ab co confilio deterritos eos fuiffe conftat ratione, quàm quòd crederent univerfos confpiraturos Chriftianos, ad tuendum boc Regnum, ex cujus falute totius Europa pendeat integritas. Nec deerant illo avo tam magnanimi Principes, qui maluiffent opum, ac vitæ propriæ detrimentum facere, quàm vicini fibi populi falutem periclitantem deferere. Hæc noftrâ ætate, prob dolor! multi non intelligunt, negligunt nonnulli, & quod dolendum magis, accerfunt ultrò ad communem omnium perniciem, perfidum nominis Chriftiani hoftem, indigni Chriftiano nomine, Barbaris ipfis execrabiliores. Unum Te habent, Sereniffime Rex, bæc noftra tempora, qui pro fingulari tua prudentia animadvertiti, & judicafti per latus Poloniæ univerfam peti Europam, ac ejus periculum ad omnes pertinere Chriftianos; folenne Ottomanorum effe bella ex bellis quærere, & regna regnis cumulare, qui non contenti Afia, Africæ, & majoris Europa partis imperio, quicquid reliquum Gg 2 est eft præde deftinant: nec fibi per religionem licere aliter poffe opinantur. Videt hæc M. V. fingula, unde & hanc gloriam est confecuta, ambigentibus cæteris Principibus quid fentirent, folam M. V. quid Chriftiane Reip. expediret, maximè & vidiffe, & eligiffe, autoremquè reliquis extitiffe, ut, dum licet, mutuis auxilliis, communibus fubfidiis tante imaniffimi boftis obviam eant libidini, cujus opes inteftinis ipforum diffidiis eô creverunt potentia. Perge porrò, Invi&tiffime Rex! & hanc dextram non armis magis quàm pietate notam, tuam fidem imploranti, porrige Poloniæ. Defenfor fidei es, commune Numen ne blafphemetur, provide, imitêre majores tuos, quibus baud grave fuit è propriis Barbaros eruere latebris, & ultimæ Syria finibus Britannici nominis gloriam terminare. Abundè ampliffimis Majeftatis Veftræ ditionibus fuppetunt, quæcunque ad reprimendas potentiffimi hoftis vires requiruntur. Procerum copia, populi multitudo, omnis generis apparatus, vis immenfa; ne patiatur Majeftas Veftra peritiffimos rei militaris Anglos, bellicofiffimos Scotos, Hybernos ferociffimos, conjunctiffimi Majeft. Veftræ Regis, & amiciffime gentis, difcrimina fpectare otiofos, ac tam latè ferpens incendium in propriâ potiùs opperiri domo, quàm in vicina, dum licet, reftinguere. In alieno difcrimine propria curare pericula, nec præfentia duntaxat intueri, fed futura profpicere, erit celebrate Majeftatis Veftræ prudentiæ, erit & magnanimitatis, quam uterquè admirabitur orbis, quam fera prædicabit pofteritas, quam fervata venerabitur Polonia. Sereniffimus verò Rex meus utì nunc particularem Majeftatis Veftræ ergà fe affectum, quâ poteft maximà animi gratitudine, complectitur, ità in pofterum eum fe Majeft. Veftræ declarabit amicum, qui & fecundus Majeftatis Veftræ rebus ex animo faveat, & adverfis, fi quæ impendeant, non fecùs quàm proprio commoveatur difcrimine. Moft Renowned KING, THE facred, royall Majefty of Poland, and Suethland, my most gracious Lord and Mafter, wishing unto your Majesty perfect, and long Health, most happy Succeffe in all your Defires, a flourishing, and peacefull Government over your most large Dominions, declareth, by the most ample Teftification bee may of particular Affection to your Majestie, the fingular Propenfion of a Minde, brotherly, and most ftudiously addicted to your Majesties Affaires, and obligeth himselfe by thefe Letters. And this Preface past, I most humbly befeech your Majefty, while 1 briefely declare the rest of my Emballage, to vouchsafe me your benigne Attention. T HE long concealed Poyfon in the Breft of the Ottomans, hath now at length broke forth, and the Mafke of many Yeeres faigned Friendfhip laid afide, Poland, the ftrongest Bulwarke of the Chriftian World, is affaulted with the univerfall Fury of the Barbarous. The Eat is filled with Noife of Preparation for Warre, the Seas are loaden with Navies, Afia is joyn'd to Europe, and what Forces Africa affoords, are arm'd for our Deftruction. Into the Society of fo great a Warre there come the hereditary Enemies of our Name, the Tartars; there comes also both the Dacians the Servians, Bulgars, Bofnians, Illyrians, Thracians, Epirotes, all all wilde, and barbarous People whatsoever, by Force, Rewards, Promises, Hopes of Prey, Defire of Revenge, are compel'd, allur'd, enraged. A lamentable Prologue to this bloudy Tragedy hath lately bin acted; cruell Dacia hath greedily drunke the firft Bloud, where the perfidious Enemy mindleffe of his past and present Leagues folemnely feal'd, and fworne, invading with innumerable Troopes the Territories of the King, my most clement Master, flue, to the fingular Loffe of the Christian Commonwealth, our small, but moft warlike Army opposed against him. For by that Victory the Courage of the barbarous, increased, and they growne infolent with fo happy Beginnings, have in Hope devoured all Europe, beeing fo farre transported either with Arrogance, or Madneffe, that even without * Gods Affent, they beleeve themselves able to deftroy our Nation, with fo great a Danger not onely of his owne, but of all other Chriftian Provinces, the facred Majeftie of my moft gracious Mafter being moved, hath determined with himselfe to forewarne other Princes of the imminent Perill, but especially, all Delay fet apart, to referre it to your Majeftie. But fuch is the fingular Vigilancy of your Majefty, fo great is the Study of the common Good of Chriftians, that you doe advertise them, to whom the Dangers in Respect either of Time, or Place chiefely belong; and your Majeftie preventeth even this Meffage of my most renowned King, and of your own Accord You have offered what wee fhould have fought, when to this felfefame Enemie, you declared your felfe Friend to the regall Majestie of my moft gracious Mafter, and that you would not for fake him in any Danger. Wherein his regall Majestie acknowledgeth your truely great, truely royall, truely Christian Minde; wherein hee acknowledgeth your Majefties brotherly Affection, which with the Teftification of a moft thankefull Heart, hee embraces, and profeffeth there is nothing fo grievous, fo difficult, fo dangerous, which hee would not likewife for your Majefties Caufe undertake. I would to God other Christian Princes might be moved by this most famous Example of your Majeftie, and that they would rather be fellow Labourers in fo glorious a Worke, then idle and flothfull Spectators of others Danger, fince by neglecting their Neighbours, they cannot but at length ruine themselves. Which how likely it is to come to paffe, they may, if Heav'n bee pleas'd, beleeve, forewarned by the Example of our felves, whom neglected Greece, forfaken Hungary have caft into these present Straights. And furely wee fhall fuffer whatsoever Heav'n impofeth with Refolution to renew the Examples of the Saguntines Faith, Tyrians Conftancie, or of what Fortitude hath elfe beene found; but let our Neighbours forethinke how they fhall prepare their Mindes to endure the like, or (which Heav'n forbid) greater Calamities. Neither let them once imagine the Tyrant, whofe Minde the poore Sarmatian Cottages drew to so deteftable Perjury, wil efteeme more holy the Rights and Lawes of Neighbourhood *When the chiefe Muphty, at the Inftance of Scanaber Basfha, Generall against the Polonians, appointed folemn Prayers in their Mofchites for the good Succeffe of his Armie, the Great Turke he forbid them, faying, that without any Aide from God, they were fure by their own Forces to deftroy the Polonians. which he fhall make with them, after whofe Cities moft flourishing in Merchandise, moft excelling in Riches, most beautifull in Buildings, hee hath long gaped. Thefe Things will not keepe backe, but draw him on, they will not quench, but inflame his facrilegious Thirft of enlarging his Empire by all both inhumane, and irreligious Wickedneffe. For who fees not the Tyrant onely to intend that which is knowne to have beene long Time debated in the Counfell of his Predeceffors, that by poffeffing a Country yeelding easiest Acceffe into all Parts of Europe, moft fertile of all Kinde of Graine, most replenished with all Neceffaries to build, and arme a Navie, hee might open plentifull Granaries to his numberleffe Armies, and prepare infinite Shipping, by which beeing Mafter of the Balthike Sound, hee might paffe into the Ocean, and fo with two Navies, as it were with two Wings, by both the Seas, preffe, and oppreffe Europe; that he might through moft open Countries, and Plaines powre into Germany, by thofe Quarters it bordereth with Poland, his Land Forces, where are no Clofure of Mountaines to reftraine, no Swiftneffe of Rivers to fore-flowe his Journey? This, long fince, Solyman and his Succeffors caft in their Minde, neither were they, as it is manifeft, by any other Reafon deterred from that Purpose, then for that they beleeved, all Chriftians would confpire to defend that Kingdome, on whofe Safety the good Eftate of all Europe depended. Neither did there want in that Age Princes fo magnanimous, that they rather chofe to fuffer Loffe of Substance, yea of Life, then to forfake the endangered Safety of their neighbour Nation. But many in this our Age apprehend not, with Griefe I fpeake it, thefe Things, fome neglect them, and which is more to be lamented, industriously invite this faithleffe Enemie of the Chriftian Name, of which they are unworthy, and then the Barbarous themfelves more execrable, to the common Deftruction of all. Thefe our Times, moft Renowned King! finde onely you, who in your fingular Wifedome have confidered, and understood that all Europe is ftrooke at through the Sides of Poland, and that the Danger toucheth all Chriftians; that to feeke Warres after Warres, and heape Kingdomes to Kingdomes, is cuftomary with the Turkes, who, not fatisfied with the Empire of Afia, Africa, and greater Part of Europe, defigne what e're remaines for Prey, and according to their Religion, imagine it is not lawfull for them to doe otherwife. All these Things your Majeftie well fees, and thereby hath attained the Glory, whiles other Princes ftand doubtfull what to thinke, alone to have understood, and chofen what was behovefull for the Chriftian Common-wealth, and to have beene Author to the reft, of refifting, by mutuall Aides, and common Succours, the fo great Rage of a moft cruell Enemy, whofe Fortunes have growne unto this Height of Power by their inteftine Difcords. Proceede then, O moft invincible King! and reach out this your Hand, not more knowne by Armes then Piety, to afflicted Poland imploring your Helpe. You are Defender of the Faith; take then Care that our common Deity be not blafphemed; imitate your Predeceffors, who held it not burthenfome to rowze the Barbarous out of their owne Dens, and ftretch unto the Bounds of fartheft Syria, the Glory of the British Name. In your Majesties most ample Territories all Things abound which which are requir'd to repreffe the Force of the most potent Enemy; Store of Nobility, Multitude of People, Provifions of all Kinde, immeafurable Power. Let not your Majefty fuffer the English most experienced in military Affaires, the most warlike Scoth, the fierce and moft couragious Irish idly to behold the Dangers of a King moft joyn'd in Friendship, and of a Nation mostaffected to your Majefty; and rather to expect in their own Roofes fo large a fpreading Flame, then, whiles they may, extinguish it in their Neighbours. To provide in others Danger for your owne, nor to caft your Eye only on prefent, but also on future Things, belongs to your Majefties celebrated Wifedome, belongs to your Magnanimitie, which either World fhall admire, which long Pofteritie fhall report and praife, which preferved Poland shall reverence. And my most renowned King, as for the prefent hee imbraceth with all poffible Thankefulneffe, the particular Affection of your Majeftie towards him, fo in all Time to come, he will declare himfelfe that Friend, which fhall from his Soule both favour your Majesties profperous Succeffes, and in adverse, if any fuch fhould chance, be no leffe mooved then with his proper Danger. A Relation of the Departure of the most Illustrious Prince of WALES, from Madrid the Ninth of September, this present Yeare. 1623. Stilo Novo. To Don ALONSO NELI DE REIBADENEYRA, Lord of Vega de Porras, neere to Valladolid. T HE Wonder of Cordoua (Seneca, Romes Mafter,) faid, that the first Point of Ingratitude, was to bee forgetfull of a Benefit. Thofe which I receiv'd from Don Francefco de Reibadeneyra, a Knight of the Order of Santiago, Father to your Worthines, I cannot in Gratitude paffe over in Silence, for acknowledging whereof, I may well fay (that the Sonne of Reason and Recognition rofe in me early) and moreover by an hereditary Bequeathment, Sonnes put their Fathers in Mind, what I ftood endebted in to yours, whereof I now pay a part, laying at the Feete of your Cenfure, (for the Discharge of my Office, in Refpect of your Wit, and more then humane Parts) this laft Difcourfe, of the Departure and Magnificences of the Prince, except the Shallowneffe of my owne Braine abate fome Graines of the due Eftimate. Fare you well. Andrez de Mendoza, The Comming of the illuftrious Prince of Wales into thefe Kingdomes, being the ftrangest Occurrent that in a royall Perfon the World hath for many Ages feene, which dafht and obfcured all ancient Patternes and Examples, it aftonished whole Nations, and raifed up affured Hopes of great Profperities and: |