408 OBSERVATIONS ON A LIBEL. 



* 



against it, by their device of the inquisition, which 

 is a bulwark against the entrance of the truth of 

 God ; having, in recompence of their new purchase 

 of Portugal, lost a great part of their ancient patri 

 monies of the Low Countries, being of far greater 

 commodity and value, or at the least holding part 

 thereof in such sort as most of their other revenues 

 are spent there upon their own ; having lately, with 

 much difficulty, rather smoothed and skinned over, 

 than healed and extinguished the commotions of 

 Arragon ; having rather sowed troubles in France, 

 than reaped assured fruit thereof unto themselves ; 

 having from the attempt of England received scorn 

 and disreputation ; being at this time with the states 

 of Italy rather suspected than either loved or feared; 

 having in Germany, and elsewhere, rather much 

 practice, than any sound intelligence or amity ; 

 having no such clear succession as they need object, 

 and reproach the uncertainty thereof unto another 

 nation ; have in the end won a reputation rather of 

 ambition than justice; and, in the pursuit of their 

 ambition, rather of much enterprising than of for 

 tunate atchieving ; and in their enterprising, rather 

 of doing things by treasure and expence, than by 

 forces and valour. 



Now that I have given the reader a taste of 

 England respectively, and in comparison of the times 

 past, and of the states abroad, I will descend to 

 examine the libeller s own divisions, whereupon let 

 the world judge how easily and clean this ink, which 

 he hath cast in our faces, is washed off. 



The first branch of the pretended calamities of 



