OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. 163 



diction, and superiority in those countries as he in 

 right could claim, or a prince well-minded would 

 seek to have : and, which is the greatest point, she 

 did by her advice, credit and policy, and all good 

 means, interrupt and appeach, that the same people 

 by despair should not utterly alien and distract them 

 selves from the obedience of the king of Spain, and 

 cast themselves into the arms of a stranger : insomuch, 

 that it is most true, that she did ever persuade the 

 duke of Anjou from that action, notwithstanding 

 the affection she bare to that duke, and the obstinacy 

 which she saw daily growing in the king of Spain. 

 Lastly, to touch the mighty general merit of this 

 queen, bear in mind, that her benignity and bene 

 ficence hath been as large as the oppression and 

 ambition of Spain. For to begin with the church of 

 Rome, that pretended apostolic see is become but a 

 donative cell of the king of Spain ; the vicar of Christ 

 is become the king of Spain s chaplain ; he parteth 

 the coming in of the new pope, for the treasure of the 

 old : he was wont to exclude but some two or three 

 cardinals, and to leave the election of the rest ; but 

 now he doth include, and present directly some 

 small number, all incapable and incompatible with 

 the conclave, put in only for colour, except one or 

 two. The states of Italy, they be like little 

 quillets of freehold being intermixed in the midst of 

 a great honour or lordship : France is turned upside 

 down, the subject against the king, cut and mangled 

 infinitely, a country of Rodamonts and Roytelets, 

 farmers of the ways : Portugal usurped by no other 

 title than strength and vicinity : the Low Countries 



