Book X, Chapter 59

NOt Spayne this while, that held for France great Signories, did sleepe,
But through the Fingers into It, with lusting Eyes, did peepe:
At least, by nourishing those Broyles, all got She hopes to keepe.
For It, whose Scituation so Spayns scattred Realmes disioynes,
Her Teeth had watred long, and now, to weaken France her Loynes,
Gainst France she France doth strēgthē with the Soother of her gold:
And for that Purchace to the Diuell, is fear'd, her Soule is sold.
Directions also came from Rome, that setteth all on fier:
That, by what Right or wrong so ere, the Guize should still aspier:
To send the royall Bloods to Heauen or Hell, it skils not how:
Were Pardons sent for Murthers: Buls to clear Alleageance vow:
That, on Damnation, none perswade, much lesse of Peace allow.
And not alone gainst France this League was halowed, but gainst all
That worke the Gospell to erect, whereby the Pope might fall:
Was more than time, troe we, to goe, should not the Church vs call.
But call did they, and come did we, and to their labors fall,
When weare their Townes demolished, with Slaughters thear not small.

This busie Head of that bad League (for yet the monstrous Beath
Of Sextus Quintus and the Diuell, the grand League, had not breath)
This Guize bereft vs Calice, and in France our Peeces all:
Then fell in hand with Scotland, thence with vs in hand to fall:
This, in his Neece the Scottish Queene her Claime, did all he might
To dispossesse Elizabeth our Queene of regall right:
This on the infant-Person of his naturall King had seazde:
And prosecuted now in France what Violence him pleasde:
The Popes sworne Butcher, and proud Spayns fore-Runner, to prepare
Her waies for France & England, which their Owners cannot spare:
This with the blood of Innocents made Channels ouer-floe:
Against this Cham, and his Beau-Peeres, inuited English goe.
Els, saue that God can all, was feard Religion should haue quaild,
And Spanyards, nestling ouer neere, had easlier vs assaild:
For on the Theator of France, the Tragedie was ment
Of England too: Wherefore our Queene her Interruptors sent.

How Ambrose, Earle of Warwick, did in Frāce high Feates not few:
How bloodie Claudie, Duke of Guize, a common Souldier slew:
How Francis, sonne of that Guize, did ciuill Broyles renew:
The persecuting Francis, Charles, and Henries, hence a-dew:
Which Kings, as said, to work themselues French Monarchs Atheists playd,
Or doting ouermuch on Rome, their Realme & selues betrayd:
The skarlet Borbone, whom the Guize a painted French King made:
Salcedo fayling Monsiurs Death, which did the League conspier:
The Prince of Orenge, murthred through Farnesian Parmas hier:
Renoumed Condie poysned, in his time the Leaguers feare:
How Pope-sent Saunders gainst our Queene in Ireland Armes did beare:
(For Leaguers then in Pollicie preuented Lettes each-wheare,
By Armies, or Armadas, or their scattred Iesuists, who
Haue had small cause to brag that they with England had to doe:)
The often sworne and for-sworne Peace, that hapned in the while
Queene-Mother, Phillip, Pope and Guise, the French Kings did begile:
Queene-Mother for Ambition of imployment, King of Spayne,
To make his Vsurpations sure, yea France it selfe to gaine,
The Pope to keepe his pompe in plight, Guise for the regall Ring:
How all, though drifting d[…]ffringly, at length to ende did bring
The House Valoys, of Capets Stocke, which Stocke had quite decaide,
But that it pleaseth God the Crowne in B[…]rbons House is staide:
How till the Barricados Feast, when Guise vn-vizard was,
Vnder Religions Cloake the Routes in wasted France did pas,
And after then, both Hugenote, and Papist too, if frend
Vnto Valoys, or Burbon, sound like Enmitie, or end:
Of Sauoy, (hoping France) his Aydes, and […]ll successe in all:
How Guise, and Lorraine, in the Pit for Henrie dig'd did fall:
How Frier Iames, Pope-blest, and brib'd of May[…]e, did Henrie kill:
How vnto Mayne, pursewing Broyles, it wrought not to his will:
The Massacres, and Stratagems, did in these Tumults chance:
How God in all his Warres did blesse Nauar, now King of France:
And how, next God, that Frāce is French our Queene is Author cheef,
All These, thus blanch't, we leaue, and shall of Belgick be as breefe.

But be it first remembred how, euen for the Parents sinne,
God plagueth in Posteritie: as came to passe, I winne,
In second Henries, of the Church reform'd a bloudie Foe,
(Though otherwise a worthie Prince, nor tache we him but so)
And Katherine de Med[…]s, whose Athisme wrought much woe.
These had sowre Sonnes, not one of which did die a naturall death,
All […], […] Males none extant on the Earth[…]
No maruell, euen to Dauids Seede, for Dauid[…] sinne, hap't such:
And though the holy Writ containes that Storie, yeat to tuch
This Purpose, let vs heare it here: Example vrgeth much.