A DECLARATION of the TRUE CAUSES of the GREAT TROUBLES presupposed to be intended against the REALME of ENGLAND. Wherein the indifferent Reader shall manifestly perceave by whome and by what Meanes the Realme is broughte into these pretented Perills. Seene and allowed. Anno M.D. LXXXII.

12mo.

Concerning this very rare Tract, see Herbert's Ames, p. 1719.

"Mr. Baker remarked to Mr. Ames, that this book is a very dangerous libel against the Queen and Government, but more particularly against the Lord Burghley, and his second son, Sir Robert Cecil. It was looked upon to be so dangerous a piece, as to receive an answer from Bacon, (afterwards Lord Verulam) printed at large in resuscitatio, under this title Certain Observations upon a Libell published this present Year, 1592, intituled as above, in about fifty pages in folio, very well worth reading, being a good antidote against the poyson contained in this book.' The libel, I presume, was printed abroad, containing too much treason to be published in England, and yet the print is English."

The author, by his stile and partiality to the Spanish monarchy, is presumed to be Parsons, the jesuit. Certain publications are specified at the conclusion of the volume, as intended for the express purpose of deluding the multitude. This part I should have quoted, but I find they are transcribed in Herbert.

The Tract is dated from Colen, March 26, 1592.

After the address to the "Indifferent Reader," the following verses are subjoined :

OF THE FAINED HAPPINESSE OF ENGLAND, THE VAUNT OF THE PRETENDED GOSPEL.

No triumphes of the gospells lighte,
But truthe that shyneth cleere,

Not wordes but actions just and righte,

Makes vertue to apeere:

See then what force this faith hath found,.

More then of elder dayes,

And let the vices that abound

Confirme the present praise..

THE BOAST OF CONTINUAL PEACE.

The tokens of continued peace

By plenty are best showen,

But signes of warr that dothe not ceasse,

By comon wants are known:

Such

Such is the peace we then preferr,

And eke our plenty so,

That thousands hath consumde in warr,

And millions left in wo.

THE PRESENT SEATE OF TROUBLES.

And all expyred dayes and yeares,

And famed pleasures past,

Converted are to sundry feares

Of dangers at the last :

Would God no former cause had beene,

Revenges to attend,

Since happinesse is ever seene

Best by the happy end.

In the body of the work is introduced the following Epitaph on the Earl of Leicester :

Heere lies the woorthy warrior
That never bloodied swoord,

Heere lies the loyall courtier

That never kept his woord,

Heere lies his noble excellence

That ruled all the states,

Heere lies the Earle of Leicester,

Whom earth and heaven hates.

The author speaks thus of Cecil:

"And touching the present estate of the nobilitie, wherewith the stately courtes of former princes were adorned, their armies in the feild conducted, the comons of the countrie by their great hospitalitie relieved, look whether they are not brought unto that seruilitie, that yf they applie not themselues to Cecils humour, they must not liue in their countries, but be tyed unto the courte, or allotted their dwelling as yf they were his perpetuall wardes, yea rather as pupils that are kept under with roddes, not daring to speake what they think and know, but are set to be ayme-giuers, while others do hurt their marckes.

"Some of them he hathe undeservedly brought into the disfauor of the prince. Sundry he hathe drawne upon fained fauours of the courte to consume themselues to beggery.

"Others he hathe sent foorth to become pirates and sea rouers. And the lyues of some of the principall, by guylfull pretended crymes he hathe taken away, and by one meanes or other he hathe brought such as be yet lyuing into those termes, that none may be permitted to cary any credit in the comonwelth, except it be some very fewe, whose wisdomes he can easely ouer

rule.

rule. By which meanes there is in England none of more opulence, none of more authoritie, nor none of more power, then himself, and therefore none to withstand his entended matche betweene the Lady Arbella and his grand-child. Whereby England may happen to haue a King Cecille, the first that is suddainly metamorphosed fro a grome of the wardrobe to the wearing of the best robe within the wardrobe."

I am indebted for the loan of this rare and curious book to Mr. George Isted.