and of all other his Maiesties dominions and countries: and that the Pope, neither of himselfe, nor by any authority of the church or see of Rome, or by any other meanes, with any other, hath any power or authority to depose the King, or to dispose of any of his Maiesties kingdomes or dominions; or to authorize any forraigne prince to inuade or anoy him, or his countries; or to discharge any of his subiectes of their allegiance and obedience to his Maiesty; or to giue license, or Jeaue, to any of them to beare armes, raise tumult, or to offer violence or hurte to his Maiestics royall person, state, or gouernment, or to any of his Maiesties subiectes within his Maiesties dominions.

Also, I do sweare from my hart, that, notwithstanding any declaration, or sentence of excommunication, or depriuation, nade or graunted, or to be made or graunted, by the Pope or his successors, or by any authority deriued, or pretended to bee deriued, from him or his see, againste the said King, his heires or successors; or any absolution of the saide subiectes from their obedience. I will beare faith and true allegiance to his Maiestic, his heires, and successors; and him and them will defende, to the vttermost of my power, against al conspiracies and attempts whatsoeuer, which shal be made against his or their persons, their crown and dignity, by reason or colour of anie such sentence or declaration, or otherwise; and will doe my best indeuour to disclose and make knowne vnto his Maicsty, his heires and successors, all treasons and traitorous conspiracics, which I shall know, or hear of, to be against him, or any of them.

And I doe further sweare, that I doe from my hart abhorre, detest, and abiure, as impious and heretical, this damnable doctrine and position, that princes, which be excommunicated or depriued by the Pope, may be deposed or murdered by their subiects, or anie other whatsocuer.

And I do beleeue, and in conscience am resolued, that neither the Pope, nor any person whatsoeuer, hath power to absolue me of this oath, or any parte thereof, which I acknowledge by good and faithfull authority to be lawfully ministred to me, and do renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary. And al these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and sweare, according to these expresse wordes by me spoken, and according to the plaine and common sence, and understanding to the same words, without equiuocation, or mental euasion, or secret rescruation whatsoeuer. And I do make this recognition and acknowledgement heartily, willingly, and truly, vpon the true faith of a Christian. So help me God.

This oath, which no good subiect will refuse to take, hauing beene very audibly read, well neare in the perfect hearing of euery one there present, he was required to alleadge or inferre against any part thereof what he colde. But he insisting vainely, as he had done before, that he had but giuen his opinion thereof for others, and refusing vtterly to take it himselfe, gaue euident and manitest testimony, that such priestes, as himselfe was, were not included in the ranke of honest or good Catholickes, but apparant traytors to the King and state, saying one thing, and dooing the contrary; in making an outward

in

shew of duty and obedience under hand-writing, and reseruing a traytorous intention in their close bosome; wherein the grosse deceiuing and abusing of too many ouer-credulous soules (being falsely perswaded of such men, otherwise then they are indeede) is very much to be pitied and lamented: For they do but iudge by the exteriour habit of smooth sanctitie and holines, and not by the close seducing of them and their soules. Religion is the cloake cast ouer intended treason, and holy protestations hide hollow-harted practises, more deuillish then (in plaine meaning) can easily be doubted, and far more daungerous, then weake capacities are able to discouer, as, very excellently and elegantly, was there plainely approued.

Another allegation also, as impertinent, did Drewrie make, in saying: That a French priest, or Spanish priest, comming into this land, to exercise their function at either of their lord ambassadours, or otherwise, they might, in like manner, be tearmed traytors; whereas all the bystanders were euen ready to hisse him, knowing very well, and, as it was with good discretion, answered him, that such priestes neither were, or colde be reckoned subiects to this state, nor were they enabled to deal in such daungerous manner with our people, wanting our language and credit, in such a case to countenance them, as, by their slye insinuating, they being borne subiects, and credited more than beseemed, did too much preuaile by. And as freely might such ambassadours haue men of spiritual office about them, being of their owne country, as ours are allowed the like, within their maister dominions. So that still be wolde haue maintained that priesthoode, and not the treacherous complotting and practises of priestes, in his understanding, was to bee held for treason. The same grace and fauour, which had been before extended to Drewrie, in as ample manner was offered to Dauies, the other priest, and he was demaunded whether he would take the oath or no. Hee replyed, that he was a poor simple ignorant man, and could hardly censure what thereto belonged. For there were many learned priestes, whose iudgements, in this case, he wonld first know, and then, perhaps, he might be otherwise altered. Wherein appeareth, that one only Romish rule and obseruation is a lesson or direction to them all, and the buls or breues of the Pope are more regarded and respected by them, than the natiue loyalty and obedience, they owe to their king and countrey. But mercy hath been ouer-mild too long, and won no such grace from, as iustly was expected, but rather hath armed them with more boldnesse and insolence, than either is fit in them to offer, or standes with the wisdome of so great a state to endure For,

Nunquid colligunt de spinis uvas, aut de tribulis ficus?

Doo men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

When no further good, either by testimonie of their owne shame, or euen father-like and most kinde perswasions, could be wrought vpon either of them; first a most graue, learned, and iudicious admonition was made unto them, containing breefely the many and extraordinarie

great graces of the Kings Maicstie towarde menne of their condition, and howe, after graunting them first his free and generall pardon, hee neuer left off, but pursued them still with all fauours that could be deuised, as not desiring the death of any one, but rather to live quietly, like a godly, peacefull, and religious king; not enacting any new or seuere lawes against such daungerous persons, but ratifieng and confirming them that he found at his comming, which Queen Elizabeth (of euer happy memory) compulsiuely was compelled and enforced to make against them. And yet the justice of those lawes, which had been of seauen and twenty yeers continuance before, his Maiestie did forbeare to execute; and finding manye, whose liues lay vnder the forfeit of the law, not onely did he remitte them in grace, but likewise gave his free pardon to all; sending so manie as were in durance away at his own cost and charge, and publishing the like offer to all other, that wolde except of so kind a benefit; as loath to meddle with their blood, that were enemies to his life, and desirous to win them by mercy, if they were not too monstrous. Nor hath he sentenced any priest with death since his comming to the crowne, but such as were men of most daungerous qualitie, and had their hands ouer deep in most barbarous and inhumaine treasons. But when neither perswasions, sufferances, nor proclamations will serue, to keep such daungerous men out of the land, but euen, in spight of the King and his lawes, they will needs come over, and put in practice their treacherous deuyses; mercy, of necessity, must giue way to iustice, and pitty preuaile no longer, when grace is dispised.

The many and excelent parts, contained in maister recorders learned and elegant speech, I am not able to set downe, and, therefore, do humbly craue fauour, for but glauncing at these few; which thogh they come farre short of their iust merite, yet let my good will excuse al imperfections. Being come to the very iumpe of giuing iudgement, Drewrie demanded, if, as yet, he might have fauour to speak, and, most honorably, it was answered that he might, for the King's mercy was neuer too late; therefore he was willed, not to trifle the time in friuolous speeches, but, if he wolde yet take the oath, do it, and afterwards speak what further he woulde; which made all the standers by euen confounded with amazement, that grace should be so aboundantly offered vnto such froward and wilfull refusers. Drewrie wolde not yeeld to take the oath, whereupon the sentence of dea th was pronounced against them both. To bee conueyed thence to the place from whence they came, and there to be laid vpon an hurddle, and so drawne to the place of execution, where they shoulde hang till they were half deade; then to haue their secrets cut off, and with their intrailes throwne into the fire before their faces, their heads to be seuered from their bodies, which seuerally should be deuided into four quarters, and afterward disposed at his Maiesties pleasure, in mean while, the Lorde to take mercie upon their soules; and so they were sent backe to prison againe.

A breefe Report of the Execution of Robert Drewrie, drawne on a Hurddle in his Fryer-Benedictine Habbet to Tyborne, on Thursday the the Twenty-sixth of Februarie.

ON the next morning, being Thursday, an hurddle being brought to Newgate, Robert Drewrie, hoping yet for life, and not thinking to die, as by the sequell it plainely appeared, hauing put on, after the maner of the Benedictine fryers beyond the seas, a newe suit of aparrell, being made of black stuffe, new shooes, stockings, and garters, and a black new stuffe priests gown, or cassock, being buttoned downe before by loops and buttons, two and two together, to the verye foote, a new cornered cap on his heade, and vnder it a fair wrought night-cap; was, in this manner, drawne along to Tyborne, where being by the executioner prepared for death, he was brought vp into the cart, and vsing such ydle speeches, as he had don often before, that he dyed not for treason, but for his priesthoode, hee was willed to deal more iustly, and not to abuse the world nowe at his death, in vttering that which was a manifest lie and untruth. He made answere, that, in all his life-time, he had not told a lie, and then, after a short pause, added, not willingly. Thare were certain papers shewed at Tyborne, which had bin found about him, of very daungerous and traitorous nature. And amonge them also was his Benedictine faculty vnder seale, expressing what power and authority he had from the Pope, to make men, women, and children heere, of his order; what indulgences and pardons he colde graunt them, both in this life, and for multitude of yeares after their death, preseruing them both from purgatory, and warranting their entrance (by the Popes keyes) into heauen. He confessed himselfe to be a Romaine Catholick, and a priest, and desired all Romaine Catholickes to praye with him, and for him. And often looking about him, as hopinge there was some mercie for him, for feare appeared very plainely in him, when he felt the cart go away under him, and his expectation to be deceiued, he caught fast holde with his left hande on the halter about hys head, and very hardly was inforced to let it goe, but held so for a pretty while. If this were not an apparent hope of life, I refer it to better judgments than mine own. He hung till he was quite dead, and afterwards his body was quartered.

GODS WARNING

ΤΟ

HIS PEOPLE OF ENGLAND,

BY THE

GREAT OVERFLOWING OF THE WATERS OR FLOUDES,

Lately hapned in South Wales, and many other Places.

Wherein is described the great losses and wonderfull damages, that hapned thereby,

BY THE

DROWNING OF MANY TOWNES AND VILLAGES,

To the vtter vndooing of many thousandes of people.

Printed at London for W. Barley, and Io. Bayly, and are to be solde in Gratious Street 1607. Quarto, black letter, containing twelve pages.

This tract, which is the nineteenth in the order of the catalogue of pamphlets pub. lished in this collection, being requested by N. P. as a great curiosity, and containing several particulars, not to be found in the English history, and serving to illustrate and account for several things, that are, or may be published in the Natural Histories of those parts, where this dreadful inundation happened; we have taken this first opportunity to oblige him and the publick with so extraordinary a relation, which otherwise, in a very short time, might perchance have been intirely lost.

ANY are the dombe warninges of distruction, which the Almighty God hath lately scourged this our kingdome with; and many more are the threatning tokens of his heauy wrath extended towards vs: all which, in bleeding hearts, may inforce vs to put on the truc garment of repentance, and, like vnto the Niniuits, vnfainedly solicite the sweet mercies of our most louing God: therefore, let vs now call to remembraunce the late grieuous and most lamentable plague of pestilence, wherein the wrath of God tooke from vs so many thousandes of our friendes, kindred, and acquaintance: let us also call to remembraunce the most wicked and pretended malice of the late papisticall conspiracie of traytors, that, with powder, practised the subuersion of this beautifull kingdome: and, lastly, let vs fix our eyes vpon theise late swellinges of the outragious waters, which, of late, now hapned in diuers partes of this realme, together with the ouerflowing of the seas in diuers and sundry places thereof; whose fruitfull valeys, being now ouerwhelmed and drowned with theise most vnfortunate and vnseason