by many bils of the
hiring, and freyghting of their ships, wherein among others, this one
thing is worth the noting, which was there found, that they couenanted
in plaine words, with the shipmasters, that they should not passe into
Spaine & Portingall through the English Chanel & vsuall way, but on the
backe side of the Kingdomes of Scotland, and Ireland, a newe and
strange, and without doubt, a dangerous course: by which their intention
and deede, they declared howe litle they cared for good meaning, and how
carefull they were to arme and furnish the common and knowen enemie of
the Queene of England. But as alwayes for the most part it falleth out,
deceite doeth neuer thriue with any man, and when men thinke most to
deceiue, they are deceiued, and suffer the penaltie of their guile: for
falling into the handes of her Maiesties armie vpon the coast of
Portugall, and euen in the entrance of the hauen of Lisbone, they were
brought backe into England, and by the lawe of Nations, are become
prises to him which tooke them.

Here now they cry out, that the Commaunders of our Fleete haue delt
iniuriously with them, they exclaime that the leagues are broken, that
their old priuiledges in England are violated, which they chalenge to
belong to their Cities, and ought to be kept and mainteined. As though
that any man were so madde, so farre from the trueth of things, so
carelesse of his owne safetie, so great an enemie to publike securitie,
that with all his might and indeuour, would not preuent the mischiefe
and destruction hanging ouer the Commonwealth. He that withstandeth not
wrong when hee is able, is in as great fault, as if he destroyed the
Commonwealth. The preseruation of the people hath bene euer accompted
among all nations, for the very supreame Law. Are not the _Hanse_ townes
ashamed to maintaine and pretend a priuiledge, that is to say, a priuate
lawe against a publike and soueraigne lawe? Did euer any king or Prince
witting and waring, suffer such a kinde of trafike which should make his
enemie ouer mightie, and though hee did not disfurnish himselfe, yet
shoulde leaue himselfe more open vnto his furie, which otherwise were
like to be vnarmed and vnable to wage warre against him?

[Sidenote: The English and French enemies: Charles the fift a
confederate.]

In the yeere 1545. at which time the warres grew hotte betwixt the
kingdomes of England and Fraunce, when the subiects of _Charles_ the
Emperour the fift of tha