dwell beyond the isles of the Canaries, and that of Isabella, have thought it as easy to pull down the firmament, and to set up the depths above the clouds, as to make a breach in your alliance; and have been so afraid of it in their enterprises that they have never dared to provoke, incense, or endamage the one for fear of the other.  Nay, which is more, this sacred league hath so filled the world, that there are few nations at this day inhabiting throughout all the continent and isles of the ocean, who have not ambitiously aspired to be received into it, upon your own covenants and conditions, holding your joint confederacy in as high esteem as their own territories and dominions, in such sort, that from the memory of man there hath not been either prince or league so wild and proud that durst have offered to invade, I say not your countries, but not so much as those of your confederates.  And if, by rash and heady counsel, they have attempted any new design against them, as soon as they heard the name and title of your alliance, they have suddenly desisted from their enterprises.  What rage and madness, therefore, doth now incite thee, all old alliance infringed, all amity trod under foot, and all right violated, thus in a hostile manner to invade his country, without having been by him or his in anything prejudiced, wronged, or provoked?  Where is faith?  Where is law?  Where is reason?  Where is humanity?  Where is the fear of God?  Dost thou think that these atrocious abuses are hidden from the eternal spirit and the supreme God who is the just rewarder of all our undertakings?  If thou so think, thou deceivest thyself; for all things shall come to pass as in his incomprehensible judgment he hath appointed.  Is it thy fatal destiny, or influences of the stars, that would put an end to thy so long enjoyed ease and rest?  For that all things have their end and period, so as that, when they are come to the superlative point of their greatest height, they are in a trice tumbled down again, as not being able to abide long in that state.  This is the conclusion and end of those who cannot by reason and temperance moderate their fortunes and prosperities.  But if it be predestinated that thy happiness and ease must now come to an end, must it needs be by wronging my king,—­him by whom thou wert established?  If thy house must come to ruin, should it therefore in its fall crush the heels of him that set it up?  The matter is so unreasonable, and so dissonant from common sense, that hardly can it be conceived by human understanding, and altogether incredible unto strangers, till by the certain and undoubted effects thereof it be made apparent that nothing is either sacred or holy to those who, having emancipated themselves from God and reason, do merely follow the perverse affections of their own depraved nature.  If any wrong had been done by us to thy subjects and dominions—­if we had favoured thy ill-willers—­if we had not assisted thee in thy need—­if thy name