ABSTRACT
While the Estates and the Spaniard contended in the Netherlands for petty Townes, the Spaniard seized into his hands the rich kingdome of Portugall. For Henry king of Portugall deceassed the last yere in his old age, and many competitors layd claime to the crowne, and amongst them Philip, King of Spaine…. But Don Antonio, Prior of Crato, the sonne of Lodowick another brother of King Henry, was utterly rejected as illegitimate…. But the title which Katherine de Medices, Queene of France, layd to Portugal… was in a manner exploded both by the Spaniards and Portugals, as an outworne title… whereat she, being wild with anger, and beholding with an envious eye the increasing power of the Spaniard, so farre and wide already extended, and inriched with the addition of Portugall, East India and many Isles, and misdoubting herself and her posteritie, warned both other Princes and Queen Elizabeth also, to curb his ambition betimes, and restraine his too far extending power within some reasonable limits. And indeed, Queen Elizabeth, being providently careful for her selfe and her subjects, willingly harkened unto her. … But for Don Antonio, who was living out of Portugall in France, and from thence sent over with commendations into England she bountifully relieved him….
