[1] [2] Although the rebels receiued this princelie mes|sage, & wholesome admonition from the kings ma|iestie, yet would they not reforme themselues, as dutifull subiects ought to haue doone, but stood still in their wicked begun rebellion, offering to trie it at the weapons point. There wanted not priestes and other busie bodies among them, such as by all waies and meanes possible sought to kindle the coles of malice and hatred betwixt the king and his subiects; which as the maner is among all the like wicked disposed people, contriued to raise and strew abroad false forged tales, and feined rumors, giuing it out, that the people should be constreined to paie a rata|ble taske for their sheepe and cattell,False rumors and an excise for euerie thing that they should eate or drinke. These and such other slanderous brutes were spred abroad by those children of Beliall, whereby the cankered minds of the rebels might the more be hardened and made stiffe from plieng vnto anie resonable per|suasion, that might be made to moue them to re|turne vnto their dutifull obedience, as by the lawes both of God and man they were bounden: and so it came to passe. For the rebellious ront were growne to an obstinacie, séeming so far from admitting per|suasions to submission, that they became resolute in their pestilent actions; wilfullie following the woorst, which they knew full well would redound to their detriment; and auoiding the best, which they doubted not might turne to their aduantage, agrea|ble in sense and meaning vnto that of the poet:

Quae nocüere sequar, fugiam quae profore credam.Har. in [...]. lib. 1.