Hai and her King as thou didest vnto Iericho and her king neuerthelesse the spoyle and cattell thereof shall ye take vnto your selues c. Saul in the first booke of Kinges the 15. chapter hath the like commandement and these be the wordes Samuel said vnto Saul The Lord sent me to anoynt thee King ouer his people Israel nowe therefore hearken thou vnto the voice of the Lord Thus sayth the Lord of hostes I remēber that which Amalek did to Israel how they layde wayte for thē in the way as they came out of Egypt Nowe therefore go and smite Amalek and destroy ye all that pertayneth vnto him see that thou haue no cōpassion on them and couet nothing that they haue slay both man and woman infant and suckling oxe and sheepe camel and asse c. By this commandement we may perceiue GOD gaue charge to Saul that he should sacke the coūtries of the Amalechites and to passe by the edge of the sword men women children and beasts without dispense or grace giuing a reason of that extreeme iustice because those people had done many oppressions to Israel in the voyage out of Egypt into Chanaan and willeth him in no wise to shewe mercy or to haue compassion not so much as vpon women and children This place might seeme ouer cruell to such as would haue men go to warre and to kil no body nor to cōmit any spoyle neither do I alleadge this to maintayne tyrannie for there is time and occasion to vse both rigour and pitie iustice and mercy as hereafter I wil further shewe I meane now but to make profe that God hath not bene displeased with warres but is called in many places the God of hostes And Moyses citeth a place of the warres of the Lord and in the 20. chap. of the second booke of Chronicles it is writtē that when Iosaphat had vnderstāding of the multitude of his enemies the Moabites the Ammonites and the Syrians that were gathered against him Iosaphat assembling his people into the Temple made this prayer vnto God. O Lord God of our Fathers art thou not God in heauē raignest not thou ouer all the kingdomes of the heathen and in thy hand is power and might and there is no man that is able to withstand thee art not thou our God which didest cast out the inhabiters of this land before thy people Israel and gauest it to the seede of Abraham thy louer for euer and they dwelt therein for thy name saying If euill come vpon vs as the sword of iudgement pestilence or hūger then if we stand before this house and crye vnto thee in our tribulation heare thou and helpe And now behold the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir by whom thou wouldest not let them of Israel goe when they came out of the land of Egypt but they departed by them and destroyed them not see howe they would rewarde vs that would cast vs out of thy possession which thou hast giuen vs to inherite O our God wilt thou not iudge them for we haue no might against this great companie that cōmeth agaynst vs neyther wote we what to do but our eies attende vpon thee And as he continued thus in prayer beholde the Prophete spake vnto him Feare not this multitude it shall not be thy warre but the warres of God c. I could here cite a number of like places but these may seeme sufficient to prooue that warres haue bene acceptable before the maiestie of God and sometimes more auaylable then peace as in the second chapter of the booke of Iudges it appeareth where the children of Israel were blamed for making of peace with the Cananites And like as out of the scriptures many other probable reasons might be gathered so there be diuers excellent authours and sundrie learned writers which seeme not onely to alowe of warres but thinke them to be many times very meet cōuenient to be attempted to be taken in hand and that it is many times necessary for Princes to become enemies to the ende they may be perfect friendes And a most happie begun warre may that be called whereby is wrought the safetie of the state so contrary most miserable is the peace which bringeth with it the hazard of a countrey Cicero saieth in his booke of Offices To this end and purpose we must enter into warre that without iniurie we may liue in peace And in an other place of the same booke hee sayeth We must beware that we take not vp the matter by aduice more to auoyd warre then for cause of profite for we must neuer by seeking to escape perill deserue to seeme cowardes and dastards but so let warres be taken in hand as no other thing but peace may seeme to haue bin sought This was the cause that made Demosthenes so mightily to inuey against king Philip for hee perceyuing the insatiable desire of king Philip and that he ment to make a conquest of all Grecia and had already begun with the Olynthians whō if he had once ouerthrowen there was nothing then to let his passage to Athens the which Demosthenes very wel foreseeing by sundrie orations perswaded the Athenians not onely to sende helpe to the Olynthians but also to sende an armie into the partes of Macedonie a meane whereby to make king Philip to haue withdrawē his force frō the Olynthians to defende his owne countrey alleadging by many persuasions that ayde to their neighbours was very needful and necessarie when their owne safetie did chiefly consist in the others good successe for who withdraweth him selfe whē his neighbours house is on fyre may wāt helpe to quēch his owne Thus we may see although that peace be chiefly to be desired yet many times by entring into warres it is the more safely quietly maintayned Like to a ship which many times by some extraordinary winde forsaketh the quiet harbour and seeketh her safetie in the wilde and raging seas So as Salomon saith There is a time of peace a time of warre a time of mirth a time of mourning and therefore to vse time in time as occasion doth serue is a point of the greatest wisdome And Cicero to the same effect vseth these words To runne to the field rashly all vpon the head and to enter conflict skirmish with the enemie is no point of humanitie but the propertie of a sauage beast but when time necessitie requireth then on with armour and fight for lyfe preferring death before seruitude and miserie And in an other place of the same booke he speaketh of two kindes of iniustice the first in him that wil offer it the secōd in him that will take it and being able will not defende it But here peraduenture some will alleadge against mee the saying of Christ where he willeth that he who had receyued a blowe on the one eare should likewise turne the other
returning to their countrey were pitifully constrained which was in deede most miserable in their olde and honourable age for very want and necessitie to begge whyle a great number of vnworthie wretches that lyued at home enioyed all kindes of felicities That Noble Gentleman Syr William Drurie a Paragon of armes at this day was wont I remeÌ„ber to say that the souldiers of England had alwaies one of these three endes to looke for To be slayne To begge or To be haÌ„ged No doubt a gentle recompence for such a merit Yet want there not some that dare affirme it a vayne burdeÌ„ to a coÌ„mon wealth to mainteine souldiers as the coÌ„mon disturbers hinderers of publike peace Such a one was sometime Syr Thomas More who hauing more skyll in sealing of a writte then surueying of a Campe was not ashamed most vnwisely to write if I may so speake of so wyse a man that the commoÌ„ labourer of Englande taken from the plowe was hee that when it came to the matter dyd the deede whose goodly seruice in tyme of neede is better knowen then I neede to speake of But what hath this Realme gayned by her small accompt of souldiers Shee hath of barbarous people bene foure or fyue tymes inuaded and ouertunne I pray God the sixt be not neerer then men looke for It is not money nor multitude of men that in extremetie preuayleth but skyll and experience that safely mainteyneth and preserueth Rome whyle shee maynteyned her souldiours was mystresse and commandresse of the whole world but when shee fell to her owne delicacies and neglecting of them she became not only a triumphe and contempt to the rude Vandale and barbarous Gothe but as yet shee remaynes a spectacle of miserable ruine to the vniuersall world Wee haue a number of Captaynes such as neuer came yet vnder enseigne in their life happy shall that realme be that shall haue neede of such expert souldiours but most vnhappy and vniust men that dare chalenge to them selues the place of so great a charge Souldiers ynough we haue that in time of peace can range their battailles cast out their skirmishes assault townes and coÌ„quer kingdomes that a man would iudge them at the first sight for very Hectors and Hanniballes But these be they I knowe not how it happeneth that are the first that wil be gone when they come to it We haue on the other side a number of good captaynes who by their skilfull experience are well able to trayne and leade a gallant companie of souldiours who perceyuing their colde entertaynement do dayly as no man can blame them abandon and vtterly renounce their profession or serue in other places where they should not These disorders and great numbers more your booke if it continew according to that part that I haue seene will sufficiently lay out at large and with his larum awake I trust the mindes of those in whose handes it lyes to redresse them whether it do or do not your well doing deserueth of all men to be embraced that haue with learned authorities and sufficient eloquence done what in you lyeth to mooue it the rest is to be supplied by him that being of that Maiestie vouchsafeth in signe of his well liking of so noble a profession to be called by the name of Dominus exercituum the Lord of Armies And thus with my harty thankes I sende you your booke agayne From Kingstone in haste Your assured friende Barnabe Googe Lodowick Flood in the behalfe of the Authour MArch forth with Mars clap costlets on ring larum loud apace strike on the drum sound out the trumpe defie your foes in face Shake Morpheus of set Vatia by flee Bacchus bankets fro shunne Ceres seat let Venus be to Mars your seruice shewe In India loiterers were looked to in Egypt youth were taught and in Lacena idle men as men suspect were caught With sword shield in warlike wâ—eds the Romains Mars obeyed eche Martial feate the Grekes to Mars in mouÌ„t Olympus plaied Had Pyrrhus prayse bin pend in bookes had Alexander fame had Phrygia fieldes such fame by blood had Mars not spred the same Scipio got by Hannibal prayse by Pompey Cesar fame by Hector stout Achilles strong dyd win his noble name What worthie Cyrus gaynd by warres what noble Ninus wanne that Sardanapalus lost by sloth euen from thassyrians than What noble courage doth attempt what haughtie heartes do winne that sluggish mindes do lose againe as had no conquest binne A cowarde vile a dastard he that dares not marche in fielde whom dread of greesly guÌ„ne may daunt to leaue both speare shield What greater glory can be got what greater prayse be wonne then Curtius feates or Decius deedes to do as they haue done Darius wisht Zopyrus like to haue but twentie men and Agamemnon wisht againe to haue but Nestors tenne Whereby that Troy and Ilion proud by Nestors wisdome wonne and by Zopyrus brought to ground the pryde of Persia done One subtle Sinon with some sleight like Lasthenes one to be is better then a thousand such that bragges and bost and flee Then pace this path the tracte is playne that Riche hath troden out and leades thee lightly to the place where honour should be sought Sith Riche of right dyd runne this race and painted forth with pen his trauaill tryed commend you must to Mars and to his men And geue of right to Riche his prayse that rings the larum bell enroll his name record his fame and say to Riche far well Thomas Churchyard Gentleman in commendation of this worke IF chyld thatt goes to skoell dyd any warning tack att fellows fawtts who feells the rod wheÌ„ they offence do maek him selff shuld skaep the skorge and construe many a lyen and lawghe to skorn the whisking whyp thatt maeks the skollars whyen But neyther chyld nor man wyll warnyng taek youe se tyll tempest coms wyth thonder crak stryeks down staetly tre owre nebors howse a fyer byds wyes to loek a bowtt and rack vpp coells in imbers cloes and putt the candell owtt least sparkulls creep in strawe and smothryng smoek a ryes and styeffull sylly sleepyng Soells in bed that caerles lyes The warrs att hand we heer maeks hollowe peace to bloeshe byds call for warrs and coetts off steell to stand and byed the poeshe A man who long gyvs aem may shoett hym selff att leynth A heddy hors must corbbed be by connyng or by streynth A wyelly wykked world byds wantton heds bewaer Whatt needs moer words when peace is craktt for lufty warrs prepaer loes not your old renown O baebs off bryttayn bloed Dance afftter drom lett tabber goe the musyck is nott good that maeks men loek lyek gyrlls and mynce on carpaytts gaye as thoghe mayd marry on mentt to martch and Iuen shuld bryng in May The sownd off trompett suer wyll change your maydens face to loek lyek men or lyons whelpps or tygers in the chace A gallantt stoering hors
the maiestie of God. In those warres therefore thus taken in hand and vppon such sufficient cause it should séeme likewise as requisite and necessarie that as great regard shoulde be vsed in the appointing of lawes disciplines orders the which not only among them selues but also to their vtter enimies ought inuiolably to be kepte according to the iustice and equitie of the cause for the which they be entred into armes We do finde in the holy scriptures and that in seuerall places both in the bookes of Moses in the booke of Iosua and others where they haue vsed no litle regard aswell in the choosing of their capteines leaders and conductors as also in their prescribing lawes disciplines of warre which were many times appointed by the almightie God himselfe But let vs peruse the examples of the Romanes which of all other people did most excéed aswell for the greatnes of their glorie as in all their other Martial actions and we shall finde that they had not onely consideration to the equitie of their cause for the which they would enter into warres as by these wordes of Tullie in his first book of Offices may better appeare And the iustice of warre is most sincerely described in the Phesiall lawe of the people of Rome wherby it may be perceiued that no warre is iust but which either for thinges in claime is moued or else proclaimed before and bidden by defiance c. But also they had as great regard to maintaine their quarelles with like equitie and iustice not suffering their capteines to enter into actions of treason or trecherie where their warres were altogether arreared vpon causes of honestie as by many examples they did plainly shewe When king Pyrrhus vnprouoked had moued wars against the Romans one Timochares whose sonne was yeoman for the mouth to the king promised to Fabricius then being Consul to slea king Pyrrhus which thing being reported to the Senat they presently warned king Pyrrhus to beware of suche manner of treasons saying the Romanes mainteined their wars with armes and not by treason or trecherie Likewise when Lucius Pius in a banquet that hee made had filled the people of Sarmatia full of wine and made them so dronke that they yelded themselues subiecte to Rome for which exploit Lucius Pius at his returne required triumph but when the Senators vnderstanding the manner of his facte caused him openly to be beheaded and a slaunderous epitaph set vpon his graue Neither would they suffer that souldier which amongst other being taken by Hanibal and licenced vppon his oth to departe conditionally that he shoulde either make returne or else sende his raunsome the souldier with others of his companions being departed the campe of Hanibal feigned an arrand backe againe for something that he had forgotten and thus comming to Rome did thinke him self discharged of his oth but the Senate alowing of no such deceipt to be vsed made a decrée that the same souldier should be caried pinioned to Hanibal And ten other that in like manner were dismissed by Hanibal vppon their othe were sessed at a yerely fine as long as any of them did liue for being for sworne So nobly were the Romanes disposed and so honourably minded that no act was alowed of amongst them séemed it neuer so profitable wherein was founde either fraud or deceipt And this magnificence gate thē condigne cōmendations of their verie enimies betwéene whom there had béen mortall hostilitie and many times was of greater effect to subdue thē then huge or mightie armies And as they did excel in the excellencie of these vertues iustice and equitie to such as were able to stande in armes against them so likewise they did surmount in humanitie courtesie in ministring of comfort to such as they had alreadie vanquished and subdued as by no example may be better expressed then by a letter written by Marcus Aurelius Emperour of Rome to Popilio captein of the Parthies a notable discourse for capteines to peruse and foloweth in this maner I can not denie the glorie I haue gained by this battel neither may I hide the perplexitie I feele for thy present misfortune for noble mindes are bound to shew no lesse compassion to such as are subdued then to expresse ioy gladnesse with those that are victors Thou being the chiefe of the Parthies didest shewe great courage to resist in me the leader of the Romanes was found no want of force to fight notwithstanding though thou lost the battell and I remaine possessed of the victorie yet as I know that thou wilt not acknowlege this chāce to happen for any want of stomache in thee so it belongs to my grauitie not to attribute it altogether to the greatnes of my vertue sithens God doth always minister victories not to such as doe their duties best but to those that he loueth most for the effect of al things depending vpon God man can haue no power to cōmaund the destinie of a battell seing he is not able to stay the course of the least planet in heauen Darius against Alexander Pompeius against Caesar Hanibal against Scipio had aboue all equalitie far greater armies then their enimies by whiche thou hast reason to conclude with mee that against the anger of the souereigne God can not preuaile most huge and mightie hoastes I meruell Popilio that being great in birth valiant of stomach welthy in goods and mightie in estate dignitie why thou bearest with such sorow the losse of this batel seing that in no worldly things fortune is more vncerteine and variable then in the action of warre It is tolde me thou drawest to solitarie corners seekest out shaded places thou eschewest the conuersation of men and complainest of the gods which extreme perplexities since thou wert not wont to suffer in others much lesse oughtest thou to giue place in thy selfe for that the valiant man loseth no reputation for that fortune fayleth him but is the lesse esteemed of if he want discretion to beare her mutabilitie To assemble great armies is the office of Princes to leuie huge treasures belongs to souereigne Magistrates to strike the enimie is the parte of a couragious capteine but to suffer infirmities and to dissemble mishaps is a propertie duely annexed to noble and resolute mindes so that one of the greatest vertues that worldly men can expresse in the common behauiour of this life is neither to rise proude by prosperitie nor to fall into despaire by aduersitie For Fortune hauing a free will to come and goe when shee list the wise man ought not to bee sorie to lose her nor reioyce to hold her Such as in their miserie shewe heauie countenaunce doe well proue that they made accompt to be alwayes in prosperitie which is a great folly to thinke and no lesse simplicitie to hope for Seing the giftes and graces of Fortune haue no better thing more certeine in them then to be for the moste part
the vaine praise and brute of the people béecause he would not be accounted a runneaway then in respecte of the true and souereigne good wherein consisteth the end of vertue and the glory immortall In like maner he iudged of Hector who many times beholding his wife and other women standing vppon the walles of Troy woulde more boldly and couragiously aduenture his life hauing greater care least any rumours might haue béene raised by women to his dishonour then otherwise he would haue done to haue deserued the title of true honour and vertue But what would Aristotle iudge of a many of our gentlemen in Englande that will take vpon them to be capteines conductours that God knoweth are vtterly ignorant in the least duetie that apperteineth to a simple souldier And howe many times doth it fall out that where battelles be ordered by such rashe and hare-brained gouernours that they ordinarily doe bringe foorth but vnhappie issues What auailed the boldnes of Varro and Flaminius two Romane capteines which despising the prowesse crafte of Hanibal and contemning the sober counsell of Fabius hauing onely trust in their owne hardines lost two noble armies whereby the power of the Romanes was néere vtterly perished They are therefore farre from the true praise of valliaunce in déede that will so rashly runne to hazarde thē selues without any maner of knowledge We be of this opinion in England else where that a man may not come to be exactly perfected in the meanest occupation without seauen yeares practise and therfore ordinarily suche as binde their children apprentices binde them for that space Is it possible then that the art of warre should be so soudeinly learned wherein yet there hath not béene any one founde though he haue followed the warres all the dayes of his life which hath not béen in some things to séeke Philip king of Macedonia maruelled why the Atheniens did euery yeare choose new Generalles and Capteines of their warrs sithens he in all his life had found but one good whiche was Parmenio Plato would not wishe that any man should haue authoritie in warres till he were 30. yeares olde But Alexander admitted none to the roome of a capteine that was vnder the age of 60. finally by the generall assent of all there ought no small regarde to be vsed in the choosing of Capteines Cicero prescribeth foure things that ought to be in a Capteine but especially in a gouernour or general which is experience valiaunce authoritie and felicitie to the whiche if you adde these foure more which is iustice fortitude policie and temperance first iustice to reuenge fortitude to execute reuengment policie to prepare the meane whereby to reuenge and temperaunce to limit and measure out how far they ought to reuenge capteines thus indued with these vertues there is no doubt but they shall greatly preuaile Our maner of appointing of souldiers is yet more confused then the rest they be appointed in the countrie as it pleaseth Maister Constable for if there be any within his circuit that he is in displeasure withall he thinkes it some part of reuenge if he sets him forth to be a souldier but if Maister Constable be in loue charitie with his neighbours then some odde fellowe muste be picked out that doth least good in the parish it is no matter for his conditions they thinke he can not be too yll to make a souldier of In London when they set foorth souldiers either they scoure their prisons of théeues or their streates of roges and vagabondes for he that is bound to find a man will séeke suche a one as were better lost then found but they care not so they may haue them good cheape what he is nor from whence he comes they put him in a sute of blew and bring him before maister warden of their companie and then if he can shoote in a gonne he is bild a gonner but he dares not lette his souldier goe out of his sight with his furniture and his newe apparell before he hath deliuered him ouer to his Capteine for if he should he might fortune to misse him when he would haue him These be they through whose abuses the name of a souldier is béecome so odious to the common people God graunt vs that we be neuer driuen to trie the seruice of suche souldiers But bicause in my other booke before mentioned I haue more effectually spoken of souldiers and haue giuen speciall note howe souldiers shoulde be chosen whiche maketh me thus bréefely to passe them ouer and in like manner I haue done of capteines there resteth nowe to shewe what seueritie should be vsed in punishing of such as be mutiners or that by any maner of meane wil breake or infringe the lawes order of armes or any other institution or ordinance directed by the general capteine or any other officer for what shal it auaile to make good orders vnles they shuld be surely kept In the booke of Numerie we doe finde how Corath Dathan and Abiram were swallowed vp in the earth for mutining against the capteine Moses an euident proofe wherby may be perceiued how odious it is in the sight of God that souldiers should rebell against their capteines They ought therefore to be restrained with sharp bitter punishmentes and that as often as they shall transgresse or make any offences But I woulde not in any wise wishe that a souldier should be punished by the purse or that his pay shoulde be diminished whereby he should not be able to mainteine him selfe in seruice other punishments therfore ought to be prouided according to the qualitie of their offences Manlius Torquatus caused his sonnes head to be striken off bicause he had forsaken the place whereto he was appoynted although he went to fight with an enimie that had challenged him and slew him Salust doth report that there were more souldiers put to death amongest the Romanes for setting on their enimies before they had licence then for running out of the fielde before they had fought And in very déed in that respect there ought no litle regarde to be vsed for it is not requisite that euery priuate capteine or any other should rashly enter into attemptes of their owne heades further then they be directed for otherwise they commonly conclude with vnhappie ends many times it doth fall out that when there is some exploite to be vsed through the wilfulnes of some harebrained capteine or any other that is more forwarde then wise that will aduenture for his owne glorie further then his direction it bringeth ouerthrow of altogether For example When the Spaniards lay in siege at Zurickzeas the Prince of Orenge by good espiall had vnderstāding where to annoy them he sent certeine bāds into S. Anna land where they shuld haue fortified thē selues in ij seueral places vpon the diches which they might wel haue don considering the nature situation of the place by whiche