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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A23383	A meruailous combat of contrarieties Malignantlie striuing in the me[m]bers of mans bodie, allegoricallie representing vnto vs the enuied state of our florishing common wealth: wherin dialogue-wise by the way, are touched the extreame vices of this present time. VVith an earnest and vehement exhortation to all true English harts, couragiously to be readie prepared against the enemie. by W.A.	Averell, W. (William)	1588 (1588)	STC 981; ESTC S104468	32,149	54

liues Pugnate pro patria fight for your country your dearest countrie wherein you haue ben bred borne nourished brought vp toward which you ought to bee as inwardly affected as you are naturally moued to your mothers It is your natiue soile and therefore most swéete for what may bee dearer or swéeter than your Countrie No gold nor siluer comparable to your Countrie no pleasures nor delightes like to your Country for what so is néerest to nature that thing is swéetest to life and as Plato sayth in Critone Et patri et matri et progenito●●bus omnibus patriam esse anteponendum Our Countrie ought to be preferred before Father Mother or els our auncestours for though our fathers mothers and kindred die yet our Countrie doeth nourish vs cherish and preserue vs. When the people of Tegea in Arcadia made warre with them of Pheneum the battaile being set and ordered on each side redie to ioyne together they tooke counsaile each to send thrée brethren valiant and stout men who shoulde contend for the victory They of Tegea sent the sonnes of Rheximachus they of Pheneum of Demonstratus these sixe met and in fight two of Rheximachus sonnes were slaine the third named Critolaus ouercame his enemies with this stratagem he fained to flie and as each of the other pursued him he seuerally slew them all and returning with victorie was ioyfully receiued of all saue of his sister Demodice though he had saued the Citie by his valour yet because hee had by chance slaine her louer shee enuied at his victorie and reioyced not at his triumph which the young man disdayning as an enimie of her Countrie he slew her and beeing after accused of his mother was notwithstanding by the Citizens fréed If there be anie among vs that be such enuious traitors that regard rather theyr owne pleasures or commodities more than the safegard of their country be they fathers mothers sisters or brothers I would they had the rewarde of Demodice and famous haddest thou bene Critolaus in the memorie of all ages that preferredst thy Countrie before thy kinne and the honor thereof before thine owne life haddest thou not filed thy hands in womanish bloud Into this your Countrie your enemies boast to set foot they count vpō your riches and treasures your landes and possessions your wiues and fayrest daughters and to dispossesse you not onely of your pleasures but of your dearest liues but I remember the fable of Hermogenes that the Apes séeing the commodities that men had by Cities how the couerings of their houses and penteises kept out the raine and winde in Winter and shut out the hot Sunne in Summer their walles and doores shut out théeues and their defenced townes and great gates defended them from wilde beasts and enemies certaine of them especially those that liked this ciuill life concluded to call a counsell and in open assemblie as the nature of Apes is apt to imitate euery action they perswade to take from men a péece of ground whereon they would build Cities as men doe they reckon vp the commodities that the walled townes would kéepe out wolues their houses wind and wether but they adde this that they would build theirs more commodiously for they would haue their orchards and gardens all within their Cities the fruites whereof should maintain them Also they would haue their Theaters and playes for pleasure but they should be al within their wals this they perswaded the counsel was liked and with the remembrance hereof they were delighted it was soone contriued in thought and easie to be spoken but not so soone done for when the wood was to bée hewed the stones to bee squared the boords to be sawed and euerie other thing to be prepared they sawe then their Apish counsel was frustrate and too hard for them to accomplish euen so the proude Spaniards like Hermogenes Apes haue consulted and determined to enter your Iland and therein to inioy both their pleasure and commoditie but I doubt not deare Countrimen when it shal come to the push of the pike and dint of the sword but that our God wil so frustrate their purpose as through your valiant mindes and hardie déedes they shal finde their counsell but vaine and returne home again like Apes without tailes They play with vs as Iulianus the Apostate did with the Christians in his time who as Theodoritus in his 6. booke and 44. Chapter telleth after the Parthian warres made great preparation against the Christians whō he scornfully tearmed Galilaeans threatning he would race them out and set vp deuillish images in their Churches At that time Libanius a singular Sophist but an enemie to the truth and a follower of Iulian looking and longing after his maisters victory in regard of his threates came to a godly Schoolemaister and teacher of youth in Antiochia scoffing at his religion scornfully asked him Fabri filius quid nunc putas agit What thinkest thou nowe doeth the Carpenters sonne But hee inspired with the spirite of GOD foretolde that which presently followed saying O thou Sophist the creacreator of all things whom thou callest the carpenters son Loculum Juli●●o concinnat is making a coffin for Iulian and in deede according to his prophesie within few dayes after this Apostate died was put in a coffin and being laide in the graue for all his swelling pride came short of that which he proudly threatned I might tell of Sancherib of the Philistines against Saul and diuerse others that haue threatned the Saints of God which because they boasted agaynst the Lorde were ouerthrowen But because I haue fallen in hand with Iulian I will not let passe the apt Antithesis that is betwéene the Spaniards and Iulian with his followers They bragged to ouerthrowe the Galilaeans as they tearmed them so doe the Spaniards the Protestants or the Lutherans as they name them they threatned to set vp Idols so doe the Spaniardes images they protested to root race out Christians so do the Spaniards the true professors they threatned to shed their bloud most spitefully so do the Spaniards beast to spil ours most cruelly but doubt not louing Countriemen but that Christ Iesus whom you serue is making their coffins and that eyther the sea or a straunge lande shal be their graues that cannot be contented with their owne but proudly séeke to oppresse the Saints of God Therefore I exhort you as Hezechia did those of Iuda Be strong and couragious feare not neither bee afraide for the force of Spaniards nor for al the multitude that is with them for there be more with vs than with them with them is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God to helpe vs and to fight our battailes They doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fight agaynst God wee do fight in defence of his word they seek after spoyle we after the building of Gods Church they séeke wretchedly to rent from vs that is not

A meruailous combat of contrarieties Malignantlie striuing in the mēbers of mans bodie allegoricallie representing vnto vs the enuied state of our florishing Common wealth wherin dialogue-wise by the way are touched the extreame vices of this present time VVith an earnest and vehement exhortation to all true English harts couragiously to be readie prepared against the enemie by W. A. Concordia paruae res crescunt discordia maximae dilabuntur Printed by I. C. for Thomas Hacket and are to be solde at hys shop in Lomberd streete vnder the signe of the Popes heade Ann. D. 1588. To the Right Honorable M●ister George Bonde Lord Maior of London much health and happy successe through out hys whole gouernment I Haue reade right Honourable Virtutem esse bonum commune patriac that virtue is the common profit of our Countrie and that he is not to bee honoured with the noble name of virtue which doth not wholy apply his mind freely to profit manie and to seeke the cōmoditie of others which made Cicero to say that if there were a question or comparison to whom wee ought to shew most duetie our Countrey Parents ought chieflie to be regarded vnto whom we are bound by many benefits And Cicero did not alone say it but by his owne example confirmed it when beeing Consul of Rome through his singular diligence and painfull watchfulnes he both preserued the Cittie from the secret conspiracies of Catiline and also repressed his violent attempts that fully purposed the ouerthrow of his Countrey so that hee might iustly say of himselfe as hee did O fortunatam natam me Consule Roma● O happie Rome in the time that I was Consul Your selfe right Honorable may in these dangerous daies and doubtful times worthily deserue Ciceros praise that are so carefullie occupied painfully busied and watchfully prepared not onlie to preuent by warie foresight all priuie attempts that noisome vipers and hurtful Traytors either by night or day shall practise against this honorable and famous Cittie but are ready bent valiantly to defende●t though with losse of your owne life rather then it should in the least part bee harmed or the inhabitants thereof 〈◊〉 wayes iniuried The valour of your antique predecessors are yet to bee seene in the armes of your honorable Cittie and shall for euer remaine in the minds of all posteritie whose glorie wee see you emulate and to which your watchfulnes and painfull diligence will make you equiualent if in these stormie tempesteous times you shall like a warie and heedfull Pilot skilfully as you haue begunne continue to holde the helme in this Ship of your gouernment and happily guide it from blustering vvindes and wallovving vvaues of secret malicious enemies which the more they are dooth make you more carefull and the more secret farre more watchful The time wherein you gouerne may wel be compared to the time of Catiline but that in this point it is far more dangerous for that we haue not one Catiline that purposeth the ruine of our Cittie but manie as Cicero sayd at that time Crescit in dics singulos hostium numerus so may we say the nūber of our enemies doo still encrease yet vvill not we stande vppon that vvhich he did neither doe I thinke you of his mind that either our nightly watches vvhich God knowes are but slender the garrison of our Cittie the strength of our people the vnitie of our mindes the counsels of your Senate or such like can preserue vs but that our God euen for the glory of his name and for his mercy sake will defend vs that neither their counsels or conspiracies shall euer bee able to hurt vs. And albeit they doe intestinam aliquam quotidie perniciem reipublicae moliri deuise dailie some secret and deadlie destruction of our common vvealth yet I doubt not but first by Gods mercie and then through the prouident care of you and our Magistrates not alone this Cittie but the whole land shalbe preserued from their malice and they thēselues fall into the pit that they haue digged for others as Catiline did with his conspiratours I haue printed your Honors name in the forehead of this my Booke not because I wanted patrons to defend it for vvho in this time will not esteeme the faithfull good vvill of a louing Subiect that zealously seeketh the profit of hys Countrey but for that I heare and see your honors care vvatchfulnes deserues it to depriue the vertuous of their praise vvere nothing els but meere enuie and secret malice Wherefore as I vvillinglie dedicate this vnto your Honor so I beseech you gratefully accept it and defend it against all the malitious tongues of enuious and slaunderous Papists vvhose mouthes either I desire the Lorde God to stop and conuert their harts or els confound them that they may neuer see their desires And so wishing your Honour to prosper in all your counselles and that you take in hand I cease to trouble you anie further Your Honours in all duety to commaunde William Auerell To the friendlie and Christian Reader THREE sorts of people courteous Reader I knowe there are that will dislike and discommend that which I shall write the first are our proude Dares that are as farre in loue with themselues as Narcissus and our wanton wiues and mincing minions that all day pranke themselues at the Glasse like daintie Misteris Acco The second are our gluttonous Sanctrae that for their feeding and vnmeasurable drinking may better be called Beotians then Englishmen and the third are our couchant Papists that priuilie lurke in corners to bring euery thing in disgrace that is not for their purpose nor serues as we say for their tooth These peraduenture beeing gauled cannot abide to haue their sore rubbed like to Phillip of Macedon that because he had but one eye himselfe was angry when any man talked of a Cyclop or named a gogle eye or spake of any that had but one of his eyes Or like Hyrmeas that beeing himselfe an Eunuch coulde not abide to heare of a Raser or a knife or anie man that was cutte because he was himselfe a gelding Wherfore if we touch these men it must be figurate but not aperte closelie and cunninglie not openly nor plainely for if we doe we vtterly lose their good wil but as for these I count not onely I wish them better mindes with a sound amendment of their liues The rest that are well disposed I earnestlie desire to beare with whatsoeuer faultes haue eyther hastilie scaped my handes in wryting or the Printers presse in printing I am not Roscius in Scena I knowe manie coulde better haue handled this Theame yet I friendly request thy patience and gentle acceptance of that I haue written knowing that if thou haue iudgment thou wilt not be a Lynx in prying too narrowlie into my ouer-sights but rather a Mole in not seeing mine infirmities That I haue written hath beene for thy profit and pleasure my selfe in