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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	begin_v	great_a	time_n	1,599	5	3.2122	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A18742	A lamentable, and pitifull description, of the wofull warres in Flaunders, since the foure last yeares of the Emperor Charles the fifth his raigne With a briefe rehearsall of many things done since that season, vntill this present yeare, and death of Don Iohn. Written by Thomas Churchyarde Gentleman.	Churchyard, Thomas, 1520?-1604.	1578 (1578)	STC 5239; ESTC S105019	41,870	76

Gētleman of Scorl●…d named Captayne Bassorde lying in a village with his regiment of Scottishmen had suche a hande ouer the Spanyards as they no whit liked and yet they assaulted the Scottishmen whiche at that time were but ill prouided All this season and a long whyle before was the right Honorable Maister Doctor Wilson now Secretary to the Quéenes Maiestie Lorde Embassador in Flanders and two seuer all times was sent in Embassage thither at that time the Captayne of the I le of VVight called Mayster Edward Horssey for to make peace and for suche causes as pleased our Prince Embassadors were sente thither from the Emperoure and from the Electors and States of Germany and in long debating of matters to the which the Bishop of Leeg came a great Segnior and stoute Prelate a peace was concluded and for the ioy thereof I saw a generall Procession in Bruzels where all the Embassadors and States were sauing the Embassador of Englande and all the Nobilitie of Flaunders whiche made such a shewe and reached suche a length in the stréetes and tarried so long there as was a wonder to beholde and the strangest viewe that hadde bin séene in that place many yeares before the number of Gentlemen was so great and the commō people so many But all this reioycing turned to woe lamentatiō within a short term after for whē the Spaniards wer gone there ●…ell out such matter betwéene the States and Don Iohn that the Spaniards came agayne but not to Antwerp for that the States had politikely possessed many other Townes before of great importance strength and Don Iohn and his people were assembled in Namure much businesse was set abroche betwéene these two sides after Don Iohn had bin triūphātly receiued into Bruzels and either of these parties armed thēselues wrought for their aduātage what pleased best their fancies some sending into Spaine some sending otherwhere the necessitie of both their causes so required the troublous time they felt enforced those causes The estates nowe beganne to leane to the Prince of Orange and deale throughly and playnely with him whyche was a greate strength vnto them and an occasion to reforme the rest of the nobilitie to drawe one kinde of way if they determined to withstande Don Iohn as they made shew they would But some that made promise there vnto brake suddayncly and turned to Don Iohn who was leauying of a power to inuade Flaunders and had togither both footemen and Horsemen a very gallante company and those were auntient and perfite Souldioures that had serued many yeares in great aduentures and hazards And to speake as the common fame wente and right wise and noble men did report Don Iohn for his owne person was a wise and most famous noble man that well was worthie for many good partes in him to haue had the leading of a Camp as great as King Alexanders army of Macedonie whose men of warre were at the conquering of most parte of the worlde Thus was Don Iohn and his power in a manner readie to marche and lay aboute Namure to tarrie the comming of some such bands of Horsemen as he looked for and be fully furnished of such things as he wanted The States had in like sorte assembled a very great armie and were as readie to marche as occasion fell out and knowing that their enimies must haue much adoe before they could winne any Towne of credite the States determined to wéerie Don Iohn and so by policie and practise to striue with him rather than with playne force and fight to encounter him for their mightie walled Townes were a great blocke in Don Iohns way whiche neyther coulde bée wonne by their enimies nor yet well could be beséeged but that the States hadde a meane to aide the Townes and power ynough to rayse the seege and could at any aduantage giue Don Iohn battell without whiche aduantage it were no wisedome to deale with a strong and stout enimie And on that resolution stande the noblest Souldioures now liuing And woulde to God that towardly Prince and good Gentleman the King of Portingall had stoode on that poynte whiche shall be spoken of in another matter God sparing me life But now to my purpose I procéede But as the States looked to take Don Iohn at aduantage or awéerie him and his Souldioures with long warres and much labour Don Iohn and his company were so well experimented with paynes and accustomed so often to suffer the miserie of warres that they had such able mindes and bodies to endure and beare off the burthen of aduersitie that the states should not easily that way haue had their willes ouer them although that the Spanyardes by long rest and delicacie of Flaunders were become some what slouthfull and effeminate yet are they of such courage and complexion when force doth compell them to trudge to toyle that straightwayes theyr nature is conuerted to their old maner and custome and they coulde for a néede frame themselues to a new trade of trauell Whiche shewes them as well armed within their mindes where the man is beste knowen as clad and defenced without where nothing is good if the minde set it not forwarde and maintaine it to the vttermost And the opinion of some souldiers is both at home and abroade that who so euer is daintie and vnseasoned and can not martch in hardnesse without a bagge and a bottle were better be by a warme fire thā in a cold field will do more harme in a little péece of béefe than he cā to good in a great battaile he is so loaded with his trinkets mindes so much his meat And although in a splene I haue spoken of the Spaniard yet no other than he deserues so haue I séene both Frenchman and Borgonyon and somé of our owne nation besydes that in the féelde are more gréedy of glorie than hungry in the house when a banquet is on the table I must leaue off this spéech and follow another humor So Don Iohn the states as you haue heard deuised how the one might deceiue the other and yet neyther of them both ventured further than good occasion commanded them And in this colde kind of seruice the souldiours remayned amyd the heate of Sommer a long season till Don Iohns power began to bidde the bace and by a great mischaunce tooke the power of the states at aduantage and slewe some of them and hadde the reste in chace as farre as they durste followe and so that byckering ended The states vpon this little ouerthrow wherin the Scottish bands had the most hurt attended both horsemen and footemen out of Germanie gaue Don Iohn leaue a while to march about a péece of the Countrey minding as soone as the Cassemeer came down to goe to the fielde agayne And in the mean time the states put their people in garrisons Their enemies hauing a little leasure romth giuen thē more for some

coulorable cause than any constraint begā to spurre about and espy their commoditie and by sleyght and force as a camp can not want neither of thē both slipped into some simple seates and townes carrying away credite with them bycause they kept the fielde were receiued into many places and chiefly into Louain And some such as would vntwist the fast thr●…d of Faith Promise became so ●…pper of their wordes when they minded to breake that the states coulde not holde them and so after flickering fortune ●…hey fled a matter worthy to be touched but left off by me to a riper iudgemente that clearelye can construe the reason of these rotten causes A notable souldier called Monsieur de la Moet gouernour of Gra●…eling went from the states at this time as hée sayd to keepe the town for the king And diuerse others as the Count D●…nes Monsieur Barlymont and more than I can name made their owne way to go whether they pleased and for the time the world in Flaunders was quicke dead they were in dolor and heauinesse that had not a light minde to comfort a sad hart for the world was so sorrowful or so suttle y a man might not scarcely at that season laugh with his friend nor trust his owne brother For cunning and craft had put constancie out of countenaunce and finesse with ●…icklenesse were matched togither in one corner of Flaunders or another and so the world wagged the weakest were thruste to the wall and the strongest coulde struggle and striue againste all things but the streame When time came on to set abroch matters that mighte not runne cleare till the lées were settled and Wine wold be knowne frō vineger Ueriuice the euents of weighty matter burste out and made euery man of both the sids Don Iohns and the states loke wel to their footing for of necessitie and countreys cause besides the desire of fame honour both these armies must march to view the one the other and in open field do somewhat for reputations sake and that they came for And as farre as I can iudge prince Cassemeer at this time was not come to the states Well the campes were in march and both of them desirous to do what best became the time and among the states were ●…repte for seruice sake alone some English Gentlemen with such bandes as they coulde happen vpon and furnishe at their own charges And with these English Gentlemē ioyned for good will in the fielde the Scottish regiment as I hearde And the English had an intente to march to the Camp of the states Don Iohns power hauing intelligēce therof made haste to preuente them and so the skirmishe beganne and lasted a long season and for certainetie had not the Englishe and Scottishe nations done theyr duetie and verye well withal they hadde bene repulsed and peraduenture ouerthrowen I woulde praise and commende anye manne that did well that daye but for that I am ignoraunt of that which was truely done and would be loath to flatter one and offend another I omitte al their names but master Iohn Norrises for this presente til my next booke of other warres be printed and published at whiche time I shall know the truth of that I treate of The Casameer with a greate power of horsemen and footemen was come at this presente or in a short while after and Don Iohn then was to consider and aide the daunger might haue followed for his armye was a great deale lesse in number than the power of the states and oftētimes the states were in minde to besiege Louaine but neuer vnreadie to watch for the enemies offer the battel whyche was loked for daylye the Burgonions side were also well disposed it was certainly thought that Don Iohns side was as gallaunt Nowe were pollicies and stratagemes to bée séene Nowe the shewe of warre and clattering of armes might be hard Now the poulder and bullets were prepared and stoute and manly skirmishes began afreshe and the souldiers bespredde the plaines as thicke as the blacke crowes that flyes swarming out of the wilde wooddes and the whole people and commons of Flaunders thought they should be rid of their enimies that so long had enpouershed their rich and plentifull countrey For they smarted poore soules that often had bin spoyled they felt al the wrong that knewe not howe to righte themselues but by Gods grace and gaping after victorie At this present time victualles began to be maruelous déere and after the Rutters and Casemeeres company were payed money among other bandes was harde to come by and in that sort a verie long time was spent and consumed yet some were relieued with that treasure the States could spare but in fine suche scarcitie and miscrie came on and fel among thousāds that both sicknesses and sodaine death ensued And at length the plague of whiche manye made an ende of their liues was sparkled both in Campe and in Country no one place was frée from one disease or other that either stoode neare the Campe or where the sicke souldiers repaired And some of our English Gētlemē dropped downe in that visitation as Mayster Thomas Cobham and others no greate number This sorrowfull and fearefull sicknesse as much vexed troubled the poore people as any miserie they felt made the troubled conscience more afraid than the view of all Don Iohns power Much practising and working there was for a peace by oure Princes Ambassadors that were sorie to sée so much bloudshed and mischiefe as might fall oute vppon a battell And manye times peace was expected and likely to haue happened if Don Iohn woulde haue agréed to any reasonable conditions But in conclusion Don Iohn by a hope hée had in some faction or practise either among Pater Noster men a company so called or others fauorers to Don Iohns doing woulde not agrée to the peace nor do any thing that stoode againste his determination So continuing in a resolute minde he thruste diuers bands of Spaniardes and other souldiours into such Townes and Fortresses as hée hadde possessed and with suche power as he had lefte marched towardes Namure or those parties meaning not as he made shew therof to trouble the States any further for a seasō There were some that threw down churches and vexed and troubled religious persons againste whome rose a company of Wallons naming thēselues Pater Noster men sometimes encountred those that destroyed religious houses made slaughter on thē as they might make their partie good that matter is not yet pacifyed for about Gaunt other townes are many that séeke to doe mischiefe namely to their owne nation and countreymen Which is a beginning of sorrow a sore dangerous thing to continue The power of Don Iohn in manye sortes of seruices hath done what they coulde to vistresse the bandes that the states giue entertainement too but the states and their people are and haue bin