at the ende a replye to the same made by the right honorable Lorde Rafe earle of Westmerlande a man of no lesse grauitie than experience which was garnished with such floures of Rethoricke and matter of importance that if it had ben in Greke and Latine it had ben nothing inferiour but equiualent with the Orations of Demosthenes or Tully When I had taken a superficial sight of it I was rapte in minde more profoundly to digest his stately stile knit together as the Ambre and argumentes indissoluble as the Adamant After that I had circumspectly pondered and wayed it with deliberation I wondered not a little to sée such eloquence and pithie sentences procede out from such a potentate as scant in these our dayes demane from graue great learned Doctors There lacked no copie of examples as of the Persians the Africans the Grekes and especially of the Romans by diuerse other nations yea of Englande and Scotlande When I had perused the mellifluous Oration of this worthy Oratour and mightie magistrate I determyned with my selfe to reade some of the famous Histories out of which he had picked such pleasant pearles and especially before the rest that Historie intreating of the warres made by the Romans for Scicilie and the Citie of the Samnites out of the which he hadde collected the most firme infringible argumentes of his Oration With the perusing of the which History I was so rapt and pleasured that my appalled senses were quickned and my dul wit sharpened reuiued For the which causes I vowed to apply my vacant houres in reducing it to our maternal vulgar tong vnder the protection gouernāce of the most worthy sequele hautie successours of the incomparable Earle trusting so much to their boūtiful beneuolēce accustomed gētlenes which naturally is plāted in that stock so that they would gratefully accept my good wil towards them When the matter was come to this point I thought that of necessitie I must nedes pen the oration which was the originall cause of this my translation that thereby I might satisfie them which were desirous to know for what cause I toke this worke in hand which could not be done without declaring of the bishops which was the cause of the earls So then I was persuaded that euery man would be desirous to know for what cause the bishop made his which could not be shewed without entring into the life of King Henry the which percell of his life would haue caused him to haue ben iudged of some maligne cursed persons a wicked prince But for their confounding which would go about to take such a cause where none is offered I iudged it as a thing necessarie at the leaste compendiously to shew this abstract of the life of our worthy and renoumed prince and gouernour not neding any argelier to explicate set forth his workes bothe bicause I should soner emptie the Occeans and fill the vorages of Scilla and Caribdis than shew his merited praises which are done alredy as worthely as may be by any man in the vnion of the two illustre and noble families of Lancaster and Yorke compiled by the forenamed Hal but yet not accordingly as they ought to haue ben or as he deserued and also bicause this may sufficiently serue for the vnderstanding of that which I intēded Thus fare you well from my study in saint Iohns Colledge at Cambridge Yours Christopher Watson ¶ The victorious actes of king Henry the fift THe mightie puissāt prince Henry sonne heire to king Henry the fourth toke vpon him the highe power and regimēt of this Realme of England the twenty day of March in the yeare after that Christ our sauiour had entred into the immaculate wombe of the holy Virgin his natural Mother a thousand foure hundreth and eyght and was crowned King the ninth day of April next ensuing and proclaimed King by the name of King Henry the fift This King was the man which according to the auncient prouerbe declared shewed that honour ought to chaunge maners for incontinently after that he was inthronised in the siege royall and had receiued the diaadem and scepter of this famous and fortunate region he determined with him selfe to put on the shape of a new man to vse an other sort of liuing turning insolency wildenesse into grauitie and sobernesse and wauering vice into constant vertue and to the entent that he would so persiste without reflection either least he should bée allured by the sinister persuasions of his familyer companions with whome he had passed his adolescencie in wanton pastimes and ryotous rufflings he banyshed and separated from him all his olde flatterers and lighte bolde brainesicke playféeres but not vnrewarded inhibiting them from thence forth on a great payne not once to approche eyther to his speach or presence nor yet to lodge or soiourne within ten miles of his highe Courte or royall mansion and in their places elected chose men of grauitie and great wit with such as were practised in pollicie and martial prowes by whose skilful wisdome curious counsayle prudent pollicies and ingenious instructions he might at all times rule regally to his high honour guide his gouernāce princelike to his profit This péerlesse prince was righteously reported to be the rare Arabical Phoenix and the very Peragone of his predecessours This haughty Henry was a King whose life was exempt from al faults his liuing vnspotted with obloquie this curtuous king was a princely potentate whome all men leally loued none disdained or dreade this prewe Prince was a coragious Captaine against whome fickle Fortune neuer fraudulently frowned nor irous mischaunce once spitefully spurned this warlike Captaine was a sincere shepherd whome his fawning flocke faithfully fauored and obediently obeyed and with continuall acclamations reknowledged their louing lorde Thys our pastor was such a iust iusticiarie that no facinorous fact was pretermitted vnpunished or faithfull frendshyp destitute of due desert This gentle Iusticiarie was so vnfaynedlye feared that all rage and rebellion were quite banished and all sedition suppressed His feruēt vertues were no more notable than his fine qualities wer worthy of praise for the whiche fewe or none were to him comparable No mā could be found more temperate in eating and drinking than he was he fained no frugalitie his diet was not delicate dainties but rather rurall and grosse more to be desired of the wearied warrier than to be offred to amorous ladies Hys indomable courage was so constant and his hearte was so immutable that he reiected al feare and dastardly dread from him was vtterly banished He had such profound knowledge in conducting and ordring an armie and suche a rare grace in the incoraging of his souldiers that frēch men publikely pronounced him to bée inuincible and impossible to be vanquished Hée was endued with suche pregnant wyt such perfecte prudence and admirable policie that he neuer enterprised any thing before he hadde
to wander and forage abrode in the countrey so that many of the Africans reuolted to thē diuers Cities yelded willingly Then they brought their hoste to Tunes intēding to besiege Matho and his accomplices Annibal pitched his tents on that side of the towne which is towards Carthage and Amilcar on the opposite They brought with them Spendius and the other which they had taken and hanged them all in the sight of their enimies When Amilcar was departed to his station Matho perceiuing Annibal to come into his tentes with his souldiers verie rashly thought it not best to pretermit such an oportunitie but issued out against the Carthaginenses toke many of them compelling the rest to returne sacking their tentes carying away their stuffe In this cōbate Annibal the Carthaginean captain was taken aliue incōtinently led to the gallowes of Spendius where they toke and hanged vp Annibal murdered thirtie noble men of Carthage about the dead corps of Spendius so that fortune declined equally to both partes giuing them time to be reuenged of their enimies Amilcar being warned to late of this vnhappie chaunce could not helpe them the plot was so impassible wherfore he remoued from Tunes and brought his armie to the riuer Machera where he encamped along the banke The Carthaginenses hearing tell of the wretched chance happened to their men begon to dispaire but incontinently recouering theyr spirites they studied diligently to preserue the state of their Citie Then they sent their Senatours legates to Amilcar which led with them Hanno and a new crew of men commaunding that in any case they should take vp the olde rancor debate that was betwixt him and Amilcar which being vnited together shoulde with one minde indeuour them selues to conquer theyr ennimies willing them to way the cruelty of that time wyth the necessitie and apparaunt daunger the Citie was in The Senatours called the captains together then after many and sundry exhortatiōs smothered repressed the cankered sedition reconcyling making thē obedient to the Carthaginenses Then afterwardes all things were ruled by the two captaines so that warring against Matho after many chances both at Leptis other places they appointed to pitch a fielde and fight it out with their enimies to which both parts came coragiously gathering the friends allies out of euery corner sending for them which were appointed to defend the cities knowing that in this battaile one parte should win the spurres After that bothe armies had prepared all things belonging to the battaile and were ready they orderly inuaded on the other the battaile was maruellous cruell rigorous and mortall but the Carthaginenses in the ende obtained the victorie The moste part of their Enimies were slaine in fight the rest fled to a little Citie adiacent which yelded immediatly So that onely Vtica and Hippona perseuered in their obstinacie acknowledging their wickednesse hoping of no mercy for their facinorous crime by which we may learne a modest meane to be of much efficacie and that it is better to pill straws than to worke such curious geare and crafty conueyaunces that in the ende the same is intollerable But at the laste Amilcar Hanno incamping about them they were forced to yelde agree to all such things as pleased the Carthaginenses According to this maner was the African warre ended in which the Carthaginenses had such prosperous successe that they not onely obtained all Africa but also executed condign punishment vpon the rebelles Matho his copes mates were led about the towne with the youth of the Citie for a triumph then put to paines worthy of their wickednesse This war endured thrée yeares and foure monethes far exceding all other in crueltie and wickednesse that euer I heard of About that time the Romans were allured by the persuasions of the souldiers that fled out of Sardinia to transfrete into the Iland which thing the Carthaginenses somewhat stomaked bicause the Ilād belonged rather vnto them and therefore prepared an army to send into it The Romans hauing gotten that occasion commaunded them to desist from their purpose affirming their preparaunce not to be so much againste the Sardinians as against them The Carthaginenses perceiuing how they were not able at that presēt to match with the Romans louted for the time and eschuing al occasions of battaile did not onely graunt them the Iland but also sent them a thousand two hundreth talents least they should assaile them at that present Thus orderly according to this prescripte maner were these things done Nihil est dulcius bene impensi temporis Memoria Contra vero his molestius nihill Thus endeth the first booke of histories written by the most famous and worthy Grecian Chronographer Polybius intreating in the first part of the warres betwixt the Romans and the Carthaginenses for the domination of Scicilie in the second parte of that warrs betwixt the Carthaginenses and their mercinarie souldiers a rich worthie worke containing holsome counsailes and wonderful deuises against the incombraunce of fickle fortune and comfortable consolations for them that are depressed by hir a worke much profitable to all the Reders thereof but especially to the diligent digesters of the same To the Questioners Those which are desirous to know the causes why I ioyned this abridgement of King Henry the fift his life to this foraine History let them reade the Epistle folowing IF any couet to know why I toke in hande to renouate the triumphante reigne and victorious actes of this Arabical Phoenix and famous conquerour either how I was bolde to coarct them so compendiously whereby his martial prowes may be thought to be appalled or diminished to the reasonable requeste and trusting to their humanitie thus I aunswere them imploying my diligēce and studie in the obscure workes and intricate engins of the famous Aristotle prince of Philosophers to attaine some knowledge continued in that sage Sophye my wittes were so cloyed yea almost dased that of necessitie and constrainte I was forced to seke some recreation Then incontinently came to my memory a sentence of the diuine golden Plato containing these wordes When thou arte fatigate vvith studie recreate and repose thy selfe vvith reuoluing vvorthy Histories Then I be gan to excogitate what Histories of al other were most famous Peragons in the comparison of the rest being desirous to practise some presēt remedy But then tumbled an other thought in my braine which persuaded me to thinke if the varietie of studie reuiued and set on edge an obtuse or blunt wit that the alteration of the language should be of some effycacie force So I raught to our English Chronacles compiled by Edvvard Hall which by fortune behelde the fountaine and effycient of my translation and all the rest lay open at that present in the life of King Henry the fift where was noted in the margent the Oration of Henry Chickley Archbishop of Canterbury which Oration I red ouer and
them that were at Delphos before being vanquished and fled into Asia Now the Romanes hauing tamed the Tuscanes subdued the Samuits and driuen the Frenchmen to flight in sundry skermishes began to enuie the other partes of Italye not thinking that they trauailed to subdue any foraine nation but that which of right was theyr inheritance patrimonie nutritiue soyle Now the Romanes hauing obteined a perfect habite in the warrs through daily experiēce vsed in their exploits and conquests vpon the Samnits and Frēchmen for which causes they earnestely continued in this broyle to such time as they had expelled Pirrhus with his cōfederats garrisons out of Italy then they pursued turned theyr whole strength against these which had condiscended to him Now euen at an vnwares sodenly vnhoped for they were becom lords regentes ouer all the inhabitantes of Italye except the French men After this they began to besiege the Romanes which kept Rhegia A lyke chance happened at that same instaunte to two cities situate in the straightes of that Sea Rhegia and Messana For the Campanes warring vnder Agathocles in Scicilia wondering at the excellēcy worthinesse also at the riches plētifulnesse of Messana espying oportunitie to accomplish their pretēsed purpose being once receiued within the walles vnder the cloake of frendship violated the couenant of truce inuading the Citie thrusting out the Citizens and inhabitants cruelly murdering them seasing theyr wyues and children euery man as he chaunced in the conflict and tumult then they rysled and deuided the ryches and treasures with the pleasant pastures and fertil soyle amongst them Thus they obtayned a most excellente rich and worthy Citie impleate with inestimable treasure abounding in plenteousnesse and store of all things also within a small tracte of tyme and imitatours of this theyr peruerse enterprise For at that time when Pirrhus King of Epirotes sayled with his army into Italie the inhabitantes of Rhegia being dismaide and set in a perplexity with his sodayne arryuall required ayde and assistaunce of the Romanes bicause the Carthaginenses theyr enimies ruled the seas which sent them succoure that defended theyr Cytie for a certayne time They were in number foure thousand men ouer whome Decius and Campanus were Prefects rulers But in continuance being moued and incitate by the example of the Mamertines or Samuites hauing them also confederates of theyr facinorous and wicked conspiracie vyolated and falsefied theyr othe made to the Cytizens of Rhegia being prouoked and allured partly with the opportunitie of tyme partly wyth the great riches substance and abundance of the inhabitans they detruded and expulsed the Citizens afflicting tormenting diuers of them and according as the Mamertines had done before semblably dyd they now deteining and inhabiting the Cytie The Romanes althoughe they were sore greued and inwardly vexed with the calamyties chaunced to the Rhegians yet they could not ayde or helpe them presently being troubled wyth other warres the which being finished they went besieged the citie of Rhegia which in continuance of tyme was expugnate and wonne by force The defendants had so hautely withstoode the assault that the most part were slaine for they perfectly vnderstoode if they eyther yelded or were taken by force that they should not auoid cruell Tortors so that onely thirtie were taken aliue which incontinently were conueyed to Rome where as the Consuls were led into the market place there tormented with rods and then according to the order of the cuntrey were cut shorter by the length of their heades both that they might be punished for committing such a hainous offense and for renuing of their amitie with the Rhegians restoring vnto thē their citie pastures and other things that were left The Mamertines for so the Campanes called thē selues when they had taken Messana duryng the time that the Romane Legion deteined Rhegia beyng mainteined with their aide not only defended kepte safe their own boundes and precinctes but also displeasured and put in ieopardy diuers of the Cities adiacent as well of the Carthaginēses as of the Siracusans They had also made tributary vnto them sundry cities of Scicilie But nowe the Rhegians hauing their citie restored and they being destitute of the Romane Legions helpe were enuironed besieged of the Siracusans for certain causes which afterwards shal be declared Not long before that time there was a sedition sprong vp betwene the Scicilian souldiers the gouernours of the Weale publike in so much that they constituted captains ouer them of the Artemidans and him which afterward was their king one named Hyeron a very yong man being but a stripling and of yong yeares but so furnished and indued with all the giftes of nature as knowledge vertue and wisedome that he wanted nothing appertayning or necessary to a king except onely a kingdome When he had obteyned the authoritie and regiment of the Souldiours at the length being enuironed with a great troupe company of his friends he entred the citie and toke diuers of the Citizens which were confederats of the rebellion the which victory he vsed so moderately mercifully that all the Siracusans with one voyce and consente which was a rare thing almost neuer séene before that time proclaimed him the seconde time gouernour and ruler ouer them Then Hyeron as he shewed by manifest arguments deliberated and determined to be of greater and hygher estimation than a Captaine But first of all he weyed considered with him selfe how the Siracusans were eftsones accustomed immediately after the departure of the Captaine and the army from the Citie to kindle vprores and seditions therefore perceyuing the honesty and fidelitie of Leptinus also of what authoritie credence and estimation hee was of amongest the Syracusans and of howe much reputacion and power amongst the inferior sorte he thought it not incongruent to ioyne himself vnto him by affinitie that he mighte haue on to liue in the citie when he with his armie shoulde bée occupied in other affaires Thus hauing maried the daughter of Leptimus and knit friendshyp with Hyminian knots perceyuing howe the olde Syracusan seruiters which were hirelings and conduct souldiers wer very vnstable fickle ful of mutabilitie cōmonly desirous of newe thyngs and changes he prepared an armie against the Barbarians which kept Messana pitching his tents and pauilions placing the front of his battaile along the ryuer of the Ciamossians Then he tooke both the horsemen and footemen of the Syracusans as though he would assault his enimies at some other place retiring an other waye with all his power conducting them safe and without damage into the Citie suffering the rascall and hired souldiers to bée enuironned and inclosed wyth their enimies so that they were broughte to ruine and vtter confusion When he had by this meanes dispatched the olde seruiters out of the Citie he prepared waged souldiers of more credence and stabilitie Thus hauing set all things in a good and reasonable estate and
bold Britains as their owne neighbours extracte of one propre parente and descended of one progenie For the auaricious Albanacts otherwise called the false fraudulent snatching Scottes and the carelesse Cambers otherwise denominate vnstable wauering Welshmen falsified their faith not only by withdrawing their fealtie denying their homage refusing their allegiance due to their soueraignes the Kings of this realm but also made continual warre and destroyed their townes and slew the friendes of their neighbours the Britains For whiche cause diuers of your hautie progenitors haue not only made warre and subdued the faythlesse Scots for denying of their homage and reaping of rebellion but also haue deposed their Kyngs and Princes inthronising settyng vp other in their estates and dignities Was not Scater their king slaine and extincted for hys rebellion by your noble predecessour Dunwallo Moluncius Arthur also the glory of the Britains directed Angosile to the scepter of Scotlande and receyued of hym homage and fealtie If I shold recken how many of their kings haue done homage to youre auncient predecessors or reherse what numbre of Scottish Kings they haue corrected and punished for disobedience and denying their dueties or if I should declare what Kyngs they as superioure lordes and high Emperours ouer the vnder kings of Scotlande haue elected and made rulers to the intent that all people mighte manifestely perceyue that it was more glorious more honourable and more famous a Kyng to make a King than to be a King by naturall descent I assure you that your eares woulde be more wearie of hearing than my tongue fatigate with telling the truth Your noble progenitour Kyng Edwarde the first coueting to be superiour to surmount in honor or at the least to be equiualēt in fame with his noble ancesters and famous progenitours studied dayly hourely compassed howe to associate together and tourne the whole I le of Britaine which was diuided by Brute into thrée seuerall partes to the pristinate Monarchial state and one dominion After long study and greate consultation hée victoriously subdued Wales tamed their wildenesse and bridlyng them with sharpe bittes turned them to their olde home and aunciente degrée whiche thyng done he semblably inuaded Scotlande and conquered the countrey to the towne of Pearche uent with the serpentine policie to auoid and eschue al things which might either be impedimentes to their progression and setting forwarde or occasions of their returne and losse of their enterprise least they leauing behinde them a noysom neighbor a continuall aduersarie and a secrete ennimie may as soone come to leese their owne patrimonie as conquere or gaine the dominions of other Wherefore the trite and common adage sayth Better one birde in hande than tenne in the woodde Leaue not the certain for the vncertaine for whiche consideration it is expedient and nedeful that I enūciate or declare vnto you certaine articles contained in the ancient league and amitie continued betwixt the realmes of France Scotland wherof the wordes be these The warres and iniuries moued or done by the Englishe nation to either of the sayd countreys to be as cōmon wrong to bothe If the English mē make warre on the french nation then the Scottes at the costes charges of the French king shal minister to them succoures Semblably if the Scottes be molested by the English warres the Frenchmen hauing their costes allowed shall be to them as aiders and assisters And that none of both nations shall either contract or make peace with the Realme of England without consent or agréemente of the other And to the intente that this league and amitie should be kept vnuiolate Robert le Bruse the vsurper of Scotlande willed by his testament two things especially to be obserued the one neuer to breake the treatie cōcluded with France the other neuer to kepe peace or paction made with Englishemen longer than the obseruing thereof were to them commodious or profitable Yet Mare and other Scottish writers colour thys cause saying that he would haue no treatie or peace concluded wyth Englande aboue thrée yeares But what so euer writers write or talkers tel they be to him most faithful executers haue neuer yet falsified or broken his testament but continually performed hys commaundement Yea for the verificatiō of Bruses brutish bidding and for the performaunce of this his wycked will and to kéepe and preserue thys league vnuiolate none of your auncesters euer inuaded Fraunce but incontinently the Scots troubled and vexed Englande none of your progenitors euer passed the seas in a iust quarel against the French nation but that Scots in their absence entred your realme spoyled your townes burned and destroyed youre villages sacked youre houses pilled and forraged your countrey afflicted your subiects slew your people taking and distributing booties innumerable and thus continually abandoning your countrey the caitifes are and haue bene accustomed couertly to kepe themselues in wooddes and secrete places that they myght there fight and with sodaine assaults and at vnwares inuade the defēders of your frontiers and all these deceipts were and are practised to prouoke then your auncesters and now you to desist and returne from the inuading of Fraunce If I should vnbuckle to you their com mon breakyng of leagues if I should vncaste theyr craftie and subtill dissimulation if I should drawe the vaile of their falsified faire promises often sworne and neuer kepte if I shoulde vnsheath all their shamefull shifts if I should shew open the pestiferous pack of their peuishnesse I doubte not but you would ten times more abhorre to heare of their detestable dealing than I should be ashamed of the truthe telling Therfore I will not only persist in aduouching my assertion but also affirme and proue that of necessitie and constrainte to swéepe all corners of priuate enimies shall be néedefull suffering no lurking moates behynde your backe which may proue mischenous lettes when you go to conquere aduersaries before your face Moreouer beside all these if you consider the quotidian charges the inconstant chāces which may happen I thinke yea and litle doubte but Scotlande shall be tamed before your iourney can be framed to Fraunce for if you intende to inuade it accompte what numbre of ships must bée prepared to the transportation of your armie recōpt what a charge of ankers forcast what a com panie of cables and what other innumerable necessaries appertaine to a nauie After your nauigation and safe arriuall as I truste God will prosper your iourney if your men chaunce to decay by sicknesse or to be extincte by sworde if victuals faile if money wax scant if the windes turne contrary or hoistyng tempestes make the sea to outrage with belchyng dashes when these necessaries shold be transuehate to your armie then shall you be destitute of aide prouision and treasure which in a foraine region are the confusion and defacing of an armie On the contrary part if you inuade Scotlande your men be hard at hand