circumstance that drinking may bring a man to heauen and thus sayth the text He that drinkes well sleepes well He that sleepes well thinkes no harme He that thinkes no harme sinneth not and he that sinneth not goes to heauen here is now the conclusion and he that can choppe me vp such Logicke I hope may beare the bell for a Logician let him go where he list Now for your water-casting wisards that in the déepnesse of their experience as you say haue looked into Englands estate and do think that the neglect of the long bowe may bréed such a surfet as you speake of God be thanked the sicknesse is nothing so dangerous as the silly ignorant sort would perswade it the nature of the disease hath bin examined and carefully considered of by men that are no lesse renowned for their wisedme experience then honored for the loue zeale they beare to their country they haue found the first to be a matter of no importance but rather thought it behooueful and necessary for vs to inure our selues to that diet which all the nations of the worlde besides do especially account of and haue retained as a restoratiue to their better safty which being by vs neglected might be such a preparatiue for an enemie to take aduantage by as your Physitians could neuer be able to restore not with all the medicins they could compound eyther of their crossebows or long bowes A foole â—crach him then say I that would giue vs such purgations or vnder the pretence of a Cullis whereby to comfort vs would giue vs indéede a potion that would vndoubtedly poyson vs. What should I say more then to these calculating companions that are so narrow eied to look into commoÌ„ wealth causes that they thinke the countries good is euermore neglected where their owne foolish prescriptions are not alwayes obserued Let such vaine prognosticators fable what they list God hath blessed England he hath plentifully poured his blessings vpon vs first in our most gratious Elizabeth whom he hath established and holden vp in despighte of all Popish practises he hath deliuered her when she hath béene compassed with many dangers whereby he hath shewed his mercy to vs her people whome she hath still gouerned in happy peace and prosperitie He hath giuen her the assistance of a most graue and discréet counsell amongst the rest Burghley by name the man admired through christendome whose watchful eies to preuent insuing mischiefes haue euermore béene vigilant whose wisedome next vnder God and her Maiestie hath béene the best conseruer of our quiet and happy peace whose experience in commonwealth causes is singular to himselfe And for the action of warre O noble erle of Essex how is England blessed in thée thou hast honoured thy country with thy victories obtained enriched it with the spoiles of thine enemies fréeed it from the force of foes that were ready to assaile it whom thou hast dismayed and daunted at their owne doores If I should now speake of domesticall matters for the execution of lawe and iustice here at home according to equitie right and conscience England may think it selfe happy and the Court of Chauncery hath as great cause to glorie where Egerton adorneth the bench Thus you may perceiue captaine Pill that England is in no such distresse as your dreaming dizardes woulde perswade they threaten vs to be almost at deaths doore when there is no manner of signe nor shew of sicknes you sée who they be captain Pil that are Englands watchmen and haue so consecrated themselues to the good of the commonwealth that what perills may passe which shall not be by them discerned and what forraine practises or domesticall disorders can be so plotted out which shall not be by them both foreséene and preuented if it do either concerne the good or ill of our country Pill Captaine Skil me thinkes you haue béene too compendious and briefe in the subiect that you haue now vndertaken a breath of winde is not enough to comprehend their praises that would aske a longer discourse than al that hath bin hitherto debated betwéene vs but will not your words be taken in ill part for there be many honourable personages in England that without doubt are faithful and firme both to their princes and countrey that perhaps wil hang the lip and thinke themselues to be greatly wronged that any one should be so particularly preferred before them especially for those causes Skill I hope the praise of one is no dispraise to another neyther am I ignorant but am vndoubtedly perswaded that there be many as well of the nobilitie as other of the inferiour sort and calling that are of equall desire though not of equall abilitie I commend him that can follow the wise aduise of others but I preferre him that can foresée perils that are to come and is able to discerne of things néedefull and requisite My conclusion is I honour all that are worthy of honour but I say againe and without offence to any I hope I may boldly auouch it these that I haue named are the ornaments of England the Ministers of God next vnder her Maiestie by whom England is made happy the one famous for his counsell the second renowned for his magnanimitie the third reuerenced for his iustice and al of them honored for the care they haue of their countries good thrée notable pillers of our commonwealth to whom I may adde a fourth the noble Lord of Hunsdon who for his fidelitie to his prince matched with equall loue to his country together with the magnificence and noblenesse of his mind may march in equall ranke with those that are most highly honoured and for their vertue most worthily renowned You sée now captaine Pill that England is not so negligently prouided too that it should runne into such vnexperted danger as your squint eyed Diuiners would pretend to foresee but let them dreame and make what doubtes they list they are to be suspected of some defects that doe seeme to be so feareful of the moone-shine in the water Pill But captaine Skil you deale somewhat too roundly in this matter I woulde wishe that you coulde more aduisedly consider of my speeches the matter obiected is against your Low country Captains who vnder the pretence of the excellency of the weapons of fire would bring in carowsing and drunkennesse and thereby would vtterly suppresse and abolish our longbowes archery of England From hence issueth this danger to our countrey that being bereaued of this weapon which our predecessors haue euer found so auaileable and of so great aduantage against their enemies we should thereby so weaken and disable our selues against any that would inuade vs that we should rather be left to the spoile than be able to make defence and although that those noble patrons of our country which you haue named are sufficiently able to discerne of perils as I doe acknowledge their vertue to be farre excéeding the commendation you
A MARTIAL Conference Pleasantly discoursed betweene two Souldiers the one Captaine Skil trained vp in the French and Low country seruices the other Captaine Pill only practised in Finsburie fields in the moderne warres of the renowmed Duke of Shordich and the mightie Prince Arthur Newly translated out of Essex into English by Barnabe Rich gentleman Seruant to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie Malui me diuitem esse quam vocari LABâ—… ET CONSTANTIA Printed at London for Iohn Oxenbridge dwelling in Paules church yard at the signe of the Parrot 1598. To the most honorable and renowmed Lord Sir George Carie of the noble order of the Garter knight Baron of Hunsdon Gouernour and Captaine of the Isle of Wight Captaine of her Maiesties Gentlemen Pensioners Lord Chamberlaine to her Maiâ—stie and of her Highnesse most honorable priuie Counsell IT hath pleased your Honor in fauourable sort to accept of a first croppe of my vnsauourie fruits vnsauorie I may well call them that come from so barren a soile too colde and drie to nourish dainties or to affoord a pleasing plant that may be sauourie to your Lordshippes taste but the field is yours your Lordship hath purchased it and tied it by band for euer bound vnto you by so many noble fauours it hath pleased your Honor to vouchsafe vnto me the fruits therefore both of my labours and of my leisures are due vnto your Lordship and doe appertaine vnto your Honor all by proper right and euerie man is inclined to accept of his owne and fauourably to regard them be they neuer so simple I haue therefore presumed to present you with a second croppe not so seasonable as they shoulde be by reason of mine owne ill husbandry that can not obserue that Decorum looked after by Schollers and maisters of Art and method yet I hope my errors shal passe for the easier payment and be the better borne withall my selfe being a martiall Professor and continually armed to the proofe with a seruiceable and duetifull heart to your Honor and to that most noble and virtuous Ladie your Lordships bedfellow of whose fauors I haue tasted and of whole worthinesse the lesse I write the lesse I wrong her and therefore as a subiect too high for my conceit to reach vnto I will leaue her to the praise of more happie pennes than mine owne and may cease to write but neuer to wish vnto you both all honor and happinesse that is not preiudiciall to true happinesse and thus will rest Your L. in all humble and dutifull affection Barnabe Rich. To the friendly Reader THere is nothing friendly Reader more necessary immediatly after the knowledge of God than to know how to mannage our Martiall causes when it is most euident that aswell Prince country religion lawe iustice subiects and all together are vnder the guard and protection of armes as the establishing of all happy estates especially consisteth first in religion and loue of God and then in the knowledge and practise of Armes euen so as there is nothing amongest the religious more perillous than Sects so amongest Souldiers there is nothing more dangerous than to be diuided in opinions The greatest controuersie amongest vs heere in England is the diuersity in opinions concerning the long bow for that being our antient weapon and whereby we haue many times preuailed to the attaining of sundry notable victories we are therefore stil so naturally inclined towardes it that not onely the multitude and common sort whose greatest arguments are fury and hâ—…t but many others that vnder pretence of great experience and skill will inforce themselues to defend it who ranging their passions to the tune of reason will many times render such reasons as are more out of tune than the very passions themselues In this Martiall conference I haue layed downe all the reasons that I haue heard aledged in the behalfe of bowes the which I haue done to this purpose that no blinde assertions coloured vnder the pretence of great knowledge shoulde make vs to affie our selues in that which is not nor yet to neglect that which onely is to be attained vnto by great practise I haue likewise handled some other matters in a pleasurable sort not of purpose to offend any man and the men that are most vnpatient are ouer contented to take words that are merrily spoken in sport for feare lest other might thinke they would not winch without a galld backe then how much rather is a dumbe booke to be borne withall being generally written but especially where the title pretendeth matter of pleasure and without offence if the Reader bring no offence with him There be some that will admit of no bookes that are not drawne from the very marow and quintessence of wit some other againe are better pleased with fantasticall and humorous deuises but I vtterly dislike that fantasticall humour that writeth onely for his owne priuate praise and not for some profite to others If thou shalt finde me poore in Arte and Science thou must vnderstand the penne is no part of my profession And thus not to passe the boundes of an Epistle I rest thine in all curtesie Barnabe Rich. ¶ A Martiall Conference betweene Captaine Skill and Captaine Pill Skill GEntleman wel ouertaken I hope you are riding towardes London whither my selfe am likewise trauailing and would be glad of good company Pill I am trauelling towards London indéede sir and am glad I haue met with so good company as your selfe doe séeme to be but I pray you sir let me craue your name Skill Sir you shal vnderstand that I am by profession a souldier and haue serued in the French and Low country seruices diuers times and in some other expeditions I haue had charge and therefore by such as know me I am called by the name of Captaine Skill Pill Truely sir I doe loue you so much the better for I my selfe am likewise a professor of Armes and am called by the name of Captaine Pill and therefore I must loue souldiers nay more I do reuerence them nay more yet I doe honor them and I beléeue that onâ— selfe same occasion hath now drawne on our acquaintance and I thinke we goe to London both of one arrand Skill And I pray you sir what might that be as you doe thinke Pill Mary I thinke that this mustering in euerie parte of the realme and this preparation for the making ready of souldiers is a signe of same great seruice intended and I thinke of you as I thinke of my selfe that being a noble captaine as I am you would be glad of imployment as I wold be and for that purpose you are going vppe to London to make sute for a company of men and I promise you so am I Skill If that be your intent sir God send you good spéed but in trueth it is no part of my businesse I neuer yet made speciall sute for a charge and I will not beginne now and yet I haue
warres the conclusion is too ranke it smelles from whence it came but is it not possible that a Souldiour because he hath béene driuen sometimes for want of pay to reléeue himself from famishment although by the breatch of law shall afterward reduce himselfe and be confirmable to any law order or discipliue where hée should either be better prouided for or duly payed I could alleage presidents to make for my purpose but what should I néede these colericke coniectures are well inough knowne from whence they were first gathered and by whome they haue sithence béene retained by those that haue laboured at al times and by all meanes to disgrace and deface the whole actions both of France and Flanders togither with the actours because they know we haue euermore fought in the defence of the Gospell in despight of their masse Pill I must confesse Captaine Skill that for my selfe I neuer came in Flanders nor France and therefore am able to deliuer nothing of mine owne knowledge but what I haue heard by other mens reports neither will I adde any thing of mine owne inuention maliciously to stander I shal not néede to do that for it is too much that is already published and spread in the disgrace of your French and Low-countrey Captaines if al be true that is reported but leaning generalities I will speake of some particulars They are accused not onely for despising but also for peruerting the lawes customes orders and ordinaunces left vnto vs by the great and notable Captaines of former ages innouating altering and inuerting al our ancient procéedings in matters millitarie by them prescribed into orders of their owne inuention attributing to themselues greater science and skill then they will séeme to acknowledge in our predecessors procuring moreouer so much as in them lieth by friuolous obiections and exceptions taken against our Archerie to suppresse and extinguish the seruiceable vse of our naturall English weapon the long bow Skill The matter is not great Captaine Pil whether these accusations be of your owne making or of any other mans reporting for any great substance or witte that is in them and for this particular it were no great matter to acknowledge and confesse it to any man that would inforce it for if it be a fault to innouate I dare boldely auouch there is no art no science no occupation no handicraft nor any other profession whatsoeuer but they innouate alter and inuert and that continually and with great reason when from age to age al things are perfected bettered and drawne to a forme of greater excellencie then euer our predecessors vnderstood of The reason is our ancestors from time to time haue left vnto vs in writing whatsoeuer they attained vnto by any manner of skill knowledge science or art and we haue put vnto it our owne inuention and what we can otherwise apprehend by dayly practise I hope then that Souldiours are not generally so grosse headed when there is likewise left vnto them in writings a perfect forme as wel of orders lawes and disciplines as of all other obseruations whatsoeuer hath béene practised by the most skilful Captaines of al ages but that they could something better their experience by twentie or thirtie yeares practise in the French Low-countrey warres where so many honourable seruices haue béene so continually performed Or why shoulde any man finde fault with souldiours though they innouate their orders in these days according to the practise and condition of the time may it not be done without any preiudice to the grounds and principles left vs by the antiquitie The phisitions do fetch their direction from Galen Hypocrates Plinie Paraselsus and such other that haue left vnto them prescriptions of phisicke and from whom our phisitiōs at this present do fetch their greaiest light but if they should now minister the self same medicines vsed in those dayes by these learned Phisitions amongst tenne patients if they recouered one they would kill all the rest Shall we say now because our phisitions do innouate that they do therefore attribute to themselues greater skill learning and science then they would acknowledge in their predecessors Now in martiall causes although the antiquitie who long before either Musket or Caliuer were knowne armed their people with crosbowes targets long swords glaiues partisins billes and such other and according to those sorts of weapons proportioned their battailes in such sort as they might bring most handes to fight which was good and necessarie for that time when the seruice consisted altogither by incounters of Pell Mell and that they were still brought to handie blowes and had no other vse but of manuall weapons but our squadrons being now armed with weapons of greater force and more aduantage haue left their auncient obseruations to themselues haue followed an order perfected by time and bettered by experience when euerie Captaines page is not ignorant that the alteration of weapon doth necessarilie inforce the alteration of order For our naturall English weapon the long bowes if there be a naturall that would perswade better of thē then men of experience doo finde seruice in them I pray God sende him more witte and that is all the harme that I would wish him and so we wil leaue them for the seruice in Finburie fields to the woonted Regiments of Prince Arthur and the Duke of Shordich Pil Some other accusations wherwith your Low country captaines are charged withall is in the neglect and little care they vsed euen in vsuall and ordinarie causes for it is not vnknowne to any man that hath iudgement in matters Military but at the first forming of armies or regiments there is likewise prescribed lawes martial the which are stil notified and made knowne to the end to containe their armies in obedience and that none might transgresse through ignorance but this your low countrey captaines haue still neglected either vpon contempt or by them not vnderstood which bewrayeth their malice or want of skil The like neglect they vsed in the stablishing of their counsels at warres and in the training and making ready of their souldiers in the practise of their weapons in the prouiding for them of powder shot munition victualles and all other necessaries when they should march vpon any occasion of seruice These and many other like matters that are of common course and vsuall to souldiers that are of the least skill and experience were by them omitted and forgotten or at the least nothing at al respected Skill I warrant you he that first smelt out these accusations had a tender nose but if he wanted not alittle wit I am sure he wanted a great deale of vnderstanding when euerie souldier if he be but of one moneths training is not ignorant that where they erect armies they forget not in like case to erect laws the which at the first are vsually published with the sound of a trumpet and after hanged vp in the market places either of their camps
or garrison towns but these lawes and disciplines are euermore prescribed by Generalles and Counsels of armies and not by euerie particular captaine or Colonel and yet a Colonel may institute for his owne priuate regiment but not any lawes general as your accusation would intimate Now the warres of the lowe countries were aswel supplied with Dutch French Wallons Scottes as English which were al mercenary and hirelings are euermore to obey lawes and not to make lawes but seruing vnder the prince of Orange and States were likewise to receiue their lawes from whom they receiued their pay But who was be of our Nation before my lord of Leicesters time that had authoritie to prescribe lawes more then the French Wallons and Scottes what was it sir Iohn Norris that noble gentleman of our Nation that had béene there a Generall but is now dead and what can I say of him now he is dead that should not diminish the worth that was in him when he was aliue what shal I praise his birth and honour of his race the world knowes it was noble but what is that in comparison of his vertues What then his experience and knowledge in the field that aduanced so many victories if his friendes should not applaude it his foiled foes would yet confesse it or should I commend his noble and couragious heart that no misfortune could dismay nor enemies euer daunt why Flanders France Portingale and Spaine can witnesse this and his enemies may spight at it but speake against it they cannot he is gone but the honor he hath done to his countrey by his seruices wil not bée forgotten This noble gentleman so highly renowned for his sernice amongst the whole regiments of English of Dutch of French of Wallons and of Scottes was especially authorised and imployed as Generall is there any man nowe so simple to beléeue that so great a captaine reputed and well knowne to be sufficiently able to direct an army against so great an enemy as the Spaniard was not of like skill to ordaine and establish lawes to containe his soulders in order For those other neglects for not establishing a Counsell at warres for not practising of souldiers and not for prouiding for them munition victualles and other necessaries when they should march if these obiections were true as they are most slaunderous and false yet whom woulde you blame by these neglects but the Prince of Orange and the States the which if any man would take vpon him to doe I thinke al the souldiors of Europe would hisse at him as well enough they might for who were so simple as to think that so famous a captaine as the prince of Orange so worthily renowmed for the managing of martial causes were yet so carelesse or ignorant as not to prescribe lawes and likewise to prouide necessaries as wel as to procure forces Our English therfore are not to be charged with any one of these defects no more then were the Regiments of other Nations namely the Dutch the French the Wallons and Scots that serued with our Nation al in one predicament and receiued altogether their lawes from whom they receiued their pages and these ignorant ill willers that would spie out these faults onely to depraue the English are not much vnlike the olde seruant that sometimes followes king Henry the eight who vsed euermore to strike him that stood next vnto him Pill There be some other obiectious against your Lowe country captaines for shameful misdemeanors to their poore souldiers some for sending their companies into dangerous attempts better hoping of their dead payes then of any seruice they could performe Some other vpon hatred and displeasure borne to theyr folowers would deuise desperate enterprises of purpose to be reuenged Others againe when they had receined their souldiers pay woulde likewise send them to the slaughter that they might kéepe their payes in their owne purses Skill Me thinkes you should tel me of some other of our captaines that conspired and practised with the Spaniard against the Prince and States that gaue them pay and yet sought to betray them in all their enterprises and seruices and sometimes would surrender vnto the enemies townes and fortes which the Prince had committed to their guarde and placed them there in garrison Pill Captaine Skill for these matters that I haue already deliuered vnto you and many other that I haue yet to speake of all of them concerning the misdemeanours of our captaines sometimes toward their souldiers somtimes towardes the country people that gaue them pay and in whose defence they came to fight and although that in this nature thus alledged there be many shameful abuses wherwith they haue béene charged yet to my remembraunce I neuer heard of any mention made of treasons or traiterous surrendring vp of towns to the spaniards as you haue now mentioned I would be loath to do them so much wrong as to charge them with those matters that I neuer heard to be inforced against them Skil And yet I can assure you that these matters which you say you neuer heard of were very true and there were diuers of our English Nation that dealt most traiterously with the Prince which did both conspire and surrender vp townes to the enemy and what is the matter that these collections of treason were not as well gathered in the disgrace of our Low country captaines being true as the other which you haue heere inforced being false and some of them matters of impossibilitie as those very last obiections by you alledged which euery souldiers boy could controule as hereafter I wil make more euidently to appeare euen to him that hath but halfe a sence But first of al let any man of vnderstanding considder with himselfe from whence these accusations against our French and Low country captaine should procéede they are charged with many shameful abuses the most of them vntrue the rest not worth the speaking of and for some other that were odious and hateful indéede namely treason trechery confederacie and conspiring with the Spaniard and al of them apparant and not to be gainsaid these matters were neuer spokē of nay these were no faults at al but of my conscience were rather estéemed to be workes of Supererrogation meritorious matters and as good a ladder to scale heauen withal as a Bul of Scala coeli purchased from the Pope Who seeth not now by whom these accusations haue bin collected it is wel enough to be perceiued that they haue only their procéeding but from olde papistical enmitie that hath euermore béene busied in defacing disgracing and detracting those French and Netherland seruices and neuer sparing to backebile those that haue indeuoured themselues in defence of the gospel against their Pope but the contrary part euermore faultlesse though they performed nothing but by treason deceit forgery and al manner of villany It is yet within the compasse of our owne memories and hundreds of thousands are now liuing that do well