daylye skirmishes withe the contrarie parte and eftsoones preuayled thearein An other tyme a shippe of Caesars souldiours beeinge taken by a gouernour vnder Pompeye which promised vnto one of them for the good reporte whiche hee had of his manhode that he should haue pardone and be receaued to serue Pompeye he aunswered that Caesars Souldiours vsed to geue life and libertie vnto other and not to receaue the same of almes or to sell their Captayne for crauenous feare And so resisting to be apprehēded after that hee had slayne diuers of his enemyes hee leaped into a riuer and escaped by swimming The souldiours of Caesar also sustayning so constantlie the greate and continuall battailles in Fraunce and Germanye withe terrible trauayles ouer mountaynes and harde passage of ryuers and floodes in the percyng coulde and sharpe stormes of winter shewed their inuincible courage good will to follow their Captayne ¶ How to vse victorye and what clemencye is to be vsed towardes the conquered and of the hurte which commeth by securitye Cap. 7. AFter a victorye obtayned howe to pursue the same to deale with the enemye two thinges are to be considered one is the enemye being subdued and all setled and confirmed in quyet that tyrannie bee not shewed but reasonable lawes orders and conditions established vnto the con quered The other is that theare bee no slacknes or negligence vsed vntill the victorye bee perfecte and accomplyshed in euerye parte daungers fledde farre awaye the force of the Enemye broken downe and suppressed For by securitye these myschiefes haue growen that after manye battayles withe greate honour and prowesse foughten infinyte trauayles sustayned and sundrye Realmes subdued one dayes careles securitye and vndiscrete dysorder hathe subuerted all turnynge the state of Conquerours into captiuitye As the Carthaginoys hauynge slayne the two Scipioes in Spayne and wythe greate ruyne repulsed and pulled downe the Romayne power not regarding those that remayned theareof dispersed they weare by the relycques of the same armie gathered together vnder Lucius Martius ouerthrowen Brennus Belinus before mencioned beeinge enryched by the plentifull spoiles of Italie and sacke of Rome as they retourned in securitie and disorder weare on the sodaine inuaded by Camillus withe a feawe of the people before conquered and the victorie being wrested againe out of their handes they weare cleane bereft the fruites of their former conquest The redoubted Cyrus beinge the verye example of great Alexanders noble courage when he had by martiall prowesse obtayned the mightie estate of Persia and subdued diuers kingdomes afterwardes inuadinge Scythia wheare he had a great victorye against that fierce nation by this policye fayning when he was entred within the Countrey that he repented of his attempte and makinge a shewe of hastie fliynge lefte his tentes stored withe good wynes and delicate cheare which the barbarous people pursuing after so plyed and typled square that tomblinge together at night surcharged with wyne and heauie of sleape Cyrus not farre with drawen came vpon them and slewe them euerye mothers sonne After which victorie Thomyris Queene of the lande not discomforted womanlike as Cyrus thought reckoning to rashely with a shrewde hostis but purposing preparing a reuenge by like crafte to acquite him ouer reache him in his owne arte she fled farre within the coūtrey fayninge feare but meaninge mischiefe to trayne the enemie followinge in disorder roominge at random into streigtes where she had priuelye plāted ambushes on the hilles on euery side which sodainlye inuadinge Cyrus and his hoste slewe them all so that of two hundred thousande men there escaped not one to make reporte of the battaill Marcus Antonius after manie most famous victories restinge in Egipt out of tyme regarded not the daungers at Roome whiche seemed so farre of remooued from him but soone they came on him whyle he snorted in carelesse securitie to his vtter ouerthrowe He that will goe drye must carrye a cloke for feare of the cloude which sheweth from a farre I will not waste tyme to declare the further mischiefes destructyons chaunced thoroughe rashe and ouerhastie reckoninge of vnrype victorie and vnsure saufetye These maye suffyce to warne him which maye assure him selfe by good order in armes and battaill to be saufe of power inuincible that by rashnes for lacke of guyde and circumspect foresyght hee tumble not vpon the enemies swerde After one victorie had foorth with the enemie must bee orderlie pursued and not suffered by rest to renue his faintinge force but when he staggereth stryke on still till he be downe and his power fast shutt vp Then the warres beinge thoroughlie ended the captiue liuinge vnder the lawe rule of the conquerour his honour is muche encreased by shewinge of clemencie shunninge of hatefull crueltye For that humanitie requireth this christianitye cōmaundeth to doe Sum̄ haue vsed their conquestes ouer suche as haue yelded vnto their dominion that sauinge onelie the chaūge of their prince or gouernour they haue suffered no alteration of lawes libertie estate or degree The Romaines vsed to appoint deputies gouernours with competent garrisons vnto the landes conquered taxinge them with a meane tribute and takinge hostages for the same so they retourned left thē quiet The noble courtesie which great Alexander vsed towardes the captyue wyfe and daughters of Darius enlarged spred abrode his honour to the furtherāce of his conquestes following What a preparatiue was made vnto Scipio his good successe what a foūdation towardes the proceadinge of his warrelike affaires by his honourable vsinge of prince Luceius his wife lyberalitie vsed towardes Masinissaes nephewe the great and continuall seruice of those princes afterwardes in his warres as before is recyted suffy cientlie sheweth And whatsoeuer lawes fraunchyse or grauntes the generalls of armies haue establyshed made vnto the conquered the princes and estates vnder whom they were deputed ordayned haue alwaies ratified inuiolablye obserued and allowed the same compositions ¶ Of the beginninge iust cause of warres Cap. 8. FOr that the iust quarell encouragethe and commenlye bryngethe prosperous successe it is to bee consydered what maye bee a good grounde and cause to vse weapons and begynne warres by the lawe of nature Iustice and pryncipallie by the lawe of God whiche ought to bee the foundation and rule of all our doynges of whom wee ought to take all our begynninges by whom affayres prosperouslye proceade and happelye ende without whom nothinge encreasethe or groweth to anie good effecte That warres may bee iustlye made and howe diuers good menne haue attempted and vsed the same we reade in the holye booke Almightie God hath stirred vp dyuers as well Prynces as priuate menne or commen persons to take armes and vse force agaynst the wicked The children of Israell vnder Iosua by the cōmaundement leadinge of God conquered the Cananites expelled the miscreaunt and idolotrous nations and possessed their landes Saul Sampson were raysed by him to
subdued so many kinges and countreyes and extended their Empyre so farre into all the three partes of the worlde yet prosecuteth and thrusteth the same further daylie Now it is to be remēbred that the knowledge and practyse of the actes and feates of armes principallie and properlye are of the profession of noble menne and gentlemen of greate reuenues For and by whiche they were firste ordayned and preferred into that place to be a wall and defence for their countrye For the poore man hath not wheareof to lyue of his owne if hee employe time or expences hearein And thearefore the other ought to geue example bothe by his owne industrye in such practises and also maintayne the same in the meanor sorte Securitye and longe peace breadeth idlenes whiche sucketh the valure out of noble myndes A plaine proofe wheareof of the hurte that groweth theareby ys had by the Romaynes whiche in xxiiij yeares space betwene the first and seconde warres of Carthage weare so farre growen out of vse and good practyse of armes that wheare as before they weare euery wheare Conquerours In the seconde warres they went alwaies to wracke till their sundrye greate losses droue them vnto their olde course Bias againe Thus seeynge the causes of these defectes in Englishe men discouered the cure is the more plaine casie the rather if the remedie vnto the other impediment be applyed that ys want of skill or discipline which proceadinge growing partlie vpon the other cause vz. lacke of practise the reste is also to bee sought for and supplyed For as vse excercise maketh prompt readye skilfull in manye thinges So by most iust sure argumēt the contrarie which is the priuation or lacke theareof worketh causeth cōtrary effectes And yet not alwayes in all thinges doth ex cercise or labour bringe knowledge perfection but theare must be skill with all which in this matter is for the more parte to be obtayned by collection iudgement of the reportes historyes Chronicles written of warres For in matters of importāce which haue many Cauteles difficultyes obseruatiōs yt is necessarie that a way be opened a light geuen vnto him which would be a passynger hearein to directe encline his course vnto this knowledge For otherwise he shal trauail wāder in the darke trades vnknowē pathes like a blynde man which goeth he woteth not whither And proue to that there be diuers groūdes rules stratagemes enstructiōs to be set downe printed obserued in the memory of good souldiers as a plot foūdation of their busines The sūdrie bookes writen of these matters in the latine tongue other lāguages by great learned expert men may be a sufficient argumēt hearein Besides that reason wil easelye discusse that the knowledge of the aūcient orders gouernmēt of warre with the sundrie sortes attyre of battail vsed amonge sundry nations their maners practises the exāples of the antiquitie the experiēce pollicies prudent coūsailes most profitable and pitthye preceptes and admonishmentes moste excellent experimentes instructyons behauiour discipline of the greatest chyeftaines most renoumed conquerours that euer weare be requisite needefull vnto a good Captaine for what is the experience or opynion of one man to the practise iudgement of a great nūber of such as haue conquered in all Countreys vanquished great armyes ouerthrowē many mightie battailes honorablie passed al daūgers of warre whose doinges be iudicially perfectlie noted of most learned and wise men in sundrie great volumes writinges for example profite of the posteritie which the vnlearned can not tast or attayne without some preparatiue by plaine plott drawen or introductiō in apt order made to lead thē into the knowledge therof For accomplishinge wheareof thoughe thoroughe the grossenes of my style lacke of experience and sundrye kindes of knowledge whearewith a writer of so wayghtie a matter ought to be furnished together with my study of breuitie hearein little leasure which from myne other affaires I had one time longe after an other to accomplish this same I shall not sufficientlye in all pointes content the exquisite iudgementes whiche are to deame heareof Yet for the necessitie and scarcitie of writing in this matter A willynge minde and faithful affection to profite my Countreye thrusting me foorth to beare a burthē to bigge for my shoulders This labour of myne may be a beginninge to encourage sume other of their greatest experience to make larger addition or supplie hearein For yet nowe I finde Vegetius one lye an auncient writer Machiauell of these affayres well translated into Englishe whiche aucthours being bothe expert in warres and also verye learned their industrie herein is of so much the more commendation as those two qualityes are rare and seldome mete to gether For suche a one as hath knowledge ioygned with courage experience is a man worthe men maye auayle more then a number Yet for that the saide Machiauel is deamed sum what diffuse in his treatyse his opinions also not altogether agreeinge with all mens iudgementes nor reachinge to many matters mete for the state of our English warres And Vegetius being a writter when warres weare vsed in an other course then they are nowe a dayes Yt is therefore wished more to be done in this behalfe And it is maruail to see how the studies of many men haue ben addicted in this our time hauing store of rype wittes whiche can doe verye well Yet amonge so manye bookes as are written daylie of dreames fantacies introductions to pleasure familier fruiteles talkinges eloquent formall or ations little material of pleasant metinges fables amonge women of Caunterbury or courser tales with diuers iestes vaine deuises in earnest there is least labour layd on that arte wheareby kinges rule are ruled and conquered which erecteth buyldeth establisheth encreaseth beautifieth estates the ende and fruites whereof is honour most highe euen aduaunced to the skyes flowinge wealthe fame neuer faylinge or forgotten victorie and dominion withe out boundes The contrarie and wante wheareof is Captiuitye Ruyne Dishonour and desolation VVhearein to perswade by argument that which euerye man doth plainelye see yt weare waste of wordes and tyme And to styrre anye man to the studye of this knowledge Sith the worthynes theareof allureth and draweth all right English men which by the pricke and inclinatyon of nature doe with great desyre runne theare vnto I will thearefore omitte to spende further speache hearein and drawe vnto the matter whearein to make my course the plainer vnto the Reader I deuide this worke into two bookes Wheareof the first entreateth of the Captayne Souldiours And the seconde of the disciplyne obseruations admonitions of warre which two bookes also for the better helpe of memorye I appointe and distribute into certaine Chapiters braunches or principall pointes touchinge the substaunce of this matter as in my table appeareth beginninge with the
Of iustice Cap. v. THen followeth the third vertue Iustice whych is a deuyne motion or affection of the mind to deale vprightly and to render vnto euery man that which vnto him belongeth Yt may be called a deuyne vertue for that it procedeth principally of the feare of GOD who is the head and fountaine of all Iustice by whom al power is geeuen to bee duely vsed and administred And hee is the most high and aeternall Iudge ouer all This vertue is one of the braunches of pyetie by whych good and vpright men be called godly or like vn to god The other part or braunch of pietye is to serue God religiously and duely which because it ought to bee a ground worke proper vnto euery Christian man therfore haue I not noted the same as a peculier or perticuler vertue heare But I say the more Christian the meater Captaine and the better hee serueth God the better hee shall hys Prince and Countrey In this vertue of Iustice the Captaine ought to bee very diligent and circumspect to see as well the iust rewardes of vertue as the due punishment and correction of tumultes rapyne iniuryes disorder and breach of discipline and lawes of warre wherein the quantitie and qualitie with the circumstances of time person place is to be waighed in iudgement by the paise of wysedome in the balance of endifferency hanging vpon the beame and rule of right that reformation may grow and not confusion follow there of that by example of a feaw many may be warned and yet no such remisse clemencie to be vsed that negligence of Iustice should breake all good order But if by faire meanes or perswasion the euil might be wonne or reformed it is first so to be assayed and when none other remedy then rygour roughly to be extended How be it often times the greatnes of the mischiefe requireth sodaine iustice For in warres the like time of deliberatiō staye in iudgement and execution is not giuen as in peace for the generall affaires and state of the armie maye not be stayed or neglected for priuate causes And therefore the Captaines dome order or sentence in this case of spedie Iustice standeth for law and is called martial lawe This lawe king Artaxerxes vsed towardes Artabanus whē he had slaine his father Xerxes and his brother Darius conspiring also to dispatche him and vsurpe the Empyre After that he had certaine secrete vnder standing thereof because that for the great power of him and his sonnes yt was daungerous to apprehende him he discloseth the same vnto some of his trusty friendes and calling Artabanus out of the armye fayning that he would chaunge his armour with him when he had put of the same the King remayning stil armed thrust him thorough with his swerd and so deliuered his estate from daunger King Aswerus likewise caused Aman his sonnes to be sodainly apprehēded executed because that thorough their great power the stay thereof had bene daungerous How be it this kind of Iustice is in the greatest extremitie But the martiall Law or sentence would be vsed and executed vnder this forme and order that the generall calling vnto him such of the Captaines and principall persons of the Army as he shall thinke conuenient thereunto reciting shortly the maner of the offence the mischiefe that might grow therof the odiousnes and villanye of vnnatural Treason and dissention within an armye tending to the ouerthrowen of most valiant worthy personages of most honorable attemptes and purposes the quayling of most great and high endeuours before in that seruice vsed and to the miserable spoyle of the whole army with the decay and dishonour of the countrey of whence they are and there with all the proofes being heard and openly declared to geeue iudgement according to the nature of the offence and commit ouer order for executing the same And sometime for the better satisfiyng of the army if time permit it is conuenient for the punishment of criminall causes to referre the hearinge thereof to the Captaines of euery bande and certaine of them to speake theyr mindes for the qualitie and odiousnes of the offence with some admonishment at the last to the rest of the hearers And sometime it is policie to commit the same vnto twelue or more of the meaner sort or commen souldiers as circumstances may require And if the partie accused and vnder iudgement be a straunger it is the better order of Iustice that he haue parte of his triall by some of his owne Countrey if the matter be playne that they be not to be suspected of partialitie And the whilest that other haue the handling of this matter the generall may the better attend his greater affaires For the other part of Iustice what course is best to be taken in rewarding the valure and well deseruing of those which with great endeuour labour for same to the honour and aduauncement of their Countrey Hearein the good iudgement of the Captaine is to be exercised for wel noting and right regarding the dispositions endeuours and doinges of each person For some are geeuen not to make challenge or claime of theyr owne proper deedes and vertues other will make large report and ostentation of that which they do setting the same artificially forthe to the vtter most and further sometime clothing themselues with that which they neuer sponne and thrusting into the glorie of other mens desertes And diuers there are of disposition to extenuate and seeme to make lesse the vertues of other whom they cannot matche in valure And therefore sith that honour is the right reward of vertue as the Philosophers agree that Laudata virtus crescit and Honos alit artes commended vertue encreaseth and honour is the nouryce of valure which maketh men to excell in practises the Captaine ought to be wyse to sifte perceiue such knackes cunning colours from substāce that he be a iust distributer of the due salaire and rewarde vnto the vertuous without affection or parciality that they beyng encouraged encrease not discouraged cease from well doinge Moreouer for the maner of rewardes there is cōsyderation to be had of the person thus if he be poore he may be somewhat enryched thereby if he meane to bee a continuer in the seruice of warre to geue him a more highe place greater charge in the armie to call him vnto the more wayghtye secrete affaires If he be one that needeth or seeketh not wealth let him haue credite honour aucthoritye the more vse all curtesye towardes him findinge meanes to knowe hys delighte wherewith most to gladde or gratifie him as with horse Armour some rare Iewell or other acceptable thinge to geue him where euer he goe speache of credite honorable commendation and report If he desier to become expert in the knowledge of warre by all curtesye and meanes to further hym thereunto so that as neare as maye bee euerye man
batterye the towne rendred and yelded vppe vnto him Great Alexander vsed this cūninge to gett a fort of wonderfull strength hee conueyed a fewe actiue men vnarmed vp to a rocke not doubted or loked vnto of the enemye for the steepenesse and difficultie to bee clymmed and when they had possessed the toppe thereof beinge nighe the walles where they might greatlie anoy them within the houlde makinge a great shoute or noyse of triumph on a sodaine and aduauncinge their banners as though there had been a great parte of the armye with them and all sure their owne Alexander also on the other syde then fiercelie skalinge the walles the people within beeynge stryken with great feare and in a maze the Castell was easelie by him surprised taken Thus to conclude of this vertue of Prudence it is the lyne of the Captaine to measure hys owne doynges the touchestone and the syue to trye sift the sleightes of the enemie to discerne the substaūce frō the shadow to shunne hys trappe not to bee abused by anie paynted or coloured crafte And this vertue encludeth in it constancie without which a man is no man for as well without reason as without iudgement or resolution in time to vse the same after cōsultation and good aduisement hadd speadye executyon shoulde followe ¶ Of the loue and diligent regarde of the Captayne vnto his souldiours Cap. 7. THe last parte of the furniture whiche armethe our Captayne complete is a tender affectiō diligēt regarde vnto his souldiers So that a good mynde well and vertuouslie enclined and disposed serueth not without diligence in exercysinge and geuinge forthe the fruites thereof And therefore a Captaine besydes his prouident care and studie of the generall and publicke weale and affaires of his armye ought also to respect the state and necessities of pryuate persones and commen souldiers And therefore if the gouernours of Ciuill estates haue been called fathers as the Senatours of Roome had first that name to remember them of the fatherlie affeccion and care whyche they ought to beare towardes the people muche more ought the generall ouer his martiall commō weale to haue a fatherlie minde and regarde for the souldier leaueth father all his frendes and estate of liuinge at home to followe his captaine in foreine countrey committinge his life and all to the guyde and good fortune of him And if lyke desyers with concorde of studies affeccions and continuance of conuersatiō of life do cause most entier loue and stronge bande league of frendshyp much more ought this socyetie of myndes linked and ioyned in honourable desyres and purpose with the vowed felowshippe of bodies in all perylles yea in life and in death vnyte the hartes of the captaine and souldiers in most deare affection and amitie which the captaine ought to professe towardes his souldiers they eche towardes other If the souldier be sicke or hurte the Captaine must prouide Phisitions of Chirurgien for him if he be troubled in minde he ought to be hys friende to visite him and comfort him to further his desires and endeuours to encourage him if he be a worthy souldier to conferre with him some time familierly of his estate and to further and deuise how to encrease and amende the same as wel in the armie as at home For perchaunce hee hath none other friende to cherishe or to haue regarde vnto him in the armie if he be iniuried he hath not the commen ayde and helpe of lawe for his money as in peace he may Therefore the Captayne must be his staye helpe in all his necessities And least it be obiected that if he had Argos eyes hee cannot see the wantes of all men and leasure will not at all times suffer to discharge the partes aboue requyred to preuent the same I say he must onelye extende his diligence as farre as maye be herein Xenophon wrote vnto king Cyrus that a Gouernour ought to be towardes his people kinde as a father towarde his children To note some examples of thys vertue we reade that the great kinge Mithridates vsed such diligence and had such regarde vnto all his comen souldier that of a great armie he coulde call euery man priuatelye by hys name and hauinge people of more then xx seueral natiōs languages he would talke vnto them all familierly in their proper Coūtrey speache The great king Cyrus before remēbred which foūded the Monarchye of the Persians vsed great affabilitie towardes his souldiers The excellent Captayne Scipio is noted and honoured for this curtesie Alexander the great passinge some daies in the desertes barrē drye places of Arabia where as no water was to be foūde so that both the army himself weare pained with great thirst almost intollerable in this neade a cōmen souldiour had by great trauayll gotten one helmet full of water and brought it vnto the kinge which when he had receaued very thankfullye he powred it out vpon the groūd shewing him selfe willing to be partaker of the comē want necessitie of his armie whereby the rest seeing the abstinence and noble minde of their Gouernour forgott the pinche of theyr thirst prepared them selues to suffer any hardnesse and not to bee weryed but constantlie to continue to ouercomeall labours difficulties The same Alexander no greater in power then in noble vertue of minde an other time passinge a iourney in extreme intollerable frost sharpe weather with rough vncomfortable wayes findinge a souldiour stiffe almost dead with could of the percynge ayer he caused him presentlye to be caryed into his tente theare being sett in his owne chayer he sawe him tenderlye dressed and cherished geuinge vnto him of his owne clothes to keape him warme Caius Iulius hauing Alexāders minde in manye thinges so did he no lesse tender and regarde his souldiers when he went to battaile he woulde saye come fellowe souldiours goe we together and call them sometyme good friendes Charles the fifthe beinge a great Emperour and of notable skill and practise in warres endued also with sundrye noble vertues ridynge thoroughe his Campe to viewe the state of the same a commen souldiour sicke and wantinge necessaryes cryed out and rayled vpon him bitterlye wishinge a vengeance and the diuell on hym for that in his seruice beinge fallen into infirmitye disease now had he neither knowledge nor helpe of him the Emperour mildelye aunswered good woordes my good souldiour and thou shalt not want the helpe that may bee had Now to conclude thys vertue not paynfull to plant in thy maners and exercise in actions and deedes yet it bringeth great and happy fruites for it procureth such loue and honour of the Souldiour to the Captaine that thereby he possesseth the more safetie of person and quiet of minde he purchaseth greater fame at home and abroad his attemptes affaires procede the better to effecte for it maketh the endeuour of the Souldiour wonderfull Loue is the surest armour that
plague the Philistynes with battaile The Assyriens were brought by hym into Iudea for the captiuitye of the people when they ranne at ryot and left to serue the true God whyche moste meruaylouslye had shewen hys power and moste tenderlye his loue vnto them Iudas Machabeus also and Gedeon were leaders of the Israelytes against the enemies of God by his ordinaunces by which also Iehu was mooued to make warres for the destruction of the house of Ahab And who sēt Titus from Rome to enuiron Hierusalem with the most dreadfull and fatall siege the ende ruyne where of was foretoulde by the mouth of the Almightie But for our purpose to shewe howe there maye be iust cause to leuie and prosecute warres to dyscerne of right herein we are to serch for the roote originall thereof The worlde God created gaue vnto the sonnes of men this conditiō the geeuer most iustlie annexed this he enioyned with all that no man shoulde couet that whiche to an other belōgeth and that to euery man belongeth which he without wrong enioyeth For in the beginninge when there was no auncient tytles to be made to landes or lordship possession caused good right this is the lawe of nature and equalitie it is also in the ciuill lawe allowed that those thinges wherein no man hath propertie or interest are his which first possesseth them which he maye lawfullie houlde therefore ought not by force to be dispossessed of the same Muche lesse where possession is planted and setled vppon auncyent ryght or grounded on other good tytle A later lawe there is of the most highe God generallie geuen which endureth the iustice of the first lawe that euerie mā shoulde doe so as hee woulde bee done vnto And this is the iust measure the direct rule certaine boūdes betwene righte wrong which beeinge considered we shall knowe how to vse warres and to dyrecte all our doynges well Now lett vs runne as farre as wee maye into the course of antiquitie to serche the first beginninges and causes of warres that wee may conferre them with the euentes and successe theareof for the better knowledge and iudgement herein We finde that Cain the eldest sonne of Adam in the firste time of the worlde liued so long that diuers lādes in the East partes beyng peopled he buylded a city for feare of his enemies knowinge iuste cause giuen by him to be odious vnto men for the vnnaturall parricy de and murder of his brother For at that time Iaball the sonne of Lamech was growen mightie and excercised armes against such as vsed vniust violence or oppression Tubalcain was thē the first that wrought on Iron forged weapons for that purpose For as yet theare was no kyngdome established nor countrey by conquest subdued the pompe of Princes was not knowen men desired not then soueraintie ouer estates but prepared by armes to shilde their owne in saufetie when they had no lawe to defende them This beginninge of warres was made in the first age and no more we reade of till after the floode when the three sonnes of Noah with their manifolde issue multiplyed possessed the sundrye regions of the worlde Sem setled in Asia Cam came into Afrique and Iaphet inhabited Europe whose ofspring shortlie spred abrode into the sudry partes regiōs prouinces of the same Then waxed Thuball the sōne of Iaphet mightie in power and bare rule aboue the rest This man renued againe the vse of weapons Soone after Nimrod began aduaūced the firste kingdome ouer Chaldea wheare he buylt the citie Babell subduinge people Countreies by oppression and oultrage of warres vnder his dominion And thearefore the same violent Empire lasted not longe but it shortlye sonke was drowned in the great estate which Assur raysed in assirya the lande yet now bearinge his name He buylt the Citye Niniue Rezen others by iust conquestes amplifiynge his seigniorie After him succeaded Ninus in the time of the patriarke Abraham whiche enuironned Babilon withe a stronge wall and muche beawtified the Citie as the chiefe seate of his estate Hee subdued the Bactriens and other nations makinge vnto him selfe a mightie Monarchye aboue other Kinges by honourable not iniurious warres as it may appeare by the continuaunce of thys Empyre whiche remained amonge the Assiryens aboue 1300. yeares vntill the raigne of Sardanapalus whose estate thoroughe his beastlike lasciuyous life was taken from him by Arbactus a Prince of the Medes Abraham him selfe made warres with the kinge of Sodome and fower other Princes vsinge at that time good order and policye in his battaile And thearefore they that affirme Ninus Mars or Hercules to bee the beginners and firste vsers of warres and order of battaile are not learned in reading for that theare is large proofe of those before alleaged And as for Mars he was the sonne of Saturne whiche was kinge of Crete at that time when Ianus raygned in Italye and that was about the time of Mofes And Hercules of Thebes lyued after that in the time of Saull king of Iudea or a little before by sum̄ writers which was soone after the buylding of Troye Mars made warre of ambition and lordlye minde to rule But Hercules the patron of Iustice and champion of noble prowesse thrust him selfe into all daungers of battaile to redresse iniuries represse rapyne oppression to roote out tirantes to maintayne defende right to spred the valyle of prosperous peace and wished saufe securitye ouer the worlde to shewe example of most hyghe vertue and valure punishinge robbers and purginge countryes of mischeuous malefactours and v le persons For whiche his ryghteous affection and iust minde as of deuyne vertue proceadinge he was after hys deathe honoured and holden as a god Romulus to erecte a famous Citie and establishe an happye estate withe excellent lawes orders and gouernement called people together and made warres for the compassinge and encreasinge thereof So dyd the auncient kinge Belus of Assiria and Phoroneus in Grecia subdue people to good order and conuenient course of lyfe geuinge vnto them lawes for their publique benefite and behoufe In like sorte Ianus before recyted and Licurgus in Lacedaemon reduced menne from idlenes and leude lasye lyfe vnto good trades ciuilitye and practyse of vertue for none other cause desirynge soueraigntye but for the good state and profytte of the people To thys ende Minerua Cecrops Cadmus vsed armes in their times before seeing mē to liue in diforder without gouernmēt neither comfortably to thē selues nor cōmodiouslye one for an other they extēded their power dominion ouer thē to refourme them into an happie ciuill sorte of life And diuers nations haue willinglie submitted put them selues vnder the rule scepter of such as they perceaued to be wise wel disposed carefull of the weale of a multitude to be a patron