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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12567	Certain discourses, vvritten by Sir Iohn Smythe, Knight: concerning the formes and effects of diuers sorts of weapons, and other verie important matters militarie, greatlie mistaken by diuers of our men of warre in these daies; and chiefly, of the mosquet, the caliuer and the long-bow; as also, of the great sufficiencie, excellencie, and wonderful effects of archers: with many notable examples and other particularities, by him presented to the nobilitie of this realme, & published for the benefite of this his natiue countrie of England	Smythe, John, Sir, ca. 1534-1607.	1590 (1590)	STC 22883; ESTC S117657	85,512	138

alleage two the one ancient the other of this time The first is of the Arabians which nation vnder Mahomet that false prophet his successors Halifas conquered a great part of Europe Affrike and Asia were so long as they had but one supreme Halifa or Prince to gouerne the Arabians and al their dominions by them conquered so mighty through their excellent Milicia that no forren Nation durst assaile them But after by their long liuing in peace and great prosperitie in the end through the viciousnes and insufficiencie of one of their supreme Halifas that at that time raigned ouer them fell into reuolt and intestine wars amongst themselues striuing for the supreme throne and gouernement in such sort that in few yeres they did so corrupt and confound their ancient discipline Militarie so weaken themselues by many cōfused battels sackings and spoiles and by diuiding their great Empire into diuers partes vnder diuers Halifas that the Turkes a new Nation who had an excellent Milicia did inuade their dominions and within few yeares brought them into subiection to the Turkie Empire Now the other example which is of our time is Fraunce which kingdome vntill Lewes the eleuenth did serue himselfe with mercinaries had a well ordered Milicia offensiue and defensiue and that chiefly on horsebacke and yet diuers yeares had some reliques and remnants of the same but nowe in this later time the French Nation hauing continued seauen or eight and twenty yeares in ciuile warres amongest themselues they haue so corrupted and confounded all their ancient orders and proceedings in matters Militarie that they haue at this present no shew token nor mention of the same but disorder disobedience and confusion which hath proceeded of the like causes that brought the Arabians and many other Nations through intestine warres to corrupt and confound their Arte and Science Militarie as it shall more particularly appeare by that which followeth I think all men of experience iudgement in matters of warre do know that the first principall thing that is requisite to assemble and forme an armie or armies and to keepe the same in obedience with good effect is treasure to maintaine pay and reward with seuere execution of excellent Lawes Militarie Which what Prince soeuer he be that hath with sufficient Generals other Officers to commaund and gouerne may very well haue a well ordered Milicia by reason that no souldiours well payd and chiefly being subiects to the Prince that they serue can vse any excuses not to obserue all lawes and orders Militarie of Sea or Land Towne Campe or Field Besides that vpon any transgression of orders it is lawfull for the Captains and higher Officers to correct reforme and punish according to the lawes and ordinances Militarie from whence it commeth to passe that euen as the Citizens of a wel ordered Citie through the execution of good lawes ciuil and criminall by excellent gouernors doo liue in great order quietnes and prosperitie without any ciuile dissention Euen so an Armie in the field being well payed prouided for and gouerned doo liue as orderly in towne campe and field without robbing spoiling or otherwise iniuring any other but the common enemie Now to maintaine and continue the same it dooth behoue a King in his kingdome and chieflie in the bodie of the same to be well obeyed that by the quiet obedience of his subiects he may receiue all his customes rents and reuenewes with all other subsidies and aides that of antiquitie his progenitors haue accustomed to receiue with newe supplies of men and munitions from time to time to ranforce his Armie or Armies All which the French Kings through their subiects so often taking Armes and such intestine warres so manie yeares haue so come to want that they haue not had anie meanes possible to maintaine any other but a deformed and disordered Milicia by reason that the Nobilitie and Princes of the bloud vppon diuers legitimate causes by them pretended with their friends and followers taking Armes against them a great part of the reuenewe of the Crowne with all other customes subsidies and aides haue in diuers Cities Townes and Prouinces come to cease and the same to be enioyed by the Kings enemies armed by meanes whereof the French Kings that haue liued in the times of these intestine warres haue not had treasure to pay their Armies whereby to keepe their men of warre in any discipline Besides that by those continuall dissentions they haue lackt a great part of their Nobilitie and subiects to ranforce their Armies The Nobilitie also and Princes of the bloud that haue continued in Armes against their Kings notwithstanding their vsurped reuenewe and treasure of the Crowne haue beene as little or lesse able to pay their men of warre so that all the intestine and ciuill warres that haue continued so manie yeares in France with the slaughter and destruction of such infinite numbers of all sorts of people haue beene maintained and continued tumultuaritie more by spoyle sedition passion and faction than by any pay order and discipline Militarie Whereof it hath come to passe that such Armies as haue serued vnder the French Kings or vnder the Nobilitie that haue continued in armes against them how good Officers gouernors soeuer they had could not haue any certen nor ordered Milicia by reason that through the lacke of certaine pay and no hope of reward for extraordinary deserts it hath come to passe that the souldiors thereby being made voluntary haue obeyed their Captaines no otherwise than hath pleased themselues altering and changing their weapons as also themselues out of one band into an other and sometimes horsemen to become footemen and footemen to become horsemen besides their forraging and stragling from their Ensignes without order as also their negligence and lacke of vigilancie in their watches bodies of watches and centinels and by disordering themselues vpon euery light occasion both in battallion squadron and troupe Captaines also haue oftetimes formed or rather deformed their bands both on horsebacke and on foote with armors and weapons new inuented by themselues without controlment different from all orders Militarie The Generals and whole armies also both of the one side and of the other haue very seldome or neuer according to the Arte Militarie lodged themselues in any campe formed but dispersed and scattered by bands in many Townes and Villages with great disorder Besides that both Captaines Souldiors and all other men of warre for lacke of ordinary pay haue liued a great deale more vpon the spoile and misusing of the common people their fellow-subiects and friends than vpon any spoile or annoying of the enemy armed through which great disorders and lack of pietie contrary to all diuine humane lawes it hath come to passe that such Officers Captains and Souldiours that haue serued any long time in such licentious and tumultuarie wars be they subiects or mercenaries can very hardly after be reformed and

report that our arrowes wil not wound men through single buffe Ierkins nor scarse through their ordinarie clothes which ignorant and fond speaches were more seemelie to come out of the mouthes of nouices and yonglings that neuer sawe any thing than from such as professing armes ought to speake with consideration reason and iudgement And therefore it is greatlie to bee pittied that men of so great ignorance and smal vnderstanding in affaires and actions of warre are grown to such an ouerweening in their owne conceipts that in their fond bablings they doo make so light of those our weapons that the great Captaines of France and other Nations in King Edward the thirds time other kings times did by the experience of their daungers mischiefes so greatlie redoubt that they caused their footmen although they were as well armed for the defence of their bodies heads as footmen now a daies are to carrie pauoises of seauen foot long and a foot and a halfe or two foote broad with little holes towards the vpper end armed with steele for them to looke through which pauoises did couer their faces and al other disarmed parts euen downe to their toes And that their men at armes also because our arrowes were so terrible in the sights of their horses and that they did wound them in the eyes and legges and euerie bare and disarmed place which made them run athwart the one the other as is before declared did oftentimes forsake their horses and reducing themselues into esquadron came vpon our Archers with their launces and swords the beuers of their helmets downe and armed cap a pie as it doth appeare by diuers great encounters mentioned in Froissart and other histories But because the wonderfull effects and mischiefe of arrowes may further appeare to be farre different from the dreames and reports of our such phantasticall men of warre I will now of many Emperours Kings and great Captaines that haue been wounded and killed forraine Archers and arrowes inferiour vnto ours alledge a fewe examples to auoide prolixitie beginning first with some testimonie out of the Bible Was not Saul the first King of the Iewes and a valiant Prince in his last battaile fought with the Amalakites afraide of the volees of their arrowes and himselfe wounded with an arrowe And was not Ioram King of Israel slaine by Iehu his successor with the shot of an arrowe that strake him into the bodie and through the hart And was not Achab also king of Israel in a battaile against the Sirians ouerthrowne and wounded with an arrowe that strake him into the bodie betweene the ioynts of his armour of the which wound he that night died Besides that it is further manifest by many other notable histories that Alexander the great that most mightie Conquerour besieging the Citie of Gaza in Siria was himselfe sore wounded through the habergin into the shoulder with an arrowe in such sort that he was by that wound in great daunger and his whole Armie thereat greatlie amazed Vespasian also that famous and excellent Emperour was wounded himselfe with an arrow in a great encounter and conflict that he had against the Iewes by the citie of Iorpata in Iuda The Emperour Decius also was ouerthrowne slaine in a battaile against the Gothes and Decius Caesar his sonne striken dead with the shot of arrowes The Emperour Valens also was ouerthrowne in a great battaile by the Gothes and himself sore wounded with an arrowe Don Alfonso also King of Leon in Spaine and Don Sancho King of Aragon were although at diuers times in diuers places wounded and slaine by the Arabians and Mores with arrowes Manuel also Emperour of Constantinople was ouerthrowne in a great battaile against the Soldan of Iconio and himselfe wounded with arrowes notwithstanding his armour and target in the which he had thirtie arrowes sticking Orcan also sonne vnto Otoman and second Emperour of the Turkes was ouerthrowne wounded and slaine with arrowes in a merueilous great battaile fought betwixt him his Turkes and the Tartars And finallie Mahomet the second of that name Emperour of the Turkes that wonderfull Conquerour that did so prosper in all battailes and besiegings of townes that he wan the two Empires of Constantinople and Trepizonda and killed the Emperour Constantine Dragon Paleolego as also the Emperour of Trepizonda called Colojani and besides conquered ten Kingdomes of Christians and slewe foure Kings and all this chieflie by his notable milicia of Archers yet notwithstanding all those his great victories and conquests in a great battaile fought betwixt him and that famous Vayuod Iuan Huniades Coruino he was himself wounded with an arrowe and his Turkes thereat so wonderfullie amazed that thereupon he and they were by the Christians vanquished and compelled with great disorder dishonor and losse of his people to retire to Constantinople Which notable examples of wounding and killing of Emperours Kings and great Captaines by foraine Archers and arrowes inferiour vnto ours may verie well shewe the ouerweening and lacke of consideration and iudgement of our such men of warre that haue sought by their vaine and ignorant speaches and words to deface the force violence and wonderfull effects of our English Archers and arrowes contrarie to infinite examples and notable histories in diuers languages and experiences of manie conquering Nations and most excellent Captaines both auncient and also of this age And now hauing in this my discourse endeuoured my selfe by manie reasons and examples to make manifest how our such men of warre haue mistaken the vse and effects of diuers sorts of weapons out of their due times and places with diuers other their errors Militarie contrary to the moderne opinions and vse of diuers forraine warlike Nations as also that I haue according to my first proposition particularlie set downe the most of the perfections and imperfections of Mosquettiers and Harquebuziers of their weapons with the perfections and imperfections of Archers and their Bowes with manie reasons and examples also to shewe and proue that the auncient effects of our Archers and arrowes are no waies decaied nor blemished by the effects of Harquebuziers and Mosquettiers but that they doo in the field farre exceed and excell the effects of all weapons of fire maniable and further that no horsemen nor footmen are able to abide the terror and daunger of the volees of our arrowes with many examples of battailes victories and conquests of great encounters and skirmishes of wounding and killing of mightie Emperours Kings great Captaines with arrowes I now come to conclude that our Archers being yet so excellent as they are although in number not so manie as they were in times past may being well ordered worke as great or greater effects in the field than they did in former ages considering that al Nations of the occidentall parts of Christendome both horsemen and footmen do now vse to weare fewer peeces of armour to couer and defend their bodies than

resisting of the Enemie in their Ports and Hauens but also to haue as great regard to some such open and commodious shoares as are before mentioned Which cannot be performed 〈◊〉 with ensconcing of Sconces 〈…〉 but onelie with a great and extraordinarie wisedome and with the valiant hands of a puissant Armie and Campe formed Now whereas they attribute such excellencie vnto Mosquettiers with their Mosquets that being in great numbers and backed with some squadrons of Piques they are able 20 or 24. scores off to break and dismember squadrons both of horsemen and footmen True it is that Mosquets being in the hands of skilful Mosquettiers are of great effect for diuers purposes and that kinde of weapon of that length with restes and so ranforced was first vsed in Italie aboue 60. yeares past as I haue diuers times heard auncient Captaines of the Italian and Spanish Nation say and that at that time they were employed for the defence of places fortified as also out of trenches against places fortified being besieged which were the verie naturall places and of greatest effect for that weapon howbeit since that time they haue been vsed in most Armies in the field both on horsebacke and on foote but chieflie on foote but neuer in anie great number vntill the Duke of Alba came to gouerne the Lowe Countries who greatlie encreased the nūber of that weapon for soldiers on foote To the which encrease of Mosquettiers he long before had perswaded with the Emperour Charles howbeit he could neuer bring it to passe because there were diuers great notable Captaines such as the Marquesse of Guast Don Fernando Gonzaga Iuan Baptista Castaldo Antonio Dorea and the Marquesse of Marin●an with diuers other principall men of his councell of warre that did vtterlie mislike the encreasement of that weapon for the field as too burdensome and heauie for soldiers to vse in battailes or great encounters but for within townes besieged or out of trenches against places fortified they did greatlie allow of them But the Duke at this time being Lieutenant generall and absolute Gouernour in the Lowe Countries as aforesaid seeing the numbers of Rutters in all Armies encreased and that the most of those Rutters as also that manie Captaines and Officers of footmen were armed at the proofe of the Harquebuze he to the intent to frustrate the resistance of their armours did encrease his numbers of Mosquettiers the blowes of the bullets of which no armours wearable can resist And this I haue heard of diuers auncient Captaines both Italians and Spaniards who did rather allowe of the opinion of those great Captaines than of the Duke of Albas so great encreasing of that weapō Since whose time the Duke of Parma after the death of the Commendador and Don Iuan d' Austria being appoynted by the King of Spaine to bee Lieutenant generall and gouernour there seeing the greatest part of the Lowe Countries reuolted and lost through Don Iuan d' Austrias composition that he was therfore to recouer citie after citie and towne after towne because they were all fortified more or lesse and that when he had won them he must keepe defend them with garrisons for the which two effects of winning defending of townes places fortified that kind of weapō being verie excellent he encreased his Mosquettiers to a farre greater number as I haue heard than the Duke of Alba euer had Howbeit I knowe that the Duke of Alba had more cause to vse Mosquettiers in seruices of the field vpon diuers occasions than anie of his successors gouernours of those Prouinces euer had by reason of the often inuasions of Counte Lodowick the Prince of Orange and others and therefore he being as he was a great Captaine and of great experience and skill in all discipline and science Militarie did vse to conferre with his Coronells and Maestros de Campo and Sergeants Maiors of the vse of all weapons in their due times and places and of their distances in euerie sort as of verie important matters belonging to the Arte Militarie in such wise as there was not anie Captaine Alferez Sergeant of band or Cabo de Esquadra that did not knowe both by instruction and practise the particular operations and effects of all weapons and chieflie of the Mosquet and Harquebuze in which two weapons the Spaniards haue been accompted of manie yeares to bee most perfect and skilfull in such sort as there were not anie Captaines or Leaders in his Milicia so ignorāt that would permit their Mosquettiers to giue anie volees from their restes either at horsemen or footmen in march or anie motion aboue 8. or 10. scores at the farthest because they knewe both by instruction and experience that with that weapon being for diuers causes verie vncertaine they should in discharging farther of haue wrought verie small or none effect to the anoyance of their Enemies For although the Mosquet ranforced and well charged with good powder would carrie a full bullet poynt and blancke 24. or 30. scores doth it therefore followe that they should giue volees of Mosquet shot 20. or 24. scores of whereas in failing to take their iust sight at poynt and blancke no more but the length of a corne their bullets doo worke as much effect against the Moone as against the Enemie that they shoote at Besides that in so great a distance of ground how truelie soeuer they take their sights at poynt and blancke the ayre doth worke verie great effect with their bullets that are lower by a bore than the height of their peeces to carrie them from the marke or markes that they are shot at As also that by proofe they may finde that in giuing their volees of Mosquet shot but onlie twelue scores at either horsemen or footmen that are in motion they shall worke no great annoyance by reason that the bullets being so much lower than the heigth of their peeces as is aforesaid doo naturallie mount and flie vncertainlie Besides that no Mosquettiers in actions of the field can haue the time to charge their peeces and take their sights at poynt and blancke as they may being within trenches or from out of Bulwarkes Curtins and Rampiers in places fortified where with great leisure they may charge their peeces with full bullets and charges and shoot from verie certeine rests as it were de man puesto as the Spaniards call it By which reasons and experiences of the vse of that weapon in the field the lacke of experience and iudgement in our such men of warre that talke of 24. or 20. scores like nouices and Vison̄os may verie euidentlie appeare and giue occasion to anie such as haue seene the true effects thereof to thinke that they neuer sawe anie important matter performed with that kind of weapon in the field Now whereas they giue so great commendation to the Caliuer that with that kind of weapon soldiers may giue volees of shot in the plaine fields 10. or

ambush more than a league beyond the towne of Ard towardes Teroüenne where encountring with the English light horsemē auant courirs they did ouerthrowe them which being perceiued by the English Captaines of the conuoy they presently reduced their carriages into a conuenient forme and placing conuenient numbers of Archers in the two open places of the carriages before and behind and forcing all other places betwixt carriages and carriages with Archers where the French Launces might haue anie entrance after a long fight and many charges by the men at armes of France and their shot giuen the terrible effect of the volees of arrowes was such that a great number of their horses were wounded or slaine and one of their chief Captaines called Monsieur de Plessis lifting vp his sword to strike was with an arrowe shot in at the arme hole through his gusset of maile and there slaine with many other men at armes French Gentlemen of good accompt In such sort that the French which did farre exceed the English in number were that day repulsed and ouerthrowne by the excellencie of Archers And at this action there is an old English Gentleman yet aliue whose name is Master Caudwell that was there present And these examples aforesaid are sufficient I thinke to conuince and confound the vaine opinions and obiections before mentioned Now if the effect of volees of arrowes bee so terrible both against horsemen and footmen armed as I haue before declared by so many reasons examples what then are the volees of arrowes able to performe against Mosquettiers and Harquebuziers that are in a manner altogether disarmed whose weapons of fire in the field doo rather terrifie and make afraid yonglings and nouices of warre with smoake and noyse than with anie often killing hurting or wounding them with bullets whereof not onlie old soldiers but horses also that are a little vsed to their fire crackes and smoake are not anie thing amazed nor afraid but three or foure volees of arrowes lighting amongst anie number of Mosquettiers or Harquebuziers how old and braue soldiers soeuer they bee will so amaze and terrifie them that they shall faile to charge their peeces to put touch powder into their pannes their matches into their serpentines Besides that they will either wound kill or mischiefe them in such sort as happie those that with three or foure arrowes in their bodies faces armes or legges throwing downe their Harquebuzes and Mosquets can escape out of the terror and daunger of the volees of arrowes For confirmation wherof there be diuers moderne examples with verie honorable testimonie of such as are yet liuing verie honorable by birth and parentage as also by titles of honor and worthines of the which that noble Gentleman Ambrose Earle of Warwicke is one that accompanied the Duke of Northumberland his father then Earle of Warwicke a man of great valour and sufficiencie for the gouerning and conducting of an Armie who in the yeare 1548. was sent by King Edward the sixt as his Lieutenant generall with an Armie of horsemen and footmen to suppresse the rebellion of Ket in Norffolke who at that time lay encamped with a great power of notorious and hardie rebells by the Citie of Norwich vppon a high hill called Mount Surrey to the which Citie the Duke with his Armie being come he with great order did encampe and lodge himselfe and his Armie on the other side of the citie and riuer the next day he entred the towne and brought in foure and twentie field peeces to the chiefe charge whereof he appointed the Coronell Courpenick an Alman and a great soldier with his regimēt of Almans which was twelue hundred the most of them braue shot and all old soldiers with diuers other English bands and valiant Captaines of our owne nation for the gard of the same but before they could throughlie entrench themselues those furious Rebels contrarie to all expectation descended downe their hil with such a furie of shot of arrowes being al Bowmen Swords and Bills that they gaue such a terror and feare to our people both strangers and English as they were faine to runne away with the losse of the Ordinance and slaughter of a great sort of soldiers and before the Duke could make head against them they had recouered eighteen field peeces and carried them vp to their hill euen with verie force of men And within two or three daies after those gallants did not let to abide the battaile against the Duke his whole Armie in the plaine field where the battaile was so manfullie fought on both sides that it could be hardlie iudged by the best soldiers that were there which side was like to preuaile but in the end God giuing the victorie it was seene by that battaile that arrowes were a most noble weapon And whereas the Duke at his first assembling and forming of his Armie had chaunged many Archers into Harquebuziers because he had no opinion of the Long Bowe he after that victorie and suppression of the Rebels vpon the experience that he in those actions had of the daunger and terror of arrowes his owne horse being wounded vnder him at that battaile with three or foure arrowes whereof he died did both then many times after openlie protest his error before Count Malatesta Baglion an ancient and a noble soldier Italian and other great Captaines Italians and Almans saying that from that time forward he would hold the Bowe to be the onelie weapon of the world and so did all the notable Captaines both English and strangers affirme the same And this I haue set downe almost verbatim from the report of the aforesaid Ambrose Earle of Warwicke that now is who was present at that action and had his horse also wounded vnder him with two or three arrowes In the same yeare of the raigne of King Edward the sixt also in the same sommer Sir Iohn Russel knight Lord priuie seale that was after Earle of Bedford being sent by the King as his Lieutenant generall with a great power both of horsemen and footmen against the Rebells of the West parts accompanied with the Lord Grey of Wilton Sir William Herbert after Earle of Penbrooke the Lord of Hunsdon that now is with manie others both Knights Esquiers of great worship and comming to certeine skirmishes encounters with the Rebells the Archers of the Rebells did so behaue themselues with their volees of arrowes against diuers old bands Harquebuziers Italians and Spaniards that they draue thē from all their strengths as from bancks ditches hedges and other aduantages of ground to the great mischiefe of manie of those strangers And of these great effects of Archers against Harquebuziers I haue heard the Lord 〈…〉 aforesaid who was there an eye witnes verie notably report Besides that manie yeares past I haue heard Captaine Spinola an Italian who was a verie braue soldier and wounded with arrowes in those seruices and

insufficiencie of our such men of warre of the Lowe Countries by the lack of skill imperfections and insufficiencies of their trained souldiers according to the old prouerbe In discipulis magister videtur like masters like men Which aforesaid action at Tilburie doth not onlie make manifest that our such old soldiers Harquebuziers are now as vnskilfull as the newe Soldiers Vison̄os Spaniards of two moneths pay were manie yeares past but if that anie forraine enemie with such vnskilfull Harquebuziers as they were should assaile a quarter of the like number of our Archers they should not be able to abide two volees of arrowes without casting away their peeces and turning their backes And now hauing in this my discourse made manifest the excellencie of our Long-bowes and Archers by many reasons examples ancient and moderne both against well horsed and armed Launces as also Harquebuziers which I thinke by all reason may suffice to conuince and confound all the ignorant opinions and friuolous obiections of our such men of warre as also to induce all such as are of any right consideration and iudgement to acknowledge the sufficiencie excellencie of that weapon that it is further euident by all forren Histories that haue made any mention of the differences of Bowes vsed by many Nations as also by such as haue trauailed in many parts of Europe Affricke or Asia that our English Bowes arrowes and Archers do exceed and excell al other Bowes vsed by all forren Nations not only in substance strength but also in the length bignes of the arrowes I will now further shewe the wonderfull effects that hath bene wrought by diuers sorts of forren Bowes as Gothian Parthian Arabian Turkish and Tartarian all which as aforesaid are inferiour vnto ours that by such notable effects by thē performed all such as are of sound iudgement not caried with toyes fancies and new fashions may very well knowe that God hath giuen such exceeding and excellent effects vnto that weapon that of all others it hath euer bene and yet may be iustly accounted the chiefe weapon of battells and conquests I thinke it is most manifest by all Histories that haue written of puissant and conquering Nations that in many and diuers ages vnder their great and notable Captaines haue giuen themselues to enlarge their dominions or with force to possesse the habitations of other forren people that they haue erected some kinde of milicia and discipline militarie to atchieue and performe the same And as the best kinds of weapons in the handes of well disciplinated obedient and exercised souldiers is a principall part of a milicia to atchieue victories so I thinke it is most euident that all those conquering Nations haue made chiefe choise of the Bowe as of the most excellent kind of weapon for victories and conquests And although they haue not vsed in their armies that weapon alone but other weapons also incorporated with them yet it is most manifest that the greatest number of such mightie armies haue consisted more of Archers either on horsebacke or on foote than of any other sorts of weapons and by their excellent effects chiefly haue beene atchieued most notable and wonderfull victories as for example Were not diuers Emperors and great Captains Romains with puissant armies many times inuading the Parthians and Persians sometimes ouerthrowne and many times repulsed by them and that chieflie by their Archers Were not Crassus and Cassius with a mighty armie which did consist of many legions of olde soldiers Romaines ouerthrowne and vanquished in the plaine fields with the force of the Parthian arrowes And was not Valerian the Emperour ouerthrowne and taken prisoner in a great battaile by the Persians and that chiefly by the great effect of their arrowes Besides all which it is most euident by diuers Histories that neither the notable Consulls of the ancient Romanes nor yet after them the Emperors Romans with their conquering milicia were euer able to conquere the Parthians and Persians defending themselues chiefly with that excellent weapon of Archerie on horsebacke But now to speake of foure mightie and conquering Nations that of later yeares but in diuers ages haue vanquished and subdued diuers great partes of the world It doth appeare by many Histories that the Gothes Vandalls Alans and other septentrionall Nations vnder their notable Princes great Captains making warre at diuers times vpon the Emperour Romanes and inuading Greece did besiege the imperiall citie of Constantinople and did spoile the Panonias now called Hungarie and Austria with Illyria Dalmatia and many other prouinces Also they inuaded and wasted Italie sacked the most auncient and famous citie of Rome with a great number of other Cities And in diuers notable battailes wounded and killed many great Captaines and some Emperours their Generals with their arrowes After which they passed through spoiled Frāce inuaded and conquered Spaine and caried their armies to the straights of Hercules now called Gibraltar Also the same Vandalls and Alans passed the straights and inuaded Affrike and conquered in a maner all the Leuant sea coasts of the same now called Barbarie And it is most euident that they did performe atchieue al those their battailes victories and conquests more with the effect of their Archers and Bowes than with all the rest of their weapons And not many yeres after that the Arabians a nation before that time litle spoken of vnder their false Prophet Mahomet his successors Halifas with infinit numbers of Arabian Bowmen on horseback some numbers of Zagaias which are double headed Lances did inuade the dominions of the Empire of Constantinople And with those weapons chiefly did conquere al Mesopotamia Suria Armenia and Persia. Also they did win Ierusalem and many other Cities and Prouinces and brought the Emperour Heraclius and some other of his successours to be tributaries vnto them And in diuers great battailes with their arrowes did wound and take some Emperours and many of their Generals prisoners Also they inuaded Affrike conquered Egypt and subdued all Barbarie euen to the very Ocean sea And shortly after passing ouer the straights of Gibraltar into Spaine and finding the Gothes Vandalls possessours of the same through the exacting and tyrannicall gouernement of their two last kings Gothes Vitissa and Don Rodrigo brought from all their ancient exercises militarie and vse of their Bowes they did conquere the kingdome euen to the very mountains Perinëos and atchieued many other notable victories and conquests in Italie Greece Sicilie Candia and other Islands of the Archipelago and all those chieflie by the wonderfull effectes of their Arabian Bowes After all which notable conquests atchieued by the Arabiās vnder their Halifas that they through long peace and some ciuil dissention were now growen into ambition enuie and couetousnes and to neglect their ancient discipline militarie and vse of their Bowes the Turkes a new Nation at that time in a maner vnknown