tooke good assurance of king Peter for the paiment of the souldiers wages 1367. The Prince setteth forward to Spaine Thus when the Prince had taken order for his iourny in each condition as was thought behoofefull he with the king of Spaine in his companie passed forth with an army of thirtie thousand men Henrie king of Spaine hauing knowledge that the Prince of Wales was thus comming against him to restore his brother king Peter to his former degrée assembled of the French and of his owne people to the number of fourescore seuen thousand or there about of men of warre wherof seuen thousand were horsemen King Henrie sent to the Prince an Herald of armes with a letter The king of Spaine sendeth to the Prince requiring to know of him for what cause he moued warre against him sith he had neuer offered him any such occasion The Prince dispatched the Herald with an answer to the Letter containing in effect that for great considerations he had taken vpon him to aide the rightfull king of Spaine thased out of his realme by violent wrong and that if it might be he would gladly make an agréemēt betwixt them but so algates that king Henry of necessitie must then forsake all the title of the kingdome of Spaine which by no rightful meanes he could enioy and therfore if he refused thus to do he was for his part resolued how to procéed The Herald departed with this answer and came therewith to king Henrie and deliuered it vnto him as then lodged with his puissant armie at Nouarret which he liked not whereupon both parties prepared themselues to battell and ioyned The battell was eagerly fought the victorie fell to the Prince There were staine of men of armes fiue hundred and thrée score The number slaine at this battell at Nouarret and of Commons about seuē thousand and fiue hundred of the kings part and of the English part there was slaine of men of account but verie few viz. foure knights two Gascoynes one Almaine and the fourth an Englishman and of other meane Souldiers not past foure hundred Froissard as Froissard saith but other affirme that there was slaine of the Princes part about sixtéene hundred which shold séeme to be more like a truth if the battel were fought so sore fiercely as Froissard himselfe doth make report This battell was fought vpon a Saturday Caxton the third of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord 1367. There was taken prisoners of the kings part to the number of two thousand and amongst them the Earle of Dene Sir Berthram de Cleaquine the Marshall Dandrehen or Dandenhien and many other men of great account After the battell King Peter went to Burgis and was receiued into the Citie and shortly the Prince came thither Froissard and there held his Easter with king Peter and taried there aboue thrée wéeks in the meane time they of Austergus Toledo Lisbon Cordeua Gallice Ciuill of all other places of the kingdome of Spaine came in did homage to King Peter promising him to be true to him euer after for they saw that resistance would not auaile so long as the Prince should be in the Countrie I note by this discourse Note the mightie courage of this noble Prince that durst enterprise to displace a king of his royall seat in his owne kingdome being there a méere stranger and to encounter him in so great an action hauing not aboue thirtie thousand in his Campe the king being about fourescore sixe thousand strong whereof aboue seuen thousand were horsmen and in his owne countrey where he might be furnished to supply his want And here I may not omit to speake of the notable and valiant seruice performed by the said noble Earle of Essex and the right noble Charles Haward now Earle of Nottingham high Admirall of England and diuerse other Lords Knights Esquires and Gentlemen at Cales in Spaine in the thirtie eight yere of her Maiesties raigne where they found fiue Gallions of the king of Spaines that is to say the Philip being Admirall the S. Matthew the S. Andrew the S. Thomas the S. Iames three Leuantices two great ships of Noua Hispania and diuerse gallies and 20 marchant ships richly loden for the Indies at which time the English had fight with the said Gallies about an houre the next day the English men and the Spaniards incountred each the other valiantly which conflict continued from seauen of the clocke in the morning till one in the after noone which was so sharpe that some of the Spanish ships did runne vp the riuer further into the country to saue themselues The said ships called S. Mathew and S. Andrew were taken and brought into England the Philip another being Uiceadmirall ranne themselues on ground and the English entred the Philip to haue had the spoile of her which the Spaniards perceiuing did set on fire and went out and the English men escaped the fire with danger some other of their ships were fired by vs there the Generall landed about sire thousand men and marched towards Cales citie being led by the said noble Earle of Essex giuen in the head of that troupe whome certaine of the Spaniards met some on foote and some on horsebacke out of the citie about halfe a mile but they did not tarie but retired to the towne The said Eerle of Essex pursued them resolutely and with such inuincible courage vnto their walles where they played vpon them with their ordinance and small shot awhile but in the end they entred by plaine force with small losse of their men The Earle of Essex was one of the first that entred with many voluntarie Gentlemen and they which entred were not aboue 1000 men which wanne the towne but there was good ayde at hand In the towne there were 500 horsemen and a thousand footmen besides a great number of other townesmen and great store of munition ordinance and victualles The towne was strongly walled hauing a castle strongly edified in the midst thereof and so fortified and victualled that it was thought impossible to haue bene wonne without cannon shot and the houses were all of stone very strongly and defencibly builded so as if they had stood to it it had not bene possible with a far greater number to haue bene so soone surprised We tooke the spoyle of the Citie being very rich in Iewels Plate Money Cloth of gold Silke Sugars Wine Oyle Rice and other marchandise which was esteemed with the losse of the said ships and goods in them to be worth a huge sūme of money The said noble Earles of Essex and Nottingham knowing the loosenesse of soldiers very honorably caused the Ladies and gentlewomen wherof there were diuerse in that Citie with the rest of the women and children with 500 men to be safely conueyed out of the Citie and a straite proclamation made that none should offer to any of them any
he doth daily bestow vpō vs as Almightie God saith by his Prophet He that giueth me praise and thankes the same is he that honoreth me And all that her Maiestie looketh for at our hands is to be true faithfull and thankefull to her Is there any thing that doth more open the gate to forrein inuasion then ciuill warres and dissention the Gospell saith Euery kingdome in it self deuided shal be desolate Did not William Duke of Normandie when ciuil warres diuision was in the realme cōquere the same and likewise in Henrie the third his dayes when the great warres were betwixt him and his Barons did not Philip the French king send hither Lewes his sonne with a great number of men of warre and got sundry Cities Castels Townes and holdes thinking to haue made a conquest of this land and so had done if the sayd Barons who conspired with the sayd Lewes had not reuolted frō the French and driuen them out of this countrey besides diuers other like examples to be found in our English Chronicles If there be any thing méete to be redressed do you thinke by this meanes though your number were far greater to haue your wils or to be reléeued No no assure your selues the nobilitie and thousands of thousands of the good and dutiful subiectes of this realme will ioyne together as they ought to destroy you and you shal be slaine as thicke as motes are in the sunne before you shall obtaine your purpose for it standeth not with the honour and name of a Prince to be forced by the subiect to do any thing against his will and such of you as shal escape the sword shal be sure to be executed by course of law that is you shal be drawne vpon hurdles to the places of execution and there hanged vntill you be halfe dead and then cut downe aliue your priuities shal be cut off your bowels taken out of your bellyes and being aliue they shal be burned before your faces then shall your heads be smitten off and your bodies deuided into foure quarters and as the vse is shal be set vpon stakes in the towers and highest places in good Cities and townes where it shall please the Prince to appoint Thus shall your carcases be meate for the fowles of the ayre and a spectacle ioyfull to your enemies and wofull to your parents kinsfolks and friends to behold besides you shall leaue to your posterities name of perpetual shame ignominy and reproch that is the names of rebels and false traitors yea rather monsters to your Prince and countrey you shall also vndo your wife and children in that you shal forfet to the Prince all your lands leases goods and chattels besides your blud shal be corrupted so as none of your ofspring shal be able to haue or claime by you any lands as heyres to your fathers mothers or other auncesters And this forfaiture and corruption of bloud shal be as well where you shal be slaine in field as condemned by course of law Where haue you euer heard or read that rebels whether they haue bene of nobilitie or others did euer preuaile but haue bin alwayes ouerthrowne and brought to confusion whatsoeuer their pretences haue bene And amongst many examples I will put you in minde of a tew Rebellion in Lincolnshyre Hol. 1567. when as the Lincolnshyre men to the number of 40000. rebelled about the 28. yeare of Henry the eight for religion was not Doctour Makerell and others of the ring leaders of that vnruly companie executed in such maner as is aboue remembred Abridgemēt of Grafton 140. West countrey Rebels in Norfolke as Ket and others Hol. 1734. Wiats rebellion and many of the rest of them slaine in the field and so subdued Was not Syr Humfrey Arundale Winslade Holins Burie and diuerse others of the chief of the rebellion in the West parts of this realme raised in Edward the sixt his dayes executed also as traitors Did it not likewise happen so to Ket and many others of the rebels in Norfolke in the same kings dayes which sought to haue layed Parkes and Commons inclosed open Was not Wiat Isley and diuers Knights Esquiers and Gentlemen of Kent who rebelled in the first yeare of Quéene Marie opposed themselues against the Prince in armes to stay the alteration of religion and her mariage with the king of Spaine executed for the same rebellion and were not aboue fifty of the common sort of these rebels hanged vp in London in diuerse places there Holin 1732. And were not sundrie other Esquires and Gentlemen condemned and should haue bene executed for that commotion had not Quéene Marie giuen them pardon Were not the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland and about fiftie knights Esquiers and Gentlemen attainted for the insurrection of the North parts of this realme Insurrection in the North in the eleuenth yeare of the Quéenes Maiesties raigne And was not the sayd Earle of Northumberland beheaded at Yorke And did not manie others of the said Esquires and Gentlemen suffer for that offence in other places Holin 1840. And did not the said Earle of Westmerland and diuerse other of the said attainted persons fly ouer the seas to saue their liues which other wise had tasted of that sauce And were not diuerse of the common sort executed by martiall law for the same rebellion The matter is yet fresh in memorie so that it néedeth no proofe of the end of rebels and such as beare traiterous harts against their Prince We haue diuerse examples also out of the holy Scriptures and among other a notable example of Absolon who conspired the death of his father king Dauid who rebelling against him riding vnder a trée was by Gods prouidence hanged vp on a bough thereof by the long haire of his head Ignatius Epist 2. Of whom Ignatius the anciēt father writeth Absolon parricida existens Dei iudicio arbori appensus cor eius quod malè cogitabat sagitta tansfixum est And so you may sée the vengeance of God on the heart which conceiued the treason and on the body that executed the same Achitophel likewise the mischieuous Counseller to Absolon in that wicked rebellion for lacke of an hangman hanged himselfe a worthie end of all false rebels who rather then they shold lacke due execution will by Gods iust iudgement become hangmen vnto themselues Thus it hapned to the Captaines of this rebellion 2. Reg. 187. besides fortie thousand of the common sort which were slaine in the field for that rebellion And as the holy Scriptures do shew so doth dayly experience proue that the counsels cōspiracies attēpts of rebels neuer tooke effect but came euer to a most horrible end Now concerning such as haue bin murmurers against their rulers you shall sée what hath hapned to thē some haue bene strickē with foule leprosie some burnt with fire sodainly frō heauen sometime they were consumed with the pestilēce sometime were
s. which amounted to an inestimable sum Holinsh f. 11. Graft abridg An. 1085. when it came all together into his exchequer And did not he shortly after cause all mens goods and chattels to be valued and raised thereof also a maruelous great masse of mony to the great greife and impouerishment of our people who so sore lamented the miserable case wherein they were thrawled that they hated the Normans in their hartes with deadly mallice howbeit the more they spake and séemed to grudge against such sore touls tallages and cruell oppressions as were daily deuised to their vtter vndoings the more they were burdened after the manner of the bondage which the children of Israel sometime suffered in Egipt for on the other side the Normans perceiuing the hatred which the Englishmen did beare towardes them were sore offended in their mindes and therefore sought by all manner of waies how to kéepe them vnder In like sort did not Wil. Rufus ouerthrow diuers and sundry townes Holinsh 313. parishes villages and buildings for the space of thrée miles together to make thereof a Forrest which to this day is called the new Forrest for wilde beasts and deare whereby no small member of the poore lost their houses their lands and liuings for the maintenance of sauage beasts Nevv forrest Camden 188. of whose hard dealing in this case Doctor White Bishop of Winchester hath these verses written as Camden affirmeth fo 198. B. of Win. Templa adimit diuis fora ciuibus arua colonis Rufus instituit Beanlensi in rure forestam Rex ceruum insequitur Regem vindicta Tirellus Non bene praeuisum transfixit acumine ferri Did not he cause a greiuous paine to be ordained insomuch that who so euer did kill any of the same deare he should haue his eies put out Eies put out for hunting wherevpon many refusing to sustaine such an intollerable yoke of thrauldome as was dayly laid vpon them by the Normans choose rather to leaue both lands and goods and after the manner of outlawes got them to the woods with their wiues children and seruants meaning from thenceforth wholy to liue vppon the spoyle of the Countries adioyning and to take what so euer came first to hand wherevpon shortlie it came to passe that no man might in safetie trauel from his owne house or towne to his neighbours and euery quiet and honest mans house became as it were a hould or fortresse and was furnished for defence with Bowes Arrowes Billes Pollaxes Swordes Clubbes and Staues the dores kept locked and strongly boulted and namely in the night season for feare to be surprised as it had bin in time of war and amongst publique enimies Prayers were made also to almighty God by the maister of the house to saue and defend them as though they had bin in the middest of the seas in some stormy tempest by meanes of these hard dealing towards the English nation The people in the North parts of this Realme did rebell whome the Normans suppressed Hands cut off for rebelling and caused some of their hands to be cut of in token of their rebellious dealings and others by death to be punished and tooke so great a displeasure with the inhabitants of those parts that he wasted all the land betwixt Yorke and Durham so that for the space of 90. miles there was left in manner no habitation for the people by reason whereof it laie waste and deserte by the space of nine or tenne yeares so that no greater misery in the earth could happen then that into the which our nation was now falne Likewise did not he take from the Towns and Citties from the Bishops and Abbies all their ancient priuiledges and frée Customes to the end they should not onely be cut short and made weaker but also that they might redéeme the same of him for such somes of money as it pleased him to appointe to obtaine their quietnesse and made protestation that as he came to the gouernance of this Realme by plaine conquest so he would and did seize into his hands the most parte of euerie mans possessions causing them to redéeme the same at his handes againe and yet retained a parte in the most parte of them so that they that shoulde afterwardes inioy them shoulde acknowledge themselues to hold them of him in yéelding a yearely rent to him and his successors for euer In like manner when the Spaniards by violence possesthe sed Crowne of Portingall Booke of the estate of Fugitiues did not the king of Spaine vse the authoritie of a Conqueror and the tyrannicall cruelty of an vsurper altring their Lawes confounding their priuiledges ouerturning the whole estate of their gouernment strangling some of their Nobilitie and other of them beheading imprisoning and banishing some other of them with many other horrible and pittifull actions These are also other miseries which followe where the enemy doth get the vpper hand and shall we looke for any other dealing if they should ouercome vs ¶ That we shal preuaile against our enimies by faithful praiers to God wherof diuers examples are here set down out of the Bible also diuers other good perswasions to withstād the enimy and how that euery man is bound so to do whereby great fame is attained and left to posterities Chap. 4. IF we wil consider how valiantly our forefathers haue alwaies resisted forren forces prepared against our countrey 6. cause of incorragemēt and what great renowne and same they haue gotten for their valour in Armes which is spread amongest all Christian Nations of whom it is written Anglia Bistonio semper gens inclita marte England a Nation euer famous in battell Bysto is a coūtrey of valiāt people in warres in thrace Camd. fol. 7. Of whome Iohn Wheathamsted sometime the Abbot of S. Albons in his Granario writeth Sufficiat igitur Britannis pro nobilitatis suae orgine quod sint fortes potentes in praelijs quodque vndique debellent aduersarios nullumque penitus patiantur iugum seruitutis It is sufficient for the Britaine 's of whom we are descended for the beginning of their Nobility that they are strong mightie in battell and that they doe euery where beate downe their enimies and cannot suffer by any meanes the yoke of any bondage If we will remember that no Nation sithence the Conquest of this lande which is about 529. yeares past coulde yet ouercome vs praised be God therfore notwithstanding sundry attempts made to that end if we will call to mind the notable ouerthrowes which king Richard the first gaue the Infidels with a few Englishmen Foxe 245. Hol. 1191. and made the king of Cypres to doe him homage for his kingdome and besides him diuers other valiant kings and people haue we brought into subiection and made them stoope to the Crown of England as by our Chronicles is euident we haue nowe then great cause to be mightily incouraged in
4. fol. 480 for as Bodinus writeth whē ciuill warres were raised amongst the Florentines and great slaughter and bloudshed happened amongst them in the Citie and no force of man could restraine the same Frauncis Soderinus the Bishop hauing on his pontificall ornaments and a companie of Priests attending on him and the Crosse borne before him entred into the middest of the Citizens thus assembled whereupon they forthwith for the feare they had of religion did put off their armour so did Iudas Bishop of the Hebrues High Priest when Alexander the great came to the citie of Ierusalem with a great host being apparelled in his holy vestiments met him which sight and the brightnesse whereof being feared Alexander did reuerence the Bishop did not spoile the countrie nor holy Citie but with great benefites did inlarge the same By like meanes Vrbane the Pope is said to haue turned and remoued away the siege of Attila from the citie of Aquila 5. Ioseph in anti as Iosephus writeth but when none of these will serue then the extermitie of armes must be vsed And because good perswasions and mild spéeches are thought so conuenient to be vsed to appease such vprores I haue thought good to set downe this simple exhortation which followeth After that Almightie God had destroyed the world for the finne of man Exhortation to rebels sauing Noah and his family who were preserued in the Arke by Gods prouidence and that nations and people did againe increase and multiply vpon the face of the earth knowing in his euerlasting wisedome how necessarie good and wholsome lawes should be for the gouernment and direction of his people he gaue the lawes of the tenne commandements in the mount Sinay wherein is contained first our dutie to almighty God and next to our neighbour then he also ordained Kings Princes and Gouernors to rule and order their subiects and to punish the offenders thereof by these lawes and gaue them power to make lawes as Salomon saith Prou. 8. By me kings raigne through me Princes make good lawes And lastly he gaue straight commandemēt to the subiects touching their obedience to their Soueraigne Lords and rulers Rom. 13. as Saint Paule saith Let euerie soule submit himselfe to the higher Powers there is no power but of God all powers that be are ordained of God whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist procure to themselues damnation for rulers are not fearefull to them that do well but to them that do euill Wilt thou be without feare of the power do well then and so thou shalt be praised of him for he is the minister of God ordained for thy wealth But if thou do euill then feare for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the minister of God to take vengeance of them that do euill Wherfore we must obey not onely for feare of vengeance but for conscience sake also for that cause we pay tribute for they are Gods ministers seruing for that purpose Now what euill counsel hath moued you thus to enter into armes against your naturall Prince and Liege Ladie whom Almightie God hath ordained to supply his place and to raigne ouer you Who hath be witched you thus to abuse the great loue and fauour of so gracious a Quéene which she hath borne alwayes and doth dayly shew to her good subiects to oppose against her that is studious to set forth the Gospell that is and hath bene so carefull to maintaine such common peace amongst vs these fortie yeares and more Though this be touched afore yet it is not vnmeet to be vsed here to these men as the like hath not bin séene nor heard of neither is to be found in anie record or Chronicle of this realme sithence the conquest therof which is aboue 528 yeares for the like time of gouernment that is desirous to raigne with mercie with loue with pitie and tender compassion and not by tyrannie nor by effusion of bloud neither alwayes by inflicting the extremitie of her lawes vpon such as most iustly haue deserued the execution of the same that is mercifull to offenders bountifull to well deseruers of her Maiestie and their conntrey that to her great charge hath fortified this realme with strong Castles and a Nauie of warlike shippes and all other things necessarie for the warres in great aboundance for the defence of her kingdome and people that hath not laid vpon vs any taxes or tallages but the like thereof hath bene before her time and greater also that hath made good lawes and taken a solemne oath in the day of her coronation to endeuour her selfe that the same shall be holden kept and executed vnto all her subiects indifferently without respect of persons and is also well pleased to be ordered by the same her selfe If you consider the horrible murthers of great persons the pitifull slaughter of man woman and child by fire and sword the lamentable rauishments of maids wiues and widowes the ransacking and spoiling of Cities and townes with many other miseries and calamities which haue hapned continued in other countreys not farre hence these many yeares by occasion of ciuill warres and dissention you shall find that we haue cause to thinke our selues most bound of all nations to the goodnesse of God in that he hath not suffered vs to be afflicted and visited with the like all which haue bene preuēted by the great wisedome and prouidence of her Maiestie her graue Councell These besides other infinite great kindnesse and benefites her highnesse hath daily most graciously bestowed vpon vs that more nor greater no Prince can extend to her people and shall we now be vnthankfull for the same shall we yéeld vnkindnesse for kindnesse shall we recompence her daily care studie to do vs good by seeking danger to her person and perill to her state which may ensue by your forcible and violēt opposing against her There is nothing worse bestowed then that is done to the vngratefull and forgetfull man as Erasmus writeth Nihil peius confertur quà m quod hemini ingrato atque non scienti A man that receiueth a good turne if there be any good nature in him will alwayes be thankful and so much the more when he is not able to deserue or requite the least part thereof king Dauid that receiued many good things at the hands of God shewed not himselfe vnthankfull but breaking out as it were on a suddaine sayd vnto himselfe Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi calicem salutaris accipiam nomen Domini inuocabo Psal 116. 107. What shall I yeeld vnto God for all that he hath done vnto me I will take the cup of thankesgiuing and call vpon the name of the Lord. It is all that Almighty God doth looke for at our hands that we should be thankfull vnto him for all his mercies louing kindnesse that
often exceeded vs in number although they were and be right valiant Princes mighty people in armes to all which haue trauelled in our Chronicles that is euident whereby the inuincible courages and valour of our nation in martiall acts hath appeared which ought exceedingly to incourage vs in this seruice of defence for that we are descended of them and not to doubt or dispayre any whit if we be true amongst our selues though the force of our enemies be great and their number exceede vs farre for God neuer fayleth them which put their trust in him and walke in his wayes as by diuerse examples out of the Scriptures of God afore remembred appeareth most euidently Did not the English fleete in the yeare of our Lord 1350 which was in the foure and twentieth yeare of Edward the third meete with the Spaniards comming out of Flaunders loden with Marchandize Holinsh 946. and slue a great number and drowned also many of them and tooke sixe and twentie of their ships vpon the coast of Sussex Did not the great army of the king of Spaine at the siege of Barke when it was bruted that the Earle of Lecester her Maiesties Lieutenant generall with the English forces came to relieue the towne and yet they retired without so doing did not they come to remoue the siege which we made against Dusborow and the great Sconce of Sutfen where that most renowmed Knight S. Philip Sidney was slaine neither could they haue euer won those things againe from vs had not treason more preuailed then force and valiant courage Haue not we seene a few yeares sithens the mighty preparation by sea of the king of Spaine and his Allies appointed with such number of huge ships souldiers armour weapon shot powder and other things incident to the warres sent to conquer our countrey as the like was neuer seene on the seas in so much that they called the same the inuincible nauy they trusted in their forces but yet God confounded their purpose and deuises for did not we with a few ships and furniture of men and munition litle in respect of theirs send some of their mightiest vessels to the bottome of the Sea with great numbers of their men in them Did not we with our shot and artillerie slay many of them Did not we chase diuerse of them into Irish coastes where about xvij of their greatest ships perished so that Lucans verse Lucan which in those dayes he did write to the glory of our nation against the Romaines may be verified in this seruice Territa quaesitis ostendunt terga Britannis And were not numbers of their souldiers which entred into Ireland with the sword destroyed Spaniards slaine in Ireland Did not we also in the Low countries kéepe diuerse other of their ships in their hauen so as they could not come foorth into the seas to ioyne with the rest of the Spanish Nauy This was done without hand-fight and is to be taken as the only worke of God and to him therefore we ought to yeeld our most humble thankes and say with the Prophet Dauid A Domino factum est istud est mirabile This is the Lord his doing and is maruellous in our sight and therfore Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be all glory and thankes And we may further say as the Prophet Dauid sayth If the Lord himselfe had not bene on our side now may Israell say if the Lord himselfe had not bin on our side when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at vs yea the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soules The deepe waters of the proud had gone ouer our soules But praysed be the Lord which hath not giuen vs ouer for a pray vnto their teeth our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are deliuered Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord which hath made both heauen and earth Neither did they though they were as the report went thirtie thousand strong at that time land a man And did not the noble Earle of Essex Sir Iohn Norris and Sir Frauncis Drake the next yeare following with a little Nauy Landing in Spaine contayning not aboue eleuen thousand men land in Spaine burned their ships and put their people to the sworde and their townes to the fire and so coasted thence along into Portugall Portugall and there landing marched vp into the countrey euen to the gates of Lisbone with drums sounding and with Ensignes displayed from whence they returned vnfought withall by any of his forces either by sea or laud Did not the Duke of Lancaster with a compaine of souldiers saile into Spaine The Duke of Lancasters voyage into Spaine Stow. 1390. 14 R. 2. Gallicia Indies to claime the realme of Castile for that he had maried the eldest daughter of Peter king of Spaine that was expelled by Henrie his bastard brother he conquered the Countrie of Gallicia against Don Iohn sonne of the said Henrie And some doings we haue had at the Iudies where our couragious English Captaines and souldiers conquered manie Cities and townes How valiantly did they likewise behaue themselnes at S. Domingo Carthagena Cales and in manie other places where the Englishmen were few in number and the enemies infinite and in their owne countrie whose valiant actions there haue deserued such fame as lenght of time shall neuer take away for that the like hath neuer bene performed or read of in any age before our dayes In the yeare of our Lord God 1365 Hol. 971. and in the 39 yeare of Edward the third was not Peter king of Castile chased out of his realme by his bastard brother Henrie by reason wherof the said Peter was constrained to flie and came to Burdeaux to sue for ayde at the hands of the Prince of Wales the said king Edward his sonne who thereof aduertised his father by aduise from whom The Prince of Wales his voyage into Spaine the said Prince determined to bring home the said king Peter and to restore him againe to his kingdom by force of armes maugre his enemies The Prince indéed was verie desirous to take this enterprise vpon him both of a certaine pitifull affection mouing him to relieue this miserable state of king Peter and also of an ardent desire which he had to purchase a glorious fame through martial déeds noble acts of chiualrie Therefore hauing this occasion to imploy his time in such exercises and now commaunded thereto of his Father he was excéeding glad in his mind and with all the spéed that might be made his prouision both of a sufficient armie of men of warre and also of all other things necessarie for the furniture of such an enterprise but first he
among Christian Princes and to moue their subiects to oppose against them surely his owne conscience shall testifie against him which will be as strong as a thousand witnesses as Persius very well sayth Poena autem vehemens ac multo seuerior illis Satyr 3. Quas Ceditius grauis inuenit Rodamanthus Nocte diéque suum gestare in pectore testem And againe Conscientia mille testes onus Aetna grauius Can he find by the word of God No subiect can rebell for any cause Rom. 13. that it is lawfull for the subiect to rebell against his Prince for any cause whatsoeuer Saint Paul sayth Let euery soule submit himselfe to the higher powers there is no power but of God all powers that are be ordayned of God and whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and procureth to himselfe damnation When Pilate sayd to Christ Iohn 18. Knowest thou not that I haue power to loose thee also to crucifie thee he sayd thou shouldest haue no power at all ouer me were it not giuen thee from aboue our Sauior Christ was called afore the high Priests to answere to his doctrine did he oppose himselfe any way against them no he knew they had their authority from God and therefore he shewed all obedience to them in respect of their place and patiently suffered death though vniustly according to their wicked law and iudgements When Malcus with other of the high Priests seruants came by their commandement to take Christ Iohn 18. Peter drew out his sword cut off Malcus eare Christ said vnto him Put vp thy sword into thy sheath Math. 25. for all that strike with the sword shall perish therewith thinkest thou that I cannot speake to my Father and he shall giue me more then twenty legions of Angels but how should then the Scripture bee performed The famous clarke Erasmus in his Paraphrase vppon this place of Scripture Paraphrase speaketh these words vnto Peter as it were in the persō of Christ Put vp thy sword into thy sheath matters of the Gospell are not in such manner to be defended if thou wilt succeed me as my vicar thou must fight with no other sword then of Gods word which cutteth away sinne and saueth the man And the auncient father Tertullian in his Apologia cap. 37 sayth In our profession more meeter it is to be slaine then to slay So did all the Martyrs of God by whom the Church of Christ increased Saint Augustine saith Not resistendo sed perferendo Not by resisting but by suffering If the Prince should set foorth a law touching the worshiping of God or matter of conscience against the word of God and lymit a paine to the breakers thereof Acts. 4. though the subiect be not bound in conscience to obserue that law for in such cases a man must rather obey God then man yet he may not rebell nor oppose himselfe violently against his Prince but he must rather referre his cause to God and submit himselfe to the punishmēts of the law Peter 2. as Saint Peter saith Submit your selfe to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as to the chiefe or to them that be sent of him then it followeth he may not rebell whatsoeuer the ordinance be The Iewes had a law that whosoeuer should say he was the Sonne of God should die Christ that was the soonne of God in déede Looke Iohn 19. verse 7. and so declared himselfe to the people to be yet he did submit himselfe to the paine of the law thoughit be vngodly ¶ The manner how to suppresse rebels with a perswasion to all subiects to the due of obedience of their Prince the great inconueniences that arise of ciuill warres How hatefull the name of a traytour is to the posteritie and what plagues haue fallen not onely vppon traytors but also vppon such as haue bene murmurers against their Princes Gouernors CHAP. 8. WHen the Princes of Germany determined to take armes against the emperor for the defence of their religion Bodinus 211 they asked Luther if it were lawfull so to do who answered expresly that it was not Sleildan 4. and would not perswade them thereunto saying that no cause could be iust for the subiect to beare armes against his Prince countrey And because it is conuenient that rebellious and disordered people should be dealt withall with conuenient speed Bodinus lib. 4. fol. 487. let vs heare what Bodinus writeth concerning the maner how Si tamen seditio priùs coorta fuerit quà m prospiceretur sapientissimos ac summa virtute praestantes viros qui populi motus orationis lenitate ac prudētia regere possunt adhibere oportebit nam qui vi◠adhibent perinde faciunt vt ij qui torrentem praecipiti casu de rupibus altissimis labentem sistere se posse confidunt How rebels must be suppressed If seditious persons and rebels be assembled together afore it be foreseene the wisest men and such as for their great vertue excell can moue the people with their gentle and wise perswasions are most meetest to be vsed for such as at the first vse force do as they which thinke to stay a great water falling headlong from the high rocks If wild beasts cannot be tamed with strokes but by gentle and skilfull vsing of them who can thinke with sharpe and rough words to tame such as of all beasts are most fierce The Senate of Rome did very often reprehend such as vsed force to appease the furie of the people and rather cōmended Menenius Agrippa which not with bitternesse but rather with gentlenesse and cunning vsed to reduce the people to their obedience and dutie which aboue all other bred to him immortall praise and glorie to the common wealth And to that effect the Poet Virgill writeth thus Ac veluti magno in populo cum sepè coorta est Seditio Aeneid lib. 1. saeuitque animis ignobile vulgus Iamque faces saxa volant furor arma ministrat Tum pietate grauem ac meritis si fortè virum quem Conspexêre silent arrectisque auribus astant Ille regit dictis animos pectora mulcet Whē sedition is raised amongst the common people in their rage firebrands and stones flie for furie doth minister weapons then if they see by chaunce anie graue man to be reuerenced for his vertee and good deserts they are silent and hearken to him diligently and he asswageth with his mildnesse and wise speeches their minds and rages Pericles So did Pericles the Athenian Peter Loredan the Venetian and others whereby it appeareth that vertue and wisdome doth sometime mors preuaile in these cases then either lawes armes or the commandement of rulers And to restraine such rebellious people and reduce them to due obedience the feare and reuerence of Religion hath bene in times past of great force Lib.