Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	battle_n	france_n	king_n	4,295	5	4.3565	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

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

the Enemie in the heate of sommer will grow so weake that thereby they will leese their force and effects Whereunto I answere that this obiection is a new fancie and a verie dreame contrary to all ancient and moderne experience of English Archers whose Bowes being made of that excellēt wood of Yewgh doo neuer so decay in strength neither by hotte nor wett weather nor yet by often shooting in them but that they will with arrowes wound and sometymes kill both men horses a greater distance off then the shott and bullets of Harquebuziers and Caliuer 〈…〉 employed and vsed in the open fields by skilfull Conductours and Leaders by reason of the wonderfull failings and vncertainties of those and all other weapons of fire maniable diuers of the particularities wherof I haue before in this dicourse made manifest Also they do further alledge that vpon an inuasion of foraine dominions beyond the seas the weapons and furniture of Archers as of Bowes sheafes of arrowes and bowstrings can not be found and prouided where Archerie is not vsed whereas contrariwise all kinds of munition belonging to the weapons of fire are easie to be found and prouided in all foraine dominions Which is as much as if they should say that if an Armie of fiue and twentie or thirtie thousand of our English nation vnder some sufficient Generall were sent to inuade France and disembarking in Normandie and winning Newhauen and Roan should straight march to Paris which is no more thā diuers Kings of England and their Generalls haue done where after some encountres and skirmishes the Armie comming to lack powder and shott they should with facilitie for money prouide the same in the hart of the Enemies Countrie where all the Townes in which that prouision is to bee had are fortified which is a verie mockerie and dreame to bee thought on But some of our such men of warre peraduenture will further alledge that they might haue the same prouision by the way of conuoy either from Newhauen or Roan in case they were possessed of those Townes whereunto it is to bee answered that first the conuoy had need to bee verie strong besides that there is no man of anie consideration and iudgement but that doth verie well knowe that Mosquets Harquebuzes powder match and lead are as heauie and a great deale more heauie to bee carried than Bowes sheafes of arrowes and bowstrings are Besides that by such their ignorant obiections they doo euidentlie shew that they haue not read nor heard or els for lacke of reason not beleeued the proceedings of the notable Kings of England in their inuasions of France and other Dominions for if they had they would not then doubt but that a King of England or his Lieutenant generall inuading forraine dominions would vpon such an enterprise carrie all sorts of munition belonging to Archers to serue them for many battailes and great encounters as well as King Edward the third and Henrie the fift and their Lieutenants generall did whose Armies did sometimes consist of nine or ten thousand al Archers and not aboue foure or fiue thousand armed men on horsebacke and on foote which Princes and their Lieutenants did neuer omit according to their milicia to carrie great plentie of sheafes of Arrowes Bowes and all other things requisite aswell for their Archers as for their armed men and all other effects Besides that by that their simple and fond obiection they do discouer that they haue very seldome or neuer seene an Armie royall march in the field for if they had they then would verie well know that there is no puissant Armie formed either to inuade or defend that doth consist of a well ordered milicia that doth not in the publique carriages of the Camp ordinarylie carrie all kindes of munitions of weapons and armours offensiue and defensiue with all other munitions and necessaries requisite for all purposes for the publique employments and vse of Camp Towne and field Now whereas some of our aforesaid men of warre do further alledge rather vpon fancie than vpon anie souldiourlyke reasons and experience manie vaine and friuolous obiections partlie against the Bowes as aforesaid but chieflie against the Archers that do vse them how good soeuer they be saying that Archers when they haue lyen some long tyme in Camp in the field will become so decayd in strength either by sicknes or otherwise that they will not be able to draw their Bowes and worke that effect that Archers should do whereas contrarywise Mosquettiers and Harquebuziers will giue as great blowes with their bulletts out of their peeces being decayd in strength by long lying in Camp or sickenes as if they were whole Thereunto I answere that true it is that the small loue that such men of warre as they are haue borne to their souldiours in the Low Countries allowing them nothing but prouand and lodging them in Churches vpon the bare stones and pauements aswell in winter as in sommer with manie other their abuses and disorders contrarie to all discipline militarie haue made most of their souldiours vnfit and vnable to vse any sort of weapons as soldiers should do in the field howbeit in fauour of Archers to conuince their simple and ignorant opinions I say that if Harquebuziers happen to be decayd in strength by sicknes or that by long lying in Camp in the field they shall happē to haue anie ache or aches in their necks shoulders armes backs thighs leggs or feet although that they be otherwise hart whole enough shalbe as litle or rather lesse able in seruices in the field to performe the effect of Harquebuziers than Archers the effect of Archers for Harquebuziers in such seruices must be lythe in all their ioints and sinewes that they may stoupe to their peeces trauerse their grounds now retiring hauing discharged giuing place to their fellowes and then aduancing againe giuing their fellowes retiring tyme againe to charge with such agilitie and dexteritie that they may be readie vpon euery opportunitie to stoupe and take euery litle aduantage of hillocks bancks vines trenches shrubbes or anie such like besides that they must haue their armes and shoulders verie sound to carrie their peeces firme in their dischargings at the Enemie as also to vse their scouring sticks and charge againe which effects they are no wayes able to performe if they be grown weak by lying in the field or if they haue achs or cricks in anie part of their limbes as aforesaid Mosquettiers also it doth behoue to be strong and puissant of body without sicknes achs or other impediments and euerie way sound of wind and limbe for if they be decayd in strength of body by lying in the field or that they haue anie impediments of cricks or aches in their necks shoulders armes backs thighs or leggs it is not possible that they should be able to vse their Mosquets in the field to the annoyance of their Enemies

haue been in times past ordained and established for the exercise and maintenance of the same will growe to bee forgotten and in a manner vtterlie extinguished which if through the negligence of the better sort of our Nation imitating and following the simple and ignorant opinions of our such vnskilfull men of warre it should come to passe it doth in mine opinion argue nothing more than that God hath withdrawne his hand and all right iudgment in matters Militarie from vs and that in time to come vpon any great warre either offenciue or defenciue we shall when it is too late repent the same greatlie to the hazard and perill of our Prince Countrie and Nation The consideration whereof for the great loue that I haue alwaies borne and doo still according to my duetie beare to the Crowne and Realme of England and English Nation was the first and principall cause that mooued me to take these discourses in hand to the intent to aduise perswade as much as in my power and small abilitie is the Nobilitie Magistrates and better sort of our Nation with all care and diligence to reuiue and put in execution the auncient statutes prouided and established for the encrease and exercise of the youth of England in Archerie that as God of his great goodnes hath blessed our Nation with a wonderfull aptnes and dexteritie in that weapon more than any other Nation that I haue seene heard or read of throughout the vniuersall world so that wee may not through the friuolous and vaine perswasions of a fewe vnskilfull and ignorant men in these our daies as vnthankfull neglect that great and especiall goodnes of almightie God and singular gift that he hath endued vs withall but that wee doo with all care and diligence beleeue and imitate the great experience of our most worthie Auncestors that in diuers ages with the aduauntage of that most excellent weapon haue atchieued such and so many wonderfull and miraculous victories against diuers Nations both Christians and Pagans As also that we doo giue credite to the greatest Captaines of our Nation and diuers other Nations that haue liued in our time some of the which being yet aliue and of principall sort and calling haue seene the mightie works and wonderfull effects of our English Archers and therefore with all right iudgement reiecting all newe fancies and toyes that we doo embrace and esteeme that singular weapon to bee the chiefe and principall of all others for battailes victories and conquests And now to make an end I doo againe as I did in the beginning of my discourse notifie that mine intention hath no waies extended by any thing in my discourses contained to touch the reputation or honor of any Noblemen nor Gentlemen of noble or worshipfull houses nor yet any others of worthie minds that haue entred into those Low Countrie seruices rather to win reputation knowledge and honor than for any hope or desire of spoyle or greedie gaine but onelie such of our men of warre as neglecting and contemning all true honor discipline Militarie haue brought in amongst vs a most shamefull and detestable arte and discipline of carowsing and drunkennes turning all matters Militarie to their own profite and gaine neglecting to loue and to win the loue of their soldiers vnder their gouernments charges making in a manner no accompt of them nor of their liues in such sort as by their euill conduction staruing and consuming great numbers and many thousands of our most braue English people as also by their infinite other disorders they haue made a farre greater warre vpon the Crowne and Realme of England and English Nation than any waies vpon the enemies of our Countrie Honor gloria in excelsis Deo omnipotenti sempiterno incomprehensibili Amen No Noble nor worthie men anie waies intended to be touched in this discourse Vaine innouation of our ancient termes of warre They fondlie scorne our ancient manner of arming Their mistaking of swords Their mistaking of daggers I would wish that all the piques throghout England that are for the field shold be reduced into one vniformitie of lēgth that is either to seuenteene foote long by the rule or else to eighteene foote and not aboue which are two foote longer thā the Spaniardes do vse in their milicia therewithall I wold haue them to be made so light of very good wood that they shold be both portable and maniable which many of our piques at this present are not * Their mistaking of piques Their mistaking of Halbards Their mistaking of the conuenient heighth and length of Caliuers Harquebuzes of conuenient heighth and length ranforced better thā the ordinarie long and heauie Caliuers Their mistaking of small bands to bee better than great The reasons and causes wherefore the Princes of Germanie doo vse great bands of 500. in their seruices of the Empire The cause wherefore the mercinarie Almane Coronells doo vse small bands of 300. in the seruice of forrain Princes Their mistaking of small Regiments to be better than great Their vaine opinions of the effect of Caliuers Mosquets A vaine opinion of insconsing of Sconces in the drie grounds of England An vnsoldierlike opinion of the effects of Mosquets for seruices in the field Mosquettiers on horsebacke were vsed in the Emperour Charles and Henrie the French Kings times to flank a square of Launces and to giue a volee at another square of Laūces their enemies and they did vse to weare halfe cuirasses with rests of yron to pull forward or put backward to discharge their Mosquets frō If Mosquettiers may giue effectuall volees 24. scores of as it is fondlie reported then some number of Archers being chosen that could with their flights shoote 24. or 20. scores as there be manie that can may by the same reason giue volees of flights at their enemies 18. scores of which both the one the other are mockeries to bee thought of because there is no weapon in the field effectuall further than to a conuenient and certen distance This phrase may be interpreted discharge a farre of to draw on and deceiue dotterells The proper times and places for Harquebuziers The most apt and proper places for Mosquettiers to worke good effect The imperfections and vncertainties of the Harquebuze and Mosquet Verie few hurt in skirmishes with Harquebuze shot in the field Another great insufficiencie of Harquebuziers and Mosquettiers in the field Mosquettiers and Harquebuziers not able to abide the charge of Launces nor Stradiotts The imperfections of the Long Bowe Archers doo farre exceede and excell all Mosquettiers and Harquebuziers in three most principall effects A wrong opinion conceiued by the French Captaines and Gentlemen of our English Archers An obiection against Bowes contrary to all experience Another vaine obiection contrarie to all experience and vse militarie By this obiection they discouer that they neuer sawe any Armie royall march in the field An obiection that they