Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	earl_n	lord_n	viscount_n	6,197	5	12.0408	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12246	Paradoxes of defence wherein is proued the true grounds of fight to be in the short auncient weapons, and that the short sword hath aduantage of the long sword or long rapier. And the weakenesse and imperfection of the rapier-fights displayed. Together with an admonition to the noble, ancient, victorious, valiant, and most braue nation of Englishmen, to beware of false teachers of defence, and how they forsake their owne naturall fights: with a briefe commendation of the noble science or exercising of armes. By George Siluer Gentleman.	Silver, George, fl. 1599.	1599 (1599)	STC 22554; ESTC S117412	47,315	86

PARADOXES OF DEFENCE WHEREIN IS PROVED THE TRVE grounds of Fight to be in the short auncient weapons and that the short Sword hath aduantage of the long Sword or long Rapier And the weakenesse and imperfection of the Rapier-fights displayed Together with an Admonition to the noble ancient victorious valiant and most braue nation of Englishmen to beware of false teachers of Defence and how they forsake their owne naturall fights with a briefe commendation of the noble science or exercising of Armes By George Siluer Gentleman ANCHORA SPEI LONDON Printed for Edvvard Blount 1599. HONI SOYT QVY MAL Y PENSE TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD ROBERT EARLE OF Essex and Ewe Earle Marshall of England Viscount Hereford Lord Ferrers of Chartley Bourchier and Louaine Maister of the Queenes Maiesties horse of the Ordenance Chancellor of the Vniuersitie of Cambridge Knight of the most noble order of the Garter and one of her Highnesse most honorable Priuy Counsell FENCING Right honorable in this new fangled age is like our fashions euerie daye a change resembling the Camelion who altereth himselfe into all colours saue white so Fencing changeth into all wards saue the right That it is so experience teacheth vs why it is so I doubt not but your wisedome doth conceiue There is nothing permanent that is not true what can be true that is vncertaine how can that be certaine that stands vpon vncertain grounds The mind of man a greedie hunter after truth finding the seeming truth but chaunging not alwayes one but alwayes diuerse forsakes the supposed to find out the assured certaintie and searching euery where saue where it should meetes with all saue what it would VVho seekes finds not seekes in vaine who seekes in vaine must if he wil find seeke againe and seeke he may againe and againe yet all in vaine VVho seekes not what he would as he should and where he should as in all other things Right honourable so in Fencing the mind desirous of truth hunts after it and hating falshood flies from it and therfore hauing missed it once it assayes the second time if then he thriues not he tries another way whē that hath failed he aduentures on the third if all these faile him yet he neuer faileth to chaunge his weapon his fight his ward if by any meanes he may compasse what he most affect for because men desire to find out a true defence for themselues in their fight therefore they seeke it diligently nature hauing taught vs to defend our selues and Art teaching how and because we misse it in one way we chaunge to another But though we often chop and change turne and returne from ward to ward from fight to fight in this vnconstant search yet wee neuer rest in anie and that because we neuer find the truth English maisters of defence are profitable members in the common wealth if they teach with ancient English weapons of true Defence weight and conuenient length within the compasse of the statures and strength of men to command because it maketh them safe bold valiant hardie strong and healthfull and victoriou 〈◊〉 the warres seruice of their Prince defence of their friendes and countrey But the Rapter in reason not to be taught nor suffred to be taught because it maketh men fearefull and vnsafe in single combat and weak vnseruiceable in the warres and therefore we neuer find it because we neuer seeke it in that weapon where it may be found For to seeke for a true defence in an vntrue weapon is to angle on the earth for fish and to hunt in the sea for Hares truth is ancient though it seeme an vpstart our forefathers were wise though our age account them foolish valiant though we repute them cowardes they found out the true defence for their bodies in short weapons by their wisdome they defended them selues and subdued their enemies with those weapons with their valour And Right honorable if we will haue this true Defence we must seeke it where it is in short Swords short Staues the halfe Pike Partisans Gloues or such like weapons of perfect lēgths not in long Swords long Rapiers nor frog pricking Poiniards for if there be no certain grounds for Defence why do they teach it if there be why haue they not found it Not because it is not to say so were to gainesay the truth but because it is not certaine in those weapons which they teach To proue this I haue set forth these my Paradoxes different I confesse from the maine current of our outlandish teachers but agreeing I am well assured to the truth and tending as I hope to the honor of our English nation The reason which moued me to aduenture so great a taske is the desire I haue to bring the truth to light which hath long time lyen hidden in the caue of contempt while we like degenerate sonnes haue forsaken our forefathers vertues with their weapons and haue lusted like men sicke of a strange ague after the strange vices and deuises of Italian French and Spanish Fencers litle remembring that these Apish toyes could not free Rome from Brennius sacke nor Fraunce from King Henrie the fift his conquest To this desire to find out truth the daughter of time begotten of Bellona I was also moued that by it I might remoue the great losse of our English gallants which we daily suffer by these imperfect fights wherein none vndertake the combat be his cause neuer so good his cūning neuer so much his strength and agilitie neuer so great but his vertue was tied to fortune happie man happie doale kill or be killed is the dreadfull issue of this diuellish imperfect fight If that man were now aliue which beat the Maister for the scholers fault because he had no better instructed him these Italian Fencers could not escape his censure who teach vs Offence not Defence and to fight as Diogenes scholers were taught to daunce to bring their liues to an end by Art VVas Aiax a coward because he fought with a seuen foulded Buckler or are we mad to go naked into the field to trie our fortunes not our vertues VVas Achilles a run-away who ware that well tempered armour or are we desperat who care for nothing but to fight and learn like the Pigmeys to fight with bodkins or weapons of like defence Is it valour for a man to go naked against his enemie why then did the Lacedemonians punish him as desperate whom they rewarded for his vallour with a Lawrell crowne But that which is most shamefull To this it will be obiected that in the warres we vse few Rapiers or none at all but short Swords To that I answere Those are insufficient also for that they haue no hilts whereby they are insufficient in their defence and especially for the hād which being stroken although with averie smal blow most commonly is the losse of a mā because the force of his hand