replied That for every one of those Balls he had so many Fiery Bullets to shoot at the proudest Terrets in France as he should shortly find And he was as good as his word for he presently got over and encountering the French Army at Agencourt he gave it an utter Overthrow and took more prisoners than his own Army had Souldiers And this King made so absolute a Conquest of France that Charles the seventh of France like a poor Roy de Juidot consined himself to Burges where having cashiered his Retinue he was found in a little Chamber at supper with a Napkin laid before him a Rump of Mutton and two Chickins There were many other Warlike Encounters betwixt England and France whereof the stories are full and it 's observed that the English at most were but half sometimes not the third or fourth part in number to the French in the Engagements And though the Scots did always confederate with the French against England and when the King of England was in France would for diversion invade England yet England bore up single and victoriously against them both I must beg your pardon if I cannot omit one story Edward the third being engaged in France with his Army David King of Scots with about 60000 men being a Confederate with the French King invaded England Queen Philippa with the Archbishop of York the Lords and the Knights of the North encountered the Kings Army and utterly defeated it The Scottish King was taken prisoner and reserved as a Present for Edward the third when he returned out of France to keep company with John the French King taken prisoner by the black Prince And there were but six weeks difference between both Victories Nor were such high Exploits performed by the English on Land onely but by Sea they have been as glorious Philip the French King not long before the Battle of Cressey to hinder Edward the third's return into France got a mighty Navy in equipage of 200 sail of Ships besides Gallies in the Haven of Sluce where of King Edward being advertised prepared such another Fleet and encounters the French with such resolution and success having the Wind and Sea for him that he thereby defeated the whole Navy slew about 30000 men and so returned with mighty Triumphs and the Admiration of all Europe In the year 1591. was that memorable Fight of an English Ship called the Revenge under the command of Sir Richard Greenfield memorable I say beyond credit and to the hight of some Heroical Fable This Ship for the space of 15 hours sate like a Stag amongst Hounds at the Bay and was seiged and fought with in turn by 15 great Ships of Spain part of a Navy of 55 Ships in all the rest like Abettors looking on a far off And amongst the 15 Ships that fought the great St. Philip was one a Ship of 1500 Tun Prince of the twelve Sea-Apostles which was glad when she was shifted off from the Revenge This brave Ship the Revenge was maned onely with 200 men whereof 80 laid sick yet nevertheless after a Fight maintained 15 hours and three Ships of the Enemies sunk by her side and 15 more of them so torn and battered that they perished in the Sea before they could recover the Tercera that gallant Ship never came to be entred but was taken by composition the Enemies themselves having in admiration the Vertue of the Commander and the whole Tragedy of that Ship Nor doth that Primitive innate Courage and Gallantry languish or decline in them as some think the World doth and as we find it doth in other Nations as the Jews and Greeks but it continueth in the same height The ancient Stourness and Gallantry of the English appeared in many Traverses of the late War here in England The French King confessed that the Brigade of English before Dunkirk though not the fifth part of the Army did contribute most to the taking of that Preditory Town And I doubt not but when his sacred Majesty of Great Britain shall be pleased to give his Royal Fiat we shall see the same valiant Bloud is now channelled in the English veins and that every Royal Subject will be ready to take Talbot's Motto upon his Sword Sum Talboti pro defendendo Rege contra inimicos So that if the King of Great Britain will take into his Royal Consideration the Galamities and miserable condition that all Europe is in by the Oppression of the French and their designes of an Universal Monarchy and potently act having such a Warlike People with the rest of the Confederates the Reduction of France to its ancient Boundaries would be no great work I doubt not but that the Parliament of England will give Aid cheerfully and Sir Money is the Primum Mobile that moves the Spheres which are the hearts and hands of men his Majesties Fame and Power will be admired his Subjects highly pleased the Nations under his Scepter feared and it will beget a perfect Union between his Majesty and all his People who in a grateful and humble acknowledgement of his Royal Care and Protection of them will bring to his service a Magazine of Hearts and to his Coffers a Treasury of Money which is the Soveraign Cordial that gives life to all Warlike Actions What the touring and ambitious thoughts of the French King signifie his great Preparations by Sea do manifest to all Europe for he hath raised a greater Naval strength in few years since he hath applied himself to it than ever yet was raised in the world for the time And if he shall yearly increase in power at Sea as he hath done for these twenty years last past the whole world will not be Elbow-room enough for his Ambition Having so prodigioully advanced in number of Ships after he hath gained more Harbours and Ports as it 's his designe and bred up experienced Commanders and Sea-men as no Prince can be more industrious he will then pull off the Vizard and declare that all Kings Princes and States must give Obedience to his Monarchy and become his Vassals Sir it 's certain that those States whose Renown are greatest in Story did establish their Supream Dominion upon the Power they attained at Sea The Romans did not impose upon the World their Laws till they had forced the Sea to receive and acknowledge them Had they not set out Warlike Fleets they had never accomplished their glorious designes they had never extended their Fronteers beyond Italy nor brought down the pride of Garthage nor triumphed over all the Crowns on Earth The Egyptians the Persians and the Grecians considered the Sea as the best Support of their Dominions And whether the designes of the French King be not as large and great by his Naval Preparations as those of the Romans Greeians or of the Egyptian or Persian Monarchs were it 's well suiting with the Wisdom of the Kings and Princes of Europe to consider Be assured Sir if this
Lavinians against the Romans but they put off their resolution so long that when they were going forth of Town to give Summons to them News came that the Latines were defeated whereupon Milonius the Pretor said We shall pay deerly to the Romans for this little way we are gone For if they had resolved not to have given Aid they had not given offence to the Romans by helping of them and had their Aid come in time with the addition of their own Forces they might have gained the Victory But by delays loss and misfortunes came every way And whether this may not be the Case of England I submit it to your great judgment This is not such a War as was between the Etolians and Archadians for a wild Boar nor for a Cart-load of Sheep-skins as was between Charles Duke of Burgondy and the Switzers nor like that between the Scoâ—s and picts for a few Dogs but it 's pro aris focis We fight to preserve our own Interest and to avoid Beggery and Slavery which will unavoidably fall upon us if the Ambition of that aspiring Prince be not stinted When England shall vigorously appear against them the French King will be necessitated to desire Peace and to do Justice The apprehension of your Forces will be a terrour unto him our Allies will be greatly encouraged and they with united Forces will act more powerfully Our Fleets will give them such just fears that they will be obliged to employ some great part of their Troops to defend their own Coasts and will be necessitated to quit some of their new Conquests as they have done Messina to secure their own Dominions The conquering of Villages and Towns are like Bonfires of Straw but if they meet with a stout opposition they are mortal as other men and one good blow will cause a reverter of all their new Acquests It 's storied that Charles the fifth after he had clasped Germany almost in his fist he was forced in the end to go from Jusprug as if it had been in a Masque by Torch-light and to give up every foot in Germany that he had gotten Which I doubt not will be the Hereditary fate of the late Purchases and Conquests of France I know the Most Christian King hath as many experienced Captains and disciplined Souldiers as any Prince in Europe but that sorts to the honour of the English seeing they ever have had the better of it in all Rencounters and never left the Field but with Glory The French Valour lieth to the eye of the lookers on but the English Courage lieth about the Souldiers heart and the Fury of the French the first blast being over turns to Fear No King or Prince hath such a spring and seminary of brave Military people as be in England Scotland and Ireland and who will be ready to sacrifice their Lives for their King and Country Where was Caesar in greater danger than in England Where was there a Prince that durst challenge him to a single Combat but in England The Romans conquered Gallia in ten years whereas they did not subdue England in 200 years and not then till they had conquered all the rest of the World Because they reserved the Conquest of England as Conquerors use to do most commonly in great Enterprizes for the last and greatest Conquest that they had to do If you will consult the Register of times you will observe England never had any Encounter with France but it came off with Honour I shall give you a particular List of some of them in an Historical truth no ways strouted nor made greater by Language that 's becoming a General at the head of an Army when they are going to Battle but not with me And I shall begin with that at Cressey the first great Battel That Heroick King Edward the third having been provoked by divers Affronts that Philip of Valois the French King had offered him goes over in person into France with an Army of 8000 men at Arms and 10000 Archers he takes with him his Son the Prince of Wales and Duke of Guyenne being but fifteen years of age called afterwards the black Prince to train him up in feats of Arms. Landing in Normandy he marches within ten miles of Paris and after divers Skirmages a Battel was appointed King Edward incamped near a Village called Cressey the French Kings Army was above twice the number consisting of above 60000 with all the Flower of the French Nobility The Battle began the Fight grew hot and doubtful insomuch that the Commanders sent to King Edward who was gotten into a Wind-mill where as from a Centinel he might behold the face of the Enemy to come up with more power the King asked the Messenger whether his Son was hurt or slain and being answered no he replies Then tell them who sent you that so long as my Son is alive they send no more to me for my will is that he have the honour of the day The Fight on both sides was very furious the French King having his horse killed under him withdrew which being known to the English it added so to their Courage that they soon after won the Field This Battle was so bloudy that there were none made Prisoners but all put to the Sword The number of the slain French surmounted the whole Army of the English for the number of the slain were about thirty thousand The next great Victory in France was the Battle of Poitiers The black Prince being tapred up now to a good growth was sent by advice of Parliament to Gascony the Truce being expired He ravaged the Country as far as Tourane John the French King raiseth a potent Army more numerous than that at Cressey and going to finde out the Prince of Wales found him about Poitiers not much above 10000 men effective in his Army The Prince finding the main strength of the French Army consisted in Horse he intrenched amongst the Vineyards where when the French Cavalry entred being wrapt and intangled amongst the Vines the English Archers did so ply and gall them that thereby being defeated and put to rout the whole Army was soon defected In this Battel King John himself was taken prisoner whom the Prince brought into England where he continued four years And as the French Historians themselves confess he was so nobly received that he knew not whether he was a free King or a Captive Besides Lords and Nobles that were slain in this Battle there were upon the whole more French slain than the whole English Army was in number We will now to Agencourt Henry the fifth that Mirror of Princes being come to the Crown he cast his eyes towards France and for claiming of his Title he sent the Duke of Exeter in a magnisicent Embassie to demand the Crown but receiving no satisfactory Answer but rather a kind of Jeer the Dauphin sending him a Sack full of Racket-balls to pass away his time he
the French Trading-Ships at his own charges He hath engaged most of his Nobility in the East and West Indian Trades and the better to encourage them hath granted many Priviledges to them And without doubt by reason of his great preparations by Sea he hath some great Designe in projection If he shall propose to make himself Master of the Indies I do not see how he can fail in his Attempts if Europe be not more watchful By an Ordinance of the French Privy Council which is the now standing Law of that Kingdom all the Officers and Commanders in the Islands of America are strictly enjoyned and required to secure to the Most Christian King the Soveraignty of those Seas and the French in execution of it have much interrupted the Trade there and have proved very vexatious And having erected the East India Trade he hath attempted to get footing in divers places in the East Indies What his success may be time will shew But if he should unite the Dutch Trade and Strengths in those parts to himself by an Union of the Vnited Provinces and their Navigation to his Empire as he will if some timely Assistance be not given by England how the English Factories there will then preserve themselves from Violation or utter Extirpation it doth well become England to consider For France designes to engross the Trade of the Vniverse And by their irregular course of Trade they will exhaust all Europe of their Money I have heard that England loseth yearly by the French Trade 1500000 l. sterling and I am sure they draw out of the Northern Regions of Europe for Wines 25 Millions of Florens for Salt 10 Millions of Florens for Brandy 5 Millions for Wines Brandy and Salt they yearly exhaust from thence 40 Millions of Florens for Silks Stuffs Toys and Fripparies they spirit out of those Countries yearly 40 Millions of Florens and there is not imported into France of the Commodities of all the North so many as do amount unto 15 Millions of Florens So that France doth yearly drain out of the Northern Regions of Europe 65 Millions of Florens And what great and prodigious sums of money he draweth from the rest of Europe must be left to sober men to consider But no Foreign Commodities can be imported into France but they are clog'd and incumbred with such great Duties and Customs that the return made thereof to the Merchant is without any profit His Most Christian Majesty having for his Royal Revenue Sixty Millions of Florens yearly and France being inriched yearly as abovesaid and being able by his supream power without any check or controul to impose what Taxes he pleases he hath laid such an inexhaustible Fond of Treasure to carry on his designes to the Oppression of all Europe that he can rarely be disappointed or fail in any He can support his Armies when other Princes are enforced to beg for Peace because their Treasures are exhausted He after many years War can engage in a new War and upon occasions by reason of his Treasure have Instruments to execute his Projects By this he purchases the assistance of Foreign Princes and endears their Ministers opens their Cabinets engageth true and close Correspondencies and poysons their Councils By this he can pass unseen through Rampiers and Guards into Cities and Forts and can surprize them without tedious hazards of Guards And many contemplative men think that he hath gained more Territories and Dominions by his Pistols than by his Sword and Cannon So that the Serpent is more serviceable to them than the Dragon as acting with less noise and greater execution Ambition is the Compass whereby they sail and Universal Dominion the Port whereunto their course is directed and as their Ambition hath no Horizon so their Designes have no Latitude Charles the fifth his Motto Plus Vltra and his Son Philip's Non sufficit Orbis discovered their vast Ambition And doth not that of Lewis the eleventh Immensi tremor Oceani and that of Lewis the fourteenth Solus contra Omnes manifest the Designes of France Well if there be not a Retrenchment of the spreading and ambitious Designes of France I am sometimes of the opinion that the Most Christian King may ere long take upon him that jolly humour of the great Cham of Tartary who when he hath dined commands his Trumpeters to sound and make proclamation that now all other Kings and Princes may sit down to dinner It will be worth the while that all Europe may be satisfied of the Conduct of the French Cabal to consider the candor and integrity of their Actions for some years last past and whether they may expect better Principles and Methods from them for the future than they have hitherto had The first Essay of their Ingenuity and Honesty was in their behaviour and carriage in the Pyrenean Treaty and their performance thereof By the Endeavours of the Queen-Mother of France a Peace being promoted between the two Crowns of France and Spain with a Marriage between the French King and the Infanta of Spain the whole Treaty was founded upon two considerable points The one was the forsaking of Portugal the other a Renunciation of the Infanta ratified by the French King of all her present or future pretences titles or claims whatsoever to the Spanish Monarchy and Dominions thereof which if not granted the great work of the Match had never taken effect As to the first the French King did promise and oblige himself upon his Honour and upon the Faith of a King not to give at present or for the future neither in common nor to any person or persons thereof in particular any help or assistance neither publick nor seeret directly or indirectly of Men Munition c. under any pretence whatsoever Yet the Peace was no sooner made but they sent them Supplies of Men Arms and Money and a while after notwithstanding their former Treaty with Spain in the view of the whole world they entred into an Offensive League with that Kingdom against all their Enemies The other was the Renunciation aforementioned And as to this the French King after the death of the late King of Spain claimed notwithstanding the said Renunciation a great part of the Spanish Low Countries as being devolved to him in the Right of his Wife and to take possession thereof invaded the Country contrary to his Engagements and so destructive to the Essence of the Treaty with a powerful Army The Marquiss de la Fuente extraordinary Embassadour from Spain being upon his return into Spain upon the death of the late King his Master his Most Christian Majesty did with all possible Asseverations engage his Faith and his Royal Vow That he would religiously observe and keep the Peace and continue a faithful Friendship both to the Queen of Spain and to her Son And the Archbishop of Ambrun after the French Army was already in the Field and had possessed Charleroy some sive days before