Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	france_n	king_n	normandy_n	7,734	5	11.5949	5	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

actions giue singular commendation of the Archerie of England To the like effect and singular commendation of Archers I haue also heard the aforesaid Earle of Warwicke diuers times further report that in the yeare 1562. he being at Newhauen in Normandie Lieutenant generall for the Queene that now is the notable and great Captaine Chastillon Admirall of France being then at the siege of Caen in Normandie and at that time fauoured by the Queene of England did send to the Earle for a succour of some English bands of the which he desired that the most might bee Archers But the Earle at that time hauing no Archers on that side the sea sent vnto him a supplie of sixe hundred braue Harquebuziers with some armed men also which he very thankfully receiued but therewithall signified vnto the Earle that he had rather haue had two hundred Archers and that he would haue performed greater seruice with that small nūber of Bowes than with all those braue Harquebuziers And this message was sent from that great Captaine to the Earle by Sir Francis Somserset Sir Nicholas Throgmorton and Sir William Pelham And shortlie after that notable Coronel Alman the Reingraue who had serued manie yeares in France accompanied with manie other braue Captaines both French and Almans with a great power both of horsmen and footmen comming downe and encamping not farre from Newhauen there happened a great skirmish betwixt certeine English bands of Newhauen and the French and Alman companies which continued verie hot with many volees of Harquebuze shot and newe supplies on euerie side but at the length the French and Almans exceeding the English farre in multitude forced them to retire with disorder euen to the verie gates of Newhauen during which action it happened that fourescore tall Archers Hamshire men did at that time land in the Hauen who taking their Bowes and sheafes of arrowes with their other furniture did presently march without any tarriance through the towne into the field where the skirmish was vpon whose comming the English bands that a little before were forced by the often charges and great multitude of the shot of their Enemies to retire euen to the verie town-ditches and gates taking courage a fresh they and the Bowmen entered againe into skirmish with the Almans and French where the fourescore Archers did behaue themselues so notably against the enemies with their volees of arrowes that with the braue and valiant charges which they and the rest of the English bands gaue vppon their enemies but chieflie with the excellencie of the Archers they forced them not onelie to retire but to turne their backes in such sort as putting a great number of them to the sword they became masters of the field Vpon which notable effect of those fewe Archers as also vpon diuers others that the Reingraue had before time seene in seruing against the English he shortlie after vppon the returne of a message that had been sent vnto him by the Earle of Warwicke Sir Edward Horsey being the messenger did most highly commend the notable effects that he long before in diuers seruices had seene performed by the English Archers against both horsemen and footmen said also that long before that time he knewe by experience that great numbers of English Archers were able to performe verie great matters in the field but that so small a number of Bowmen as were in that last great conflict should bee able with their arrowes to do so great mischiefe against his old bands of Almans French and Gascoignes he would not haue beleeued if he himselfe had not seene it And therefore did with great reason and experience protest and acknowledge the Long-bowes of England to bee the most excellent weapons for the field that were vsed by anie Nation in Christendome and said that the Queene of England had great cause so to esteeme and accompt of them And to this effect I haue diuers times heard the Earle of Warwicke himselfe verie notablie report I haue also heard Sir Iames Croft that honorable and most sufficient Gentleman that hath serued diuers of our Princes in manie great and principall offices and charges Militarie both in England France Scotland and Ireland declare verie notable effects which he himselfe hath seene by our Archers in diuers actions performed The particularities whereof as also his opinion concerning the excellencie of that weapon I remit to his owne report Now notwithstanding all these notable experiences and examples of the excellent effects of Archers against Harquebuziers our such men of warre haue vsed to alledge that neither the Harquebuzes were so good nor yet the Harquebuziers so skilfull in those daies as now their Caliuerers are whereunto it may be answered with great reason and experience of diuers auncient Captaines both Italians and Spaniards that I haue knowne of the which some are yet liuing that not onlie the Harquebuzes which the Italians Spaniards did vse fiftie or three score yeres past were as maniable and of as good forme as now they are but also that the Harquebuziers were as skilfull and perfect with that kind of weapon as they are now in these our daies And that hath manifestlie appeared by the infinite numbers of great skirmishes that haue bin verie effectuallie performed with Harquebuze shot in the Emperour Charles the French Kings warres in Italie France the Lowe Countries and Burgundie as also in Barbarie against the Turkes and Mores and in the warres of Germanie betwixt the said Emperour and the Duke of Saxonie other Reystates and Princes of Germanie Which opinions aforesaid misconceiued and verie ignorantlie alledged by our such men of warre to the disabling of the Harquebuziers of other Nations in times past and enhabling their Caliuerers of this time thereby to detract the excellent effects of our Long-bowes doth further manifest their lacke of sufficiencie to iudge of the exercises and vse of those weapons of fire not onlie of times past but also of this present time and that hath appeared in diuers of their seruices of the Lowe Countries as I haue heard certeine of our old Captaines of good experience affirme that haue seen some of their vnskilfull seruices in those parts and was also confirmed by the fained skirmish that some of their Captaines Officers and old bands of Harquebuziers and Mosquettiers of the Low Countries of their owne training did the last sommer most disorderlie performe before my Lord Treasurer at Tilburie where they discharged one in anothers necke and hauing discharged their peeces did run out of their troupes and stand still and charge their peeces againe and returning to giue newe volees did discharge their peeces at their fellowes hammes legges and backes running together thicke and threefold so disorderlie that it was a scorne to behold them and this in the opinion of many Gentlemen some old Captaines of good seruice and experience that were there present and beheld the same who concluded the