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	time_n	18,531	5	4.0048	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77923	To the honourable the knights, citizens, and burgesses, now assembled in Parliament. The humble propositions of William Ball, alias Bennet, Gent. Concerning the forts of this kingdome. With some other considerations of state.	Ball, William.	1641 (1641)	Wing B596; Thomason E174_6; ESTC R212685	9,019	23

strong walls and Parapets Bulwarkes Halfe-moones Horne-workes Ports Moots Ditches Rampiers and in some places Redouts and Sconces as in the Low-Countries and what J conceive to be more worthy of consideration and more to be looked into many places of importance in this Kingdome are in a manner without any Fortification at all or else so weakly maintained or ill composed that in time of warre especially with the French our overseeing neighbors they lye greatly according to the Nature and martiall Discipline of these dayes exposed to danger 6. For to instance Milford Haven is a place of that situation and convenience that a great Navie even the greatest almost for burden how soever for number may arrive there and being arrived land what numbers they shall be able without any their eminent or great danger there being no place of strength to molest or hinder them nor a people of any considerable power although they want no courage to resist them and may not an Army out of Spaine or France now more to be thought of not onely there land but also there fortifie themselves wasting and destroying the Countries of Pembroke-shire Carmarden-shire Glamorgan-shire and Cardigar shire before sufficient forces could be raised to resist them and enforce them to desist May not great powers likewise not onely spoyle us as before said but also invade the heart of the Kingdome from thence and that with much convenience to themselves and inconvenience to us for having so large and safe and Haven as is Milford-haven for their fleet if it should be by them well fortifyed and kept as that no doubt but they would doe might they not march along the Sea Coast through the plentifull Countries of Pembroke shire Carmarden-shire and Clamorgan-shire aforesaid and from thence into Monmouth shire Hereford shire and so farther according to their Potencie Which how dangerous it might prove God of his goodnesse defend it not onely to the ruine of those Countries but also disanimating of our people living in or about them to the incensing of Domesticall discontented factions if any such should be with other like Casualties I leave it to the Consideration of my Superiours 7 Moreover not Milford Haven onely lying upon large and commodious Seas and being likewise so situated as that it may annoy if once in the hands of a stranger Ireland as well as England and greatly disunite them or at leastwise molest their union not onely that I say but also to omit the mouth of the River of Carmarden Swanzey Cardiffe Newport and Chepstow or rather the mouth of the River of Wuy in Monmouth-shire the mouth of Severn Kingrode Mynhead and some other places in the Severn-Sea the I le of Sheppey in Kent the mouth of Thames and Tinmouth Castle have need in respect of future Casualties to be better looked unto and strengthened as likewise the towns of Poole Waymouth and Portland Iland in Dorset shire are in my small insight to be farre better fortifyed then they are For first Dorset shire is the nearest Country unto France Kent onely excepted of any part of England next it is by nature least strong as lying wholly upon the Sea having no difficult Cliffes or Rockes to incumber an enemy in landing Thirdly it lyeth in the midst of the Southerne Coast having Eastward Hamshire Sussex and Kent Westward Devonshire and Cornwall and Northward the body of the Kingdome so that if a potent enemy should stand there hee might direct his forces Eastward Westward or Northward according to his most advantage as for the Castles of Waymouth and Portland Iland they are not for strength considerable and yet who knoweth not but that that Iland and the land of the County make a large Bay sufficient to containe a great Navie where likewise they may ride at Anchor in reasonable safety unlesse the South or Southeast winds be extraordinarily stirring so that if that Iland let it seeme of what importance it please should be but taken and well fortifyed by the French besides the charge and hazzard of recovering it or blocking it up they might shrewdly annoy us having Normandy so neare 8 And for that I have intimated the French it may be thought either hate or aversion without fundamentall reason if I shew not some prudent or at leastwise probable cause of suspition in that Nation against us wherefore I have here briefly set down the particulars which I conceive of the French proceedings and greatnesse First therefore it is well knowne that France is the greatest most plentifull and populous Kingdome in Europe being at the least foure times bigger then England and having 5 times as many people The King thereof is now the most absolute Monarch Christian except the great Duke of Moscovie or Emperour of the Abessines whom we scarcely know so that the King of France his Sic volumus sic jubemus is in a manner a Law amongst the greatest part of his Subjects and thereby hee hath of late so augmented his Revenues that those of France alone exceed the Incoms of all the large Donions of Spaine and Portugall or at the least wise they equalize them besides France hath extended it selfe of late through Lorraine and in Artois and Alsatia Lording as it were over Savoy and Piemont the Marquisate of Montferrat and Dutchy of Mantua in Italy are likewise under the protection of France but that which of all things ought most to awake us is the French Conquest in Artois aforesaid so neare unto us and neerely concerning us as I take it the Proverbe is Tunc tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet And is not our neighbors house on fire in the Provinces of Flanders are not Arras Aires and Hesden by the French taken in for my part were St. Omers Graveling and Dunkerk by them likewise subdued I should account that house burntdown to the ground and were the French once but Masters of Flanders I would know whether according to reason of State they might not overmaster us if they should make warre upon us as 't is likely they would If it should be said and concluded that in such Case we would and should enter into a league both Defensive and Offensive with the Hollanders and by that meanes be enabled to oppose the French To this I answer that it is a question First whether or no the Hollanders would in such case breake their league defensive and offensive which they hold with the French to joyn compact with us for it may be very likely that they would not draw upon them so neere and powerfull an enemy besides they have of late beene ayded by the F●ench since they have in a manner been quit by us Moreover France can live of it selfe without Holland but Holland can scarce live without France as having great store of Corne wine and salt and Canvas from thence besides 't is very likely that the Hollanders would be content to subsist and to inrich themselves by trade as doe the