Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	french_a	great_a	king_n	16,597	5	4.3459	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16482	The trauellers breuiat, or, An historicall description of the most famous kingdomes in the world relating their situations, manners, customes, ciuill gouernment, and other memorable matters. / Translated into English.; Relazioni universali. English	Botero, Giovanni, 1540-1617.; Johnson, Robert, fl. 1586-1626.	1601 (1601)	STC 3398; ESTC S115576	135,154	186

woods and the marrishes which euen in plaines make great pooles being vnto them a naturall wall trench against all incursions On the tops of mountaines are manie fruitfull plaines plentifull and fit for the feeding of ●at●le and thicke woods full of wilde beasts These rockie and mountainous places abounding notwithstanding with woods and pastures doe so strengthen the countrey that they neither feare to be forced by inuasion nor to be constrained with hunger for the dangerous accesse of the mountaines and the thicknes of the woods secureth them against the assaults of their enimies and in beseegings they doe sustaine themselues by cattle and wilde beasts which can neuer faile them To this helpeth the abundance of people fierce of courage excellent in the vse of their armes for necessities sake being able speedily to assemble 25. or 30. thousand men against the inrodes of their enimies and trusting to the strength of situations of places and practise of their armes they indeuour not to fortifie their ci●●e● nor hauens which are so thicke in this countrey that by reason of the inlets of the sea there is not almost one house distant aboue twentie miles from the Ocean The king of Scotland gouerneth the Hebrides being fortie two and the Orchades thirtie two in number But since neither Scotland nor the saide Ilands are better stored with plenty of corne more then sufficeth for their owne prouision and the people are neither giuen to artes or abounding in wealth few merchants do resort thither But England whereof we now treate is diuided into three great prouinces England Cornwall and Wales England stretcheth to the Germaine sea Cornwall is right against France Wales against Ireland This most florishing kingdome conteineth two Archbishopricks Canterburie and Yo●ke 24. bishopricks 136. walled townes In the reigne of king Henry and his son Edward there were reckoned fortie thousand parishes but now there are onely 9725. Cornwall Wales in comparison of England are barren in the vpland places the people liue vpon white meates and oaten bread especially in Wales yet hath nature placed an Iland commonly called Anglesey so neere vnto it abounding with corne and cattle that it niay woorthily be called the mother of Wales Cornwall is exceeding rich in mines of Tinne and Lead England farre surpasseth both these prouinces in largenes riches and fertilitie and though it stand somewhat more northerly notwithstanding by the benefite of the sea or some vnknowne influence of the starres the aire there is so gentle and temperate rather thicke and moist then sharpe and colde that it token thereof the bay tree and the rosemarie are alwaies greene And it is most certaine that Flanders and Brabant are more vexed with cold and ice then England wherein for the most part the land is plaine yet now and then so garnished with fruitfull and delightfull hilles and those rising so pleasantly by little and little that they which see them a farre off can scant discerne them fro●● the plaine The cheefest prouision of the kingdome is corne cattle and fish so stored therewith for plenty goodnes and sweetnes that it needeth neither the helpe of France no nor of any neighbour bordring countrey Among other things the flesh especially of their swine oxen and veales haue the best relish of any part of Christendome and of fish their Pike and Oysters It bringeth not foorth Mules nor Asses but of horse infinite store The wealth thereof consisteth in neuer decaying mines of tinne and lead there are also found veines of copper and iron and in Cornewall is digged tinne of such excellent finenes that it seemeth little inferiour to siluer in qualitie Heere the wools are most fine by reason of the hils whereof the kingdome is full On these hils groweth a finall and tender kinde of grasse neither dunged nor watred with spring nor riuer but in winter nourished with the moisture of the aire and in sommer with the deaw of heauen which is so gratefull and pleasing to the sheepe that it causeth them to beare fleeces of singular goodnes and exceeding finenes The Iland breedeth no wolues nor any other rauening beasts and therefore their flockes wander night and day by hils dales and fields as well inclosed as common without feare or danger Most delicate clothes are wouch of this wooll which are transported in great abundance into Germanie Poland Denmarke Sweuqland and other prouinces where they are in high request There grow all sorts of pulse great store of Saffron and infinite quantitie of beere transported from thence into Belgia as also pelts and sea-coale The Iland is so commodiously seated for the sea that it is neuer without resort of Portugall Spanish French Flemish and Easterling merchants The trafique betweene the English and the Flemish ariseth to an inestimable value for Gui●ciardin writeth that before the tumults of the Low-countries they bartered for twelue millions of crownes yeerely There are other Ilands subiect to the crowne of England as Ireland Wight Man and Anglesey the ancient dwelling of the Druides Syllyes Gernsey Iersey and Alderney Ireland is not much lesse then England in bignes for it is three hundred miles long and ninetie broad mountainous woodie full of bogs apter for pasture then corne and abounding with milke and butter It sendeth foorth great store of butter ski●nes and saffron It is full of riuers and lakes abounding with fish It hath two Archbishoprickes Armach and Cassels the chiefe seat is Dublin and that part which lieth towards the East and the south is best peopled The prouinces of Vlster Conaught and Mounster situated to the west and north are lesse fruitfull and more sauage The other three Ilands are about one bignes of them Anglesey is the ●●st and therefore called the mother of Wales it is well replenished with cattell and plentie of corne Man is fiue and twentie miles distant from England it hath one Bishopricke and two hauens the land is not verie fertill Wight is a hilly countrey in it is Newport a towne strongly fortified it incloseth the whole channell of South-hampton which is ouer against it and the fairest hauen in that sea In strength of situation no kingdome excelleth England for it hath these two properties which Aristotle wisheth in the building of a citie one is that it be difficult to besiege the other that it be easie to co●uey in and out all things necessarie these two commodities hath England by the s●● which to the inhabitants is as a deepe trench against hostile inuasions and an easie passage to take in or sende out all commodities whatsoeuer On the west is the Irish Ocean a sea so shallow and so full of rockes flats that it is verie dangerous for great ships and on the south the flowing and ebbing of the Brittish Ocean is so violent and the remoouing of sandes and shelues so vncertaine that vnlesse the mariners be skilfull in taking the opportunities of winde and ●ydes they can hardly bring in their ships

in safetie The sea coast is on euerie side cliffie and inaccessible except in some certaine places which are strongly fortified as Barwicke Douer Dertmouth Plymmouth Falmouth Bristow Milford c. so that the whole Ilande may be taken for one impregnable castell or Bulwarke To this strength of situation may be ioyned their sea and lande forces As touching their sea-forces besides the Nauie Royall the kingdome hath so many faire hauens and those so frequented with merchants that two thousand ships are reported to trafique there Be this as it may it is vndoubtedly true that vpon necessitie they are able to put to sea aboue fower hundred ships Edward the third at the siege of Caleis and Henrie the eight at the siege of Bullen waisted ouer with a thousand faile of all sorts and therefore to inuade that Iland whose hauens are hard to approch and worse to enter by reason of the fortifications and which haue so many ships at commaund I account a most difficult and dangerous enterprise And to this dangerous difficultie may be added another which is that the English people are maruellous expert in maritime actions then whom at sea there is not a valianter and bolder nation vnder heauen For in most swift ships excellent well furnished with ordinance wherewith the kingdome aboundeth they goe to sea with as good courage in winter as in sommer all is one with them They trade into Moscouie Cathay Alexandria of Egypt Constantinople Liuonia Barbarie and Guinea Anno 1585. with a fleete of fiue and twentie ships whererein were 2500. souldiers they sayled into the west Indies and tooke Saint Iago Saint Domingo in Hispaniola and Cartagena on the continent Saint Augustines a citie built of timber and by them destroyed with fire In the time of warre they continually ve●e the Terceraz and the coast of Brasill Two of their Captaines haue sayled round about the world with no lesse courage then glorie and good fortune Their force at land is nothing inferiour to that at sea for the kingdome is diuided into two and fiftie shires in one onely whereof commonly called Yorkeshire it is thought seuentie thousand footmen may be leuied Euerie shire hath a lieutenant who seeth to the election and trayning of soldiers when necessitie requireth In choosing of soldiers they take the names of all the inhabitants of the countrey from aboue sixteene yeeres of age to sixtie and out of these they choose the likeliest and ablest for seruice The taller and stronger are chosen for footmen and these diuided into fower kinds The first are archers by whose dexteritie they conquered the greatest part of France tooke king Iohn captiue and held Paris sixteene yeeres The arrowes of the Parthians were neuer more dredfull to the Romaines then the bowes of the English to the Frenchmen The second sort vsed light staues well headed with iron with which they would strike a man from his horse The other two vse and experience of latter times hath taught them the one is the harquebuse the other the pike a fit weapon for their constitution by reason of their tall strong and manlike stature For their seruice on horsebacke they choose the men of small stature but wel set actiue and nimble These horsemen are of two sorts some heauie armed and those for the most part are gentlemen other lighter armed some riding after the manner of the Albannesses some after the fashion of Italy vsing a scull a Iacke a sword and long light speares And although they are able to bring to the field two thousand lanciers and infinite troupes of light horsemen yet their horsemen neuer carried like reputation to their footemen for Edward the third which made so many iorneies into France and obtayned so many famous victories to shew what confidence he reposed in his infanterie euer left his horse and put himselfe into the battell of his footemen whereas the French kings not daring to inure their commons to warfare least leauing their manuell occupations and trades they should grow insolent in the warres to which humour they are greatly addicted alwaies put themselves and their hopes in the fortune of their caualerie being all almost gentlemen But for as much as the French mantaine no good races of horse and to purchase them from other places is a matter of great charge and good cannot alwaies be gotten for money for these reasons and for that horsemen are nothing so seruiceable in the fielde as footemen I thinke the French haue so often beene ouerthrowen by the English To shew what force the King of England is able to bring into the field let this one example stand for many Henrie the eight passed to Bullen with an armie diuided into three Battallions in the vantgard passed twelue thousand footemen and fiue hundred light horsemen clothed in blew iackets with redde gardes The middle ward wherein the King was and passed last ouer consisted of twenty thousand footmen two thousand horse cloathed with red iackets and yellow gards In the rereward was the Duke of Norfolke and with him an armie like in number and apparell to the first sauing that therein serued one thousand Irishmen all naked saue their mantles and their thicke gathered shirts their armes were three darts a sword and a skeane They drew after them one hundred great pieces besides small They caried vpon carts an hundred mils which one horse would turne and grinde Their carriages were so many that therewith they intrenched their campe as with a wall And for the carriage of their ordinance and their baggage and for drawing of their prouision they transported into the continent aboue fiue and twentie thousand horse and besides all other kinde of prouision they brought with them fifteene thousand oxen and an infinite number of other cattell The quantities of ladders bridges shot powder and other furnitures following so royal an armie what pen can number In England the nobilitie possesse few castels or strong places inuironed with wals and ditches neither haue they iurisdiction ouer the people The dignities of Dukedomes Marquesses and Earldomes are no more but bare titles which the king bestoweth on whom he pleaseth and peraduenture they possesse neuer a penie of reuenue in the place from whence they take their titles where on the contrarie the nobilitie in France possesse some absolute some mixt gouernment with the hereditarie titles of Lords Barons Earles Marquesses Dukes and Princes They are Lords not of townes onely but of great and goodly cities receiuing homage and fealtie of their tenants but acknowledge the soueraignty of the king the parliaments Netherland OF all the three parts of Gaule Belgia which we commonly cal Netherland is the noblest by the authoritie of Casar Strabo and other approoued authors not only for the nobilitie and excellencie of the people of the countrie but likewise for the greatnes and woorthines of those things that haue been inuented there and the accidents that there haue happened They inuented the art of

these neuer-dying riches Lewes the eleuenth was woont to say that France was a continuall flourishing ●eadow which he did mowe as often as he list And Maximilian the Emperour termed the French king to be Pastorem ouium cum velleribus aureis which he sheared at his pleasure It is vndoubtedly true that if the kings of France were as wise and politike as they are powerfull in armes and riches the affaires of Europe would much stand at their deuotion But force and wisedome seldome keepe companie therefore the Poets fained Hercules furious Ariosto fained Orlando sottish Virgill describeth Dares to be insolent and the Graecians termed all those people Barbari which wanted arts and learning Homer bringeth in Achilles as one vnable to bridle his owne furie and Mars so vnaduised that he suffred himselfe vnawares to be caught in Vulcans net For what state can be more dreadfull or what power can seeme more terrible then the maiestie of that kingdome which is able of it selfe to feede fifteene thousand millions of people and yet hath sufficient remaining for the nourishing and maintenance of any puissant armie besides For the abundance of people and plenty of vittailes are the strongest sinewes of all kingdomes and therefore the Romaines highly prized the rusticke diuision for their numbers and prouision As touching their reuenues Lewes the eleuenth gathered a million an halfe Francis the first attained vnto three millions Henry the second to sixe Charles the ninth to seauen Henrie the third aboue tenne Lewes the twelfth left his kingdome full of golde and siluer and therefore was called Pater populi Francis the first though he managed great wars and made infinite expences left notwithstanding eight hundred thousand crownes in his treasurie but Henry the second his sonne enuying the greatnes of Charles the Emperour and coueting to surpasse him tooke vp money of euery one at 16. per centum left his sonnes indebted 30. millions of crownes and without credite amongst the merchants to the value of a farthing insomuch that Charles the ninth and Henry the third his sonnes the last more then the first were inforced to laie heauie impositions not onely on the people but also on the clergie Whereby the world may see that the riches of a prince consist not in the abundance of reuenues but in the good gouernment thereof for Francis the first made greater warres with lesse reuenues left his credite sound with the merchants and readie money to his sonne where on the contrarie Hemy made farre lesse warre and yet left the kingdome deepely indebted and the people poore and miserable With the foresaid reuenues the former kings maintained 1500. Lanciers 4500. crosbowes in report 4000. Lanciers and 6000. crosbowes continually paide which troupes of horse were accounted the strongest in all Christendome Euerie Lancier brought with him one crosbowe and an halfe so that one companie of Lanciers had another of crosbowes seruing both vnder one ensigne commonly called a Guidon and one captaine gouerned both companies consisting in the whole of 100. Lanciers and 150. crosbowes One million and three hundred thousand crownes were yeerely spent vpon these companies A Lance receiued 250. crownes a crosbowe eightie the Guidon 300. the Lieutenant 380. the Captaine 820. Charles the seuenth reduced these ordinances to perfection made the number certaine appointed their wages trained them in exercise and placed them vpon the frontiers vnder captaines lieutenants ensignes and Guidons He likewise deuided these ordinances into men at armes and archers adioined to them Targatiers Harbengers Muster-masters Pay-masters and Commisaries committing them to the charge and gouernment of the Constable Marshall and greatest Lords of his kingdome they did not much inure their naturall subiects to serue on foote for feare of mutinies and rebellions but Charles the eight considering how necessarie footemen were instituted a squadron of fiue thousand French foote that number Francis the first augmented to fiftie thousand howbeit at this day they are casheerd for their euill carriage and behauiour Lewes the eleuenth that at his pleasure he might sheare or rather fleece the people of France and make them vnapt for seruice waged the Swissers which example Francis and Henry his successors following continually hired great number of Germaines But whosoeuer he be that goeth about to make his people vnwarlike and entertaineth forreine soldiers greatly ouershooteth himselfe For by the exercise of armes and the occurrences of warres courage is increased and the commons by practise and experience will become hardy and vpon occasions of necessitie able like soldiers to maintaine their actions for as conuersing with good men makes men good so the company of soldiers makes others couragious Besides many occurrences may happen which may not be committed to the experience of strangers because they know not the situation of places neither may many matters for the weight of the busines be trusted to their fidelitie Wherefore it is very expedient that that people be entertained vnder military discipline in whose prouinces warre is like to continue either by reason of situation or other casuall accidents as it happened to France where after peace was concluded with the Spaniard and the Swiffers Almaines departed to their owne homes yet by remaining full of French soldiers all things were turned vpside downe As concerning munitions there is no kingdome wherein is greater plentie then there whereof are many one for that whereas the kingdome is deuided into many regalities and principalities as Burgundie Britaine Aniou and Normandy euery one of these strengthneth his frontiers besides the plentie of their munitions hath beene increased by the warre of the English which commanded a great part of France Secondly the scituation and nature of the places fit for fortifications as also the willingnes and readines of the people hath euen with ease ouercome the labour of these affaires For there is no nation more industrious in fortifying and more prodigall in expence vpon these workes neither are the bowels of the kingdome lesse fortified then the frontiers Beauois Trois Orleans Angiers Bourdeaux Lymosin San Florum Carcassona Soissons are not inferior to Calais Perone Narbone or other the frontiers in strength and fortification so that euery part thereof may stand in steed of a frontier to any border of the whole kingdome The kingdome of England AMongst all the Ilands of Europe England which the ancient called Britannia without all controuersie for circuit and power challengeth the chiefest prerogatiue It containeth in circuit 1800. miles diuided into two kingdomes England and Scotland The naturall strength of Scotland being barren full of mountaines lakes and woods is the cheefest cause of this diuision in so much that the armies of the Romaines could neuer bring it wholy in subiection the Emperour Seuerus lost there a great part of his armie The kings of England though they farre excell them in strength and haue ouerthrowne them in many battailes could neuer bring them vnder their iurisdiction The lakes the

because it hath few mountaines and is enuironed on euerie side with the sea the aire is verie milde and temperate euen there yea much more temperate then France which is farther distant from the Pole as you may perceiue by the vines wich neuer ripen in England and yet yeeld most perfect wines in France Likewise it happeneth verie often that the northren or western winde rising from the sea bringeth springtide in the winter season decking the fields with flowers and the gardens with herbes that the inhabitants of Turon Poictou and the Isle of France enioy as forward a sommer as those of Prouince or Lago di Garda The whole lande of France is fertill and fruitfull and euerie where plentifull of all good things And as the Apennine spreading almost ouer the fourth part of Italy for the most part is barren yeeldeth small store of fruit so on the cōtrary in the mountaines of Auuergne being but few stand many good townes and rich places where cloathing is exercised and from whence a good part of the kingdome is serued with flesh butter and excellent cheese the rest of the kingdome almost is plaine heere and there garnished with fruitfull hils and greene valleies in euerie place plentie doth as it were contend with varietie fertilitie with delicacie commodiousnes of situation with beautious cities Herein without all controuersie Italie giueth place to France for although some one corner thereof affoordeth exquisite pleasure and delightfull situation as Riuiera di Salo Campania the territorie of Croton Tarentum and some other cities of Calabria yet these are singular and few in Italy common and frequent in France especially in Burgundie Brie the Isle of France Turon Aniou Zantoin and Languedo● in each of which prouinces it should seeme that nature her selfe hath diuided and as it were dedicated by allotment some places to Ceres some to Bacchus some to Pomona and some to Pallas But there is nothing in France more worthie the noting then the number and pleasure of the nauigable riuers whereof some as it were gird in the whole realme as Sagona Rhodanus Mosell Some others cut thorough the middle as Sequano Loire Garonne Into these three riuers fall so many other riuers some from the vttermost bounds some from the inmost parts of the realme that it maketh the whole countrey commodious for trafique and exchange of each others wants insomuch that by this facilitie of carriage entercourse of merchandize all things may be saide to be in common to the inhabitants of this kingdome In Aniou onely are fortie riuers great and small whereupon Katherin de Medicis was woont to say that this kingdome contayned more riuers then all Europe beside Truely this was a Hyperbolicall speech yet not much more then truth for the goodnes of the soile and easie transporting of commodities is the cause that there are so many cities and so many townes and those most commonly seated vpon the bankes of the riuers And although it haue many goodly hauens yet the vpland townes are fairer and richer then those that stand neerer the sea which argueth that their wealth is their owne and not brought from forreine countries for there the sea townes excell the land townes where more benefit and prouision is reaped by the sea then by the land as Genua Venice Ragusi but where the state and prosperitie of cities dependeth wholy vpon the land there the vplandish townes far surpasse the sea townes as Millaine and many other in Flanders Germanie and Hungarie All this notwithstanding although like goodnes of soile be proper to the whole realme of France as likewise the situation of the riuers commodious yet Paris except whose largenes proceedeth from the kings court the parliaments and the vniuersitie the townes there for the most part are but small and meane beautifull commodious and verie populous Iohn Bodin writing a description thereof in the time of Henrie the second saith that there were seuen and twentie thousand villages hauing parish Churches not comprehending Burgundie among them In another description written in the raigne of Charles the ninth it is saide that the number of the inhabitants exceeded fifteene millions And as the cities and townes of France may boast of their riuers so the Castles and villages of the noblemen are no lesse fauoured with the pleasure and strength of lakes and marishes which although they may not be compared to the lakes of Italy and Swizerland yet are they so many and so full of excellent fish that the numbers of the one may equallize the largenes of the others The same may be spoken of woods that they are not so spacious as plentifull out of these woods in times past the greatest part of the kings reuenues did arise and the noblemen do make great profite by selling great quantities thereof for firewood but greater by sales of timber trees for for want of stone the greatest part of their buildings consist of timber In regard of the commodious situation of these riuers seruing so fitly for the transportation of vittailes from one place to another this kingdome is so abundantly furnished with all plentie of prouision that it is able to nourish any armie in the fielde how populous soeuer When Charles the fift entred France first by Prouince and afterward by Champaigne it maintained more then one hundred fiftie thousand soldiers besides garrisons In the raigne of Charles the ninth and in our times also there were maintained in this kingdome 20000. horse 30000. footemen strangers and of French 15000. horse and 100. thousand footemen neither did the kingdome for this feele want or scarcitie There are in France as a man may terme them fower loadstones to draw riches from forreine nations corne caried into Spaine and Portugall wines transported into England Flanders and the inhabitants of the Balticke sea and salt wherewith the whole kingdome the bordering nations are plentifully stored This salt is made in Prouince of the salt water of the Mediterranean sea and at Bayon in Zantoine where the heate of the sunne ceaseth his vertue of getting making and boiling salt of sea water not daining to yeeld so great a fauour any farther northward I said of sea water because further north there may be salt found also but is made either of some speciall spring water as in Lorraine or compound of some minerals mixt with fresh waters as in Poland England and Germanie or else it is taken foorth of some salt mines and such in times past were in Sweueland but they are now decaied The fourth loadstone is canuasse and linnen cloth whereof what profit ariseth a man will hardly beleeue vnlesse he hath seene what abundance thereof is carried into Spaine and Portugall to make sailes and cordage for the furnishing of shipping There growes also Woad Saffron and other merchandize of smaller value which though they equallize not the abouesaid commodities yet rise they to a round summe yea such as may enrich a kingdome By reason of