attend to the defence of religion and their common safetie which was continuallie opposed to great danger if with courage and vnited force they transported not the warre into Turkie and so inuaded not the enimie in his owne Countrie Here vppon the opinions of sundrie skilfull men of warre and others that knew the Countries dispositiō as wel of the Princes as of the power of the Turks being taken it was thought necessary to make great prouision of money by the voluntarie contributions of Princes an vniuersal impostio be leuied ouer all Christendome That the Emperour with the Hungarian and Polonian horsemen warlyke nations such as were practised in continuall wars agaynst the Turkes as also with such the strength of Germanie as might beseeme so great an enterprise shoulde sayle along Danowe into Bosina in olde time tearmed Misia and so into Thrace and to approch vnto Constantinople the imperiall sea of the Ottomans That the French King with the forces of his Realme the Venecians and other Potentates of Italy accompanied with the footmen of Zuitzerland should passe from the port of Brunduse in Albanie a very easie and short cut to inuade Greece a landful of Christian inhabitants as well in respect hereof as for the intollerable yoake of the Turkes most readie to rebell That the kings of England Spaine and Portugall as well in their nauies at Carthagene and the hauens thereabout should take their course with 200. shippes full of Spanish footmen other souldiors to the straights of Gallipolis thence to make roads to Constantinople hauing first seazed vpon the Dardanes that is their Castles standing vppon the mouth of the straight That the Pope should take the same course with an hundred great gallies With these preparatiues sufficient to couer both sea and land the Turkes estates being inuaded in so many places who make their chitfest account of defence in the plaine field it seemeth especially adding therto the innocation of Gods name that of so holy a warre there could not be hoped but a happie end This deliberation of the most excellent Captaines then liuing I finde to be so well grounded that I thinke we might borowe much of theirs but had the execution thereof insued we should the better haue séene what it had ben howbeit the death of Selim comming on asswaged the feare of these Princes so consequently their desire to proceed whereby they passed but to wordes Now as since there haue followed great alterations so are we to frame our selues according to the disposition of matters somwhat to vary from this platforme but rather in the particularities than principall pointes thereof First we may be certaine that it is to small purpose to inuade the Turkes by lande onely or by sea onely for leauing them either of those gaps open they will thereby so molest vs as that they will turne vs from the other in kindling the flames farther within our houses than we can do in theirs In respect wherof it is requisite to set their whole estate in Europein combustion by following the wars in euery part thereof which is vnpossible to be performed w tout a mighty power as wel by sea as by lād which our ancestors thought expedient as also it is as Guicciardine saith the perfect meanes to abridge any warre for being strong ye shal soone bring your enimies to reason either by victory or composition Wheras contrariwise when it is weakly followed it groweth ruinous Whē Caesar inuaded Pompey who had seazed vpon all Greece and the Easterne Prouinces he made himselfe strong both by sea and land wherein neuerthelesse his competitor exceeded him The like did Augustus against Marke Anthonie who possessed the same countries which now y e Turks inioy both of thē had neere 1000. vessels aboue 35. legions by land But because it is an easie matter to know that for the well inuading of those countries both y e powers must be matched together I wil speak no more therof As for y e partition of these princes forces which Guicciardine mentioneth it is not amisse nor the inuasiō of 3. sides albeit I think it were better for vs to stick to two For I consider that y e whole defence of the Turks lands consisteth in 2. great armies the one vpon the land y t other vpon y e sea neither hathhe anie fortified places as we haue so as y e losse of one of these props is y e opening of a gate vnto vs which is y e reason why I would wish we should make but 2. strong bodies wherwith to attempt our enterprises Moreouer if we should strike into Slauonia or Greece w t a body of 18. or 20000. men they wold ere we were aware fal vpō vs with some 100. or 120000. wherby we wanting assured places of retreat this bodie would be quite ouer whelmed This other reason wil I also adde that if both our armies as wel by sea as by land do shoot at Constantinople and by winning litle litle do attaine therto must it not needs follow y t in performing this purpose they shal seaze not only vpō Slauonia but also vpon all the land of Romagnia which shal be a pray to toe conqueror The Christian forces would I wish to be thus diuided The K. of Spain as the mightiest prince Christian to arme as many gallies galeasses as he were able The Pope y e Venetians w t other the potentates of Italy to ioyne with him I think if they list to straine thēselues they be able to set forth 300. galleis 12. galeasses besides other smal vessels for y e transport of victuals horse which be but the dependances of y e campe If any demand whether y e number may stay the Turks power by sea I thinke yea for Don Iohn had but 200 galleis whē he wan y e battell against thē As also when the armies whether by land or by sea do excéed a competēd quantity y e rest do but bréed confusiō The soldiers for the furnishing of the said vessels might be leuied in Spain Italy notwithstanding it would amoūt to 30000. For y e land the Emperor likewise shold prepare a mighty army to inuade through Hungary consisting of the power of all Germany the low countries Sueden Denmark Boheme Hungary thereto also adioining his that now raigneth in Pole lande which vnited together woulde vndoubtedly amount vnto 35000 horse and 30000 footemen and 10000 pioners The other part of the land forces to come from the most Christian king of France the Queene of England the king of Scots with the Suitzers and Grisons who vnder some notable Captaine should ioyne with the Emperor and in my opinion would amount vnto some 20000. footemen 5000. horse This power would I take to be sufficient to obtayne some braue victorie containing at y e least 125000. fighting men which seemeth to be a great number but if we also consider all Christendome it is to
to encurre great losses For sith they that will not lose the goodes that they haue gotten will not for the kéeping of them absteyne from vyolence the surest way were now to wincke at some incurable mischiefes and to looke vpon those that be curable The lawe of obliuion which wee haue alwaies placed first in our outcryes which also the Romaines and Athenians after their ciuill warres did put in practise doth warne vs in these chaungeable tymes to forget many things The like consideration is there to bee had of the Clergie for as many did affirme that it were good to take away halfe their goods which most of them doe abuse to discharge the Kings debts considering that the people in respect of their pouertie are not able to doe it these great words as tending to deminish their temporall possessions did so terrefie them that calling together their wittes they haue with wonderfull sleights oftentymes ouerthrowne these motions wherein men began to take some small taste shewing that they could neuer be any whit enclined to relieue his maiestie vnlesse he first set free the Church of Rome from the oppressions of the Protestants after the rooting out of theÌ„ they would worke merueiles To be briefe by such meanes and deuises they haue so runningly giuen vs the turne as we vse to say that they are best in rest whiles the others are by warre pursued And sometymes when they haue bene disposed to take the bit in the mouth what haue they done It was seene in the States holden at Blois in the yéere 1577. For they there so played their parts that they set one part of France against the other while themselues indged of the blowes Yea some went so farre as to to say that the Clergie possessed aboue fifteene millions of Francks in yerely rent so that if any sought to oppresse them they would make those that had bitten them to let goe well enough These examples doe shew that it is not for vs to vse force against those that are able by force to resist But I presume that in as much as they are Frenchmen they will neuer see their King fall in necessitie but will succour him in case they finde that by courtesie they be required Besides that seeing they employe not the Church goodes to that vse to the which they were bequethed they ought not to refuse to helpe him whose auncestors haue permitted them the possession of the same The same moderate procéeding is in my opinion to bee taken with the Protestants because all the extremities that haue bene practised against them to reclaime them as the speech goeth haue brought them with force to defende themselues For it is not possible that so bloodie a worke of conuersion can bee perfected according to the first intent of those that began to frame it and therefore the best way is to leaue it If we presume that they erre they must be reformed by the words of Christ and his Apostles and not by the persecutions and fires that haue many yeeres flamed in France Fire belongeth to Sodomites and not to those who in the middest thereof call vpon the sonne of God only Our Kings hauing by their Churchmen bene perswaded that the rooting of them out of their territories should be an acceptable sacrifice vnto God thinking to doe well haue done their endeuours and to that effect consumed more money men and tyme then Caesar did in his Conquest of Gaule Spayne and England Sith therefore experience teacheth that all this haue nothing profited should wee not seeke more milde conuenient waies to preserue rather then to destroye men His maiestie might doe well to say to his Clergie My maisters seeing the materiall sword hath not in so many yeeres bene able to bring your counsaile to passe labour you another while with the spirituall which is teaching and preaching adding thereunto good life to redresse pietie and godlinesse I would thinke that either part should take the same course to conuert one another which so many excellent personages haue done heretofore As Irineus Policarpus Athanasius with other good Shepheards that haue guided an innumerable quantitie of poore soules which before were the bondslaues of ignorance and sinne into the way of saluatioÌ„ With the sword you may well bereaue some of them of their liues but the taking of perswasions out of the hart cannot be compassed by any materiall instrument but rather by better perswasions of truth Obseruing this rule it were moreouer requisite to the ende to see some apparant rest in the Church that his Maiestie should call a nationall franke and free counsaile for the Pope will neuer agree to any generall which he feareth as thunder consisting of honorable Deuines charitable and louers of concord who being holily assembled may finde some indifferent meanes able to reduce vs to a Christian vniou which we all ought to wish where before we fled one from an other through deuision Our maisters may peraduenture hereunto aunswer that the Catholicke Romish religion must not bee brought into question or argument but rather the newe opinions as being full of error But if any Heretick will dispute let him come to the facultie of Deuinitie there shall he bée talked withal with the great teeth Hereto I say that our maisters haue too great an aduauntage when they are in their maine Bulwarkes as at Rome in the Spanish Inquisition and in Sorbonne For there is not so subtile a Gospeller but should lose his laâ—tine Yea Aristotle himselfe with all his Greeke if he were in the stay should finde himselfe hardly beset for there haue they more important arguments then those of the first figure For when they heare any that oppugneth their opinions and pricketh them with the stinges of the Scripture by and by they deliuer him a sillogisme to dissolue which is either of fire water or halter whereto he must aunfwer in person not in figure so as a poore condemned man before he bee conuict is forced corporally to yéeld to the force of their arguments which doe necessarily conclude in death The best way therfore were to giue ouer all these passed euill customes and to followe those remedies that I haue propounded or others more meete to attaine to liue in peace withall for feare least our maisters endeuouring to compell others to admit their heauenly opinions happen to lose their earthly possessions as alreadie they haue done in a great parte of Europe As also wée doe alreadie in France see the ritchest members of their Demaines in the handes of the Catholicke warriours who hauing receiued such benefites for the rewardes due vnto their seruices it will shortly followe that if the ciuill warres doe continue necessitie and couetoufnesse will procure many of them to appropriate to themselues the things whereof before they were but farmers as heretofore it happened in this Realme in the tyme of Charles the Simple This briefe aduertisement I thought good to giue them as being
and Sclauons haue bene forced to proceede farther as to submit themselues to the Turkes to the ende to eschue their furious cruelty for want of meanes of defence and of them wee ought to take compassion Some would peraduenture think that this proud nation would be loth to enter amitie with the Christians But the contrarie is most true For albeit they be barbarous yet doe they herein imitate the auncient pollicie of the Romaines who vnder coulour of confederacies set foote in Greece and Gaule which afterwarde they subdued The lyke would these doe if they might but at the least in their haunting among Christians they discouer our affaires diligently considering our forces and meanes which afterward doe the more kindle their desire to enterprise against vs neither doe our men through their conuersation among them reape any other fruit than apprentiship of most wicked customes which doe infect particular persons with corruption and entangle the mindes of those whome they gouerne with tyrannous precepts I will yet alleadge other of the most notable examples of such as haue abused thēselues found inconuenience in reposing too much confidence in Turkish infidelitie One shall bee of the last king of Hungarie named Iohn whome the Hungarians chose after that Lewes was slaine in battaile against the Turkes This king soone after his election did Ferdinand expulse vnder some pretended title to the Realme which forced him to haue recourse to put himselfe into the protection of Sultan Soliman who thereby had a good occasion For he waited only how through the meanes of the Christians to get accesse into those places where he sought to establish his greatnesse Thus hauing for the time restored him into his dignity and beaten Ferdinandes men he kept not his promise long for after the decease of Iohn he dispossessed the Queene his widow his orphane who had craued his helpe against Ferdinand that had besieged them and euer since haue the most part of Hungarie continued in the hands of the Turkes In this their deede the grieuous iniuries offred by y t aforenamed may to some seeme to excuse their submissiō to Soliman howbeit they were not free frō blame in that for their owne particular interest they were the cause on that side to aduance the destruction of the Christians peraduenture 30. yeres sooner thā it would haue happened besides that they ought rather to haue summoned the Christian princes to take order for their controuersies or else to haue growen to composition with Ferdinand But how should these confederaties be other than mishaps to those that put them in practise sith such Princes as haue made them only to the end to reuenge themselues of or resist their enimies haue come to euil ends Of whom Alphons king of Naples is one who fearing the power of Charles the 8. king of France did after the imitation of Pope Alexander the 6. who before had done the like sent his Embassadors to Baiazet to craue helpe As also Lewes Sforza who to the end to molest the Venetians sought to y e Turks of whom he brought a certaine number into Italy but neither of thē attained to their pretences as being preuented by the subiection of themselues and their estates It is no meruayle that shame and destruction doe followe such deliberations and who so liste well to consider the causes thereof shall see that a vehement desire of reuenge stirred vp these Princes to call them in Is it not as much as if a man should go into the woods to hier theeues to murther his kinseman or friend in his owne house for some debate risen betweene them Either to open the windowe to the wolfe and so to bring him into the flock to deuour the sheepe Those that were at the first war in Hungarie when Soliman came in person doe affirme that in that one onelie voyage there were aboue 200000. persons of that onely Realme either slaine or caried awaie captiue which violences together with innumerable other more haue bene such pastimes as these horrible monsters haue within these two hundred yeeres taken to our costs Who is he that reading or hearing of the cruelties villanies torments which the poore Christians indured at the taking of Constantinople but will euen faint for sorrow and pittie In this shipwracke neither the greatnesse nobilitie and affabilitie neither the teares nor lamentations of the olde yong women or children could any whit mitigate their crueltie vntill that hauing glutted theyr desires and reuenges with the bloud riches beautie of the youth of each kinde they graunted some small release to those miserable persons that remayned of that furie who had ben farre more happy to haue bene swallowed vp among the rest I could heere adde sundrie other deeds wherewith to describe the fiercenesse of this nation but it shall not greatly neede because wee are to beleeue theyr proceedings to haue bene almost alwaies alike as if theyr onely drift tended to tread all mankinde vnder their feet Our neighbours alwayes haue and still doe thinke it wonderfull strange how such learned wise men as haue continually florished in France could counsayle our kings to enter league with these yea and so long to perseuere therein considering how infortunate such confederacies haue bene Some auncient persons haue in this sort reported the cause That king Frances the first seeing himselfe stil beset with the Emperour Charles a mightie Prince Henrie king of England and diuerse other enimies who oft brought his state in to daunger was for his owne saferie counsailed to confederate himselfe with Sultan Seliman to the end when they should molest him to oppose agaynst them so mightie an enimie And this treatie was concluded about the yeere 1535. by vertue whereof wee haue often times had succour from the Turkes which haue greatly hindered those that troubled France and without the which it must needes haue indured much more through the ambition of them that ought not to haue brought our Kings into necessitie to employe so terrible armies All these accusations and iustifications haue moued me to peruse some histories to the ende to see what profite or hurt wee haue reaped by their succour I haue noted three or fower armies by Sea brought into Christendome at the pursuite as they say of the French men vnder the conduct of Barberossa and other Admiralles who haue bred great terror The most notable of al their exployts in my opinion was the taking of Boniface in Corse But I haue laboured to learne of diuers auncient Captaines and other skilfull persons both Italians and Spanyards what their nations either thought or sayd of these Turkish tempestes who all reported vnto me that these barbarous people wrought lamētable desolations as hauing burned sacked yea and led into perpetuall bondage a merueilous number of poore Christians for the most part which was worse were forced to renounce Christianitie and to embrace the false doctrine of Mahumet a most lamentable
and the Turkish warres to be transported to the shores of Rhine As also for Italy shall they not haue a fayre passage through the Alpes to goe to ransacke it Or what Armie durst make head against such a multitude after they haue ouerthrowne our Frontiers Wee must confesse that it is well with vs that GOD is our watchman and rampier for had he not so bene wee had alreadie felt that which we shall not faile to feele hereafter vnlesse we helpe our selues with those remedies which GOD of his goodnesse putteth into our hands Now let vs see to whom it appertaineth to care for the vniuersall good Wee may easely iudge that it is to the Emperours Kings Princes and Commonwelths vnder whome God hath subdued the Nations to yeeld them obedience In respect whereof they ought to gouerne them in Iustie and defend them from oppression And like as the Shepheard still watcheth that the woolfe surprise none of his flocke so ought they by continuall diligence to stop the horrible 〈◊〉 that this cruell nation coÌ„tinueth against their subiects If we looke well about vs we shall see that there are fewe countries crempt therfro For the bordeâ—s of Poleland Germany Spayne and France on the side of Prouence and Languedocke doe often enough trye how grieuous the bondage of these barbarous people is That is the whole bodie of Christendome The rest are but Isles as England Scotland Denmarke and Sueden which are in maner almost Ilands This doth the more astonish me that hauing such warnings wee still are so drousie Now the matter that maketh Princes so smally affected hereto is that they grow altogether attentiue to their own perticuler greatnesse whereof ensueth the forgetting to doe things beneficiall to Christendome Another cause in part depending vpon this first is feare suspition that each hath of other which do engender such priuat mischiefes as make them to negleâ—â— the publique calamities Thus do we see how couetousnesse and domesticall mallice do hinder honorable and profitable resolutions And so â—eng as their harts shal be thus disposed it will be hard to enterprise enterprise any matter of importance It is therefore necessarie for the remedying hereof to seeke meanes not vtterly to plucke from them all these hurtfull passions for so must they bee aâ—ewe cast againe but to deminish them in them to the ende they afterward the more at their ease put on those affections which they ought to heare to the common cause The best way to draw to this effect were if they that beare greatest sway in Christendome could with liuely perswasions and diligent sollicitations shewing to all men how neere and sharpe the Lyons teeth talents are open their eyes and vnstop their eares for that were a good beginning to compasse the principall poynt of remiting their willes The first person that should effectually perswadâ— ought to bee the Pope whose dignitie is in great reuerence among Catholique Princes whom he should solemnely send vnto For they seeing him leaue his ordinary crye after them which he yet vseth saying Cut the throates of such of your subiects as will not acknowledge me and that his phrase were â—eeâ—ed would bee much perswaded by the vertue of these inductions as Princes were by other Popes in the first voyages for the recouerie of the Holy land The second person necessarie is the Emperour for albeit his power doth not now concurre with his title yet ought that sacred dignitie wherewith he is clothed to bee in great reuerence among all Christian Potentates whose exhortations would likewise be of great eff 〈…〉 throughout all Germany The third person meete necessarie 〈◊〉 the rest should be the K. of Spayne in respect of his mightnesse power whervpoÌ„ his word being builded the very feare of his euill will would make euery one to be the readier to doe well These in my opinion being well vnited might easely lay the foundations of so stately a practise In olde time mens-zeale was framed to diuers iust matters or such as so seemed for then one perticuler person endued with eloquence and experience was able to stirre them vp as did Peten the Hermite who hauing discouered all y e East countries led thether the first troopes But now that euery man looketh but to himselfe it is requisite to wordes to ioyne authoritie and feare therein imitating Themistocles who comming to certaine confederates of the Athenians to craue money at their hands the sooner to perswade them tolde them that he brought them two Gods Loue Force Euen so who so desireth to doe any good in this matter must in laying open the necessitie speake Magistratlike as we tearme it Who so doubteth that these thrée persons cannot be linked together in this desire pursuite is deceiued for the state as well of the persons as of the affayres doth inuite them rather theÌ„ force them backward as we may easely see But in this which I am now about to say consisteth more difficultie namely in framing the other Princes to ioyne with them among which the most Christian King is most necessarie for he being vnited with the rest who would afterward bee behinde sith almost all other Potentates are confederate vnto them Or who durst doe any thing contrary to their power but should immediatly be oppressed WhervpoÌ„ I gather that if this perticuler league betweene these 4. were once well knit the general would vndoubtedly soone ensue Now the most Christian King cannot be hereunto bound before he be wonne to consent to breake his league with the Turke which I feare will hardly be compassed without great reasons and good assurance for peraduenture he wil be loath to plucke downe the outward proppes which his father and grandfather of happie memorie reared vp for the assurance of their estate which hetherto haue not bene shaken besides that his Counsailors will feare in so waightie a matter to make any rash alteration This therefore they may alleadge in this case whereof I haue briefly spoken other where Namely that King Frances the first finding England Spayne Germany the Low countries some partes of Italy to bee confederate against him for the oppressing of his estate whereof ensued the losse of the Dutchy of Millan with the denyall of his soueraigne rights to Flanders and Arthoise and therewith hauing the warres oftentimes within the bowels of his Realme fearing more hurtfull losses was forced for his safetie to haue recourse vnto extraordinarie remedies namely to enter league with Soliman Emperour of the Turks so to anoy his enemies likewise that the feare hereof hath many times seemed to restraine them froÌ„ the execution of greater purposes against France That his sonne Henry being to withstand the like endeuours did also vse the same forraine fauour wherein he had good successe That if the Realme when it florished and abounded in all things stoode in néede of such helpe much more necessary is it now while it
warre where also they keepe them partly in garrisons and partly vppon their conquered landes which they diuide among them with charge to bee alwayes readie to serue vppon anie the great Lords commandements so as out of the sayd Prouinces of Europe they are able to bring into the field neere 100000. horse which is a token y t the barbarousnesse that we take to be in them is not altogether deuoide of wisedome and pollicie They vse not to fortefie many holdes for no man dare enterprise to assault anie of their chiefest but he shall straight waies be assured of a mightie power at hand readie to make him giue ouer quicklie As their lande power is great so is not their strength by sea anie whit smaller which now they are more iealous to keepe well than euer heeretofore through the remembrance of their great losse receiued by the good hap and prowesse of Don Iohn of Austria They neuer empouerish themselues in warres as Christian Princes doe for their warfare and order of paie doth somewhat differ from ours and the coine that theyr Emperour taketh out of his treasurie at Constantinople in the time of warre hee supplieth againe in time of peace To bee briefe they be most mightie enimies against whom whosoeuer shall deale he had not neede to forget anie thing at home as wee vse to say but doe as they that enter the liftes who before they do come loke to increase their strength courage to see to see their defensiue armes sit and their offensiue sharp to the end either to ouercome or die valiantly Now are we to enter into the chiefe point of this matter which is of the meanes how to assaile these terrible enimies in what places with what power to the end within the time afore noted to atchiue a happie conclusion And although in y e assembly before mencioned wherat should appere suÌ„drie princes Captains they may argue of this point to y e end to grow to some resolution yet will I not let as briefly as I may to saie my minde according as I purposed at the first alwaies submitting the same to the censures of such as are more skilfull than my selfe to correct the imperfections therof My discourse teÌ„deth rather to kindle y e affections of valiant persons to enterprise than to giue anie counsayle in the proceeding in so haughtie a purpose whose euents may not easily bee forseene wherin the chiefest Captaines whose poore scholler I shal account it an honour for me to be shall not bee too sufficient to giue aduice The better neuerthelesse to behaue our selues in such a warre I thought good to set down some examples of but ancestors who sundrie times fought against the same nation to the end that what they wisely executed may be to vse a rule by fitting it to our time as also we may eschue and auoid their ouersights I will not enter into search of matters beyonde Godfrey of Bolleine albeit there were greate warres before betweene the Emperours of Constantinople and the Saracens in whose daies the Christian Princes beganne to confederate themselues agaynst them The first armie that was sent went vnder the leading of Peter the Hermite who passed euen into the lesser Asia and at the first acchieued a few valiant exploites but he and all his men were afterward ouerthrowen by the Souldan of Nicee Likewise two other armies as they marched were broken by the Hungarians a nation which at that time had scarcely attayned the rudimentes of Christianitie and as yet did holde of the auncient fiercenesse of the Hunnes so as these first expeditions yeelded small fruit and great hurt The cause of which disorders inconueniences proceeded as I thinke of the want of authoritie and experience of their leaders who vpon a zeale assembled al these troups gathered out of diuers nations in whom peraduenture they founde not conuenient obedience and wanting foundation both in purpose and prouision could not long holde out neither among their friendes neither agaynst their enimies The histories reporte that in the first expedition there were unlesse than 100000. able men And the Hungarians ouerthrew the others which were not so many because by the way they â—ell to spoyle which argueth that they vsed small discipline Wee can therefore make no account of the greacnesse of a multitude if there be no order among them which especially fayleth when their Captaines be either insufficient or want authoritie Shortly after did Godfrey of Bolein tooke vppon him his notable voiage about the yeere 1086. toward the end of the raigne of the Emperor Henrie the fourth This voyage was better looked to and ordered than the former and had many more excellent Captaines for besides himselfe who was alreadie a famous Captaine he had his two brethren Baulduine and Eustace Earle of Flanders Hugh Philippe the French kings brother Robert of Normandie the sonne of William King of England and many other Lords Gentlemen yea if we list to beleeue such as haue written the particularity therof we shall find there were in that armie aboue 40000. horse and 150000 〈◊〉 al fighting men a great part wherof which was me 〈…〉 about their owne expenses So soone as they were assembled they marched forward and so followed their businesse that they finished their conquest in 3 yeres ouer a great part of the lesser Asia Siria Mesopotamia In this warre they had many reencounters but the most notable were two great battailes which they woune and two principall sieges Nice Hierusalem where they were the conquerours Many Christians were also once besieged at Antioch but they sharply repulsed y t Sarazens and Turkes with great slaughter Finallie hauing expulsed them out of the farthest Prouinces they established the Realme of Hierusalem where Godfrey of Bolleine raigned and his successours after him who so list nowe to consider the time that was spent in so great a conquest shall find it but short for the winning of more land than all Germanie and Scotland doe containe Great was the defence assalt but 2. great battels 2. sieges yelded the whole victory wherby we may beleeue y t the hardest enterprises are ouercome with valor good order Neither wil I let slip the inconueniences of those long iourneyes for the tediousnesse of the way the distemperance of the aire the continual trauaile bred sundrie diseases among those great troopes which were holpen forward by the excesse of the mouth too much vsed in these north parts These brought the losse of many eueÌ„ of the better sort y t wanted no abilitie Now haue the Turkes taken order y t we shall not need to go so far to seeke them for they are come abroad eueÌ„ to some of our gates others haue them within fiftie leagues of them and the farthest within an hundred We shall not neede to feare the hearts of Asia for our batable grounds shall be in as good a temperature as France yea euen Constantinople
standeth in the same climate as Strigon so as we shal need to feare no more but our enimies yron But to proceede we are to vnderstand that after the posteritie of Godfrey of Bolleine had inioyed the lande aboue 80. yeeres ciuill dissention crept in among them and some of them calling the Sarazens to their aide grew so strong that they droue out the rest This afterward moued diuerse Christian Princes to ioyne againe in the recouerie of that which was lost so as in fiue or six score yeres they made sixe or seauen notable voiages wherein went personally the Emperours Fredericke Barbarossa Frederick the second Conrade king of Germanie some kings of France and of England wherof neuerthelesse grew smal profit At the beginning the Christians had goodly victories but in the end they had the foile were neuer able to expell the Turkes and Saracens out of the lands that they had recoueres All these later losses proceeded of sundrie causes as of particular warres leauied by some of the princes that staied behinde in their lands that were gone y t voiages of want of wine other prouision of the small perseuerance of them that were leagued of the pestilence that fell in the armie finally of such hinderances as the Emperors of Greece did vnderhand work to the westeru forces enuying as it shuld seme their generosity being loth they shuld conquere the land which y t Sarazens had won froÌ„ the said Empire These are the deformities of the former enterprises which ought to be warily shunned for feare of disgracing the present for it is a double fault to know the former ouer sightes yet to fall into theÌ„ again Other princes y t followed the aforenamed haue but defeÌ„ded yelded to y e Turkish rage which ouerflowing in y e family of the Ottomans hath for these 300. yeres stil increased to our great losse destruction howbeit euen in the middest of our disorders we haue not wanted some excelleÌ„t persons who with very smal means haue withstood the meruailous force of these barbarous nations whiles life hath lasted ben a rampier to all Christendome One was Iohn Huniades the Father of Mathy Coruine chosen to be king of Hungary Another Scanderbeg Prince of Albania who both were surnamed The scourges of the Turkes because of the great slaughters that they made in those battailes that they won Wherin we are to note Gods power wisedome who with weak smal things can pluck down the pride of the mighty They like wise haue held long wars vpon the seas yea the Sarazens haue ben so strong therin y e oftentimes they haue made great discents in the costes of Christendome and haue taken land in sundrie places as in Spaine the most part whereof they possessed aâ—oâ—t 780. yeeres also in Sicil where they remained aboue two hundred â—eâ—res But the Turkes great power vpon the seaneuer appeared so much as after the losse of Constantinople For hauing so commodious a harborow they thereof tooke occasion to thinke vppon sea matters shewing themselues terrible in the conquest of Ilandes and firme land where they haue descended The Christians alwaies so much as they might withstoode them but in the end by litle litle were through their great force oppressed so as for theyr more assurance they haue bene driuen 〈◊〉 them with the Mediterranean and Adriaticke sea abandoning vnto them almost all that is beyonde the same Diuerse are the reasons that leade me to thinke the time to set vppon them as conuenient now as euer First the want of experience in their greate Lord who is sayde to be rather a Philosopher than a souldiour as neuer wearing armour as his grandfathers Selim and Soliman the conquerâ—rs of sundrie countries did For the Turkish nation hauing such leaders doe notable things Then their losses in the Persian warres haue much weakened them whereof we are to gather that their great prosperitie which so long hath accompanied them doth now begin to droope Thirdly Don Iohns victory hath eased vs of one errour wherein wee were which is that wee thought theÌ„ to be by sea inuincible withal taught vs what aduaÌ„tage in ioyning we haue ouer them wherein wee should scarcelie haue bene confirmed but by this experience All this together considered should the more incline vs to take the occasion when it is offered for we must imagine that time altereth things men grow into experience good hap returneth inuentions increase I know our sinnes are the chiefe causes that God vseth them as scourges to smite vs but we neede not doubt but they haue like wise fourefolde procured his wrath And who knoweth whether their time bee not come to receiue the same that they haue inflicted vpon others We ought to be assured that in his iust iudgementes toward his hee alwayes mixeth his abundaunt mercie with his wrath and they that be vesselles of his wrath shall soone or late feele his vengeance without mercie To this purpose I will alleade a foolish Prophetie contained in their Alcaron where I haue read it not that I thinke anie truth to be harboured in theyr false Oracles vnderpropped with lies but because sometime the wicked haue at vnawares foretolde thinges that haue afterward come to passe This it is In the later dayes it shal come to passe that the Musulmans that is to say the Turkish nation shall straie from the lawes of the great Prophet Mahumet giuing themselues to all iniquitie Then shall the Christian swoord arise and thrust them out of their Empire Such as haue ben conuersant among them do report that their wise men doe sometimes set these speeches before them and they feare them as indeede they ought sith they were neuer so corrupt as at these dayes or so worthie grieuous punishment I haue bene long before I could speake of the meanes to assayle these so mightie aduersaries and the rather because I haue imagined the former matters verie requisite for the better vnderstanding of that which I wil saie To begin therefore I wil set to your view some counsayles of our forefathers out of the which we may gather good instructions who for the like causes haue often beene stirred vp to frame braue purposes Guic ciardine the historiographer who well noted such things as happened in his time reporteth that when Selim had conquered all Aegypt and obtayned sundrie victories else where all Christendome grew into great feare His owne wordes because they deserue consideration I will set downe The Pope sayth he with all the Court of Rome astonished at such successe and to the end to prouide against so great a mischiefe shewing that he would first craue Gods helpe commanded sundrie deuout processions at Rome wherin himselfe went barefoote Then calling vpon the help of men hee sent his Mandats to all Christian Princes admonishing them of this great danger and perswading them to laie aside all disorders and contentions speedely to
is no great proofe hereof for the transmutation of a masse of Lead into a masse of Gold which is a conuersion of substance doth far differ from ministring vnto fire any matter that may nourish or maintaine it Yea it doth better appeare in this that the fire hauing consumed y e matter ministred they both doe perish whereas by the alleadged transmutation so perfect a mettall must come of it as may haue a continual being They must therefore bring in better reasons exāples to verrefie this multiplicatiō Besides if this were so it must needs follow y t art should surmount nature because in short space it should worke y e thing which nature is many yeres about Thus much haue I thought good to answere to the common arguments which they ordinarily vse in their discourses deuises wherby a mā may iudge what a small foundation they haue to build so high a worke vppon Such as being sufficiētly learned list to peruse their pāphlets may be able with greater grauitie more at large to dispute with thē to y e end y e truth being disclosed many may by abādoning their errors find profit therin For my part I shal still think thē to be deceiued in y e waies y t they take vntil experiēce hath reuealed y t wherof we are in doubt which is one reson y t we do many times lay against them saying y t sith it doth not appeare that any of the ancient Writers could euer with all their furnaces finde out this secret why do they so obstinatly proceed in the search therof But say they in old time many did know it as Salomon in whose daies gold was so plentiful that all his pallace was therewith adorned siluer as common as yron which abundance could neuer haue ben such had he not practised this hidden Philosophie wherein through his great wisedome he was most expert Hereto do they ad y t K. Midas who as it is said turned all y t he touched into gold was also skilful herein Likewise y t the ancient Poets speaking of the goldē fleece ment therby the Philosophers stone which also was not altogether vnknowen when the Romaine Empire was in greatest pride Howbeit that euer since it hath as it were lien dead together with many other things vntil these later daies that some men searching among the pouders of antiquitie found out some small fragments of this wonderfull treasure affirming that some haue made demonstration therof as Cosme of Medicis and K. Edward of England who receiued this benefit at the hand of Reimond Lully a Catelaeunia Others haue concealed it as Arnold de villa noua Theophrast Paracelse To be briefe leuing a multitude of like exāples they accoūt thēselues to be followers not of imaginary matters but of things alredy practised Truly I should neuer maruel to see the nouices in this art y t haue smal practise in histories somtimes to feed vpō these vanities but when the maisters thēselues shal go about to persuade the others y t these imaginatiōs are true it cannot but breed pastime to y e hearers Wherfore to answere thē first I say y t the aleaing of y e exāple of Salomō turneth to their disgrace for Dauid was he y t heped vp most of his treasures neither is it written y t euer man had so much The Scripture testifieth y t he left him toward y e building of y e tēple 100000. talēts of gold a miliō of siluer which amoūtech to 120. millions of crownes as Bude summeth it But almost all that treasure did rise of the spoyles and ouerthrowes of the Canaanites and Amorrheans whom Dauid according to Gods appointment made an ende of rooting out And as for Salomon hee was a King endued with perfect wisedome but he neuer vsed the same to theyr pretended effects yea in the holie Bible we find whence he had his Golde and siluer It is sayde that his shippes sayled with the ships of Hyram king of Tyre into Ophir which some interprete to bee the Indies to fetch and the number of Golde that they brought did mount to six hundred sixtie and sixe talents of gold Nowe the Hebrewes talent of golde as some doe affirme was worth seauen thousande Crownes so as all this summe shoulde rise almost to fiue millions of Golde which in those dayes was a maruelous treasure But some of these men doe imagine that the gold of Ophir was the same that was fetched out of their fornaces which impudent affirmation deserueth no answer But I will vse the example of Salomon to prooue their arte to be false for if he whose wisedome was incomparable who also was perfect in all whatsoeuer coulde fall into mans capacity neuer writ that he gate this secrete by blowing but contrariwise setteth downe some of the meanes whereby he attained to his wealth shall not we presume that it is an euident abuse to leaue to their experiences Neither is the example of Midas of any greater credit then the other For in his person the ancient writers purposed to set before vs a couetous prince whose treasure through his owne vice grew hurtfull to him selfe And by the golden fleece the poets ment the veynes of golde or siluer which the Greeke Princes fetcht out of Chalochos in the ship of Argos Now let vs come to the Romaines For it can not be denied but the Empire of Rome ouerflowed with wealth howbeit it proceeded of the sacking of all the world and not else where as testifie the histories The alleaging of great Cosme of Medicis is but a little tickling to cause vs to smile For he was a man issued from a very wealthy family and with all discreete a great dealer and of muche traficke whereby he mightily increased his goods and afterward vsed very stately liberality and expenses as did Lucullus at Rome and Cimon at Athens Concerning Edward king of England who coined so many Rose nobles no historie reporteth it to haue bene done with Raymond Lullyes philosophical gold which maketh me y e rather to thinke that he dealt with minerals As for Theophrast Paracelse and Arnold de Villa noua no man can denye but they were learned both in Philosophie and Alcumie and found out great secretes but I am assured that in any their bookes it cannot be found that the substance of artificiall gould doth resemble the same whereupon our common Alcumistes doe worke either that the forme thereof is to bee performed in Fornances besides if we consider of their liues wee shall in the same see the tokens of pouertie and not of aboundance whereby it is likely they rather laboured to finde what were necessarie for the health of mens bodies then to reueale any such matter as might encrease their couetousnesse Besides if either themselues or any other had bene skilfull in this transmutation I thinke they concealed it as well for their owne safeties and quietnesse as also to the ende to eschue so many
fought on euery side Howbeit in as much as the whole army of the Catholicks still came on the Protestants were forced to flee after they had lost in the field about a hundred Gentlemen but especially the Princes owne person who being borne downe coulde haue no succour and hauing yeelded himselfe to the Lorde of Argences there came a Gascoigne Gentleman named Montesquion and discharged a pistoll through his head whereof he died His death bred wonderfull sorrowe among the Protestantes and as great ioy to some of his aduersaries who supposed they shoulde soone ouercome the whole body nowe that they had cut of so good a head howbeit as some did greatly blame him so others there were that commended his valour As also this commendation may iustly be giuen him that in bouldnesse or curtesy no man of his time excelled him Of speech hee was eloquent rather by nature then art he was liberall and affable vnto all men and withall an excellent Captaine although he loued peace Hee bare him selfe better in aduersity then in prosperitie His greatest commendation of all was his stedfastnesse in religion My best is to holde my peace for feare of saying to little albeit I thought good to speake somewhat leaste I shoulde be accounted ingratefull to the memory of so valiant a Prince Many a worthy person both Catholike and Protestant whome our ciuill stormes haue caried away are to be lamented for they honored our Fraunce and might well haue holpen to encrease it had not discord prouoked the valour of the one to the destruction of the valour of the other After this blowe the Protestantes army was wonderfully astonied and it fell out well for them that the country whereinto they were withdrawne was all full of water for thereby were the Catholicks restrained and they had time to recouer themselues Hauing atchieued such a victory the Catholicks imagined that such of our townes as were not very strong woulde bee amazed But the Admirall had placed in them the most part of his footemen thereby breake this first fury so as when they set forward to assalt Coignac they well found that such catts were not caught without mittens for therein were fowre regimentes of footemen but as when they had sent three or fowre hundred shot vnto the parkeside to disceuer that part they that were within sent foorth 10 or 1200 who sent them so quickly away that they came no more as also they had in their army but sowre Canons and as many Culuerines Monsieur contenting him selfe with his victory and perceiuing that hee coulde not performe any greate matter in his tender youth triumphing ouer moste excellent captaines as also hee had good counsaile and assistaunce of other worthy Captaines that accompanied him retired to refresh his men In this action we are to gather that in whatsoeuer waighty and daungerous attempt it must not bee followed to halues for we must either quight leaue it off or else employ whatsoeuer our senses and force Moreouer this is to be noted that when armies are lodged scatteringly they incurre viuerse inconueniences which the sufficiencie of the best Captaines is not able withstand Of the notable passage of the Duke of Aipont from the borders of Rhine euen into Aquitaine MAny that shall heere see it set downe as it were for a meruayle that a forraine enimies armie coulde pierce so very far into the realme of France wyll not peraduenture thinke it straunge because that considering other examples namelie that of the Emperour Charles the fifth when hee came to besiege Saint Desier they will not take such expeditions to be so extraordinarie as we wold make them beleeue for Howbeit if they list well to waigh the length of the iourney also the mightie and continuall lets and hinderances that this had I doubt they wil be of another opinion Yet will I confesse that ciuill warres doe greatly fauour the entrie of our neighbours who otherwise without the support of one of the factions neuer durst haue enterprised the same But when on the one side the fauour is small and on the other side the resistance great we are the more to admire the deeds of those that haue so aduentured Touching that which is alleadged of the Emperour Charles I will aunswere in fewe wordes First for his person hee was the mightiest Captaine in Christendome then for his campe it consisted of fiftie thousand men lastlie that at such time as hee came in the King of England had alreadie taken Bollein which caused King Fraunces who woulde not aduenture anie thing rashlie to leaue the passage more free Nowe the Duke of Biponts case is farre otherwise for notwithstandinge he were a valyaunt valyant Prince yet did he not any thing neere approch the militarie sufficiencie of the other and a great helpe and ease it was for him that he was accompanied with the Prince of Orenge Countie Lodowicke Countie Wolrad of Mansfield besides other braue French Captaines and two thousand footmen and horsemen of the same nation that ioyned with him His number of Germaines was fiue thousand Lance knights and sixe thousand Reisters With this small armie did he passe forward in purpose to ioyne with the Princes power The King vnderstanding that he prepared for their succour did immediatlie appoint a small armie vnder the leading of the Duke of Aumale to withstand him and doubting of the weaknesse therof he also ioyned thereto another vnder the gouernment of the D. of Nemours These two bodies vnited did in footmen exceede the Duke of Bipont but in horse were inferiour vnto him They determined not to state his comming into the realme to molest them and therefore marched euen into the borders of Germanie and toward Sauerne ouerthrew the regiment of one named Le Coche composed of certaine straies gathered together who meant to haue ioyned with him Neuerthelesse he entered into France on the side of Burgundie whether they came to coast him and vntill he came to the riuer of Loire which was little lesse than foure score leagues they neuer gaue him ouer but still were either on his flankes or tayle yea many times the armies were in sight each of other and had great skirmishes I haue oft heard the Prince of Orenge report that he meruayled in so long and difficult a waie that the Catholikes could neuer finde anie fit occasion to their aduauntage for sometimes they had fayre offers by reason of the pestering with store of carriages Neither can I omit this that besides the braue forces of the Kings armie they had other aduantages which were not smal as the fauour of the townes Countries and riuers yea and one point more was to be noted that is their notise of the enemies purposes which consisted in making of way and winning by power or pollicy some passage ouer Loire For albeit both the Dukes of Nemours and Aumale were braue Captains yet notwithstanding all their pollicies and endeauours this armie gate to the sayd