Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	king_n	son_n	wales_n	4,447	5	10.4163	5	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

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

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

is the noblest horse in Christendome far excelling the courser of Naples or the horse of Burgundie so much esteemed of the French or the Frieslander in so great request with the Germans It should seeme that nature hirselfe hath armed this people in giuing them the Iron mines of Biskay Guipuscua and Medina with the temperature of Bayon Bilbo Toledo and Calatajut the Armories of Millan Naples and Boscoducis the corne and prouision of the inexhaustible garners of Apulia Sicill Sardinia Artesia Castile and Andeluzia with the plentifull vintages of Soma Calabria San Martin Aymont and sundry other places To conclude this prince is so mightie in gold and siluer that therewith to spare his owne people ingaged in the defence of so many territories prouinces and frontires from vndoubted destruction he is able to wage what numbers of horsemen and footmen of the Germaine and Italian nations it pleaseth him The princes whose dominions are bordering and in regard of their forces are any way able to indanger his dominions are the Venetians the kings of France and England and the Turke The Venetians long since the Duchie of Millan came to the possessiō of this crowne haue sate them downe in great quietnes rather looking to the strengthning and keeping of their owne townes and pieces then to the winning of others from their neighbours And good reason it is sithence peace is the surest ankor-hold of their cōmon wealth that they should eschue all occasions of war with their friends and allies For we haue seene the Spanish in fauour of the Venetians when their state stood dangerously ingaged with the wars of Baiazet Soliman and Selin the second cheerefully and resolutely to haue entered into the action at Cephalonia Preuisa and Lepanto when at the same instant they had at their owne doores Algier Tunis and Aphrodisium their dangerous enemies neerer affronting Spaine Sicill Sardinia the Baleres and the kingdome of Naples then Ciprus or the Ilands of the Ionian sea Concerning France they are not to be blamed if by wishes and Iesuiticall sedition they could annex it to their crowne but saith one of their owne writers they may long enough desire it before they shall be able to effect it And sithence the French haue put an ende to their ciuill discontents what trophee or what triumph can the Spaniard boast to haue carried from them Indeed it cannot be denied but in elder daies the warines of the Spaniards hath turned the furious attempts of the French to matter of too-late repentance For the great Captaine surprising Barletta and then incamping vpon the bankes of Gariglano first tooke from them the possession of the kingdome of Naples and afterwards all hope of regaining it againe By the same temporizing Anthonie Leua wearied king Francis at Ticinum and Prosper Collonna cleered the Duchie of Millan In assaulting of townes and fortresses I confesse furie to be of great moment I confesse likewise that by this vertue the French preuailed at Ioious Momedium and Caleis but in set battels as at Graueling Saint Quintins and Siena most commonly they haue had the foile for in the field good order and skilfull conduction doth more preuaile then valour and furious resolution in assaults furie and resolution more then counsell or temporizing Since their falling at variance with the English at their hands they haue receiued more dishonour then in the wars of any other nation As to detract from the fame and well deseruing glory of any Christian nation argued rather an enuious humour then an vnpartiall writer so to passe the bounds of modestie in any action deserueth no lesse a reprehension For who acknowledgeth not their discoueries of the Indies to be woonderfull their conquests therein maruellous their treasures inestimable their continuance in wars long as being nouzeled therein since the infancie of Charles the fifth the braue prouinces of Italy and Flanders annexed to their crowne to be matter of goodly consequence But let vs marke and consider their fortunes sithence they vnsheathed their swords against the Christian world as we shall soone see that their treasures their Armadas their long experienced Infanterie and their conquered prouinces haue little or nothing augmented nay haue they not discountenanced their reputation in these parts By the expence of infinite millions of gold and effusion of so much Christian blood what hath he gained in France What in Netherland The world seeth more cleere then day light that for all their great boasts their large territories and infinite treasures sithence the English haue dealt with them held them at the staues ende and discouered their weaknes euerie birde hath pulled a feather their credit is broken with the bankers of Germanie holds giuen ouer for want of pay their sea forces foyled if not as they say discomfited In the yeere 1586. Sir Francis Drake forced the towne of Saint Domingo in Hispaniola Saint Augustines and Carthagena on the continent And when in reuenge of like pretended iniuries they entred the English channell with their inuincible Armada of 150 sailes by the fauour of God and valour of the English they were driuen home without doing any thing worth remembrance through vnknowen seas with the losse taking and sinking of one hundred of their best and tallest vessels To requite this brauado and to teach this proud nation that the English contrarie to their opinion were as well able to offend as defend in the yeere 1589. they shewed their victorious nauie of 126. ships before the Groin in Galizia assaulted the base towne woon it and with 6000. soldiers at the bridge of Berges discomfited sixteene thousand thence weighing ankor and sayling alongst the coast and sight of Spaine landed at length at Pincche in Portugall woon the castell marched fiftie miles into the lande kept their Courts of guard in the suburbs of Lisbon and thence returning to Caskaies without any great fight or skirmish tooke the castell set sayle for England and in their returne landing at Vigo tooke the towne and wasted the countrey Now sithence their great and considerate care of future preuention both for Spaine and the Indies their ships burnt and taken their galleies put to flight Porto Rico woon by assault Cales sacked and the Flemish by our trauels incouraged to strip him of his trade of Spicerie may well put them in remembrance what they haue receiued at the hands of the English sithence their first ambitious apprehension of the western Emperie What the Turke is able to performe you may read hereafter in the discourse of Turkie Let vs now intreat of those countreis which the Spanish hath as appertayning to the Portugall crowne This kingdome which is not aboue 320. miles long and sixtie broad not very populous and but meanely rich in essentiall reuenues yet by reason of the commodious situation for nauigation and acquisition it hath equalized these wants with surplusage with the most famous prouinces of the whole world yea this good fortune hath so elated their mindes that