THE Defence of Militarie profession Wherein is eloquently shewed the due commendation of Martiall prowesse and plainly prooued how necessary the exercise of Armes is for this our age ⧠IMPRINted at London by Henry Middleton for Iohn Harison 1579. VERO NIHIL VERIVS ¶ TO THE RIGHT honorable Edward de Vere Earle of Oxenford vicount Bulbecke Lord of Escales and Bladesmere and Lord great Chamberlaine of England EXperience beareth such a soueraigntie ouer all thinges humane and diuine that without it the quality or power either of worde deede deuise or matter cannot make it selfe knowen to the vnderstanding of mē for the heauenly trueth iustifieth it selfe by the effects of his nature and power made apparant to the eyes capacities of earthly creatures Adam not well staid vpō the trueth of Gods word transgressed the cōmandement feeling the plagues of his offence had thereby experience of the power trueth of his Almightie Creator The first worlde ouerflowing in wickednesse was drowned in the flood of Gods vengeance to geeue experience to the world that ensued what it is to contemne his worde and Prophets Noah beleeued the word of the Lord and obeying his commandement prepared the Arke was saued in the flood he all his family by experience wherof the world is made to vnderstand the power and assurance of Gods trueth and fauour towarde his elect people The Lord willed Moses to denounce his plagues against Egypt and in the effect of his power trueth he accomplished the same vpon man and beast vpon fruit and tree vpon earth and water the experience whereof made Moses and the Israelites so hardie in fayth that they tooke their way through the red Sea as through the fieldes on drie land Pharao in the hardnesse of his heart pursued the Israelites and was drowned he and all his armie in the pathes where Iacob went drye shod ▪ whereby all the kings and princes of the earth had haue experience what it is to contemne God to persecute his people to despise his worde and ministers The like experience made Iosuah bolde to lead Israel through the deepe waters of Iorden where they passed on foot and went dry shod to land The Israelites breaking the couenant of the Lorde their God standing in their rebellion were destroied out of the land of Iudah and Ierusalem and made slaues to the Chaldeans whereby they were taught by experience and so are wee by the same example what it is to despise the Lord of hostes and to stand in disobedience against his maiestie The Lord restoring Iacob out of Chaldea to his inheritance againe according as he had promised by the mouthes of his Prophets doth teach vs by experience how faithfull he is in his promises that we therefore should rest vpon him without doubting Christ our Sauiour wrought wonders before all Israel that their eyes might see his diuine power and beleeue him for his works sake but they beleeued not their owne eyes and are therefore confounded by the experience that testifieth against their owne consciences By examples of experience the Lord Iesus taught the Iewes as by that of Diues and Lazarus of the sower of seed of the euill Steward c. As by familiar demonstrations Our forefathers the olde Christians so polluted their Tabernacles with the workes of impietie that they extinguished the holy Ghost in the Sanctuarie whereby they fell to ignorance and corruption ▪ and were giuen ouer to superstition and Idolatrie The experience whereof should teache vs of these dayes and our children to walke wisely in the presence of our God. Experience discouereth the effects of wisdome and folly and maketh demonstration of the fruits of vertue and of vice and teacheth to distinguishe betwixt the righteous and the wicked betwixt the foole and the wise man c. Experience is the mother and nurse of the policies and gouernements ciuill and martiall priuate publike guiding the counsailes and doinges of men with orderly discretion Experience of the inordinate iniquities of mē fuonded the lawes and the iudgement seat The experience of the troublesome furies of men founded Armes and aduaunced Militarie profession for the repressing and restraining of the tyrannies and noyfull malice of the wicked The experience of the profit and value of lawe and armes maketh al prudent states and commonwelths to embrace and to vphold them both with much care and endeuour So to conclude experience is the ordinarie companion and naturall ornament of reason which maketh mē wise in knowledge prudent in the direction and vse of things He therefore that iudgeth or directeth against experience is not in deede a man but a foole more ignorant then a beast The experience of other mens harmes warneth the wise to be ware The experience of forren euils warneth England to waken it selfe out of securitie and to be watchfull and wisely to take it selfe Experience hath taught me to loue and to honour armes and in the zeale of a good heart to couet the aduancement of martial occupation which made me an vnlettered man to take vnto me a notarie to sette downe in writing this drift in the defence and praise of warlike prowesse against al cōtemners of the same for the benefite and encouragement of my countrie countrimen And finally the experience of the high noblenes honour of you my singuler good Lord doth enboldē me in the loue of a faithful hart to your renoumed vertues most humbly to commend this litle work to your honorable protection that vnder the shielde of your noble fauour and iudgement it may stande in grace before our nation to some good effect God graunt it To whom be praise to your good Lordshippe abundaunce of heauenly graces and fatherly blessings euen to euerlasting life Amen London 23 Decemb 1578. Your honours most humble GEFFREY GATES ¶ The defence of Militarie Profession IT hath bene an old controuersie in the opinions of the English nation what profession of life is most honorable in worldly states They being Ilanders what by their famous might and prowesse and what by the naturall safetie of the situation of their Soyle enuironed with the maine Ocean sea and dwelling in greater securitie then any one nation that inhabiteth the continent they may reasonably differ from the iudgement both of Greekes Romanes in discussing this question For it may well be granted that the profession and occupation that is most in vse and most necessarie for the maintenance and preseruation of the common wealth that the same should be had most in honoure standing most in vse and value England therefore dwelling in safetie and commonly in peace may séeme to giue the preheminence vnto the lawer For by his wisedome and trauel is iustice ministred to the maintenance and aduauncement of souereigne authoritie by the benefite of whose maiesty Reuenge and Tyrannie is forbidden in publique and priuate euery iniurie and quarell committed to the iudgement and direction of the
courage for the pursuite and exercise of Armes whereby they became Lords and commanders of al the chiefe nations Empires states and kingdomes of the world And againe for the chastisement and confusion of them the Lord raysed vp to Armes and warlike courage the rude and barbarous multitudes of the Goths Hunnes and Vandales And so the Turkes of a small people and of the sauage Scythian kinde to be the most cruell and noyfull spoylers and destroyers that euer were vpon earth to subuert all the ciuill states and Empires of Asia and Affrica and to subdue and depopulat ▪ the noble Empire of Greece and the kingdom of Hungarie Tamberlan a heardman with the rude Scythians to chastise Baiezet the Turkish Emperour and all his dominions ▪ And lastly the Spanyard to chastise France Italy Germany and lowe Duchland And now let vs farther beholde with discretion what worke the Lord is entred into by Armes in these last dayes of the worlde And how martiall prowesse and industrie hath mightely serued to aduaunce the name and glorye of God and to giue passage to his Gospell where it lay prostrate and troden vnder the feete of Antichrist and his consorts For when the time was come in the yere of our Sauiour Christ 1517. that the Lord set foote on earth to restore his Sanctuary he beganne his businesse by a poore ministrie vnder the couert protection of the most worthie prince Duke Frederick of Saxonie and so encreased vnder the defence of the most noble Princes Iohn Duke of Saxonie Philipe Lantgraue of Hesse of the famous and warlike cities Augsborough Strasborough Vlmes Magdeborough c. And when the champions of the kingdome of darkenesse vnder the conducte of the most renowmed Emperour Charles the fifth seemed to renge the hoste of Israel vnder a terrible victory then did the Lorde of hostes bestirre himselfe and frustrating the counsailes and dispersing the forces of his enemies he vanquished the troupes of the Philistims by the Armed hand of his chosen captaine Maurice Duke of Saxoni who vy the vertue of Martiall prowesse ayded by the Lord God of hostes brake the teeth of the vngodly and restored the worde of God to a free passage throughout all Germanie So did the Lorde preuaile by Armes in Surike by vertue of which also wydened the passage of his gospell into France and by the force and power of one poore towne there holdeth possession for his Sanctuarie maugre the might and malice of all his enemies This being the most glorious effects of Militarie industrie in these saide countreis to the enlarging of Christes kingdome for the saluation of many and comfort of the whole worlde praise the inuincible Arme of our God mighty and victorious in battell and see yet a greater worke then all these nowe a doing by force of Armes for the ciuill libertye and for the freedome of true Religion in lowe Dutchelande where the hande of the Lorde hath bene so apparant fauourable that in all the progresse and successe of these warres it may be saide This is the worke of the Lord our God in the sight of all the Heathen and it is marueilous in our eyes Let vs therfore examin some part of those affaires see how Iacob hath preuailed in his warres by slow and vnexpert souldiers against the most famous arrogant implacable enemies of the gospel of Christ and then let the swinish fooles that contemne martiall profession stoppe their mouthes and be ashamed For the heauens doe reioyce the worlde is comforted and Israel shal be glad through the victories of God purchased by the fidelitie prowesse of his valiant men at armes When King Philip had wearied his good subiects of low Duchland with fained pacifications in the aduantage wherof the defendants being taken vnprouided vnarmed were daylie spoyled and murthered they fell to armes for publike defence stoode vpon their gard but béeing ouercome by the false promises of the faithlesse Regent the Duches of Parma they accepted conditions of agreement and while they rested vpon the same came the Duke of Alua accompanied with chosen forces and tooke the countrey in charge as Lieutenant to the king He planted his bands of warre in all the stronge townes and holdes through out the Lowe countrey he apprehended the Counties of Horne and Degremont and executed them as captains and chiefe pillers of the Mutiners He builded the Castell of Antwerp for mastering of that proude citie and renged all the whole Lande vnder feare and oppression minding to bring the people vnder extreeme exactions for the nourishment of their own plagues seruitude I mean for the maintenāce of the kings forces fortifications throughout for the holding of the people in subiection to what yoke or ordinances so euer should be enforced vppon them Wherein the Duke missed the Tracte of that wisedome and pollycie that was famed to bée in him For this tirannous porpose coming to common apparance then reuolted the Holanders and Zelanders in an vnlikely state to stande to theire cause But the Lord God of hostes that had stirred vp this quarel meaning to proue the force of his blowe by an vnlikly host against the troopes of the prowde and dredfull warriers his ennemyes did shewe himselfe sufficient able to confounde the mightie by the weake the prudent by the foolishe the industrious by the slowe the courageouse by the cowarde the glorious by the vile the noble by the churle and the King by the vassale the rich and imperiall by the poore and seruile multitude For comparison beinge consideratly made of the Holanders and rude Zelanders with their King hee mightie in powers both by lande and by sea standinge in continual redines they weak and vnprouided both for lande and water he in renowmed armes stronge experimented and politique they naked and of al other their Kings people and subiects contemned for their natural slowenes cowardise ignorance dronkenesse and most vnwarlike spirites the King infinite in artillarye munitiones treasures and eke in frends lieutenantes commanders martiall bands of incomparable fame and approued value the mutiners easye to be exhausted of their monie vnfurnished of all habilementes of warre of trained Soldiers and experimented Capteines and hauinge their neerest neighbours yea and them of their kinred and alience to bee their moste fyerse and noifull enemies And in this vnequal match to entre warre it woulde haue seemed a motion in the mutiners proceedinge rather of a desperat rage then grounded vpon any reasonable hope to preuaile to any other effect then to the thraldome and confusion of themselues and of their posteritie Howe be it the Lord that commandeth his Soldiers and capteines that beare armes in the quarell of trueth and righteousnesse not to feare the multitude of their enemies stoode by the Hollanders in their honest cause and hath iustified their quarell wil maintaine it to the ende as it seemeth at this day
and dart of the enemy is a sure faith an humble feare sounde loue and trust in the Lorde God of hosts through Christ Jesus our Lord that great conquerour king of kings Lord of Lords The wisdom eke and prowesse that doth make a man pollitike in warres is heauenly contemplation and a righteous hearte maketh the souldier inuincible in the battell adding vnto these matters the iron armour the sword the speare the shield and the horse the corslet and the pike the murrian and the caliuer the bowe and the bill with the requisite skill courage industrie and agilitie that doe apperteine vnto the vse of the same The citie or kingdome that is stored of men furnished with these habilements may well set foorth an armie compleate in armes hopefull of victorie and assured of triumph Of such a suite of Militarie men consisted the hostes of Moses and Iehosuah and Gedeons three hundreth by whose prowesse he vanquished the mightie and dreadfull Armie of the enemies of Israel When Iacob was appointed with any captaines and bands of this Militarie perfection then went the Lorde God of hostes with their Armies into the fielde then were they sure to vanquish their enemies and to returne to their houses with a ioyfull victorie For one true Israelite was able to driue a thousande Philistims to the flight Such a Souldier was Ionathas and such was Caleb and his sonnes such was Dauid and his worthie men and such was also Iudas Macchabeus and his brethren These were the good children of God most valiant and most famous in warlike prowesse For by vertue and armes they became inuincible in the field and most profitable in the citie The christā therfore that desireth to be worthily reckned amongst the honorable praised of the honest estéemed with the wise faithful sort the same must in martiall armes eke in heauenly vertues be a compleate Israelite This being true as it is a heauenly trueth and cannot be repugned without the contempt of the high maiesty of the lord God of hosts let euery citizen rurall man gentle or vngentle noble or vnnoble riche or poore that meaneth to prooue himself a good christian a faithful Englishman zealous toward the state publike of his coūtry of cōmendable integrity toward his prince and feruent in the loue and maintenance of Gods kingdome and glory vpon earth let euery such one I say imbrace godlinesse honour nourish and exercise Armes and learne with diligence the skill and prudence that doe necessarily accompany the same Though the purses of the riche doe sufficiently serue the turne in furnishing forth others to serue in their stéede in these warres that séeme rather voluntary or politike thē daungerous to the state publike of their Countrie yet should they eche in his order and sense couet to knowe the pollicies and discipline of warre and so desire and voluntarily put foorth themselues to aduaunce Mililitary knowledge and actiuitie that they would rather beseeche the Souereigne Maiestie to giue them liberty to practise the feelde vpon their free courage and charges then to tarie the commaundement and direction of the Prince for the same and then doe it so vnwillingly as I will not speake and so contempteously that the seruant and hireling is preferred to serue the ordinances of the Prince whereby that good pollicie and purpose of the soueraigne Maiestie is greatly deceiued and the pretended prouidence should by this fraud be poorely satisfied in the day of seruice as neede might possibly happen For if ciuill discord should rise and the realme fall to Armes as it is a rife matter who were fittest to defende the Throne of the royall Maiestie the Judgement seate and the Citie the Cradle and Pulpit Surely they that are likeliest of fayth credite and habilitie therefore are euen they to be committed to the practise and trust of Armes For in the day of tumult the armed seruant wil be a cōmander of his vnarmed master and the armed Sonne will be a terror to the vnarmed Father Then wil the drudge and seruile man the hireling and fugitiue person starte from his Musters and ioyne himself with the mutiners for vnto such the hope of common spoyle and the desire of ruinous theft and libertie is more delicate then the defence of ciuil gouernment or the preseruation of the weale publike which should moue them to preferre themselues and not their seruants to the practise and profession of Armes Let London therfore the royall Chamber and head of the state appeare to loue Armes and endeuor themselues to aduance the knowledge practise of the same and as they are more prudent more honorable more mightie more able then any state or particular countrey els within the Realme and most conueniently associated and vnited together to enter and to erect the familiar domesticall practise of Military knowledge actiuity so shuld they be an example an encouragemēt to al the rest of the cōminalty to immitate thē with honest emulatiō through the fauor authority of the soueraigne maiesty the same being admited to the people of honest state credit likeliest in ciuil towardenes So shoulde London be more honorable then earst it hath ben and the nation strong and prudent against the day that those vertues might happe to stande them in better stéede then much riches and more auailable to the common welth then al the lawe and merchandise in the lande For methinketh that it is poore thing and a verie ignominious to see so large and rich a city so populous of select and passing manry to bee so ignorante and so naked of warrelike adrest and endeuours The Frenche citizins are furnished and practised for the féelde so are the youthes their sonnes and seruantes The citizens of Italy doe striue to excelle the nobilitie in the knowledge and feates of Armes The citizines of Germany professe Armes and are accordingly exercised and furnished for the same In the litle citie Geneua are 5000. citiziens of ordinary bandes sworne in Armes redy at a call in euerye moment In Strasbourgh are likewise 8000. citizens redye to Armes at a cal the like in Ausburge in Norynbergh and after the same maner in all other cities of Germany and the East Countries ech in adrest and appointment of Militarie forces according to their largenesse habilitie And is London so sure that it needeth not the very simple knowledge of Armes and is it so carelesse that it despiseth the exercise of the feelde as a matter nothing apperteining vnto them Such slouth and securitie hath brought many a famous citie of the worlde to ruine desolation and seruitude London might often times in her life dayes haue bene brought to the same predicament had not their kings bene at hand to stoppe and to vanquishe the insolencie of ragious rebbels by the force of Armes The sword of one noble citizen wonne more fame and honour to the citie of London in killing the