once to die and how when or where is most vncertaine and to giue our liues for our countrie hath alwayes among all nations and among the heathen bene reputed an honorable thing whereby euerlasting fame is attained and left to posteritie as the noble Orator Tully saith Hijs maiores nostri qui ob rem publicam obierunt pro breui vita diuturnam memoriam reddiderunt that is To them which haue lost their liues for the common wealth for a short life they haue yeelded euerlasting memorie There is no difference betwixt the greatest person the meanest man whē they are both dead if there be no vertues or deedes of fame done by them whereby to commend their name to posteritie Therefore euerie man that desireth to liue in name when he is dead ought to endeuour himselfe to leaue some memorie of his vertues or worthie acts that it may appeare that once he liued here else being laid in his graue he shall soone be forgotten Riches and beautie saith Salust do vanish soone away but vertues and deeds of fame are euerlasting which sith our liues are short momentanie we must by this meanes make perpetuall A glorious death is alwayes to be preferred afore a life stained with reproch and infamie If you will consider what miseries and calamities happen where the enemy preuaileth look backe into the hard dealing of William Duke of Normandie when he conquered this Lande it ought greatly to encourage you in this seruice against the enemy Did not he alter the whole state and gouernment of our Countrey Did he not make new Lawes altogither profitable for himselfe and his Normans and hurtfull to our Nation Did he not spoile sundry of the English Nobles and others of their lands and possessions contrary to promise yea euen to those English Lords who ayded him in that Conquest Did not hee lay greeuous taxes tallages and impositions vpon our Nation There was no cruelty no misery no seruitude or bondage which could be deuised but he afflicted them therewith as by our Chronicles euidently appeareth and shall we looke for any other if our enemies shoulde preuaile The wise Cato said Cato Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Happy is he that can beware by others dāgers mishap Now therefore if euer you will shew your loyaltie to your Prince and loue to your Countrey your naturall affection to your old father and aged mother to your deer wiues and sweet children which cannot defend themselues if euer you will shew your selues careful to preserue your posterities that shall succeed if euer you desire to maintaine the Honour and Worship of the houses whereof you are descended if euer you will shewe your selues to come of the seed and generation of your valiant auncestors couragious forefathers if euer you will leaue Honor or fame to your posterities of your valour in Armes wherby your ofspring may be incouraged to follow your steps nowe is the time or neuer Plucke vppe therefore your hearts like men and set your rest vppon it determining with your selues rather to die in field in defence of your Prince and countrey then that these myseries shoulde happen vnto vs if you turne your faces which God defend then shall our Prince bee indangered the state of our Common-wealth ouerthrowne we shall be slaine as thicke as motes in the sunne our fathers mothers wiues and children shall be destroyed our wiues our daughters and kinswomen rauished and defloured afore our faces straungers shall possesse our lands and liuings and wee that now liue in honor worship and credit and as it were at our owne hearts ease shall then be made subiects bondmen slaues and pesaunts to Forreners and strangers and then shall al the myseries before remembred or which can be deuised be laide vpon vs. There is no cause my good friendes and fellowes in Armes why wee should stande in feare or doubt of these proud Spaniardes though they farre exceede vs in number nor of their hauty lookes or great bragges for they are of no greater force or strength now then they were in former times when vnder the conduct of that worthy couragious Prince of Wales eldest son to K. Edw. the 3. a small Army of Englishmen passed in despite of them through Nauarre into Spaine there euen in the midst and bowels of their own countrey ouerthrewe at Nadres the vsurping K. Henry the bastard with diuers of his Nobility and 60000. of the brauest fighting men in Spaine erected in his place Don Pedro their lawful Prince cōpelling the Nobility and citties to receiue him Besides the valorous conquest atchieued by Iohn Duke of Lanc. brother to the said Prince in Galicia against Don Iohn sonne of the said Henry the vsurping bastard What famous victorie the noble K. Rich. the first obtained against the Souldan of Egypt and the K. of Cypres in their owne territories and made the said K. of Cypres do homage for that kingdome to the crown of Engl. Besides other Nations which haue often receiued sundry great ouerthrowes at our hands thogh they were mighty in Armes such was the wil of God who giueth victory where he pleaseth And for that praise and rewards are due for iust deserts if you will shew your selues valiant Captains and couragious souldiors in this seruice of which I haue no doubt and wherof I wil God willing make true report vnto her Ma. you may be assuted that as she wil highly commend you so you shal be rewarded accordingly for she holds such as you to be the chiefe defenders of her state and Common-wealth against the enemy and regardeth not such as liue daintily at ease before men of your quality For they as Osorius affirmeth which prefer such before men of your condition are to be held subuerters of their countrey in laying it open to the enemy in defrauding the same of her necessary defence safeguard And for my part I assure you on my Honor that whatsoeuer persons you shall take prisoners whatsoeuer thing shall fal into your hāds of the spoile after the battel you shal enioy the same with good wil as the law of Armes requireth to the end ye may the rather be incouraged in this action now in hand for I hold it no reason that you should abide the brunt of battell and not retaine and enioy the same which you shall obtaine with the venturing of your liues and losse of your bloud And againe the rather to encourage you in this seruice see how gratiouslie and carefully her Ma. and the whole state of the Parliament haue prouided for the keeping and releefe of such of you which bee common souldiers which shal happen to be maimed in her wars which afore her daies was neuer done And now to the end we may the rather preuaile against our enemies I exhort and aduise you noble Captains valiant Gentlemen attempt nothing in your fury without due consideration first had for such
better able to liue then any other nation vnder the Sunne Camd fol. 3 Camden maketh mention of an old Orator speaking in praise of England as followeth O fortunata omnibus beatior terris Britannia This Constantine receiued the faith of Christ first in England Annales I. Stow â— 46. An. 306. quae ConstantinuÌ„ Caesarem prima vidisti meritò te omnibus Coeli ac soli bonis natura donauit in qua nec rigor est nimius hyemis nec ardor aestatis in qua segetuÌ„ taÌ„ta est foecuÌ„ditas vt munerib vtriusque sufficiat et Cereris et Liberi in qua nemora sine immanibus bestijs terra sine serpentib noxijs coÌ„trà pecorum mitium innumerabilis multitudo lacte distenta onusta velleribus certe quod propter vitam diligitur longissimi dies et nullae sine aliqua luce noctes dum illa littorum extrema planities non attollit vmbras noctisque metam coeli siderum traÌ„sit aspectus vt sol ipse qui nobis videtur occidere ibi appareat praeterire That is O thou happy England and more blessed then all lands that first of all hast seene Constantine the Emperor whom nature hath indued with all the commodities of the firm ament and land wherin is neither too much rigor of winter nor heat oâ— summer where is great fruitfulnes of Corne for bread and drinke Woods also without hurtfull Beasts the Land without noysome Serpents where likewise are innumerable multitudes of Cattel giuing milke and Sheep loaden with fleeses of wooll and that which Life doth greatly desire the daies are there very long neither is there any night without some glimmering of light by reason that the Plaines of the Sea coasts doth not yeeld much shaddow and the sight of the Starres and firmament doth passe away so quietly that the Sunne which seemeth to vs to go downe may there appeare as it were but to passe by Also in that this Realme is replenished with infinit thousands of valiant and couragious Men The second cause of incouragement valiant men able to giue battell to the greatest prince in Europe for Castles are of smal account where valour in armes wanteth Cleomines the Emperor beholding a towne by arte and nature mightily defended called such latebras muliebres Castles Cleomines Bod. lib. 5. c. 5 alurking place for Women saying Neque Ciuitatis robur positum est in mutis lapidibus What should moue a man to fight sed in praestanti fortissimorum ciuium virtute qui pro aris pro liberis pro libertate pro ciuitate pro fama pro vita dimicabunt The strength of a Citty saith he resteth not in dumb wals but in the force of valiant Men which fighte for their religion Children libertie Cities fame and for their liues And such as are desperate and resolute are most méetest for the same as he writeth also Nihil periculosius est quam desperatis hominibus praeliuÌ„ coÌ„mittere There is nothing more dangerous then to fight with desperate men Bod. lib. 5. c. 5 And remember as an example the battell of Poytiers in France where Iohn the french King with a great number of his nobilitie were taken prisoners Poytiers the rest were put to flight Stow 15 â—… with about ten thousand Englishmen the french being almost fifty thousand This was done by Edward prince of Wales eldest sonne to King Edward the thirde and Erasmus saith also ij demum vtiles suÌ„t Bello milites Eras Append. Apoth 337. quibus decretum est in praelio aut vincere aut mortem oppetere They are meetest for War which determinne to win the fielde or else to die Castles But yet Castels and Fortresses are not to be condemned but must be vsed as a meane for the better defence of the enimy ¶ How much we are bound to the Almighty God that hath giuen vs so gratious a Prince to raigne ouer vs and what good things we daily receiue of her gracious goodnesse toward vs and also how happy we are that are her Highnesse subiects in respect of other Nations which are charged with continuall Taxes Tallages and Impositions and besides that liue in great bondage and seruitude of which things we are freed Chap. 2. NOw in respect of a most singular and further cause of incouragment herein Third cause of incouragement let vs consider how much we are bound to god in that it hath pleased him to giue vs so gratious a Soueraigne Lady and Quéene to raigne ouer vs one of our owne nation which is obserued in the sacred scripture as a great blessing of god as in the booke of Deuteronomy doth appeere and of the right line and descent of the noble kings and Princes of this Realme for forren princes are alwayes misliked of the people to raign ouer them Osor fol. 19. as Osorius saith Quoties accidit vt in aliqua regione vel haereditario iure vel matrimonio vel quauis alia ratione princeps aliquis ex exteris gentib ad regnanduÌ„ vocetur id populis sibi perniciosum fore suspicatur One vnder whom we haue enioyed such common peace and quietnesse these 39. yeares more as the like hath not béene heard of neither is to be founde in any record or Chronicle sithence the Eonquest to this daie for the like time of gouernment One studious to aduance set foorth and maintaine the honour and glory of Almightie God one desirous to raigne with mercy with loue with pitty and tender compassion and not by tyranny not by effusion of bloud neither alwaies by inflicting the extremitie of her lawes vpon such as iustly haue deserued the execution of the same And is the rather induced to mercy and pittie by experience of her owne troubles most vniustly laid vpon her in her sisters daies so as it is rightly said Nihil est enim quod magis inuitat homines ad misericordiam tribuendam quam humanam miseriam experiri Aeneid lib. 1. vnde rectissime Regina Dido apud VergiliuÌ„ inquit Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco There is nothing that more doth moue men to bee mercifull then to haue experience of the misery of man whereof Queene Dido as Virgill maketh mention said very well I haue learned being not ignorant of euill how to helpe them that are in miserie She is also bountifull to such as deserue well of her Maiestie and of their countrey Ouid de ponto lib. 2. in whom the saying of Ouid the Poet which he spake of the clemencie and liberality of Cesar is verified Est piger ad poenas princeps adpraemia velox Cuique dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox The Prince is slow to punish and ready to rewarde and sorrowfull when he is forced to punish any And again he saith of him Qui cum triste aliquid statuit fit tristis ipse Cuique fere poenam sumere poena sua
often exceeded vs in number although they were and be right valiant Princes mighty people in armes to all which haue trauelled in our Chronicles that is euident whereby the inuincible courages and valour of our nation in martiall acts hath appeared which ought exceedingly to incourage vs in this seruice of defence for that we are descended of them and not to doubt or dispayre any whit if we be true amongst our selues though the force of our enemies be great and their number exceede vs farre for God neuer fayleth them which put their trust in him and walke in his wayes as by diuerse examples out of the Scriptures of God afore remembred appeareth most euidently Did not the English fleete in the yeare of our Lord 1350 which was in the foure and twentieth yeare of Edward the third meete with the Spaniards comming out of Flaunders loden with Marchandize Holinsh 946. and slue a great number and drowned also many of them and tooke sixe and twentie of their ships vpon the coast of Sussex Did not the great army of the king of Spaine at the siege of Barke when it was bruted that the Earle of Lecester her Maiesties Lieutenant generall with the English forces came to relieue the towne and yet they retired without so doing did not they come to remoue the siege which we made against Dusborow and the great Sconce of Sutfen where that most renowmed Knight S. Philip Sidney was slaine neither could they haue euer won those things againe from vs had not treason more preuailed then force and valiant courage Haue not we seene a few yeares sithens the mighty preparation by sea of the king of Spaine and his Allies appointed with such number of huge ships souldiers armour weapon shot powder and other things incident to the warres sent to conquer our countrey as the like was neuer seene on the seas in so much that they called the same the inuincible nauy they trusted in their forces but yet God confounded their purpose and deuises for did not we with a few ships and furniture of men and munition litle in respect of theirs send some of their mightiest vessels to the bottome of the Sea with great numbers of their men in them Did not we with our shot and artillerie slay many of them Did not we chase diuerse of them into Irish coastes where about xvij of their greatest ships perished so that Lucans verse Lucan which in those dayes he did write to the glory of our nation against the Romaines may be verified in this seruice Territa quaesitis ostendunt terga Britannis And were not numbers of their souldiers which entred into Ireland with the sword destroyed Spaniards slaine in Ireland Did not we also in the Low countries kéepe diuerse other of their ships in their hauen so as they could not come foorth into the seas to ioyne with the rest of the Spanish Nauy This was done without hand-fight and is to be taken as the only worke of God and to him therefore we ought to yeeld our most humble thankes and say with the Prophet Dauid A Domino factum est istud est mirabile This is the Lord his doing and is maruellous in our sight and therfore Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be all glory and thankes And we may further say as the Prophet Dauid sayth If the Lord himselfe had not bene on our side now may Israell say if the Lord himselfe had not bin on our side when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke when they were so wrathfully displeased at vs yea the waters had drowned vs and the streame had gone ouer our soules The deepe waters of the proud had gone ouer our soules But praysed be the Lord which hath not giuen vs ouer for a pray vnto their teeth our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are deliuered Our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord which hath made both heauen and earth Neither did they though they were as the report went thirtie thousand strong at that time land a man And did not the noble Earle of Essex Sir Iohn Norris and Sir Frauncis Drake the next yeare following with a little Nauy Landing in Spaine contayning not aboue eleuen thousand men land in Spaine burned their ships and put their people to the sworde and their townes to the fire and so coasted thence along into Portugall Portugall and there landing marched vp into the countrey euen to the gates of Lisbone with drums sounding and with Ensignes displayed from whence they returned vnfought withall by any of his forces either by sea or laud Did not the Duke of Lancaster with a compaine of souldiers saile into Spaine The Duke of Lancasters voyage into Spaine Stow. 1390. 14 R. 2. Gallicia Indies to claime the realme of Castile for that he had maried the eldest daughter of Peter king of Spaine that was expelled by Henrie his bastard brother he conquered the Countrie of Gallicia against Don Iohn sonne of the said Henrie And some doings we haue had at the Iudies where our couragious English Captaines and souldiers conquered manie Cities and townes How valiantly did they likewise behaue themselnes at S. Domingo Carthagena Cales and in manie other places where the Englishmen were few in number and the enemies infinite and in their owne countrie whose valiant actions there haue deserued such fame as lenght of time shall neuer take away for that the like hath neuer bene performed or read of in any age before our dayes In the yeare of our Lord God 1365 Hol. 971. and in the 39 yeare of Edward the third was not Peter king of Castile chased out of his realme by his bastard brother Henrie by reason wherof the said Peter was constrained to flie and came to Burdeaux to sue for ayde at the hands of the Prince of Wales the said king Edward his sonne who thereof aduertised his father by aduise from whom The Prince of Wales his voyage into Spaine the said Prince determined to bring home the said king Peter and to restore him againe to his kingdom by force of armes maugre his enemies The Prince indéed was verie desirous to take this enterprise vpon him both of a certaine pitifull affection mouing him to relieue this miserable state of king Peter and also of an ardent desire which he had to purchase a glorious fame through martial déeds noble acts of chiualrie Therefore hauing this occasion to imploy his time in such exercises and now commaunded thereto of his Father he was excéeding glad in his mind and with all the spéed that might be made his prouision both of a sufficient armie of men of warre and also of all other things necessarie for the furniture of such an enterprise but first he
tooke good assurance of king Peter for the paiment of the souldiers wages 1367. The Prince setteth forward to Spaine Thus when the Prince had taken order for his iourny in each condition as was thought behoofefull he with the king of Spaine in his companie passed forth with an army of thirtie thousand men Henrie king of Spaine hauing knowledge that the Prince of Wales was thus comming against him to restore his brother king Peter to his former degrée assembled of the French and of his owne people to the number of fourescore seuen thousand or there about of men of warre wherof seuen thousand were horsemen King Henrie sent to the Prince an Herald of armes with a letter The king of Spaine sendeth to the Prince requiring to know of him for what cause he moued warre against him sith he had neuer offered him any such occasion The Prince dispatched the Herald with an answer to the Letter containing in effect that for great considerations he had taken vpon him to aide the rightfull king of Spaine thased out of his realme by violent wrong and that if it might be he would gladly make an agréemēt betwixt them but so algates that king Henry of necessitie must then forsake all the title of the kingdome of Spaine which by no rightful meanes he could enioy and therfore if he refused thus to do he was for his part resolued how to procéed The Herald departed with this answer and came therewith to king Henrie and deliuered it vnto him as then lodged with his puissant armie at Nouarret which he liked not whereupon both parties prepared themselues to battell and ioyned The battell was eagerly fought the victorie fell to the Prince There were staine of men of armes fiue hundred and thrée score The number slaine at this battell at Nouarret and of Commons about seuē thousand and fiue hundred of the kings part and of the English part there was slaine of men of account but verie few viz. foure knights two Gascoynes one Almaine and the fourth an Englishman and of other meane Souldiers not past foure hundred Froissard as Froissard saith but other affirme that there was slaine of the Princes part about sixtéene hundred which shold séeme to be more like a truth if the battel were fought so sore fiercely as Froissard himselfe doth make report This battell was fought vpon a Saturday Caxton the third of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord 1367. There was taken prisoners of the kings part to the number of two thousand and amongst them the Earle of Dene Sir Berthram de Cleaquine the Marshall Dandrehen or Dandenhien and many other men of great account After the battell King Peter went to Burgis and was receiued into the Citie and shortly the Prince came thither Froissard and there held his Easter with king Peter and taried there aboue thrée wéeks in the meane time they of Austergus Toledo Lisbon Cordeua Gallice Ciuill of all other places of the kingdome of Spaine came in did homage to King Peter promising him to be true to him euer after for they saw that resistance would not auaile so long as the Prince should be in the Countrie I note by this discourse Note the mightie courage of this noble Prince that durst enterprise to displace a king of his royall seat in his owne kingdome being there a méere stranger and to encounter him in so great an action hauing not aboue thirtie thousand in his Campe the king being about fourescore sixe thousand strong whereof aboue seuen thousand were horsmen and in his owne countrey where he might be furnished to supply his want And here I may not omit to speake of the notable and valiant seruice performed by the said noble Earle of Essex and the right noble Charles Haward now Earle of Nottingham high Admirall of England and diuerse other Lords Knights Esquires and Gentlemen at Cales in Spaine in the thirtie eight yere of her Maiesties raigne where they found fiue Gallions of the king of Spaines that is to say the Philip being Admirall the S. Matthew the S. Andrew the S. Thomas the S. Iames three Leuantices two great ships of Noua Hispania and diuerse gallies and 20 marchant ships richly loden for the Indies at which time the English had fight with the said Gallies about an houre the next day the English men and the Spaniards incountred each the other valiantly which conflict continued from seauen of the clocke in the morning till one in the after noone which was so sharpe that some of the Spanish ships did runne vp the riuer further into the country to saue themselues The said ships called S. Mathew and S. Andrew were taken and brought into England the Philip another being Uiceadmirall ranne themselues on ground and the English entred the Philip to haue had the spoile of her which the Spaniards perceiuing did set on fire and went out and the English men escaped the fire with danger some other of their ships were fired by vs there the Generall landed about sire thousand men and marched towards Cales citie being led by the said noble Earle of Essex giuen in the head of that troupe whome certaine of the Spaniards met some on foote and some on horsebacke out of the citie about halfe a mile but they did not tarie but retired to the towne The said Eerle of Essex pursued them resolutely and with such inuincible courage vnto their walles where they played vpon them with their ordinance and small shot awhile but in the end they entred by plaine force with small losse of their men The Earle of Essex was one of the first that entred with many voluntarie Gentlemen and they which entred were not aboue 1000 men which wanne the towne but there was good ayde at hand In the towne there were 500 horsemen and a thousand footmen besides a great number of other townesmen and great store of munition ordinance and victualles The towne was strongly walled hauing a castle strongly edified in the midst thereof and so fortified and victualled that it was thought impossible to haue bene wonne without cannon shot and the houses were all of stone very strongly and defencibly builded so as if they had stood to it it had not bene possible with a far greater number to haue bene so soone surprised We tooke the spoyle of the Citie being very rich in Iewels Plate Money Cloth of gold Silke Sugars Wine Oyle Rice and other marchandise which was esteemed with the losse of the said ships and goods in them to be worth a huge sūme of money The said noble Earles of Essex and Nottingham knowing the loosenesse of soldiers very honorably caused the Ladies and gentlewomen wherof there were diuerse in that Citie with the rest of the women and children with 500 men to be safely conueyed out of the Citie and a straite proclamation made that none should offer to any of them any
THE MANSION of Magnanimitie WHEREIN IS SHEWED THE most high and honorable acts of sundrie English Kings Princes Dukes Earles Lords Knights and Gentlemen from time to time performed in defence of their Princes and Countrie set forth as an encouragement to all faithfull subiects by their example resolutely to addresse themselues against all forreine enemies Published by RICHARD CROMPTON an Apprentice of the common Law 1599. Whereunto is also adioyned a collection of diuerse Lawes and Statutes meete to be knowne of all men with a briefe Table shewing what munition ought to be kept by all sorts of her Maiesties subiects for the defence of her Highnesse Realmes and Dominions LONDON Printed for VVilliam Ponsonby 1599. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ROBERT EARLE OF ESSEX AND EWE EARLE MARshall of England Viscount Hereford Lord Ferrers of Charâ—ley Bourchier and Louaine Knight of the most noble order of the Garter Maister of her Maiesties Horse and Ordenance Chauncellor of the Vniuersity of Cambridge and one of her Highnesse most honorable Priuy Counsell RICHARD CRVMPTON desireth eternall felicitie THere is no kingdome Right honorable so strongly seated or with Castles so fortified or that so aboundeth in wealth which without valiant men trained vp in martiall discipline can be defended from the force of the enemy for the stronger or richer the countrey is the more are the snares and sleights prepared by the enemy to compasse and conquer the same for which cause and for that also occasions of warre are often offered vpon the sodaine it is necessary that some number of men should be trained vp continually in martiall actions as in other countries is vsed and so much the rather where long peace hath bene had which often taketh away the feare of warre causeth men to liue too securely and without regard of forreyne danger whereby they are vnskilfull in warres affaires and that such trained men may be alwaies ready and able to informe and leade others vnexperieÌ„ced in that seruice for it is not the number of men that alwayes obtayneth the victory in battell but such as are couragious and well exercised in martiall skill as Erasmus sayth well Erasmus Non refert quà m numerosum militem ducas in praelium sed quà m fortem quà m exercitatum Homer in these few verses following Homer setteth forth the whole military discipline which resteth in the valour of the souldiers and their obedience to their Captaines and Leaders Graeci fidentes animis audacibus ibant Ductorum quamuis premerent formidine vocem VVhere he sayth that they trusting in their couragious minds went against their enemies there he commendeth and extolleth their valours in armes and where he sayth they feared the commandement of their Captaines there he highly praiseth their great discretion and modesty VVhat bred such fame to the ATHENIANS who being but ten thousand ouerthrew great numbers of the PERSIANS in one battell in that time when they most florished in their conquests and did rule ouer many nations but valour and skill in the souldiers and obseruation of orders in battell By order all things are preserued and maintayned and without order all things come to ruine and confusion as the Scripture sayth Vbi nullus ordo ibi est confusio And as these things are requisite in the souldiers so is experience valour and skill also in the Captaine for if the blind leade the blind both fall into the ditch as the Gospell witnesseth therefore such Captaines are alwayes highly to be honoured imbraced aduanced and rewarded according to their places callings and deserts as the defenders in the time of warre of the Prince and state of the kingdome and common-wealth that they may be incouraged in that seruice and such as lightly esteeme these men or preferre them which liue idlely and daintily afore them are enemies to the Common-wealth as Osorius writeth and to be taken as the destroyers thereof in that they doe as much as in them lyeth to lay open their Countrey to the force of the enemie And because the matter of this Treatise concerneth the defence of our Prince and Countrey against the enemie which seruice appertaineth most properly to men of honour who ought to hold nothing more deere to them then the safety of the same of which they be the chiefe props stayes defenders and mayntainers vnder her Maiestie I haue thought it conuenient to dedicate this little Treatise to a man of such state and vnto your honour chiefly to the ende you may therein see the notable actes of Chiualrie performed in that seruice that thereby you may be incouraged to followe their steppes and increase the fame honour and renowme which you haue attayned in your late valiant seruice at CALES in SPAINE and else where Humbly beseeching your honor to accept this my small labour as a token of my desire to coÌ„mend your Honourable name to posteritie At your Honors commaund RICHARD CROMPTON AN ORATION TO BE MADE BY THE GENERAL TO THE WHOLE ARMIE AFORE THE BATTEL ALthough Warres are by all good meanes to be eschued for the auoiding of the great effusion of bloud that thereby often doth ensue yet when intollerable wrongs and iniuries are offered either by a forreine Prince or his subiects no recompence is made for the same The cause of the war must be published that it may appeare to arise vpon iust occasions which much doth encourage the souldier to fight warre must be taken in hand and Bodinus saith Bella non nisi propulsandae iniuriae ac pacis causa suscipienda sunt that is Warres are to be entred into to withstand iniuries and to procure peace The causes which haue drawne vs at this present into the field against these our enemies are knowne to many of you namely how these our enemies most violently and in warlike maner with Ensignes displayed in the time of peace without anie proclamation of Warre first made according to the lawes of Armes haue entred into our territories and countrey burned some of our Churches defaced the auncient monuments of our elders put multitudes of her Maiesties people to the sword yea women and children wasted their dwellings with fire despoiled them of their goods and rauished most shamefully their wiues daughters kinswomen euen afore their faces to be short there is no cruelty or tyrannie whatsoeuer which might be deuised but they haue afflicted her Highnesse subiects therewith without all pitie or mercie For which due recompence hath bene diuerse times by her Malesties Embassadours required and yet none is made Therefore either we must with sword and fire be reuenged of these most extreme dealings or otherwise they will be encouraged to attempt the like yea they will account vs men of no courage but cowards and base hearted a name which to our nation hath bene alwayes most odious in that it hath bin accounted valorous in armes in all countries as one writeth Anglia Bistonio gens semper inclita Marte Euerie man is borne
est When the Prince doth ordain punishment to any he is sad also where any is punished he taketh it as it were don to himself She is a most milde Prince not fearefull to behold or to be spoken vnto Ouid metamor li. 2. f 30. Nullae in fronte minae nec formidabile lumen But with most benign and gracious countenances receiueth and answereth the petitions supplications of her subiects she is of that honorable and princely disposition in all things that euen the greatest Princes do honor her And in that hir Ma. 4 cause of incoragemēt hath fortified the borders of this realme in places dāgerous for inuasion with such castels and strong holds with a mighty nauy of warlike ships Fortification of the realme and furnished her kingdome with such abundāce of armor all other things necessary for the wars and defence of her cuntry people as the like hath not bin seen in any Princes dayes before her time If we will consider the miserable conditions of such Nations as liue vnder Princes where the pleasure of the Prince standeth for law Miserable cōditions of other people and where the king saith Sic volo sic Iubeo stat pro ratione voluntas So I will Iuuenal so I command my will shall stand for reason And compare the same with our happy state we haue iust cause to thinke our selues much bound to God for our Princes not only make good and wholsome lawes Good lawes but are wel pleased also to be ordered by them in the day of their Coronation take a solemne Oath vpon the holy booke of God to indeuor themselues Othe that the same lawes shall be obserued and executed to all indifferently Osor fo 105. And therein is the difference saith Osorius betwixt a kind and a Tyrant Non mediocre discrimen est inter regematque tyrannum quòd Rex legibus s◠deuinctum profitetur Tyrannus vero in interitu legum omnem dignitatem suam collocandam existimet Among many other what an Honorable law was made in the 9. yeere of king Henry the third 9. Hen. 3. A most honorable Law as followeth No frée man shal be takē or imprisoned or be desseised of his freehold liberties or frée customes or be outlawed or exiled or anie waies destroyed nor we shall not passe vppon him nor deale with him but by lawfull iudgement of his peeres or by the Lawes of the land we shall sell to no man wee shall deny nor deferre no man 42. li. Ass either of iustice right or equitie By which statute a Commission granted out of the Chancerie to take I. N. and seize his goodes and chattels was iudged void for that it was done without iudgement or sute of the partie or other due processe How happie be we in respect of the Russes amongst whom there is a lawe Russes if any man die without issue male though he haue many daughters yet the Prince seizeth all his goods to his own vse except perhaps of his goods he giueth some part amongest the daughters to bestowe them in marriage And likewise if a man that is vnfit in his owne person for the warres hath such wealth that thereby many warriours might be maintained or that if any of the Courtiers hauing knowledge thereof doe present his name to the Emperour the vnhappie man by and by is sent for and in that instant depriued of all his riches which with great paines and trauaile all his life time he hath gotten togither except perchāce some small porcion thereof be left to maintaine himselfe his wife children and familie withall and then the Emperour bestoweth these goodes amongst his Courtiers according to their deserts Booke of Nauigation fol. 788. 417. as appeareth in the booke of Nauigation But no such vse lawe nor custome is amongst vs. For if a man haue no sonnes then his daughters or some other of his line possesse his landes and his Executor his goodes as pleaseth the owner to limit And when our Prince would haue ayde of her subiects towards the maintenance of her warres or for other necessarie respects she taketh not her subiects lands or goodes from them neither can so doe by her Highnesse lawes except they be first thereby condemned and so forfait them for some offence but vseth to call a Parliament and by the assent of all her Nobles and Commons hath Subsidies and other aydes of her subiects towards the defraying of som of these charges and the subsidie or ayde thus granted if it be of lande for the most part amounteth not to the thirtieth part of the yeerely rent of the same and if it be of goods reacheth not oftentimes to the fiftieth part thereof Againe whereas in France Tributes for meat drink in other countries Flanders and other Countries the people pay certain tribute to their princes for some sort of meat and drinke and for their dwellinges We are not charged with any such impositions Neither is such torment vsed heer in execution of offenders Torments in execution as breaking of their legs armes and backe and so laide on a whéele of a cart pitched on a pole and there to lie till hee be dead which is common in other Realmes by the Ciuill lawes but is executed here by hāging onely till he be dead except it be in case of high treason Therfore I say we are in these respects most happy in regarde of other Nations ¶ How much we are bound to God that doth assist her maiesty with such graue wise and most honourable Counsellers and also diuers and sundry perswasions in respect of the premisses and other things why we should all resolutely fight in the defiance of the enimy And of the miseries of warre where the enimy preuaileth Chap. 3. AS a further cause of this incouragment Fift cause of incoragemēt how much are we bound to God in that it hath pleased him alwaies to assist her Ma. with such honorable counsellers men of such grauity Wise Counsellers truth faithfulnesse and wisdome of such deep skil consideration policie forecast and experience as to speak it plainly simply no Prince vnder the sun is furnished with the like or at least with a better by whose great wisdome trauel and indeuour this common peace and quietnesse hath bin so long preserued and mantained If any thing hath bin intended to the perill of her maiesties person or danger of the state that hath been by them quickly espied deeply looked into and with greate wisdome pollicie in time preuented and auoided to their great honors immortall fame so as in the choise of them her maiesty hath most graciously wisely considered of the saying of Osorius Osor sol 292. Necesse est vt Regis consiliarij sint maximo ingenio praediti bonis artibus exculti longo rerum vsu per ti in historijs diligentissimè versati What men must be
this seruice of defence Shall we now distrust more of the ayde of our mercifull Lord God then our forefathers did whom he so graciously assisted against their enemies or think he wil forsake vs now more then our elders whom he hath alwaies defended in their iust and lawfull accions Surely if we indeuour our selues to serue and feare him to walke in his waies to call vpon him in our troubles and necessities no doubt hee will ayde vs according to his promise Call vpon me saith he by his Prophet Dauid in the time of trouble We must call vpon God to ayde vs against our enimies and I will heare thée and thou shalt praise me And agaiue Knock and it shal be opened vnto you aske and you shall haue Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name he will surely giue it you Did not the children of Israell ouercome their enimies in battell so long as Moyses held vp his hands and praied vnto God for victorie and when he ceased the enimie preuailed Moyses 2 Chron. 14. Did not the Almighty turne away his displeasure from the children of Israell at the praier of Moyses when they worshipped the golden Calfe as it is written in the 106. psalme So he said he would haue destroyed them Psal 106. had not Moyses his chosen stood before him in the gap to turne away his wrathful indignation least he should destroy them Did not Asha the godly king of Iuda when Sarache king of Ethiopia came against him with an hoast of aboue ten hundred thousand chariots 2 Chron. 14 when they ioyned battell in the vale of Zephera cry to God for aide against Sarachc saying Help vs O Lord our God for wee do put our trust in thee and in thy name wee go against this huge multitude thou art our Lorde God and no man shall preuaile against thee And the Lorde smote the Ethiopians before Asha and Iuda and they were ouerthrowue that there was none of them lefte but were destroyed before the lord and his hoast Did not the good king Iehosophat when the grat number of Iehosophat the Amorytes and Moabites ioyned battell with him before the battell began 2 Chron. 20 stand vp and said Heere O Iuda and inhabitants of Ierusalem put your truste in the Lord your God that you may be found faithfull giue credit to the prophet and so shall you prosper and their enimies were ouerthrowne without stroke amongst themselues and with their owne forces consumed themselues Besides the example of Senacherib king of Assour who with an hoaste of one hundred foure score and fiue thousand as the prophet Esay witnesseth Esay 37. could not preuail when he inuaded Hesechia king of Iuda for Hesechia did put on sackcloth and went vp to the temple and prayid and sent Heliachym and other prophets to Esay that he shuld pray to God for them and God sent his Angels who slew the Assirians hoast Wherby it doth appear that it is not the great multitude of men of war horses chariots but the lord God that giueth victory in battell who is called the lord of hostes who euer fighteth for his owne people and neuer leaueth them distitute that put their trust in him These are left to vs for examples that we should not put trust in our owne forces and strength Psal 127. but repose our confidence in him that hath made all and therfore hath power of al things Psal 108. he must keep and defend the City or els the watchmen that kéep it watch in vaine as the prophet saith and so he must aide and fight for vs or else we cannot preuaile And againe he saith O helpe vs against the enimy for vaine is the helpe of man through God wee shall doe great things it is he that shall tread downe our enimies There is no king that can bee saued by the multitude of an hoast neither is any mightie man deliuered by much strength A horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man neither shal he deliuer any man by his great strength Behold the cie of the Lord is vpon them that feare him and vppon them that put their trust in his mercy And yet we may not leaue forces and other ordinary waies deuised and ordained for defence but must vse them as the said godly Kings and princes did against their enimies Psal 118. alwaies hoping in the gratious aid and assistance of almighty God and if he be on our side who is against vs as the Proph. saith The Lord is on my side I will not feare what man doth vnto me Now therefore considering these miseries and calamities which happen where the enimy doth preuaile and the great preparation which they haue made to bring vs vnder their subiections and bondage if euer we will shew our loyalties to our Prince our cuntrey or naturall affection to our parents our loue to our wiues Persvvations to encounter the enemy children and litle infants which cannot defend themselues our good will to our kinsfolkes friends and allies if euer we will shew our selues carefull to preserue our posterity to succéed vs if euer we will haue desire to mantaine the honour worship and fame of the houses wherof we are descended if euer we will shew our selues to come of the séed and generation of our valiant ancestors and couragious forfathers if euer we will leaue honour or fame to our posterities of our valour in arms wherby our ofspring may be also incouraged to follow our steps therein for vertues and acts of fame liue when men are dead as the saying is viuit post funera virtus nowe is the time for it or neuer Therfore let vs pluck vp our harts like mē make ready our horses scowre our armor sharpen our swordes and make bright our weapons which wée are charged to haue by the lawe of this Realme whereof we may haue a view in this booke and furnish our selues further with things méet for the warres according to our ability and when we shall be commaunded by her maiestties authoritie let vs be ready and sette our rest vppon it determining rather to die in field in defence of our Prince and Countrey then that the enimy should preuaile whereby the miseries calamities and bondages afore remembred should fall vpon vs. If we stand to it like men then shall we preserue the word of God amongst vs our gratious Quéene and her most honorable Counsel the state of our common wealth our owne liues and our fathers mothers wiues children friends kinsfolkes allies then shal we posesse our lands our goods and liuings in peace then shall wee preserue and continue our liberties and fréedomes and saue our selues and our posteritie from thrawledome and bondage and we shall passe the rest of our liues to our owne good contentment and likewise according to Gods good pleasure On the other side if we flie which God defend then shall the word of
presented her selfe before him in his chamber and promised him faire vntill she had lulled him asleepe with drinke and then making her praiers to Almighty God to assist her against the proud Assyrian Holofernes she tooke out his sword and stroke of his head and passed through his host with her maid hauing Holofernes head in a bagge and so came to her castle in the night and the next day fixed his head vpon a powle for the view of all his army wherevpon they remoued and so she deliuered her Citie by the great mercy and fauor of God towards her What shall I say of Curtius that noble Romaine and Assurus the kings sonne of Phrigia either of which seeing in their country a dangerous breach of cliffe in the earth which they were perswaded would not be closed vp againe vntill the best thing in the citie which they tooke to be a man were cast into it willingly threw themselues into the same for the safety of the people But forraine examples are innumerable and not so well knowne vnto vs as our owne ¶ This Chapter sheweth sundrie examples of diuerse Noblemen of this land who haue aduentured their liues in defence of their countrey and how that euerie man ought to indeuour him selfe to follow their steps and most valiantly and resolutely to fight in defence of his Prince and countrey against all foreine enemies CHAP. 5. IT is not vnknowne vnto you Aduentures of the Nobilitie how valiantly the Kings Princes and Nobles of this our Nation haue in diuerse and sundrie warres ventured their owne persons and with their owne handes incountred their enemies As for example Did not Henrie the first in a battell in France Holinsh 356. smite downe to the ground Crispio Earle of Eureux by meanes wherof he was taken prisoner at the kings féet Ibidē 1181. 1170. Was not king Henrie the fifth in person in the battell at Agincourt in Fraunce and there likewise fought in his owne person Battell of Agincourt in Frāce fought by K. Henrie the 5. and caried away the stroke of the enemie vpon his helmet and man of the French at that time a glorious victorie And concerning the valiant seruice in field of a great number of the Nobilitie and others of this realme how they haue also endaungered them selues in the defence of their Prince and countrey against the enemie performed most famous actes of chiualrie therein to their great honors immortal fames which obliuion the cankred enemie to fame shall neuer be able to blemish but they shall remaine as spectacles to posterities for euer to behold and to encourage them to ensue their martiall actes and enterprises Among other what valiant and faithfull seruice hath the noble house of the Lord Talbot done from time to time to their Princes and countrey The valiant seruice of the noble house of the Lord Talbot Hall 596. Mauns in Fraunce when the Earle of Suffolke hauing the charge of Mauns in France and the magistrates specially the cleargy of the same citie conspired with the French assuring them that if they would come to surprise the citie they should find them ready to receiue them and so they did by meanes whereof the said Earle with the rest of the said English men were forced to take the castle there and keepe it and in all hast sent to the Lord Talbot who then lay at Alaunson certifying him in what state they stood hauing neither victuall nor munition and their castle almost vndermined so that yeelding now must follow for resistance would not helpe if they were not aided with speed Did not the said Lord Talbot hearing this newes with all hast assemble his Captaines and souldiers to the number of seauen hundred men of warre and in the euening departed from Alaunson and that night entred into the said castle of Mans at a posterne gate secretly Whereupon about sixe of the clocke in the morning the English men issued out of the Castle crying aloud S. George Talbot The Frenchmen within thinking nothing lesse then of this sudden approchment rose out of their beds and fled leauing all their horses armour and riches behind them at which time there was slaine and taken foure hundred gentlemen of the French And thus was the Citie of Mans reduced againe vnto English Mauns takē by the Lord Talbot Holins 1262. Awians Ibid. 1262. mens possessions by this most noble seruice and bold enterprises of this Lord Talbot Did not the Lord Talbot likewise with a companie raise the siege of the French at Awrans then being in the allegiance of the king of England Did not he the Lord Scales and others hearing the Frenchmen to be come within foure leagues of Rone which then was then also Rone vnder the subiection of the king of England by night issue out of that citie and in the morning by day came to the place where the Frenchmen were and then set vpon them where many of them were slaine and taken prisoners Also did not the Duke of Burgundie when he beseeged the towne of Cretoy with ten thousand men Ibidem 1263 Cretoy hearing of the comming of the Lord Talbot raise his siege the sayd Lord Talbot sending him word that he would giue him battell if he would not that the said Earle would wast and destroy his countrey in Picardy and according to his promise so he did Was not Iohn Lord Talbot for his approued prowesse and tried valiancy performed in the warres of France Ibidem 1276 Camden 462. Iohn first Earle of Shrewsburie Normandy Hall 31 h. 6. Aquitaine Burdeux taken Diuers other cities and townes taken created Earle of Shrewsburie about the ninteenth yeare of Henrie the sixt and after sent againe with 3000. men into Normandie for the better defence thereof who neither forgot his duty nor forslowed his businesse but daily labored and hourely studied how to molest and indanger his enemies Did not the kings Counsell then send the said Earle with an army into Aquitaine at the earnest sute of the Magistrates and inhabitants of the citie of Burdeaux who receiued him and his power into that citie by a posterne gate where they siue many of the Captaines and others of the Frenchmen and so was Burdeaux taken by the said Earle which he fortified and after rode into the countrey thereabout and obtained diuers cities and townes without dint of sword And among others did not he take the strong towne of Castillon in Perigot Castillon in Perigot where the French king whē he vnderstood thereof assembled twenty thousand men and entred into Aquitaine Aquitaine Castillon befieged by the french where Castillon is and besieged the said towne of Castillon with a strong siege where vpon the Earle of Shrewsbury assembled 800. horsmen and 5000. footmen and went to the rescue of the said towne in which battell very valiantly he behaued himselfe Earle of Shrewsbury slaine Anno 1453. Camden 462. and there
was slaine with a small shot and this was the end of this noble Earle after he had with much honor more fame and great renowne serued his Prince in warrs foure and twenty years in France and was honorably interred amongst them on whose Tombe in ingrauen as followeth Inscription on the tomb of Iohn first Earle of Shrewsbury Here lieth the right noble knight Iohn Talbott Earle of Shrewsbury Washford Waterford and Valence Lord Talbot of Goodrige and Vrchengfield Lord Strange of the blacke Meere Lord Verdon of Alton Lord Crumwell of Wingfield Lord Louetoft of Worsop Lord Furniuall of Sheffield Lord Faulconbrige knight of the most noble order of S. George S. Michaell and the Golden fleece Great Marshall to king Henry the sixt of his realme of France who died in the battell of Burdeaux in the yeare of our Lord 1453. 1453. If I should set downe euery particular seruice of such as haue discended of this noble house done from time to time in the warres for their prince and countrey it would aske very long time therefore he that desireth to knowe more thereof I referre him to the Chronicles of this realme where they are set forth at large to their great honor and glory And touching the loyalty of this noble house to the Crowne I find it not attainted for any disloyalty to the same sithens the conquest of this realme for which they are most deepely bound to yeeld their most humble thankes to the goodnesse of Almighty God that so from time to time hath blessed the same and so much the more for that a great number of other Peeres and Nobles of this land haue bene attainted sithens that time for their disloyalty In honor of which house of the Lord Talbot I haue made these few verses following TAlbot I am that euer haue bene true Vnto my Prince her crowne and dignity And hope in God my fathers to ensue So as my bloud shall neuer stained be Prest I will be my countrey to defend As doth belong to men of my degree And on her foes my life and land will spend As each man ought for her securitie The acts of warre performed by my name I shall increase as God shall giue me might To serue my Prince when she commands the same As doth belong vnto a faithfull knight My gracious Prince hath honored me With name of thorder of the garter knight Of which great kings haue much desired to be Wherein these words with golden letters bright Hony soyt qui mal y pense are seene As much to say as ill to him befall That ill doth wish vnto so good a Queene And so I pray and during life I shall And for some among many examples of the loyaltie of that noble house Holinsh 368. first I find that William Lord Talbot in king Stephen his time tooke vppon him to defend Hereford in Wales as diuerse other nobles of this Realme did other Castles and townes in England to the vse of Maud the Empresse and her sonne against the sayd king Stephen who vsurped and detayned the Crowne against her sayd son contrary to his oath made to the sayd Empresse her said son being the right heyre to Henry the first his Realme of England Iohn Earle of Shrewsbury was slaine at North taking part with Henry the sixt against the Duke of Yorke others then I find how Sir Gilbert Talbot was sent by the yong Earle of Shrewsbury being within age and ward to Richard the third with two thousand of his tenants and friends to ayde Henry Earle of Richmond against the sayd King Richard Stow. 121. being not onely an horrible murtherer of his Nephewes king Edward the fourth his childrē but also an vsurper of the Crowne whom the sayd Earle ouerthrew at Bosworth field and so obtayned the Scepter Royall of this Realme I note also the great loyalty of the right noble George fourth Earle of Shrewsbury that where diuerse euill disposed persons in the rebellion in the North parts of this Realme about the 28 yeare of the raigne of King Henry the eight gaue forth very slanderous and dishonorable speeches against the sayd Earle Holinsh 1567. as though he had fauored more the part of the rebels then of the king his Maister for a full testimony and declaration of his truth to his Prince he caused his Chapleyn to minister to him an oath in the presence of a great number of people assembled by him to represse the sayd rebels by which oath he did protest that as his Auncesters had bene euer true to the Crowne so be wold not staine his bloud in ioyning with a sort of rebels and traytors against their Prince but sayd he would liue and die in defence of the Crowne if it did stand but vpon a stake How faithfully did the Lord George last Earle of Shrewsbury discharge the great trust reposed in him by her Maiestie and her whole Councell in the garding safe keeping of the Quéene of Scots by the space of seuenteene yeares at the least a matter of such importance as the like so long time was neuer committed to any State or Péere of this Realme sithens the conquest thereof and how carefully he did preuent the sundry deuises and subtill practises wrought by her selfe and others for her escape it is sufficiently knowne The trust was the greater for that if she had escaped no small danger might haue ensued to the person of our most gracious Queene and to the whole Realme as may appeare by her sundry conspiracies against the same In like manner when any matter of great importance for the seruice of the Realme in those parts was committed to him as often many were how carefully and painefully Camden 463. and with what expedition he would dispatch the same the world can testifie what great confidence was reposed in him by the Queenes Maiestie when he was made Lieutenant of the counties of Darby and Stafford in those dangerous dayes and how he performed the same trust to the preseruation of the common peace and quietnesse of those Shires is well knowne to all men what great trust was committed to himselfe also when he had authority in times of rebellion and other outrageous actions in those parts to suppresse the same in forcible manner and to execute the offenders by Marshall iustice without further proceeding in law against thē by the large Commission directed vnto him is manifest Gilbert now the seuenth Earle of Shrewsbury And lastly was not the right honourable Gilbert now Earle of Shrewsbury in the xxxviij yeare of her Maiesties most gracious Raigne sent into Fraunce to receiue the oath of the French king for the confirmation of the most honorable league betwixt her Maiestie and the said king and did not he performe that Embassage to his great honour And did not the sayd king in proofe of his great good acceptation thereof His Embassage most honorably performed in Fraunce giue him
a ring with a diamond therein as I haue heard valued at xv hundreth pounds a thing meet to remaine as an heire loome to that house for euer for a remembrance thereof And now to returne to the valiant seruice of diuerse others to their Prince and countrey let me tell you of Iohn late Duke of Northumberland Iohn Duke of Northūberland of whose fall by his disloyalty to his Prince though there be great pitie yet his courage valiancy and hardinesse in wars and his great aduenture therein I trust without offence may here be remembred as an incouragement to others to follow his steps therein who being in king Edward the sixt his time sent as Generall to suppresse the rebellion of Ket in Norfolke Holinsh 1672. his number being but small by reason his whole power was not yet come to him and the rebels were many was by some of his army aduised to regard his owne safety and to leaue the City of Norwich for that it was thought he was not able with his small company to defend the same against the sayd rebels to whom with noble courage shewing an inuincible hart he sayd that so long as any life was in him he would not consent to such dishonor but rather would suffer whatsoeuer either fire or sword should worke against him and thereupon did draw out his sword as other of the honourable and worshipfull then there present likewise did and commaunded that each one should kisse the others sword according to an auncient custome vsed amongst mē of war in time of great danger wherupon they all made a vow binding it with a solemne oath that they would not depart from thence vntill they had either vanquished the rebels or lost their liues in manfull fight for defence of the kings honour Ambrose Earle of Warwicke Ibid. 1532. How valiantly did Ambrose Earle of VVarwicke in the fourth yeare of the Raigne of our Soueraigne Lady the Queenes Maiestie that now is defend the towne of Newhauen in Fraunce notwithstanding they died in great numbers of the plague so as they wanted men and other things necessarie for defence yet would not yéeld the towne by force but manfully stood ready in the breaches to receiue the assault whē the Frenchmen had with their Cannon made great breaches verie easie for the enemie to enter wherupon the Frenchmen perceiuing the resolutenesse of the Englishmen sounded their Trumpet of parley and so vpon honorable agréement then concluded vpon the towne was yéelded vp to the Frenchmen Besides how valiantly did Sir Iames Wilford and other Captaines with their souldiers defend the towne of Haddington in Scotland against the French and Scots being about eightéene thousand in king Edward the sixt his dayes and would not yéeld it although they had scarsitie of men and munition and were also greatly visited with the plague so as manie died thereof dayly but most valiantly and with inuincible courages defended the same Holinsh 1638. so as it was not surprised by the enemie How valiantly resolutely did the Lord Gray of Wilton Lord Iohn Gray the Lord Ed. Seymer Edward Shelley Preston and others to the number of seuen and twentie all Gentlemen set vpon the foreward of the battell of the Scots at Musclebrough in Scotland Expedition paten folio in king Edward the sixt his time meaning to haue broken their array but the Scots had so strongly fortified themselues that they could not enter and so in their retiring they were all slaine sauing the Lord Gray of Wilton and the Lord Iohn Gray and Lord Ed. Seymer who not without wounds and marks vpon their bodies of their being there escaped By these examples it appeareth that those Noblemen and others respected not their liues nor any painfull seruice or extremities in the seruice of their Prince and countrey for which they shall liue in fame for euer Mē may not respect any trauell or pain to serue their Prince and country He that hath desire to liue in name when he is dead in bodie must indeuour himselfe according to his calling as God hath indowed him to leaue some memorie whereby it may appeare that once hee liued as these verses following shew 1 THough Death the fatal threed of ech man cuts in twaine Yet vertues ay shall liue and worthie acts remaine 2 For others to ensue their painefull steps therein Whereby they may attaine like lasting praise to winne 3 But such as not regard to leaue some deed of fame When they are dead shall lie without regard or name 4 And soone shall be forgot as they had neuer bin And shall not be thought of no scarce amongst their kinne 5 What difference shall be then twixt great and meanest man When of their worthie acts no booke record ought can 6 What booteth titles great of honour for to haue Or Croesus golden store when men lie in the graue 7 More worth a thousand fold t is famous for to be For vertues and noble acts then all the rest to thee 8 That moued mightie kings and great States of this land And manie others mo great things to take in hand 9 Some kingdomes to subdue by sword both farre and neare Their persons ventred haue and dangers did not feare 10 And manie worthy Peeres their Prince to serue in field And countrey to defend great acts with speare and shield 11 Performed haue which fame with blast of trumpe hath spread Whereby they liue in name though they in graue ly dead 12 And some haue Churches built in honor of our Lord Where they did giue him thanks and praise with one accord 13 Some Colledges for such as learning list embrace Their countrey and their Prince to serue in euerie place 14 Some Schooles to traine vp youth in skill and vertues lore While tender yeares do last in age to haue in store 15 Some Hospitals for poore where they may be relieued When crooked age of strength to worke hath them bereaued 16 And these they haue endow'd with liuing and with land To their immortall fame for euermore to stand 17 These for their Founders pray and benefactors all And for their off-spring eke on God cease not to call 18 For their prosperitie and foes eke to withstand That all things prosper may which they do take in hand 19 And when they are gone hence that in the latter day They may rise vp with Christ in ioyes to dwell alway 20 None only for himselfe but for his countrey too Is borne and bound for her the best he can to do 21 The Brutish kings that long did beare the scepter here Faire temples to their gods and Castles strong that were 22 And cities large and townes erected manie one The enemie to defend they walled them with stone 23 And manie famous men the founders of our skill Their learned works haue left to studie on that will 24 Before that Christ was borne whose glorie liues this day And while the
world doth last shall neuer fade away 25 The summe of all is this who that will liue in name Must leaue some deed behind that worthie is of fame And to this end Salust writeth Salust fol. 1. Qui sese student praestare caeteris animantibus summa ope niti decent ne vitam silentio transeant veluti pecora quae natura prona ac ventri obedientia finxit quomam vita nostra qua fruimur breuis est memoriam nostri quā maximè longam efficere oportet nam diuitiarum formae gloria fluxa atque fragilis est virtus autem clara aeternaque habetur They which studie to excell other creatures ought not to passe their liues in silence as beasts do whom nature hath made altogether subiect to the belly but because our liues be short we ought to endeuour our selues to the vttermost of our power that our memorie may continue perpetuall for the glorie of riches and beautie are vnstable and fraile but vertue is a noble thing and most worthy to be had in euerlasting remembrance ¶ How we ought to beware of sedition amongst our selues and how that sundry attempts haue bene made by forreine enemies for the inuasion of his realme through the occasions therof as appeareth by diuerse and sundrie examples in this Chapter following CHAP. 6. NOw my deare friends and countreymen We must beware of sedition amōgst our selues to the intent to make vs the more able in this seruice of defence one thing there is of which we must chiefly beware namely of sedition rebelliō and diuision amongst our selues for out of doubt there is no greater mischief or inconuenience that can happen to a kingdome then ciuill discord as one writeth well Regnorum pessima pestis seditie Sedition is the greatest plague that may happen to a kingdome And the holy Gospell saith Math. 12. Omne Regnum in se diuisum desolabitur Euery kingdome in it selfe deuided shal be desolate As want of the feare of God Hol. 1772. disobedience to rulers blindnesse of guides briberie in Magistrates rebellion in subiects ciuill disagreement flattering of Princes vnmercifulnesse in rulers and vnthankfulnesse in subiects are causes of the ruine of a common wealth so the feare of God a wise Prince learned rulers obedience to officers in subiectes louers of the common wealth vertue rewarded vice chastened are the chief causers of a florishing common wealth It is not without great cause that we pray in our Letanie vnto God to be deliuered from sedition for sedition alwayes implieth daunger to the person of the Prince State it openeth the gate to forreine inuasion as by sundry examples we may see for when great dissention and warres were in England betwixt Herrauld and Tostus his brother Dissentiō in England opened the gate to forrein inuasiō Stow. 1066. after the death of king Edward sonne of Etheldred because Herrauld vsurped the crowne against his oath the trust put in him by king Edward who committed the gouernement of the realme to Herrauld during onely the nonage of Edgar his nephew to whom he gaue the crowne did not then William Duke of Normandy Duke of Normandie Hall 251. seeing a conuenient time and occasion offered to conquer this kingdome with a great army come into England and landed at Hastings in Sussex where in battell Herrauld was slaine Herrauld slaine and so William possessed this land by conquest Also when the great warres were in England betwixt king Iohn some of his Barons Barōs wars and sundry bloudy battels were fought betwixt them to the slaughter of many noble other valiant men Holinsh 199. did not the Barons being sore distressed with the kings forces pray ayde of Philip the Foxe 255. French king Frenchmen entred this realme when the ciuill warres were here requiring him to send Lewes his eldest sonne into England with some conuenient number of men and they would receiue him to be their king and do him homage whervpon the French king thinking rather by this deuice to conquer the realme sent Lewes his sonne with a great army of men into England whom the Barons receiued to him yeelded homage according to their promise whereupon diuerse great conflicts happened betwixt the king and the French Ibidem 600. and such of the Barons as ioyned with them who greatly indomaged the said king and got the possession of diuerse Castels Townes and other places and so became strong within this realme Likewise whē the ciuill warres were in England betwixt Edward the second his Barons concerning the Spensers did not the Scots waste destroy the countrey of the Bishoprike of Durham Scots inuaded England when ciuill warres were here and did not the French then enter the borders of Guyen hoping to haue recouered all the lands which the king had in France What imboldened the French king to surprise the holdes and fortifications neare Bulleyne in king Edward the sixt his dayes but the rebellion in Norfolke which greatly troubled the realme Fox 1309. and also to attempt the Isles of Gersey and Garnesey thinking to haue surprised the same also our ships but was repulsed to his great losses both of men and ships If we marke the fruits which haue proceeded of ciuill warres Cōquest by ciuill dissention Greece we shall sée that they haue bene alwayes guided after a most cruell and horrible kinde of hostilitie and that their issue hath bene the losse and ouerthrow of many commō wealths The Romaines came to the great Empire of Greece more by dissention and ciuill warres which they did sow amongst their neighbours then by force of armes French Academie Prou. 1. There are seuen things which God hateth and the eight his soule abhorreth and that eight is he which nourisheth discord amongst brethren French Academic ca. 63. Iustin li. 8. After the Romaines had kindled the fire of dissention in one nation they maintained one side a certaine time vntill in the end they had ouerthrowne both the one the other and so they deceiued sundry nations as the Carthagenians the Asians the Gawles Qui apertè concordiam simulant occulta dissidia serunt Bodinus li. 4 fol. 487. nihil est immortali Deo detest abilius saith Bodinus And by sowing of the sayd dissention in the end the Romaine Empire fell from her greatnesse by the meanes of ciuill warres which they had long time nourished amongest others Incidit in foueam quam fecit The Empire of Alexander being the greatest that euer was Alexander vanished as a fire of tow through the diuision and discord that was among his successors French Academie ca. 63. Iudea And Iosephus saith that the kings of Iudea became subiect and tributarie to the Romaines through the ciuill warres betwixt Hercanus and Aristobulus who were brethrē The afflictiō of Spaine by ciuill dissention There was no countrey more afflicted then
treasons that with such a secrecie by the harbouring of the said traiterous messengers in obscure places as without very diligent and continuall search to be made and seuere order executed the same will remaine and spread it selfe as a secret infection of treasons in the bowels of this realme most dangerous yea and most reprochfull to be suffered in any well ordered common-wealth Hereupon according to her said proclamation her Maiestie directed her Commissions forth to enquire by all good meanes what persons were by their behauiours or otherwise worthie to be suspected to be anie such persons as haue bene sent or that are imployed in any such perswading of her Highnesse people or of any residing within her realme to treason or to moue anie to relinquish their alleageance to her Maiestie or to acknowledge any kind of obedience to the Pope or to the King of Spaine and also of other persous that haue therunto yéelded And to the intent to discouer these venimous vipers or to chase them out of this realme for infecting many more her Maiesty did thereby straightly charge and command all maner of persons whatsoeuer without exception that was kéeper of anie house family or lodging and gouernors of anie societies to make diligēt search immediatly vpon the said Proclamation made of all maner of persons that haue bene admitted or suffered to haue vsuall resort diet lodging or residence in their houses or in anie place by their appointment within one yeare ended at Michaelmas then last past or that from thenceforth should be admitted or suffered to resort eate lodge reside or attend to be examined of what condition or countrey he is and by what meanes he hath liued and where he hath spent his time one yeare last before and whether he vse to resort to Church to diuine seruice according to the law and their answeres to be put in writing particularly and to be kept as a register to be shewed when they shal be required that vpon cause of suspition the partie may be tryed farther by the Commissioners whether the same partie be a loyall subiect or not And if any shal be found vnwilling to answere to such inquisition or by his doubtfull answere not like to be an obedient subiect the same shal be stayd by the houshold or him that ought to haue the examination of him and if any hauing gouernement or commaundement ouer any seruant that shal be found not to haue performed the points of the sayd inquisition as is afore limitted the same partie shal be called before the sayd Commissioners or before her Maiesties priuie Councell if the qualitie of the person do so require and shal be vsed and ordered for such defaults as the sayd Commissioners or her Maiesties Councell shall haue iust cause to deale with such persons And lastly by the same Proclamation did admonish and straightly charge and commaund all persons that haue had any intelligence of any such that are sent or come from beyond the seas to such purposes to direct them before her highnesse Commissioners mentioned in the sayd Proclamation to be assigned for the examinations of such persons within twentie dayes next after publication of the sayd Proclamation in the shyre Towne Citie or Port within the precinct of the same Commission vpon paine that the offenders therein shal be punished as abbetters and maintainers of traitors as by the same Proclamation amongst other things therein mentioned doth appeare And how let me turne my spéech to you O ye vnnaturall and degenerated Englishmen Booke of English fugitiues treacherous and vnfaithfull to her to whom you owe all loyaltie dutie and obedience how can you thirst after the destruction of the countrey where you were bred borne and nourished why do you vnder colour of Religion enter into such hainous treasons séeking thereby the ouerthrow of our most gracious Quéene and Soueraigne and the subuersion of so glorious a State by séeking to bring into this land strāgers to subdue the same a nation who where they do ouercome The tyranny of the Spaniards shew themselues most cruell tyrannous and do séeke to fill the ayre with horrible blasphemies whose abhominable incontinencies do reach to the heauens asking benegeance at the hands of God Flaunders can well witnesse it Portingall hath proued Hispaniola can witnesse the other prouinces of India can testifie And where amongst all nations it hath bene accounted a most honorable thing for men to giue their liues for their coūtrey and to dye in the defence of their temples It is honorable for a man to giue his life for his countrey Altars monuments of their elders you séeke to sée your countrey bathed with the bloud of your parents wiues and children kindred and friends to sée your Cities temples consumed with fire and the monuments of your auncesters defaced our wiues daughters virgins defloured and rauished afore your faces and to bring this realme which is famous amongst all Christian nations of the world to the perpetuall slauerie seruitude and bondage of a forrein Prince in whose seruice in the field though you haue sundry times shewed your selues right valiant yet they accompt you as traytors to your Prince and countrey as they well may they regard you not they disdaine you and how hardly you haue bene dealt withall there your owne experience telleth you which in the booke of the state of English fugitiues is set downe at large I will remember some When the Duke of Parma lay in siege at Andenard did not Norris Barney Cornish and Gibson whom they had chosen to be their Captaines with a troupe of sixe hundreth Englishmen the tallest best appointed souldiers that a man might lightly see offer their seruice to the sayd Duke their comming being the onely cause that the sayd towne a matter of great importance and on the land side as it were the key of the prouince of Flaunders was so soone deliuered vnto him as it was for whereas the Duke of Aniow and the Prince of Orange lay vnder the walles of Gaunt with sufficient force and deliberate resolution to succour the sayd towne of Andenard vpon this mutinie of the English they marched away with their whole army leauing the enemy battering the sayd towne which seeing it selfe frustrated of the expected succors presently rendered it selfe vnto the Duke of Parma thence they were drawne to Winoch Bargen to serue against the French English which lay there incamped where they behaued themselues with such desperate resolution that day that Monsieur de Balaunson brother to the Marquis of Waranbone was taken prisoner that besides the losse of many of their liues they were in this action a wonder to the whole army But could the pride of the Spaniard endure to heare these your prayses nay did not they enuie and greatly disdaine it They disdaine you saying That you had serued rather like gyddy headed drunkards then men wise and valiant For a further
regiment taken violently from those that bare them in presence of the Earle of Westmerland who was Coronell of the regiment for a greater disgrace both to him the rest though both he Captaine Tresham the other Captaines complained to the Duke for redresse yet they could not obtaine any the Spaniard after wards made his brags that he turned the English Ensignes into Spanish field beds They count you but traitors for conspiring the ouerthrow of your Prince and countrey and so they may well do and so they do all such as contrarie to the trust in thē reposed did yéeld the Castels Cities fortresses which they haue committed to them to keepe to the vse of her Maiestie of which sort Pygot is one who hauing cōmitted to his charge by that worthy Knight now deceased str Iohn Norris the kéeping of Alofte and being Commāder of the rest of the companies there most traiterously rendred the towne himselfe and the whole regiment being well neare a thousand as tall and well appointed men as were in any part of all Europe to the seruice of the king of Spaine for 30000 French crownes which seruice how beneficiall and meritorious it was to the Spaniard such as know the countrey can testifie sufficiently for by yéelding of the sayd towne they were the occasion that they got Dermounde the Sasse the fort of Leyskins Hooke S. Anthonies S. Margaret the Doore the best part of the land of wast in maner Gaunt it self as the sequele verie apparātly sheweth notwithstanding all which seruice were they not within two yeares space with hunger the gallowes and other rigorous dealings quite consumed and brought to nothing as is aforesaid They counted for the like Sir William Stanley and Rowland Yorke the one rendered vnto the king the towne of Deuenter the other betraying to him the fort of Sutteuen As ye haue heard the end of the sayd reuolted regiment to the king of Spaine so you shall heare the end of your Captaines and guides which is set down here to the end you may perceiue that such and so great calamities as those could neuer haue hapned to them without the apparant hand of God whose reuengefull iustice neuer ceased to pursue the infidelitie of those miserable men vntill he had taken them from the face of earth first Norris chief Captaine and ring-leader of the rest after hee had considered of the foulnesse of his fact and withall did see the scorne and contempt wherein hee liued vnder the Spaniard it wrought such an impression in his hart that hee fell into a kind of lunacy being in prison in Flushing and in the ende ended there his life with his owne hand Gibson rising out of his bed suddenly being in manner naked was by a Spanish horseman presently thrust through the body and so died whose wife sued to the Duke of Parma for iustice but the English bloud was there of such vile price being shed by a Spaniard that the matter was thought not worthy to be inquired of Cornish was in one of the sayd little forts at such time as it was surprised by the Frenchmen where both himselfe his Lieutenant his Ensigne and whole company were miserably slaine and mangled Barners was shot through the right arme by a man vnknowne with a small shot in such sort that he hath vtterly lost the vse thereof and after liued in great misery and pouerty such after these mens seruices was their fortune such is the ende of all trecherous and euill affected Englishmen to their Prince and countrey Pygot died suddenly in the Marshalsey at London being sent thither as prisoner from Ostend Daulcon became a Pyrate and was hanged in the North countrey Captaine Tayler was slaine by the Earle of Westmerland in the Spanish Campe Captaine Vincent was hanged Chenie at Bargenopsome Captaine Welch was slaine vnder the walles of Roane Yorke and Williams were executed at Tyburne Thus you haue heard what it is to liue vnder and serue a forreyne Prince They trust you not for how can a strange Prince in reason perswade himselfe that such as are traitours and in their actions monsters against their countrey will be faithfull to him but will alwayes carry a iealous opinion ouer you that he will neuer credit you with any seruice of importance but when he will appoint greater persons to ouerlooke you He which séeketh to conquer another countrey will vse all wayes deuises to attaine his purpose Hiena Eccles cap. 13. Plin. histor natur lib. 8. cap. 30. Crocodiles The beast Hiena as is mentioned in Ecclesiastes counterfeits the voyce of a man and so entiseth him out of his house with faire perswasions and then destroyeth him The Crocodiles nature is when he would deuoure a man to weepe as thongh he were louing an kind when he would draw him on to kill him Who will not that hath his senses rather endure any hard fortune vnder his owne naturall Prince who will not rather loose his life by the hand of the enemy in defence of his natiue countrey then hazard it in the seruice of any forreyne Prince against the same You should rather say as Eneas the noble Troian when the Greeks had won Troy afterwards trauelling through the raging seas to seeke the land of Italie falling into a dangerous tempest and séeing no hope of life held vp his hands and vsed these words O ter quatérque beati Virgill Aeneid Queis ante ora patrum Troiae sub maenibus altis Contigit oppetere ô Danaûm fortissime gentis Titide méne Iliacis occumbere campis Non potuisse tuáque animam hanc effundere dextra Saeuus vbi Aeacidae telo iacet Hector vbi ingens Sarpedon vbi tot Simois correpta sub vndis Scuta virûm galeásque fortia corpora voluit Remember your selues yet at the last and apply your mindes to the faithfull seruice of your Prince and countrey he runneth farre as the saying is that neuer turneth againe séeke by faithfull assurance of your loyalties hereafter to her Maiestie for her gracious pardon that yee may hencefoorth liue like dutifull subiects ready to defend your Prince countrey against the enemy following therein the steps of your faithfull valiant and couragious forefathers whose fame by this your disloyaltie you seeke to blemish and deface rather then to liue vnder any forreyne Prince that would surprise the City and bring it in thraldome And now to returne to the proclamation last before mentioned Were euer such practises as be mentioned in the same wrought against any Christian Prince by any man of the Church that challengeth to be Peters successour Corinth 14. as the Pope doth Saint Paule saith that God is not the God of dissention but of peace Lord God what aunswere shall he make in the later day when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened that ought to maintaine peace The Pope stirreth the subiects to rebell against their Prince thus to sow discord
among Christian Princes and to moue their subiects to oppose against them surely his owne conscience shall testifie against him which will be as strong as a thousand witnesses as Persius very well sayth Poena autem vehemens ac multo seuerior illis Satyr 3. Quas Ceditius grauis inuenit Rodamanthus Nocte diéque suum gestare in pectore testem And againe Conscientia mille testes onus Aetna grauius Can he find by the word of God No subiect can rebell for any cause Rom. 13. that it is lawfull for the subiect to rebell against his Prince for any cause whatsoeuer Saint Paul sayth Let euery soule submit himselfe to the higher powers there is no power but of God all powers that are be ordayned of God and whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and procureth to himselfe damnation When Pilate sayd to Christ Iohn 18. Knowest thou not that I haue power to loose thee also to crucifie thee he sayd thou shouldest haue no power at all ouer me were it not giuen thee from aboue our Sauior Christ was called afore the high Priests to answere to his doctrine did he oppose himselfe any way against them no he knew they had their authority from God and therefore he shewed all obedience to them in respect of their place and patiently suffered death though vniustly according to their wicked law and iudgements When Malcus with other of the high Priests seruants came by their commandement to take Christ Iohn 18. Peter drew out his sword cut off Malcus eare Christ said vnto him Put vp thy sword into thy sheath Math. 25. for all that strike with the sword shall perish therewith thinkest thou that I cannot speake to my Father and he shall giue me more then twenty legions of Angels but how should then the Scripture bee performed The famous clarke Erasmus in his Paraphrase vppon this place of Scripture Paraphrase speaketh these words vnto Peter as it were in the persō of Christ Put vp thy sword into thy sheath matters of the Gospell are not in such manner to be defended if thou wilt succeed me as my vicar thou must fight with no other sword then of Gods word which cutteth away sinne and saueth the man And the auncient father Tertullian in his Apologia cap. 37 sayth In our profession more meeter it is to be slaine then to slay So did all the Martyrs of God by whom the Church of Christ increased Saint Augustine saith Not resistendo sed perferendo Not by resisting but by suffering If the Prince should set foorth a law touching the worshiping of God or matter of conscience against the word of God and lymit a paine to the breakers thereof Acts. 4. though the subiect be not bound in conscience to obserue that law for in such cases a man must rather obey God then man yet he may not rebell nor oppose himselfe violently against his Prince but he must rather referre his cause to God and submit himselfe to the punishmēts of the law Peter 2. as Saint Peter saith Submit your selfe to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as to the chiefe or to them that be sent of him then it followeth he may not rebell whatsoeuer the ordinance be The Iewes had a law that whosoeuer should say he was the Sonne of God should die Christ that was the soonne of God in déede Looke Iohn 19. verse 7. and so declared himselfe to the people to be yet he did submit himselfe to the paine of the law thoughit be vngodly ¶ The manner how to suppresse rebels with a perswasion to all subiects to the due of obedience of their Prince the great inconueniences that arise of ciuill warres How hatefull the name of a traytour is to the posteritie and what plagues haue fallen not onely vppon traytors but also vppon such as haue bene murmurers against their Princes Gouernors CHAP. 8. WHen the Princes of Germany determined to take armes against the emperor for the defence of their religion Bodinus 211 they asked Luther if it were lawfull so to do who answered expresly that it was not Sleildan 4. and would not perswade them thereunto saying that no cause could be iust for the subiect to beare armes against his Prince countrey And because it is conuenient that rebellious and disordered people should be dealt withall with conuenient speed Bodinus lib. 4. fol. 487. let vs heare what Bodinus writeth concerning the maner how Si tamen seditio priùs coorta fuerit quà m prospiceretur sapientissimos ac summa virtute praestantes viros qui populi motus orationis lenitate ac prudētia regere possunt adhibere oportebit nam qui vi◠adhibent perinde faciunt vt ij qui torrentem praecipiti casu de rupibus altissimis labentem sistere se posse confidunt How rebels must be suppressed If seditious persons and rebels be assembled together afore it be foreseene the wisest men and such as for their great vertue excell can moue the people with their gentle and wise perswasions are most meetest to be vsed for such as at the first vse force do as they which thinke to stay a great water falling headlong from the high rocks If wild beasts cannot be tamed with strokes but by gentle and skilfull vsing of them who can thinke with sharpe and rough words to tame such as of all beasts are most fierce The Senate of Rome did very often reprehend such as vsed force to appease the furie of the people and rather cōmended Menenius Agrippa which not with bitternesse but rather with gentlenesse and cunning vsed to reduce the people to their obedience and dutie which aboue all other bred to him immortall praise and glorie to the common wealth And to that effect the Poet Virgill writeth thus Ac veluti magno in populo cum sepè coorta est Seditio Aeneid lib. 1. saeuitque animis ignobile vulgus Iamque faces saxa volant furor arma ministrat Tum pietate grauem ac meritis si fortè virum quem Conspexêre silent arrectisque auribus astant Ille regit dictis animos pectora mulcet Whē sedition is raised amongst the common people in their rage firebrands and stones flie for furie doth minister weapons then if they see by chaunce anie graue man to be reuerenced for his vertee and good deserts they are silent and hearken to him diligently and he asswageth with his mildnesse and wise speeches their minds and rages Pericles So did Pericles the Athenian Peter Loredan the Venetian and others whereby it appeareth that vertue and wisdome doth sometime mors preuaile in these cases then either lawes armes or the commandement of rulers And to restraine such rebellious people and reduce them to due obedience the feare and reuerence of Religion hath bene in times past of great force Lib.
4. fol. 480 for as Bodinus writeth whē ciuill warres were raised amongst the Florentines and great slaughter and bloudshed happened amongst them in the Citie and no force of man could restraine the same Frauncis Soderinus the Bishop hauing on his pontificall ornaments and a companie of Priests attending on him and the Crosse borne before him entred into the middest of the Citizens thus assembled whereupon they forthwith for the feare they had of religion did put off their armour so did Iudas Bishop of the Hebrues High Priest when Alexander the great came to the citie of Ierusalem with a great host being apparelled in his holy vestiments met him which sight and the brightnesse whereof being feared Alexander did reuerence the Bishop did not spoile the countrie nor holy Citie but with great benefites did inlarge the same By like meanes Vrbane the Pope is said to haue turned and remoued away the siege of Attila from the citie of Aquila 5. Ioseph in anti as Iosephus writeth but when none of these will serue then the extermitie of armes must be vsed And because good perswasions and mild spéeches are thought so conuenient to be vsed to appease such vprores I haue thought good to set downe this simple exhortation which followeth After that Almightie God had destroyed the world for the finne of man Exhortation to rebels sauing Noah and his family who were preserued in the Arke by Gods prouidence and that nations and people did againe increase and multiply vpon the face of the earth knowing in his euerlasting wisedome how necessarie good and wholsome lawes should be for the gouernment and direction of his people he gaue the lawes of the tenne commandements in the mount Sinay wherein is contained first our dutie to almighty God and next to our neighbour then he also ordained Kings Princes and Gouernors to rule and order their subiects and to punish the offenders thereof by these lawes and gaue them power to make lawes as Salomon saith Prou. 8. By me kings raigne through me Princes make good lawes And lastly he gaue straight commandemēt to the subiects touching their obedience to their Soueraigne Lords and rulers Rom. 13. as Saint Paule saith Let euerie soule submit himselfe to the higher Powers there is no power but of God all powers that be are ordained of God whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist procure to themselues damnation for rulers are not fearefull to them that do well but to them that do euill Wilt thou be without feare of the power do well then and so thou shalt be praised of him for he is the minister of God ordained for thy wealth But if thou do euill then feare for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the minister of God to take vengeance of them that do euill Wherfore we must obey not onely for feare of vengeance but for conscience sake also for that cause we pay tribute for they are Gods ministers seruing for that purpose Now what euill counsel hath moued you thus to enter into armes against your naturall Prince and Liege Ladie whom Almightie God hath ordained to supply his place and to raigne ouer you Who hath be witched you thus to abuse the great loue and fauour of so gracious a Quéene which she hath borne alwayes and doth dayly shew to her good subiects to oppose against her that is studious to set forth the Gospell that is and hath bene so carefull to maintaine such common peace amongst vs these fortie yeares and more Though this be touched afore yet it is not vnmeet to be vsed here to these men as the like hath not bin séene nor heard of neither is to be found in anie record or Chronicle of this realme sithence the conquest therof which is aboue 528 yeares for the like time of gouernment that is desirous to raigne with mercie with loue with pitie and tender compassion and not by tyrannie nor by effusion of bloud neither alwayes by inflicting the extremitie of her lawes vpon such as most iustly haue deserued the execution of the same that is mercifull to offenders bountifull to well deseruers of her Maiestie and their conntrey that to her great charge hath fortified this realme with strong Castles and a Nauie of warlike shippes and all other things necessarie for the warres in great aboundance for the defence of her kingdome and people that hath not laid vpon vs any taxes or tallages but the like thereof hath bene before her time and greater also that hath made good lawes and taken a solemne oath in the day of her coronation to endeuour her selfe that the same shall be holden kept and executed vnto all her subiects indifferently without respect of persons and is also well pleased to be ordered by the same her selfe If you consider the horrible murthers of great persons the pitifull slaughter of man woman and child by fire and sword the lamentable rauishments of maids wiues and widowes the ransacking and spoiling of Cities and townes with many other miseries and calamities which haue hapned continued in other countreys not farre hence these many yeares by occasion of ciuill warres and dissention you shall find that we haue cause to thinke our selues most bound of all nations to the goodnesse of God in that he hath not suffered vs to be afflicted and visited with the like all which haue bene preuēted by the great wisedome and prouidence of her Maiestie her graue Councell These besides other infinite great kindnesse and benefites her highnesse hath daily most graciously bestowed vpon vs that more nor greater no Prince can extend to her people and shall we now be vnthankfull for the same shall we yéeld vnkindnesse for kindnesse shall we recompence her daily care studie to do vs good by seeking danger to her person and perill to her state which may ensue by your forcible and violēt opposing against her There is nothing worse bestowed then that is done to the vngratefull and forgetfull man as Erasmus writeth Nihil peius confertur quà m quod hemini ingrato atque non scienti A man that receiueth a good turne if there be any good nature in him will alwayes be thankful and so much the more when he is not able to deserue or requite the least part thereof king Dauid that receiued many good things at the hands of God shewed not himselfe vnthankfull but breaking out as it were on a suddaine sayd vnto himselfe Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi calicem salutaris accipiam nomen Domini inuocabo Psal 116. 107. What shall I yeeld vnto God for all that he hath done vnto me I will take the cup of thankesgiuing and call vpon the name of the Lord. It is all that Almighty God doth looke for at our hands that we should be thankfull vnto him for all his mercies louing kindnesse that
stung to death with strange kinds of fiery serpents sometime the earth hath opened and swallowed thē vp quicke the Captains and bands of such murmurers with their wiues children families Then if such strange and horrible plagues haue hapned to such subiects as did but only murmure and speake euil against their heads what shall become of such subiects as conspire arme themselues assemble great numbers of men in armes encourage and leade thē against their Prince countrie spoyling robbing slaying as manie of their good subiects as do withstand them and against whom they may preuaile We are forbidden by the holy Scripture Eccle. 10. so much as to think euill to the Prince for the birds of the aire shall betray thee with their wings shal bewray they voyce If we may not think euil much lesse may we do anie thing that shal or may tend to her danger as rebellions do alwayes imply peril to her person state Sam 24. King Saule was a wicked Prince sought the life of Dauid the seruant of God diuerse wayes yet Dauid wold not hurt him no when he might haue slaine him in his caue but said The Lord keepe me that I lay not my hands vpon the Lords annointed 2. Tim. 2. S. Paule saith I exhort that aboue all things prayers supplications and intercessions and giuing of thanks be made of all men for kings and all that are in authoritie that we may liue a quiet life with all godlinesse for that is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour So did the people of God Apol. cap. 30. which liued vnder Pagans and tyrants as Tertullian witnesseth If the Princes be good they are a great blessing of God bestowed on the people if they be vngodly tyrants then they are appointed for their punishment yet must they pray for them whatsoeuer they be for when S. Paule taught to pray for rulers then Caligula Clodius and Nero who were no Christians but Pagans and most cruel tyrants were gouernors rulers of the people When Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon after he had slain their kings nobles wiues children the people of God wasted their country spoyled their cities yea and Ierusalem it selfe the holy temple and caried the residue with him captiue to Babylon Baruc. 1. 11. yet Baruc the Prophet of God exhorted the people being in captiuity saying Pray you to God for the life of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon and of Balthaser his son that their dayes may be as the dayes of heauen vpon the earth that God also may giue vs strength lightē our eyes that we may liue vnder the defence of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon vnder the protectiō of Balthaser his sonne that we may long do them seruice and find fauor in their sight If they then prayed for tyrants and vngodly kings how much more ought we to pray to God for the life preseruation and prosperons estate of so gracious a Quéene soueraigne Gouernour as we haue What shall I say of you shal I call you subiects that assemble your selues in this forcible maner and breake the common peace of the realme and in stéed of quietnesse ioy and felicitie which do follow of blessed peace and due obedience do bring all trouble sorrow disquietnesse of mind and bodie and all mischiefes and calamities and turne all good order vpside downe bring all good lawes in contempt and tread them vnder foot oppresse all vertue and honestie and all vertuous and honest persons and set all vice and wickednesse and all vitious and euill men at libertie to worke their vngodly willes and vngracious purposes which were before bridled with wholsome lawes and do weaken ouerthrow and consume the strength of the realme aswell by wasting and spending the treasure thereof as by slaying the good subiects of the same and make our countrie readie as it were to be a pray and spoyle to all outward enemies and to bring vs our wiues children and posterities to perpetuall captiuitie slauerie and bondage that strangers may possesse our lands goods liuings to our vtter vndoing destruction Though God do often prosper iust lawfull enemies which be no subiects against forraine enemies and though a small number vpon wars begun vpon iust causes hath many times prospered against huge nūbers of their aduersaries that haue offered them wrong and iniurie yet neuer did rebel prosper against their Prince Note how noble or great soeuer their Captaine or number of people haue bene and whether their pretence of rebelling haue bene for reformatiō of religion or for any other cause whatsoeuer yet they haue bin alwayes ouerthrowne by the iust iudgemēt of God and so Sir Thomas Wyat vpō his arraignmēt for the sayd rebellion of Kent Hol. 1. ma. affirmed openly lamenting heartily his brutish and beastly fall as he rightly tearmed it into the horrible offence of the law requiring all the audience there present to remember his spéeches and to be taught by his infelicitie and most wretched case as in the Chronicle doth appeare If you be grieued with any thing which is to be reformed exhibit your supplication to her Maiesties Lieutenant here present and make your humble submission confessing your great offences and crauing together on your knees her most gracious pardon with faithfull promise that by Gods grace you will not enter into the like horrible offence hereafter against her highnesse and her lawes and so ye may the rather obtaine the same which her sayd Lieutenant hath authority vnder her great seale of England to graunt to such of you as shall do as is afore remembred herein you shall do as was vsed in king Edward the sixt his time Holinsh by some which then opposed themselues against the sayd king as you do now against her Maiestie who vppon their like submission had their pardon and by order from the king also present redresse of their griefes If ought be to be remedied it belongeth not to the subiect to performe it for if the Prince should make a law neuer so hard against the subiect impose a great punishment to the breakers thereof yet the subiect may not presume to attempt to remedy the same but must submit himselfe to the punishment of the law as Saint Perer saith Peter submit your selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as to the head or to the rulers as to them sent of him for the punishment of euil doers but for the cherishing of such as do well for so is the will of God If you will not take this course but stand to the vttermost assure your selues that you shall be consumed with the sword and such as escape that death shall suffer the execution due by law to traitors in such terrible manner as is aboue remembred To conclude if neither the feare of God your dutie to your
They remēbred not that the Fowlers whistle soundeth swéetly when he deceiueth the bird most cunningly according to the saying Fistula dulce canit volucrem dum decipit auceps Neither Cato lib. 1. that faire words make fooles faine and that vnder the gréene grasse often lurketh the suttle serpent nor that in the fairest floure a man may soonest find a canker Poemata Ciceronis 249. fol. 161. Nullae sunt occultiores insidiae quà m quae latent in simulatione officij aut in aliquo necessitudinis nomine Tully de amicitia saith Apertè enim adulantem nemo non vidit nisi qui admodum est excors callidus ille occultus ne se insinuet studiosè cauendum est They had also forgotten the counsell which Vicount de Melloir a Frenchman gaue to certaine of them in his sicknesse at London Holinsh 603 Booke of Martyrs fol. 214. which was as followeth I lament saith he for your destruction and desolation at hand because you are ignorant of the perils hanging ouer your heads for this vnderstand that Lewes and with him sixtéene Earles and Barons of Fraunce haue secretly sworne and vowed that if fortune should fauour him so much as to conquer this realme of England The oth of Lewes the French kings sonne with other his Earles ◠Barons and to be crowned king to kill banish and consume all those of the English Nobilitie which now do serue vnder him persecute their owne king as traitors and rebels and furthermore to dispossesse all their linage of such inheritance as they now hold in England And because saith he you shall not haue doubt hereof I which lie here at the point of death do now affirme vnto you and take it on the perill of my soule that I am one of those sixtéene that haue sworne to performe these things and therefore I aduise you to prouide for your owne safeties and also of your realme which you now destroy and that you kéepe this thing secret which I haue vttered vnto you After this he shortly died but the curteous offer of Lewes to the Barons as is aboue remembred so lulled thē on sléepe as it were Holinsh 601. that they regarded not this good aduise for after this diuerse of those which before had taken part with king Iohn as William Earle Warren William Earle of Arundell William Earle of Salisburie William Marshall the younger and diuerse other supposing verily that the said Lewes should now attaine the kingdome reuolted to Lewes but after that Lewes was setled Note here what followed by trusting of faire words and had gotten the tower of London diuerse other holds Castles defencible places of this realme into his hands and thought himselfe in maner sure of the kingdome then the Frenchmen began to shew their inward disposition and hatred towards the Englishmen and forgetting all former promises such is the nature of strangers whē they are become Lords of their desire they did manie excessiue outrages in spoiling robbing the people of that country without pitie or mercie and bare little good will towards the Engish men as it appeareth sundry wayes and first of all in that they had them in maner in no regard or estimation but rather sought by all meanes to spoyle and kéepe them vnder Booke of Martyrs fol. 257. not suffering them to beare any rule nor putting them in trust with the custodie of such places as they had brought them in possession of Secondly they called them not to counsell so oft as at the first they vsed to do neither did they procéede by their directions in their businesse as before they were accustomed and thirdly in all their conuersation neither Lewes nor his Frenchmen vsed them so familiarly as at the first comming they did but shewed more loftie countenance towards them whereby they greatly encreased the indignation of the English Lords against them who might euill abide to be so ouerruled To conclude Holinsh 602. where great promises were made at their entring into the land they were slow enough in performing the same so as the expectation of the English Barons was made quite voyd for they perceiued daily that they were despised and scoffed at for their disloyalty shewed towards their owne naturall Prince hearing now and then nips taunts openly by the Frenchmen saying that as they had shewed themselues false and vntrustie to their owne lawfull king Note so they would not continue anie long time true to a stranger Hereupon the Barons better considering the words of the sayd Vicount of Melloit and withall the great daunger that the realme was brought in by their dissention and opposition against their soueraigne Lord and the litle account the Frenchmen made of them Booke of Martyrs 247. gaue them iust occasion to take a better course and so they reuolted to king Henrie their naturall Liege Lord for King Iohn shortly after the comming of Lewes into England departed this life and they ioyned with the King in battell against Lewes where he had a great ouerthrow whereupon he and all his companie departed into Fraunce and king Henrie possessed the Crowne after that in quiet Caesar was wont to say of such as were false to their Prince and countrey Caesar that he loued Traitors to serue his turne but abhorred them as monstrous to the common wealth It is written of Alexander the Great Alexander who had conquered many countreys that he did long time séeke many wayes to winne a certaine countrey pertaining to Darius king of Persia and perceiuing that it was inuincible he dealt with a noble man that had the charge thereof vnder the king for a great summe of money to yéeld that countrey to his possession and so did Alexander giue good countenance in his Court to this noble man a good space and in the end entring into a déepe consideration of the matter and meaning thereby to make an example to such as hée might commit trust vnto to beware of such treasonable practises he suddenly commaunded execution to be done of this noble man who hearing thereof and litle deseruing the same as he thought desired to come to Alexanders presence which was graunted besought him to know the cause of this sudden execution who sayd thou hast bene false to thine own Prince how can I then trust thée or hope thou wilt deale truely with me or be my true subiect Tullie lib. 2. officiorum Alexander if I should credit thée with the like and so he was executed Philip king of Macedon did greatly blame his sonne Alexāder in an Epistle which he did write to him saying what occasion or consideration hath brought thée into this hope that thou shouldest thinke that they wil be and continue true and faithfull vnto thée whom thou hast corrupted with money I reade of one Christopher Paris Holinsh 98. Christopher Paris Irish Chron. that had the charge of a Castle in