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
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
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
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
to her death by words or otherwise doth some act to explaine the same as in assaying of harnesse sending of letters or message or such like this is treason And he that doth intend to depriue the Prince in that is intended the Princes death and therefore it is treason Withhold Castle 14. El. cap. Dyer 145. Treason B. 24. Leuie warre 25. Edward 3. cap. 2. Adhere to her enemies Conspire to commit treason 2. Li. ass 49. Messenger 21. Eliz. 3. 23. 45. E. 3. 25. Ayde Brytton 114. lib. 1. Stamf. 1. Misprision Treason B. 2. Armes No access in treason Com. Plo. 262. Slaine in field And the withholding of a Castle Fortresse or such like against the Prince is a leauying of warre against her Maiestie and is treason If a stranger borne in the time of peace betwixt his Prince and the Quéenes Maiestie come into this realme and take rebelliously anie of her Castles and the same detaine against her this is treason and is in law as a leauying of warre against her If any leauie warre against her Maiestie within this realme or be adherent vnto her enemies in this realme giuing them aide and comfort in this realme or else where and thereof he probably attainted of ouert déed this is also treason If one moue another to commit any treason and the other assent that it shold be done and it is committed indéed by the one of them this is treason in thē both It is treason by the cōmon law to kill him that is sent on her Maiesties message or that goeth to ayd her in her warres It is treason if any worke anie thing against her host or be assenting counselling or consenting to the same If any do know another to haue committed treason though he be not consenting to the same yet if he do not reueale it to some that hath the law in gouernment it is misprision of treason If anie ioyne the armes of England with his armes this is treason 38. Henrie the eight I thinke this is meant when it is without difference Note that in cases of treason there are no accessaries but all be traitors principals If a man leauy warre against the Prince and be slaine in the field this is treason without any attaynder by the auncient law of the Realme for he was the cause that the course of law could not passe vpon him he shal loose his lands goods in this case his bloud is corrupted Dower F. 106. the wife looseth her dower by the cōmon law If a treason be committed by the Queenes subiect out of the realme against the realme it shall be tried in England in the Kings bench 8. E. 3. Dier 132. Treason out of the Realme Dyer 298. Buls Obedience Adherent to the enemies Triall F. 54. 5. R. 2. Prophecies Rebellion or where the Prince shall please 33. H. 8. cap. 23. 35. H. 8. cap. 2. sée the case of Story afore Chap. 10. touching this As touching the bringing into this realme of Buls practising to withdraw her Highnesse subiects from their naturall obedience which is treason see afore Chap. 10. If a man be adherent to the kings enemies in Fraunce his land shal be forfeit his adherence shall be tried where the land is as it shal be of such as adherre to the kings enemies in Scotland He that shall publish any prophecy vppon any mans armes or things vsed in armes to the intent to make any rebellion insurrection disturbance or losse of life shall forfeit ten pounds and be imprisoned one yeare and the second time being conuicted of the first offence shall forfeit all his goods and be imprisoned during his life if any by erecting or setting vp of any figure by calculation Figure Witchcrafts Natiuity witchcraft sorcery or inchantment or by casting of natiuity or by publishing of any prophecy to such intent shall seeke to know or vnderstand and shall publish the same abroad how long her Maiestie shal liue Prophecies how long her Maiestie shall liue 13. El. cap. 1. Compasse her Maiesties death or who shall be King or Queene after her it is felonie It is ordayned also by a Statute made in the thirteenth yeare of her Maiesties Raigne that if any shall without the Realme or within compasse intend or imagine the death or destrustion or any bodily harme tending to the death destruction mayming or wounding of the Queenes Maiesties person or to depose or depriue her from the Crowne or any her dominions Leuy warre Inuade this Realme Dyer 298. Vtter by words Treason or to leauy warres against her within this Realme or without or to moue or stir any forreyners or straungers with force to inuade this Realme or any other dominions being vnder her obeisance and the same shall maliciously aduisedly and expresly vtter or declare by any printing ciphering or saying this is treason aswell in the principall offender as in their counsellers procurers ayders and comforters knowing the same offence to bee done and committed in any place within this Realme or without And because Castles fortresses and holds are necessary things for the defence of the realme it is ordayned by a Statute made in the fourteenth yeare of the Queenes Maiesties raigne 14. El. cap. that if any either within this realme or else where Conspire to take any of her Maiesties Castles c. do conspire or deuise to take or detayne or to waste or destroy any of her Castles Bulwarkes or fortresses or any part of them hauing any munition or ordenance therein or appointed to be garded for defence of this realme and the same conspiracies or deuises shall aduisedly by any expresse words Withhold any Castle of her Maiesties Ships act or writing vtter or declare for any the malicious or rebellious intents aforesayd this is felony in euery such offender counseller comforter and abbetter knowing thereof and shall loose their cleargy sanctuary And by that Satute it is further ordayned that if any person shall with force maliciously rebelliously withhold from her Maiestie any of her Castles or holds or any of her ships ordenance artillery or other of her munitions or fortifications of war and do not giue vp the same to her Highnesse or to such person as her Maiestie shall appoint to receiue the same to her vse Proclamation within sixe dayes next after such offender shall be in her name commanded so to do by open proclamation vnder the great seale of England Burne to be made within any place or market towne within the County wherein any such offence shall be committed or shall wilfully Ships Hauen Barre maliciously or rebelliously burne or destroy or cause to be burned or destroyed any of her Maiesties ships or shall barre or cause to be barred any hauen within any of her dominions Imbesill Armour Victuals this is treason in euery such offender and in their counsellers and abbetters this act is made