therefore doe much deceiue themselues who vnder the shadowe of whatsoeuer mightinesse or power either els in consideration of their long continuance doe imagine that the same should make them perpetuall For they bee matters which are neither sufficient neither can plead prescription against the iustice of the almightie who limiteâ—h the bounds of all estates which they cannot passe when the tyme of correction is come as by histories the light of tyme and register of things passed doth sufficiently appeare Yea there be many worthie persons yet liuing which haue seene the late beautie and eminencie of France in the tyme of Frances the first and Henry the second who would be forie to be brought to conceiue any euill opinion thereof notwithstanding the multitude of disorders happened either to confesse that the foundations of the same are shaken but it were their dueties rather to mourne then to dispute and replye against so visible and sensible apparances of subuertion For the most part of the rootes of this so great trée doe lye bare and halfe withered many of the braunches are dead fewe leaues doe remaine and the fruite is growne almost wilde And to all this infirmitie haue tyme together with the late mishaps brought it Their best therefore were to confesse the truth to their powers to labour to mainteyne so much of it as is yet good in strength and force I knowe that the foretelling of the falles which cannot be done without laying open the shame therof will seeme but an vnpleasant discourse to him that loueth and honoreth his countrie and nation But seeing such perils doe alreadie astonish so many hearts also that the causes which plunge vs therein doe appeare in all mens eyes were it not a great cowardlinesse in this vrgent necessitie to sit still and say nothing True it is that many men through default of good intelligences doe stand halfe amazed in the middest of all these miseries And like as the insensible waters doe runne downe the riuers vntill they fall into the Ocean wherein they bee buryed euen so those men by little and little rowling themselues into the present confusions which carie them away being destitute of right vnderstanding doe goe forwarde one after another vntill they fall headlong into the gulfe of destruction It is a profitable peece of worke when a house is on fire to shewe it to those that see it not likewise to vrge such as see it and feare it to helpe to quench it also to admonish other such as without any great consideration do peraduenture kindle it that they do not well to be briefe to exhort euery one to helpe the maister of the house for the safegard thereof together with the preseruation of his whole familie Sundrie Philosophers in their writings haue set downe the causes of translations and alterations of estates as Aristotle in his Politiques who likewise haue touched the meanes how to preserue the same wherin they haue bene so diligent and curious as to procéede euen to the smallest causes whereof whosoeuer would perticulerly discourse had néede of tongue enough But because wee are in greater necessitie of the truth then of wordes my counsaile is that we goe and drawe it out of the true philosophie where we shall finde it more liuely painted foorth then in any other doctrine whatsoeuer The holy Scriptures doe among other make mention of thrée notable vices which for the most part do concurre and ioyne together and for the which God doth with open punishments and destructions ouerthrow commonwelths namely Impietie Vniustice and Dissolution which a very learned personage of our tyme hath very well noted whose opinion also being so well grounded I will both allowe and follow Impietie sayth he ouerthroweth the conscience Vniustice either publicke or particuler subuerteth all pollicie and common societie of mankinde Dissolution doth diuersly trouble and spoyle families so that through the mixture of all these mischiefes must horrible confusions doe ensue Néedes must we confesse though with mourning and sorowe that they all doe so aboundantly raigne throughout this poore realme that without the helpe of the deuine bountie wee are in daunger of great shipwracke euen at hand It were not here amisse to speake somewhat of Religion but I intend not so to doe but onely to warne our nation to consider that notwithstanding the diuersities thereof yet they ought not to esteeme one of another as of Turkes For seeing both partes doe confesse that they worship one selfesame God that they adâ—owe one selfesame Iesus Christ to be their Sauiour and that the Scriptures and foundations of their faith bee all one there ought likewise to be such brotherhood charitie betweene them that ceasing all hatred crueltie and warres they should grow to some reconsiliation Can we not be content with aboue 200000. men of warre perished through the furie of these diuisions Was there euer more terrible Sacrifices then these I thinke that all that haue any taste of religion should be hereby induced to pacifie themselues as also that those whose felicitie consisteth in reuenge should now bee glutted with so much blood as haue bene shed But I will at this tyme speake onely of three horrible vices which are as it were the dependances of Impietie and haue infected all France The first is Atheisme the second Swearing and Blasphemie and the last a pernicious vse of Magicke and sundry other kindes of Diuinations and Sorceries All and euery whereof doe dishonor and contemne Gods most holy name and merueilously prouoke him Concerning Atheisme it is no newe vice but of auncient continuance yea it raigned in the time of King Dauid as himselfe testifieth saying There is no God as foolish men affirme in their mad mood Their drifts are all corrupt vayne not one of them doth good It is a terror euen to thinke that there should bee any humaine creatures especially in these daies wherin the light of the holy Scriptures doth shine so bright that durst disaduowe their Creator but it is no great meruaile for the same Scriptures doe teach vs that in the latter daies there shall be many such people whom notwithstanding they do sufficiently bewray themselues it were good neuerthelesse to see paynted out in such sort as they are described in the wisedome of Salomon who sayth thus The wicked haue sayd within themselues The daies of our life are short and ful of heauinesse neither haue there bene any knowne to returne from the dead for we are borne of nothing and hereafter we shall be as if we had neuer bene for our bodies shall be turned into ashes and our soules scattered as the soft ayre and in tyme our names shall be forgotten Come therefore let vs take and enioye the goods that are here and vse the creature lightly as in our youth Let vs fill our selues with precious wine and parfumes and let not the flower of our tyme fade away Let vs crowne our selues
meanes whereby to recompence those that are his seruants By this sweete harmonie of speech this man who peraduenture before presumed enough of himselfe now coueteth to presume too much and so to seeke nothing but warre and battaile Yea the most modest who mislike flatteries euen in the reiecting of them do still swallowe downe some small portion wherewith to feede that little vanitie that dwelleth in them It is not to bee enquired what discourses they make in themselues what they shall doe or how high they shall climbe but to take these for extrauagants In this disposition nothing seemeth vnpossible and the more boldnesse and experience they haue the more doe their presumption encrease wherby they disdaine their friends contemne their enemies and refuse all others counsaile in whatsoeuer they vndertake These bee the bad humours which this windie collick of Presumption and Flatterie doe engender in a Captaine I thinke no man dare denye but it were necessarie to see them purged Howbeit diuers doe finde my remedies to be very bitter and troublesome but say what they will they are most conuenient For these humours being too deeply rooted the remedies wherewith to plucke them vp must be very strong These medicines are of an other sorte then those that are vsed against diseases of the bodie whose propertie is to worke to the good of the partie vpon whō they be ministred For being considered in their owne nature they are as hath bene sayd méere ruines of the bodie but considered accidentally they may bee termed drugges that heale the astonishment of the minde The Phisitions also that minister these medicines may be compared to him whom Plutarke maketh mention of who thinking to haue slaine his enemie by thrusting his sword into him pearced an Impostume which he had within him and so saued his life that he should soone after haue lost through his secrete sicknesse if the other mishappe had not happened which was to him a healthsome remedie The wise Captaine therfore that seeketh to profite in the knowledge of armes when he incurre any mishaps hauing disgesed the first bitternesse thereof must seeke to vse the rest as the expulsiue vertue of some Easterly roote to expell out of his minde the proud vapours thereinto ascended and the greater operation that this worketh in any y e lesse neede hath he of any other medicine As for the Captaines that are furnished with ignorance they likewise do growe into presumption whereto the good clawbacks that follow thē as wel as the former are a great helpe But for the others being better guided by vertue their losses doe happen after a more valiant sorte where these ignorant men doe fall into mishappes accompanied with shame Now to speake of the estate as well of the one as of the other they that amend be happie in mishap but most vnhappie are those that will neuer acknowledge their error but impute it either to others or to fortune and so continue their pride in the middest of their miserie For in y e ende they remaine engaged vnder the burthen of some great blowe whether their want of discretion hath led them which the first doe shunne by finding their imperfection in time after they haue receiued some smal one Hereby may wee easely iudge that the aduersities which bring vs into the path of wisedome are better then the prosperities that transport vs therefro I could alleadge the domesticall examples of sundrie of our Capteynes who to their friends haue not denyed but that they haue reaped commoditie out of these extraordinarie corrections But sith I imagine that such as followe the warres may haue tryed somewhat or heard others speake thereof I will forbeare only I will admonish them both sooner and neerer to looke to their owne faultes then to other mens for so shall they learne to ouershoote themselues but seeldome The fourth Paradoxe That daylie experience haue taught such meanes to fortifie Holds as are most profitable in respect of the small charge thereof and no lesse defensible then such stately ones as the Ingeniors haue aforetime inuented THE Italians deserue the commendation of being the first inuenters of diuers sortes of gallant fortifications which since they haue reduced into such an arte as hath bene esteemed honorable neither hath it bene of lesse profite to those that haue delt therein And peraduenture this last poynt hath partly bene the occasion that they haue perswaded Princes that such and so many things were requisite to bring a peece of worke to perfection and worthie them Wherein they haue not bene altogether vntoward for through great long expences the water is come to their mil. I know it beseemeth great Princes to doe great workes because they haue great meanes and therefore the small will not content them but withall they should prize them in the ballance of commoditie least the dearenesse of the one hinder the setting hand to the other I seeke not herein that which is seemely for a fewe but that which may bee commodious and profitable to all Especially for their sakes who being weake had neede for their owne fafetie to fortifie themselues and yet through pouertie are driuen to spend but little I take that to be a fruitfull peece of worke which is performed quickly easely and with small cost and yet in goodnesse doth counteruaile an other whereto they cannot attaine without contrary meanes I meane not in this my treatise to comprehend such places as are strong by nature but only those which may be so made by arte The first place that here I will bring to view shall be the Citadell of Antwerpe wherein wee may say that nothing hath bene forgotten either in wealth diligence inuention or plentie of stuffe so as in all Christendome a goodlier peece of worke for fortification hath no man seene But on the other side if wee consider that the building thereof cost 1400000. Florins and yet had it bene assaulted would not peraduenture haue held out much better then Oudenarde or Maestricht which were fortified but with earth it will make men somewhat curious to examine these matters more exactly Especially small Potentates and little townes are to looke very néerely hereto for if they should measure their defence by the ell of these great Princes they should bee peraduenture empourished yea vtterly ouerthrowne before they could bee halfe fotified The Citadell of Mets cost aboue a million of Franks and I suppose that that of Turin drewe néere to 300000. Crownes Which I speake not as misliking that these great Princes should employ so much vpon these small Castles for they wast much more vnprofitably but only to the ende to let men see that for the fortifying of such a towne as Malines or Orleance which in greatnesse are alike after that order the charge would amount vnto aboue fiue millions of Florens also that for the furnishing of money they should bee driuen either to sell one of their Estates
filthie imitation The Courtly Libertine differeth from these men in this that he seeketh to liue in more light and to bee knowen how be it hee is so slie that hee forgetteth no deuise wherewith to couer that which he doth well knowe many will reproue But he speedeth as well as y e woman who to couer her nakednesse putteth on a white thin and fine lawne vaile whereby shee may bee seene as playne as before for euen so may wee easilie beholde the mudde that is in the bottome of theyr water and it is greate pittie hee employeth not his so many qualyties and exercises as well in the vse of vertue as of his pleasures But after a man hath suffered himselfe to bee by this sorceresse bewitched it is verie harde for him to abandon her so many hookes hath shee to with-holde those that doe followe her Wee haue alreadie seene how hee alleadgeth the example of Courts and finest wittes fayning that as well the one as the other doe all tende to that ende But I denie it For although men doe there seeke pleasant matters yet are not those theyr principall endes but vnderlings thereto and as it were some sweete refreshing to life after it hath bene too much wearyed toiled with cares For I thinke there be fewe but theyr lyke that will preferre the pleasure of melodious musicke before the goodly harmonie of sundrie commendable amities there contracted eyther glut themselues with a pleasant banquet rather then saue theyr deere friende out of present perill least so shoulde they seeme to haue but small regarde to the contenting of theyr soules for their bodie beeing filled they are satisfied Yea they make it a bond-slaue sayth Plutarke in forming the contemplatiue parte thereof not to thinke vpon any other thing but the bodie which is as much as for to hale it down with sensuall concupisences and because in his smal workes he hath eloquently discoursed agaynst many other Epicurian opinions I will referre the Reader for his better satisfaction vnto him Nowe must I saie some what also of our warlyke Epicure who as the nature of warie is to disorder all things so woulde hee bring such a confusion vppon the most profitable senses that remayne in his soule as they might not keeepe him downe but suffer him for to followe his furious appetites whereas hee is so euylly accustomed in these corrupted schooles that nothing but the glutting of himselfe therwith can delight him euen as the Fishers nettes are haled into the bottome of the water with small morselles of Lead therevnto fastned He maketh a goodlie brag as if he would tread vnder foot whatsoeuer he thinketh may seeme to leade him vnto feare and delicacie and yet hee marketh not that most of his pastimes are of lyke nature For when he hath suffered a lyttle what is his delyght but to wallowe in the puddles of Bacchus and closettes of Venus vntyll that griefe weaknesse or pouertie doe pull him foorth agayne O what a goodly meane hee hath to maintaine the vertue of Fortitude in strength by nourishing it in dishonest pleasures Neuerthelesse to the ende to moderate the rudenesse of martyall lyfe I will sette downe an argument cleane contrarie vnto his and conclude that it is necessarie many times to vse such thinges as may mollifie and appease it but with what drugges must it bee done With pietie humanitie and temperaunce which neuer quaile the courage whereas that meate wherewith he feedeth his soule doth make it both dull and sauage Our aforesayd Libertines in whom particularly there is small disagreement doe in generall verie well agree among themselues to contemne and reiect the Christian life as beeing perswaded that it banisheth all ioy out of the heart and keepeth man all his life time in as demure a countenance as the same which a bride counterfaiteth for one day onely And because they dare not openlie speake euill of it they reuenge themselues by slandering it secretly among such as are of theyr owne fraternitie This monstrousnesse of these later dayes might be thought berie strange were it not that I consider that the antiquitie of the Iewes engendred the Saduces who denyed the resurrection of the dead and immortalitie of the soules which maketh mee not to wonder so much at the imperfections of our time for if we be Gods people so were the Iewes albeit we sée y t as well y t one as y e other haue gone verie far astraie In Plutarks time there were many such people but the same were heathen men blinded with ignorance and pricked forwarde with their desires to whome vpon this point he speaketh so partiâ—ently that I woulde take his speech to be sufficient to awaken and amend those that liue in our dayes These be his wordes The Epicures do scorne the sacrifices and ceremonies which we vse to the God saying that those that assist therat doe it not of any pleasure that they conceiue therein but for a certaine feare that they haue of them which is manifestly false For in truth there is no prosperitie that more delyghteth good men than that which they conceiue in the temples neither any time more ioyfull than those feasts neither can they see or doe any thing that better pleaseth them than when they sing or assist at the sacrifices to the Gods For is not there the soule heauy or melancholike as if it had to deale with some tyrant but rather wheresoeuer it weeneth that God is there doth it soonest put away all feare and care and giue it selfe to mirth Afterward he addeth Now sayth Diogenes all belong the Gods among friends all things are còmon but the good are friends to the Gods It is not theÌ„ possible but that the deuout such as are friends to the Gods must withall bee happy neither that the vertuous man as hee that is temperate and iust can be without deuotion or religion Is not this very wel spoken of a heatheÌ„ who neuer had but false instructioÌ„s to conclude that he which hath a liuely impression of religion can not be without felicity and ioy Let therefore our Libertines of these dayes who make themselues so blinde in the middest of all this heauenly light at the leastwise receiue the instruction of this philosopher euen they that so much estéeme of prophane writers who did see more clearely in those passed darknesses then these men wil do in the perfect light I am of opinion that who so list to reade this his so excellent a a treatise thorow out of the which I haue shredde these small morcels it will suppresse in him a great part of these false opinions by séeing them so sufficiently confuted which shall excuse me from repetition referring the readers to the originall We shall not néede as I thinke any other doctors then the Philosophers to confute these people which doe thus falsely pollute the purest principles of mans life for it were too great an honor to theÌ„
This enâ—â—â—ase of libertie encouraged them a fresh put them in better hope Heereto hee condescended partly by counsayle and partly vpon necessâ—ite so to auoide mutuâ—ie euen of the Reisters whome the Catholikes did with greate promises vnder hand labour to retire as also he feared the retraiâ—t of some of his French souldiours who in aduersities were readie inough to turne their coates After this he came and pitched at Iargeau a towne standing vppon the riuer of Loire hauing a bridge to the ende so to haue a free passage ouer and thence resolued to march into Normandie there to receiue the money that was alreadie come out of England for his Reisters threathed to take him prisoner His cariages were left at Orleance to the end to make the more speed where his brother the Lord Andelot was left to gouerne The Duke of Guize perceiuing this departure came pitched his camp before the towne his first attempt was to winne the suburbs at the foot of the bridge commonly called Portereau so to stop all saylies on that side The Lord of Feuquiers had intrenched it as meaning there to haue safely lodged the Germaines and French footmen that escaped from the battell of Dreux vntill they had bene forced awaie it might haue bene kept foure or fiue dayes agaynst all handie blowes so as there had come no ordinance In the meane time while it was assaulted there felt such a hap that the towne had lyke to haue bene taken so wonderfull are the euents of warre but especiallie through the default of the Lancek nights The Duke of Guize minded not that daie to force it but rather to marke the countenaunce of those that were within Howbeit as a warie Captaine he came furnished both with needle and threed as we saie not onely to be prouided for euerie occasion but also to frame occasions wherby to preuaile Wherfore hee committed to the Lord of Cipiere an excellent Captaine one thousand and two hundred French harquebuziers two light Culuerines and six Cornets of horse and marched after him selfe with another small troope At their comming which was vppon the Gascognes quarter they found them abroade at the skirmish and their trenches and barriers wel furnished but while they held them plaie there certaine straglers abrode certefied them that the Lanceknights quarter set no great countenaunce on the matter wherevpon they sent foure or fiue hundred harquebuziers together with sâ—me horse to 〈…〉 e that corner As the same instant the Lord of Cipiere discharged his artillerie into the barriers of the French The Launceknightes at the mouing and sounde thereof were astonied and giuing ouer their guard fled at which time the Catholique souldiers entred the suburbs so came behind the French men who defended theÌ„selues brauely by this meanes went all to wracke neither is it possible to imagine greater disorder then was there for y e bridge being pestred with the stuffe that they were conueying into the towne they that fled could not get by Neither could they shut the turne pike gates or lift vp the draw bridge whervpon the most part fell to swimming ouer the riuer Thus through yron fire and water aboue eight hundred men were lost But the feare that was brought into the towne was greater than the hurt and it was openly sayde that the Iles which they had fortefied were wonne yea that they fought at the chiefe gate which daunted euen the boldest The Lorde of Andelot who was a knight without feare seeing such a confusion and feare sayd All that be Gentlemen followe mee for wee must either driue backe the enimie or die for it They can but one waie come to vs and there but ten men in front with one hundred of ours wee may beate a thousand of theirs Be of good cheere and let vs goe As hee went he behelde the feare slight and disorder hee heard a thousande lamentable cries had as many aduices giuen him In the meane time without anie feare he passed the bridges and came to the turnâ— pike verie glad that the enemie was no farther forwarde but lykewise it was time for him to come for they were at the drawe bridge readie to enter amaine which neuerthelesse was drawen and the gate shut with shall losse Now it is to bee noted that it was a long halfe houre from the enterprise against the suburbes and the comming of the Lord of Andelot thether all which time the gate stoode open and no man to keep it which not withstanding the Catholikes entered not whether it were that they staied to spoyle and kill eyther else that they wanted some valyant Captaine to guide leade them But vndoubtedly if in the beginning they had made a general head agaynst the town they had wonne it so great was the feare and so small the remedies At the least they had beene sure of the Iles which had bene as much as to haue had the towne within fifteene dayes after I haue since demanded of some good Captaines of the Catholikes how it chanced that they perceiued our astonishment no sooner But they told me that themselues were also amazed to see that they had so sodainly conquered so much people But that they thought that a certaine bruite raysed among them that we had purposely forsaken the turne pike which was filled with pouder wherewith when a great number of them had beene passed to haue made them to leape did state them Thus did the Catholikes loose a braue occasion and the Protestants escape as great a daunger These extraordinarie euents ought to quicken vp the foresight of the defendants to prouoke the assaylaunts to diligence to the end the first put not off that which ought to be done this day vntill to morrow and the other remember to accompanie their troops that giue the onset with such Captaines as can readilie perceiue and speedely take aduauntage when it is offered Of so good successe did not onelie the Duke of Guize but also his whole armie which exceeded twentie thousand conceiue great hope Whereas contrariwise many of them that were within were shaken with as shâ—â—ude an aâ—â—aint and would gladlie haue beene content that the Lord Admirall could haue flowen backe vnto them but by litle and litle the Lorde of Andelot cured the feeblenesse of such apprehensions with haughty and persuasiue speeches Long time was afterward spent in assaulting the turne pikes which since were surprised through the negligence of some of those that were within and in playing vppon the defences of the Iles. The Duke of Guize determined with twentie Canons to plaâ—e two daies vpon them and to giue a fierce assaulte and in respect of their weaknesse in my opinion he would haue wonne them But in the meane time there fell out a chaunce vnlooked for no lesse straunge and rare than the former which troubled the whole feast which was the wounding of the saide Duke by a Gentleman named Poltrot and his death within