place will I attribute to superfluity in aparrell that exceedeth euery where whereof proceedeth generall pouertie which to redresse seemeth but small difficultie and yet it cannot bee touched but two millions of men will crye out and exclaime What meanes is there then to prouide for it Euen to laugh at all those lamentations complaints and rages For from a foole if you take his bable he will storme and yet is it requisite to do it least he hurt others But which is yet worse these excesses that we speake of doe hurt those especially that commit them though at the first they be as pleasant as in the ende they be pinched when their liuing is morgadged out He that would perticulerly touch all these kindes of folly as the inuenters of auriculer confession haue deuided mortall and veniall sinnes into an infinite number of rootes and braunches should neede a whole volume It hath in all ages bene a hard matter to cut off the things that men haue esteemed to bee their principall delights yea some histories doe reporte that euen the Romaines were much troubled therewith Yet is there great difference betwéene vs and them For they excéeded when they had aboundance of all things but wee doe it now that we haue almost nothing Neither doe I feare that we shall enter into sedition for this poynt They that keepe the Custome house at Lions will say that vnlesse euery man may haue libertie of apparell the King shall lose aboue three hundred thousand crownes of yeerely rent But if we turne ouer the leafe wee shall finde that there is yeerely transported out of the Realme aboue fower millions of Francks which is caried into Italie for such warres and doe cause the King and his subiects to spende aboue twelue millions in superfluous apparell that might well bee spared In the tyme of Phillip the Conqueror vnder whom France florished and was aloft Veluet was out of vse with them neither had they any store of Silkes at the least fewe men did weare them Neuerthelesse the great men were neuer better obeyed each one in his degrée then in those daies So long as nothing but ritch garments doe procure reuerence and loue there is but small sted fastnesse therein and therefore there must be stronger bonds to bring vs to our dueties Yet doe I not meane that we should order our garments after the simplicitie of olde tyme for now doe many things abound that were then very rare The third parte of the Nobilitie at the least could wish there were some good order taken herein so should they bee better furnished with money and lesse endebted And I beleeue they could be content rather to spend that which they doe consume in such superfluities in the Kings seruice in the field where their expenses should be better employed theÌ„ to empouerish themselues in these follies and in liew of so many gay hosen and cloakes brodered with gold and siluer to buy good horses armour furniture therewith to bee worthely furnished in these honorable necessities So should wee finde aboue 1200 gentlemen able without pay to accoÌ„panie him which are yet good relickes of our decayed France and might worke as great miracles as euer did S. Mathurin of l' Archant And as these doe cure fooles as y t report goeth so would the others heale certeyne dolts y t think vs Frenchmen to be euen in the Hospitall Who theÌ„ would make any stirre for these things Peraduenture the women who are wonderfully affected to these goodly ornaments and would bee very forie they should be cut off Indeede they should bee allowed much more then men as well to content their curiositie as also because they loue to haue somewhat that may giue a glosse to their beautie Howveit Aristotle saith that women are the one moitie of the Commonwelth and therefore ought to bee brideled by good lawes but they will not beléeue him but say that he is an hereticke There be many other superfluities which I will not speake of as hauing touched them els where Only I haue chosen this kind which is as hurtfull as common which also I haue layed open to the ende to shewe that sith it may bee amended so may others likewise that make vs worse and more needie Which if any man desire me to name I must report these excessiue expences wasted in sumptuous Feastes vppon small occasion Maskes Playes superfluous retenues stately builoings precious moueables with many other pomps and pleasures which all do stand in great néede of reformation because that many doe passe their dueties and habilities neither should a man lye that should say that they are readier to spend 1000 crownes in such vanities theÌ„ to giue half a one to a poore soule that dyeth for hunger or tenne to a friend that standeth in great neede The cause whereof is ouermuch selfe loue and want of charitie toward others Now will I speake of matters which seeme necessarie to be touched if we minde to reforme the estate notwithstanding it be daungerous stirring of theÌ„ There be that thinke that if in this our pouertie those mén be not visited that haue so vnreasonably enritched themselues by our confusions the King shall bee defrauded of a woonderfull coÌ„moditie that would arise of the restitutions that diuers should be forced to make which also being applyed to good vses would stop great gaps This proposition is plausible grounded vpon equitie but y e execution therof is very difficult coÌ„sidering the great nuÌ„ber of those whose consciences are larger then a Friers â—léeue some in receiuing too much others in seruing their owne 〈…〉 es and others in catching and snatching And vndoubtedly if wée should driue them to giue accompt of their administration past it would bréede some iarre Yet if there were but a fewe exchetors in this number who now should deale faithfully in their offices if they could remember what shipwracke they had once almost fallen into was should bee sure enough from any warre there about But to close with those that weare Swordes that can both commaund and strike and that haue authoritie friendes and intelligences vndoubtedly it would breede great alterations Was it not one of the causes that moued Caesar to take armes because they would haue visited him and his partakers about the wealth that he had gathered in Gaule When the Gracchies propounded and purposed to put in execution the law Agraria which cut off the possessions of the ritch what bloodie sedition did ensue For although a thing be lawfull yet is it not expedient to put it alwaies in vse because that neither the indisposition of the affayres can beare it neither the tyme require it Some will say that it is a gentle way to redemand that thing by lawe that hath bene vsurped against lawe True But if we doe well marke the consequences wee shall finde them so daungerous that it were a great ouersight for the gathering vp of a fewe small profites
forts as to offende in the fielde This armie being in the field it would bee some what harde to goe burne the windmils at Paris and it may be those that are of that opinion will then be so curteous as to be content with the firing of that at Catelet So mightie an armie will some oran saie would deserue the kings presence neither should it want if any other king should come to assaile him for he is no appreÌ„tise in matters of war neither shall we at this daie finde anie that with the swoord in his hands hath bene so victorious in two battailes as he or that in the ditch of a besieged towne hath receiued the harquebuze shot which maketh me to thinke that he will neuer suffer anie vpon presumption to curtall his coate Sith therefore he is yet able to bring such a power into the field there is no wise man that will thinke him redie to play banquerout as some men doe make account but rather to be a most mightie Prince It resteth that we speake of order which in many other matters is verie disordered among vs. But the kings owne hand must bee the true meane to restore it which can as well do that as handle the sword But he must haue the assistance of time and peace without the which it is vnpossible hee shoulde attaine thereto for adding to them both his owne diligence and good example the worke will be performed in such wise that where now it is called France decaied it shall be tearmed France restored I would extend my speech farther were it not that I remember I may be accused of cogging with strangers and flattering my owne nation Rather woulde I wish the first to knowe that as stronge bodies doe through theyr owne riot ouerthrowe themselues so likewise by a certaine hidden power in them they rise againe examples whereof we haue enow For such considerations may make them wiser to iudge of matters of estate and of other mens and not vnder the pretence of a few diseases to condemne a man to death As for the second I should be glad to see them affected to maintaine themselues vnited vnder the authoritie of this crowne wherof would insue the greatnesse and felicity of the same which we ought as much to desire as heretofore we haue tasted of the swetnes therof But if God wold vouchsafe vs y e grace to see y e beginning of this goodlie world it would redoâ—â—d to our great coÌ„tentatioÌ„ after we haue wrestled against so many calamities to finde our selues in the middest of our domesticall goods which were almost vanished awaie we should haue no cause to waken our couetous desires neither to wheâ— our swoords to goe with great labour to seeke goods other where for we should find sufficient in our own houses To conclude we must not thinke that true greatnesse consisteth in getting much land but rather in possessing much vertue which is such a prize as when a king hath coueted and obtained it both he and his realme may be tearmed mightie The 21. Discourse That aliances of Christian Princes with Mahumetists the Capitall enimies of the name of Christ haue euermore beene vnfortunate Also that we ought not to enter anie firme confederacie with them THe great Orator Demosthenes in one of his Orations sayth that Like as the maister shipwrights going about to build a ship do lay stronge and steadfast foundations thereof so the principles of publike actions ought to be iust and honest This peraduenture is not vnfitly alleadged in the beginning of this small discourse for the better representing to those that gouerne great estates those necessarie rules whereby they ought to compasse their affayres And like as for the most part those men doe amisse who cleauing too much to their owne opinions doe go from the lawfull wayes So do they seldome straie who borrowing good examples of y e instruction and wisedome of the elders doe followe the same In the meane time whatsoeuer care man maye take to containe himselfe within the bounds thereof yet can he not alwayes bee exempt from transgressing the rules of equity through the imperfection of his iudgement and force of his passions Howbeit he must at the least take heede of encurring those great faultes that breede bad consequences as diuerse Princes both afore time and still haue done and doe whereby there haue growen irrecouerable losse to theyr estates A Prince seeing himselfe oppressed and his Countrie in necessitie deuiseth with himselfe and hath those that do also counsaile him to seeke all meanes to preserue it which peraduenture hath made men too free to make leagues with barbarous Nations the fruite whereof hath neuerthelesse bene so small that few there haue bene but haue soone repented their rashnesse But before we propound anie examples of these wretched confederacies I thinke it requisite in a word to teach the originall of the Turkish nation their increase and terrible behauiours Iohn Carion in his briefe Chronicle of the world faithfully corrected out of al histories sayth the Turkes to be descended out of the straightes of the mount Caucasus And that as some reporte they dispearsed themselues out of the North into some small corners of Asia about two hundred yeres before the comming of Christ where they remayned almost vnknowen vnto the time of the the Emperour Heraclius who raigned in the yere 612. Then Orismada king of the Persians finding himselfe assayled by the Sarazens called to them for succour whome they assisted But after his death seeing the Sarazens had seased vpon the Realme the beautie and fruitfulnes of the land so allured them that they stayed about the Caspian sea in that place which in olde time was called Hircanie and finallie so compounded with the Caliph of Babylon that he suffered them to possesse and till the land where they had stayed There also they imbraced Mahumets religion and obeied the Caliph a long time Afterward the Sarazens growing into dissention and warres among themselues the Souldan finding himselfe too weake to defend his partie called the Turkes to his helpe and expulsed the Caliphes After this victorie the Turkes demanding their paie he denied it which so prouaked them that they set vpon him ouerthrew him and braue him out of his Realme Thus did they establish theyr dominion in both the Armenies whereto they adioyned Capadocia Galacia and Bithinia which by little and little they conquered and this was about the yere of Christ 1050. Shortly after the Tartarians tooke awaie the Turkes dominion and brought them into subiection to them vntill that in the yere 1300. they rebelled and fortified themselues destroying the Tartarian Empire Then the other ancient families hauing through enmitie domesticall wars destroied each other begaÌ„the race of the Ottomans to beare sway Under this race grew the Turkes to that mightinesse wherein we now see them Thus the name and Empire of the Sarazens decaying this nation got the dominion of
destruction truely of so many soules fallen into such horrible gulfes of perdition Neither is it almost to bee imagined how grieuously these mischiefes haue moued all countrie people both to speake and write in the reproach of the French nation What then might sayd they the kindred and friends of those that were led into this miserable bondage doe One lost his father and mother an other his wife and children this man his brother that man his cosen It is very likely that their iust sorowe haue wrested from them infinite complaints teares and lamentations which haue peraduenture knocked at heauen gates This confederacie seemeth to haue bene the cause of the deminishing of the glorie of so florishing a Realme as France for euen at the death of King Henry the second it was fallen from a great parte of that greatnesse which fortie yeeres before it did enioye And although other causes might set forward this declination yet doe many thinke this to haue bene none of the least Yea say they if we should compare the commoditie reaped by all this Turkish succour with the onely tainting of the French good name among all nations in Europe we must of force confesse that the reproach doth farre exceede the profite For what is the winning of two or three townes to the reproofe of so many people for actions so vniuersally condemned Yea our selues can yet testifie that at the concluding of the peace betweene the two Kings of France and Spayne Anno 1559. the common speech of Germany Italie and Spayne was that one of the chiefest causes of our misfortunes proceeded of confederating with the Turkes bringing in and fauouring them to the hurt of the Christians To whome I aunswered That they did too sharply taunt those things which in some respects might be borne with neither were so vnlawfull but that vpon necessitie they might bee vsed likewise that the offence was in him that forced others for their safegard to haue recourse to such meanes But they replyed That it is one thing to confederate with a Christian Prince though vniust and ambitious and an other with these barbarous people which are the instrumēts of Gods wrath Also that those which seeke to excuse these errors ought to shew what wisedome there is in backing our selues with the succour of such as blemish the Princes fame and bring him into reproach Moreouer whether it be not mere blindnes to passe the same way wherin we see euery man encurre shipwracke Finally that their opinion was that no wise man endued with any conscience could much gainsay so euidēt a truth but would rather yeeld and grannt not onely to condemne that which was so vnlawfull but also to abstaine from perseuering therein These in brief were the reasons that they propounded which also I could not finde to be much impertinent Neuerthelesse for my better satisfying I thought good to trye the opinions of some Deuines which came to visite me whether Christian integritie were empaired by such confederaties To this question they aunswered that Daniel in his prophetie speaking of the 4. Monarchies which should be in the world and describing them vnder the shape of 4. beastes sheweth that toward the declining of the fourth which was the Romaine there should spring vp a little horne that is to say a kingdome which should be more mightie then the rest also that this horne should haue eyes a mouth That the eyes signified a law craftely inuented the mouth blasphemy against God also that this power should fight against the Saincts and haue great victories This did they affirme to signifie the doctrine of Mahumet houlden first by the Sarazens and then by the Turkes That if we list well to consider the Turkish kingdome wee should finde it to be a terrible tyrannie whose subiects were wonderfully enthralled their warres destitute of all good foundation their politique gouernmēt being wel examined to be but a bare name their Ecclesiastical regiment to be none but in liew thereof wee should see a wicked prophaning of the name and seruice of the true God their household affayres subuerted with Poligamy other disorders which dissolued all humaine societie And as for their trecherie and crueltie the histories together with experience the matters afore alleadged doe yeeld sufficient testimonie to make vs to beleeue that prophetie to belong to them as being therein so figured as they are Now presupposing the premises to be true say they we would weete how a Christian Prince can confederate or make any stedfast league with such barbarous nations as are as it were marked and appoynted to be the scourges to Christians For as we thinke they can hardly be vsed without offence to pietie In olde tyme God expressely forbad the Iewes to enter amitie with the Canaanites or Amorites people whom for their abominable vice he did abhorre Neither were the comparison amisse in setting the Turkes downe for the one and our selues for the other whereof it must of necessitie followe that the same defence ought to stand vs in stead of a lawe to restraine vs least we pollute our selues in their abominations Then did I tell them that I much meruailed how so many Cardinalles Bishoppes and Doctors endued with great learning of whome France had no want could brooke this league or made no meanes to breake it Hereto their aunswer was that many tymes Princes made the gownes to yeeld to the sword and the counsaile of the Clergie to the necessitie of the state And so wee brake off our conference which hauing since well considered hath forced me to say That these barbarous people are the same against whome the Pope ought to turne his excommunications and all Christian Potentates their wrath and weapons rather then against them selues or their Subiects to whome very rashly they impute Heresie when they should haue in much greater abomination all Turkish infidelitie Against those should they drawe their Swordes not to conuert them for the Gospell taketh no roote in mens mindes but by preaching and holinesse of life but to represse their crueltie and tyrannie and these warres would bee as necessarie as our domesticall bee vnnecessarie But there are some who seeing the Turkes prosperitie to continue so long and to encrease rather then deminish are as it were confounded in themselues and cannot thinke their dominion to bée so detestable considering that God powreth not his wrath vpon them but rather his fauour I doubt not but such as want instruction in Gods prouidence are sometimes when they enter into discourse hereof euen shaken but they ought to bee assured that this power can haue no perpetual continuance which hath her bounds as had the Sarazēs that is ended together with their name so that these many yeeres we haue heard no newes thereof These rods doth the Lord entertaine to the ende only to punish and chastise those who bearing the glorious title of Christians doe neuerthelesse through their iniquities
most were slayne rather in fight then in flight But the chiefe cause of the prolonging of it was as I thinke because the Kings armie was strong in footmen and the Prince of Condées in horsemen For the one could not breake the great battailes neither the other driue away the horses If wee doe well consider all battailes that haue bene fought since the Suizers battell which fought againe the next day wée shall finde none comparable to this yea the battell of S. Laurence was ended in halfe an houre The fifth accident was the taking of the two Generalles of the armies a rare matter because that they ordinarily doe neuer fight but in the ende and vpon extremitie and many times a battell is almost wonne before they came to this poynt But these stayed not so long for in the beginning each of them endeuoured to set his men an example not to dallie The Lord Constable was first taken and sore wounded hauing likewise bene wounded in seauen battailes that he had bene in which is testimonie sufficient of his courage and the Lord Prince was likewise taken toward the ende and wounded also Herevpon may growe a question whether a Generall ought to aduenture so farre Whereto it may bee aunswered that this is not to be termed aduenturing when the maine battaile marcheth to the charge and so he departe not out of his place Besides that these hauing good seconds did the lesse feare the daunger of their persons for the one had the Lord of Guize and the other the Admirall who both also were farre enough in the conflict The sixâ— was the maner how both the armies parted which many times happeneth otherwise then there it did Wee lightly see that the end of a battaile is the flight of the partie ouercome which is withall pursued two or three leagues and sometimes farther But here we may say was no pursuite but the Protestants retired an easie pace and in order hauing yet two battailes of Reistres and one of French horsemen in all amounting vnto about 1200. horse But the Lord of Guize who was weake in horse not willing to abandon his footmen was content to haue followed fiue or sixe hundred paces after them Thus as well the one as the other being wearie the night comming on parted them He tooke his lodging in the fielde where the battaile was fought and the Admirall went to a Uillage a long league of whether his footmen with all his cariages were retired Some hould opinion that the battaile was not lost because the losers were not quite disordered but therin they are deceiued For he that getteth the field winneth the Artillerie and taketh the footmens Ensignes hath tokens enowe of the victorie albeit it may bee sayd that it was not at the full as if plaine flight had ensued If anie man should replie that often times they had seene the two armies retire each from other in good order as at Roche-abeille also the fridaie before the battail of Moncontour It is true but then had they not had any maine fight as heere but onely great skirmishes wherein eyther parte kept their aduantage of the ground There are yet liuing many Gentlemen Captaines able to remember what was there done stil to deliuer some obseruations thereupon Finallie I thought good to set downe yet one thing aboue my number as also it happened after the battaile which was the curtesie and honestie that the Lord of Guize beeing the conquerour vsed toward the Lord Prince of Condie his prisoner which most men of each parte did not thinke that hee would haue done for it is well enough knowen how odious in ciuill watres the chiefe of either faction is as also what things are imputed vnto them so as if they fall into their enimies hands after many reproches which they are forced to beare their liues also are in daunger Howbeit here it fell out contrarie for being brought before him hee spake reuerentlie vnto him and with verie modest speeches wherein hee coulde not gather that hee meant to gird or checks him Also so long as he soiourned in the campe he oftentimes did eate with him likewise because vppon this daie of battayle they coulde haue but few beds brought the rather for that the carriages were halfe rifled and scattered be offered him his bed which the sayd Lord Prince would not accept but for the one halfe Thus did these two mightie Princes beeing as it were capital enimies both in one bed the one triumphing the other a prisoner take theyr rests together It may be sayd that the Lorde Marshall of Anuillâ— hauing him in custodie for to him he yeelded himselfe would not suffer him to haue any iniurie offered because his father was also a prisoner I confesse he would haue done what in him had lien but surely if the Lorde of Guize woulde haue hurt him his credite and reputation was then such as no man coulde haue letted him Such braue actions are not in my minde to bee buried in obliuion because that all that professe armes ought to study to imitate them and to abondon all crueltie and vnworthy deme aâ—â—res whereinto in these ciuil warres so many doe fall for that they either cannot or will not bridle their malice To the enimy that resisteth we are to shewe our selues haughty but being ouercome honesty willeth that we shew him curtesy Some man might yet crosse me and say that hee might well ynough shewe him this curtesy considering what hee had before procured at Orleance against the saide Prince To whome I will aunswere that heare I meane to commend the beautifull actions of vertue when by chance I mèete with anie but not to speake of other's which are not to my purposes so that when I see them shine in what man so lower I will honour them Of the 〈…〉 Lord of Guizes laide to Oâ—leance also of the 〈…〉 Admiralls iourney 〈◊〉 Normandie GRem hope had the Duke of Guize now 〈…〉 what a goâ—dly victorie hee had obtained albeit 〈◊〉 cost him deere as hauing taken the Generall of his aduerse partie and did remaine without companion hauing the whole gouernment in himselfe Neither was he slack in publishing it abroade as also he tooke good order to refresh his armie whereto he saide himselfe constrayned In the meane time all his imaginations tendeâ— to the preparing of all sortes of engins and prouision to assayle the towne of Orleance giuing out that the denne whereinto Foxes retyred being once taken they might afterward hunt them all ouer France Neither had the Lord Admirall lesse neede to rest his people who grieuing that they were beaten did many times finde cause of mutenie Wherefore he passed ouer the riuer of Loire as well to refresh them as to furnish them a new at the charges of diuerse the enemies small townes but meanely defended and a good quarter paie where the souldiour had the â—rdle somewhat at will to the end in parte to recouer his losses
to the ende to labour them the more earnestly to long after a good vnion of heartes as yet so strangelie alienated It is most euident that all these thrée Princes did greatly loue their people especially Lewes and those charges that hee layed vppon them procéeded through the vrgent necessitie of warres notwithstanding some haue bene but rashly enterprised The lyke or rather more was theyr loue shewed to theyr nobilitie as well in respect of the accesse and familiaritie that they allowed them about their persons as also of the worthie rewardes bestowed vppon them Likewise we neuer sawe vertue in greater estimation than at that time But what obedience honour and affection did as well the nobilitie as communaltie than beare to their kings More coulde not haue bene wished for they were neuer wearie of sounding forth their prayses beholding of theyr personnes and hazarding themselues to all daungers for them Then if we woulde but consider the accord that was among the sayde subiectes what shoulde wee doe but wonder how they could since so farre disagrée To be briefe that all partes of this mightie Realme dyd together yéelde so pleasant a harmonie as euerie man was gladde to dwell therein yea euen straungers flocked to participate in that felicitie And notwithstanding in the time of King H. the second many things beganne to alter yet did vertue beare such swaie that the outward forme at the least seemed fayre After this manner dyd the Frenchmen liue vntill the yeare 1560. when Concord beganne to flie from among them after whose departure vertue and iustice haue not so much shewed themselues abroade nay they are gone to soiourne heare and there among their priuate friends where they assure themselues of better entertainment This in my opinion may suffice to proue that through concord small things doo increase and great are maintained and kept Now let vs compare that time with this which wee now so often haue triall of and we shall see the difference to be no lesse than betwéene a faire bright Sunne shine day in the spring time wherin nothing appeareth but flowers greene grasse and a foule Winters daie in the which the clouds tempests darkning the aire nothing is to be séene but y e grasse depriued of her ornamēts séeming to be white with frosts and snow But like as by the order which God hath established in nature after foule weather commeth faire so are we to hope for a more fortunate world after this when once we haue through a holie conuersion appeared his wrath If a man enter into speech hereof by and by a number come in and saie Oh what is it that hath troubled and diuided vs but diuersities of opinions in Religiō Likewise there are others which on the other side doe replie that it is not the nature of Religion to bring forth such and so many calamities but rather that the cause is to be impeuted to the mallice of man who loueth darknes more than light and to their ignorance that think that such contrarieties should be decided by fire and sword when in deede they ought to be determined by gentlenesse and clemencie I would thinke that experience should make vs wise in this difficultie which shall nothing let me from prosecuting my purpose declaring what discord doth ingender Neither will I goe to séeke exāples hereof in foren lands neither in times past but in our own Countrie and age for if anie man be desirous to behold the image of all mischiefe hee néede not seeke farther than into France where this tragedie haue bene plaied the actors whereof beeing Frenchmen who euer since they were sezed of this cursed passion doe neuer sticke to hurt each other And like as a continuall feauer weakneth and pulleth downe the strongest bodie euen so the continuance of our warres hath almost abated depriued the Realme of the principall of her greatnesse mightinesse and beautie Wherin appeareth the truth of the other parte of the sentence alreadie alleadged viz. that by descord great thinges doe perish and runne into decaie Now notwithstanding hatred ordinarilie ingendereth discord where amitie for the most part bridgeth forth concord yet hath not this bene the cause that hath driuen many of those that are entered hereinto but rather some haue bene vrged by zeale others by persecution and othes by some duty that they ow to other men As also we haue séene many diuerse effects some more gentle than other some whereby the authors of the same deserue commendation in that they haue in these vnmercifull calamities borne themselues more moderatlie I dare not rehearse the horrible cruelties committed in all places notwithstanding some haue felte them more than others for the remembrance of them cannot but either bréede great horrour or exasperation Yea some such haue beene wrought as may be tearmed to bee against nature as when some haue deliuered their néerest kinsmen to the slaughter or dipped their handes in the bloud of their owne friends I thinke if anie man had in the dayes of king Frances the first foretolde those thinges that haue since happened he had ben slame as a spreader of lies and yet haue our beastly mindes bene such that we haue euen extolled and magnified the prodigious actions which blind rage hath committed I beseech God we neuer fall againe into the like abhominable gulfe of inhumanitie Thucidides a wise hystoriographer dooth briefely describe the manner howe the Grecians behaued themselues in their ciuill warres Whose saying I haue thought good here to insert to the end we may compare the forepassed mischiefes with those of our time thereby to discerne in which of these times mallice preuayled most After it was knowen sayth he that anie riot was committed in one place others waxed bolde to doo worse to the end to worke some noueltie to shew themselues either more diligent than others or else more insolent and hot in reuenge and all the mischiefes that they cōmitted did they disguise with gaie titles as tearming rashnesse magnanimitie modestie cowardlinesse headlong indignation manhood and boldnesse counsaile wise deliberation cloked dastardlynesse Thus he that shewed himselfe most furious was accounted a loyall friend and he that reproued him ranne into suspition If anie one of the contrarie faction propounded any thing that were good and honest it was not liked of but if they were able indeede to impugne it they had rather be reuenged than not to be wronged If by solemne oth they made any attonement the same lasted vntil the one see himselfe the stronger whereby he might violate infringe and ouercome it through mallice Yea he reporteth much more which to auoide tediousnesse I omit Now therefore would I know whether we haue not bene equal with the Grecians in like actions I thinke that none dare denie it but that we haue surmounted them in crueltie it is most euident Such Frenchmen as after so many ruines shall remayne maye iustly make that exclamation
when the men of arms were instituted maintained ordinarilie vsed y t others were quite reiected reseruing vnto them only their auncient name with a verie weake effect Howbeit I will not blame the institution of the men of armes which haue brought forth so good effects still may bring forth more nay rather I wil alow it but likewise I wish to see a good order among all that deale w t armes The difference between thē consisteth not in y e men for y t same nobilitie y t in time past serued after one manner doth now serue after another The diuersitie resteth in the warfare which is changed The better to vnderstand these changes to know the dueties of seruice we must take things farther of climbe euē to their original Those that haue written of the affaires of France especiallie the L. of Haillan do aduow that our fees were instituted vnder the first line of our kings By which fees he meaneth a certain quantity of land which they gaue to some more to some lesse to such gentlemen famous warriors as had serued thē in the wars to holde the same vpon their faith homage to come serue them a certaine time of the yere at their own charge To the end also that these noble innobled persons should be the better able to maintaine thēselues they licensed thē to let and demise their lands to the pesants for rent and yerely pension Moreouer they granted thē both high meane and lawe iustice ouer their men and vassalles the appeales whereof were reserued to their soueraigne iurisdiction Thus had the high Iusticer his lawe and inferiour Iustices vnd er him whom he tearmed his men of warre for they were bounde to wait vpon him as vpon the Lord of their fee and the others he tearmed peasants These landes thus giuen vpon condition aforesayd such a fee was to set out one man of armes such a one an archer such a one a third and such a one a fourth who were bound to meet at a place appointed so oft as by the dukes or earles who were but simplie gouernors of the prouinces townes or their bailiefes or stewards y t succeeded thē they should be commanded These assēblies were called Ban or Heriban which after some signifieth crie or outcrie This order seemeth to haue bene confirmed in the time of Charlemayn vnder whose posteritie the fees Lordships which vnder our former kings were but benefits giuen for tearme of life were through fauour continued from the Father to the sonne and so grew to be patrimoniall and hereditarie Heereby it appeareth what goodly priuiledges haue bene graunted to the nobilitie but withall we are to consider that the bonds are verie strict For they must alwayes come armed in defence of the Realme and be readie to repulse the assaultes and violences of straungers abroad These were the auncient strength of France where with our kings for the space of seuen hundred yeeres did many notable deedes vntill the yere 1454. wherein the men of armes were instituted But who so is desirous more perticularly to see theyr auncient order let them read Frossart who describeth the difference between the Barons Bannerets and high Iusticers as also of those that might beare banners which were square Ensignes and of those that might carrie but penons Likewise the armes of knights and manner of fight as well ioyntly as seuered with the rewards and martiall punishments neither doe I doubt but hauing seene all this he will iudge our auncestors to haue beene braue fellowes The Lord of Haillan like wise in his discourses of France dooth shew how fees came to be alienated which were not amisse to bee knowen The first cause proceeded of our parents deuotion For they being by the Cleargie dayly perswaded that they that gaue most to the beautifying and enriching of the Church had the highest places in paradise such of them as were able founded Abbies Priories and Chappels al wel prouided for of good rents therby thinking sufficiently to discharge themselues Then followed the imaginations of Purgatorie where they were tolde that for a mortall sinne they must burne seuen yeres in a most violent fire howbeit y t they might be deliuered therefro through abundance of messes and praiers Wherevpon he that had but one hundred shillings of rent gaue twentie for singing and praying as well for his owne soule as for his kinsfolkes and parents deceased Thus came aboue the sixt part of the fees of France into the hands of the Clergie The second cause was the vioages vndertakē for the conquest of the holy land whereat whosoeuer bare anie valiant minde would not faile to be the rather for y t our kings thēselues went in person And because that some lasted three or foure yeres the nobles solde part of their fees so to get money to maintaine themselues withal Besides all this they also made their wills wherein they bequeathed in case they died a good portion thereof to be praied for so as many dying in those dangerous and long iourneies a greate number of the fees were still alienated to the Church The third cause hath growen of the continual warres with the Englishmen where through many Gentlemen haue bene forced to sell their fees to the vnnoble who had permission of the kings to buy the same for with out such license they could not before haue anie proprietie therein All which alienations set together haue pulled the third part of fées out of the bodie of the nobilitie whereby they are fallen as it were into dead hands that is into their hands who cannot in person discharge the auncient duties belonging to the same Likewise since that time the Lawiers Receiuers some Merchants haue so wel husbanded for themselues that they also haue laide holde vppon a good part of the sayd fees so as we may truly saie that the nobilitie doe not now possesse aboue the one halfe Which notwithstanding our kings in the meane time haue still had the vse of their Arrierbans wherin were but few Gentlemen who all almost ranne into place where paye honours and martiall rewards were shared out so as there remaine none but men of smal experience neither were they imploied but in the defence of those prouinces that lay farthest out of the danger of warre Moreouer many of all sorts of people both great and smal haue purchased exemptions frō the charges wherto their fées are bound which haue bred as great weakning both in men and money Our kings Frances the first and Henrie the second seeing all these inconueniences which they sought to redresse made notable decrees for the reducing of the said Arrierbans into some order which for lacke of well obseruing haue not much profited Thus much in briefe of the succession of these matters Some man may now tell me y t I labour in vaine in giuing counsaile to redresse that thing which the experience of many yeres
of many Gentlemen good Captaines that would not faile in their duties wherof in y e armies but one halfe were to bee vsed for feare of vnfurnishing the prouinces and the same would amount vnto about 1200. horse And in my opinion that Prince were farre out of taste that would disdaine to command ouer such a companie which vpon necessity might seeme to sight in flanke of a king in two great squadrons Neither is it yet al to haue propounded this braue patterne and set downe orders for small fruit would arise hereof vnlesse we should prouide for two pointes of great consideration The one to make a more iust valuation of that which the fees ought to coutribute the other to cut off vnnecessarie exemptions Concerning the first many abuses are therein committed For sundry doe spare themselues and burthen their neighbours or fauour others I remēber that once I heard of a fee not worth aboue 400. franks by yere belonging to an ancient Gentleman that in his youth had done verie good seruice rated at 80. franks for the Arrierban And of another goodly manor hard by it worth 1800. which a 〈◊〉 Aduocate had scratched in with 4. hands rated but at 35. This is the goodly equality many times obserued in such affaires Wherfore to preuent all such deceits it were requisite in euery bailiwick to chose six men of the three estates honorable honest men because at this daie the fees are diuided amōg them to assist at the taxing to y e end to draw thē neerer to reason so do I imagine that if we should take but the tenth part of the sayd fees the king should be well serued the priuate parties haue no great cause to complaine It were also good to haue regard to the persons For there were no reason as much to charge him who after a sorte serueth the common wealth or is vertuous or that hath bene employed in good seruice as a greate feed vsurer at whose gate the poore die for hunger or a pettie fogger that continually troubleth his neighbours Thus might men that would incroch fees be accustomed to abandon their euill manners that hurt others I knowe verie well that vpon this reuiew sundry will crie out and that peraduenture with sound heart saying What doo ye seeke to alter My fee for this hundred yeeres paide but so much which is peraduenture but the thirtieth or fortieth part and now you aske me more this violence is not to be borne If this plaintiefe be a Gentleman hee is one that eyther goeth to the warre or that tarrieth at home If he be a warriour he complaineth wrongfully considering that going to serue he is exempt frō paiments If he go not to the war he is either vertuous or vicious if vertuous he will consider that if it be a point of dishonestie to denie priuate bonds much more dishonestie is it to denie publike And then it is to be supposed he wil yeeld to reason But if hee bee one of them that doth but beare the name of gentilitie which he blemisheth w t vicious actions I would set before him the custome practised by our ancient Gaules in the time of Iulius Caesar which was this After the precepts directed forth for the assembling of the nobilitie he that came after the time limited not letted but by his owne negligence was put to death in sight of the whole armie thereby to warne the rest to be more diligent For so might he gather that if in those daies they did so seuerely punish their sloth that were willing to serue their ingratitude that will neither helpe in person nor in purse deserueth much greater punishment As for the vnnoble that haue fees such as haue anie iudgement or are endued with any indifferency or knowledge either be put in office should not murmure when they are called vpon to giue some small portion to be exempt from personall seruice whereto they are vnmeet Neither wil they in anie wise refuse so to do But as for those who as much vpō an earnest desire to be called Lords as for couetize do nothing but heape fee vpon fee do neyther serue the common wealth nor vse charitie yet would excuse thēselues frō discharging those most ancient duties which I doubt whether euen the Kings can bee excused of ought to bee charged double like the Asse y t hath a strong back to teach them to bee more willing Should they not consider y t they are vnworthy the prerogatiues honors of fees sith they are vncapable of military actions which ought to accōpanie those y t do possesse them They that séek nothing but starting holes will yet saie that the king raiseth subsidies of the people for the paie of his men of armes which sheweth that noble mens lands should be quite discharged Truely they doe wel fulfil y e rule of iustice making it to yeld to their owne profit straining it to the ouerthrow of others I thinke if anie man would euen flay the people they could be content so thēselues might haue some morcel of the skin It is the cōmons pouertie that ought to be pittied not their abūdance y t cannot be satisfied One word yet of exemptions which in such a case as this that concerneth the preseruation of the Realme are but ouer common The harme is the kings who is stil y e worse serued But as himself is the cause of this diminishing through the lyberalities which without giuing to him to vnderstande the consequences they force at his handes so is it his part also to enquire what may iustlie be granted and to cut off whatsoeuer is vnnecessarie Wherfore it were requisite the Captaine generall should be carefull to obtain of him a declaration for a rule in the Prouinces For as these dueties are no new matters but verie auncient and meete for the vpholding of the crowne and maintainance of the French Nation so must they be diligentlie seene into before they bee dispensed withall The Romaines who did but seldome oppresse their subiectes with great tributes had neuerthelesse when any great warre came vpon them especially agaynst the Gaules no respect of persons neyther were their Priests whom they esteemed sacred exempt from common contributions so carefull were they for the publike benefite The lyke regard ought we to haue of ours and not to let those helpes that serue to that end runne into decaie which neuerthelesse we ought not to vse to the murthering of our selues but rather to repulse the chiefe enemies of this estate who doe but watch occasion to destroie vs. For this cause ought wee of our pouertie and necessitie to make a vertue least we be circumuented For if we suffer our selues to be beaten our neighbours will saie that we shall haue wrong but if we well defend our selues as wée may if wee redresse the forces of our Realme they will be affeard to come and assaile vs. The twelfth Discourse Of the multiplying
that wast our good and valiant men and corrupt perticuler maners politique orders are much worse Truely we haue great cause to wonder at our negligence which on euery side is such that no man laboureth so much as to qualifie these so terrible furies which greatly offend all those that are beholders of our miserable tragedies Yea many of those that be vpon the theaters hereof and are endued with some integritie are no lesse offended thereat Thucidides saith that in seditions men may see the image all mischiefes but in our warres men may say that euen the mischiefes themselues doe come in poste to the ende to fester them with eternall reproach Yea euen the extraordinarie ones which were hidden and durst not haue appeared fiftie yeeres ago do now come to bragge among vs. No yeere escapeth free without some note of treason treacherie murder poysoning or barbarous vyolence yea sometime the terrible monster Massacre striketh through and with the mightie blow of her talents smiteth those that thinke not vpon her Oh what straunge things are these A Spanish Gentleman reported vnto me that when the Forte of Frezin Ferry was wonne from the French there was a Wallon Souldier being found there taken prisoner and when the chiefe Captaine commaunded to put al to the sword the said souldiers owne brother seruing in the Spanish Campeâ— stepped foorth and shewing a cruell countenance sayd This wretched traytor to his King must dye of no other hand but mine owne Neither was his wrath appeased vntil he had diuers times thrust him through notwithstanding he pitifully kneeled to him Had the dead mans offence bene fower times as great yet should he haue abhorred to foyle his hands in his brothers blood We reade in the ciuil warres of Silla that a Romaine souldier hauing in â—ight slaine his enemie stripping him found him to be his owne brother who was on the contrary partie which when he perceiued he was attached with such sorowe and so spited his vnfortunate ignorance that himselfe ranne vpon his owne sword and so fell vpon the others bodie And although that was a very corrupt world yet many commended that furious pietie of the poore Paynim But the deede that here I haue rehearsed of this Christian of our daies which is so farre vnlike to the other and ought to be buried in obliuion had not peraduenture any fewer allowers thereof If this déede were true it deserueth to bée yoked with an other as bad or rather worse of a notable murderer of Paris who as some haue written began his rage with two of his owne niepâ—es of twelue yeeres of age whom he slewe while they embraced his knees and cryed him mercie I am ashamed to speake of these parricides which neuerthelesse these men were not ashamed to commit But being entred this carrier I will performe my race and reueale yet one mischiefe which is but too well knowne for I haue touched others in other my discourses It is the villanous sacking of poore countrie people yea euen friends and partakers for notwithstanding their continuall labour as well for their owne sustenance as to satisfie those whome iustly wee may tearme warlike Harpies yet do they not spare to eate theÌ„ vp sometime all at once sometime by little and little with vnspeakeable boldnesse and contempt neither can they be restrayned therefro by any consideration that they serueth y e same partie or that their deuotion is tyed therto Uyolence wrought against the enemie breedeth no wonder neither néedeth any excuse although there should bee a little measure obserued but these are inexcusable as meanes to destroy them selues and to bring common hatred vpon their superiours which out of the fieldes is sowen in townes and cities The sayd superiours should remember that into this great troope the poore the widowe and the Orphan whom God houldeth so deare are in corporate who in their sorowes haue no other recourse but to sobs and sighes which ascend into his presence where they are most fauourably receiued And it is a bad signe when such as should blesse doe curse and euen plucke downe Gods wrath and cast it vpon those that in outward apparance doe seeme to defend them but in deede doe deuoure and eate them vp These are in part the exercices of our ciuill warres which daily do empayre which also are the occasioÌ„ that many times the wisest who do imagine that they haue the best cause in seeing so many miserable maners of proceedings which teach to commit all mischiefe without remorce doe growe into such doubts as doe in maner shake the foundations of the firmenesse that they had leyed If then they doe sometimes totter or reele thinke what the simple shall doe that vse to allowe or disalowe of the causes of warres according as they be well or euill ordered If wee speake of words wee heare nothing but Gods honor the Kings seruice Catholick religion the Gospell our Countrie All which goodly titles doe binde the ministers of armes to endeuour that their workes may concurre with their words But when afterward wee see the most part take a contrary course and as the prouerbe of the Tennis court importeth play at bandy and scraping yea that rather vpon the friend theÌ„ vpon the enemie that is to say glut their vengeance ambition couetousnesse and auarice vpon whatsoeuer the warre doth make to stoope to them wee must not thinke that they will bee mumme that suffer all these things If such a peasant as he that dwelt vpon the bancks of Danow who was said to haue come in the time of M. Aurelius to the Romane Senate to complaine should now rise among vs I imagine his speech should tend to this purpose Oh ye Christians that doe so cruelly deuoure each other like fierce and angrie beasts among whom pitie seemeth to be dead how long shall your rage continue Why do ye graunt no truce or release to the rest of your miserable liues to the end at the least to creepe into your graues in some quiet What violent causes are those that stirre you vp If Gods glorie then consider that he taketh no pleasure in sacrifices of mans blood but detesteth them and loueth mercie and truth If your Princes seruice you must thinke ye doe them small seruice in slaying one an other for so doe you deminish and plucke away the chiefe senowes of his Realme If religion moueth you it seemeth ye knowe not the nature thereof for sith it is all charitie the same should induce you to meekenesse If your Countrie behold your fieldes are almost all desert your villages burnt your cities sacked your ritches in straungers hands and your glorie vtterly lost Seeke then no more excuses to lengthen your calamities rather cut them off then alleadge such necessities as doe impose other necessities This were easie to bee done if ye would practise this soueraigne rule of estate which excelleth the most excellent Giue to Caesar that belongeth to
is deuided weakened and poore because the auncient hatred of those that seeke the abasing thereof may yet gather strength and force This mooueth them to feare perpetuall reproach with manifest daunger to the state if they should counsaile their maister to depriue himselfe of such succour the losse whereof may embolden the neighbors to more willingly the assaile him That they are not ignorant but that the confederacie with the Turke beareth apparance of vniustice howbeit for counterpaize thereof that the profite which it yéeldeth is so great that in these daies wherein wee liue which are replenished with suspition surprises it may without infamie be tollerated considering that the Catholique King whatsoeuer regard he hath to conscience and honor maketh no doubt of confederating himselfe with the Persian who is a Mahumetist as well as the other And who can tell wil they say whether the most Christian King when vnder colour of vniuersall benefite he may haue made of his friend his foe if he should bee afterward assailed be assured of the loue of those Princes with whome he hath bene at so great controuersie Without manifest testimonie therefore of a good reunion and assurance to his Realme they would be loath to perswade him to abandon his auncient confederaties Moreouer y t although al Christian Princes should vnite themselues to assaile the Turkes and atchieue great victories against them yet is it likely that all the fruites of their labours both by sea and land shall redound to the profite of the house of Austrich which alreadie is clambred so high that all the neighbours begin to stand in feare thereof and so should their maister reape nothing but labour and cost which poynt is to be considered of These in my opinion are the chiefe reasons that our Kings officers can alieadge which it were requisite to ouerthrowe by better before wee bring them to the league aforesayd I thinke if the Princes afore named would proceede sincerely vnto words adioyning good demonstrations this might be compassed For besides the equitie of the matter the desire of many good men which seeke no more but the exaltation of the name of Christ shall accompanie them But if they labour with subteâ—tie as men doe many times there will no fruite come of it but they shall be requited with subteltie Howbeit I will beléeue that they meane very well which if they doe there resteth no more but to aunswer to that which hath bene propounded and so to decide the difficulties aforesayd whereof I will not speake in that I can say little in respect of that which so many heads as well in Spayne as Italy are able to set downe neither doe I doubt but these Princes would graunt to the most Christian King good assurance to induce him to enter into this confederatie For if there arise any controuersie vpon this saying The assurance is not strong enough or vpon the aunswer we can giue no other the same were an euident token of a bad minde to the common benefite in him whoÌ„ we should see vnwilling to yeeld vnto reason For if it should happen such a King as he of France to bee assotiated it would afterward be an easie matter to make all the other Potentates to enter into the generall vnion yea euen the King of Poleland now raiguing And withall if any one would be slacke when he should see the whole bodie set forward the same should deserue to bee forred thereto Yet were all this in vaine and to no purpose vnlesse withall order be taken to appeaâ—e all present warres also to prouide for such as may arise as well betwene Prince and Prince as betwene them and their subiects It seemeth that at this day there is small cause of controuersie betweene them sith the Duke of Anieow is deceased who was at debate with the Catholique King hauing wonne for all his paines the onely towne of Cambray which some may thinke to bee rather an occasion to breede discord betweene the two Kings of Spayne and France which neuerthelesse I cannot beleeue for they will neuer so farre ouershoote themselues as for so small a matter to hazard both their Realmes into charges calamitie and destruction Neither to speake as a Christian should any man wish two so mightie Monarchies to goe together by the eares For so should they bring their confederates to partaking and of a priuate controuersie make a generall warre And no doubt the Turke would thereof take occasion to worke wonderfull practises against vs which for want of withstanding through our domesticall dissentions would breede our great hinderances Some man will adde that the small Potentates will bee glad the great ones should feede each vpon other truely if the great ones should seeke to deuoure them they might haue great reason to wish it but seeing them willing to vndertake to do that which may profite all all ought likewise to wish their good and to helpe them therein The true meanes therefore to take away the feare from some and couetousnesse from other some were ioyntly to employ themselues in these high enterprises As for the warres of Princes against their subiects it were good if it were possible to quench them because they are sufficient to diuert them from all other intents To which purpose I say that subiects are to remember that their soueraigne Princes are as the visible Images of God whom he hath established vpon the earth as his Lieutenants to driue men to liue in Pietie Iustice and honestie and to defend them from oppression In respect whereof they are to yeeld vnto them all honor fidelitie seruice obedience as also the Princes are to beare them like goodwill as a father doth to his childe and neuer to driue them into necessitie least they enter into dispayre Through the maintenaunce of this goodly concord states doe florish whereas contrariwise the breach thereof hasteneth their destruction as hath bene lately tryed to the great hurt of all France and is yet in practise in Flanders to the desolation therof It is a lamentable matter to see those that worship one self Christ thus to pursue each other with fire blood like wild beastes and the whiles to suffer these Mahumetistes to tryumph ouer the liues lands and spoyles of the poore Christians of the East countries For if this alteration of the Low countries were ceased all Christendome should seeme to be at peace But this reconsiliation will not be 〈…〉 y purchased howbeit al lets must be ouercome to the ende to creepe out of these long miseries that make both the assailants and defendants miserable The Catholique Maiestie who as it is sayd is very courteous and thereof daily sheweth great proofes in most but my selfe should diligently looke hereto for all this bloodie tragedie is played at his costs Now is there no question of state but only for religion whereof albeit no man asketh my counsaile neither wil beléeue me yet I will speake a
warre where also they keepe them partly in garrisons and partly vppon their conquered landes which they diuide among them with charge to bee alwayes readie to serue vppon anie the great Lords commandements so as out of the sayd Prouinces of Europe they are able to bring into the field neere 100000. horse which is a token y t the barbarousnesse that we take to be in them is not altogether deuoide of wisedome and pollicie They vse not to fortefie many holdes for no man dare enterprise to assault anie of their chiefest but he shall straight waies be assured of a mightie power at hand readie to make him giue ouer quicklie As their lande power is great so is not their strength by sea anie whit smaller which now they are more iealous to keepe well than euer heeretofore through the remembrance of their great losse receiued by the good hap and prowesse of Don Iohn of Austria They neuer empouerish themselues in warres as Christian Princes doe for their warfare and order of paie doth somewhat differ from ours and the coine that theyr Emperour taketh out of his treasurie at Constantinople in the time of warre hee supplieth againe in time of peace To bee briefe they be most mightie enimies against whom whosoeuer shall deale he had not neede to forget anie thing at home as wee vse to say but doe as they that enter the liftes who before they do come loke to increase their strength courage to see to see their defensiue armes sit and their offensiue sharp to the end either to ouercome or die valiantly Now are we to enter into the chiefe point of this matter which is of the meanes how to assaile these terrible enimies in what places with what power to the end within the time afore noted to atchiue a happie conclusion And although in y e assembly before mencioned wherat should appere suÌ„drie princes Captains they may argue of this point to y e end to grow to some resolution yet will I not let as briefly as I may to saie my minde according as I purposed at the first alwaies submitting the same to the censures of such as are more skilfull than my selfe to correct the imperfections therof My discourse teÌ„deth rather to kindle y e affections of valiant persons to enterprise than to giue anie counsayle in the proceeding in so haughtie a purpose whose euents may not easily bee forseene wherin the chiefest Captaines whose poore scholler I shal account it an honour for me to be shall not bee too sufficient to giue aduice The better neuerthelesse to behaue our selues in such a warre I thought good to set down some examples of but ancestors who sundrie times fought against the same nation to the end that what they wisely executed may be to vse a rule by fitting it to our time as also we may eschue and auoid their ouersights I will not enter into search of matters beyonde Godfrey of Bolleine albeit there were greate warres before betweene the Emperours of Constantinople and the Saracens in whose daies the Christian Princes beganne to confederate themselues agaynst them The first armie that was sent went vnder the leading of Peter the Hermite who passed euen into the lesser Asia and at the first acchieued a few valiant exploites but he and all his men were afterward ouerthrowen by the Souldan of Nicee Likewise two other armies as they marched were broken by the Hungarians a nation which at that time had scarcely attayned the rudimentes of Christianitie and as yet did holde of the auncient fiercenesse of the Hunnes so as these first expeditions yeelded small fruit and great hurt The cause of which disorders inconueniences proceeded as I thinke of the want of authoritie and experience of their leaders who vpon a zeale assembled al these troups gathered out of diuers nations in whom peraduenture they founde not conuenient obedience and wanting foundation both in purpose and prouision could not long holde out neither among their friendes neither agaynst their enimies The histories reporte that in the first expedition there were unlesse than 100000. able men And the Hungarians ouerthrew the others which were not so many because by the way they â—ell to spoyle which argueth that they vsed small discipline Wee can therefore make no account of the greacnesse of a multitude if there be no order among them which especially fayleth when their Captaines be either insufficient or want authoritie Shortly after did Godfrey of Bolein tooke vppon him his notable voiage about the yeere 1086. toward the end of the raigne of the Emperor Henrie the fourth This voyage was better looked to and ordered than the former and had many more excellent Captaines for besides himselfe who was alreadie a famous Captaine he had his two brethren Baulduine and Eustace Earle of Flanders Hugh Philippe the French kings brother Robert of Normandie the sonne of William King of England and many other Lords Gentlemen yea if we list to beleeue such as haue written the particularity therof we shall find there were in that armie aboue 40000. horse and 150000 〈◊〉 al fighting men a great part wherof which was me 〈…〉 about their owne expenses So soone as they were assembled they marched forward and so followed their businesse that they finished their conquest in 3 yeres ouer a great part of the lesser Asia Siria Mesopotamia In this warre they had many reencounters but the most notable were two great battailes which they woune and two principall sieges Nice Hierusalem where they were the conquerours Many Christians were also once besieged at Antioch but they sharply repulsed y t Sarazens and Turkes with great slaughter Finallie hauing expulsed them out of the farthest Prouinces they established the Realme of Hierusalem where Godfrey of Bolleine raigned and his successours after him who so list nowe to consider the time that was spent in so great a conquest shall find it but short for the winning of more land than all Germanie and Scotland doe containe Great was the defence assalt but 2. great battels 2. sieges yelded the whole victory wherby we may beleeue y t the hardest enterprises are ouercome with valor good order Neither wil I let slip the inconueniences of those long iourneyes for the tediousnesse of the way the distemperance of the aire the continual trauaile bred sundrie diseases among those great troopes which were holpen forward by the excesse of the mouth too much vsed in these north parts These brought the losse of many eueÌ„ of the better sort y t wanted no abilitie Now haue the Turkes taken order y t we shall not need to go so far to seeke them for they are come abroad eueÌ„ to some of our gates others haue them within fiftie leagues of them and the farthest within an hundred We shall not neede to feare the hearts of Asia for our batable grounds shall be in as good a temperature as France yea euen Constantinople
Romish religion also the King of Nauarre reuolted conformed themselues to them which redounded to the greate disgrace of the Prince of Condie and those whome hee maintained Besides that if hee had come first hee coulde not haue soiourned there long without incurring much hatred for if to a Court you propounde reformation take awaie vaine pleasures and entangle it in businesse it will hate you euen vnto the death Finallie hauing manie enemies therein and more abroade hee coulde not but haue verie small assuraunce This maketh mee to thinke that the fouudation of the Court was not of anie more certayntie than that of Paris Howbeeit hee attempted another deuise but it was not put in execution in my opinion of more apparaunce which was his moouing of the Queene mother to goe and carrie the King to Orleance and some writers doe saie that it was motioned to her when shee feared the motions of the league also that shee hearkened thereto but all vanished awaie in smoake neuerthelesse I suppose that if the effect heereof had ensued all theyr weapons had beene sheathed vp agayne For had the Court beene in place where it coulde not haue beene surprised in respect of such force as might haue ben brought and where it shoulde not haue beene forced for no man durst haue discharged the Canon agaynst the walles that enuironed the King they might haue parleyed and dealte on horsebacke vntill the affayres had beene somewhat reestablished according vnto the Edict of pacification not withstanding euen to imagine that this remedie coulde haue vtterly extinguished the warres I dare not presume onelie it had sufficed if it had but delayed them for a while Of three things which I noted that happened before the armies tooke the fielde The one pleasaunt the other arteficiall and the thirde lamentable THE Writers of greate Histories who are to represent more matters than there bee leaues vppon a spread Oake cannot alwayes expresse and note euerie the perticulars that accompanie them for if they shoulde binde themselues thereto for euerie volume that they publish they shoulde bee forced to sette out foure and therefore it is enough for them to declare whatsoeuer is most notable Wherefore my selfe if in reading things past I meete with ought eyther much or little wherevppon a man to the ende to bring it into taste or reape anie profite might dilate doe somewhat delight so to doe especiallie in those thinges whereof I haue beene an eie witnesse which also may peraduenture somewhat serue to the vnderstanding of the storie which is the rich storehouse whereto they that couet goodly ornamentes ought to haue recourse for that which I heere sette downe is but a Pedlers packe conteyning wares of meane price albeit vnlesse I bee deceiued not falsefied or counterfait The first matter that I meane to shew is in what sort the Prince of Conde and his troope ariued at Orleance The daie before hee came hee sent the Lorde of Andelot to take the Towne who comming vnknowen perceiued there woulde bee some lette wherevppon hee sent worde to the sayde Lorde to make speede to assist him for hee was lykelie to haue some bickering Nowe the whole companie beeing loth to loose so good a morcell desired not to trot but euen to galloppe which was no sooner sayde but it was done For sixe leagues off beganne the course The Prince hauing with him as well in maisters as seruauntes aboute two thousande horse taking the greate galloppe the whole bodie did the lyke and so continued euen to the verie gates Innumerable were the people that they mette by the waie going to Paris who beholding the mysterie of this course and withall that none asked them anie question did for the most part at the first thinke that all the fooles in Fraunce had beene there assembled or else that it had beene for some wager for as yet there was not anie noise of warre Howbeit thinking better thereof and considering both the number and nobilitie they grewe into greate admiration yet so as they coulde not but laughe at so forcible a motion which did not beare downe the trees as the windes of Languedocke but seemed rather to beare downe it selfe for ordinarilie by the waie they might behold seruants cast downe horses shouldered and tyred and sumpters ouerthrowen which bred continuall sporte euen in those which did runne But they that the same daie were thrust forth of the towne did Catholikly bewaile their dispossession from the staple of the pleasantest wines in France Concerning the second point the matter is of more grauitie as consisting in both generall and priuate accusations defences reasons and other pollicies to perswade which were the weapons wherewith so many great Captaines for the space of two moneths fought together as also to comfort and hearten their confederates and partakers For in these so new and extraordinarie alterations of estate it was verie requisite to abolish all bad opinions out of the minds of those that knew not the drifts of the enterprisers and as the assault was great so was the defence forcible as may appeare by reading the actions as well of the one part as of the other which are inserted into the Annales Some there are that weene if their cause be good that it will so shew it selfe to all men and therefore will not publish the truth thereof wherein they ouershoote themselues For albeit iust and true matters doe in time shew forth their light yet is it in sundrie occurrences meete to anticipate them and that men should betimes knowe that that will at length appeare though not with so much fruit Also as weedes doe many times for want of pulling vp choke the good hearbes so if the slanders which the aduersaries doe ordinarily obiect agaynst such things as bee good be not refelled they would no doubt many times thereby bee suppressed besides that we are the more supported when in whatsoeuer case we haue proued that we walke vpright and labour with an euen hand To be briefe in this world men are so slothful in publike duties that without continuall calling vppon they remaine immoueable But they that haue but a bad cause in hand haue more need of arteficiall speeches to cloake that which being reauealed will bring it out of fauour neither do I thinke them to be tongue tied whereby we may perceiue that eloquence resembleth a two edged knife but whatsoeuer men saie it is a hard matter to disguise falsehood or blemish the truth The third point consisteth in the parley néere to Toury in Beausse betweene the Queene Mother the king of Nauare the Prince of Condie to deuise vpon some meanes to appease the controuersies fallen out Many did imagine that the presence and conference of the greatest woulde bee of more efficacie than the sundrie embassages from part to part and albeit euteruiewes be sometimes dangerous yet was it concluded the rather at the Queenes instance with the limitations ensuing That on each
force them to parley for their returne into Germanie which might easilie be compassed by giuing them two moneths paie We also sayd they knowe the Admirall to be one of the most politike Captaines in the world most skilfull in winding himselfe out of aduersitie if he may haue anie leasure He will repaire his power and thereto adioyne more out of Gascogne Languedock so as in the spring we shall see him appeare with a newe armie wherewith he will harrie our Princes molest vs and burne euen to the gates of Paris Moreouer the Princes of Nauarre and Condie comming among these conquered people will by their presence by little and little cheere them vp againe and waken many other flomackes as yet daunted in diuerse places vnlesse with diligence we take frō them almeanes to preuaile of the time They concluded that Monsieur with the two thirds of his armie should follow them for so he might vndoubtedly in short space force the Captaines for their refuge to enter some weake holde which might finish the warre Others being of another opinion sayd that they now reaped one of the principall fruites of their atchieued victorie in the conquest of these townes wherof they had alreadie wonne sixe in ten daies that now they should set vpon get the rest considering in what feare they now were that the Protestants woulde neuer bee quiet so long as they had any places of retreate which being taken from them they woulde haue no great desire to stirre that there rested no more but a few townes in Xantoigne Angonlucis in that quarter which could not aboue two moneths holde out agaynst the force of their victorious armie and Monsieurs good hap that afterward Rochel seeing it selfe naked of all couerture would quake As for the remainder of the conquered armie wherwith the Princes and Admirall had saued them selues the same did flie would scatter of it selfe howbeit to hasten it thereto they might send after it a thousande horse and two thousande Two leagues within the sea there lie certaine Iles which fauour her the inhabitants giuen as much to warre as traficke the magistrates discreete and all wel affected to the reformed religion as for the fortifications experience hath taught what they are therefore I shall not neede to saie anie more of them Well I will confesse that Orleance to him that is strong in the field is a place more proper to assayle but if it be for defence Rochel is farre more profitable some there are that note the inhabitaunts of rudenesse but how euer it be they be loyall the same may be spoken of the people of Namure who are with their rudenesse loyall And when the imperfections of a man or citie are much lesse than the good qualities they may be borne well enough The succour which the Princes had thence in this third warre doe sufficientlie testifie it to be a good shop and well furnished neither doe I alleadge this to the end great townes should bee puffed vp with pride but rather to prouoke them to praise God for those plentifull commodities that he hath bestowed vpon them For hee that exalteth himselfe shal be brought lowe either earlie or late Among all others that they had thence this is to be noted that she furnished and armed a certaine number of vessels which fetcht them in sundrie rich prizes yeelding great treasure to the generall cause for albeit they then tooke but the tenth for the admiralty yet did the profit thereof amount vnto aboue 500000. frankes Afterward in the next warres which began in the yeere 1574. necessitie constrayned them take the fifth it was thought that this would haue restrayned sea faring men from seeking their aduentures in such hazard howbeit this exercise was so pleasant vnto them that notwithstanding this excessiue tribute they could not desist therefro albeit oftentimes it hapned that in those booties which their talents had griped the nailes of the land Picoree or prouling gaue terrible pinches whereby we may see what wealth the sea warre dooth minister to anie Countrie Now if the land warre be iust so ought this also to be howbeit when we come to examine diuerse the perticular actions thereof we shall therein finde wonderfull abuses at the least among vs for most of these aduenturers doe make small difference betweene friends and foes and many times the poore enemie hath had fauour when the rich friend hath bene robbed and committed to the streames by them that presumed through crueltie to conceale their coueteousnesse But heauen hauing both eies and mouth seeing these secret inhumanities reuealeth them openly and with al more iustlie casteth some of the cōmitters therof headlong into the gulfes wherein they had vniustly buried the innocent marchant But bee this spokē without iniury to those that do behaue themselues lawfullie in their vocation for my speech I direct onelie to such as are disordinatlie affected to robbe the whole world I haue heard of the Spaniards who were at the ouerthrow of the Lord of Strossie that halfe his armie consisted of pirats and rouers who forsooke him at his most neede suffering him euen in their view to perish together with such braue persons as accompanied him to the battaile also that they meruayled that of fortie saile that went with him there fought not aboue sixe or seauen but as they commended the valour of these so did they blame the cowardlinesse of the rest notwithstanding it redounded to their profit This teacheth vs that the affections to spoile and the affections to fight do worke contrarie effects For my part I shall still bewaile this valiant Captaine my verie good friend who both in his life and death was an honour to our Fraunce That in nine moneths the Princes army marched almost three hundred leagues compassing in manner the whole Realme of France also what successe they had in this voiage FOrce it was for the Lords Princes and Admirall after their ouerthrow to goe farre enough from the victorious army as well for their owne safeties as vpon sundrie other respects afore as it were by the way mencioned which counsaile redounded to their profite through the follie of the Catholikes who suffered this small snowball without let to roule so long that in short time it grew as great as a house for the authoritie of the Princes stirred vp gathered many the L. Admiralls foresight and inuention compassed profitable things the bodie of the Reisters which amounted to 3000. gaue credite to the armie they endured much vntill they came into Gascogne where they strengthened themselues with shot wherof they stod in great need especially for the warranting of their horsemen from surprises by night which in those quarters through the neighbourhoode of both townes and castles are verie cōmon They dispearsed them among the cornets of Reisters other French troopes so as as wel in the open as close Countrie they were still readie to defend themselues
of the subuertion of Commonwelthe Impietie Atheisme the first braunch of Impietie Psalm 14. 53. Wisdome 2. The originall of Atheisme in France Of Swearing and blasphemie the second braunch of Impietie Aunswer to those that thinke it not meet so fore to insist vpon punishment of swearing and blasphemie Leuit. 24. Of Magicke and sundrie sorts of Diuinations the 3. braunch of Impietie Infinite sorts of Magicke The decree of God against such Deut. 18. Where Magicke and her trayne doe soiourne Iniustice the second cause of the destruction of Commonwelths Esay 3. Excesse the third cause of subuertion of Commonwelths Two fountaynes of excesse The kindes thereof Adulterie The pompes superfluities of the Court Commons Gentrie and women Pride Table excesse and great furniture A coÌ„clusioÌ„ gathered of the former speeches viz. that France is in manifest perill in that the causes of the subuertion of Commonwelths doe in so many sorts beare rule therein Tokens of Gods wrath Two obseruations meet for the curious Of the Periode of Commenwelths Lib. 1. Diuinat cap. 7. lib. 4. cap. 2. Gods sentence concerning the periods and reuolutions of publick and priuate estates Deut. 28. Obiections against the maxime taken from Moses Aunswer The Maximes of Philosophers concerning the alterations of CoÌ„monwelths The application of these principles to the consideration of the state of France An other obiectioÌ„ of theirs that thinke that we ought either very gently or not at all to touch the wounds of an estate namely of our owne country Two springs of great desolation in an estate A discourse vpon the first cause or originall of the desolation of an estate A confirmation gathered in the considerations of the subuertions of many mightie Monarchies as of the Iewes Romaines Grecians and Hungarians The second confirmation taken of the affections of the nations our neighbors Obiection against that which is afore sayd Aunswer Discourse vppon the secoÌ„d cause of the desolation of a coÌ„monwelth Histories which verefie this discourse Another historie which more neerely toucheth France set downe at large in the French Anales The extreme miserie of France if once it come to dismember it self Whether the Realme could subsist though such partialities should dismember it The last part of this discourse which entreateth of the remedies The first and principall poynt Example Ionas 3. Another example Obiection against the former remedie Aunsweâ— Esay 〈◊〉 The second consideration of the first remedie afore mentioned with an aunswer to those that call it a Paradoxe Discourse vppon other necessarie remedies Reformation of sundrie abuses propounded as it were by the way That the remedies to restore France are easie The third remedie which is most necessarie Aunswer to the obiection That it is vnpossible for two Religions to consist in one commonwelth What the chiefe principall members of the state may and ought to doe in the restauration thereof Meanes to confirme the state after that it is set vpright Reasons that should moue vs hereto The notable saying of the Pagan Micipsa ought to waken those that are or ought to be best instructed The consideration of this sentence What concord is It is dispersed all ouer the world The kindes thereof and first of the domesticall Vpon what considerations it is founded Of Domesticall concord Of Ciuill concord Of the profite and pleasure that it breedeth Similitude Example in generall A perticuler example Defaults in the concord required in vs. The meanes to mainteyne concord Of publique concord A sentence A notable Embleme Another example Plut. in the life of Aratus A thirde example A fourth example Obiection against the former counsel aduice Answere ConfirmatioÌ„ by the examples of the ancient Frenchmen Another example Beginning of the discords of France The originall thereof Frutes of discorde Diuers effects according to the diuersity of the French mens passions tossed with discorde The image of France in the state of olde Greece Thucid. li. 8. How many calamities discord hath brought into France Why these mischiefes are here set downe What should teach France the consideration of her euill warres Monsters bred in ciuill warres A necessarie profitable exhortation Whether it be a hard matter to bring peace againe into France The meanes how to reduce concorde and expell dissension Whether wee must buâ—y all diffidence Of false concord Examples Offurious concord Of tyranous concord Examples Insolent concord Of hereticall and scismatical concord The conclusioÌ„ of this discourse Why true coÌ„cord doth continue Of pretended zeale wherewith they couer hatred and mallice Definition of zeale Exod. 31. Rom. 9. 1. King 18 Num. 25. Abuse of the former examples and the meanes to amend them Rom. 10. Act. 7. Markes of false zeale The iniquitie of foreiudgements Of the moderatioÌ„ that is to be obserued in foreiudgemeÌ„ts Of the insolen cie of those that call others heretikes Isay 3 Of the insoleÌ„cie of some which forget the dutie of Charitie A restraint of the former speches An other dangerous foreiudgment of zeale without knowledge Who is our neighbour An ould error renewed in our dayes Aunswer to some mens obiections Correction of the former error Mat. 5. Confirmation of this correction Luke 23. Aunswer to those that will not be restrayned by the rulé of christian charitie Against whoÌ„ we should exercise our hatred How wee ought to loue our neighbors Of connersation with our neighbours A rule to followe in this case Exposition of the place of the Apostles touching conuersation with heretickes Against offence taken of the contrarieties of religion Rules to followe Mat. 5. Rom. 14. Sith all France calleth for restauration those men are not receiueable that oppose themselues there against Rom. 8. Diuerse opinions touching the remedies for this restauration Refutation of the opinions that counsell violence Answer to a replication made by two sortes of men against the former resutation Aunswer to an other obiectioÌ„ touching straungers especially Italians out of whose destruction some thinke the peace of FraÌ„ce would growe Aunswer to an other obiectioÌ„ of those that stomacke the Lawyer the Nobilitie and the Clergie Against those that counsaile ciuill warres Consideration of the second aduice contrary to the former How we must vse this aduice Aunswer to those that thinke it vnpossible to reforme the state Disorders that neede reformation 1. Superfluitiâ— in apparell Other superfluities namely excessiue expences Of the principall remedies for this disorder Of visitations 2. Of the Clergie 3. Of the Protestants Of the lawe Meanes to apply the remedies The thirde aduice consisting of the two former The confirmation hereof Conclusion The originall of the difference that appeâ—reth betweeâ—e the auntient Nobilitie and that of our daies Why the good Politickes did carefully commend the good bringing vp of children In his treatise of the bringing vp of children Of the faults that parents commit In the same treatise Of Childrens faultes Application of the aforesayd to the French Nobility and first to carelesse ignorance and couetous pareÌ„ts Of the
such recompences Of the small order obserued by the Frenchmen in respect of rewardes A meane how to establish this disciplines The Reisters actiue with the Pistoll what aduantage they seem to haue of the Speares What aduantage the speare seemeth to haue ouer the pistoll especially head to head Which of the 2. Squadrons should haue the aduantage Answer to the obiection that the Reistres haue diuers times suffered the speares to beate them Ouersights of the Reisters Of the effect of two Squadrons when they come to charge Why moste men do reiect this Paradoxe Proofes hereof may be performed by the notable examples taken out of the stories of our time The first example The second example That such restraites may be made when the arte of warre and in struction of the Soldiers is ioyned with bould resolution Of the ordering of the battailes Answer to the obiection against the former aduice How the battailes should beare themselues either to fight or to retire Aunswer to another obiection founded vpon the impossibilitie Aunswer to two other obiections A meane to proue what assurance is in this paradox also a remedie to the difficultie propounded there against The generall ground of this paradoxe The perticuler ground hereof Example of Captaines that haue benefited by the ouerthrowes that they haue susteyned An other example in Cesar The vse of these examples The first cause of presumption The second cause The third cause The effectes of pride enflamed through our owne bad nature and the discourses of our frendes flatterers Remedies against these effectes In his treatise of profit to be taken of enemies An exhortation to Captaines with a description of the good which the vertuous do reape whiles the viti ous and ignorant doe empaire and confound them selues Where to costly fortifications doe serue To whom those of smale expense are profitable Forteresse which haue so much Against those that like of such expenses How to helpe our selues with the Ingeniors deuises and yet auoide excessiue expenses An aduise vpoÌ„ the meanes to fortifie with smale cost The way how to descend a place that is besieged Against such as thinck water to be hurtfull to rampiers of earth The Duke of Burgundy an Image of such as haue no delight but in troble and coÌ„fusion The meanes which doe seeme necessary to be houldeÌ„ in the consideration of the present estate of the Realme to restablish it The miseries of warres especially ciuill Examples of these miseries of Warre Other miseries of ciuil warres The straÌ„ge offence of the most of those that beare armes in such warres An exhortation to those Frenchmen that are banded one against an other To the Souldiers To whome the aforesaid calamities are to be imputed The state of warres in ould time coÌ„demne those of our dayes The ambition of Princes and common welths cause of great calamities Whar considerations ought to moderate the desires of princes Answer to the obiections of ambitions Counsailers Aunswere to an other obiection touching the mightinesse of Prinses Consideration of the greatnesse of a king of France The extent of the realme The fruictfulnesse The people The contry Aunswere to those that emblason and abase France because of her miseries Of godlinesse Of Iustice Of the tresury Of the Frenchmens concord Of Martiall discipline Of the chiefe martiall Capteyns What meanes the King hath to defende him selfe against any Prince his neyghbour that list to assaile him Of the restoring of order in France What the groundes of publike actioÌ„s ought to be The grouÌ„d of confederaties with Turkes The originall of the Turkes their increase behauiours gouernments as well in respect of the soules as of the bodies What Christian princes were the first that repented their confederaties with the Mahumetistes Ihon Paleoiâ—gue Answer to the obiection of such as vnder coulor of couenants euel kept among some Christian princes doe alowe of conâ—ederaraties of Infidels so as therin men be wise and circumspect What treaty may be made with Turkes also what difference is betweene such treaties and true alliance with the danger of stedfast consederaties with tirants Other latter examples of the danger that is in confederaties and trust to Turkes Other examples How many mishappes haue bene hatched out of the confederaties of Christians wihch the Turkes The originall and occasion of the alliance of the French Kinges with the Turkes What seruice the Turkes haue done to France How â—ore this league hath blemished the glory of the French nation How farre such confederaties doe preiudice christiaÌ„ religion Whether confederaties with the Turkes be lawfull Answer to an obiection grounded vpon the consideration of the Turkes prosperitie Aunswer to those that thinke it no time now for the Frenchmen to breake their league with the Turkes The conclusion of this discourse The excuse occasion of this discourse A brief Description of the Turkish dominion Of their hatred and conspiratie against ChristeÌ„dome why they suffer Christians among them The meanes to suppresse the Turkes insoleÌ„cie also the cause why it is propounded Against those that thinke the Turkish tirannie to be so farre of as it can neuer reach vnto them How terrible the Turkes power is at this day and why To whome it belongeth to suppresse the tirannie of the Turkes What letteth princes from thinking therof also the meane to set this matter in hand Who they are that ought to begin to sette the rest on worke The Pope The Emperor The King of Spayne How other princes may be induced to ioine with the three asorenamed Reasons for the leagne betweene France the Turkes Answer to the reasons and allegations aforesayed That it is requisite to vnite Christian princes before they meddle with the Turkes Of the vnion of princes with their subiectes and the ceasing from all acts of hostilitie and ciuill warres within their lands Of the necessitie of peace in the Low couÌ„tries and how the King of Spaine may and ought to graunt it Vpon what consideration the enterprize against the Turke ought to be of great commendation among all Christian princes Hauing treated of the fouÌ„dations of this warre it is here spoken of the proceeding thereof and first of the generall assembly for the entire resolution of the affaires Of the meanes to continew the warres diuers yeares Of treasure to maintaine this warre Of forces necessitie for the executioÌ„ herof Of Martiall discpline Of other preparatiues requisite to beginne withall Against those that thinke the Turkes easy to be subdued Of the great power and habilitie of the Turkes Of the manner how to assiuill the Turkes in what places and with what power How longe our auncestâ—rs were in their warre also whether it bee harder in these daies then in those What was the cause that our forefathers lost the aduantage they had of them were driuen out of the east The warres of those princes that succeded Godfrey and others against the Turkes Why the time is now conuenient to sett vpon
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
which in some mens iudgement he attributeth to all estates and is vnto them as it were a limite that they cannot passe At the least we see within that tyme woonderfull alterations And it is comprehended within the compasse of 500. yéeres Which experience hath sufficiently verified in diuers especially in the auncient people of the Iewes as Iasper Peucer hath diligently noted Bodin likewise in his Commonwelth following the opinion of Plato hath noted that the number of 494. which he tearmeth perfect and is ment of yeeres is a terme which fewe Commonwelths doe escape without encurring most daungerous alterations Now if wee will applye this to our selues and count how long it was betweene the time that this Realme came to bee settled and assured in the familie of Hugh Capet the author of the second chauÌ„ge which happened vnder Henry the first his grauÌ„dchild who dyed in the yeere 1060. and the death of Henry the second in whose raigne many great corruptions as well in maners as pollicie were conceiued which afterward were brought foorth with incredible encrease we shall finde fiue hundred yeeres fully compleat But the chaunges of most excellent vertues into most infamous vices are most daungerous because other do still followe on which breede destruction without remedie Yet must we not say but this tearme is sometyme farre ouerpassed which procéedeth of Gods great goodnesse as wee may now see in our Realm that haue perseuered in forme royall aboue 1100. yeres As also that sometymes God in his wrath doth shorten it because of mens horrible sinnes And although the knowledge of the tyme be to them a secrete article which God hath reserued to himselfe yet the consideration of so many as well waightie as trifling matters concurring to one selfe end ought to driue vs to thinke vppon his iudgements But much more should wee bee thereto induced in that wee see the prophecie of Moses daylie drawe to performance against vs. And yet notwithstanding our so many experiences and sufferings wee cannot become wise These be his words If thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lord thy God to keepe and doe all his commaundements all these curses shall light vppon thee Thou shalt be cursed in the Citie and in the field the Lord shall send thee hunger and scarcitie and the plague shall take hold of thee vntill it hath consumed thee from the face of the earth The heauen that is ouer thy head shall be of brasse the earth vnder thy foote of Iron the vermin and the rust shall consume all the trees and fruites of thy earth The straunger that is within thee shall get ouer thee and be the highest and thou shalt stoope and be vnder him he shall lend to thee vppon vâ—urie and thou shalt not bee able to lend to him The Lord shall cast thee downe before thy enemies and thou shalt get from them by a contrary way and thou shalt flee through the hedge A nation that is farre from thee shall rise against thee whose language thou shalt not vnderstand an impudent people which shall not honor the older neither haue compassion of the infant The same shall deuour the fruite of thy cattell and the fruite of thy field shall leaue thee no remainder of thy Corne Wine or Oyle neither of the flockes of thy sheepe vntill it hath destroyed all To be briefe thou shalt serue thy enemie whom thy Lord shall send thee in hunger and thirst in nakednesse and want who shall put a coller of Iron about thy necke vntill he hath wholly rooted thee out These be part of the threatnings denounced against those that harden themselues in wickednesse whereof we doe alreadie so feele the effects that there want no more but the last wounds to fulfill our vtter oppression And sith Gods worde hath prooued so true in this bitter correction let vs feare least it so doe likewise in our destruction I suppose there bée some Courtiers who being but smally satisfied by my speeches will rather scorne mée because I endeuour to decide matters of estate with Theologicall principles and would better like that I should haue propounded some out of Polibius Plutarke and Xenophon to the ende by them to haue iudged of the casualties of Kingdomes and willingly I would haue leaned to their opinions but to the end not to be deceiued I haue thought this way that I haue taken to be the better For notwithstanding mans wisedome which neuerthelesse is giuen from aboue doth shine in prophane bookes yet is it very vayne in respect of the heauenly wisedome that appeareth in the holy Scriptures Howbeit to the ende the better to satisfie euery one I will somewhat touch the opinions of these great persons concerning the matter now discoursed vpon The matters say they namely Aristotle which breede innouation alteration or destruction especially in Monarchies are these when there happen debate betwéene brethren or mightie men of the Realme when the Princes are vnder age or in contempt when the Magistrates doe robbe the common people when wicked and vnwoorthie persons are put in office and the good reiected when the superiours do oppresse their inferiours with grieuous iniuries and the tributes layed on the peoples neckes are insupportable when Princes through their dishonest actions doe become contemptible to their subiects when Iustice is so cowardly and corrupt that impunitie of vice beareth sway when wee see an vnproportionable encrease in one member of the estate when dignities and offices are set to sale when pouertie is so vâ—ersall that not onely the priuate are poore but the common is poorer when martiall discipline is neglected when concord quaileth among Citizens and maners are vtterly depraued when lawes are out of force and that the Prince is ruled by wicked or ignorant Counsaylers and when forrainers are in greater fauour and authoritie then the naturall borne subiects These are in parte the causes by them noted which breede sundrie alterations in estates and bring them to naught All which things may easely be seene to concurre in ours and thereby may wee iudge of the sicknesse thereof But albeit wee are not altogether to contemne the Philosophers opinions yet must wee rather cleaue to those of the Scriptures which search out the originall causes in mans transgressions For GOD detesting the same doth withdrawe his fauour and protection from whole Realmes and then spring vp confusions Whether therefore wee looke into the first causes or into those that ensue wee shall in all bée sure to finde matter and tokens of destruction How is it then that wee feare not ours when all iudgements both deuine and humaine doe foretell it Howbeit in as much as there is no disease so great but the sicke person may conceiue some hope of recouerie wee are not altogether to dispayre but diligently to search among both ordinarie and extraordinarie deuine and humaine remedies for such as may bee most profitable for our restauration And of those
will wee speake in the ende after wee haue first layd open such dissipations as oftentymes happen vnto the mightiest Monarchies Some there are that notwithstanding they knowe there bee great dissipations yet doe they make them but small especially when they applye them to their owne countrie as well in respect of their charitie thereto as also because they bee loath to bee the reporters of so many mischiefes In such affayres as this wee must not flatter neither our selues nor other men but freely declare what passed experience doth shewe Among many desolations happening to an estate readie to fall the two worst are these The first when one mightie nation or many being of diuers dispositions and language doe come to vsurpe and bring into bondage then is it not to bee demaunded how many miseries the subdued must endure The other when a Kingdome renteth it selfe in many péeoes and that the quickest or strongest doe seaze each vpon his owne portion which they gouerne in diuers maner and for the maintenaunce of themselues doe leane to straungers then likewise ensueth a great ouerthrowe of all things and the calamities doe long endure Of these two only will I now discourse as being those which threaten vs and are the worst neither is it to any purpose to replye that France cannot incurre these inconueniences For sith so many and so detestable mischiefes together with so many and so diuers partialities haue set in foote we must imagine them without speedie remedie to bee the open gaâ—es vnto newe maisters If wee doe throughly marke the accidents happened in sundrie estates we shall finde that many haue decayed when ciuill dissention hath so beaten them downe that they haue not bene able to defend themselues against straungers The kingdome of Iuda being mightie and florishing vnder Dauid and Salomon and deuided vnder Roboam it followed that the Kings of Israell and Iuda held almost continuall warres against each other and so weakened themselues euen in good maners that the Assyrians led them into captiuitie Soone after that the Romaine Empire was deuided in it self the seate transported to Constantinople that vice augmenting the vertue of Princes decayed the Northerne nations rose vp and rent it in sundrie péeces neither is it possible to rehearse the calamities of them that liued in those daies In the kingdome of Hungarie which in tymes past hath bene so florishing and mightie when those that should succéede straue who could carie it away the Turke stepped in betwéene them and became Lord of the greatest part thereof And although the Turkes conquestes are extraordinarie destructions yet must wee in these examples note Gods punishments with the causes that bring them in thereby to take warning that vnlesse we preuent them there will bee no want of such as shall put them in execution Yea which shall come and bereaue vs of our libertie life and land And who doubteth not that many nations our neighbors doe but lye in waite for such occasion Is not the Spanyard who seeketh to force all men to stoope vnder his scepter and contemneth the French mightie enough to bring vs vnder Will the Germaynes that distayne vs be slowe to such a bootie How suddenly will the Italians that behold vs be readie to catch whatsoeuer may fit them The English calling to mynd their auncient losses may then haue their remedie yea the Scots and Suitzers which now bewayle vs may peraduenture seeke to plucke away each of them some one small feather Finally the Flemmings that did loue vs whose hate we haue perforce procured how ioyfully will they skippe in our neckes I take him to be very sencelesse that doth not feare it But some man will say that it is an easie matter in words and writing to raise vp many nations which neuerthelesse wee sieldome see in effect come to passe Hereto I aunswer that whensoeuer God is determined to thunder vpon the sinnes of men he doth much sooner stirre vp those whom he pleaseth to vse as ministers of his vengeance And in case the report of histories bee true with what celeritie I pray you did the Goths Huns Alans Francons Burguignions and Wandales fall vpon Italie Gaule Spayne Affricke Such was their furie and speede that in short space they subdued and wasted all those great Prouinces The like also did the Sarazens two hundred yéeres after in the conquest of Spayne Haue not we also had tryall in France during the English warres that that only nation which in deede by enheritance at that tyme possessed almost the third parte thereof brought it into so miserable estate that they were like to haue bene maisters of all Let vs then feare least that which hath alreadie happened to others doe fall vppon vs considering that our iniquities are so readie to the haruest Concerning the dismembring of an estate by the selfe nation among whom many tymes the straunger hath his share it is no lesse a kinde of miserable destruction then the former This did the Empire of Constantinople finde soone after that Baldwine Earle of Flanders was made Emperour For then did Alexis Comnene as Carion reporteth erect y e Empire of Trebizond Thessaly shaking off the yoke of Michael Angel yeelded to y e Paleologues Achaia Attica Peloponessus Aetolia Caramania and Epirus had their seuerall gouernors whom they often chaunged according to the sundrie euents of warres and sedition Especially Attica Achaia and Peloponessus were gouerned sometymes by the Grecians sometymes by the Sicilians and Florentines sometyme by the Genowayes Venitians euen as the hazard of warre fauoured notwithstanding most of them made there no long aboad The Bulgarians Ruscians and Seruians had their Despottoes who being sometymes friends and confederates with the Emperors of Constantinople and by and by againe enemies did with continuall roades wast Thracia and Macedonia These confusions did deserue the name of théeueries rather then of warres because both the ground of them was vniust and the practises wherewith they holpe themselues most wicked For they sought all meanes to rent and teare the Empire in péeces whereby the Emperour of the Turkes had oportunitie to seaze vppon Constantinople and the other Prouinces The same author in an other place saith thus I will likewise rehearse the calamities that oppressed almost all Italie as a punishment for the sinnes that therein rayned which happened during the mortall deuisions betweene the Emperours and the Popes when the names of Guelph and Gibeline were the markes of each faction For so many mischiefes were there then committed so much blood shed so manytownes destroyed and whole Countries layd wast that whosoeuer shall reade the histories thereof cannot but meruaile Then did there spring vp many pettie Tyrants in most townes acknowledging no superiour but leaning some to the Popes and some to the Emperours exercising all cruelties against both friends and foes vntill that Italie rather wearied then satisfied with so many miseries did after a
the same to employe themselues So did Charles the 7. to whom the reestablishing of good order and auncient customes in his Realme through wisedome was no lesse glorie then was the recouerie thereof from the English nation partly by force and partly by fortune Now in case discord were banished from among vs peace established and a good reformation begun yet must wee as I thinke beware how wee reenter into any forraine warre but vppon either great necessitie or a iust and good occasion but rather to kéepe peace with our neighbours for otherwise it is not possible to restore good maners and order For so doe I imagine that in sixe yeeres it may be halfe reestablished and in tenne altogether Great and strong bodies that are well founded and haue some good parts yet sound doe rise vp againe as woonderfully as they were ouerthrowne The chiefe is to begin well for a good beginning is halfe the worke Neither is there any doubt but God will prosper our endeuours whē he seeth vs wel disposed to take away the euill to restore that which is good The feeling of our miseries ought sufficiencie to mooue vs as also should the bad reputation whereto we are growen among all Christian nations who now doe hate vs as much for the vices that they impute vnto vs as in tyme past they commended vs for our vertues Now they stand no longer vpon the reproouing of the French inconstancie and insolencie as in tyme past They passe on a great way further yea so farre as all whatsoeuer disordinate or dissolute behauiour whether in maners or in politique gouernment is attributed thereto This mightie kingdome which heretofore was the refuge of the oppressed and a schoole of all learning and honestie whether our bordering neighbours sent their youth to bee instructed is now by them tearmed a denne of dissolution which they feare to come néere Such as trauaile forraine Countries can if they list to confesse it be good witnesses of the reproches wherewith we are taxed Yea which woorse is often tymes the common voyce attributeth like imperfections both to the good and bad I am ashamed to write what I haue heard euen of such as are very modest who spake rather of compassion then reproach Let vs cōsider how many kingdomes haue through farre lesse disorders then ours bene destroyed And sith God through his patience doth yet giue vs space to rise againe let vs not let slippe occasion but spéedely take hold thereof least our ingratitude and negligence procure the taking of those remedies from vs which we may haue despised In the meane tyme let vs not faint for I suppose there is no Estate in Christendome that yet hath better matter then we but it is now so mixed together as if a man should make a mangle of Diamonds Rubies Iron Lead Gold Siluer Marble Brasill Pearle Corrall Tyle and Slate But each thing being reduced into order and applyed to his owne vse the inferiour matter would serue to make most beautifull and excellent workes wherein the superiour being gathered together and adioyned would also shine as most ritch ornaments God who hath preserued our auncestors from so many destructions and giuen power and counsaile to our Kings in their greatest extremities vouchsafe to defend vs from the mischiefes which threaten vs and encrease the vertues of our King and graunt him grace to be the restorer of his kingdome The second Discourse That by Concord small things doe encrease and by discord great things doe decay THis most excellent sentence so common among many nations and which experience hath so often taught to bee true was heretofore alledged by one Micipsa a King of Numidia who lying vpon this death bed taught his children that the most soueraigne meane to preserue themselues and the Realme which he left them consisted in the obseruation of this rule Himselfe liued many yéeres in peace and prosperitie ordering his doings with great discretion and giuing the worlde to vnderstand that he knewe how to vse such things as tended to the encrease of an estate and could withall iudge of those that might demiuish the fame As also that which ensued his death was a great helpe to confirme that which he had sayd in his life tyme for his children either forgetting or contemning his instructions continued not long without debate among themselues which bre◠their vtter ruine In this example it were good to note some words spoken by this King before he pronounced this sentence as Salust reporteth I leaue vnto you saith he to his children a Realme both strong and stedfast if you be good but very weake if you be bad for by concord doe small things encrease and by discord doe they runne into decay Wherein his entent was to shewe that of goodnesse that is of vertue procéedeth Concord and thence prosperitie and contrariwise of vice groweth hatred of hatred discord and so destruction This deserueth to be considered to the end not to bee ignorant in the causes that bréede goodly effects neither in such as engender the contrary Truely I cannot but woonder of the knowledge that the heathen had of many good rules which carefully put in practise doe greatly helpe mans life wherein also they haue reuealed their wisedome notwithstanding me thinkes that to the ende well to knowe wherein the perfection of vertue doth consist we ought not so much to depend vpon thē as to seeke it in the wisdome of God from whēce all other barbarous prophane nations haue from time to time collected some small parcels which bréede light to their vnderstandings beautie to their works There shal we finde the soueraigne concord to be the same which we ought to hold with God for the man that careth not for the contrarying of him can hardly agrée with men in any thing y t reason which ought to be his guide cōmaundeth But for y t the discourse of this poynt apperteyneth rather to the Deuines then to a politicke man I wil hold my peace notwithstanding I think y t the cōsideration of supeeriour matters doth greatly auaile to y e displaying of the inferiour Wee shall not as I thinke néede many words to declare what Concord is which resembleth not other liberall artes or sciences whereof fewe men haue knowledge for it is very cōmon neither is there any but may make some tryall thereof Wee may in fewe words say that it is a cōmendable affection which bindeth strictly ioyneth vs with our like in all necessarie honest dueties Without such consent it were very hard for any societies either great or small long to continue by reason of those contrarieties which as naturally do méete in those persons wherof the same be composed would procéed to alteration if by this holy vertue they were not ruled If we cast our view vpon vnsensible creatures we shall see that the agréement of the elements among themselues doth mainteyne thē in their
necessarie for the helping of our poore France which through the banishment therof is almost rent in péeces that me think all good men should bend their whole vowes and endeuours to the calling of it back againe And when we shall haue shewed how other estates are thereby encreased and redressed men will be farre the more affectionate to put it in execution Plato the Philosopher sayth that the greatest mischiefe that can befall any citie is sedition which is no other but discord Whereof it followeth that concord being the contrary must needes be a great benefite to them that enioye it Likewise it is vnpossible to thriue by their commodities before this foundation be layed yea we see that the greater plentie of power wealth and habilitie that is in a state if this good temperature be away is but matter of greater ruyne Some wise men in old tyme knowing this did vse to send to such of their friends as had the gouernment of commonwelths a sheafe of Arrowes bound together to the ende to admonish them that as these so small péeces of brittle ware being knit together made a strong bodie not easely shaken so if the mindes of their people consented well together were vnited in themselues y t which of it self were but weake would become mightie strong The experience here of hath bene seene in the Grecians who so long as they agréed among themselues did withstand the power of the Kings of Persia which was incōparable for sometymes they brought in nauies of 1000. sayle an other tyme by land 600000. men who all were ouercome by small armies of such men as loued like brethren and which accōpted y e bondage of their fellow countrimē as their own so good concurrence was there betweene thē so long as this continued they mainteyned themselues in credite felicitie Plutarke reporteth that before the tyme of Aratus all the townes of the Achaians were of small accōpt each trafiking doing their affaires apart and taking no care but for themselues but after he had ioyned them together and vnited sundrie other small Townes vnto them by perfect concord they grew into a great and mightie body in Peloponessus and oftentimes did resist such tyrants as sought to vsurpe their libertie wherby they became terrible to their neighbours But if anie man imagine that examples taken of Monarchies would better fit our estate to the end to content him I will also aleadge some such The first of the kingdome of the Lacedemonians wherein Licurgus established most excellent discipline which among all other things commended prowesse concord whereof also a long time they continued so good obseruers that their Citie séemed to be but one sole family so steadfast and good was their vnion By that did they increase and purchase such fame that all Greece did oftentimes submit it selfe to their conduct and iudgement Many other might likewise be herevnto added as wel Romanes as other Nations whereof such as vse the reading of histories cannot be to séeke and therefore it were but a superfluous repetition here to heape them vp againe Onelie it shall suffice to remember that such Monarchiall estates haue from time to time increased as much by concord as by anie other vertue that euer they put in practise And although the Romanes in the daies of their first kings did sometimes disagrée with their next neighbors yet doe we sée that afterward they grew into most firme accord as with the Sabins for of the two Nations they became but one people but farre better ordered and a greate deale more mightie than they were before From this antiquitie let vs descend euen to our daies and vnto that which is euident in our owne eies to the end thereby to be the better persuaded consider the state of the Suitzers for that may be vnto vs a cléere spectacle wherein we shall perceiue the praise of concord and fruites thereof The histories do testifie that the thrée little cantons Schuitz Vri Vnderualde whose habitations are onely in villages were the first authors of that their vnion whereinto the rest are since incorporated Which euer since hath so well continued that at this daie their bodie séemeth as it were inuincible I must also commend the concord of Germanie which notwithstanding their controuersies in religion and strife for dignities hath neuer altered and in déede it now flourisheth as much as euer it did What excuse then maye wee alleadge wee Frenchmen as a sufficient discharge for that we haue so long fought one with another considering how other nations can vpholde themselues in conford and amitie Trulie it is time we should take instructions for remedie of our calamities by the felicitie of others to the end to make vs seeke meanes to returne into that which now hath forsaken vs. The waie is alreadie found if wee woulde put it in practise That is to grow into concord among our selues for so shall we rise againe and increase I knowe some will saie that it is but a discourse to affirme that France grew great by concord for their increase procéeded of the Frenchmens valiancie Whereto I aunswere that I will not denie but that force together with iustice and good order were causes of the increase yet must they néedes confesse that if these mightie pillers had not had for their base and foundation mutuall concord betwéene the king the nobilitie and the commons it must néedes haue yéelded vnder the waight of so great a burthen Our first auncestors did sufficientlie shew forth the profite that therein they reaped in that they knew howe to vse that vertue For they were many diuerse nations inhabiting the bankes of lesser Germanie who not hauing felt the Romanes bondage neither willing in anie case to trie it did assemble and gather themselues together and named themselues Francons Then they planted themselues along the Rhine from whence they stepped into Gaul which they subdued Thus hath a certaine learned man written in a treatise of the originall of the Frenchmen which opinion I thinke to bee more likely than that which the other writers report Heereby it appeareth that concorde hath beene one of the chiefe causes that of many Nations we were made but one and if wee will farther marke the increasing thereof wee shall finde that same occasion hath likewise stoode them in greate steade This doe I speake in generall because the perticular effectes which haue from time to time ensued woulde bée ouer painefull to rehearse and maye likewise bee troublesome Onelie I will by the waie report the blessed concord that was among the French nation in the time of king Lewes the twelfth Frances the great and Henrie the welbeloued which continued aboue sixty yeres not so much to refresh the remembrance of diuerse yet liuing who haue séene the most part of that time as for the instruction of such as haue beene onely beholders of the last disorders
among beastes to the ende by their example to learne to haue more care of that which themselues haue engendered for when they shall see with how vehement loue the brute beastes doe kéepe and nourish their young ones they must bée very sencelesse if they bée nothing mooued therewith Many fathers there are that thinke the greatest bondes wherein their Children bee especially bound vnto them doe consist in that they haue begotten and fedde them Neither is it to bée denyed but that the same bee very great neuerthelesse one more there is which must not bée forgotten and is no lesse to bée confessed namely instruction in pietie and vertue For of this benefite is man onely participate where all other benefites are common also to beastes Man is borne to a better ende then to liue that is to liue well and that must he bee taught to doe sith he hath reason to comprehende it And therein also doth fatherly loue manifest it selfe and childlike duetie encrease But many fathers doe fayle herein through ignoraunce contenting themselues with kéeping their Children at home clothing them and giuing them their fill of meate and drinke as if they were to care for their bodies onely And the cause of this retchlesnesse proceedeth of their owne ill bringing vp in their youth Others there are whose heartes are possessed with such extreame auarice that they are so farre from being willing to spende some one crowne vpon the teaching of their children that they euen thinke to haue done much for them if they giue them foode therein shewing themselues vnworthie of issue The Lacedemonians had a law whereby those Children were discharged from relieuing such Parentes in their age as were carelesse in seeing them instructed in their youth which they ordeyned to the ende to make them more readie to fulfill the precepts of nature as being assured that he which denyeth his childe instruction and correction leaueth him to bee a pray to vice which afterward draweth him to destruction Other fathers there are so fondly minded as to weene that there commeth but small profite of putting their Children to Schoole thinking it enough for them to bee able to write and reade a little One shall bee so great a Huntseman that all his delight shall bee in Houndes and Forrestes An other a quareller with his neighbours and rough to his subiects One that shall allowe of no other kinde of life but to bee lustie in his house An other altogether giuen to suites and lawe as thinking nothing more conuenient for him then to encrease his state with subtelties and barreting guiles To bee briefe euery one louing his profession would that his children should take the same course whereby to bee like to himselfe as if he were ashamed that they should passe him in the knowledge of vertue Thus doe the false shewes of pleasure profite and honor abuse men and binde and restrayne them to the same obiect whereto euill custome hath made them most to encline Now let vs speake somewhat of those whose willes are good to haue their children taught and thereto doe employe themselues and yet cannot alwaies atteyne to their desired purpose Of those some deceiue themselues others are abused by the degenerating of customes Concerning the first they are easely satisfied with a fewe outward beautifull demonstrations that they happe to see in their children and neuer seeke further but thereby to iudge that they haue well profited which they haue not done in that their inward man that should be especially looked vnto is not well ordered The seconde imagining that good examples should alwaies shine in Princes Courtes forreine Countries or warres do very inconsideratly cast their young seede into those fieldes which they thinke to bee fruitfull But experience teacheth them that many tymes reporte is a lyer and many graines are quite lost Howbeit the better to lay open this matter we are to vnderstand that those French Gentlemen that loue vertue and honour so soone as their children bee of age able to trauaile abroade doe ordinarily sende them foorth to learne that which at home they cannot And their maner is either to make them Pages to Princes and Lordes either to put them among the Princes footmen either to sende them into Italie or Germanie either els to commit them to the Uniuersities all which are fit meanes to instruct them in ciuilitie warfare learning or knowledge of â—ongues whereby men climbe to honour ritches and vertue And sith there are no other ordinarie waies but those men are constrayned to take them yea and they are to be commended who led by a good desire doe so trayne vp their Children But as in all places the corruption of maners is greate so without especiall good heede wee finde that thinking to gather Honey they bring home nothing but Gall. First for those that become Pages It may be sayd that going into diuers Courtes they see many gay things as Tryumphes Feastes Combats c. They learne to apparell themselues hand somely to speake according to the diuers qualities of persons and to order their gestures They doe moreouer see many honest exercises but it is to bée doubled that they doe not so well beare away those things as they priuâ— in their mindes other bad fashions which abound in the sayd Courtes whereto also their age is enclined For they go 〈…〉 e dissolute in spéeches incontinent in deedes blasphemers of GOD and aboue all scorners and iniurious and finally most expert in lying and working a thousand deceipts But some will say that their Maisters and their Esquires haue an eye to them yea but too faintly And when the sayd Pages are growne a little craftie so as they can couer their mallice and with all that they haue atteyned some small derteritie in any other matter their hidden vices will not appeare vntill the snme haue taken sure roote But if any Lords haue a more watchfull eye to correct it is much if there be two of the sixe so farre are we growne to neglect the true care that wee ought to haue of youth The onely remedie therefore to bee vsed herein is first that parents suffer not themselues to be so bliuded with a vaine opinion of greatnesse that they couer rather to place their children in the seruice of a Prince where is but small good rule then in the house of a Lord or Gentlemen that will haue a rare to instruct them in all honestie Secondly that if they may they sometymes looke to them to the ende to iudge of their corruption or amendement and according as they fiude to take them home or leaue them still abroade And thirdly not to suffer them to bée Pages aboue fower or fiue yéeres then to kéepe them at home a while so to make them forget whatsoeuer had they shall haue learned and to confirme them in vertuous behauour before they settle theÌ„ in any vocation wherein to continue Many there that are sent to the regiments of
footemen and they goe thether at fiftéene sixtéene or seuentéene yeres of age In tyme past being a little elder they were made archers in the bandes of Ordinaunce and then did all those companies consist of Gentrie onely and the Capteynes had a care to kéepe them in good order As also many went into the bands of footment of Piedmont who had most excellent orders Contrariwise now that discipline is reuersed euen among the footemenl it is perillous for the instruction of youth For hauing for the most part none but vnthriftes to their maisters euill examples doe in tyme drawe them into disorder and in liew of fashioning them bring them quite out of fashion And to what purpose is it to learne to discharge a Péece to knows what warding sentinâ—ll or skirmish doe meane and to shewe the braue countenaunce of a So 〈…〉 ier if in counterchaunge herof they habandon themselues to Sundrie â—iâ—es among which blaspheming of God quarelling with friends playing away all euen to the shert filthie lust after Harlots and for the fulfilling of all disorder an vnbridled libertie to â—eate robbe and deuoure the people without compassion doe beare the greatest sway These abuses doe the most part of our footmen commit except it bee peraduenture some olde regiment and auncient garrison that liue in better discipline The best remedies therefore for parents in this necessarie euill is not to sende their children alone neither to suffer to enroule them selues in the first companie that they list to choose but to hearken whether any of their neighbours will likewise send theirs and so to ioyne thrée or fower of them together as it were sworne companions with prohibition the one not to leaue the other For being so together shame will restrayne them from euill and withall they shall still succour one another in their necessities if besides their fathers be acquainted with any honorable Capteyne they should direct them to him with earnest request to haue a care to rep 〈…〉 ue them when they doe amisse Some there are likâ—wise that take vpon them to trauayle into forreine countries vpon a certeyne conceiued opinion that others drugges are better then those of their owne land Others also doe allowe thereof in respect of the learning of common languages seruing to communication with straungers Such as trauaile into Germanie where the customes and behauiours doe farre differ from ours at their returne are found to be dull and rude so that for the refyning of them againe their parents must send them into other places wherof ariseth double labour double tyme and double charges And it doth oftentymes come to passe that some hauing bene brought vp in the grosse maners of Germanie and then returning to finde the vnbridled libertie of France doe so vnconsideratly flye vpon it that they stray out of the right course And as for the voyadges into Italie there be more that vndertake them especially to bee instructed in many honest exercises which doe there abound But among those Roses they méete with many Thornes because that a thousand baytes of lust being as it were sowne in the goodliest townes youth which is desirous of noueltie and fierie in affection cannot be kept from going to taste yea euen to glut it selfe with these sweete poysons and so by continuance doe become most indurate therein Thus is the habitation of Italie to those that applye themselues to goodnesse more profitable and to those that applye themselues to lewdnesse hurtfull and worse then that of Germanie But what counsell is to be giuen or remedie to be prouided against these inconueniences The fittest is to sende the younger sorte whose maners are not yet formed into Germanie where simplicitie doth take most place and let the others that are alreadie any whit grounded in godlinesse or loue of honestie goe into Italie notwithstanding the prouerbe That neuer good horse nor bad man amended by going to Rome This likewise must Parents yet note that they keepe them not there aboue two yéeres so to be the more assured that forreine wickednesse take not so déepe roote but that it may easely be plucked vp againe Now doth it rest that I speake of studie in famous Uniuersities whether many Gentlemen doe send their Children to bee instructed in learning which also they the rather doe because the life that they there leade is somewhat better ordered then in the aforename 〈…〉 places where much vanitie is learned as well as ciuilitie They perswade themselues and not without reason that the liberall Sciences are a great ornament to Nobilitie and maketh it more worthie to administer all publique functions which is the cause that they seeke to haue them at the first watered with so good liquour Howbeit this notwithstanding among many that there spend their youth fewe doe reape any great profite which procéedeth of that that the fathers doe take them away so soone euen at the tyme that they begin with iudgement and discourse to attaine to the depth and consideration of the excellencie of Sciences And in my opinion the chiefe cause that leadeth Parents so to doe is for that they see that Ecclesiasticall promotions are not giuen to the learned but to those that can best court the Cardinals and Bishops or the Kings fauourites and the offices of Iustice in liewe of being conferred to the best deseruer are sould to him that hath most money This considered and likewise perceiuing that the greatest honors are gotten with the sword they will haue their children betymes to accustome themselues to Armes And peraduenture they are not herein altogether inexcusable One thing more there is that bringeth them out of taste with keeping them long to studie That is that when they come to consider the countenances and simple and vnpolished fashions of Schollers in respect of the ciuilities courtesies and dexterities of those young Gentlemen that haue made but two iourneys to the Court they thinke that their children shall neuer come tyme enough who also for their partes neede no great force to fetch them from the Colledge because the inclination to libertie together with so many fayre bragges whereat they leuell a farre of which also the world presenteth to their viewe maketh theÌ„ but too desirous to get foorth I will not speake of the delayes made in Colledges in the teaching of children for it is wel inough knowen that there is no good thing but hath some bad mixed withall Herein cannot the parents better prouide than with themselues wel to aduise of what profession they will haue their children to be to the end to accomodate their studies to the same vocation as beeing assured that hee that is vowed to the warre néede not to procéede so farre in studie of the sciences as those that thereby séeke to growe and inrich themselues They must also haue a care that they put their children to learned tutors and well conditioned least in lieu of knowledge they should reape ignorance and
is so swift Guillemette your pace it so swift But for the knights they are more quick vpon y e spur For so soone as the beame of beautie haue dazeled their conceits they are not only in a continual heat but also euen rosted rosted as the good old wiues of our townes do say of the soules in purgatorie so y t they neuer stand still vntil they haue fouÌ„d some remedy to refresh theÌ„ Neither do these loues in all these difficulties want some subtill Dariolets y t is to say cunning bauds And I beleeue Homer in y e personages that he hath brought in to describe sundry offices did neuer make any to play their parts better than can these who know more inuentions thaÌ„ a very for of subtilties to catch the birds with the snares of pleasure This comedie thus plaied the author imploieth al his aloquence to shew y t mans felicitie coÌ„sisteth herein it is of no smal force to infect delicate youth with y e daily reading of these follies do harbor them in their harts I wéen y t in the monasterie of Franciscans at Paris which is the fruitfullest clapper of Monkes betwéen this Rome there is none but if he had as often read the discourse of Amadis as y e old miracles of the golden legend the new fables of y e coÌ„formities of S. Frances wold féele himselfe pricked to the quick w t these daungerous temptations Much rather theÌ„ ought such yonglings as trot vp down y e delights of the world to forbeare them It may be alleadged that most of the loue trickes there intreated of doe tend to mariage I graunt it But before they procéede to publike mariages almost all of them doe commit secrete follies as it were for a learning whereof oftentimes proceede such claps as blemish honestie Howbeit who so on the other side wil note the â—a liances of Florisel Don Rogel and many other knights that were more eager vpon this game than is a promoter after his praie shal finde goodly lessons to kindle incontinencie which alreadie flameth but too much in young breasts The author not content to teach how to abuse lawfull loue and to practise vnlawfull hath also fayned fantasticall which neuerthelesse sayth the storie haue brought forth their effects As that of Amadis of Greece and Queene Zahara For some Magitians perceiuing that they glaunced each at other although Amadis was maried yet taking pitie of their passions as also to take awaie the spot of adulterie did inchaunt them them both in goodly delightfull gardens where forgetting themselues they neuerthelesse forgat not to beget two pretye babes named Anaxartes and Alaxstraxeree and then hauing vnwitched them agayne let them goe where they list without remembring anie thing that had passed betweene them What else is this but a secret representation of Mahumets paradise Whereof this author thought good to giue the Christians of his age some small taste as peraduenture somewhat sauouring of Mahumetisme for then was all Spaine full of Sarazens to the ende they might accustome themselues to feede both their bodies and mindes with carnall thoughts and deedes I leaue it therefore to the iudgement of such as are indued with anie integritie whether the reading of such bookes stuffed with such filthie follies bee not daungerous both to young and olde for hauing once redd them they cannot afterward so cleanse themselues but still there will remayne some spottes to staine their conuersations I once heard a good Gentleman saie that they contayned a hidden propertie in the generation of Hornes and I doubt himselfe had had experience thereof For he wore two pettie horne buddes hidden behinde his eare which another of the same occupation had there fastned in ful paiment of the lyke some which not long before he had receiued of him in pure and true loue and therefore the better to be beleeued sith he spake as a craftesmaster Truly my counsayle were to banish and send all such bookes into Sicil where the men keepe continuall watch for feare of surprises by e night So should we see whether their vigilancie could warrant theÌ„ that this Productiue cause should not fructifie among them Some atturney of Amadis may peraduenture make this obiection that diuers though they neuer reade those bookes can neuerthelesse do as bad as the rest I think there be such but I giue them double blame in y t their inclinations are so ready without help to run into mischiefe Now let vs proceed to lay open some other bad drugs that are to be found in this shop And in my opinion this may chalenge the 3. place which is a miserable custome brought in by this author who auoweth that the highest point of knights honour consisteth in cutting one anothers throate for friuolous matters And of these tragedies he maketh a soueraigne pastime for Kings Ladyes Courts Cities Oftentimes we see in the lists the father against the son the brother against the brother the vnkle against the neuew where when they haue hewen one vpon another two long houres they haue both through faintnes fallen downe all tainted in bloud Somtime he faineth they knew not one another another time that they assailed each other to trie themselues But what grose villanous ignorance trials are those which procure the perpetrating of so horrible paricides It may be answered that they be the instructions of the great Apollion aforenamed who beeing a murtherer from the beginning delighteth wholy in committing of murther In old time the Romanes toke pleasure in forcing men to fight to outrance before them but these were trangressors that had deserued death Where contrariwise ours are the sonnes of Kings Princes Lords that counterfait swordplaies which can perswade vnto youth that read these examples nothing but y t they stil must be fighting with one or other to the end to be esteemed of feared And peraduenture such impressions haue multiplied the quarels in our France within these 30. yeres to such quaÌ„titie as we now sée Also it may be sayd that iustly that such spectacles through customable beholding the shedding of mans bloud haue made our courts pitilesse cruell Let therfore those that desire to feed their eies with bloud imitate the manner of England where they bring in wilde beasts as Beares and Buls to fight with dogges which pastime is without comparison farre more lawfull This likewise was another custome of the knights of those daies That if any one had made promise to goe about any aduenture with one of these pilgrimes who alwaies trauailed alone with them though their soueraigne Lord or their father or mother should coÌ„mand theÌ„ euen with lordlike authoritie fatherly power to desist therefro to the end to serue in some other necessarie seruice yet if they gaue it ouer it was a perpetuall infamy to theÌ„ for they were bound by the order of knightood to folow their geÌ„tlewomaÌ„ who somtimes was
of a reasonable disposition These be new lawes which vpon a brauerie tend to blot out of mens mindes the same which nature hath so liuely engrauen and so highly commended vnto them In this respect therefore are theyalso to be buried in obliuion I know I shall be accused of ouerseuere censuring or else of slandering of our chronicler of Amadis for whose iustification it wil be sayd that in many places of his bookes he greatly extolleth Christian pietie Whereto I answere that he cannot well excuse himselfe touching this point But by that which he sayth it is to be iudged that he discourseth not thereof but onely for a cloake to shroube himselfe and that he hath read but little in the Bible For he propoundeth a wilde and sauage religion that dwelleth onely in deserts and hermitages which he should haue described more ciuill domesticall But how should he deale sincerely in diuine matters that handleth humane so profanely Finally I will yet set downe one point concerning the exercise of armes which hee maketh so vnlyke to common vse that it is rather a mockery and abusing of youth in giuing them such precepts for although the wiser sort do account such knightly prowesses and giantlyke strength wherewith the reader is so importuned to bee but fables yet the more vndiscréete vnder so sweete a charme of wordes cannot forbeare but remember some such draughts as are most conformable to their affections to the end afterward as occasion may serue to try them thinking thereby to be more actiue than others True it is that sometime by the scoffes that they incurre they are reclaimed from these errours But wee are not to permit them to proceede to these experiences but rather to propound vnto them true documents and to hide from them the false so to keepe them from failing When a man hath bestowed all his time in reading the bookes of Amadis yet wil it not all make him a good soldiour or warriour For to attaine to be the one or the other he shall neede nothing that therin is contayned I wil not otherwise speak of these mightie blowes that cleaue a man to the waste or cut asunder a Vantbrasse arme and all neither of those shockes or fals that doe a man no harme but that he may rise and leape againe vpon his horse back as he were become a leopard neither of their continual combats of two houres long together with their foolish enterparliestneither of their imaginarie valiancies y t make one man to kill 200. because the matter it selfe sheweth it to tend onely to terrifie women and children yea whosoeuer will loose so much time as to read the whole storie may plainly see whether I do iustly or wrōgfully reproue al these braue magnificent follies Howbeit among all that I haue here said I doe not comprehende those exercises in armes which are the pastimes of our nobilitie in time of peace but contrariwise I do commend them in that they are besides the plesure both honest necessary And euerie one that list to cal to mind how during the raigne of good king Henrie the second through the frequenting of the same they grew more expert and valorous will endeuour to renue the practise thereof Here might I alleage many other vanities wherwith these bookes are stuffed were it not that I feare to bring my selfe too farre in liking with them whiles I seeke to bring others out of tast thereof Those which I haue here traced may suffice to turne away their minds y t are any whi◠affected to honest and vertuous matters from spending their time in the same For they polute themseluts wening to reape delight and through loitering in reading of lies do disdaine those wherein the truth doth most euidently shine forth The seuenth discourse That our ouer small consideration of the good things that we haue and our ouer eager couetise of the good things which we haue not do multiplie our miseries I Will not extend this proposition to all sorts of men as I well might for my pen beeing wearie cannot run into so many places It shall therfore suffice me to frame it to those of mine owne profession whom I wish to reforme because herein they faile more than any others Neither do I thinke that I shall need to bring in anie greate proofes for the disquietuesse of their mindes which force their bodies hether and thether vp downe in right and wrong are testimonies sufficient Now I thinke our nobilitie haue small cause of discontent considering how God hath lodged them in one of the goodliest gardens in the world more temperate than the fortunate Ilands so famous among the the ancients wherein nature dooth most abundantly shed forth her pleasures and delights So as although shee hath not so much wealth as Spaine who sucketh the golden paps of both the Indies though she haue not so many Priuiledges as Pologne which choseth princes beareth lordly dominion ouer her vassals and although she be not so ingenious as Italy which knoweth much dexteritie and curtesie yet al this notwithstanding she wanteth not wit inough to guide her force inough to defēd her or welth inough to maintaine her If wee beholde the infinite number of goodlie houses well contriued and prouided of all thinges requisite which she possesseth likewise her honorable exercises both of wepons and learning the toles seruing to make the bodies more nimble her pleasures as of hunting and musick with her secret conuersation finally a thousand goodly rewards of vertue wherewith shee doth oft see her selfe crowned we shal be forced to say that she ought many times to lift vp her eies to heauen and to yeld thanks to God for so good a share but it falleth out that few do enter into these generall considerations fewer into the particular To the end also the better to perceiue how the most part do ordinarily beare themselues I will propound this example namely of a Gentleman of 3 or 4000. frankes rent already well entered into his youthful age and formed according to our customes which are but too easily larned If he be in his own house nothing will please him neither can he euer be quiet vntill he hath set feather in the winde to go see the world which desire if it be moderated I do not blame but I mislike his tast of y t which he should tast better of If he light vppon any court where after he hath a while trotted vp downe he hath attained a litle fame knowledge hee thinketh it a smal matter in respect of other stings that pricke him still make him to loke forward but neuer behind him Then comming to learn the vse of his weepon he still thinketh his estate ouer base and so aimeth at y e vncertaine If he chance to returne play the good husband at home that he haue laied the foundation of a compleat family he wil not make so much account
their estate wherein is no correspondent proportion kept I thinke I should not doe amisse though I declared that which might seeme better to be concealed For as well our forreine neighbours doe imagine thrise more then there is and say that wee are so affected to our King that we will according to our callings imitate his liberalities and expences This therfore that I now speake tendeth only to make vs wiser and more readie to repayre our domesticall decayes as well to eschue other mens scoffes as to expell sundrie cares out of our mindes and relieue those wants that oppresse vs. Now although it bee so that all doe agree in the confession of this pouertie yet when wee come to shewe how it commeth there is a contrarie difference therein For one saith one thing and another another yea euery one seeketh to accuse the vyolence of the long warres which as Monsters doe deuoure all rather then them selues Thus doe wee see how readie each one is to seeke starting holes whereby to cléere himselfe of his fault in liewe that he ought with vpright iudgement to examine from whence such disorders doe proceede To excuse a mans selfe is a very common matter and such as euery one is willing to doe because the excuse seemeth somewhat to blot out the spottes that may blemish his good renowme But because to accuse bringeth shame it is neuer put in practise vntill it needes must whereof it falieth out that that matter lyeth long hid in ignoraunce which ought sooner to haue bene knowne The prouerbe falleth out many tymes true which sayth That the euill which we knowe well is as it were halfe healed Let vs therefore seeke the cause of our owne and that will be to vs a readie way and preparation to finde remedie Those that doe attribute it to the ruine and charges of warre doe say that there be yet liuing many honorable persons that haue seene in what wealth and prosperitie the French Nobilitie liued vntil the tyme of Henrie the second For so long as we had peace there was nothing to be seene among the Lords Gentrie but liberalitie magnificence visitations with other such honest expences y e witnesses of wealth And yet all this notwithstanding they sould no landes as well for feare of reproach as also because of the moderation vsed in such things Likewise whensoeuer there was any warre proclaymed it will hardly bee beléeued what goodly furniture euery one caried with him as appeared in the voyadge into Germanie But as nothing in this world is long permanent so in the warres that were renewed in the yeere 1552. betweene the Emperour Charles the fifth and King Phillip which lasted seuen yeeres it was driuen to great expences as well for the selfe honor as in respect of the loue it bare to so good a Prince as was King Henry Then ensued the vniuersall ciuill warres all ouer the Realme comparable to violent streames which so encreased the ruine thereof that now all that the Nobilitie is able to doe is to maintaine it selfe liuing miserably in it owne house And hereof is growne the pouertie thereof These be their reasons which also I will not vtterly reie◠For I will still confesse that these stormes haue bred part of our pouertie but that it is wholly procéeded thereof I doe not aduowe and I will hereafter shewe that it had other helpes of greater importance to set it forward So as their argument concludeth but in parte Now let vs examine what may haue bene the ruine in the first warres It was not great for the Nobilitie that then serued were neither euill paide neither destitute of honest rewards procéeding of the Kings liberalitie True it is that some perticulers being too forward did in parte vnfeather themselues as also that the frontier Nobilitie encurred some losses But the greatest number continued in good state In the ciuill warres there fell out more losses which neuerthelesse lighted not vpon vs. Besides that in our pettie peaces since concluded it had still meanes to repayre the breaches Withall that France is so fruitfull and well peopled that whatsoeuer the warre wasteth in one yéere is repayred againe in two Sith therefore such discommodities haue still bene accompanied with some remedies as also that they haue assayled but the least parte of the Nobilitie wee are not to accompt this mischiefe either so vniuersall or great But in my opinion the cause why all the blame is layd vpon the warres is first because the same is by nature hurtfull secondly that the vyolence that moueth it is horrible and terrefieth and thirdly because men are glad to haue a shroude to hide their euill husbandrie or els artificially to pleade pouertie as the couetous doe A man that hath had a long continuall agew being cured thereof will remember it a long tyme and feare the like disease and yet the corruption of the humours whereof it proceeded did growe by little and little through his intemperance of life whereof he tooke no heede The like doe wee in thinges breeding our pouertie For some there are that wee finde out by and by and they make vs to lament but others which are neither so common nor agreeable with vs wee let easely slippe as if wee were insensible and will not knowe them And I dare affirme that if the ruines of warres and martiall charges that so wee complaine of haue brought vs fower ounces of pouertie our foolish and superfluous continuall expences which wee doe not greatly repent vs of haue procured vs twelue In this proposition we are to consider that the French Gentleman doth excéede in any thing whereto he is affected and will spare for nothing Then that most of them spend not in one thing only but in fower or fiue so diuers are their minds and that is the cause that drieth vp the liueliest springs of ritches Now one of the principall thinges wherein they ouerflowe is apparell wherein they haue neither rule nor measure yea custome hath wonne so much that a man dare not almost appeare in any good companie vnlesse he be guilt like a Challice for thereby many perswade themselues to bée the more honored The Courtiers were they that brought in these inuentions who in the meane tyme doe sharpe pennance for their labours in that there is no yéere but such large expences doe sende at the least one dosen of them into the Litter who for the pleasure of seeing themselues a fewe daies couered with silke and siluer must many moneths after beare the griefe of finding themselues houselesse or so haled by Usurers as they could not be worse in y e gallies Two other things there be besides the ritches of apparell which greatly encrease charges The one that men will haue diuersitie the other that from two yéeres to two yéeres the fashions doe chaunge and must be renued who so doth not frame himselfe hereto is laughed to scorne To be briefe either the hand
to be spoken of But there go many more of that sorte as I haue sayd And many Gentlemen also of account and greate credite who are readie inough to march and whensoeuer they moue they incite many other Wherfore before they so do it were theyr parts well to examine the causes which being vnlawfull as being moued by nothing but their owne profite or honour they shew that they haue small care of their friends in counsailing them those things that tend more to their own particular interest than to common equitie In this case men must be wise to choose rather than willing to depart Now are we to looke what fruite our Nation reape of these martiall voyages which they take vppon them rather of iolitie than any good foundation I take it to bee verie small First in these dayes most of them through the libertie of ciuill warres beeing growen into wonderfull discordes going abroade doe nothing but laie open theyr imperfections which they should seeke eyther to amend or hide Some are blasphemers of God others adulterers quarellers and dissolute persons and many disobedient to their Captaynes of whome lykewise some do eyther for their owne profite or through ignaraunce breake good lawes and order So as when men see that the effects bee not answerable to the French name they growe of liking with them On the other side those people that are driuen to beare theyr insolencies I meane of the lawlesse not of the modest albeit euermore there bee good and valiant men mingled among the greate number doe growe to hate the whole Nation for the mallice of some thinking it incompatible and in their harts doe powre forth continuall curses agaynst the same so as although there be some Captaines Gentlemen and Souldiours who through theyr good behauiours doe become agreeable vnto them yet are they not able to suppresse the generall mislyke And heere is yet another inconuenience namelie that if there happen anie mishappe in the warre rather through the strength of the enimie than anie presumption or insufficiencie of the Captaines eyther through the disobedience or small valour of the souldiours than doe the peoples tongues euen teare in peeces those whome hauing begunne to hate they afterwarde vtterly contemne Now it is most certayne that in this counterfaite discipline losses are as common as good successe or rather more Which truelie shoulde make these that haue charge to beleeue that it is harde to escape stumbling in so rugged a quarrie Whosoeuer therefore purposeth to goe on warrefare in a foreine Countrie let him make greate account of vertue for according to the same hee shall be esteemed and many times a little shall bee accounted off Whereas contrariwise if men cary new vices especiallie such as offende no man will receiue them for seruauntes much lesse for Maisters and without affoording them anie thing will laugh at them which is yet worse they shall be feared as much as if they were open enimies This together with the miseries afore touched maketh mee to beleeue that vntill that manners and martiall discipline bee in better state among the French nation they shall atchieue small credite and lesse good will among our neighbours whome they shall goe to serue Truelie it is in vaine to thinke that force onelie can worke anie greate effects for not beeing accompanyed with iustice faith and modestie it is vnperfect But by the demonstration of vertue the heart is wonne which is a sure and glorious conquest examples whereof the Romaines haue lefte vnto vs. I knowe well inough that as well the Gentleman as the Souldiour maye obiecte to those that set them on worke manie things worthie consideration namelie that they hazarde theyr liues receiue bodilie woundes spende their goods and endure great paine for their seruice all which will neuerthelesse loose their grace and bee of no account if these deprauations continue For the people whome the Souldiours dooth oppresse will not so much excuse them for defending of them as they will curse them for deuouring them as burying the remembrance of the benefite in the smart of the euils But those that performe theyr duties to the best of theyr powers as well in fighting as in good life they loue and excuse Some will saie in these foreine warres that they they go to seeke they may learne much I confesse it But withall wee must note that from the siege of Mastricht which was the notablest in our time there escaped but tenne French Souldiours and not foure from that of Harlem in which two Townes there were enough as I haue heard I am not so ignoraunt but I knowe that the propertie of warre is ordinarilie to deuour at the least the fourth parte of those that followe it but when of the fiue partes it catcheth foure as often times it doth is it not too rauenous This haue I sayde to the end that those that goe as vnfeathered boultes into places of great noise may remember y t easely they depart but verie hardly returne agayne Those that weene that when France hath had peace for two or three yeeres she shoulde neuer haue warre agayne doe deceiue themselues For if they consider what hath passed since the yeere 1494. they shall see that shee hath not beene long in rest since To be briefe they that bee wise if they will follow my counsaile shal enter into these voluntarie purposes with leaden heeles yea euen the Gentlemen as calling to minde that to goe rashlie and put their liues in more dangerous than necessarie aduentures which they shoulde neuer doe but vppon good occasions is an argument of French rashnesse an engendering of parents teares and a weakening of the sinowes of the state But when theyr enterprises are vnderpropped with iustice and that the lawe full commaundements of Kinges wealthes doe set in foote who in respecte of alliaunces doe sende helpe to theyr confederates and vppon any other necessarie occasion doe succour and releeue the oppressed then must wee not consider of anie daungers or discommodityes For in dooing our duetyes whether wee suffer or whether wee perishe our labour or losse is alwayes well imployed Nowe will I discourie vppon a certayne polytike rule vsuallie alleadged in such lyke affayres as this Which many verie excellent persons both haue and still doe allowe to see howe the same may agree with vs. This is it A great estate replenished with warlike people ought still to haue some foreine warre wherewith to keepe it occupied least beeing at quiet they conuert their weapons each against other The maintayners heereof doe alleadge the example of Scipio Nasica who counsayled it to the Romaines Concluding that Carthage ought not to bee razed to the end still to haue an enimie whome to feare and bee alwayes busied withall For sayde he if this feare and cause bee taken awaie they be in danger to moue one against another in their owne land Heereto they adde that experience hath taught that when we haue
appeased our foreine warres we haue entered into ciuill which haue almost beaten vs quite down Moreouer that our Nation beeing insolent in peace impatient of tarrying long in the house full of generositie and desirous of glorie must of necessitie exercise it selfe in armes to the ende to discharge so many conceites of the minde without the Realme and not within Finallie that the badde humours remayning of our ciuill dissention by these humours meaning corrupted persons had need to be purged and therefore that we should suffer them to go out of themselues if wee see them so displosed or else to force them foorth by arte least they shoulde breede anie new disease And this hath beene put heeretofore in practise at the ende of our warres agaynst the English Nation Trulie I dare not denie but we are to attribute much to the obseruations of antiquitie of things that haue had good successe when they haue bene vsed in time conuenient But withall I dare aduowe that euerie time to applie the same to an estate and not to consider the seuerall disposition thereof is to mistake Likewise the better to know how to applie this vnto vs let vs looke in what state it now standeth In truth it is so euill at ease that the ministering of so vigorous a lawe in steade of a remedie were the waie to weaken it more and more Euerie man knoweth that our troubles began aboue 24. yeres agoe which haue beene no warres but butcherly slaughters who so list to beleue a booke printed vnder the name of Frumenteau which layeth open the chiefe desolations of our land how can be but wonder at so terrible destructions Aboue halfe the Nobilitie is perished As for souldiours we must count them by legions the people vniuersally wasted the treasuries sucked drie debts increased discipline neglected godlinesse perished manners depraued iustice corrupted men diuided and all thinges in sale Be not these braue preparatiues to build new purposes It is as if a man in lieu of stones should take clots of earth and myre in stead of lime and then choose a marish ground to builde a Castle vpon whom we might with good reason wish to renue his wits to consider the defects of his stuffe and to staie vntill hee were better prouided Likewise in that state wherein we now stand to enter of a iolitie into anie great warre before that foure or fiue yeres haue renued our youth were it not as a man shoulde say as much as to let him bloud againe that hath alreadie lost almost all his bloud And to vndertake the same w tout discipline is as much as to builde without rule Neither is it any lesse inconuenience to be vnprouided of money For sooner might a man make a ship to swim without oares or sayles than prosecute a warre without wealth Who then would be so farre ouerseene as to counsayle vs to beginne the thing that must haue a bad end which necessarilie will ensue of the defects aforesayd I am sure that Scipio Nasica aforementioned neuer meant to wish them voluntarily to begin an enterprise whereof they coulde reape nothing but losse and infamie neither would aduowe such a one to bee profitable to a lande alreadie halfe buried in miseries For hee feared not the Romaines aduersitie but theyr prosperitie which brought with it pride and insolencie And this we are to note that foure yeere after that Publius Cornelius Scipio had ouercome Hannibal and made peace with the Carthegenians the Romaines grewe so haughtie seeing themselues crowned with so many victories and triumphes that theyr skinnes coulde not holde them Then was not discipline anie whit out of frame The common treasurlie was mightilie increased as well with the riche spoylos of Carthage as of Spaine neyther had they anie want of men This was the cause that moued the Senate to thinke it conuenient to be doing with Philip of Macedon which was a verie wise practise of y e rule aforesaid But what conformitie is there between our present state and the state of the Romaines at that time As much as betweene a rich sound and well ordered man and a poore sieke and buruly person Let vs then first cure our diseases before wee imitate their dooinges in theyr full force and strength Many doe thinke France to bee as well replenished with men as euer it was Wherein they deceiue themselues And in my opinion the matter that deceiueth them is that they see the most of those that gaâ—â—e vp and downe make great bragges in words habite and coâ—â—tenaunce For if a cobler hath beene a souldiour but two yeeres hee will thinke himselfe worthie to weare a guilte swoorde which our Fathers woulde haue beene loath to permitte to anie vnder the degree of knighthoode yea and hee will weare it if hee can come by it eyther by hooke or crooke as also his silke neatherstockes which good King Henrie the second neuer ware whereto lykewise his speech shall bee correspondent For if this souldiour doe but looke awrie vppon a man hee is by and by dead at the least This is it that blindeth such as take in payment shews and lookes who peraduenture applying to them the Prouerbe that One man is worth an hundered doe imagine that our France doe ouerflowe with men of armes and warriours But my opinion heerein is that yet wee haue a good number both Gentlemen and commons These beeing well kepte and to them adioyning the youth which sixe yeeres may bring forward wee maye trulie saie that it shall ouerflowe with such men as shall neede no great pricking forward to make them to stirre Lesse time can we not haue to redresse our warfare and replenish our coffers but especially to restore our vertues But will some saie if anie good occasion should fall out shal we let it slippe That is the maisters parte to iudge of and peraduenture the Ladie may be so beautifull that shee may haue a good looke Yet will it be hard for vs to lyke of anie vntill we haue put on agayne our auncient ornamentes As for the purgation aforementioned meete to cast foorth the dregges which the ciuill wars haue lefte behinde them I doubt it will proue lyke to Antimonie which expelleth both good and badde humours together As wee maye see by that which euen lately wee haue to our domage tried Our weaknesse longeth rather after restoritiues than those things that purge violentlie For so to thinke that France cannot bee pacified without sending awaie fiue or sixe thousand disordered souldiours is but to winke with one eie But let vs stirre them a little and wee shall see that wee must goe farther and that these little bells doe not sound before the great ones haue rong out We must thinke that most Frenchmen yea euen those that follow aduentures are wearie of suffering so many mischiefes as the Romaines were of the slaughters of Marius and Silla lykewise that they mislike not of rest because they knowe it to
himselfe therein considering that the vse of the rest is more necessarie for him If he fighteth once in a moneth it is all neuerthelesse if he list he may daily put in practise other good gifts to the benefite of others and his owne commendation It is no small matter to be accompted a Souldier but when honestie is thereto adioyned it is much more And thus are we to make our perticuler profession to leane to the generall vocation that is to liue well whereunto all men are bound And whosoeuer forgetteth this vniuersall rule to stay himselfe onely vpon the obseruations there vpon depending it should seeme that he is rather led by profit or 〈…〉 bition wherevnto men of all sorts doo aspire than by anie true affection to vertue Hanniball of Carthage was one of the most famous Captaines that euer were yet being destitute of pietie and faith and withall a cruell and deceiptfull person it bred him the name to bée a most wicked man How much greater commendation deserued Scipio Africanus who was both an honest man and as good a Captaine withall This neuer boasted so much in his valiancie as to despise the thing that made him not onely a true Citizen but also a good householder For to bee iust to his friends and terrible to his enemies are no such contraries but that they may very well concurre together because the originall of them both proceedeth from one spring Well I will confesse that in a man of warre prowesse is commendable but in the well borne Gentleman his studie exercise and pleasure should shoote at all the vertues especially at those that are most to bee preferred considering that Nobilitie is a participation in all those good thinges I thinke no man will gainsay but Pietie Truth Temperance and Iustice must march before Fortitude notwithstanding she also helpeth the rest For the vngodly lying dissolute or vniust person whatsoeuer goodly cloke of prowesse that may bee giuen him is neuerthelesse eschued and hated as being much more hurtfull to his friendes then dreadfull to his enemies although he knowe neuer so well how to helpe himselfe with his weapon For this cause ought Noblemen first to learne those thinges that are most necessarie and so by degrees to discend to those that may better be forborne so shall they escape this error which stayeth them vppon one simple prize and hideth from them many other more precious wherein they haue no lesse interest It might peraduenture beseeme a poore Souldier who hauing nothing hath by his weapon and desert hath atchieued meanes to liue neuer to depart the bounds of prowesse but highly to extoll it as euery artificer will doe his arte But the Gentleman to whome as well this as many other waies are yet open wherein to exercise himselfe and to atteyne to honor yeeldeth himselfe as it were prisoner yea euen guiltie in seeking to march only vnder the one sith he is bound to walke in all I remember an aunswere to this purpose once made at the Court to one whose continuall talke was of warre yea euen in the tyme of peace When the warres begin againe said one to him you shall be set on worke but now seeing you are destitute of ciuill and peaceable conditions I would wish you to shut vp your selfe in a chest so to keepe you from rust vntil tyme serue either els to temporise at this time The former error is somewhat tollerable because it may be amended and it is to bee hoped that he which will endeuour to doe one parte of his duetie being better taught will employe himselfe in the rest but he that abuseth that one onely vertue that he hath chosen is wonderfully out of the way And whereas Gentlemen do weare their swords girt to their sides first they do it in the defence of their Countrie and next to employ them vnder the authoritie of the lawes to defend the weake and innocent from the vyolence of the oppressors also to preserue their owne persons from outrage So farre is the practise now from following the sayd rules that contrariwise many as well noble as vnnoble doe vse them to doe more harme to their friends then hurt to their enemies This is a goodly valiancie that serueth onely to destroye it selfe and villanous are the Tryumphes which are erected of the spoyles of Peasants also of the weapons and blood of neighbours and companions Some man will say that Fortitude is an other maner of thing and shineth principally in the warres I graunt it but not in these which seeme it to be vnperfect in all places Valiancie among other things consisteth in vanquishing rather then to flee and in sustaining of labour freely Concerning the first poynt what doe we see Losses ordinarie and victorie rare And as for the second there néede but two daies rayne and fower and twentie howers want to raise a w 〈…〉 egiment into a mutinie Thus by litle and little many doe wander and stray from this vertue notwithstanstāding they aduow that they haue ambraced it And if the French Princes Lords famous Capteynes and Gentlemen which doe well vse the same doe not endeuour to restore it into the former dignitie and to take away the abuses they shall many tymes finde themselues as well at the Court as in the field farre abused And our nation which heretofore hath through true Valiancie gotten such fame shall behold it selfe slaue to those that heretofore haue obeyed it This may suffice to shewe that Nobilitie ought to ayme at all vertues and not at one alone Likewise that they must not peruert that vertue which ought to be the piller of their armes I would haue made some description of this vertue of Fortitude which cannot bee too well knowne to those that exercise the same but that Aristotle in his Ethickes hath largely discoursed therof wherevnto they that delight in reading may haue recourse especially well to vnderstand the difference betwene such as is true in deede and that which doth but beare a shewe thereof onely I will say this by the way that he setteth downe fiue kindes of counterfait Fortitude The first that which is grounded vpon hope of reward the second vpon feare of punishment the third vpon experience the fourth vpon wrath and the fifth vpon ignorance of daunger But the true is when a man in the middest of the greatest daungers and most terrible things yea euen of death sheweth him selfe stedfast and without feare whereinto he hazardeth himselfe in a iust and honest cause and of these there be few and yet to be truely possessed with Fortitude he must be such a one The second false opinion is not so hurtfull as the first howbeit it molesteth many and to no purpose in causing them to seeke felicities rather apparant then true and to iudge amisse of the condition of many I mislike not that men should commend that kinde of life that any hath chosen because it liketh the
to imitate him in well doing rather then in hurting and destroying but because the most part of them do neglect or contemne these most worthie instructions they growe to degenerate in such wise that euermore that estate hath bene most happie wherein the most of those that haue sit vpon the throne haue beue vertuaus The places likewise by me alleadged ought to retaine the people from stirring not onely in vniust causes but also in such as are vnnessary when they contemne those whō God hath so exalted Also when a good and mercifull Prince raigneth if his Subiects doe through disobedience prouoke him they make themselues guiltie before God and man and thus much I thinke fewe can gainsay But the question is of one that maketh small accompt of the lawes or iustice should commaund that thing that were wicked whether wee ought to obeye him Hereto I aunswer that if this iniquitie consisteth in raysing of taxes and tributes vpon the subiects goods which many haue often tryed either in the encrease of the labours layd vpon their persons as Pharao delt with the Hebrewes in such a case wee can doe no better then to humble our selues before God and cratte of him pardon and deliuerance from so vyolent oppression For notwithstanding it proccede of his crueltie and mallice that is author therof yet are we withall to marke Gods ordinance who vseth such scourges to tame the imperfections of those whom he will amend Why will some man say what honor can he deserue who from a iust principalitie is fallen into tyrannie who in liewe of shearing his sheepe doth flea and deuour them Sith also he so villanously peruerteth publique order is he not vnworthie that any should yeeld him reuerence God in his worde sayth that notwithstanding he greatly dislike this oppression which procéedeth of mans frailtie and lustes kindled by the deuils mallice yet doth it not abolish the subiection due to superiorities and pollicies wherein we must still marke the footpathes of his decree Otherwise were the saying of S. Paule in vayne that the powers that are are the ordinances of God Neither should S. Peter haue any reason to commaund vs to honor the King But if any say that this had relation to the good I must answer y t neither of thē were ignorant what men Tyberius Caligula were either Nero all which we might rather name horrible Tyrants then true Princes If therfore among these horrible politique confusions they cōmanded vs to looke higher to humble our selues this precept should admonish alpeople that suffer violence through the pride or couetousnesse of their superiours to thinke once or twise before they kicke against the prick For vndoubtedly God ordeyned the bad Princes as well as the good according to the saying of the Prophet Oseas In my rage will I giue thoe a King and in my wrath take him away Also Esdras I will giue them children to be their Princes and effeminate persons shall beare rule ouer them Likewise Iob He maketh the hipocrite to raigne for the sinnes of the people If all these goodly rules were well considered many there are that would not bee so hastie to striue against the rod for whensoeuer the stripe commeth our first worke ought to bee to haue recourse to God as is aforesayd and to appease him and next to enter into our selues and amend Thirdly to seeke lawfull remedies against the mischiefe which if they faile vs then to waite in patience And hauing well discharged our selues in all y e aforesayd then to haue good hope of wished successe If wee are in any affayre to obserue moderation and wisedome then in this especially The precepts of Philosophers and auncient customes of the Romaines and Grecians the most ciuill and wisest nations among all other did graunt more libertie to the oppressed then Christian Religion doth For they did so hate and abhorre tyrannie that they could in no wise away with it Which notwithstanding it be euen to this day most odious yet must Christians haue more patience then others because that he which so strictly commaundeth it doth withall promise in tyme conuenient to prouide for their miseries whereby wee may see of what force and power the doctrine of the Gospell is to print in mens mindes the lawe of obedience and reuerence toward the superiours This if some Princes were perfect in they would not peraduenture so readily followe the counsailes of diuers Churchmen which make them with all extremitie to pursue the professors therof They be say these sollicitors iustly punished for they be hereticks Truely my maisters your words are not receiuable It is the olde song which is now out of vse since the Scriptures bewrayed your pot of Roses that is to say your abuses at the most whereof euen some of your owne men doe make a iest and giue them no credite Force them not then to reuerence them least they aunswer you with the Apostles It is better to obey God then men They deserue will you say to be rooted out by armes because they take armes Such as bee at their ease are soone angred and take small care or none for the afflicted See whether you bee none of them If any man had but pricked you you would fall out with him yea and peraduenture strike him too And can you not consider that the Protestants in France did patiently for the space of foretéene yeeres and the Flemings fiue and fortie suffer all sortes of spirituall torments and bodily paynes vpon false accusations and yet will you not that they should seeke any remedies to exempt them from such intollerable and cruell miseries But now I thinke of it I haue degressed from my purpose to speake of the furies vsed against the consciences But I will say no more but returne to my first path againe to confirme my former saying that bodily charges though heauie should bee borne For as Samuell sayth Kings shall sometymes be very readie to oppresse their people and although they crye out sayth he yet will not God heare them And this ought to admonish them to suffer so long as it shall please God to withdrawe his fauorable hand from them All that I haue hetherto alleadged to exalt the mightie and their dignitie tendeth not so to puffe them vp that through disordered licence they shall exceede the boundes of iustice For if they would yet can God chastize them as he did Roboam and Saule and prouide lawfull remedies to deliuer those that are oppressed Neither doe I beléeue that there is any state but hath lawes to repulse oppressors when their vyolences are ouer grieuous or continuall Now in these corrupt Kingdomes many men there are that neede no great compulsion to worke wickednesse as thinking that their obedience due to Princes couereth all that is amisse in their actions Yea some that haue publique offices doe take themselues to be double bound not to refuse to do any
of priuate quarels with the abuses therein committed which greatly want reformation THe true spring and originall whereof so many quarels doe arise which are now more common among the French nation than euer heeretofore are Pride and Wealth Two most vehement passions that so farre transport them as to dissolue the bonds of amity and friendship which held them vnited together And not withstanding many do labour to restraine them yet are they in great force by reason that euill customes in liew of quenching do kindle the fire of the same whereby no man can well exempt himselfe from iniurie yea eueÌ„ the nobilitie which hetherto hath alwaies ben most readie to all braue enterprises is at this day the formost in maintaining these abuses To them therefore do I direct my speech to the end to assaie by some meanes to diuert them from pursuing the errors that molest them and tend to their confusion Many men of iudgement there are that thinke so many braules quarelles as ordinarily fall out to be necessarie euils which it were meete somewhat to tollerate so to auoide others farre greater For they imagine that this heate being very naturall to our nation must of necessity dissolue and euaporate in small matters least otherwise it proue an occasion to cast vs into ciuill dissention yea they affirm that proces of law tend also to the same end because they be occupations during the which the abundaunce of choler weareth awaie This opinion truly â—auoureth somewhat of a paradoxe in being alleadged in such a season as seemeth no whit to fauour it Yet had it borne some likelyhood if it had ben propounded in the daies of our former kings But since such terrible ciuill warres haue ouertaken vs we haue greater reason to think that they haue ingendered these perticular disorders rather than to imagine y e same to haue alwaies bene such as we now see them either that they haue ben accounted as preseruatiues against greater mischiefs I knowe well in ought that warlike mindes are hardly restrained also that it is necessarie to entertaine them in some kinde of exercise whereby to alaie the heat of their courages But to suffer them to hurt or by armes to assault each other and not to restraine them we haue verie few examples vnlesse among the barbarous nations For so should wee submit the lawes which are rather made to suppresse violence to the imperfections of men In Italie where are the greatest politikes the common Courtisans are suffered to dwell in euerie Towne to the end through such libertie to eschue other more hainous leudnesse Wherof notwithstanding no good coÌ„meth but rather it seemeth that al intemperancie doth ouerflow Such vâ—ces as in y e â—ight of God are abhominable as whooredome murther ought neuer vnder colour of eschuing greater incouneniences to be permitted But some man will saie Are not combats forbidden in France Yes such as are made with lawes publik ceremonies which likewise the Pope hath forbidden so farre as his dominion stretchech it is a good lawe howbeit that notwithstanding wee are not yet at rest For now all respect being taken awaie they appoint theyr coÌ„bats without authoritie and go to fight whensoeuer the toy taketh them in the heads as wel against those whom they hate as against their owne friends as if all were good ware And if we should diligently account how many are yerely slain by such priuate braules we should find that there haue bene battels fought w t lesse losse both of gentrie souldiors Those that consider but the present time or are but young as neuer to baue scene other do peraduenture think that men haue alwaies so liued in this Realme wherein they are greatly deceiued For it is not yet fortie yeeres since quarels were rare among Gentlemen who so was noted to be a quareller was shunned as a kicking â—ade which proceeded in that their manners were more pure and the true points of honour better knowen than at this day Thus are the euills that in old time were small toward the end of this age wonderfully increased so as we may say them to be rather our sinnes than the sinnes of our fathers Some haue imagined that our troubles haue bred theÌ„ by extinguishing the ancient coÌ„cord exasperating the minds of y e French natioÌ„ which I confesse to be in part true but my opinion is y t many other occasions haue holpen as much or more to procure the same First a presumption y t many haue conceiued of their owne strength dexteritie which haue made them more readie to doe iniurie For since y e exercise of fencing which of it selfe is comeÌ„dable came to be vsed also y t yong meÌ„ especially haue found theÌ„selues to be perfectly instructed therin they haue imagined y t they might braue it out at their pleasures obtaine reputation of valiancie considering that experience teacheth that he that is perfect in the vse of his wepon withall wanteth no courage hath almost alwaies the better hand of him that is ignorant and in deed there is no doubt but the skilfull hath great aduantage of the vnskilfull Thus are men entered into a foule abuse in vsing such skill as they haue attained vnto to the wronging of others which ought not to be imploied but to the preseruation of life that in case of necessity The 2. cause is the exaÌ„ple of some Lords notable courtiers y t haue ben seene fight both in the court in the middest of the chiefe townes wherby other gentlemen who are very diligent imitators of exaÌ„ples either good or bad haue ben induced to cast off all regard of ciuilitie to seeke to decide their coÌ„trouersies as they see others do The 3. is impunity For seeing such disorders to escape without punishment it hath emboldned them not only to fight one with another but also to put in execution most villanous reuenges The fourth hath growen because men haue tied honour to the mangling of arms and legs mayming or killing one of another which y e nobilitie hauing noted as couetous of glorie haue sought by such meanes to attaine thereto Of all these causes together with the had affections which these long ciuill warres haue ingendered is this hideous beast Quarell formed which intruding it selfe among the nobilitie dooth vnperceiued by little and little deuour the same What a deede was that of the sixe Gentlemen of the Court who appointing to meet at the Tournels were so fleshed each vpon other that foure of them there remayned and the other two were sore wounded There were among them such as in time might haue attayned to great dignitie yet lead by extreame follie chose rather to perish in the flower of their age which was lamentable Diuerse other coÌ„bats there haue ben both in Paris and at the Court which haue sent many valiant persons to the graue In the meane time
throughout all the other Prouinces euerie one haue not bene at rest for some of them haue we seene disquieted and spotted with the bloud of gentrie In this state are we at this daie in France whereinto our owne follies together with the tolleration therof haue brought vs. And vnlesse the kings discretion and authoritie doe prouide some remedie all will still empaire Now although I may freely reproue the corruption of our time yet will I not thereof inferre that in time past men liued without quarels For men are men and subiect to wrath and reuenge But vndoubtedly they had verie few neither wold they be moued without great iniuries where now a word of nothing or in â—est bringeth the lie a sharpe looke shall be accounted an iniurie and a slaunder or false opinion call for a combat so ticklish and pricking is our dayly conuersation which proceedeth of a false imagination conceiued that true honor consisteth in surmounting others with force and making them to tremble vnder vs. A man may seeke aduauntage and victorie ouer his companions by playing at his weapon leaping vaulting running at the ring and such lyke exercises but that he shal not be esteemed vnlesse he deuour them assaulteth their liues or sheddeth their bloud it is a most pernitious opinion This haue made men so incompatible that haunting together they are forced to practise this prouerbe To day a friend to morowe an enemie Among all shames nay rather infamies this is not the least that a Gentleman euen vpon a friuolous occasion shall tainâ— his sword in the blood of his friends with whom before he made but one bed one table and one purse And yet if any would diligently enquire he might finde aboue a hundred such examples within these twentie yeeres yea euen neere kindred cannot dwell long together without braules which after bring them to blowes I thinke that these disorders are much encreased through the libertie of youth which being crept into credite haue reiected all feare of lawes and counsaile of their elders and taking bit in the teeth haue bred great abuse herein which custome hath but too much confirmed But wee are not to finde it straunge that the first age which is accompanied rather with heate then discretion doth sometymes disorder it selfe Rather should we wonder that wise men and magistrates can closely coÌ„sent and suffer such things as they ought sharply to represse to haue free course I haue shewed with what inconstancie men vse to make quarels without any ground also with what furie they afterward fight head to head But yet is not this all the worst for others which are no lesse then these doe ensue One taketh amends with aduauntage an other taketh cruell reuenge one procureth the killing of his enemie in treazon with the shot of some Dagge or Harquebut others doe make great assemblies resembling pettie warres and many tymes one quarell breedeth fower and twentie dye for one mans offence These are vnworthie actions for Gentlemen but among the rest priuie murders are detestable But most of all I wonder at an other abuse now in great course among the most gallantest that being so pernitious it hath so long continued That is that when any is disposed to fight he that is his second as we terme it or his third must also fight to extremitie with the second or third of the contrary part yea they euen striue who shall bee one These men in truth may be termed scourges to themselues rather then those who clothed in linnen with whippes in their handes goe vp and downe with heauie cheare daintely striking their delicate skinne Can there be any more fond folly then to see a Gentleman against his companion of Court without any cause of hatred yea peraduenture hauing some ground of amitie and sometymes his kinsman yet through a certaine brauerie goe cut his friends throate In my opinion these doe but badly knowe the true office of seconds in a controuersie of honor For as I thinke they should resemble the Iudges that are chosen in Combats who are to assist their friends first as pledges of their faith giuen as also to see there bée no fraud in such an action neither on the one part nor on the other whereof they are to aunswer And next to bee witnesses of the valour of those whom they conduct moreouer to agree them or part them in the field as sometnmes it happeneth after blood drawne But now in liewe of doing these dueties and fearing to quench their heate these men doe helpe to kindle them more and more sometimes to their owne destruction a most deserued penance for such an ouersight Some say these fashions are brought out of Italie I referre that to the truth thereof but now the vse is ours and if Iustice were restored and royall authoritie better regarded we should become more ciuill But I will alleadge one example to prooue the lewd consequence of quarels which is that vpon a coÌ„trouersie growne betweene two gentlemen of the court almost all the Princes and Lords with their fautors tooke parts so as the King was driuen to send his guard to kéep them asunder and cause them to depart Now if these had met I leaue to your iudgement what a bloodie folly it had bred It seemeth wée haue entred déepe enough into this laberinth of mischief which hath cost vs deere brought too much disaduantage to desire any more experience therof And as the gentrie hath bene the greatest fauorers nourishers therof so must it be the first that should helpe to destroy banish it especially if it mind the recouery of y e good reputatioÌ„ which it had in the daies of y e great K. Frances Then was it a goodly matter to see the good agreement among the gentry Then was applyed vnto theÌ„ this Spanish prouerbe To the friend as soft as waxe but to the enemy as hard as steele By which enemies were ment none but those that were so reputed in time of warre TheÌ„ was there great modestie among theÌ„ societies of sundrie companions did long continue friends obserued the rules of perfect fidelitie If any coÌ„trouersie did arise they al ranne to queÌ„ch it where now they fuffer it to encrease to y e end to haue the pastime of the combat So y t when I think of it we must no more speake of those daies least y e vnlikelinesse of ours therto do make vs to blush for shame Such as by nature are giuen to peace withall are endued with any discretion do find it very rude For notwithstanding they studie to shunne all contention yet are they sometimes entangled therein through other meÌ„s arrogancy which is so intollerable that it ouercoÌ„meth all patience Thus are they forced to follow the wicked custome least they should be altogether disdained Albeit many times it falleth out y t they free themselues from such braules with as great honor as their prouokers Well was it sayd
of him that termed prowesse and quarels two bad beastes for worse are there none to be found I haue heard of a gentleman y t reported that for ten yeres space he was much troubled with 4. horrible mischiefes frō which God had deliuered him The 1. a processe in law whervpon the one halfe of his liuing did depend the 2. a disease thought incurable the 3. a bad wife the 4. a quarell grounded vpō great iniuries among all which he affirmed y t the quarell had bred him most cares disquiet with continuall torment where in the rest he had some respite ease And this may well be for he that perswadeth himself that vntill he bee reuenged euery man skorneth disdaineth him dare scarce shewe his face in any cōpanie He is still in care how to find meanes to haue amēds of the iniurie that he hath receiued His hatred to his enemie stil stingeth his hart the desire of reuenge leaueth him no rest Likewise when he considereth the fortune of Combats the feare of infamy molesteth him Finally if he haue any feeling of godlinesse or religion that he thinke vpon the euident danger of his soule if his body should perish in the pursuite of so mortall reuenge may not all these troubles be compared with the furies that the auncients haue so much spoken of And to say the truth it is the very punishment of quarellers whom Gods iustice permitteth to be continually molested because themselues will not suffer others in rest Many mischiefes there are that light vpon vs wherof we are in small fault but this our selues doe forge and take vp vpon our shoulders at the least they that will not liue without controuersies There be gentlemen enow that hauing had 1000. or 2000. crownes rent haue spent it all in this miserable exercise If a man should aske of y e quarellers What is it that so troubleth you and causeth you to encurre so many hazards and perils and to wast your selues in so great expences It is will they say the respect of our honor Truely that is such an honor as bringeth many miseries where it should rather bréed content pleasure But I doubt if we should more néerely consider hereof wee should finde that the cause of this mischiefe consisteth in our owne errors and follies And as the ambitious as Plutarke sayth to the ende to hunt after a phantasticall glorie doe habandon the true so haue we formed to our selues a false honor that is obteyned by a certaine valiancie which yet were commendable in warre against our enemies consisting but in braueries bragges iniurious speeches outrages stripes and murders and all against those that before were our companions and friends This is a briefe description of that magnificent honor which is now adaies so rife in our mouthes Herevpon will some man say Why must I beare wrong stripes and not reuenge my selfe againe Hereto I aunswer that my entent tendeth not to will you to suffer all but rather that you must in no wise commit such iniuries What then is true honor It is a goodly praise and commendation by good men attributed to some in respect of their vertue which by diuers good effects they make demonstration of And this consisteth in the vse of wisedome iustice prowesse temperance truth courtesie and such other vertues wherof it ensueth that the ground of honor consisteth in the possession of vertue wherewith he must be clothed that mindeth to atteyne to the fruition thereof Those therefore are deceiued that thinke themselues woorthie to tryumph of the one and haue so smally profited in the knowledge of the other for it is as much as to seeke to haue the shadowe without the bodie or the barke without the tree I assure my selfe that the wise will choose to thriue by the waies afore recited rather then by imitating the abuse of custome wherewith they should helpe themselues onely in great extremities as men doe with corrosiues and not otherwise For it may so fall out that a sober gentleman shall be so grieuously wronged through the insolencie of an other that he cannot brooke it so is he after a sorte compelled somewhat to frame himselfe to the custome vntill such good order bée restored as men neede not to encurre the reproach of cowardlinesse or base mindes It was an old prouerbe That men should flee a hundred miles from an assault and runne a hundred miles to a battell which with greater reason may be sayd of quarels wherein there is lesse honor to bee gotten then in an assault It is but small honor to set vpon and ouercome him that is weaker then my selfe but if I maime him that is taken to be a braue fellowe euery man will bewayle his mishap and accuse my valour as hurtfull to my owne nation likewise if it bee my friend and I kill him who will not accuse me of inhumanitie Wherefore for my institution it were requisite that all men should know that the aforenamed did force me to proceede so farre which circumstances doe but sieldome happen France hath at all tymes had many couragious gentlemen of whom wee haue euen in our daies seene some shewe wonderfull proofes of valiancie in priuate quarels neuerthelesse they haue not bene any thing so much commended therefore as for other their valour shewed in skirmishes assaults and battels In the warres are wee to display our forces and liberallie to hazard our liues which they that cast them selues headlong into quarels doe seeme to make small accompt of Here might I yet note other abuses in these cases committed but they are so common and so well knowne that it would but breed tediousnesse to heare thē repeated And more meet it were to discourse of the fittest remedies for the banishing or helping of the same wherof if some had bin sooner applyed they might haue done more good for the longer wee delay the deeper roote doth the mischiefe take Howbeit it is yet curable if we will begin our cure rather by the causes thē by the accidents The maner hath bene that if any honorable person had chaunced in any quarell to bee killed in the Court by and by there were decrees and orders set downe to preuent the like inconuenience againe which was diligently obserued for some moneths space and then all was forgotten This was as a man should say after meate mustard or when the man is dead seeke the Phisition as also the preseruatiue was too weake for the tyme to come But we must remember that the mischiefe is vniuersall and that the remedies ought also so to be likewise that all the parts grieued both neere and farre should taste of the benefite of the medicine Sundrie bookes haue bene published which being translated out of Italian doe entreate of iniuries amendes combats c. which also doe teach Gentlemen how to shunne quarels and prescribe meanes when a man is in how to get out again without losse
third question is easily decided For two meane troupes hauing good corespondence charging in season are in my mind of more importance than one great The 16. Discourse Of the vse of Camarades which among the Spanish footmen are of great account THe Lord of Langey in his hooke of martiall discipline maketh mention of Camarades which in our French speech he tearmeth ChaÌ„berers making them to confist of ten soldiors a peece giuing to one the preheminence ouer the rest and him hee nameth Captaine of the ChaÌ„bre Wherin he imitateth the Romaines who in their bands tearmed Cohortes wherof ten made a legion had their Decurions y t is to say their Tens with their Captaines ouer ten which as I thinke they vsed for three causes First for order which should be obserued euen in the least matters Secondly by their small rudiments to instruct the soldiours in their commandements And thirdly that by this continuall conuersation participation in the same fire table and bed they might ingender faith and loue Now the Spaniards do not erect these small societies for anie of the two first reasons but for the third onely so as that which the L. of Langey willeth to be done especially for order they practise for the commoditie onely which therein they reap And I think that this kind of footmen which is vsually 150. or 200. leagues out of their owne Countrie was brought to that custome through such great necessities as they are sometimes forced to fight against for some remedie whereof they inuented this fit meane which in truth is verie good for certainly there is no better or more assured succour care or comfort than of a perfect friende or loyall companion It had bene peraduenture more meeâ—e in speech to haue deliuered such ordinarie and as a may may saie childish things than to set them downe in writing But the cause that moued me heereto is my owne knowledge of the greate want that our footmen haue of the vse heereof among them for the bringing of them in liking whereof I thought good to make this small description which I wish should not vanish awaie with the sound For if some at the least by the contemplation thereof could well perceiue the goodly fruite springing out of these militarie societies I should not thinke these my vnperfect labours which haue bene the hidden pastimes of my long miseries to haue bene altogether vnprofitable Among the Spanish footmen there be so far as I can learne two sorts of Camarades The first are they whom the chiefe officers of the companies do associate with themselues whom they doe defray with their seruants and horse if they haue any so as costing them nothing they haue their whole pay come freely in and commonlie a Captaine wil haue 5. or 6. whom he termeth his Camarades for such are the customes of Spain which do in the armies seke meanes to maintaine themselues worthily to grow to preferment These through their daily conuersatioÌ„ with the Captains who are graue modest discrete doe learne so wel that in short space a man would deeme them worthie not onely to beare the corcelet or harquebuze but also to commaund as my selfe haue thought of some of those whome I haue seene Their loue and regard to him that maintaineth them is verie great as also for his part hee esteemes of them almost as well if they were his owne kinsmen To bee briefe they alwaies keepe the Captaine honourable companie in his lodging and serue and stand to him in his affayres beeing accounted as Shelmes if they shoulde abandon him Their Serieauntes who among them are in farre greater estimation than ours haue also for their Camarades some couple of braue souldiours whome they chose who like wise doe giue them the third part of their paie to helpe toward their owne maintainance and although they seeme thereby to be but as pencioners yet do they beare them loue honour as they ought The second sort of Camarades is the same which is practised among the souldiours a matter so vsuall among them that he that kepeth himself long out of such assotiations is accounted as a stubburne iade that cannot abide among his fellowes The least consist of two and the greatest of sixe in euerie whereof wee may see the goodly images of brotherhood to shine And this is so much the more to be esteemed as it happeneth among souldiours who might seeme to seeke discord rather than concord Thus in the middest of the generall amitie which the souldiours beare to their Captaines and companions is formed this particular heere spoken of which is more liuely than the other the originall whereof proceedeth of their mutuall knowledge and increase of ordinarie conuersation the stedfastnesse and confirmation thereof of mutuall benefits And for my parte I thinke it no small strength to a companie to haue therein some duzen of societies of friends or more that haue care each of other Plutarke discoursing vpon the sacred bond of y e yong Thebans which was otherwise called The band of friends did iudge it therefore to be the more valiant And in deede they all died one after another in the battell Moreouer there groweth great commodity in ordinarie expense by liuing together for foure souldiours may honestly maintaine themselues with a small matter according to their callings where one yonker hauing his seuerall table shall spend more than all they and not fare so well The Spaniards doe vse in their Camarades to allowe to each his weeke to prouide and keepe account of charges and hee that best husbandeth it is thought the wisest which is the thing that they most studie for For they gape after praise euen in the smallest matters as well as in the great Seldome doe they incurre any want for still one of them either by hooke or crooke catcheth somewhat which he liberally imparteth to the rest neither can they abide that anie of them should be badly clothed rather will they faste to apparell him But one of the chiefest fruites of these societies appeareth when one of them is sicke for such is theyr charitie that they will one helpe another as brethren to their power Thus much I will say more that this small priuat life is almost alwaies pleasant because of their domesticall conuersation which findeth them pastime enough Neither is it cause of lesse honestie for one alwaies seeing another euery man brideleth his affections as wel as he may from doing any infamous deede for feare least he should growe into contempt and so be banished the companie of those that esteeme of honor And to say the truth I finde solitarinesse to bee hurtfull to many Souldiers who resemble Apes which when no man seeth them are alwaies about some mischiefe and so doe they imagine to doe Whereto is to be added that if any of the sayd Spanyards be ignorant in this or that the rest will instruct him with as good will as hee
these retraicts here do appeare great determinatiō but small arte which neuerthelesse is very necessarie in such affayres wherto I will also adde the instruction of the souldiers For when all these three things shall concurre in one troope I doubt not but it may worke greater meruailes then the former Some will say that the Frenchmen can at this day hardly helpe themselues with the pike which is true neither do I merueile thereat for in deliuering both it and the corcelet to any man men looke to no more but whether he hath good shoulders as if it were to carie some coffer like a moyle and as for the gentrie they haue quite giuen it ouer This is the reason why I wish the restoring of martiall discipline as also that they would againe practise the pike wherewith to fight at hand and open and to leaue to the youth and poore Souldiers the handling of the harquebuze because that therewith they ordinarily fight a farre of and in couert for the one is farre more honorable then the other Captaines in ould time venturing vpon some difficult enterprise wished to haue their Souldiers not only well ordered but also old beaten warriours because their assurance is the greater For it were but an ouersight to attempt any perillous aduenture with newe men Now will I come to Instruction which is as I haue sayd merueilously requisite in extraordinary matters And yet we now see that the Souldier contemneth it and the Captaine careth not for it But admit a Souldier bee valiant and that wheresoeuer he be placed he will doe his duetie thinke you he will not doe it much better or that he will not fight more resolutly when before he hath by good reasons bene perswaded that the horse cannot force a battaile in the face likewise that for the flancke they must vse such fortification as I will hereafter set downe then if he were vtterly ignorant and wist not what might happen I thinke no man will denie it for certainly ignorance is in parte cause of the feare that many men of warre doe oftentimes conceiue For that seeing the enemie in their faces they thinke they should according to the prouerbe euen eate yron charets I know that practise teacheth to knowe the true from the false but there is much time spent therein vnlesse it bee holpen by familier and ordinarie documents which those captaines that seeke to haue the best companies doe diligently giue to their souldiers The ordering of the footmen asorenamed to withstand the hotse in the fielde For marching but 80. paces asunder and coasting each other it followeth that the head of the battaile marked A can hardly bee charged because the side of the battaile marked 3 doth flancke it as likewise the sayd head doth as much for the sayd flancke by the same reason also one of the heads of the battaile marked 2. and the flancke of the other marked D doe also succour each other by their harquebuziers so as it is very daungerous for the horse to assayle in such places which enterflancke each other But may some man say although the two battailes cannot be assaulted but each vpon two sides why is it not as good to make but one onely which cannot be assailed in any more places For it seemeth the resistance would bee more gallant because that force vnited is much greater then deuided I am of opinion that in these actions it is not so requisite to looke to the greatnesse or smalnesse of the battailes as to the difficultie and hinderance when they finde themselues assayled on euery side For it is a great aduenture but there will growe some disorder when one bodie must make defence in foure places but when they neede not to looke but to two sides the men doe frame themselues thereto with greater ease and much better order This reason shall content me for the verifying of my speech notwithstanding I could alleadge others Concerning the ordering of the battailes I would wish euery rancke to conteyne fiftie Corcelets whereof there should be seauen at the head which would make three hundred and fiftie then tenne ranckes of harquebuziers and in the middest of them the rancke of Ensignes afterward for the tayle sixe ranckes of Corcelets which in all make sixe hundred and fiftie Corcelets and fiue hundred harquebuziers placed in foure and twentie rankes For the flanckes wherein al the difficultie doth consist they should be ordered in maner following I would neuer place there any harquebuziers as hath hetherto bene vsed but make sixe rankes of three hundred Corcelets in each fiftie men which should serue to make head on those sides The enemies being néere they should march otherwise then the rest namely close and carying their Pikes vpright leaning against their shoulders which is now sufficiently in vse Whereas at the heads of the battaile when any thing is to be done in their march they trayle them which maketh much distance betweene their rankes Now these sixe ranckes when the charge is offered after they stand shall doe nothing but make halfe a turne and so continue in their array with their face to the enemie and by my aduice they should take but threescore common paces in length which properly should bee the same which the battaile being closed to fight may haue open by the flanckes Thus should they bee armed to withstand the horsemen which cannot bee well done but with Pikes for the harquebuze shot without couert wil easely be ouerthrowne There remaine yet two hundred and fiftie harquebuziers to bee placed in the battaile counting the Muskets whom I would wish to bee distributed into foure partes in each threescore and somewhat more to stande as it were loose before the Pikes and at the charge to arange themselues vnder those of the first ranckes on the foure sides of the battaile Some will mislike I should make the heades so weake and only of sixe ranckes of Corcelets thinking them too fewe to beare the brunt of a whole hande of horse To whom I may say that if there were tenne it were the better but I haue cut my coate after my cloath howbeit I thinke such frontes sufficient to resist the horse which may easely bée done if the men haue courage and will be sure to stand strongly and fewe battailes haue wee seene ouerthrowne by any assault of the horse at the head As for the flankes which I haue described in such sorte as before they be as strong as the heades so long as they can keepe their order And this order I would wish them to keepe in their fight First while the horse were farre of it were good the battailes did goe forwarde but seeing them readie to charge to stay to the ende the better to settle themselues in order and with good footing to beare their first brunt The first rancke of Corcelets to plant the endes of their Pikes sure in the ground and not to stirre though a horse should goare
Caesar and to God the things that appertaine to God But when I remember my selfe how can you you Souldiers fulfill this who haue forgotten the arte of rendering and can doe nothing but take Who sometimes doo saie well and alwayes liue euill What are your troupes and armies in these dayes but shoppes of all vice which where they passe doe leaue more horrible footsteps than doe the Grashoppers where they liue continuallie Your enimies do hate your crueltie your friends doe feare your sackings and all people doe flie from before you as from the flouds Who wil beleeue that your cause is iust when your behauiours are so vniust And although it were iust doe not you yet hazard it to all rebuke and slaunder To be briefe learne to liue better or thinke not much that no man beleeueth your wordes but cry out against your deeds This truly were a very free speech which neuertheles I think to approch so neere y e truth y t I wil not giue it the lie least they y t haue indured it should come in for witnesses against mee and so returne my lie vpon my selfe Out of this ranke I will exempt the honorable and good mem that professe armes as well noble as others of whome there be yet many abroad Neither must the whole blame of these disorders be layde vpon the small whose wantes doe oftentimes stirre vp their mallice For there be great ones who because they care not for moderating or suppressing them must haue their parts those especiallie are most guiltie that had rather see whole riuers of mischiefe than loose anie part of their reuenges or dominion If anie man aske the souldiours why they make such hauock they will answere that want of paie compelleth them which is a reason to be considered of If they tel the Princes y t these behauiors sauour verie euill and must be taken awaie with golde they wil say that all the Indias will not suffice for so many high payes and other subtill proulings Which cause must be well waied In the meane time vnder these excuses the mischiefes doe on both sides continue and feede vpon the infortunate Prouinces that beare theÌ„ which cannot possiblie be eschued so long as the mightie ones are so obstinately bent to make the wars perpetuall by keeping great armies all Winter and Summer in the fielde whereof it followeth that in the ende most of the men become rauening beastes the country is disinhabited the treasure is wasted the great curse themselues and God is displeased If we should call to minde how in the wars betweene the French and Spanish especially in Piedmont we should often see a Cornet of speares passe through a village where they might see banqueting dauncing the people without anie force come bring them all kinds of refreshing Againe within halfe an houre after another troope enimie to the former to passe in like sort and to receiue all kinds of curtesies Also these 2. troops within a while after to meet and beate each other well fauouredly Then the conquerer to carie into the sayd village the sore wounded as well of the one partie as of the other to be dressed and to lie all in one hostrie the vanquished vpon their faiths and the vanquishers in the custody of the aforenamed vnto their ful â—nre when each ought to returne to theyr Captains Thus should we see that these and such maner of proceeding purchased to both nations great fame among strangers and more amitie than is now to be found among pareuts This I say being reported vnto them they would account for fables because our present customes are cleane repugnant thereto And yet if in any wars ciuill behauiour be to be practised than in these wherein fellow Citizens after they haue ben together by the eares in their natiue soile doe fall agayne into familiaritie and loue one with another which neuer happeneth with strangers for the controuersies ended they neuer lightly haue occasioÌ„ to see one another again yea they ought to behaue themselus herein as kinsmen who among their hatred force doe intermingle equitie and honestie Finally such as do better note pollicie and good order and withall doe shew themselues most curteous doe giue the lookers on to thinke that they haue the better cause who therefore do fauour them with their prayers and themselues likewise by their good actions are the more satisfied and confirmed in their opinions which make them the bolder Contrariwise those who through their dissolutions doe make their warre which of it selfe is terrible vtterly detestable notwithstanding the cause be neuer so iust God will not fayle to punish for prosecuting it by such sinister meanes The 20. Discourse That a king of France is of himselfe mightie enough though he neither couet nor seeke other greatnesse than his owne Realme doth afford him ALL such as professe the reading and diligent examination of histories doe with one voice confesse that most of the calamities miseries fallen vpon diuerse lands and nations haue proceeded of the ambition of Princes and common wealthes who haue raysed such warres as â—red the same To auoide all the doubtes whereof reade but the liues of Philippe of Macedon Alexander Pirhus and Demetrius with the warres of the Romaines against the Catthaginians wherein ye shall finde that nothing is more true And although time by little and little suppresseth the force of the strongest things yet coulde it neuer much extinguish the flames of so vehement a passion which passing from the Father to the sonne heaping the former ages with mischiefe hath reached euen to ours I will forbeare to speake of things happened within these fifty yeres in respect of so many people yet liuing which may haue considered thereof but of foure score yeres ago Phillip Commines Fran. Guicciardine doe yeeld such testimonie that wee may say that the desire of dominion haue caused infinite disorders which haue disfigured the beautie of politike gouernment It cannot be denied but ours haue danced at the feast among others and peraduenture oftner but it hath likewise soone after mourned for it as wel as y e rest as hauing reaped no other commoditie of the greate warres of Charles the eight and Lewes the twelfth which neuerthelesse were not quite deuoide of all grounds of iustice but wast of money and consumption of men Which might admonish all Princes to undertake none but such as be necessarie vtterly to reiect those that containe no necessitie I knowe they haue a wonderfull quick desire to increase which neuertheles they maye moderate by a representation of the mischiefes and difficulties of warres were it not that they find themselues strengthned and vnderpropped with the counsayle of the young together with custome which not onely maintaineth it in force but also dooth greatly increase it For assuredlie the mightier that a Prince is the more is hee pricked forwarde with such stings as leaue him but small rest
all the rest Carion saith that this famely at the first was but small but through I wot not what destinie it grew to this vnreasonable greatnes w t wonderful speed prosperitie as a cruel people whoÌ„ God would haue to beare sway all ouer to punish the sins of all other Nations Furthermore the occasion that moued the Turkes to inuade Europe as also of the victories that they haue obtayned hath growen of the dissentions wickednes treasons disloyalties idlenes couetousnes rashnes and mistrust of all states Christian from the least to the greatest And the reuoltes of Christians haue wonderfully increased the Turkes For many vnthrifts from time to time through the libertie of warres seeing the flourishing estate of y e Mahumetists haue forsaken the Christian Church to cleaue to their sect as well in respect that libertie is of it selfe agreeable to mens fansies as also because their wils do incline anie waie where they see things prosper well It will be needlesse here to number the Empires Realmes and Prouinces by them conquered within these two hundred yeres for such as haue bene conuersant in the world or that haue perused the histories will confesse that they possesse much more land than all Christendome doe containe Their sect is replenished with all impietie and blasphemie against God and against Christ Iesus and his doctrine and their gouernment with the most horrible and cruell tyrannie that euer was as being as it seemeth erected rather to ouerthrow all lawes discipline and honestie than to maintaine them Thus much briefly concerning the estate of the Turkes the knowledge wherof may tend greatly to the opening of that which shall hereafter be spoken of The first Christian Prince punished for all such confederaties was Guy of Lusignian the last king of Hierusalem For hee hauing a quarell with Reymond Earle of Tripolie and finding himselfe too weake to follow it made a couenant and called to his aide Saladin the gouernour of the Sarazens who hauing ouerthrowen Reimond did afterward expulse Guy and so ouerthrow the state of the Christians in Siria and finally suppressed the realme of Hierusalem And albeit the Sarazens and Turkes are not all one yet did they concurre in Mahumets lawe and all trecherie About sixe score yeres after Iohn Paleologue Emperour of Constantinople being molested by sundrie Lordes of Greece whome the Bulgarians fauoured determined to enter league with Amurathes the first then ruler of the Turkes and craued his helpe which was graunted Herevpon they passed into Europe whereof insued the destruction of Greece For these Lords presumption being suppressed the Turkes remayned in garison in the townes of Greece and shortly after Amurathes allured by the beautie of the Countrie came into Europe with 60000. men and seased vpon Philippopolly Adrionople with other places whiles Peleologue bewayled and too late confessed his fault that he had committed in entering a league with so traiterous an enimie whereby he sawe his Countrie become a praie vnto theÌ„ These vnfortunate beginnings might haue bene a warning to other Princes their successors not to be ouer hasty of the acquaintance of such a nation according to the prouerbe which sayth Happie is he whom other mens harmes can make to beware But his next successors forsooke not the same path neyther had they other payment than he For after that Emanuel Paleologue had made a steadfast league with Baiazet the tyrant bearing him no long good wil besieged Constantinople which when he coulde not winne by force hee determined to famish and had so done had not the comming of Tamberlane preuented his purpose Two or three other Emperors following were through the errors and bad examples of their predecessors constrayned as it were to cleaue to these barbarous people vntill they inuaded the Empires of Constantinople and Trapizond before in the possession of the Greeke Princes Whereby wee see that the thing which in the beginning was done of an vndiscreete free will grew in the end to be followed of forced necessitie But howsoeuer it was wee may saie that the vniustice of such actions hath beene the cause to bring in great mishaps It may be obiected that within these three hundred yeres sundry weake Christian Princes haue made confederacies with such as haue bene strong thinking by the same the better to preserue themselues yet haue found that they haue turned to their destruction because the others haue vsed those occasions to oppresse them and therevpon would conclude that onely indiseretion hath bene cause of their mishaps when they haue called to their helpe coueted to ioyne neighborhood or confederated themselues out of season with such a one as hath bene mightie or desirous to climbe for small faith raigneth in ambitious persons Heereto we may answere that in truth in such deedes there is want of iudgement and consideration and that the histories though we set not down the examples do beare witnes of many that haue tried the hurt proceeding of such follies Neuerthelesse wee must make a difference and haue other regard when we come to ioyne amitie with the Princes afornamed either with tyrants whether to assayle the Christian Princes or to defende our selues from them For when a Prince through ambition or disloyaltie vseth confederacies to the end to deceiue the infamie still â—â—eaueth to him and as for him that hath bene too simple and so circumuented or indomaged wee doe rather pittie than accuse him But in all such leagues as wee make with these destroiers and scourges of the worlde in whom treason impietie vniustice and crueltie haue their continuall habitation there is alwayes errour especially if we exceede certaine bounds prescribed by reason because it is in no case lawfull to confederate with them except for matter of small importance and such as bindeth not the hearts with any strict amitie neither the persons in anie great bond For what stedfast societie can there be with those whose continuall imaginations tend onely to subdue you to vngodly bondage so to destroy you Wee cannot neuerthelesse here inferre that no man may enter anie treatie with them because somtime necessitie induceth vs to grow therto with the most diuellish enimies that we can imagine as to craue truce or peace to agree controuersies for Lordships or territories to demand amends for iniuries and to deale for trafick assurance for merchants In these cases it is lawfull to deale and treate with these tyrants Who so therefore would compare these agreements with those true and lawfull leagues which are vsually made betweene Princes to the ende each to helpe other against all that seeke their trouble shall see a wonderful difference betwéen them For these are grounded vpon equitie and tend to the preseruation and maintenance of ciuill amitie betweene them whereas Princes do vse the other agreements vppon necessitie somewhat to bridle their rage whereof doe grow some assurance to their subiects and their affaires The Wallachians Moldacians Transiluanians
their worke to bee both easie and possible They saie there is a certaine mettallicall substance â—it and conuenient to be transformed into perfect mettalls which is the true seede that yeeldeth the Gold and the same as the principal ground whereon they must build it is requisite to know verie wel That in time past few men knew it but that nowe some excellent schollers in this art are nothing ignorant therein also that it is likely not to be so strange and vnknowen a thing considering that euen meane men are perfect in the knowledge of the substance seed and vertues of plants hearbes and foules Like wise that albeit most of these goodly operations of nature bee hidden in the deapth of the earth yet is mans spirit able to penetrate into such secretes sith it can also mount aboue the heuens To deny the substance that they search for I dare not because wee see the effects but to affirme that it is knowen there resteth the difficultie for although wee knowe many as the aforenamed yet followeth it not thereof that wee are able to comprehend the other which hath so long beene hidden excepte by the discourse of our imagination vntill experience hath taught vs the truth of this matter Some common Alcumistes haue in their pamphlets gone about to describe the saide substance One assureth it to be quicke siluer or brimstone the other egges or bloud and others haue named sundrie other kinds which haue procured a thousand and a thousand experiments all which haue proued false Some of them doe affirme that the true matter must of necessitie haue in it a great vegetatiue power and some similitude with that substance whereinto it shoulde be transformed Concerning y e vegetatiue power theyr speech doth stand with some reason for sith nature must be an agent and worke in this action the matter must likewise haue the same propertie and not resemble a stone or a peece of wood As for the similitude it is likely also that the substance that should yeeld Gold must haue some correspondence therewith for it were a plaine mockerie to imagine that an egge should bring forth a tree or an acorne a bird These two properties then are verie necessarie for the matter which we speake of neuertheles by y e onely discoursing vpon things conuenient therto it is not founde no more than is the Philosopers wisedome albeit they haue in their discourses qualified and formed it But admit I graunt they knowe the true substance which neuerthelesse is a deepe point yet are they to proue by what artificial meanes that is to saie by what regiment or helpe they can enforce their wished forme which is not easy to be done for albeit that arte doe imitate nature yea that in some thinges it can euen helpe her yet dare not our common Alcumists affirme that it can growe equall with her Heereto they replie that experience teacheth that the vertue of the arte duelie fitted with the force of nature doth so helpe it that thereof insueth the bringing forth of the kinds in likewise as Nature alone may haue brought them forth As in Egges which are the substance whereof foules are bredd a man may minister to them an arteficiall heat so temperate either in an ouen or by other meanes that wee shall see them yeeld forth the like foules as nature woulde haue ingendered as also in the Salte pits wee see that arte together with the sea water and helpe of the natural heate of the Sunne formeth the Salt If therefore in liuing things yea euen in dead things it hath so much power why may it not lykewise worke in the substance of mettalls Heereto I aunswere that this is but a bad kinde of arguing of a few particular examples in things knowen to make a generall rule for thinges as it were yet vnknowen for that which may agree with one cannot agree with many Wee may easilie see that there is great difference betweene the manner by nature obserued in the ingendering of mettals and the other kindes afore noted For hauing made the seede of plants hearbes and foules so common vnto vs she also sheweth vs the facilitie of their generation But in mettalles it is another case for if their substance hath bene hetherto as it were hidden it is no meruayle that their procreation is vnknowen Who so list to consider how a Wheate kirnell bringeth forth a fayre and greate eare shall neuerthelesse therein see but small helpe of arte sauing some trauayle and tillage of the ground with the sowing therof which cannot properly be sayde to be the principall cause of the generation for it is onely nature who hauing receiued the seed into the ground as into a matrix doth heate putrifie it also it maketh it to sprout growe and take that forme whereto it is most proper The lyke effect is to be noted in the generation of mettals which is performed by the onely vertue and power of nature neither can art worke any great matter therein And whosoeuer should take the substaunce of them out of their matrixe wherein nature by hidden meanes worketh weening through art to make perfect the saide mettalls shall greatly deceiue himself for so would it loose the whole force and become lame This might the Empirical Alcumists haue therby learned by so many their false experiments made so long time which neuertheles haue not yet vtterly diuerted their mindes froÌ„ promising to theÌ„selues somwhat more for they affirme that this pouder of proiection once performed they may by casting a little of it among a greate masse of imperfect mettals reduce y e whole into gold Now thy proceed thereto by degrees saying that one once of this pouder is able to coÌ„uert a thousand ounces of other mettal into gold that which is better purified will conuert ten thousand but that which is once brought to perfection will multiply as they tearme it from one waight to 100000. These be the braue fruites which they make the trees of their garden to beare whereof the least wil be worth 9000 crownes the greatest about 900000. Truly if these effects were as true as the discourses of them are braue wee shall see many gardens giuen themselues to the tilling of so fruitfull a soyle The common opinion of man doth account this same to be a prodigious matter yea sundry learned men do meruaile how so many can suffer theÌ„selues to be lead away with such persuasions of whom if a man aske how this great augmentation can come to passe they will answere that that should not seeme so strange considering that daily we see as great matter as that after the same manner for say they ae candle once light is able to impart her light to 100000 more yet neuer diminish it selfe one whit so likewise the vertue of this power is so great that it communicateth the selfe substance thereof to other mettals apt to receiue it This similitude in my opinion
It was agreed that two dayes after he should meete the Queene a league and a halfe thence so to proue if any thing might be determined which he did There after many speeches the said Prince did in the end make her the offer aforesaid namely to depart the realme so to testifie his zeale to the quiet thereof which she tooke holde of before the word was out of his mouth telling him that that in deed was the true meanes to preuent all mischiefes feared for the which all France should be bound vnto him also that the King comming to his maioritie would bring all into good order wherby euery man should haue cause to be content Nowe although the Prince was a man that would not be easily danted neyther wanted his tongue yet was he at this time astonished as not thinking to haue bene taken so short because it waxed late she tolde him that in the morning she would send to knowe what conditions hee would demand Thus she departed in good hope and the Prince returned to his campe laughing but betweene his teeth with the chiefe of his Gentlemen which had heard all his talke Some scratching their heads where they itched not others shaking them some were pensiue and the younger sort gybed oue at another each one deuising with what occupation he should be forced to get his liuing iu a forein land At night they determined the next morning to call all the Captaines together to haue their aduice in so waightie a matter In the morning they entered into counsayle where the Admirall propounded that in as much as this matter concerned all it was in his opinion good to impart it vnto al which was done and the Colonels and Captaines were sent to demaund the aduice as well of the Gentrie as footemen But they imediatly aunswered thatsith France had bredde them it should also be their scpulture likewise that so long as anie drop of bloud rested in them it shoulde bee imployed in defence of their religion With all they requested the Prince to remember his generall promise that hee would not forsake them This being reported to the Counsaile haâ—ted the conclusion of those that were there to deliberate who considering of the generall disposition of all were the rather confirmed in their opinions which did concurre w t the same neither were there aboue three or foure that vsed anie speech the matter being so euident and I do yet in part rememâ—er the particularities there deducted The Lord Admirall declared vnto the Prince that albeit he supposed that the Queene in accepting of his offer meant no harme as one that desiring to deliuer the state out of miserie means conuenient 〈…〉 ot that he thought those which had weapon on hand did circuÌ„â—ent her to the end to betraie him that he neither ought neither could performe that that was propouÌ„ded himself had promised in respect that beforè he stoode bounde in stronger bandes and besides all this that if he should now absent himselfe he should vtterly loose his credit condemne the cause that he had takeÌ„ in hand which besides the equitie therof being authorised by the Kings edict ought to bee maintayned euen with hazarde of life The Lord of Andelots speech was this My Lord the enimies power lyeth but fiue small leagues hence if it perceiueâ—â— amoÌ„g vs either feare breaking vp or other alterà tioÌ„ whatsoeuer it wil with â—â—â—ord and speare driue vs euen into the Ocean sea If you none shoulde forsake vs it will bee sayde that yee doe it for feare which I knowe neuer harboured in your heart Wee are your poore seruantes and you our maister diuide vs not then sith wee fight for religion and life so many parleyes are but snares layde to intrappe vs as appeareth by the effectes else where The best waie therefore to come to a speedie agreement is that you will vouchsafe to bring vs within halfe a league of those that wish vs to departe the Realme so may wee peraduenture within an houre after growe to some good resolution for wee can neuer bee perfect friendes before wee haue skirmished a little together Then stepped foorth the Lorde of Boucarde one of the brauest Gentlemen in the Realme whose head was fraught both with fire and Lead My Lorde sayde hee hee that either giueth ouer or putteth of the set looseth it which is more true in this matter now in hand than in the tenis court I haue alreadie seene fiftie yeeres in which time I may haue learned alittle discretion I would bee loth to walke vp and downe a foraine lande with a tooth picker in my mouth and in the meane time lett some flattering neighbour bee the maister of my house fatten himselfe with my reâ—â—newes God willing for my parte I will die in my Countrie in defence of our alters and hearthes I beseech you therefore my Lorde and doe wish you not to abandon so many good men that haue chosen you but to excuse your selfe to the Queene and imploie vs with speede while we are willing to bite Little more was there spoken except a generall approbation of all men Then the Lord Prince began to speake and for the iustification of his offer sayd that he made it because they went about couertlie to taxe him with the cause of the warre as also for that if his absence might breede theyr peace he would thinke himselfe happie as not respecting his owne particular affayres lykeâ—â—se that hee did well perceiue seeing the enemies power so neere and theyr resolution that they woulde impute his humilitie to cowardlynesse whereby it should breed no rest but rather destruction to the cause that hee maintayned and that in consideration thereof hee was resolued to followe theyr counsayle and to liue and die with them Thus sayde they all shooke handes in confirmation thereof At the breaking vp of the Counsaile Theodore Beza with others of his companions made vnto him a verie wise and piâ—hre exhortation to comfort him in his resolution alleadging vnto him the inconueniences ensuing the departure from the same and so besought him not to giue ouer the good worke hee had begun which God whose honour it concerned woulde bring to perfection About the same time came the Lorde of Frense Robertet Serrâ—tarie of the commaundementes whome the Queene had sent to knowe vppon what conditions the Lorde Prince woulde departe Whose â—unswere was That it was a matter of waight neyther was hee yet resouled thereof in respect that many murmured thereat but when it was concluded hee woulde eyther sende or bring the Queene worde himselfe But Roberter by some particular speeches perceiued that matters were altered and so returned to the Queene whome hee certefyed that shee must haue more than paper to thrust him out withall who afterwarde went her waie Heereby may Princes and great Lordes learne in matters of importance not to binde themselues by promise before they haue throughly consulted thereof with the
wise for albeit their meaning may be good yet may a man after some forte stumble because the sodainnesse of the matter may make him neglect diuerse circumstaunces therein to bee considered Yea although one shoulde thinke vpon all that were requisite to bee noted yet may many doe it much beter The worthinesse also of the matter in hande may be such and the number of confederates so great that euen the cheefest must haue respect as well to the one as to the other As likewise they must imagine that they to whome they promise although thinges vnreasonable will neuerthelesse vpon want oâ— performance finde themselues greeued and complaine thereof By what occasion the warre did first breake foorth betweene the two armies DUring the parlies afore mentioned there was as it were a trucâ— betweene both armies which caused that there was nothing enterprized at Paris or Orleance But when the Prince of Conde and his associats did well perâ—eiue that wordes were to weake to remedy the present alterations hee determined to adde effects and so immediately after the resolution vpon the offer made vnto the Queene hee called aside â—eauen or eight of his cheefest captaines and consulted vpon the most conuenient meanes to buckle with the enemy for the trucâ— was ended the daie before who all were of opinion that they must be preuented by diligence considering that they had two aduauntages the one that the Duke of Guise the Constable and the Marshall of S. Andrewes were then absent and so none but the king of Nauarre with the armie the other that the companies of men of armes were lodged scattering from the maine battaile That if they shoulde march forward by daie theyr light horse or forragers might giue them warning and therefore it were best to vse greate diligence in the night and so come vppon them in the dawning for thus might they vndoubtedlie be surprised likewise that because they had not ordinarily vsed any camizadoes they might nowe the more easilie put this in execution while the enimy least doubled anie such thing As for the waie it was most easie as being al plaine fields between them About one houre after the campe departed and came betimes to Feâ—te where the Generalles opened their intents to the Captaines willing them to cause their souldiours to put on shirtes and resolue them to beare themselues manfully in this so valyaunt an enterprise By eight of clocke at night the troops were in the field who after publike praier as was then vsed among the Protestants began to march with such a courage as I may in truth affirme that in souldiours I neuer see greater Before the departure did a gentleman commit a most villanous act in forcing of a maiden whose calling together with the shortnesse of the time were causes that it could not be punished This did many take to be a bad signe in this enterprise Presuming to finde the enemies in their lodginges the order to fight was this First the Lord Admirall marched formost with eight hundred speares to ouerthrowe whatsoeuer horsemen hee shoulde finde in armes then followed 1200. harquebuts in foure troopes with charge to assayle the watch of the enimies footmen and thence to enter theyr quarters Next marched eight hundred harquebuts supported with two great battayles of pikes to seaze vppon their artillerie after all came the Prince of Condee with one thousand horse in foure squadrons and the rest of the harque buzerie Now are we to vnderstand that considering at what time they set forward they should by all reason haue reached to the enimies lodging by three of the clocke in the morning for the waie lay ouer a playne field neither was there any straight passage but that the footemen might march a whole league in an houre and a halfe but when they had gone two leagues the guides perceiued that they went wrong and thinking to recouer their waie they strayed farther out remayning as men amazed and not knowing where they were to the no small discontent of the Captaines To be briefe hauing thus trauayled vntill one houre after daie they found themselues a long league of from the enimies lodgings whose scoutes descried the head of the Princes armie and so returning with al speed gaue a great alarum Heerevpon tooke they counsayle what was best to bee done but in the meane time they hearde the Canon discharged in the enemies campe for a warning to call in their horsemen which brake theyr deuise for passing any farther as well for that they weâ—e descried as also that they had yet a great waie to goe albeit if they had bene within halfe a league they were resolued to haue gone forward and fought Thus was this enterprise which in ontward appearaunce seemed verie certaine was vtterlie broken of I haue asked the opinion of sundrie good Captaines then present in the aduersaries campe what successe might haue followed if the Protestants had come in time who all affirme that they woulde haue fought albeit they were preuented by their separation from their most affectionate Captaines and the greatest parte of theyr horsemen The Lorde Marshall of Anuille a watchfull and verie skilfull Captaine was with his light horse lodged at the head of the Catholikes armie wo tolde mee that hee waked and was in armes almost all the night neuerthelesse if our whole power had come in time theyr armie had beene in daunger which is not in deede to bée doubted for albeit the hazardes of warre bee vncertaine yet the aduauntage of a surprise doth import apparaunt losse to those that suffer themselues to bee so farre ouertaken All the faulte was layde vppon the guides who to cleere themselues said that the Lord of Andelots putting the footemen in araie at the departure from the lodgings made their march the flower but I thinke this excuse more subtil than true considering there was neither bush nor hedge to stoppe them In deede if the Countrie had beene straighter it might haue had some likelihood Both armies albeit somewhat asunder stoode in araie vntill two of the clocke afternoone Afterwarde the Prince of Condie went to lodge at Lorges a small league of and the King of Nauarre with all speede certefied the Lorde of Guize and the Constable who laie at Chasteaudun of all that happened who immediatlie came to him Then fearing to be assayled by night because the Princes armie was strong in footmen and their owne lodgings verie vnfit for horsemen they made at the head of theyr battayle grounde vppon the comming in fiue or sixe great heapes of fagots with strawe inough vnder them to kindle if they were assaulted to the ende by the light thereof to discharge three or foure vollees of artillerie which woulde haue greatly annoied the assaylauntes There are that disdayne such inuentions albeit they may sometime be to good purpose In the morning they fell agayne into araie but see not one another neyther did anie but the light horsemen skirmishe The Captaines of
written in great letters to all others of the same trade to beware of the like behauiour Neuer did you see wiser men then the rest were for a moueth after but then they returned to the practise of their good customes which without seueritie will not be forgotten As also in fauour of the Catholickes this I will say that at the beginning they likewise were well ordered did not much anoy the coÌ„mons whose nobilitie did also shine among them Howbeit I cannot well tell how long they so contiuued but I haue heard that they also did by and by spred their sayles and tooke the same course as the other Thus albeit our disorders may somtimes procure sport yet haue we greater cause to weepe when wee see so many of those that deale with armes through their bad behauiours deserue the name of theeues rather then souldiers Of the reasons that mooued the Prince of Condées armie to breake vp after the taking of Boisgencie also how he conuerted that necessitie into profite And of the purposes of the King of Nauarre THE principall Captaines and such as were best practised in worldly affayres did well for esee that their armie would not long continue whole because they did in parte want the necessarie foundations thereof so as they feared this dissipation as men feare least the fall of some great Dake shaken with y e windes should light vpon some wall and cast it downe or vpon a number of small plantes bearing fruite which caused them to giue counsaile while it was in force to hazard thâ— fielde whereof they missed Now after the taking of Boisgencie when they see the contrary power placed at Bloys which standeth vpon the riuer of Loyre and that the warre grewe long their first heate began to coole as also at the same time began their treasure wherewith to wage Souldiers who had alreadie consâ—med all that they had gathered as well aâ— Orleance as els where to faile This necessitie opened the gates to diuers discontentmens whereof the most parte had but simple foundations albeit the principall motion proceeded of the naturall impatiencie of the French nation which if it by and by see not the imagined effects doe grow out of liking and murmureth Neither will I conceale but that some euen of the chiefe of the Nobilitie too much affected to their goods either endued with somwhat an ambitious hope or els ouer delicate and tender endeuouring to hide these defaults did call the equitie of the warre into question This being knowne they were requested to departe least their speeches should alienate the minds of others As for the greater parte of the Nobilitie and Gentrie which could not bee maintained or placed in the neerest Garrisons and might serue els where it was thought good to employe them in their owne countries where debate began to breake foorth betweeene the Protestants and Catholickes especially in Poictou Xaintogne and Angolesme Thether sent they the Earle of Rochfoucault to Lyons the Lord of Soubize and to Bourges the Lord of Iuoy with his regiment Also seeing the Germaines Suiâ—zers and Spanyards did alreadie enter into France in fauour of the Catholickes they sent the Lord of Andelot into Germanie and the Lord of Briquemaud into England to seeke for helpe and succour By this meanes did the towne of Orleance remaine freed and safe from that which would most haue molested it forreine negotiation well established and the preseruation of those Countries from whence they had succour prouided for Thus were the difficulties that happened among the Princes partie determined so as the hope of the successe of this warre was not much deminished whereof I doe not much meruaile For sith in extremities wise and valiant persons can finde remedies why should they dispayre in such as are not so farre growne In the meane time in matter of warre want of money is no small inconuenience neither is it any losse to haue to deale with voluntarie persons which is a burden of it selfe hard to be borne whereby a man is soone oppressed and this doth none so well knowe as he that hath proued it The King of Nauarre and his assotiates considering that it was not good to lose time which ought to be precious to those that haue power at commaunde encreased their campe as well with French men as Straungers and besought the Queene to bring the King into the armie to the ende the Huguenoâ—s who 〈…〉 ned it the King of Nauarres or the Duke of Guizes might be forced to call it the Kings campe as also the more to 〈…〉 horise the warre that was prosecuted in his name which she did And they met at Chartres where they resolued to set vpon Bourges before it were fortified for sayd they so mightie a citie not past twentie leagues distant from Orleance did but too much benefice the Princes affayres Thether they marched and assaulting it found no such resistance as was looked for whereby it fell into their hands Then being with this so sudden victorie which sayd they was the cutting off of one of the Protestants armes puffed vp and very ioyfull they entered deliberation of their affayres Many were very earnest to besiege Orleance whose reasons were these That the two chiefe heades that moeued all this bodie namely the Prince of Condé and the Admirall were there so the same being taken they might easely make the rest of the bodie immoueable That the strangers that looked vp and euen tickled to come into France when they should but heare of the siege thereof would not bee very willing to set forward That they had men enowe to begin the siege for placing and fortifying two thousandmen in the little gate to bridle the towne on that side they should still haue tenne thousand footmen three thousand horse who might suffice vnto the ariuall of other their power that was marching Finally that the towne was but weake as being neither well flancked nor well diched and hauing no counterscarpe Onely there was a rampier wherein thirtie Canons would in sixe daies make a breach of two hundred foote But sayd they if ye giue those Huguenotes any respite to finish their fortifications wherein they labour alreadie wee shall not bee possibly able to winne it That they should remember that that towne was no small thorne in the foote of France but euen a very great darte which pierced the bowelles thereof and kept it from breathing Others of the contrary opinion did thus replie That by their intelligences in Orleance they were assured that the two regiments of Gascogns and Prouincials amounting to aboue 3000. souldiers were in it Also fiue or sixe hundred other souldiers of those that had bene in Bourges and were now retired thether Moreouer foure hundred gentlemen Then the townsmen able to beare armes being no lesse then three thousand persons All together aboue seuen thousand men besides such as hearing of the siege drawing thether would likewise enter thereinto That a towne
a few dayes after This quailed their oâ—rages and hope of all the souldiours in his armie to see themselues depriued of so notable a Generall Insomuch that the Queene beeing wearie of so many miseries and notable slaughters vndertooke the treatie of peace and thence foorth was there nothing but patleyes on eyther side vntill it was concluded wherein the Lorde Prince of Condie and the Lorde Constable were the chiefe instrumentes and dealers Nowe let vs speake of the 〈◊〉 Admiralls expedition who fearing the forcing of Orleance â—e solued wholie vppon diligence as also in sixe dayes hee marched 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ie leagues with his power of horsemen who consisted of two thousand Reisters fiue hundred French horse and one thousande â—â—arqâ—ebuziers on horsebacke as also they had onelie one thousande and two hundred horses but no cart for their carria 〈…〉 In this sort we vsed such diligenee that sometimes we preuented the fame of our comming in diuerse places where wee ariued The sayde Lorde Admirall beeing come to Cane assaulted it with the helpe of certaine English men whome the Earle of Warwicke Beauois la Nocle who were in Newhauen had sent him The Castle being furiously beaten did yeelde vppon composition Therein was the Marquez of Elboeuf to whome wee vsed all curtesie Our Reisters also receiued their paie which they liked better than the Normandie Cidre and as wee prepared to returne to sucâ—our Orleance the Prince of Condie writ to the Admirall that the peace was concluded which news conuerted his desire to fight into another desire namely to visite his house This was the end of the first ciuill warre which had continued a whole yeere A tearme that seemed rather long than short to the natural impatiencie of our nation which in some places ouerflowed in cruelties more meeâ—e for barbarous people than Frenchmen whereof the Protestants did indure the most part And this peace did many good men like of a great deale the better because it ended all these inhumanities The second troubles Of the causes of the taking of armes in the second troubles Also how the purposes where vpon the Protestants had built themselues proued vaine MAny are the writings that haue beene published in iustification of the leauie of armes in the yeere 1507. as also others contrariwise to condemne them whereof such histories as intreate of things passed haue at large discoursed to the which all such as gladly woulde exactly search the particularities of all these publike actions are to haâ—e recourse For my part I am content briefly vpon this point to touch some such as are as true as the same that haue ben published which I haue learned of those that on the one side had in part the conduct of the affaires The edict of pacification concluded before Orleance had greatly satisfied almost all France as well in appearance as in effect because thereby all miseries ceasing euerie man inioyed rest with safetie of bodie libertie of minde Howbeit the hatred enuy of some as also the mistrust of others was not quite extinguished but lay hidden and vnperceiued But as time doth commonly bring all things to perfection so these seeds together with many worse brought forth such fruit as returned vs into our former discords the chiefe of the religion who looked to the safetie as well of theÌ„selues as of other made a general collection of all that was wrought stil practised against them affirming that vndoubtedly their enemies endeuoured by little and little to vndermine them then euen at once to giue them their deaths wound Of the causes that they alleaged some were manifest and some secret Concerning the first they consisted in the razing of sundrie townes and the building of Citadels in the places were they had their publike exercise also in murthers in sundrie places coÌ„mitted the slaughter of diuerse notable Gentlemen whereof they could haue no iustice In the ordinarie threats that shortly they should not lift their heads so high especially in y e comming of Suitzers albeit the Duke of Alua was already passed into Flanders vnder a cloked feare of whose passage they were leauied And for the secret they propounded certaine intercepted letters comming from Rome Spaine wherin the purposes that should be put in execution were more plainly discouered The resolution concluded with the Duke of Alua at Bayon to root out all the Huguenots in France and the Rogues in Flaunders whereof they were aduertised by such as were not doubted of All these things with many more that I omit did greatly waken those that were loth to be taken sleeping and I remember that the chiefe of the religioÌ„ met thrise at Vallery Chastillon whether came 10 or 12. of the notablest Gentlemen to determine vpon these present wars also to seeke some lawfull honest meanes of safetie among so many terrors without proceeding to the vttermost extremities Howbeit rather by the counsaile of the L. Admirall than of anie other euery one was desired a while to haue patience for that in so waightie affaires as these which brought with them many mischiefes men ought rather to be drawen by necessitie than to runne headlong vpon will withal that in short time they should see more But at thirde meeting which was within a moneth their braines were better heat as well vpon the considerations aforesayde as thorough new aduices giuen them namelie one which the Prince and Lord Admirall did affirme to proceede from a Courtier greatly affected to the Protestants who assured them that there had bene a secret counsayle holden wherin it was determined to seaze vpon them two the one to be put to death the other to be kept prisoner at the same time to place 2000. Suitzers at Paris two thousand at Orleance the rest to bee sent to Poictiers Then to disanull the Edict of pacification and to make an other vtterlie contrarie thereto and not to doubte thereof This was easie to be beleeued and the rather for that alreadie they see the Zuitzers who they had beene so ofâ—en promised should bee sent backe march toward Paris Wherevpon some more sensitiue and impatient than the rest grewe into these speeches What shall wee tarrie vntill they come and binde vs hande and foote and so drawe vs vnto their scaffoldes at Paris there by our shamefull deaths to glutte others crueltie What aduice shall wee yet expecte Doe wee not alreadie see the foraine enemie march armed toward vs and threaten to bee reuenged on vs as well for so many iniuries done to them at Dreux as also for those harms which in our defences we haue done to the Catholikes Haue wee forgotten that aboue three thousand of our religion haue since the peace endured violent deaths for whome whatsoeuer our complayntes wee can haue no redresse but friuolous aunsweres and fraudulent delayes Yet if it were our Kings will wee shoulde bee thus iniuried and contemned wee might peraduenture the better beare it But sith
wee know that all this is wrought by those who shrouding themselues vnder his name doe purpose to debarre vs all accesse vnto his person and to alienate his good will from vs to the ende that beeing destitute of all ayde and supporte we may remayne theyr bonde men and bee a praie vnto them shall wee beare such insolencies Our Fathers did patientlie for the space of fortie yeeres and more suffer vppon whome they made proofe of all sortes of punishmentes for the name of Iesus which cause our selues doe also defende And now that non onelie families and boroughes but also whole townes haue vnder the authoritie and benefite of two royall edictes manefestly declared theyr fayth wee shall make our selues vnworthie these two goodlie titles Christian and Gentleman which wee esteeme to bee most honourable ornamentes if thorough our neglygence and cowardlynesse in loosing our selues wee suffer such a multitude of people to perish Wherefore we beseech you that haue taken vpon you the common defence to enter some speedie resolution for the matter will heare no longer delayes Other assistaunts at this counsayle were moued not so much at the vehemencie as truth of this speech But as there are alwayes some full of consideration the same did replie that they perceiued the eminent daunger howbeit that the safegard was from them hidden For if we will sayd they flie to complaintes supplications it is most euident that the same do rather prouoke those to whome they be exhibited than procure anie remedie If likewise we take armes with how many reproches slanders curses shall we bee ouerwhelmed by those who imputing vnto vs the blame of the miseries ensuing when they cannot discharge their rage vppon vs will ease their choller vppon our poore families dispearsed in diuerse places howbeit in as much as among many mischiefes we must alwayes choose the least it seemeth there is lesse inconuenience in suffering the first violences of our enemies than in beginning with thē so become guiltie of a publike general cōmotion Then spake the Lord of Andelot and sayd Your opinion my maisters that spake last is grounded vpon some discretion and apparant equitie But the principall phisicall drugges meete to purge this exceeding humour which now aboundeth in the vniuersall bodie of Fraunce namely Fortitude and Magnanimitie doe therein want I woulde therefore weete of you if you carrie vntill wee bee banished into forraine Countries lie bound in prisons lurke in forrests ouerrunne by the people contemned by the souldiours and condemned by the authoritie of the mightiest all which we are not farre fro what will all our passed patience and humilitie stand vs in stead What profite can wee reape in our innocencie To whome shal we complayne Or who wil vouchsafe to heare vs It is time to see that wee be no longer deceiued and to haue recourse to our defence which is as iust as necessarie neither to care though they tearme vs the authours of the warre for themselues are they that in so many sortes haue infringed the publike agreementes and couenants and that haue brought euen into our bowels sixe thousande forraine souldiers who in effect haue already proclaimed it against vs so as if we giue them such aduantage as to strike vs first our mischiefe will be past remedy Small speech was there afterwarde other than an approbation to take force in hande so to preuent the imminent destructition Howbeit if there were any difficulties in the rosolution heereof so was there no lesse in learning howe to proceede in this newe approch Some wished the Captaines to seaze vpon Orleance confederate towne and then to certefie their maiesties that perceiuing the approch of y e Suitzers they were thether withdrewen with theyr friends for their safeties also that by returuing them home they would likewise depart euerie man to his owne house Hereto it was aunswered that these men had forgotten how that at Orleance there was a great gate fortefied and kept by a sufficient number of Catholikes whereby they might alwayes let in men of warre into the towne also that nowe it was time to defend themselues with yron and steele and not with wordes or writing Others thought it good abroade in the Prouinces to seaze vppon as many townes as they might and then to stand vpon the defensiue whose aduice was not admitted neyther because that as it was sayde in the first troubles of a hundred that the Protestants helde within eight moneths they had not twelue lefte for want of power to succour them Finally they concluded to take armes in the beginning of this warre to obserue foure things First to seaze vpon fewe townes but the same to bee of importaunce Secondlie to frame a Iustie armie Thirdlie to cut in peeces the Suitzers vnder whose fauour the Catholikes would alwayes bee the maisters of the field Lastlie to indeauour to banish the Cardinall of Loraine from the Court as him whome many did imagine to bee a continua salliciour of the King to root out the Protestants Great difficulties were there propounded concerning the two last pointes For sayde some the Cardinall and the Suitzers did continuallie march with the Kings person so as assayling the one and endeauouring to terrefie the other euerie man woulde affirme their enterprise to be directlie agaynst the royall maiestie and no other but they were decided by this aunswere That the euent shoulde discouer their intentes euen as they gaue testimonie of King Charles the seauenth who beeing but Dolphine tooke armes but neyther against his Father nor the Realme Moreouer that it was well knowen that the French in bodie had neuer attempted against their Princes person Finallie that if this theyr first successe fell out fauourable it might cutte off the course of a long and ruinous warre in that they shoulde haue opportunitie to open vnto the King the truth of matters which yet was concealed from him whereof might ensue a newe confirmation of the ediots namelie when they that purposed to preuent shoulde finde themselues preuented This was the resolution taken among those men that were then present who albeit they were indued with great knowledge experience valour and discretion yet al that they had so diligentlie forecast and examined when it came to effecte was wonderfull wide from their expectation other things almost vnthought of as accoūted eyther to sure or difficult redoūded to their greatest benefit Whereof it followeth that wee may heereby perceiue that good successe doth not alwayes followe good deliberatious Howbeit all this haue I not heere spoken to the ende to controll those that I haue named of whose vertue I haue euermore greatly admired neither to cause men in their affaires to neglect discretion or diligence but onelie to aduertise them that the accomplishment of anie our workes consisteth not in the purposes of man but in Gods disposition Now let vs marke the successe of these enterprises For the first points which concerned
no difficulty for the keeping of their consciences vnspotted to leaue her countrie for a pray A most rare example in this world wherein wealth and honor are in such accompt that vnto many they be euen a domesticall God whom they serue Now likewise a maruellous encrease vnto the Protestants armie were the troopes which the Lord of Acier brought out of Daulphine Prouence and Languedoc The Prince had before written as well to him as to others the most notable in the sayd Prouinces to send him some good power to succour him and to withstand the armie Royall which came vppon him least so many Princes and excellent Captaines should encurre so great disaduantage as to see themselues besieged in the townes Whereof so farre were they from faâ—â—ing that it seemed they had dispeopled the places they came from so many men did they bring for they were not lesse then eighteene thousand bearing armes who vnder the conduct of the Lord of Acier marched But as the same was one way the 〈…〉 ole support of the armie so on the other it was the losse of sundrie places which the Catholikes after their departure seased vpon And many times I haue heard diuers Colonels reporte their departure in such numbers as if they should haue gone to seeke newe habitations for had the halfe onely come yet had they bene too many These could not neuerthelesse ioyne with the Prince of Condé without a great inconuenience that befell them for two of their regiments were ouerthrowne by the Duke of Montpensier the cause arising as I haue vnderstoode of that the Lords of Mouuans and Pierregoord finding some discommoditie in lodging so close as vntill then they had bene forced would needes scatter wéening that hauing two thousand harquebuziers no lesse then an armie could serue to offend them The said Mouuans was as braue a souldier as any in the Realme but his great valour experience brought him to attempt that which turned to his destructioÌ„ which is it also that many times bréedeth the losse of both Captaines and troopes He tought valiantly and both he and his fellow with two thousand of their men dyed in the fielde The Catholikes haue reported vnto me one course that they then tooke which I like well of That was that fearing least the Lord of Acier who lodged but two leagues of should come to the rescue they did at the same time that they charged vpoÌ„ the said Mouuans quarter with their whole footmen sende into the Lord of Aciers quarter eight or nine hundred speares and many harquebuziers on horsebacke with a great sound of Trumpets crying Battaile Battaile which they did to the ende to make him thinke that their drift was against himselfe Thus did they linger him while they performed their enterprise wherefro they caried seuenteene flagges This losse grieued the Price and his partakers howbeit the comming in of so many other regiments did soone blot out his sorow For the man of warre euen during his action against the enemie endeuoureth to abolish the memorie of all sorowfull accidents least the same should deminish this first furie which being in him doth sometimes make him terrible Of the first progresse of both the armies when being in their prime they sought with like desire to fight AFter the ouerthrowe of Mouuans the Catholicke armie retired to Chastellerault fearing least the Protestants being so mightie would come vpon them in some bad ground There was also the Duke of Anieow who brought other power very resolute in that their Captaine to whome they bare great honor and reuerence was such a Prince And in my opinion there had not of long time bene seene so many Frenchmen in both the armies The Prince of Condé his places furnished had in his eighteene thousand Harquebuziers and three thousand good horse and I take that in Monsiers were at the least eighteene thousand Souldiers and foure thousand Speares besides the Suitzers so as on both sides might haue bene found aboue fiue and thirtie thousand Frenchmen all trayned and peraduenture as bould Souldiers as any in Christendome The Protestants finding themselues strong would haue sought to ioyne and came within two leagues of Chastellerault But the Prince hauing aduice that the other campe was planted vppon a strong ground almost enuironed with a small marish whereto was in some places adioyned a slight Trench ment not rashly to attempt any thing but sought meanes to drawe them foorth to battell Hereto was he enuited by the heate that he perceiued in his souldiers likewise by his great number for he doubted that such an armie wanting pay would not long continue great as also that the sharpenesse of winter would soone deminish it It may be that in the Catholike army some of these considerations might likewise take place But there was a good vniformity in this that both the generalls were touched with equall desire to ioyne and like purpose each to goe liue vpon his enemies land so to preserue his owne from the extreeme spoyle which whole armies doe make Thus they both raised their campes and tooke their way to Lusignan neere whereto was a small quarter of land good in all perfection where each entended to lodge and albeit they were both neere together yet could neither heare newes of other which is not very straunge for we see it many times come so to passe Both parties therefore hauing appoynted their generall meeting at a great borowe named Pamprow plentifull in victualles the Marshals of both the campes came thether much about one time with their troopes from whence they beate each other forward and backward twise or thrise so desirous was euery man to catch that bone to knawe vpon which in the ende was giuen ouer Howbeit either of them knowing very well that they should haue support stood stiffe and would not flee but retired a quarter of a league of where they set themselues in battaile aray Afterward came the Lord Admirall and d'Andelot with fiue Cornets of horse onely and on the behalfe of the Catholickes came seauen or eight hundred Speares It is now sayd the Lord Admirall no speaking of lodging but of fighting and with all speede aduertised the Prince who was a long league of to set forwarde in the meane time he would set a good face on the matter He commaunded them to stand in aray vpon a small rising so to take from the enemies the viewe of a valley least they should discouer him and this did he to the ende to make theÌ„ think that we had some great power both of horsemen footmen hidden therein Being thus in aray within a Canon shot each of other he willed a Captaine of harquebuziers on horseback to set forwarde fiue hundred paces and to stay neere to a hedge which he did But as these people albeit they can discharge running are not neuerthelesse skilfull souldiers so had they not stayed there sixe paternosters while but halfe of them moued to
riuer Some Catholikes reporte that the discorde that fell betweene them hindred diuerse braue enterprises which they might haue executed if they had still agreed I wot not how it was but if that were true it was no meruaile that they fought noâ— or rather that they were not fought with all but thus 〈◊〉 I haue learned that the enimies had small notice of their braules This great barre the riuer of Loire might also haue bene a second verie great difficultie to staie this Dutch armie in that so lowe it was not wadeable besides that all the townes standing thervpon were enemies but the passage ouer was in necessarie for them that it so doubled the diligence rashnesse and inuentions of the French Protestants that they assayled the towne of Charite which had a goodly bridge and finding it but badly furnished with men they pressed so sore vpon it that what with countenaunce and threates before anie succour came they had carried it awaie which was vnto them a wonderfull ioy For had not that ben they were in a verie bâ—â— case must haue ben forced to haue sought the head of the faiâ—riuer which would haue lengthned their way 60 leagues and which was worse taking that course they should haue pestured themselues in a hilly and wood Countrie where their horsmen could haue stood them but in small stead I haue sometimes heard the Lord Admirall discoursing hereof among his familiars account this passage of the straungers almost impossible For sayd he we cannot helpe them by reason of Monsiers armie which lyeth in our waie and as for them they haue another vpoÌ„ their arm also so difficult a riuer to stop their course that it is to be feared that they shal not wel void this inconuenience without shame or losse Agayn albeit they had passed it yet the 2. armyes ioyned together wil haue ouerthrowen them before we can come neere by 20 leagues to succour them but when we hard of the successe of La Charite also y t they were determined to trie al dangers to ioyn with him he grew into better hope and sayd This is a Princes good prognostication les vs by diligence and resolution perfect it This caused the Lordes Princes of Nauarre Conde the same who had allowed and receiued leaue for generalles of the Protestants to march toward the marches of Limosin so to drawe neere the armie of Monsieur and to keepe it still occupied and to saie the truth wee were dayly as it were in a foure waiting when we should heare that two such mightie armies had oppressed our Reisters but it fel out otherwise for they watched their opportunitie so â—itlie and speedely that beeing guided by their French troopes wherein the Lorde of Auy bare himselfe most valyantlie they out went them and drew to the place where the Lorde Admirall had sent them worde that he woulde meet them with ten thousand harquebuziers and two thousand and fiue hundred horse Thus did these two armies ioyne with greate â—â—aâ—ulation I will not heere â—axe the Generalls and braue Captaines of the Catholikes for suffering them to passe because I 〈◊〉 not what reasons they had to diuert them neither will I extreamely command those that passed but rather must thinke it to haue ben a great good hap for them the lyke whereof doe sometimes appeare in militarie action where in great Captaines in their warre are to learne in their greatest extremities not to abandon all hope for one onely fauourable accident which commonly followeth the diligent and shunneth the slothfull may suffice to free them Both the armies being then verie mightie for there were in the Kings campe aboue thirtie thousand men and in the Princes full 25000. were forced for theyr better commoditie of virtualles to seuer themselues for the countrie of Limosin is but barren but they drew togither ward againe about Yries La Perche The Lord Admirall perceiuing that the barrennesse of the Countrie forced them to lodge scâ—â—teringlie also that beeing craggie and full of wood the places for the armies were oftentimes verie discommodious determined rather to preuent then to bee preuented Wherefore hee counsayled the Princes to goe and surprise the Catholike armie which was not farre of at a place called Roch-labelle They set forward before breake of daie in purpose to giue battayle and came so fitlie that before anie allarum taken they were within a quarter of a league of the enemies front who were lodged strongly and the Lord of Stossy at the noise comming in with fiue hundred harquebuziers to support three hundred of his men who kept watch at the chiefe entrie found the skirmishe verie hot And wee may well saie that hee bare himselfe verie valyantlie for hee helde foure thousande Protestant harquebuziers plaie a long houre which time stood the Catholike armie in good stead to set themselues in order The Lorde Admirall meruailing that they could not force the passage sent thether Captaine Bruel a skilfull man Hee by and by perceiued that our shotte endeauoured to ouercome the others rather by multitude than by arte wherefore to make short worke hee spake to the Captaines and hauing ordered the troopes assayled their flanks and withal setting forwarde foure Cornets to sustayne them he beganne a sharpe onsette wherein our men hauing broken certain casemates that couered the enimies did so disorder theÌ„ that soone after they fled leauing diuerse of their menâ— dead with 22. of their officers also their Colonell prisoner who that daie had done Monsieur good seruice for had it not bene his resistance the Protestants had come without leâ—te to their ordinance But because it rayned all the daie and the Catholike army was placed vpon the aduauntage they could not worke anie great effect and therfore retired hauing shewed themselues too rigorous in their execution for they tooke verie fewe prisoners whereaâ— the Catholikes were â—ore prouoked and reuenged themselues intime and place It is a commendation to fight well but it deserueth no lesse praise to bâ— genele and courteous to those whome the first furâ—e of our weapons haue pardoned and into whose handes our selues may another time fal vnlesse there be great cause to the contrarie And in skirmishes skill and pollicie is in my opinion as necessarie as violence which experience doth 〈◊〉 coufirme For if the lande be somewhat couerd a man may vse sundrie aduantages which the Spaniards and Italians can verie wel practise as being ingenious people but it is alwaies most profitable to order their men in smal troopes to assayle on the flankes ere they bee aware to place the troope that beareth the brunt verie well and finallie to come resosolutely to the sword The siege of Poictiers MAny enterprises doe men attempt in the wars which were neuer premeditated as also they giue ouer others long before thought vppon which proceedeth of the alterations which time bringeth foorth and as it is a signe of valiantâ—e well to execute so is
to force their enemies withdrew to their lodginges as also did the Princes who hauing considered that their staie might be hurtfull as also that they wanted pouder marched by great ionrneis vnto La Charitee and other townes their partakers there to furnish themselues anewe with all commodities necessarie Shortlie after there was a truce taken betweene both armies which grew to a peace wherevpon euerie man laid downe his weapons It had bene verie noisome lieng so long in the field in heate in colde in bad wayes and almost alwayes in the enemies lande where the verie peasant made them as sharp warre as the souldier which inconueniences many times troubled that great Captaine Hannibal when he was in Italie It is therefore a braue schoole point to marke how men can fit their counsayles to necessitie such labours are in the beginning so odious that they make the sculdiours to murmure against their owne Captaines but being a litle accustomed hardned in these painful exercises they begin to grow into a good opinion of themselues when they see that they haue as it were ouercome y t which terrefieth so many chieflie the delicate These be the braue galleryes beautifull walks of the souldiours then their bed of honour is the graue wherinto a harquebuze shot may haue ouerthrowen them But in truth all this is worthie reward commendation namely when they that tread these pathes and endure these labours doe maintaine an honest cause and in their proceedings shew themselues replenished with valor and monestie Now if anie man in this woful warre laboured sore both in bodie minde we may saie that it was the Admirall for the waightiest part of the burthen of the affaires and military labours did he with great constancie and facilitie beare as also hee bare him selfe as reuerentlie among the Princes his superiours as modestie with his inferiours Godlinesse he alwayes helde in great estimation and bare greate loue to iustice which made him to be esteemed honored of all that part which he had taken he neuer ambiciously sought offices or honors but in eschuing them was in respect of his sufficiencie and honestie forced to take them When hee dealt with weapons he shewed himselfe as skilful in them as anie Captaine of his time and alwayes couragiouslie hazarded himselfe to all daungers In aduersities he was noted to be endued with magnanimitie and inuention to get out and shewed himselfe alwayes free from glosing and dissimulation In summe he was a man worthie to restore any weake and corrupt estate Thus much I thought good by the waie to saie of him as hauing knowen and kept his companie yea and profited in his schoole and so should doe him iniurie if I should not make true and honest mention of him The causes of the third peace The comparison thereof with the former also whether the same were necessarie NOne of the three ciuill warres lasted so long as this which coÌ„tinued two whole yeres where the first was ended in one yere the second in sixe moneths and many doyet thinke that had not y e Protestants draweÌ„ toward Paris it would not haue bene done so soone of which experience they haue gathered this rule that to purchase peace war must be brought beere this mightie Citie which I also take to haue ben one of the chiefe causes to help it forward for y e stripes which threaten the head do greatly terrefie the Catholike strangers hauing also wasted innumerable coin had left such want that they knew not how to furnish paie Ruine and robberie was rife euerie where Moreouer good hap seemed to begin to raise vp those that had ben wearied For the Princes armie had made a braue head against the Kings at Rene le Duc. Gascogne LaÌ„guedock Daulphine held sorer than war before Bearne was recouered in Poictou Xantoigne the Protestants had spead well in ouerthrowing the two old regiments and taking sundrie townes Al these things gathered together which other secret perticular oceasions disposed y e King and Queene to grant to the peace which was published in August The Protestants also desired stood in great need of it for hauing neuer a crowne wherewith to satiffie their Reisters their necessitie would haue driuen them to abandon the Princes as by the Countie of Mansfield they gaue them to vnderstande Likewise seeing them neere their owne Countrie it was to bee feared least they would haue resolued so to doe which falling out would haue beene the ouerthrow of their affaires Many other discommodities which I omit vrged heereunto among the rest the misrule of our souldiours was such as it could not be remedied Insomuch that the Admirall who loued good order and hated viâ—e did many times since saie that he had rather die than fall into the like confusions againe and to see so many mischiefes committed before his face To bee briefe the peace was accepted vpon tollerable conditions also for y e assurance thereof was added that which in the former they neither durst demand nor coulde obtaine namelie foure townes The beginning of this communication was after the siege of S. Iohn d'Angelie wherin were emploied the Lords of Thelignie Beaunois la Nocle gentlemeÌ„ endued w t diuerse vertues who faithfully discharged their duties and if before when the Protestants affaires were at a latter hand the Catholiks had offered smaller conditions I thinke they would haue bene taken But when they saw that they would not graunt them anie exercise of religion but onely a simple libertie of conscience it brought them into such despaire that they made of necessitie vertue And as time breedeth alterations so those that ensued turned so far to their fauour that their courages were raised and their hope corroborated The best time then to treate of peace is when we haue the aduantage in war But that doth ordinarilie so puffe vp men that they will not heare thereof howbeit either earlie or late the king did wiser to graunt it for the continuation of warre depriued him of his pleasure supplanted the loue and obedience due vnto him forâ—aied the Countries sacked the treasurie consumed his power But may some man say the king of Spaine hath not done so in Flanders Truely may another aunswere he hath not wonne much and per aduenture in the end for the ceasing of these troublesome tragedies hee will followe the same counsaile that his neighbours haue done Now albeit peace was necessarie for the Protestants yet haue this â—shap almost euer ensued that the same haue not continued neither so much as beene established according to the couenant I will speak first of that which was framed before Orleance lasted foure yeeres and a halfe was nothing neere so profitable for them as the edict of Ianuarie howbeit it followeth not but that it was at that time acceptable for theyr affayres were not in state to refuse it and time discouered the fruit that it
parents that are well affected to the institution of their children Of Pages Of Apprentizes in armes Of such as trauaile into sorraine couÌ„tries Of Students in Vniuersities Of those that bring vp their children at home and of others that are forced to put them forth Of the publick discipline of young Gentlemen Of maisters and Rectors Expences Confutation of a common obiection The execution and fruit of this order Conclusion Aduice vppon Machiauels writinges Of the bookes of Arnadis The originall Their fruit Thsir author The proofe of the former point in the consideratioÌ„ of the first fruites of these books named the poison of Impietie The inetnt of the author of these bookes of Amadis Why the reading of those bookes is pernitious The second fruit termed The Poison of pleasure Impudent and foule loues The infamous bauldry of a blotter of paper Pollution of holy Matrimonie Whereto such bookes are meete The thirde fruict named the poyson of reuendge The fourth fruict named forgetfulnesse of trew duetie and abolition of all good orders Defence of the censure aforesaide The last fruict named partinent sables How great cause the French Nobilitie haue to coÌ„tent them selues Faults herein committed Remedies for these faultes Continuation of the rehersall of the good of the French Nobilitie to the ende to induce them to a trew enioying thereof A recapitulation of some of these benefites The heauenly and spirituall Vertues Health Ritches The vse of this discourse The state of both auncient and new Nobilitie Originall of the pouertie of the Nobilitie Referred to the warres This pouertie hath other springes then the warres Superfluous and excessiue expenses in aparrel the only spring of pouertie Against suâ—â— as scorne forrein Nobilitie for that it imitateth not their inconstancie Expenses in building Expenses in moueables Expenses of mouth and ouer great retenue ExperieÌ„ce proueth the former discourse Of the trew and right vse of goods The remedies against the aboue said intemperance Frends Necessitie Of such as encline to the extremitie contrary to the former A certaine rule in the vse of riches Pro. 22. Deut. 8. A notable aduertisement to the rich Honorable and necessary expenses Prou 19. Armes the exalters of the French nation Their vse and abuse The error of such as make the bearing of armes a perpetual occupatioÌ„ Of those that for money doe runne into forren warres Of those who hauing once borne armes will neuer doe other worke Of French Gentlemen that goe to serue in forrein countries Of the fruites of these martiall voyages Armes ought especially in a forren contry to be accompanied with vertue Aunswere to certaine obiections An examination of the rule of certain politicks who are of opinion that a great kingdome should neuer be with out warre against some stranger The strange misiries of our ciuill Warres Whether Fraunce be well furnished of men of warre Of warres with our the realme A generall and meete preface to the whole discourse Examination of the first opinion That Gentlemen should be adorned with sundry vertues The error of such as suppose prowesse only to be sufficient to the prosessors of armes Prowesse destitude of other vertues deserueth of the name of vertue It becommeth a Gentleman to professe diuers vertues Against such as abuse their force and valeancie Wherein valeancie consisteth Of trewe and false valcancy Examination of the second opinion The spring thereof Of those that cannot keepe home The reproaches of these runnagates against the country and stayed lyfe Commodities of countrie life Whether the country life quaileth prowese The censure of the thirde opinion Romans 13. The examination of the principall question Osee 〈◊〉 Esay 13. Iob 34. Against the violence of some Clergy men Actes 3. Of duety 1. Sam. 〈◊〉 Of such as doe whatsoeuer they are commaunded A more expresse explication of the former discours 1. Sam. 24. How the inferior is to consider of his superiors commaundement What both the one and the other are to consider The fraude of flattering Courtiers A necessary consideration for France Reasons for this Of the restablishing of the musters That they may be put in vse Their originall Theyr order The difference of the members whereof they were com posed Of the alienation of fees Whether it be vnpossible to redresse the Arrierbans Of faultes commuted in the 〈◊〉 in question The meanes to restablishe the Arrierbanes Of the vse of well ordered A 〈…〉 bans the meanes to maintaine them Answere to those that wil haue no reformation Of exeÌ„ptions The originall of quarrels The obiection of such as thinck quarels to be necessarie Aunswer Of Combats Their originall The diuers causes of Combates Of what partes the monster named Quarel doth consist Of the auncieÌ„t Combats and those of our dayes Encrease of Combats in our dayes The strange confusions of the Combats How to remedy the confusion of Combates The mischief by quarrels The spring of the causes of such mischief Of true honor Of remedies for the aforenamed mischiefes Of perticuler remedies Order how to make the remedies to serue How necessary it is to haue footemen Why France alwaies standeth in neede of any army That footmen are necessary also how to forme them The Ordering of the companies of footmen and the benefite that will arise therof Aunswer to those who vnder pretence of husbandry doe hinder good orders To restore the vse of Corcelets Goodly custumes obserued among the Spaniards Aunswer to an other obiection of some that would haue no martiall discipline How necessary the armed pikes are and the sruict that may procede of the order propounded in this discourse The intent of King Frances by establishing the legionaris also how necessary their reformation is How many legions doe seeme necessary at this time also to wat ende this order tendeth Whether it be requisite some of the gentry shoul be enrowled among the Infantery Of the reestablishment of their elects and Pikes Of the composition of the bodies of the armies The meanes to order well the Captaines and chief meÌ„bers of the legions Aunswere to the common obiection of those that shoote at profit rather then honor Continuation of the ordering of Capteins chief members of legions Aunswer to an other obiection touching the whole body of the legions Aunswer to an other obiection Inconstancy of the FrenchmeÌ„ Example of armes Of the maner to arange horsemen Answer to those that would haue the horse stretched forth in file A proofe that the horsemen ought to be brought into squadrons The meanes to put this counsell in Practize What Camarades are and wherfore erected Why this discours is put in writing The first kinde of Spanish Camarades The second kinde of Camarades The Discipline and commodity of the second sorte of Camarades The meanes how to practise the like discipline in France Whether Princes owe any rewarde to the braue soldier Wherein these rewardes do consist Their originall and comoditie Aunswer to such as thinke the money to be euil bestowed in
of water will be as long and the inner trench being almost equall with the heigth of the rampier that is beaten downe may be kept as long or longer prouided alwaies that it be made 60. or 80. foote from the Courtine Now I take this at the worst for there bee such weake assailants of Houlds as shall labour two moneths about the winning of a Raueline There are that thinke it an easie matter to keepe them from passing the ditch but for my parte I thinke it harde for they will enter either by night or day Thus when a frontier towne shal haue stopped a mightie armie so long as I haue sayd it shall haue quit it selfe well for there bee fewe townes inpregnable and the Prince that may haue lost it shall haue this comfort That as the fencing of it had cost him little so his enemie shall haue spent much time many men and money enough in the winning of it Some Ingeniour may say that water vndermindeth the foundations of a Rampier and that from tenne yeeres to tenne yeeres they runne out which they do not if they be walled within It is so indeede where the water is a running water but the repairing cost little as also doe the props that beare vp nothing but earth Howbeit I say that a man may fortifie a whole small towne with earth with the charges of one enclosure to a Bastion made of bricke or stone with the countermynes thereof This maner do I here alow for an other respect which is that Potentates Commonwelths are better able to prouide for the inward fortifications which must accompanie the outward do consist in al kinds of necessarie prouision that want in many townes though not in whole yet in parte And as many are lost through this default as for lack of Bastions They may likewise spare great sommes which are spent in these great workes and with the same maintaine a sufficient armie through want whereof the strongest places are taken as hath bene seene in Flanders Many thinges more may bee obiected to beate downe this our Bulwarke which is much more profitable to the weake then beautifull to the mightie Monarkes In the meane time such as shall followe this construction shall not finde themselues the worse thereby as the future experience peraduenture will teach better then the passed The ninetenth Discourse That the continuation of the wicked proceedings of the warres of these daies doe make a iust cause to seeme vniust PHilippe Comines in his remembrances reporteth that the Duke of Guyenne the brother of King Lewes the 11. ioyning with Duke Charles of Burgundy in the warre for the Commonwealth when he considered the number of the wounded and slayne at the battaile of Montleherie with the spoyles that the Souldiers made all ouer the Countrie was merueilously daunted thereat and tolde Duke Charles that it had bene better neuer to haue begunne that warre that bred such mischiefe and ruine who aunswered him that those things were not to bee meruailed at sith such were the naturall fruites thereof But being afterward alone among his familiers he scorned that yong Prince which brought pitie and compassion vnto the Theaters of Mars where rigour and vengeaunce doe holde their soueraigne Empyre In these daies wee heare some make almost the like aunswers to many that curse our ciuill stormes for they tell them It is the warre and so doe weene that that word being heard should make them to shrinke vp the shoulder after the Italian maner and prouide to suffer worse matter But in my opinion such reasons are to bee suspected as procéeding from those that hauing no other delight or sustenance but in other mens spoyles would make men to accompt warre to be a necessary euill to the end they should not be slacke in giuing to them that foode which they do desire Truely these men are not altogether to be beleeued least wee confound crueltie and iniustice with equitie and humanitie and so of an extraordinarie accident make an ordinary custume Neither must we print in our phantasies the imaginations of many others who wish to sée a warre exempt from the things that of long time haue bene proper thereto and are as it were essentials namely rapine disorder and crueltie for in these daies wherein wee liue vertue being tyed vp and vice let loose wee cannot atteyne to this perfection What shall we then say hereof For sooth that to the ende well to measure the matters whereof we now speake wee must take the olde rules not of Iron which cannot bend but of leade which are somewhat plyable and frame them to the crooked and difformed stones whereof our ciuill warres are composed that is to say to our confusions and then finding what is somewhat â—ollerable as also what is to bee reiected to patch vp againe so well as wee may this house of bondage wherein so many persons within these fiue and twentie yeeres haue bene tormented or els quite to rase it to the foundation by an assured peace which were the better way I meane not here curiously to examine or way the right or wrong of those that are in armes because I will not offend any Only I am content generally to say that such on either side as loue godlinesse or vertue doe for the satisfying of themselues either inwardly or outwardly vnderproppe their actions with iustice Neither should any warres bee vndertaken without that good faundation least otherwise wee bee found guiltie before God who will not that men vse such vyolent remedies but vpon great necessitie neither guide them after their owne disordinate affections Now in these controuersies and publique quarelles as well ciuill as others furiously raised through mans mallice it often falleth out that all the right lighteth on one side and all the wrong on the other Sometimes that both parties are led by like mallice and sometime that he which in deede hath the right doth seeme to haue the wrong and so to the contrary As also that sometimes in some one of the poynts thereof a man may be in the right and in all the rest in the wrong of all which differences I meane not here to entreate Only I would aduertise the readers to note them in reading the histories wherein the diuersities of so many martiall purposes are liuely set out But for my self I wil procéed in discoursing vpon my first proposition of the euill behauiours which are to bée seene in our sayd ciuill warres together with their consequences I thinke they cannot bee better compared then to an ouer flowing brooke which with the vyolent force thereof not only destroyeth the whole â—roppe of a plaine but also carieth downe the trees buildings and bridges where it goeth so as neither arte nor diligence are able to preuent it Whosoeuer would walke through France and Flanders might see euen vpon insensible things the footsteps of our daily furies which are not neuerthelesse the greatest domages for those
chiefe Captaines retired to y e Catholicks which stayed the execution thereof The first day he was much made of The second they laughed him to scorne and the third he repented that he had forsaken his friends The Prince of Condé fearing least he should bewray the wants in his armie departed the next morning wherein he did wisely for the Lord of Guize whose Spanyards and Gascognes were now come was determined with his whole power the next morning by breake of day to haue set vpon him if he had stayed but one day longer And considering of the maner of his purposed proceeding as I haue bene enformed I suppose he would haue brought vs into a bad case by reason that wee were lodged too scatteringly being so neere to them which is one bad custome engendred by these ciuill warres The Prince thus departed directed his course toward Normandie for the purposes afore mentioned and within two daies after the Kings armie followed still coasting of him vntill they came to the plaines of Dreux where both the armies met Of sixe notable occurrences in the battaile of Dreux AMong all the battailes fought during our ciuill warres in France was there none more notable then the battaile of Dreux in respect as well of the experimented Captaines there present as for the obstinacie in fight Howbeit to say the truth it was an accident worthie lamentation through the powring foorth of the blood of aboue fiue hundred gentlemen of both sides into the bosome of the sea together with the losse of sundrie Princes Lordes and sufficient Captaines but sith things are so fallen out wee are not forbidden to applie them to our instructions albeit it were better neuer to returne to the like folly that cost so deere Now many things there happened which euery man did not peraduenture note and that is it that hath caused me to set them downe to the ende that such as ouer sleightly doe passe ouer the notable feates of armes without consideration of whatsoeuer may profite them may be more diligent hereafter for that is the way to learne to be a Captaine The first thing that happened albeit it were not of any great importance may yet be noted as an extraordinary matter That is that although both armies were aboue two long houres within a Canon shot each of other as well to put themselues in aray as to comtemplate their aduersaries yet was there not any skirmish small or great before the generall battell albeit in many other battels that haue bene fought the same haue bene the for 〈…〉 mers as at Cerisolles Sienne Graueling Neuerthelesse shee may not say that the battels must of necessitie beginne by such actions but for the most parte men are led thereto by the qualitie of the place either when they finde themselues strong in shot either to trie their enemies either vpon some other consideration There euery man stoode fast imagining in himselfe that they that came against him were no Spaniards Englishmen or Italians but Frenchmen and those of the brauest among whom were their companions friends and kinsefolkes as also that within one houre they were to sâ—ay each other This bred some horror neuerthelesse without quayling in courage they thus stayed vntill that the armies mooued to ioyne The second notable matter was the generositie of the Suitzers whom we may say to haue there made a worthie profe of their valour for the great bodie of that battell wherein they were being at the first onset ouerthrowne and their troope shrewdly endomaged by the Prince of Condées squadron yet stood they fast in the place where they had bene aranged albeit they were alone and that their horsemen had forsaken them Yea a pretie way from the auantgarde three or foure hundred of the Protestants Harqueâ—uziers seeing them so fit set vpon them and flewe many and yet could not make them giue place A battell of Launceknights likewise did assault them whom they ouerthrewe and followed beating vppon them aboue two hundred paces They were afterward also beset with two Cornets of Reistres whom they withstoode and lastly with one of Reistres Frenchmen together who made them to retire albeit with small disorder towarde their men that had bene behoulders of their valour And notwithstanding their Colonel and almost al their Captaines were left dead in the place yet did they by such resistance purchace great glorie The third act was the Lord of Guizes long patience whereby he attained to the victorie for after the bodie of the battell which the Lord Constable led was wholy ouerthrowne except the Suitzers and himselfe taken the sayd Lord stood fast waiting whether they would rome to set vpon him for as yet the Prince of Condées footmen had not fought whereto also parte of his horsemen still gathered into aray besides those that yet houered but this auantgard thus setting a good face on the matter the Protestants durst not bite In the meane time some of them stayed to charge the Suitzers as is aforesayd others to pursue those that fled and many to spoyle the cariages wherein they spent an houre and a halfe Sundrie euen of the Lord of Guizes parte seeing him stand still so long while they that were ouerthrowne were pursued wist not what to thinke of him as if he had bene beside himselfe and I beléeue some accused him of cowardlinesse as the Romaines did Fabius Maximus almost in the like case euen some of his aduersaries began alreadie to crye that the victorie was theirs but I remember that I heard the late Lord Admirall aunswer We are deceiued for by and by wee shall see this great clowde dissolue vpon vs And it so happened soone after wherevpon ensued the chaunge of fortune Hereby did the Lord of Guize well shewe that he did but watch for oportunitie and could patiently behould the disordering of the Prince of Condées great troopes which at the beginning being ioyned againe might haue troubled him shrewdly about these small actions afore rehearsed But after he did see them so scattered he marched with such a bould countenance that he found but small resistance Wee are not therefore suddenly to iudge of the entents of these great Captaines for the effects doe afterward discouer their considerations to bee otherwise then many would imagine The fourth thing worthie memorie was the long continuance of the battaile for ordinarily in battailes in one houre we see al wonne and lost yea that of Montcontour lasted not so long but this beginning about one of the clocke after noone lasted vntill fiue yet must wee not imagine that they fought all this while for they had many pawses and sometimes gaue small onsets and sometime great which caried away the best men and this continued vntill darke night Truely the courage on both sides was wonderfull as the great number of the dead did sufficiently testifie which as many men say amounted to aboue seauen thousand men of whome the
yeelded Concord good manners and obedience to the lawes were alâ—eadie in so good forwardnesse throughout Fraunce that it seemed to bee wholie restored but discorde with her secrete driftes troubled all Concerning the seconde it was a peace but no peace neyther had it anie more than the name for in effect it was secrete warre It may be tearmed The reward of the Protestants follie because that not withstanding all aduertisements that it wold be very bad they would neuerthelesse receiue it The third was much desired in respect of the ruines past the necessitie present and that euery man was wearie of labour and trouble for as the Frenchman is vnpatient so doth he fit the warre to his owne humors And in as much as the conditions were equall or rather better than the former it ought in my minde to be tollerable to the Protestants considering withall y t there was no meanes to haue anie better Like wise for the two yeeres that it lasted fewe can complayne except at the very breach thereof which was in such horrible sort as it deserueth to be quite buried vp Nowe who so euer shall consider all these peaces in their iust obseruation hee will as I suppose iudge them to haue beene a profitable and necessarie remedie vnto all but if hee haue respect but onelie to their endes he cannot choose but name them dissembling peaces And this hath made some so time rous that they beleeue that stil there is some poison hidden vnder the faire glosse of this golde In Fraunce wee haue alreadie had sixe generall like as wee had in the ciuill warres of Burgundie and Orleance and as well the one as the other were infringed but the seauenth which was concluded at Arras was durable and holpe to restore Fraunce by which example it may bee inferred that our seauenth shoulde bee good albeit it were to be wished wee neuer came to those tearmes for to wish to bee sicke that wee might recouer health may seeme impertinent I beseech God to prouide therefore according to his good pleasure Trulie euerie man seeing the Realme flaming in warres ought to set before his eies Gods wrath and displeasure and the same against himselfe rather than agaynst his enemies where nowe some doe saie These bee the Protestants who through their heresies doo strrre vp Gods wrath against them Others doe replie They bee the Catholikes who with their Idolatries do prouoke the same And thus in these discourses no man accuseth himselfe In the meane time the first thing that wee ought to doe is in these vniuersal calamities to examine and accuse our owne imperfections to the end to amend them then to loke vpon others mens faults Likewise when we see a short counterfait peace we should saie y t we deserue no better because y t according to the prouerb when we are ouer the bridge wee mocke the saint most of vs returne to our vanities and accustomed ingratitude Howbeit it is a commendable affection which desireth peace I meane a good peace for y e bad are verie cut throats because therby pietie and vertue doth seeme to reuiue whereas contrariwise ciuill warres are the shops of all wickednesse which good men doe abhorre The time hath bene that of both parts their haue ben diuerse that toke no great delight in hearing peace spokeÌ„ of of whom some sayd That it was an vnworthie and vniust deede to make peace with rebols and heretikes who deserued grieuous punishment yea they persisted in their speeches vntill their disease were cured on this sorte If they were warriors they were inioyned to march formost at an assault or in a skirmish so to kill vp these wretched Protestants of which punishment by that time they had twice tasted they soone changed opinion As for the rest which were either cleargie men or of the long robe by telling them that they must part with halfe their rents to paie the soldiour they consented to the peace To be briefe whatsoeuer their pretence were whether pietie or iustice sure their passions were cruell Other there were euen among the Protestants which did no lesse reiect the peace as tearming it to bee nothing but treason but had it bene neuer so good they woulde haue said as much because the warre was their nursemother and rising One good waie to reduce them to reason were to propound in respect of necessitie thereof the cutting off of their paies or the leauiing of some lones of them so would they long after some good end For take from many of these people their profites and honour then will they iudge more sincerely of matters Also for counsayle in waightie matters we ought to choose those that serue God and are endued with greatest discretion for they still preferre the common wealth before their owne commodities and affections I will likewise speake of another sort of people who indifferentlie do like of all kinds of peace and mislike of euerie kind of warre who if they might be assured in quiet to eate their wortes and laie vp their crops could well enough let euerie time slide yea albeit at euerie of the foure quarters of the yere they should haue halfe a dozen good bastonadoes These haue in my opinion locked vp hidden their honours and consciences in the bottome of some coffer The good Citizen ought alwayes to beare a zeale to the common wealth also to looke farther than to liue in shamefull bondage To conclude in these affayres reason ought to be our guide which doth admonish vs neuer to enter wars vnlesse a iust cause and great necessitie constraineth vs for warre is a most violent and extraordinarie remedie which in healing one wound maketh more and therefore is not to bee vsed but extraordinarily whereas contrariwise we are alwaies to wish for peace I meane not such peace as may be presumed to be stedfast not vniust for the false on s do not deserue y e title but rather to be tearmed traps snares as was the same of the second troubles The rest may some men say were not much better because they lasted not long but I am not of that minde for A doe thinke that vntill they were broken they were moste prosâ—table so doth experience giue vs to vnderstand neither is that any better argument then to say This man was naught because he linen but fifteene yeéres but I will argue and pleade to the contrary saying they were good because men woulde not suffer them to last any longer for had they bene noisome to the Protestants they would haue â—et them haue had their course God graunt so good a one to France nowe torue with ruines and destitute of good manners that she may renue in beauty and be no longer the fable of all nations but an examplary of vertue INPRINTED AT LONdon by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Cadman and Edward Aggas 1588. In what considerations this discourse is necessarie and ought to bee published Three causes