everie Man doeth fill his own Spheare and everie Man's estate is a Kingdome to him-selfe Perseus that mightie King having beside him infinite Treasures and refusing to bestow some of them to Gentius a Neighbour-prince and others who offered to combate the Romanes in Italie he suffered them to over-throw him-selfe in his owne Countrey Darius cōmitted the lyke Errour with Alexander and Stephanus King of Bosna the lyke with Mabomet the second as I haue remembered before wee may prayse GOD that wee haue not such avaricious Kings What is it that good and naturall Subjects will not doe for the safetie of the Sacred Persons of their Kings Let bee of their Kingdomes vvhere-in wee haue our Portion and common Interesse with them We may reade in the Histories of France what domage that Countrey did sustaine for the liberation of their King Iohn taken by Edward the Blacke Prince of England at the Battell of Poiteou and of King Francis the first taken at the Battell of Pavie and in our owne Histories what our Predecessours did for the redemption of King David Bruce led Captiue in England and there detained eleven yeares Liberatus sayeth the Historie undecimo ex qu◠captus est anno numeratis quingentis millibus Mercarum Sterlingarum in presenti moneta Hee was redeemed vpon payment of fiue hundreth thousand Marks Sterling in argent contant A thing most admirable the scarcitie of Moneyes in those dayes considered If a Physition should cōmand vs in time of a dangerous Sicknesse to take a little Blood for preservation of the whole Bodie wee should bee glad to obey him why not by the like reason when our King who cureth and careth for the Bodie of the Common-wealth doeth command vs to bestow some of our Goods for safetie of our whole Estate ought wee not to obey if wee were versed in the French Annals to know what innumerable spoile of Goods was there before the Spanyards could bee pyked out of the Nests which they did build vpon their Coasts and with-in their Bowels wee would bee content to spende to our Shirt as it is saide before they should plant their Tents amongst vs. I haue alreadie told you how they are of Melancholious and fixed Mindes not easilie raysed or remooved where once they are set downe where-of wee see the present experience into the Palatinate To take and then to giue backe againe is not the way of their Designe to vniversall Empyre over their Neighbours If anie would object that the Palatinate is detayned for Reparation of the Wrongs and Injuries done in Bohemia hee hath little skill in the Effaires of the VVorld for why these might haue bene long since composed or redressed but it is done to facilitate their Conquest in Germanie to enclose the Nether-Landes from Succourse of their Friendes there and to open a Gate into England by length of Tyme vvhen they shall finde the Occasion fitting So that if the Kings of Great Britane and France together with their Confederates of Germanie the Netber-Lands doe not joyne their Forces to banish them tymouslie from the Palatinate as the Romanes did the Carthagenians from Sicilia vvhich I did note in the beginning here-of doubtlesse they vvill bee vpon their owne Neckes at the length There vvas a great Intervale of Tyme betwixt the first and second Warres of the Romanes against the Carthagenians and yet the last did come to passe and there-with the vtter over-throw of the Carthagenian State And here I must recount a thing vvhich I haue often called to mynde since His Majesties comming from Spayne and that the Treatie of his Marriage did there expyre how I my selfe the yeare of their Pacification vvith Holland beeing in the Towne of Brussels in familiar discourse touching our late Soveraigne his cōming to the Crowne of England vvith a Scottish Gentle-man of a fine Wit Experience In-sight in the Spanish Designes and vvho had beene long tyme a Coronell and Counsellor of Warre amongst them Coronell Semple hee sayd to me That al-be-it King Iames vvas an aged wise Prince vvho had providently practized his peaceable Entrie to England that yet he vvas much beholden to that Tyme so fortunate as it vvas for him vvhen Spayne being so broken vvith longsome VVarres had al-most begged their Peace frō Holland And how-so-ever sayd he your King may be free of vs during his lyfe yet if ye shall surviue him ye shall see no more Peace betwixt England and Spayne adding vvith-all this Speach Laus non solum hominum est sed etiam temporum Where-vnto I did answere that by these it seemed that the Spanyard intended to conquer England Then he rehearsed to me the manie notable Injuries done to them by the English Nation by their prowde and fascuous ejection of King Philip before the death of Marie by their fostering of their Rebels in Flanders by their protection of Don Antonio King of Portugall and ayding of him vvith Sea Armies but namelie by their ordinarie Sea Rapines and insolent Navigation vvithout the controlling and coercing vvhere-of Spayne could not be in so good Case as vvas hoped for to be in progresse of Tyme And in the ende hee did subjoyne thus farre If your Catholicke Noble-men of Scotland with whom my selfe sayd he did negotiate from Spayne had bene wyse and constant your Countrey might haue bene long before now in a twentie-folde more happie Condition vnder the Dominion of Spayne than ever it can be vnder the Crowne of England the Yoake of whose Servitude and Tyrannie shall questionlesse become intollerable to you so soone as that King shall be gone who doeth so well know you for why by reason of their Vicinitie and nearnesse vnto you they shall be ever preassing to draw great Rents from you into England which cannot fayle to impoverish your Countrey where-as by the contrarie the Spanyard should not only spend it amongst your selues but should also yearlie send in great summes of Money to you according as he doeth here in Flanders in his other Provinces This Storie did I after my returning to London relate to His Majestie who is nowe with GOD and who having heard it did answere me That Semple was an olde Traytor and dangerous companie for his Subjects which went beyond the Seas Thus the Spanyardes know not when the Fish will swimme but they doe keepe their Tydes diligentlie and haue their Nets hung in all Mens Waters so that if anie of vs would thinke that the present Quarrell against Spayne is more sibbe to the King our Soveraigne than to vs by reason of the Palatinate it were absurd ignorance also For first granting it vvere so yet there can bee no Separation betwixt the Head and the Members whome GOD and Nature haue knit together there is none can loose Next agayne it is well knowne that our late King of blessed memorie could haue gotten to marrie his onlie Daughter greater and the greatest of Christian Princes if it
none of the Gentrie and therefore contemned But sayeth hee if the Enterpryse had beene followed the Towne of Lisbone had beene taken in most easilie for that the Cardinall of Austria who commanded within and so manie Castilians as were vnder him were readie to leaue it vpon the first arrivall of Drake with-in the Harberie that hee had alreadie hyred thirtie Galleyes for his transportation and that with such seare and consternation that hee conduced to giue them 300 Duckates a-piece for three leagues of Sea Alwayes in the diversitie of opinions concerning that Voyage for my part I doe more trust the English Historie for two as I thinke infallible Reasons first the World knoweth that in those dayes there was not in Christendome a more solide sure and reverenced Counsell than was in England so that it is not to bee doubted of that which their Historie beareth That their Generals of that Armie did obey their Warrand Secondlie I finde Antonio Peres contrarie to him-selfe for first hee sayeth That by the longsomnesse of the English Navie the Enemie had leasure to provyde and guard him-selfe Secondlie sayeth hee the whole Gentrie of Portugall did repare to joyne with Don Antonio and the English Armie But heere I doe trap and convict him from his owne mouth If as hee sayeth the Spanyard had leasure at his pleasure to provide for him-selfe who then is so simple as to thinke but hee did in the meane tyme remoue from Portugall the Nobilitie namelie the Favourers of Don Antonio with the whole Gentrie without the leaving of anie Man sufficient to allure a Multitude or to leade them to a revolt I thinke hee hath forgotten him-selfe a little here out of an ardor of his spirit to haue removed all shew of impediment to the French King for putting of Warres in Portugall In the meane-tyme thus farre may bee said That as Obedience and Discipine militarie in the Bodie of an Armie vnder a trustie and skilfull Generall is of that importance in actions of Warre as sine quo nihil a point where-in lyeth the chiefe Suretie and Successe of all things except of Fortune Yet a strict limitation of Generals hath for the most part marred both good Fortunes and good Successes of Warre where the Opportunities Advantages and Ouvertures are meerelie casuall and inpendent from precise tymes To prescribe to their Generals was not the custome of the Wyse Valiant and fortunate Romanes Sed videant ne quid Resp. detrimenti capâ—at And what should haue become of that great State if their Generall Fabius Maximus had not so stiffelie followed his private will of cunctation and protracting of tyme with Hannibal contemning the infamous Reproaches and Exclamations both of Senate and People against him namelie of his Magistrum equitum Whom if hee had not at length rescued in his temerarious Recountre with Hannibal he had perished with all those whom hee commanded Now what were the Practises lyke-wise of Philip even then also in England and Scotland by Corruption and Iesuisticke Artes to haue drawne the Subjectes of both Kingdomes to vnnatural Revolts from their Soveraigne Princes It is better known than that I need heere to make mention of it I wish the Wryters of our Countreyes Historie may over-passe that Interlude of those Insidious tymes as Lucan did the Cruelties vnnatural committed mutuallie amongst the Romanes at Pharsalia Quicquid in hac acie gessisti Roma tacebo saide hee By these few Circumstances shortlie related of the progresse of the Spanish Empyre wee may easilie and vsefullie obserue these three things first the growing and fearfull greatnesse there-of as it standeth at this day Maximilian Emperour and Duke of Austria did marrie Catherine only Chyld and Successor of Charles Duke of Burgundie where-by were annexed the 17 Provinces of the Nether-lands to Austria Of this Marriage issued Philip who being Duke of Austria Burgundie and Flanders did marrie the Heretrix of Castile Daughter of Ferdinando and Isobella the Mother of Charles the fift and so did conjoyne the Estates fore-saide vnto the Crowne of Castile Charles the fift by his owne Vertue did super-adde vnto it the Kingdome of Peru the Dutchie of Milan the peaceable Possession of the Kingdome of Naples and the Kingdome of Sicilia with the Yles of Sardinia Majorque Minorque and their Possessions which they yet haue into the Westerne Indees His Sonne againe Philip the second of whom I speake besydes that hee had once within his Clawes France and England which both hee lost againe hee did conjoyne with these that which made the integritie and perfection of the Spanish Empyre Portugall the importance where-of may be remarked by these three first by their glorious Conquests before rehearsed into the Levant into Africke and through the maine Occean Secondlie by the great multitudes of People which doe inhabite the Territories there-of Antonio Peres doeth affirme that vnder Sebestian their last King of whom I haue before remembered there were thorow-out the Realmes of Portugall vnder militarie Discipline 1200 Companies of Foot-men where-of there was no Gentle-man other than Commanders and in everie Companie at least 200. Which being allowed doeth amount jumpe to 240000 Men. And that Portugall did yearlie send out to their Conquests 6000 Men where-of the third part did never turne home againe Thirdlie by the Riches there-of it being affirmed by him that their Kings did in this one point of Greatnesse surpasse all the Princes of Europe being able in halfe an houre to giue vnto their Subjects ten or fifteene Millions or more to bee received by Ticquets for dispatches of Governourships Captainships Receits Offices Licences to make Voyages by Sea to the Indees and Yles of the Occean But heere I judge that hee hath beene too large out of a great fervour to perswade Christian Princes to set their Hearts vpon so noble a Prey at least-wise to provyde and prevent that it should not fall into the hands of their Common Enemie But certainlie the best part of these are well approved to bee true by this that Philip the second of Spaine did put him-selfe at so great expence for the purchase and prefervation of Portugall by kindling and feeding the Fyre of Civill Warres through Christendome namelie in France and Flanders exhausting to that ende the richest Mines that bee vnder the Heaven and by making so ignominious and impious Peace with Insidels to bee the more able to maintaine Portugall and to incroach farther on Christian Neighbours Vnder King Philip the third againe his sonne there was no accession indeede to this Empyre The mightiest Conquerers that ever haue beene in the Nature and Necessitie of things needed their owne Intervals Cessation and Repose for breeding of new Fortitude and Strength and anie Man may finde into the Romane Warres there hath beene at diverse tymes longer Intervalles of Peace and now wee see that this present King of Spaine after these Refreshments is begun to rake and extende the Marches of his
to haue the more high and noble Mynde who doeth it than hee who refuseth by as farre as Hope is more heroicke than Despare Rome was not builded in one day and manie glorious works haue beene founded vpon doubtfull and difficill beginnings although manie of vs doe holde it an ydle Project yet vnderstanding Men haue seene and contemplate the Countrey who intende to returne and remaine there-in certaine it is more ydle and more vnreverend with-all to thinke that GOD hath placed a Region vnder a degree so temperate which hee will not suffer to bee peopled by tyme. Al-be-it Men haue often builded Houses and never dwelt into them much lesse haue plenished them it is not so with GOD whose endes are infallible For my part I doe holde that that insearchable Wisdome hath framed no part of this whole Globe which is not capable of Man and sufficient for the mayntaynance of his Lyfe But as touching the nature and condition of Warre such are the Distresses that come by Warres that even the best Fortunes of the Victors doe seldome contrapoyse them In pace causas merita spectari ubi bellum ingruat innocentes ac impios juxta cadere sayeth one What Warre was there ever in the World which was not damnable for desolation of Cities exterminion of noble Houses spoyle of poore People rape of Women violation of Churches and of Holie Things And happie is that Warriour whose Sword hath not beene defiled with Christian Blood Augustus that mightie Emperour did abhorre Warre and adore Peace his Successour Tiberius did arrogate to him as the greatest of all his Glories when hee had pacified anie Tumult rather by practising than by Warre The Emperour Adrian did compare Peace to Argent Content and his Forces were most strong and when hee could quyer his bordering Nations vvith peaceable wayes jactabat palam sayeth Aurelius Victor plus se ocio adeptum quam armis caeteros hee bragged openlie that hee had done more in Peace and Quietnesse then his Neighbours had by Armes I know farther that when GOD hath brought a State to a sort of Maturitie and Perfection that it is as compacted and limited naturallie as presentlie is this Monarchie of GREAT BRITANE consolidate with-in it selfe and confyned with-in the Occean that then it is good to feare the instabilitie of thinges And seeing what-so-ever thing is vnder the Moone yea the Moone it selfe is subject to ordinarie changes It must bee an heroicke and more than an humane yea a divine worke the mayntayning of great Kingdomes to great length of tyme and this is not done but by a prudent warinesse and moderation when States are once come to a maturitie for reasonable greatnesse or for Antiquitie as this Kingdome I say againe of Great Britane It is written of Scipio that when hee had ruinated Carthage and destroyed Numantia the two Competitors and Emulators of Rome then hee did not so much wish the farther increase as the continuation of the Romane State So farre that beeing himselfe Censor a whyle there-after and making the Lustrum at the pubilcke Sacrifice the Master of their religious Ceremonies according to their forme hee prayed for the daylie growing of their Empyre Scipio did correct and change the Style of that Invocation Satis inquit bonae ac magnae sunt res Romanae itáque Deos precor vt eas perpetuo incolumes servent ac protinus in publicis tabulis ad hunc modum carmen emendari voluit sayth the Historie Hee would haue the Gods to be invocated only for the continuation of the Empyre because it was alreadie great enough and hee would haue that Phrase of Prayer to remaine there-after in the Bookes publicke of their Priests In which case I say it were madnesse for vs of this Yle to cry for VVarres out of Pryde or for extention of Empyre The mightiest Kings of England as I haue before touched did finde their Forraigue Ambition but troublesome and fruitlesse that after the possession of manie Ages they were contented to quyâ—e the things that they and their Predecessours had lawfullie justlie and long brooked in France But now it is one thing to wish VVarre and another thing to embrace tymouslie a most necessarie and inevitable VVarre Omne bellum necessarium est justum said that Captaine of the Volsques in Livius when the Romanes had determined to conquer his Countrey And no Man can deny it that VVarre which is necessarie is just because wee defyne necessarie that which can bee no other-wyse The Volsques behooved to quyte their Countreyes Libertie or fight with the Romanes Againe that VVarre which is mooved to procure Peace and is defensiue it is a just VVarre GOD and Nature doe warrand that So I say for ought I see wee are to embrace a VVarre most just in all these three Respectes and I show it by this Argument To doe that which may stop the comming against our Countrey a mightie Enemie whose designe to conquer vs is hereditarie to him it is both necessarie defensiue and tendeth to purchase Peace But to make VVarre to such an Enemie within some part of his owne Dominions is to impeach and stop his comming Ergo the mooving of VVarre against him is just defensiue and tendeth to procure Peace The Major of this Syllogisme is so cleare that it needeth no probation the light of Reason doeth show it The Minor is verified by the ordinarie experience of all Ages gone and Histories bee full of Examples of the same where-of I will alleadge for Brevities cause but three or foure of the most famous and most frequentlie cited by everie Man vpon this kynde of Theame The noble Yland of Sicilia seated betwixt Rome and Carthage the two mightie Emulators for the Empyre of the VVorld was long stryven for and often-times assaulted by them both as a thing that would downe-swey the Ballance of their Emulation and draw after it vniversalitie of Dominion Amongst others Agathocles King there-of beeing hardlie besiedged with-in his Towne of Syracuse by the Carthagenians hee did closelie convoy him-selfe foorth and went with an Armie into Africke by meanes where-of they were forced to lift the Siedge and turne home for defence of their owne Countrey Which exploit Scipio Afriâ— did object in these Termes to Fabius Maxintus who went about in the Senate to hinder the sending of an Armie with Scipio against Carthage during Hanniball his beeing in Italie Car ergo Agathocâ—eâ—â— Syâ—â— regem 〈◊〉 Sicilia punico bello vexaretur transgressum in hanc eandem Africam avertisse eo bellâ—â—n vnde venerat non rofers There-after the Romanes perceiving that Amilcar the Father of Hanniball was likelie to adjoyne Sicile to Carthage therefore to prevent that a conquering People should not spreade over their Armes to Italie they resolved to make VVarre with them in Sicilâ—a it selfe From the same ground the Carthagâ—nianâ— after the fulling of Sicile into the handes of the Romanes fearing lyke-wyse their comming
into Africke they did sende Hanniball with strong Forces into Italie to keepe them at home where-of sayeth the same Scipio in the same place and to the same purpose Sed quid veteribus externisque exemplis opus est majus praesentiusque â—llum esse exemplum quant Hanniball potest From the same ground yet the Romanes by sending of Scipio to make VVarre in Africke made Hanniball constrainedlie to bee called out of Italie Quasi eodem telo saepius retorto sayeth one as by a naturall necessarie and ordinarie meane for keeping of anie State peaceable and free from Enemie-Invasion namelie of the weaker from the more mightie For even in lyke manner when the great Persian Monarchs did often afflict the weake and dismembered Estates of Greece gaping at length after the conquest of all Agesilaus King of Lacedemon pitying his Countreys Calamitâ—e and to divert those mightie Kinges from Greece he did put him-selfe with a maine Armie into the midst of Persia where hee did so daunt the pryde of Xerxes that it behooved him to practise the same Policie for Liberation of his Kingdomes from Forraigne Powers hee sent 10000 great pieces of Golde bearing the Image of an Archer on the one side the current Stampe then of his Coyne to corrupt as it did the Orators of Athens and Thebes and concitate the People to make Warre to Lacedemon in absence of their King and Countreyes Forces where-vpon the Ephorie were compelled to recall Agesilaus who in his returning saide that 10000 Persian Arcbers had chased him out of Asia Againe of the lyke practise to this of Xerxes with Athens and Thebes for mooving and keeping of Warres in Enemie-Countreyes that wee may remaine within our selues free from their Invasion wee reade in the Histories of Scotland that the renowned Prince Charles Magne having an holie and Christian Resolution to prosecure as hee did Warres against the Barbarians and finding the English begun in their prosperitie to crosse the Seas and to molest the Borders of his Kingdome of France hee sent Ambassadours to Aebains King of Scotland to negotiate with him a perpetuall League in these Termes that when-so-ever the English should molest either of their Countreyes the other should moue Warre to England and so constraine them to call home their Armies Which after great Controversies of Opinions amongst the Scottish Nobilitie and frequent Orations of the French Ambassadours was finallie concluded and stood to by their Successours in all tyme following with often mutuall Advantages against their Common Enemie For late Examples I haue alreadie tolde you how King Philip made Warres in France and intended against England and that to the ende they should retire their Forces from Portugall Hanniball did ever affirme namelie to King Antiochus that it was impossible to vanquish the Romanes but at home in Italie as the same Livius doeth testifie Now I thinke yee will come to the Hypothesis and put mee to prooue that the Spanyard is that mightie Enemie who intendeth to trouble this Kingdome That hee is mightie a great deale aboue that which wee would wish I haue alreadie showed and that hee is our Enemie not onelie by actions intended or projected but diverslie alreadie attempted these are the Circumstances which doe qualifie it First he is Enemie to all Christian States by the vniversalitie of his Ambition Ergo also to vs Secondlie his Grandsire Philip the second did once obtaine a matrimoniall right to the Crowne of England by his marriage with Queene Marie Thirdlie a Papall right by excommunication of Queene Elizabeth Fourthlie hee did set foorth a great Armada to haue reconquered it as is before rehearsed Fyftlie hee hath ever since and as I thinke doeth yet maintaine with-in it a claudestine Traffique of Iesuites and Seminarie Priests to alienate the Hearts of Subjects from their naturall King or to keepe them vmbragious and suspended in myndes vntill his better occasion And I doe thinke that besides Ambition puissing him there-vnto there bee no Neighbour-States that hee so much feareth by reason of their strong and skilfull Navigation as yee will heare heere-after more particularlie But this King that nowe is in Spayne hath proceeded farther hee hath reft and taken away the whole estate of the Palatine who is Brother-in-law to His Majestie our Soveraigne and by that deede hath made this Warre to bee defensiue to vs Non enim nobis solum nati c. Wee are not onelie borne to our selues but our Prince our Parents our Children our Friendes Common-wealth and Religion everie of these haue their owne part and interesse in vs and all these together doe concurre to move vs to so just a Warre so far that if that Prince Palatine were not linked to vs by so near Allyance and by communion of one Fayth yet Tum tua res agitur paries dum proximus ardet the propulsion of a fearfull Enemie approaching nearer to our Coastes and seeking to do mineire over all is sufficient enough to make all the braue Heartes of Christendome to boyle Besides these hee hath put vpon vs intollerable Indignities in a verie high degree hee hath made vs by false and persidious Promises to bee as indifferent beholders of his conquest of the Palâ—tinate yea more to facilitate his engresse there-to hee hath made vs to seeke Peace perhaps to haue beene accepted vpon disadvantagious Conditions and hath refused the same And hee who refuseth Peace by necessarie consequence doeth intende Warre The marriage of our King hath beene agitated by him and illuded and hee who doeth containe so neare friendship of Neighbours appearinglie intendeth to bee their Superiour And so hee hath left vs no hope of Peace but in Armes therefore wee may conclude with that Captaine of the Volsques of whom I spake before Iustum est Bellum quibus est necessarium pia Arma quibus nulla nis◠〈◊〉 Armiâ— relinquitur spes Their Warre is just whose Warre is necessarie and their Armes bolie to whom there is no hope relinquished but in Armes Since then I holde it granted that of necessitie there must bee Warres it followeth to consider the Forces to bee employed there-to and those must either bee properlie our owne or of conjoyned Confederates Wee are bred into and doe inhabite a Northerne Region naturallie generatiue of great Multitudes of more bellicole kynde and of more robust Bodies than those of the Southerne Climates And al-be-it wee haue for the first face but small opinion of our vulgar sort because an hard condition of living hath some-what dejected their Hearts during these late vnfruitfull Yeares yet there bee manie strong Persons of Men amongst them who pressed for the Milice and once made acquainted there-with and being fred from the Povertie and Basenesse of their carriage they will more gladlie follow the Warres than the Plough Wee haue numbers of braue Gentle-men wanting vertuous Employments and for the most part necessarie Meanes Wee reade in our Countrey Annals how our auncient
Kings did lose in Battels yea and frequent Battels ten or twentie or thirtie thousand Men when Scotland was not so populous What should wee then doubt nor wee bee able now to make great numbers and that is alwyse easilie tryed by Rolles of Weapon-showes if they bee diligentlie noted and so what doe wee lacke of Warre but Armour Discipline and Mayntaynance And certainlie it is strange that in this great appearance of Warres the two or three yeares by-gone no order hath bene given to bring able men vnder Discipline Wee heare and haue read that even in Spaine when the Countrey-Youthes of vulgar kinde are in-rolled for the Milice and brought to Cities for Discipline they doe looke as most vile and abject Slaues if one haue Sockes hee wanteth Shooes and manie doe want both if another haue Breaches hee wanteth the Doublet pitifull Bodies and our of countenance but when they bee exercised during two Moneths and once put into Apparell then they are seene of most haughtie Carriage and to walke as Captaines in the Streets Why then are wee not to expect the lyke of our People if lyke paines were taken and if in everie Shyre 〈◊〉 Men expert in the Souldierie were set a-worke to in-roll and bring vnder Captâ—ines and Discipline those who were most fitting for the Warres no doubt but our basest Clownes should grow both to civill conversation and cowrage There hath never beene yet anie great State carelesse of the Militarie Seminaries not in times of most solemne and sworne Peace As for Allyance Leagues or Confederacio in Warres they are indeede not onelie necessarie but as I haue saide before even naturall to bee for the safetie of smaller States or Princes from the tyrannie and violence of the mightier But with-all they haue beene often-times subject to one of two great Inconveniences either to Pryde for Preferment or Prioritie of place during Warres where-thorow what dangers did ensue in that famous Confederacie for the Battell of Lepanto because of emulation betwixt Don Iohn de Austria and Vinieri the Admirall of Venice the Storie doeth beare it at length and al-be-it it pleased GOD in His mercie to favour the present action yet the rememberance of that Contestation did debrash all farther prosecution of that glorious and holie Enterpryse and vtterlie dissolue that Christian Vnion Neyther is it a new thing al-though I bring this late Example for it The Romanes in their beginnings being confederate with the Latines in a League offensiue and defensiue the Latines did challange Paritie of Governement Si societas aequaâ—io juris est sayeth Livius cur non omnia aequantur cur non alter ab Latinis Consul datur vbi pars vivium ibi imperij pars Tum consul Rom audi Iupiter baec scelera perigrinos Consules c. If societie bee an equalitie of things Why are not all things made equall to vs and why should not one of the two Consuls bee a Latine Where-vnto the Romanes did answere by attesting Iupiter that it was an impious demande to haue a stranger Consullover them Or againe Leagues are subject to fraudfull desertion of some of the Sociation in time of greatest Danger Wherof the World is full of daylie experience I will remember that of Lodowicke Duke of Milan who vpon malice against the Aragones of Naples did procure King Charles the eight of France pretending some Title to Naples to bring a great Armie into Italie joyned with him a Confederacie of divers of his Friends in Italie But seeing the said King to passe thorow so fortunatelie and to behaue him-selfe as a Conquerour in manie of their Townes and to enter peaceablie in Naples without that anie Teeth were showed against him as the King returned from Naples home-ward the same Duke did negotiâ—te a League of the greatest PoteÌ„tates against him who did constrayne him to fight a Battell at Forum Novum vnder the Apennine where hee did hardlie escape with his lyfe although hee over-threwe them I haue tolde you alreadie how Philip the second of Spayne did desert Don Sebastian of Portugall and betray him by a League but of all Examples for this Purpose that is most remarkable of the Confederacie drawne by Charles of Burgundie with the whole Princes of France agaynst Lewis the eleventh where-vnto they were so bended and willing that they did call it Bellum pro Rep. A Warre vnder-gone for the Common-wealth Which Confederacie that subtill King did dissolue as Clowds dispersed with the Wind before they could grow to Raine where-vpon sayeth the Wryter of the Historie De Comines That hee holdeth one partie stronger for him-selfe who doeth command absolutelie over 10000 than are ten Confederates against him al-be-it everie of them doeth command over 6000. To come to our Purpose There are as manie Christian Princes and States true Enemies to the Spanyard as are able to devoure him in two or three Yeares if it were possible to contract amongst them a Confederacie or League of Salt that is to say which might endure without Corruption of Fraude or Emulation And therefore heere must I say that all the Actions belonging to a King are of light importance compared to this to maturelie deliberate both of his owne Forces and of the trustinesse of Confederates before hee doe enterpryze VVare Alwyse when wee take but a single view of our Associates against Spayne wee should thinke it strange why they may not stand vnited beeing al-readie conjoyned by Viâ—initie of Neighbour-hood by Consanguinitie Affinitie communion of one Cause against a Common Enemie communion of one Fayth connected I say everie one of them by diverse of these Bandes our Soveraigne the King of Great Britane the French King his Brother-in-law the King of Denmarke his Vncle the Princes of Germanie all knit to the Prince Palatine eyther in Blood in Religion or participation of one Feare of the House of Austria the Duke of Savoy who lyeth nearest to the Thunders and Threats of Spayne having a great part of his Territories circumscribed by them the Venetians who beholde his Garrisons daylie vpon their Frontiers gaping for some good oportunitie of Assault Holland and her Estates who haue beene so long protected and as it were fostered in the Bosome of the Crowne of England now who would not conjecture that this Tygers VVhelpe might bee surelie impailed amidst those mightie Hunters and that it were easie for them to bring him to his latter sweate I scorne heere to call in question what invincible Armies they might assemble by Sea and Land sufficient to robbe him of all that hee hath for it is thought that if after the taking in of Portugall England France Holland and other Confederates had then put into it amongst them all but 30000 Men with sufficient Shipping and Munition they had beene bastant to recover it and King Philip had beene forced to forbeare from the farther troubling of France or Holland And yet to treat this Point of so
great Consequence with Candor and Sinceritie I finde that Men of great experience for Warre doe holde opinion contrarie to this beeing of the mynde of King Francis the first who saide that longsome VVarres and small Armies served rather to exercise Men in the Artes Militarie than to daunt the Enemie and that without grosse Armies and quicke dispatch it was not possible to compasse great Enterpryses saying with-all that the Maintainance of small Armies and longsome VVarres was much more chargeable than the other They tell vs that the Empyre of the Turke beginneth to decline for his Pretermission of two thinges which his Predecessours did obserue and follow One that hee goeth not in person to bee over his Armies as they did another that they are not so numerous and grosse as they had them and that light exploits and often leading of small Armies to and froe doeth but teach the Milice to his Enemies and spoyle his owne Countreyes thorow vvhich his Souldiours so frequentlie doe passe Where-of they giue vs this Example Amurat the third kept vnder the commandement of his Bussaes a lingering VVarre of more than twelue Yeares employing not verie great Armies against the Persian vvhere-by al-be-it hee conquered great partes of his Countreyes yet vvere his Losses knowne to bee greater because hee spended the Flowre of his Forces of young Souldiours and lustie Horses 200000 Horses and more than 500000 Men from the beginning to the ende and made desolate the Countreyes that hee tooke in so farre that Osman Bassa alone besides what vvas done by others did cast to the ground and burne 100000 Houses besides that the Persians their Enemies during that great length of tyme did become more skilfull Warriours than themselues The Spanish Warres against Holland Zealand and Friezland haue vvrought the same Effects Agesilaus King of Lacedemonia in his longsome Warres against the Thebaus having one day received a dangerous Blow in his Person was tolde by one of his Friends that hee deserved vvell to haue it because hee had taught his Enemies to bee good Souldiours I confesse indeede that in this point of teaching the Arte Militarie to Enemies vvee can lose nothing beeing rather to learne from them but whether the employing of small or grosie Armies against them shall bee most hurtfull to them before vvee say to that wee must consider vvhat parts of his Dominions doe lye most open for our Invasion and most easilie and profitablie brooked for I take it also as granted that as there must bee Warres so they must bee with-out our Countrey and into that of the Enemie Never an actiue Prince was knowne to looke on vntill the Enemie should bee seene with-in his Bowels There be thousands of Examples of Ignorants who by so doing haue cast away their Kingdome from them-selues Antiochus Persius Iuba Ptolome the last of Aegypt Darius some of the French Kings as King Iohn taken vvith-in his owne Countreyes by Edward the Blacke Prince of England And for this cause Philip of France called the Conquerer vnderstanding that the Emperour Otho the second and the King of England were to assault his Kingdome hee fortified sundrie strong places and led his Armie without the Frontiers vvhere hee did combate and defeat them Wee reade in our Scottish Histories how frequentlie Armies haue bene convoyed beyond our Marches to find the Enemie before he should enter amongst vs. So long as a Countrey is free from open Hostilitie as long it doeth not feele extreame Calamitie sayeth Scipiâ— Afric for putting of Armies into Africke Plus animi est inferenti periculum quam propulsanti ad hoc major ignotarum rerum est terror c. The Assaulters of anie Countrey must haue greater cowrage than the Defendants who having moâ— things and more deare in perill their Houses their Ritâ—â—es VVyues and Children are more taken with feare besides being with-in the Enemies Countrey yee doe discover all his weaknesses whylst your strength and possibilities the more they bee vnknowne to him they doe the more encrease his terrour But to speake of places in generall most proper for this VVarre there is none more honourable than the Palatinate al-be-it most difficill to come vnto by reason of remotenesse from the Sea without the restitution where-of there can remaine no credite with the parties and Princes of the League I heard a Scottish Captaine of good experience in those Countreyes latelie say to mee that it was impossible to recover the Palatinate but by Sea Advantages over the Spanyard because it was so farre remooved from Friends and I did aske him how the late Prince of Parma did leade 10000 Men to Paris in the Teeth of a mightie King amidst his Armies hee answered mee that those were carried as in Trenches and the way was easie without impediment of Mountaines or Rivers Againe I demanded how did the Christian Kings ancientlie of England Scotland and France convoy their Armies to the holie VVarres of Hierusalem and most part over Land or how Alexander the Great an Armie of with-in 40000 from Macedon to the Easterne Occean and did subjugate all the Nations by the way or how Iulius Caesar a smaller by the one halfe from the occident of France to Pharsalia in Greece or Hanniball from Carthage by the way of Spaine and France thorow so manie alpestiere and precipitious Mountaines even to Naples and brooked Italie fifteene Yeares Although themselues were excellent and incomparable Captaines and of extravagant Fortunes yet their Souldiours appearinglie haue beene but such Men as doe yet liue in the VVorld the difference and ods of Tymes excepted for softnesse and Delicacie in some and contemplation and loue of Letters in others haue so daunted and as it were emasculate the cowrage of Men who now are that none is able to endure that austeritie and hardnesse of living with Hanniball him-selfe let bee his Souldiours The next Fielde fitting for this VVarre is that which were most easie to come vnto and likelie to bring the Businesse to a short and prosperous Ende and this is the Countrey of VVest Flanders if this fatall Iealousie of Neighbour-Princes which hath beene so manie tymes contrarious to the best Designes and Enterpryses of Christendome did not heere with-stand that is to say if the French King did not call to mynde how that was the Port where-at ancientlie the English did so often enter to trouble his Predecessours It is a wonderfull thing if Kings so nearelie allyed and so nearelie touched by one Common Danger cannot bee assured from mutuall Iealousies in the meane tyme Nulla fides regni sociis Therefore leaving that to the Event which GOD shall grant I will speake of putting Armies into Spayne by Sea wherevnto it may bee yee will object the small Successes now of a second Navigation of the English to Portugall and that His Majestie had better kept his Navie at home Careat successibus opto quisquis ab eventu facta not and a putet
those thinges from Merchands to the Coyning-house with strict Penall Statutes against any more of that kynde for Apparell Which things when I consider they giue mee Boldnesse to say That His Majestie our Soveraigne should doe well to ordaine all the vncoyned Golde and Silver in Scotland to bee brought in and stamped in Current Money It is in the Hands of Noble-men Barons and Burgesses who can lose nothing by it but by the Contrarie gaine for even they them-selues in the meane time doe more delight to bee served in Glasse which of it selfe is as Civill and more Pure for that Vse And lest our Noble-men should thinke it Dishonourable to bee emptied of Ritch Cup-boards I will show how this sort of Thirst hath beene followed by great Personages without Indignitie Scipio Afric when hee died did leaue no more Silver Plate and Coyne both to his Heire than amounted to 32 pound weight and yet when hee roade in Triumph for the Subjugation of Carthage he did ostent publicklie and placed in the Exchecquer of the State an incredible Summe that hee obtained of the Conquered Quater millies quadringena septuagena millia pondo sayeth Plinius foure thousand foure hundreth and seaventie pound weight a thousand times counted About the same time as the same Author wryteth their best and most ancient Captaines were degraded for having fyne pound weight of Silver Plate to serue them at Table King Ferdinandus of Spaine called Magno having wholly exhausted both his Treasures his Credite in making loÌ„gsome Wars against the Infidels in Valenza Toledo for want of readie Meanes in daÌ„ger to be oppressed by those Barbarians his Wyfe a Ladie of an excelleÌ„t Spirit did put to Port Sale not onlie al her Gold Silver Plate and precious Iewels but also all her best Furniture of her Palaces yea and the richest Pieces of her bodilie Apparrell vvhereby she did furnish her Husband in such sort that he prevayled mightily over his Enemies and conquered their Cities with large Treasures and Commodities therein The French Storie showeth that King Charles the ninth did reduce vpon vrgent Necessitie his whole Golde and Silver Plate into Coyne I need not here object agaynst our selues the Simplicitie of Manners of our Antecessours and their Ignorance of such Prodigalities but lest wee should thinke it base and ignominious to follow them I will tell you how Plinius in his tyme did wryte thus Before our Grand-fathers no Senator did weare Gold Rings and in the remembrance of our Grand-fathers those who had the Office of the Pretorship in their olde age did weare Rings of Yron Of his owne tyme agayne sayd hee all thinges that the Worlde by Land or Sea could produce were become so familiar sought for at Rome that everie yeare it did cost the State to furnish a Voyagâ— into India fiftie Millions of Sesterses for which the Indians did send backe their Merchandize which were solde at Rome for an hundreth tymes as much as they were bought for So bent are People to precipitate swiftlie and in short tyme to Corruption and Insolence vvhere they once find themselues in the Way that leadeth into it Nowe supposing there were aboundance of Money in the Countrey there can bee nothing more pertinent to a Treatise of this kynd than for saving thereof to Publicke Necessarie and Vertuous Vses to propound a thing whereof wee haue great neede and which hath bene frequentlie practized by the best greatest Common-wealths in the tyme of Exigeâ—ice and Distresse for want of Coyne to preserybe Moderation both of Dyet and Apparrell often tymes done by the Romanes and frequentlie since by the French and Venetians and by tymes everie-where It is well knowne howe farre wee haue deboarded in this sort since our Conjunction with England and I finde in our Historie that the lyke Abuses did creepe in amongst our Predecessours from the same Countrey to the manifest Danger of the Common-wealth then and that it was at two severall tymes grievouslie and pâ—â—hilie resented by the Counsel of Scotland to their Princes and Reformation vrged first vnder K. Malcolme the third whose Queene Margaret being English was attended with numbers of their Gentrie and much Introduction of Forraigne Manners Secondlie at the comming home of King Iames the first after manie yeares being in England by a notable Oration publicklie delivered to that ende by the Arch-Bishop of Sainct Andrewes for the time to which two Places I doe referre them who are curious to know how manie Wayes and how soone Prodigalitie and Ryot doe leade a State vnto Ruine And if wee would esteeme such Reformations to bee disagreeable with Noble and Generose Mynds it were to show the Povertie and Ignorance of our owne Mynde because in the Simplicitie of Manners and Moderation of Lyfe doeth consist all the Actiue Vertue of the Mightiest States there-vpon were Republicks founded Cities builded Lawes established Empyres extended the World conquered sayeth the same Author Plinius there was not a Baker knowne at Rome 580 yeares after her Plantation nor no Bread other than that which was driven out by Womens Hands lyke vnot the Cakes which are vsuall amongst our Commoners where-as in the ende that most puissant and invincible Empyre whome all the Nations of the Earth could not daunt was overthrowne by excessiue Prodigalitie of Lyfe as the Poet sayeth Nunc patimur longae pacis mala sevior armis Luxuria incubuit victumâ—que ulcâ—scitur orbem Finallie I will turne my Speach to You O Mightie King Orient Monarch of the Northerne World Successour of that Wise Salomon of Great Britane whose Heart so emptie of Ambition and Avarice The LORD His GOD did fill with the True Wisdome of Governament and did exalt Him as a new Pole-starre or Lanterne of Light to bee beheld a-farre and sought to by those who sayle into the Naufragious Seas of Southerne Darknesse The LORD indeede did employ Him as a SalomoÌ„ to the like Function of Building His TeÌ„ple for vnder Him was Poperie the Altars of Idolatrie casten down The Gospell planted in this Kingdome and the Church restored to the ancient Primitiue Governament That like vnto that solide Conjunction of the Tribes of Israel vnder SalomoÌ„ the Bodie of this whole Yle standeth firme and vnited and therefore would not GOD suffer Him to bee a Man of Warre nor those Hands to touch the Sword of Blood which he had concluded to vse to the Sacred worke of His Temple But Sir Your Majestie Hee hath chosen to be that David who should over-come and breake the mightie Enemies of his People I should be sorie to trouble Your Royall Eares with tedious Discourse yea if my shallow Wits could choose with one ydle Word I will but briefelie bring before Your Majestie some few of the Practises of Augustus Caesar whom all the Politicke Wryters and Histories since his Dayes haue set vp for a Perfect Examplar of Imitation to all the Actiue Princes of