these Men which are full of Valour Continence and Sobriety not at all tainted with the foul guilt of Avarice that so they may not only make this young Fry the growing hopes of our common Safety skillful at their Weapons but also by the Example and Integrity of their Lives may shew them the way to all Virtue that so this Army may be trusted with our common Safety when Opportunity shall be offer'd to fight an Enemy And if we have such Commanders as these there will be no fear of false Musters to cheat the common Treasury by which Abuse of ordinary Commanders we see by daily Experience that the King's Exchequer though never so full is hardly able to pay his Army any long time and in Battel they run a great risk when Generals being deceived by the relation of their Captains do believe that their Army consists of more Men effectually than it really doth But before I proceed an Opportunity is here offered to me to give an Answer to the Opinions of some good Men all whose knowledge being circumscribed within the Bounds of that Age and Country wherein they were born and having never travelled any farther do highly wonder at what I speak and do regret it as a meer unusual and â—npracticable thing for thus they argue Our Ancestors did many Famous Exploits in War with such kind of Soldiers and in the same way of Military Discipline which we use at this day I confess by way of Answer that they did so but it was when they coped with Enemies who were guilty of the same Vices and Defects as themselves As the Army was unexperienced hastily listed forreign weak and without Discipline on the one side it was so on the other and their Force amongst them equally guilty one was as good as the other sometimes a Battel was fought with no great loss on either side As if two maimed Men two blind Men or two lame Men should fight the Match is equal on both sides but if you set a Maimed Man to fight with a Sound a blind Man with one that sees a lusty Man with one that 's Lame you will quickly find a difference If we were to fight among our selves with our Neighbours and Country-men we might then commit such Errors for they being as bad as we there would be not great difference between us But now the case is alter'd for we have to do with the Turks a Vigilant Industrious Sober and Experienced Enemy used to Hardships very Skillful in and Observant of Military Discipline But what are they the better for that you will say I will tell you By this means they have overcome all the Countries from the very Borders of Persia even to the Walls of Vienna How our Arms are able to cope with his I wish that we were ignorant of and that our daily Overthrows were not too dear a Document to instruct us And do we as yet stand in doubt whether we should defend our Faults rather than amend them But you will farther say These are new and unusual things which you propose I answer The reason is because we have a new and strange Enemy whose Power and Skill is such that it requires a more than ordinary Diligence to cope with him The Diseases called the Sweat and French-Pox were heretofore strange and unknown and when Physicians with all their Art were not able to Conquer them by common and ordinary Remedies at last they were instructed by the Deaths of many Patients to seek for new Remedies against new Diseases and their Diligence herein was so Prosperous that both those Diseases which were unconquerable before did yield to their Remedies This Design of Physicians we ought to imitate in our Wars against the Turks it is in vain to use the ordinary Method of Fighting at this time of day we must rather take another course and apply new Remedies to new Mischiefs Though the Truth is this Method is not new but most Ancient by which the People of Rome to their great Praise did heretofore Conquer the whole World And it is so far from being unused in our Age that the Enemy of which we speak hath used no other means both to endanger our Safety and also in a manner to equal his Empire with the Roman I shall speak more largely of this hereafter when I have answered the Difficulty which these very Objectors have pre-conceived in their Minds For such is the guise of this Effeminate Age that if a thing be never so Excellent and Beneficial if it hath any thing of Difficulty in the Execution thereof is put by as if it never could be effected The Persons of whom I speak being tainted with this Imbecility of Mind having experienced that they could not prevail in an ordinary course of Arms and being deterred from trying my Method by the Difficulty thereof they fall at last to this Opinion That we can no way prevent our Destruction but by making Peace or a Truce with the Turks by any means whatsoever And this their Opinion they so much hug as if it were Iupiter's Altar or the Statue of the Emperor And therefore they think that we must turn every Stone either by Prayer or by Price or by any unworthy way whatsoever to make him our Friend But they do not consider that amongst all Difficulties this is the greatest and which we can least of all hope to overcome For can we imagine that such a Capital Enemy after that he hath marched over so many Countries and taken so much Pains to come to us when he sees himself almost Master of his Wish and having so great a subject of Praise such an Opportunity of Booty and such an Occasion of inlarging his Empire and Religion that he should suddenly stop as if he were Thunder-struck and proceed no farther But grant there were any hopes of Peace who is so mad as to fight with an Enemy so powerful if he can help it Or who is so blind as not to foresee that sure Peace is to be preferred before the doubtful Hazards of War But let me tell you that you quite mistake the case for neither Peace nor Truce is in our Power We have lost all hopes of Peace and therefore are compelled to a War there is no room for any Advice or Deliberation of our own for we are hurried on by a fatal Necessity as unwillingly as we are pushed on violently to a War which of necessity we must manage and go through Why do we fruitlesly draw back Why do we cast about for delays Why do we Chouse our selves with the vain Dreams of Pacifications We vainly fancy to our selves Safety in the midst of the Flame and by our Delay we nourish the Mischief which we might remedy if we were watchful and for want of foresight we render our Wound uncurable But you will say It is very good to keep off the Miseries of a War as long as one can I grant it unless the Delay
before you enter upon it To be sure if knowing and Prudent Persons be appointed to make the Levies a number of Men fit for War may be easily Listed and carefully Trained for Diligence Conquers all 'T is not length of Age or number of Arms which maketh the Art Military but continual exercise of Arms An undisciplined Soldier is alway a craving though he hath been Listed never so long c. It is past all doubt that Rusticks who live in the open Air are the fittest to bear Arms they are able to endure heat they care not for refreshing Shades they are ignorant of the use of Baths and other Delights they are plain-hearted contented with a little and their Limbs are hardned to endure all Toil they learn from their Country Labour to deal with Iron to Plow the Land and to bear Burdens And I know not by what Fate he is least afraid of Death who is least acquainted with the Delights of Life Let us now enquire at what Age Soldiers ought to be Listed if we observe the ancient Custom none but young Striplings are to be Listed For what we learn from ones Childhood we imbibe that not only more speedily but more perfectly too Besides the Skipping and nimble Alacrity is to be practised before the Body grows stiff with Age for it is nimbleness grounded upon Exercise that makes a stout Warrior And therefore we should List none but young Men as Salust speaketh That as soon as Youth was able to endure War it learned the Art Military in their Camps by daily Practice For it is much better that a Disciplined Youth should complain that his Age is not yet fit for Battel than that he should grieve that he has past his sighting-time And by this means he may have time enough to learn all for the Art-Military is not easily to be obtained whether you endeavour to teach Horse or Foot the use of the Bow or whether you would teach a Man in his Armor all the Gestures and Modes of the Art-military as that he should not leave his File nor disturb his Ranks and how he should cast his Javelin with a good Aim and a strong Arm as also how to cast up a Trench and to fix Pallisadoes knowingly how to handle his Buckler and by side-blows to escape the flying Darts how wishly to avoid a Blow and boldly to strike If a young Soldier be thus Instructed he will be so far from Fear that it will be a Pleasure to him to meet the stoutest Enemy in the Field And therefore let him that is to List Soldiers take special Care that by their Countenances by their Eyes and by the make of all their Limbs he choose those that are likely to make good soldiers for Stoutness may be fore-seen in Men by many Indications as well as in Horses and Dogs c. Let therefore the Youth which is designed for Martial Imployment be of watchful Eyes holding his Head upright broad Chested brauny Shoulders strong Finger'd with long Arms a thin Belly with slender Thighs the Calf of his Leg and Feet not superfluously big but compacted with hardned Nerves When you shall find these Marks in a new listed Soldier you need not much care whether he be Tall or no for it is beter to have Soldiers Valiant than high Statured It follows in the next place that we enquire of what Trades the Soldiers we choose or refuse are on Fishers Fowlers Confectioners Whitsters and all those who belong to Female Imployments are to be rejected But Black-smiths Coach-makers Butchers and such as hunt the Stag and wild Boar are fit to make Soldiers of And to speak the truth the Safety of the Common-wealth turns upon this very Hinge viz. The Listing of young Sodiers that Excel in Mind as well as in Body for the Strength fa Kingd om and the Foundation of the Roman Name do consist in the first choosing of the Soldiery Nor are we to think that the Impressing of Soldiers is a mean Imployment that ordinary Persons may be intrusted with No Sertorius of Old amongst the rest of his laudable Qualities was of another mind for the Youth to whom the Defence of the Provinces and the Stress of the War is to be committed ought to be well born if such can be had and also to be of credible Conversations for Generosity makes a man fit to be a Soldier and he that is ashamed to run away becomes thereby a Conqueror What Benefit is it to Discipline a sluggish Fellow and to be at vast Expence to entertain him in a Camp That Army never did Conquer in a Battel where the Press-masters were negligent in listing their young Soldiery We find it by dear and costly Experience that our Enemies give us many Overthrows because that in a long time of Peace we are negligent and careless in calling out our Soldiery For whilst Gentlemen follow Civil Imployments and raw Soldiers are chosen by Favour and Dissimulation such Persons take Arms as their Masters disdain to imploy any other ways Hence it followeth that great Men should use great Diligence in chusing out a young Fry of Soldiery But alas our long Security has shut this care quite out of doors Where can you find a Man that can teach others any thing but what he himself hath learn'd before The Lacedemonians were the first who collecting Experiments of Fights from Events induced the Art Military which is thought to be maintained either in Valour or in happy Success to a Formulary Art Discipline and Skill it was them that first of all commanded the Officers at Arms to teach their young Soldiery their Method and various manner of Fighting O Men to be highly praised and admired Who were willing to learn that Art principally without which other Arts are to no purpose The Romans also following their Methods have attained the Precepts of Martial Discipline and have written whole Books concerning it How much the Discipline of the Lacedemonians did prevail in Fight is sufficiently declared by the Example of Xantippus to omit others who with his Carthaginians overcame Attillius Regulus and his conquering Roman Army not by Valour but in a manner by Art alone and took him Prisoner and thus by one Combat he triumphantly made an end of the War In the like manner Hannibal when he was about to march into Italy provided himself of a Lacedemonian Doctor of Arms by whose Advice he destroyed so many Consuls and such vast Legions that he himself was inferior to them in Number and in Force He therefore that designs peace let him prepare himself for War He that covets Victory let him Discipline his Soldiery diligently before-hand He that desires good Successes must fight by Art not by Thought for no body will dare to challenge or provoke that Enemy whom he knows will conquer him if he joyn Battel with him It was their Custom in Winter-time to provide Tiles and Slates and for want of them Flags and Straw they
that Kingdom so unjustly gotten why should his Son be denied to take the same Course Why should that Fact be vindicated so severely in him which was accounted Lawful in his Grandfather And yet the Cause was much different said they for Bajazet did not take up Arms against his Father but wishes him a long Life nay he would not hurt and Hair of his Brothers Head if he could be sure of his own Life against him but 't is always lawful to resist Force by Force and if possibly to prevent ones own certain Ruin These Discourses caused many to fly unto Bajazet and his Army being now of a moderate size without any delay he marches towards his Brother putting his Life Fortune and the hope of the Empire upon the Event of the Battel for thus thought he with himself my Valour at least will be commended if it be not prosperous I will endeavour if I can to break my way into Syria and if I succeed therein my Business is done Selymus waited for him under the Walls of Iconium having a vast Army encreased by Forces sent him from his Father and well furnished with skilful Commanders and besides all other Necessaries secured with great Ordnance on every side Bajazet was nothing terrified at all those Disadvantages but assoon as he came in sight of his Brothers Army he exhorted his Own tho' inferiour in Number in this sort Now says he the long wished for Hour is â—ome wherein you may shew your Valour do you act as Men and let me alone to reward you All my Fortune is in your Hand my Misfortunes have been irksome some time but now here is an open Campaign wherein I may change them for the better and forget all the Miseries of my former Life If you Conquer you may expect from me Honour Dignity and all kind of Rewards befitting Men of Valour One Victory will compleat all our Hopes tho' never so vast and that you may get by your superabounding Valour As for my Brothers Troops before your Eyes they are a Company of Buffoons under a slothful General you may easily make way through them with your swords what Force he hath with him of my Fathers tho' they are his in Body yet they are mine at Heart 'T is Selymus alone that stands in the way both of my Vassals and of your Happiness too and therefore let us both revenge our selves on a common Enemy And for their Multitude don't fear them Conquest is got by Valour not by Number God Almighty uses to assist the Rest not the Most certainly if you consider how the savage Enemy thirsts after your blood you will preserve yours by shedding theirs In fine said he I will not only speak but do let me be your Pattern do you Fight but as valiantly for my safeguard as I shall do for your advancement and I 'll warrant you the battle is our own Having finished his Oration he made towards the Enemy with an undaunted Courage and in the Front of his Army shew'd himself both a brave Soldier and a skilful Commander so that he was Renowned also by his very Enemies The Battle was bloody and many fell on both sides and Victory seem'd to hover in the doubtful Wings but at last she inclin'd to that side where was more Force a juster Cause and better Counsel just in the nick there arose such a Wind that it carried the smoak of the Ordinance into the very Faces of Bajazet's Army so that they fought blindfold as it were whereupon Bajazet after much blood-shed on both sides was forced to sound a Retreat but he made it with so little of Trepidation and so leisurely that he seemed a Conqueror rather than a Conquered neither did Selymus make out of his Camp to pursue him being well contented to see his Enemy turn their Backs After this Bajazet considering he had disobeyed his Father's Commands by indulging his own Humour and being cut off from hi March into Syria which he had design'd resolved to move in good earnest towards Amasia Solyman had presently a Messenger sent him of this Victory and immediately he posted over into Asia His Bassa's would not let him go before But now said they you must make haste to press upon Bajazet in his Misfortune and to prevent his Recruit for if his secret Favourites should declare for him they might cut them out further Work The Report of your Passage over will both discourage your Son and terrifie all his Followers and therefore make haste lest he serve you as sometimes your Father did who was more formidable after he was Conquered than before so that his very Overthrow was the Cause why at last he prevailed Neither did they thus speak without Cause for 't is incredible how much that Fight tho' unfortunate had added to Bajazet's Renown That he was so hardily Valorous as with a small handful in comparison to set upon the well disciplin'd Army of his Brother strengthened too with his Fathers Force that he was not daunted with the disadvantage of the Place nor the roaring of the great Ordnance and that he carried himself in the very Battle not as a raw General but an expert Commander 'T is true said they his Success was not answerable but his Valour was not Inferiour and therefore let Selymus boast never so much of his Victory to his Father this we are sure of that of the Two Bajazet deserved to be Conqueror neither did his Brether prevail against him by true Force but through Strength These Discourses concerning Bajazet shew'd him to be Popular and thereupon they double his Fathers trouble and his desire to ruin him resolved he was none but Selymus should succeed him in the Empire for besides that he was his eldest Son he had been always faithful and obedient to him but Bajazet had been contumacious and gaped after the Throne in his Life time and he feared him the more because he was esteem'd a very valiant Prince and because also he had openly assaulted Solyman against him For these Reasons he pass'd the Sea into Asia but with a Resolution not to stir from the Shore but to assist his Son Selymus's Affairs only at a distance For why thought he should I run any hazard to bring my own Force nearer lest my Army not fully setled in their Obedience should be reapted to a Revolt I my self saw Solyman march out of Constantinople in the Year 1559 Iune 5th tho' against the Will of my Chiaux Let me here present you with a Scheme of Mirth and like a Braggadotio-soldier tell you of two Battles I had at once for why I have leisure enough unless you count my Cares my study and the larger I am in my Scribling the more time do I borrow from my Troubles Hear then my Contests When I was certainly inform'd that the Sultan was ready to pass over into Asia and that the day was fix'd for his Departure I told my Chiaux that I had a mind to
Enemy over whom they got Victories without Dust or Sweat and when he himself had obtained such an easie Victory over Pharnaces he was wont in jest to say I came I saw I overcame But if he had had to do with the People of those Countries then Esseminated by Luxury but now hardned by Want Frugality Hunger Cold and Severity of Discipline unto all Patience and Audacity he would have told us another story Hence it is that Livy reasons upon good grounds that Alexander the Macedonian would not have had the same Success against the Roman Enemy as against the Persian or Womanish Indian There is a great deal of difference between a Warlike and a Luxurious People and unaccustomed to Arms. 'T is true the Multitude of Persians struck an Admiration That there was more Toil in Killing than in Overcoming them And in my Judgment Hannibal's Three Victories at Trebia at Thrasymine and at Cannae did far Exceed all the Exploits of Alexander For why the one overcame Valiant Warriors the other had to do with the sloathful People Fabius maximus had as much Courage as Titus Sempronius Caius Flaminius or Varro but he had more Judgment That great Commander knew that he had to do with an Enemy educated in the Camp always vers'd in Arms skilful in Military Discipline who by a singular Fate or Felicity had obtained many Trophies and therefore he was not rashly to Venture all but to use Delay to weary him out that was the only Hope left against so great an Enemy to evade his Assaults and to drill on the Combat till an Opportunity was afforded for a Remedy In the mean time he was to be watch'd restrain'd and as it were nibbl'd at wherein he was so happy that Fabius one as much Renown'd as Scipio himself who ended the War against Hannibal for who knows whether Scipio would have ever overcome him if Fabius had not first stopt the Course of his Victories to overcome by Prudence is as highly to be priz'd as to overcome by Force The former have nothing common with Beasts but Force has The Emperor Ferdinand had the same Design with Fabius maximus if his and Solyman's Forces had been equal his first Work would have been to put all to the hazard of a Battel but the inequality consider'd his next Design was to stop an over-flowing Flood in Walls and Banks and herein employ'd his utmost Endeavour 'T is about Forty Years since Solyman in the beginning of his Reign took Belgrade slew Lewis King of Hungary and thereby promis'd himself the possession of that and other Countries in hope whereof he Besieg'd Vienna and renewing the War he reduc'd Ghnitzium again threaten'd Vienna at a distance But what did he get by this great Preparation of Arms his vast and innumerable Forces He was forc'd to stick in that part of Hungary which he had already taken He that was wont to Conquer vast Kingdoms by one Expedition did now subdue only some weak Castles and small Towns which cost him dear 'T is true he saw Vienna once but never after 'T is said that Solyman wish'd his Life to be prolonged to see three Things finish'd viz. The Structure of his Temple a sumptuous and magnificent Work the repairing of the old Aquaeducts to bring Water enough into Constantinople and the Conquest of Vienna the two first he hath accomplish'd but at the third he sticks and I hope ever will so that he always calls Vienna his Ignominy and Disgrace But to return The Emperor Ferdinand may doubtless be Register'd among the famousest Captains for though he had far less Aid than the Danger requir'd yet he was Master of himself and principally by his Courage he hath endured so great an Impression of a Powerful Enemy for so many Years together So that he deserves a greater Praise for the preserving a great part of Hungary for better Times than many Warriors do who with multitude of Military Preparations and favourable Opportunities have got many Victories over Kings and their Armies The less Assistance he hath had in a necessary Time by so much the more the Valour of his Mind hath more Eminently appear'd Whosoever doth not put all upon one Event and the height of Happiness not considering the Power of the Enemy and the seasonableness of Assaulting him must needs conclude That 't is next to a PRODIGY that the kingdom of Hungary distracted with long Discord was able to be defended so long and that all of it is not already brought under the Yoak of so powerful an Enemy 'T is God's great Mercy and our Princes infinite Care that hath prevented it whilst he is Combating with one Difficulty another arises in view greater than the former The Enemy is in sight Friends afar off the Auxiliaries of his Brother Charles too far off Germany though next to the Fire yet weary in sending of Aid the hereditary Countries exhausted by Contribution and the Ears of many Christian Princes deaf when Aid is desir'd of them would rather do any thing than that which is incumbent upon them upon that he is forced to sustain the Enemy only with his own Arms with the assistance of some Hungarians Austrians and Bohemians and sometimes by hiring some Italian or Spanish Soldiers at a vast Expence he maintains the Confines of Hungary with Garrisons fifteen Days Iourney long so that he had always Soldiers in Pay even in time of Truce A Truce is sometimes necessary and when the coming of a Tyrant is fear'd and the Time affords not the Opportunity of Resistance 't is seasonable to send Embassies and to mitigate him at present that so great a Calamity may be averted from miserable Hungary Whilst our Prince is exercised with these Fears he can hardly sleep a whole Night together he watches for the Good of the Common-wealth so great a Matter requires a perpetual Vigilance and constant Care And do not you think I slatter him what I write is as true as History He hath but few Assistants in his Government but very good Men the Chief of whom not unknown to you be Name are Iohanes Tranezed Rudolphus Harva both Eminent for their Faithfulness and Prudence I shall dismiss you after I have acquainted you with our Prince's private Deportment he rises every Day at Five a Clock in the Morning even in the coldest Winter Months and first he performs his Prayers to God then he goes to the Council to Treat of Matters pertaining to the Publick Good till Dinner-time he follows the same course in the Afternoon till Supper-time I mean his Counsellors Supper not his own for he himself never Sups eating but once a Day and that sparingly too and he is as abstainous in Drinking only he closes his Dinner with a double Glass of Wine he passes the Night chastly ever since the loss of his Royal Consort He can't endure Toys nor Trifles which others are taken with He will have nothing to do with Jesters Fools Parasites the common
which the Sophi or as the Turks call him Chifibas of Persia reigns are not so fruitful of Provisions as our European Countries are The Reason is because the Custom of the Inhabitors is upon the Approach of an Enemy to destroy all before them that so Fire and Famine might send him further off so that if the Invader bring not great Store of Provision with him he will be in danger of Starving and if he once do approach his Enemy yet he doth not presently open his Store of Provision but reserve it for his Retreat which he knows must be through those Places already wasted by such a Multitude of Men and Beasts that like Locusts have before pilled all the Country then indeed the Grand Seigniors Stores are opened and some small Allowance given out daily to the Ianizaries and other Dependents of that Prince enough to keep them alive and that is all As for others it goes hard with them unless they have made some Provision for themselves before-hand and some of their Soldiers especially Horse are so fore-sighted that in Prospect of such Difficulties they carry a led Horse along with them with Viands and other things to support them if need be Upon this Horse they usually carry some Blankets that they may spread abroad as Tents to defend them from Sun and Rain also some other Cloaths to wear and withal Two or Three Wicker Baskets full of the best Flower they can get with a small Pot for Butter some Spice and Salt with these in case of Necessity they kill their Hunger They take out a few Spoonfuls of their Meal or Flower and pour Water upon it then they add a little Butter and so seasoning it with Spice and Salt they set it on the Fire and when it boyls it swells so that it will fill a large Platter They eat hereof Twice or Thrice a Day as their Store holds out but without eating Bread with it unless they have brought some Biskets along with them With this thin Dyet for want of a better they can live a Month or Two till they come to richer Quarters There are some of them who carry dryed Beef ground to Powder in a kind of Snap-sack that 's a more nutritive and a choice Viand amongst them And sometimes they eat Horse Flesh for in a vast Army a great many Horses must needs dye and if any of them be more fleshy than others that makes a great Feast for hungry Stomachs And they who have thus lost their Horses for you must know that too when the Grand Seignior or Vizier removes his Camp stand in a row before him the Way he is to march with their Saddles on their Heads signifying hereby the loss of their Horses and by that mute Sign begging Relief towards buying a new one and their Prince gratifies them at his Pleasure Thus the Turks surmount huge Difficulties in War with a great deal of Patience Sobriety and Parsimony reserving themselves for more favourable Circumstances But our Christian Soldiers carry it otherwise they scorn homely Fare in their Camps they must have dainty bits forsooth such as Thrushes Black-birds and banquetting Stuff if they have not These they are ready to mutiny as if they were famished And if they have them they are undone their own Intemperance kills them if their Enemy spare their Lives When I compare the Difference between their Soldiers and ours I stand amazed to think What will be the Event for certainly their Soldiers must needs conquer and ours must needs be vanquished Both cannot stand prosperously together For on their side there is a mighty strong and wealthy Empire great Armies experience in War a veterane Soldiery a long series of victories Patience in Toil Concord Order Discipline Frugality and Vigilance On our side there is public Want private Luxury Strength weakned Minds discouraged an unaccustomedness to Labour or Arms Soldiers refractory Commanders covetous a Contempt of Discipline Licentiousness Rashness Drunkenness Gluttony and that which is worst of all they use to conquer we to be conquered Can any Man doubt in this case what the Event will be 'T is only the Persian stands between us and Ruin The Turks would fain be upon us but he keeps him back his War with him affords us only a Respit not a Deliverance When he once makes Peace with him he will bring all the Power of the East upon us and how ready we are to receive him I am afraid to speak But to return from whence I digressed I told you before That the Turks use to carry their Arms and Tents on Horse-Back to the War but they are such as belong chiefly to the Ianizaries for the Turks are very careful to have their Army healthy and fenced against the Weather let him defend himself as well as he can against the Enemy that 's to his own Peril but the Publick takes care for his Health hence it is that a Turkish Army is better cloathed than armed They are afraid of Cold as of their greatest Enemy and therefore even in Summer-time they are treble cloathed and their inmost Garment call it a Wastcoat or whatever you will i◠made of course Thread which keeps then very warm And to defend them also against the Cold and Showers Tents are carried about for them at the Public Charge and every Ianizary is allowed as much space in th◠Tent as the Dimensions of his Body are so that one Tent can hold Twenty five or Thirty Ianizaries and that thick Cloath I spake of is also supplyed out of the publick Store When it is distributed among them they take this Course to prevent Quarrels the Soldiers are placed in the Night by Files in a plac◠appointed for that purpose and there so many Cloaths are brought out of the Store as then are Soldiers and every one takes his Dole 〈◊〉 the Dark so that if it is better or worse 〈◊〉 has no cause to complain And for the same Reason their Pay is weighed out not told to them lest any one should say He was forced to receive Light or Clipt Mony nor do they stay till the very Day of Pay but receive it the Day before The Arms that are carried are chiefly for the use of the Horse called Spahi's for the Ianizaries do usually fight on Foot with Musquets at a distance and therefore when an Enemy is near and a Battle expected the Armour is produced but usually such as is of an old make and are part of the Spoils obtained from former old Fights and Victories These are distributed among the Horse their other Armour is but a light Buckler You may easily think how odly such Armour will sit on a Man which is given out so hastily ones Brest-Plate is too narrow another Man's Helmet is too loose another Coat of Male is too heavy for him to bear every Piece hath some Fault or other and yet they must not complain they count it cowardly so to do for they resolve to
Butt In the Thumb of their right Hand they use Rings of Bone on which the String lies when they draw it and with the Thumb of their Left Hand they draw the Arrow by a knot of eminent juncture far otherwise than they do with us Their Butt is made of a Bank of sandy gravelly Earth raised about 4 Foot high from the Ground and firm'd with Boards round about But the Bassa's and those that have great Families do train up their Servants in this Exercise at their own Houses where the more skilful do teach the unexperienced Some of these in their common Bayram for they also have their Easter gather themselves together in a great Plain about Pera where sitting over against one another cross Legg'd as Taylor 's do with us for that is the Mode of their sitting they begin with Prayer so the Turks begin all their Enterprizes and then they strive who shall shoot an Arrow furthest The whole Contest is managed with a great deal of Modesty and Silence tho' the number of Spectators be very great Their Bows are very short for this Exercise and the shorter the better so that they are hardly bendable but by well-practised Persons Their Arrows also are of a peculiar kind He that conquers hath a Linnen-Handkerchief such as we use to wipe off our Sweat wrought with embroidered Needle-work for his Reward but his greatest Encouragement is the Commendation and Renown he gets 'T is almost incredible how far they will shoot an Arrow they mark the place with a Stone where the furthest Arrow for that Year was pitch'd There are many such Stones in the Field placed there time out of Mind which are further than they are able to shoot now adays they say These were the Marks of their Ancestors Archery whose Skill and Strength in Shooting they acknowledge they cannot reach to In divers Streets and Cross-ways of the City Constantinople there are also such Sports wherein not only Children and young Men but even the graver â—ort do exercise themselves in There is one that takes care of the Butt who waters it every day otherwise it would be so dry that an Arrow the Turkish Arrows being always blunt would not stick therein And he that thus oversees the Mark is very diligent to draw out and to cleanse the Arrows and throw them back to the Archers and he hath a Stipend from them sufficient to maintain him The Front of the Butt bears the Similitude of a little Door whence perhaps was derived the Greek Proverb that when a Man miss'd the Mark he is said to shoot Extrâ— januam besides the Door for I suppose the Greeks used this way of Butting and that the Turks borrowed it from them I grant the use of the Bow is very ancient among the Turks but that hinders not but when they conquered the Grecian Cities they might still retain their way of Butting and Bounding their Arrows For no Nation scruples to transfer the profitable Inventions of other Nations to themselves as I might instance in Great Ordâ—nance and in Muskets and other things which tho' not our Inventions yet the Turks borrow their use from us 'T is true they could never yet be brought to the Printing of Books nor to the setting â—locks publick the Reasons are That their Scripture i. e. Alchoran would no longer be called Scripture or Writing if it were Printed that 's their Fancy and for Clocks they suppose that the Authority of their Emraim and of their ancient Rites would be diminished if they should permit the use of them In other Cases they ascribe much to the ancient Institutions of other Nations even almost to the prejudice of their own Religion I speak of their Commonality All Men know how averse they are from the approving of Christian Rites and Ceremonies and yet let me tell you that whereas the Greek Priests do use at Spring time a certain way of Consecration to open the Sea for Saylers before which time they will hardly commit their Vessels to the Waters The Turks also observe the same Ceremony For when their Vessels are ready to sail they repair to the Grecians and ask them Whether they have consecrated the Sea If they say No they desist if Yea then they set sail and away 'T was also a Custom of the Greeks not to open the Pits in the Isle Lemnos for the digging out of the Earth called Agosphrogd before the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord viz. August 6. The Turks also observe the same Custom and whereas the Grecian Priests did anciently celebrate the Liturgy at that time the Turks will have them do so still and they themselves stand at a distance as Spectators only And if you ask them why they do this Their Answer is That there are useful Customs practised of old the Causes whereof are not known The Ancients they say saw and knew more than we and therefore we will not violate their Customs lest we do it to our Loss This Opinion hath so far prevailed among some of them that I know some who in private will baptize their Children alledging they believe there is some good in that Rite and that it was not instituted at first without just Cause Having acquainted you thus far with the Turkish Exercises let me add one more They have a Custom derived from the Parthians that they counterfeit flying away on Horseback and presently turn back and kill their unwary Pursuers The way they learn to do it is this They erect an high Pole almost in plain Ground with a Brass-globe atop of it about this they spur their Horses and having got a little beyond the Horse still Galloping they presently turn about and flying along shoot an Arrow into that Globe The frequent use hereof makes them to expect that their Bow being turn'd in their sight their unwary Enemy is shot through 'T is time now you 'll say that I return to my Lodging lest my Keeper be angry with me Well then what time is left me from beholding these Exercises I bestow it all on my Books or in Conferences with my Friends the Citizens of Pera originally Genoeses or others yet not without the leave of my Chiauxes These Fellows are not always in the same Humour they have their lucid Intervals and also sometimes are more tractable than at others When 't is fair Weather with them the Ragusteans the Florentines the Venetians and sometimes the Greeks with other Nations come to visit me on one Account or another sometimes also I converse with Men of more remote Countries coming hither whose Conversation doth much delight me A few Months ago there came thither a Merchant from Dantzick who had the sole vending of Amber He wondred what use the Turks put so great a quantity of it as they bought to or whither they sent it At last he was resolved That they sent it into Persia where that kind of Juice or Bitumen is highly esteemed for they adorn Parlors
be sent Prisoner into the Bowels of his Kingdom that he might be no Obstacle to the intended Agreement And yet as ill us'd as he is after his Fathers death 't is thought he would succeed in the Empire But Solyman fearing that Sagathamas or as we call him the Sophi would be more mindful of old Grudges than of the late Peace to which he was in a manner compell'd and that if his Son went thither he should have much ado to get him thence and perhaps it might occasion a long War between the Empires did use his utmost endeavour to stop or take him before he could come thither The old Man had not forgot that a few Years before Thamas's Brother had fled to him and had been supported by him and it cost his Brother dear to recover him and therefore he feared that Thamas would serve him the same sauce and perhaps recover by the Sword all the Countries he had taken from him The Design of Solyman was kept very secret yet Bajazet's Friends smelt it out and therefore advised him by no means to trust his Father but to consult his Safety by avoiding his Misery what way soever he could And Bajazet was perswaded so to do upon a small occasion as oft great Matters turn into little Injuries There was a Souldier of Bajazetâ—s â—s taken in Solyman's Camp and hang'd up as a Spy because that Bajazet had listed him after his Father had given him strict charge to list no more Souldiers This was warning enough to Bajazet to pack up and be gone Now Solyman thought himself sure of Bajazet and to deceive him the more he caused his Army to begin their March the Day after Easter back to Constantinople But Bajazet after Prayer upon Easter-Day summon'd all his Relicks and began his unfortunate Voyage towards Persia he knew well enough that he went to the old Enemy of the Ottoman House but he was resolv'd to try the mercy of any body rather than fall into his Fathers Hands There marched out with him all that were able to bear Arms none were left behind but weak Persons Women and Children that were not able to bear the Toil of so long a Journey amongst which was a young Child of his own with his Mother whose Innocency he thought would protect them from his Fathers Cruelty and therefore he thought it best to expose them to his Clemency rather than make them Companions of his woful and miserable Fight and the truth is Solyman as yet uncertain what would become of the Father spared the Life of his Infant Son at present and sent him to be Educated at Prusia I would have return'd to Constantinople the Day before Easter but had a great mind to see how the Turks did observe that Festival and I was not sure that ever I should have so fair an Opportunity again They were to Celebrate it in the open Field before the Emperour 's own Tent. I therefore caused my Servants to take a Room in the Tent of a Turkish Souldier that stood on a rising ground and look'd down on Solyman's Tent which was over against it Thither go I at Sun-rise where in an open Plain I beheld a vast Multitude of Turbanted Heads silently standing but repeating the last words of their Priest Every Rank was ranged orderly and standing that in the open Field they seemed to be a Wall one to another The most Honourable had their Station next the Emperor's Train uppermost in the Camp and their Turbants as white as Snow Such diversity of Colours did affect me with a great deal of Pleasure and the rather because they stood unmovable as if they had grown upon the Place not a Cough Schriek nor Word to be heard no nor the least moving of the Head to look backward or about them At the Name of Mahomet they all as one Man bowed their Heads even to the Knee but when the Name of God was pronounced they all fell Prostrate on their Faces and Kissed the Ground And the truth is the Turks are very careful and ceremonious in the acts of their Worship for if a Man doth but scratch his Head when he Prays they think his Prayer is lost For thus say they If a Man composes his Body so reverently even when he speaks but to a Bassa how much more fitting is it we should do it to God who is infinitely greater than the greatest of Men After Prayer the whole Knot of them was broke asunder and they ran up and down ranging over the Fields Anon the Emperor's Dinner is served up which the Ianisaries carry away Dish by Dish and eat it with a gret deal of Jollity and Mirth T' is an allowed Custom for them so to do on that day their Emperor being provided of a Dinner elsewhere When I had beheld their Shew I returned with a great deal of pleasure to Constantinople The remainder of my Task is to acquaint you what became of Bajazet and then I shall ease you of the trouble of Reading and my self of Writing He as I told you with his Invincible Band March'd out of Amasia with such speed that his coming prevented the Report thereof and those Bassa's who designed to observe his Motion he came upon them unawars He put a notable Cheat upon the Bassa of Constantinople for whereas there were ways in his Province by which he might March and he himself had beset the chiefest of them he sent some before him pretended to be Runaways to inform him that he was gone the furthest way about which he giving Credit to removed his Troops thither to prevent him and so left him a free passage He put the like Trick upon the Bassa of Erzerumen for knowing that the Passage through the Province would be very hazardous he sent some before him with a counterfeit Message to Salute him and tell him that his Misfortunes had reduced him to the top of all miseries and therefore he desired him that he might rest a day or two in his Province at least to procure his Horses to be relieved and new Shod The Bassa granted his request whereas it was not a commiserating his Case or that he favoured his Side but perhaps that he might amaze him a little till he had got all his Troops together to ensnare him for they were scattered as not dreaming he would be so soon upon him However Bajazet March'd continually on allowing his men no rest by day and very little at Night The Bassa of Erzerumen seeing himself Deceived made haste to joyn himself with the other Bassa's in his Flight For you must know as soon as Solyman heard his Son was gone from Amazia he commanded a great many Sanziacks and Bassa's to follow and upon pain of Death to bring him either Alive or Dead but all in vain for Bajazet Fled faster than they could Persue The Bassa of Casgan afore-mentioned paid dear enough for letting him escape for Solyman put him out of his Place but Selymus put
if he should Succeed his Father in the Empire it might do Persia much more mischief than ever Solymus could for he was but a slothful Prince and not at all for War and therefore some thought he would never escape out of his hands for to besure he can never be his Friend because he hath injured him so much Some think one thing and some think another For my part I think it will be an intricate Business For as Bajazet is in Troubles and the issue undetermin'd they will not easily make War on Christendom in this Juncture They labour to obtrude on me certain Conditions of Peace having some Letters that will please my Master but they allow me no Copy of them as heretofore they were wont to do so that I suspect Fraud in the case and therefore do peremptorily refuse to send those Letters to Cesar unless first I know their Contents and if they deceive me by a false Copy then the blame lyes at their door not at mine so that by this means I shall free my Master from answering their Captious Letters for I am sure he will accept of no Conditions of Peace but such as are Honourable ones But you 'll say if you refuse to accept of their Conditions of Peace 't is one step towards a War Let it be as it will I judge it more advisable to leave all free to the events of future Ages But the not sending their Letters if that be a Crime I shall take it on my self and I shall easily clear my self if the issue of Bajazet's Affairs do not answer their Expectation seeing it is yet very difficult tho' not impossible for the Turks are not irreconcileable to those Embassadors who study to do their Master the best service they can amongst them and besides the declining Age of my Prince will be some advantage to me who is fitter for rest and quiet than for the News of an unnecessary War for their Bassas think as men 'T is true my Pains will be lessened hereby but I count them best bestow'd if they succeed at last Thus Sir I have written you a Book rather than a Letter whereas if I have offended you the fault is yours rather than mine what I did was at your request and readiness to please a Friend hath always been counted a Vertue in Friendship Yet I hope these things will be as pleasant for you to read as they were delightful for me to write for let me tell you as soon as I put Pen to Paper I love to be prolix that so I may as it were deceive my Confinement that I may wander abroad in my Mind and be Conversant with you as in Presence VVhat things seem frivolous and needless you must take them as proceeding by word of Mouth in familiar Conferences amongst Friends Men may be allow'd to tittle tattle in a Letter as well as in common Discourse if I were to write Inscriptions for Churches and Temples to be seen of all Men Circumspection and care must be used but not when I write to you and a few privâ—â—e Friends I aim not at Fame if my Lines please you I have enough You will say perhaps I might have writ better Latin I grant it but what if it were beyond my Ability it was not for want of any good will and yet let me tell you what good Latin can come out of uncouth Greece or barbarous Turky If you take my Lines in good part I shall trouble you no more till my return to Vienna if ever God permit me so to do Excuse my Trouble Constantinople June 1. 1560. THE FOURTH AND LAST EPISTLE SIR I Acknowledge your Kindness and antient Respect in congratulating my Return and whereas you require an Account of the residue of my Embassy and what Occurrences have happen'd since my last to you I will remember my Promise to you and I shall not disoblige so choice a Friend take them all in a Medly together what comes next to Hand as my Memory suggests the things more and things less serious My beginning is with the Mournful it is this I was scarce settled in my Spirit which was troubled for Bajazet's Misfortune and Death when lo I was struck with another Message as sorrowful as that We were all in a great expectation of the Success of the Turkish Fleet which sailed towards the Isle of Meniage now called Gâ—rse upon News that the Spaniards had prevailed there For Solyman being advertised that Bland was taken by the Christians and that they had added new Fortifications to the old Castle therein in which they had yet a very strong Garrison could not endure to be thus check'd in the midst of all the Prosperities of his flourishing Empire Hereupon he equipp'd a Navy with Auxiliaries to relieve those that were Mahumetans like himself and made Bana Commander of his Fleet. He furnish'd his Ships with a Select Company of Soldiers and yet was doubtful of the Event because the Voyage was long and they were to engage with an Enemy redoubled for Valour For you may please to be inform'd that the Turks for a long time have had a great Opinion of the Valour of the Spaniards as knowing that they have waged great Wars and came off with good Success They had heard of the Emperor Charles and of his Son Philip the Heir of his Valour as well as his Kingdoms The report of this Power made the Turks very solicitous so that those that went the Voyage made their last Wills as if they should never return to Constantinople again Thus the whole City both those that went and those that staid at Home was filled with anxiety But alas their Fleet sailed with a prosperous Gale and came upon the Christians unawares which strook such a terror into them that they knew not how to Fight or Fly Some nimble Vessels made their Escape the rest were either taken by the Enemy or split or dash'd in pieces on the Sands The Duke of Medina the General and Iohn Andrew Donna the Admiral fled to the castle from whence they escap'd in a dark Night undiscovered through the Enemies Fleet to Sicily Pitual sent hither a Galley to give an Account of this Victory and as a Testimony thereof he caused a Bannet wherein was the Image of our Saviour Christ upon the Cross to be pulled along the Sea at the poop of the Vessel As soon as it arrived in the Haven the Loss of the Christians was presently divulged and the Turks congratulated one another for their Victory They came thick and threefold to my Door and asked my Servants in a Jeer whether they had any Brother or other Friend in the Spanish Fleet if you had said they you may shortly have the opportunity of seeing their Faces here Besides they highly extoll'd their own Valour and blam'd the Cowardise of the Christians Who say they shall now be able to stand before us seeing we have Conquered the Spaniards My People were forced to
especially the Veteran ones whom he had employed against Bajazet over whom Mahomet the third of the Viziers Bassa's and Beglerbey of Greece was made General for Solyman was returned home Moreover he sollicited the Georgians dwelling between the Hircan-Sea and Pontus bordering on Persia to Aid him against them They answered couragiously That they were not strong enough themselves to Cope with the Persian but if he himself came upon the Place with an Army they would then shew themselves Men of Courage against the Persians as their common Enemy The Hircanians also and the Posterity of Tamerlan were sollicitous to joyn Arms Solyman himself gave forth that he would go to Aleppo a City of Syria seated on the Banks of Euphrates that from thence he might make War on the Persian Nor was the Persian himself without Fear for he had often experienced the Dint of Solyman's Sword But the generality of the Turks were averse from the War and lookt on it as a wicked and detestable one and this cooled the Sultan A great many Soldiers especially Horse forsook their Colours and return'd to Constantinople without leave of Officers and being commanded immediately to return they did so but so unwillingly that Solyman plainly saw their Aversion from the Service Whereupon Solyman seeing he could not get Bajazet alive out of the Persian's Hands who feared his Revenge if ever he came off clear descended to the next thing which was to have him strangled there and he hop'd to obtain his end this way because the Persian had lately acquainted him by Letter that he had been very remiss in so great an Affair I have sent divers Ambassadors to you said he but you send nothing to me but empty Letters or Messengers and therefore to convince me that you are real in the Business Send some considerable Ambassadors of your prime Nobility with whom I may Transact according to the greatness of the Affair As for himself Bajazet had been a great Charge to him before he could be taken and therefore 't was fit an Account should be had of those Expences Solyman thereby saw that Money was requir'd and therefore by the Advice of his Bassa he resolved to take any other course rather than to involve himself in an unnecessary War with the Persians Hereupon Hassan Aga together with an old Bassa one of the Bed-Chamber was sent by Solyman into Persia They departed with ample Commission in the midst of the Winter they made great haste insomuch that they lost several of their Retinue in the way At last they came to Casbia to the Sophi and desired to see Bajazet they found him in a â—asty filthy Prison his Beard and Hair so long that till he was shav'd he could hardly be known but then Hanan knew him by the lineaments of his Face having been brought up with him from a Child and therefore he was chosen as the fittest Person for this Embassie They agreed that the Persian should be repaid what he had laid out and should have many rich Presents besides provided they would destroy Bajazet The Hassan returns gives an account to his Master who thereupon sent the Expence by him with the Gifts who were guarded by the Turks to the Confines of Persia. Thus Hassan again returned to be the Executioner of Bajazet with his own Hand for so Solyman had commanded When the Bow-string was about his Neck he desired but one thing before his Death which was to see his Children and to take his last leave of them by a Final Kiss but that was deny'd This was the end of Bajazet and his unfortunate Designs the way he took to save himself was his Ruine his four Children under-went the same Fate the new-born Infant which he left at Amusia whom his Grandfather had removed to Persia to be Educated there when his Father was dead a trusty Eunuch was sent to Persia to destroy him too but the Eunuch being tender-hearted procured a certain Porter a hard-hearted Fellow who car'd not what desperate Pranks he play'd to joyn with him to help dispatch the Child This Fellow went into the Room and as he was fitting the String to the Infant 's Neck the poor Child lifted up its self as well as he could and embracing him in his Arms offered to kiss him which did so mollifie his wretched Heart that he fell down in a Swoon The Eunuch stood at the Door and wondering at the Delay went in and found the Fellow sprawling on the Ground whereupon he was forced to execute the Charge himself and so strangled the poor Child By this Passage it appears that Solyman spar'd his Nephew hitherto not out of any Principle of Mercy but out of an Opinion the Turks have that Matters if they succeed well are pleasing to God and therefore as long as 't was uncertain what the Aim of Bajazet's Designs would be he would not imbrue his Hands in his Childs Blood lest if Bajazet had succeeded he might seem to have resisted the Will of God But when Bajazet was slain then he thought God had determined the Controversie and that his Son also might not be spared lest the Proverb should be verified Of an ill Crow an evil Egg. I had a long Discourse with my Chiaux upon this Subject when I was in the Island as above-said and had liberty to Sail from one to the other It hapned once that as we were returning in our Skiff the Wind being against us we could not double a Promontary that reach'd pretty far into the Sea that we were forced to Land and take our Dinner a-shoar for I always carried some Provant along with me in the Vessel for fear of the worst and their Turks were also forced to Land upon the same Stress of Weather Our Table was spread in a great Meadow my Chiaux and my Interpreter sate at Table with me mention being occasionally made of Bajazet the Chiaux began to inveigh bitterly against him for taking up Arms against his Brother I pleaded for him and said he was worthy of Pity who was forced to do what he did There was an inevitable necessity upon him either to submit himself to a certain Death or to save his Life by taking Arms. However the Chiaux persisted still to execrate his Undertaking whereupon I pleaded thus You accuse Bajazet as Guilty of an horrid Offence but you acquit Solyman the Father of your present Emperor who took up Arms against his Father We do so said the Chiaux and we have reason for it for the Event shew'd that what he did was by God's Approbation and was predestinated in Heaven If you argue from Success said I then the wickedest Fact if it prosper may be reputed to God as the Author and then he may be made the Author of Sin if Good and Evil must be interpreted only by Events We dwelt awhile on this Discourse and were very eager upon it whilst either of us defended his own Opinion we alledgâ—d many Places of Scripture Can
Children and Family He is extreamly Courteous to all his Subjects as if they were under his particular Care and Himself the Father of so vast a Family What poor Man hath ever desired his help in vain Who is there that hath not experienced his Liberality He thinks that Day lost wherein he hath not done some Good to some body As he is Beneficent to all so he is singular kind to his Domesticks not a Man of them can say that ever he was neglected by them He knows their way of Life the Deserts yea and the very Names even of the meanest of them Tho' he be so great a Prince yet he counts it not below himself at convenient Opportunity to warn the Negligent and put them in mind of their Duty and if they mend their Manners to reward them accordingly So that they depart from him rather as from a Father than a Master 'T is also his Guise his Custom when he hath been angry with his Servants for some Days when upon his Amendment he hath pardon'd him the memory of the Injury is quite forgotten he esteems them as much as he did before He Administers Justice with great Equity and that to himself as well as others for he thinks it unreasonable to prescribe Laws to others and break them himself or to punish them in others which he allows in himself His passions are conquer'd and confin'd within the Rule of Reason his Life is free from Hate he knows not how to be Angry nor to reproach others there is no Man living that ever heard him Backbite though they were none of his Friends He never speaks rudely of any Man and his Speech is alway honourable concerning them in their absence Probity is safe under his Guardianship but malice force fraud Evil and bad Manners are exterminated Offences and wickednesses duly punish'd The old Romans had Censors of Manners impos'd upon them to retain the People in their Duty but here ther is no need of any Censor the Life of the Prince is Censors enough he is an Example to all what they should fly and what they should follow Good and learned Men which may profit the Commonwealth he highly esteems with these he is Conversant and laying aside His Majesty Treats them Friendly as his Equals yea He Emulates their Vertues without respect whether they were Paternal and Hereditary or gotten by their own Industry With these he spends the little time he had â—eft from Publick Business These are the Persons highly Esteem'd by him as judging it a Publick Benefit to restore due Honour unto Vertue He himself being curious by Nature and desirous to know something worthy of a Man has always some Questions to propound the Learned and sometimes he interposes some witty Querks of his own to the Admiration of his Hearers Thus he hath got a considerable Stock of Learning so that you can hardly question him in any thing but he can give you some account thereof He is skilful in many Tongues first in the Spanish which is his Mother's Tongue next in the French German Latin and Italian He can Express himself pretty handsomly in the Latin yet not so but that sometimes he breaks Priscian's Head a Fault blame-worthy in a Grammarian but allowable in an Emperor What I have said of him all Men living know to be true but perhaps some impute this as a Defect that he is not so much given to Alms nor is not a Military Person For say they the Turks carry all in Hungary and we don't Help nor Relieve them as we ought we should have Fought them not Languages and joyn'd Armies in the Field that it might be known whom Providence would have to bear Rule I confess this Objection savours of Darkness more than of Prudence and therefore let me fetch the Matter a little higher I am of this Opinion That the Genius of Emperors is to be judg'd of rather by their Councils than by their Fortunes or Events and that by those Councils the Times our own Strength the Nature and Power of our Enemies is to be Regulated If a Common Enemy well known to us and Famous for no Victory should Invade our Borders 't were Cowardice not to oppose them if we have Force enough But if the Enemy be such who seem sent as a Scourge from God such was Atala of old Tamarlane in the Days of our Forefathers and the Ottoman Princes in our Age Whom nothing can withstand who lays all waste before him to Oppose such an Enemy with small and new levied Forces would not be only Rash but even Madness it self Solyman comes terrible I say by his own and his Ancestor's Successes He Invades Hungary with 20000 Horse he draws near to Austria and threatens the rest of Germany his Troops are fetch'd from the very Confines of Persia his Army is furnish'd with many Nations each of the Three known Parts of the World Conspire therein for our Destruction He like Lightning strikes down all before him with his battering Army of the Terror of his Name he roars and Hovers in our Borders striving to break in sometimes here sometimes there Some Nations of old when they have been threatned with such and such Potent Enemies have left their Native Country and have sought out other Habitations To be unmoved in small Dangers is but a mean kind of Praise but not to be Terrify'd by the coming of so great an Enemy who has laid Waste so many bordering Kingdoms seems to me an Herodian kind of Constancy Amidst these Dangers Ferdinand Heroically abides in the same Place he deserts not his Station but being of an unconquer'd Spirit abides in the same Seat and State He could wish his Forces were sufficient to put all to the hazard of a Battel and that nothing of Madness were imputable to him upon that account but Prudence doth moderate his generous Efforts He sees with what a great Hazard of his Faithful Subjects and the Ruine of all Christendom and unsuccessful Battel will be fought and that the Publick should pay for his Rashness is very unwilling he considers how unequal the Combat would be between 25 or 30000 Foot with a small number of Horse and 200000 supported with a veterate Body of Foot what Hopes there may be of Success in that Case the Example of former Times and the Blood-shed at Nicapolis and at Varna and the Fields of Mohach as yet white with the Bones of Christians slain there do sufficiently inform us 'T is the part of a foolish Commander without duly weighing his own and the Enemies Strength to rush into Battel where his Loss can be only excus'd with an unwise I had not thought 'T is all in all what the Enemy is with whom we are to cope wherein if you will not believe yet you may believe the gravest Author that ever wrote of Military Affairs such was Cesar he counted it a Happiness to Lucullâ—s and to Pompey that they had to do with a sloathful
King Thus filial Piety and the Groans of his Father's Danger made him able to speak whom Nature had made Speechless till that very time The like Providence though on a different Occasion hath happened to me whom Love to my Country will not suffer me to be any longer mute no though I am but a rude and unskilful Orator and who never yet offered any thing to Publick Cry But the extream Hazard of my Country compels me now to roar and cry out not that I think that I can thereby daunt the Enemy from cutting our Throats For his Savageness is such that he will not be frightned hereby but that I may warn Christian Princes to take heed to themselves and that I may warn my Country-men that whilst Time lasts they would Aid one another and consult their Safety For O Heavens what mischievous Unhappiness is this and what a Womb of Miseries that barbarous Enemy the Turk having Conquered Nations almost without number by the Ruine and Destruction of so many Kings and Kingdoms hath opened his way to us also and points his Sword at the very Throat of our Country yet truly we are not concern'd nor stir not at all to Aid distressed Christendom If Fire break out in the City where we live every body leaves the Care of his private affairs and useth endeavours to quench it But we alas that would be accounted Lovers of our Country yet in this her Jeopardy we do shew our selves only Idle and Sluggish Spectators her beauteous Love which the Enemy will soon spoil our Worship and Religion which he will soon make us to abjure and the silent Supplication of our Wives and Children that we would not suffer them to be hauled into the basest of Slaveries do no way affect us The sloathfullest of all Animals when they find their Young to be in danger will not be restrained by any force but will run through Fire and Water to help them And shall we on the contrary though valiant Men betray our Posterity and expose them to the Injuries and Abuses of such cruel Enemies for want of our Assistance to Relieve them For pray tell me what other Hopes can you have whatâ— Defence what Safeguards Can you place any Hope in the Goodness and Clemency of that Enemy who since he publickly shewed himself upon the Stage of the World hath caused Rivers of Humane Blood continually to flow Or can you put any Confidence in his Equity and Moderation Alas he values not Peace nor Leagues not a Straw no Common Laws of other Nations are a jot regarded by him no Modesty nor no Consideration of that which is Honest does keep him within his Bounds He will violate his Faith his Oath made to any man that is a Christian when it is for his own Advantage he thinks it so far from being a Sin that he counts it a pious and a sacred Thing Beside his profane Religion stirs him up against us the Emulation of his Ancestors and the desire of inlarging his Empire puts Arms into his Hands and that cursed and insatiable Thirst after all our Estates hurries him on upon us For we are quite beside the Cushion if we imagine that either our Conscience or our Forgetfulness of Injury received will contribute at all to our Security no the modester we are and the more observant of Peace and of Leagues and of that which is just and right we shew our selves to be by so much the more we shall provoke the Insolency of this Enemy aginst us for we owe not these things to our Valour or Goodness but to our Fear Sluggishness and despair of our own Affairs And the truth is we have no reason to put any Trust in our Enemy if we have none in our selves and in this case what remains but we do as Men that have received the Sentence of Death quietly to prepare our selves for our last Stroke with blinded Eyes to receive the Blow And if you should imagine that either his Force or his Fortune should fail him we may answer our selves by considering that from an obscure Original his Victories obtained both by Land and Sea and that in a very short space of Time have made him Famous all the World over The Fire began by him from such beginnings he hath almost consumed the greatest part of the World The Eastern People being wearied by him do dread his Arms as the Assyrians Barbarians and Americans the Edge of whose Sword even the Sythians themselves now also have often felt and the Ethiopians too in another part of the World who were formerly secured by the Heat of the Country I need say nothing of Europe for we have seen Belgrade taken Vienna Besieged and Preys driven even from the Gates of Lintz Such towards our Destruction hath Solyman alone been able to make besides his other Victories But alas 't is the Guise of our Christian Kings to continue Peace among themselves from Generation to Generation though it be but for a Spot of Land whereas every single Emperor of the Ottomans I speak it with as much Grief as Truth have heaped up KINGDOMS upon KINGDOMS by their Victorious Success So that as many Countries as those once flourishing Nations the Assyrians the Persians the Macedonians and the Romans so Comprehended within the Bounds of their Empires the Turks alone now seem to possess And will not all this make us to see our Danger What Sea is there what Mountains what Desarts What remnant of People between them and us from whom we can expect any Relief against their Injuries No all is lost and spoiled Alas their Swords are at our very Throats who should have struck a Terrour to us at a far greater distance so that now the very Blood of our Country and our own last Breath is like a Sanguinary Quinsie and we have not this crum of Comfort left us which is oftentimes found even in the greatest Calamities that we can have any solid ground of hope that these our Miseries be not long lived Other Barbarous Nations have oftentimes brought grievous Calamities on many Christian Provinces by sudden Tempest thus the Goths Vandals Huns and Tartars have over-run many Countries and brought great Havock upon them which Miseries seemed the more tolerable because there was hopes that they would not be perpetual And therefore after the Storm was over those Places which were Weather-beaten and almost destroy'd did again recover their former Splendor But this Enemy is so watchful and observes that strict Discipline and Course in preserving the Places that he hath gotten that when he Rules and Reigns and hath once set his Foot he suffers not himself to be removed from thence So that to speak by way of Allusion That Corn can never ripen again whom once his Horses heels hath trodden to the Ground So that it is hard to discern whether he be more happy in acquiring or more resolute in maintaining his Conquests Seeing then we are surrounded with so
great Dangers Why do we not lay our Heads together Why do we not try all ways and turn every Stone Why doth the ingenious Necessity which would effect admirable Works lie stupid and dormant in us The wildest of Beasts may be our Authors in this place apprehending themselves in the greatest danger how strongly will they strive for their own liberty who in a case of Life and Death will valiantly set up and attempt any thing for their liberty they will try all means that so they may find a way to escape In fine They will lose their Life rather than their Liberty But perhaps some may make this Objection What then do you advise to secure the present State of Affairs against the Dangers and Mischiefs that hang over our Heads It is easie for any body to do But what Remedy is there for it This is the Question we ask of you speak something to this Head if you can say any thing I answer I will take you at your word and will declare my mind and that in short First is to be used Arms Arms must be opposed to Arms nothing can well be done without Arms the Safety of our Country is to be maintained by Sword and Buckler or we must all Perish every Man This is as true as the Gospel but God forbid that it should be let us rather fly to our Arms which are not hid under Ground and if they were yet we were with great Diligence to pluck them out neither are they to be far fetch'd from remote Countries but they are near us they are ready and if we will our selves we have them in our hands There are gallant Men enough bred up amongst us we have a numerous Youth fit for War who are ready to spend the last drop of their Blood for their Country and for their Religion We want neither Horses nor Iron nor Gold nor Forces nor Engines nor great Guns nor other Utensils for War the Divine Bounty hath largely supplied us with a considerable hand with all things necessary to undertake and perfect great Designs provided always that we do not refuse to make use of them I say we want only Will and force of Hands which we ought seasonably to apply while a competency of Strength remains and before all things run to rack irreconcilably for otherwise we may look back upon neglected Advice when it is in vain and to no purpose and then we shall be served as those Sick Men who whilst it was seasonable and their Strength entire did even kick at the mention of Physick and could by no manner of means be perswaded to make use of Healthful Potions in season but when the opportunity is pass'd and the Disease is come to the heighth that their weakned Bodies cannot bear Physick then they seek for the Physician and his Remedy to no purpose Their Example ought to forewarn us before the Enemy hath wounded us all over and whilst no Wounds are Mortal and whilst we have yet some Blood left in our Veins to apply a Remedy in time that is to hasten to our Arms to prepare our selves vigorously for our Defence If we do thus then we may make our Supplications to God and may fairly hope that he will not turn his Back to us but if we pretend Piety as a Cloak for our Sloathfulness think to take a shorter cut which is to implore the Divine Aid against the Mischiefs that hang over our Heads by Prayer without our own Pains Labour and Study certainly God will turn the Deaf Ear to so unjust a Petition No we ought in the first place to do our own Duty and to fill up the Measure of Diligence Stoutness and Valour which God hath given us principally for this end and purpose We should imitate the Husband-man who doth in vain expect a plentiful Harvest from God unless he first Plow Sow and Reap God hath appointed a sure and fixed Order in these Sublunary Things which by no means ought to be slighted or neglected hath propounded many Rewards to Pains-taking Diligence Assiduity Cunning and to Virtue which he hath denied to Sloathfulness Would you be a Scholar would you understand Musick Astronomy or the Mathematicks you must first take pains to learn them and that with might and main Heaven will not Inspire you with these things if you be Idle no you must take Pains to attain them in that way and by those designs which God hath appointed he hath given you means to attain them provided you be not wanting to your self make use of them in the first place and then God will give you his Blessing and Increase In the like manner would you defend your Country would you conquer your Enemy and would you enjoy Victory you will never be able to do it by sitting Idly and Sloathfully at home no you must up and be doing take Arms in hand and exercise diligently therein you must confine your self to Toil to Heat to Drouth to Hunger Being thus accoutred you may implore the Divine Aid thus you may go hopefully on into the Field for you have done that Duty and you have duly used the Means which God hath vouchsafed you you have observed his Order and have not despised the Laws which he hath fixed and in this posture we may commend the Issue of the thing by our devout Praise and Integrity of Life to his Clemency and Goodness For Victory is not in our Power but it is God's Privilege alone to bestow it and yet sometimes we see that those are made Partakers thereof who do not lawfully and in due order seek it of him And if it happen otherwise sometimes which it seldom does it is next to a Miracle for we ought not to tempt God nor to undertake any thing rashly And in my Judgment Cato spoke very pertinently when he exhorted the Senate to take Arms against Catiline in these words It is true the matter is dangerous but you do not fear it though you ought greatly so to do But such is your Sloathfulness and Effeminacy that you dally with it looking one upon another as if you trusted in Mortal Gods for your Safety who have oftentimes preserved this Common-wealth in the greatest of Dangers I must tell you that the Aid of God is obtained not by bear Wishes and womanish Complaints No. But if we be Vigilant if we be Active if we take Advice then all things will succeed prosperously But if thou give up thy self only to Wishings and Wandrings it is in vain to ask help of the Gods they are angry and will sâ—it in thy Face Let us therefore do what belongeth to us let us stand armed in our Camp ready for the Work and Onset and then we may lawfully implore God's Aid and Assistance But here some Good and Thinking Men lay a Block in my way alledging That this Method to heal our publick Calamities hath been oftentimes tried but never succeeded And that Christians as often as they
have joyned Battle with the Turks have been worsted by them I own the Objection and acknowledge that there is great weight in it and the Truth is my chief Design in writing this Monitory was to give a full answer thereunto You say that we have hitherto prevailed by Force of Arms little against the Turks grant that it is so But pray tell me what Arms we have used It is worth our while to dwell a little upon this Point When publick Fame had informed us that the Turk with a numerous Army was infesting our Borders and drawing near towards us it is true indeed we endeavoured to gather Forces also but what Forces were they or what manner of Soldiers did we List Were they Victorious Were they such whose Valour had been proved in former Battels and which had been accustomed to Conquer By no means but rather Men of quite another Gizard Drums were beaten up all over the Country and at their Sound there came in Men higly pigly for hope of Gain perhaps three to one of them had hardly wore a Helmet before or ever looked an Enemy in the Face And the rest were the Scum of the Country as Thieves Debauchees Gamesters Men over Head and Ears in Debt and such-like Excepting only a very few who were not at all influenced by the Justness of their Cause nor by their Love to Religion nor desire to exercise their Valour but by a Licentious Impunity for Drinking Diceing Plundering Whoring and committing Sacrilege and in a word whom all manner of Flagitious Wickedness brought together With such a Rabble-rout or rather with the Horridest or worst of Mortals hateful both to God and Man do we begin this Sacred War against so great an Enemy Hence it is that our Camps do seem rather a Riotous Wake than a Convention of Soldiers for amongst them Luxury Corruption Lust Impurity Drunkenness Tumults Brauling and Blood-shed turn all things up-side down And yet this is the goodly Soldiery forsooth that we are to raise at great Charge and also to fetch from far with much loss of time when the matter requires the greatest speed imaginable The Luxuries of Campania broke the Army of Hannibal's which before was hardy and accustomed to Toil But as for us we have need of no Campania to debauch us for our Soldiers do bring Effeminateness and Feebleness enough into the Army when they are first Listed And therefore if they meet with no Enemy to fight with yet in the space of a Month either the Heat of the Dog-days or the first pinching Winter Colds do destroy our Troops though never so great And can we wonder if with such Soldiers as these we can obtain no Success against such a Well-disciplined Enemy Alas If any of us have a private Grudge one against another or if we are to travel through a place infested by Robbers we do not go hand over head as they say but we commit the guard of our Persons to such Spectators as will stick by us Besides if any Business happen of more than ordinary weight we use not to commit the Management thereof to any but Men of great Experience and Skill But in this grand Affair where the Safety of all is at Stake we are so careless that either we send forth an unsuitable Soldiery or else such as is almost conquered before it looks an Enemy in the Face and this heartens an Enemy whom so many Victories have already made Famous I return to what I spoke in the beginning that we must defend the Publick Safety by a choice and fitting Soldiery or else we can have no hopes but to be utterly destroy'd But you will say What kind of Soldiers would you have I answer Those of our own Country and chosen out of our Neighbourhood for seeing haste is very available in Military Affairs and that it is especially necessary against so nimble an Enemy as the Turks we need an Army which is not to be far fetch'd nor long staid for but such a one as is ready at hand and as it were always at our call And we are not to take every one that comes or that we light upon by chance but having taken enough all which are able to take Arms we are with great Judgment to cull out the best of them In which choice we must take especial care that we pitch not upon a Man who hath been daintily bred and highly fed or whom a depraved Education hath infected with Vice and Idleness hath not corrupted that no Hair-brain'd Mad Contumacious Turbulent or Seditious Fellow be listed but such only as are not delicate but fit to endure Toil and such as having a good habit of Body do in their very Countenances hold for it a certain Simplicity Probity and greatness of Mind On which account I had rather fix upon one that was accustomed to a Stirring and Laborious than to a Sedentary Trade upon a Country-man rather than a Citizen upon one born upon a Mountain rather than in a Valley upon a mean Man rather than a rich Grub. When you have made this good Choice then I would have you instruct the Soldiers in Military Precepts and the Knowledge of Arms I would have him accustom himself in his Armour to handle and brandish his Pike with Skill to use his Sword and Pistol to keep his Rank and to march swiftly under his Armour to write true Prose to hate Wickedness more than Death to love Piety and in his common Discourse not to speak a word reproachfully against God The same Person must be obedient to his Commander and patiently endure his Correction let him be as Furious as he will towards his Enemy but Gentle and Tractable amongst his Fellow-Soldiers His Diet should be sparing not at all inclinable to Gluttony or Drunkenness And in the last place He must be content with his Pay and abstain from all Plunder but when his Commander gives him leave Thus I say ought the Soldiers to be disciplin'd who must look so great an Enemy in the Face And yet I would not have this Man to be presently brought into the Army he being as yet raw to joyn him with the Victorious to fight for all but rather should be placed in some Posts or Garrisons that so by Excursions and lighter Combats by degrees he arrives to be accustomed to Wars And by this means he may be accustomed to bear Wounds to endure the sight of an Enemy and by degrees to cast off the Fear which all Novelty is wont to introduce When the Soldier is thus disciplined and train'd I dare assure you he hath laid a Foundation for hope of good Success So that the chiefest of our Pains and Labour is especially to be imploy'd herein that we may get Men skillful in Arms and experienced in Military Discipline by whom those Fresh-water Soldiers which I spoke of may be instructed in the true and genuine Precepts of the Art Military I would have such Commanders set over
tend to heighten our Miseries soon after and ingage us to our certain Ruin As if a Physician do flatter his Patient and defer necessary Remedies till the Disease comes to that height that Death must inevitably follow So we see that our Affairs do sensibly decline and on the other side the Enemy groweth stronger every day and as he catches from us to add to his own so thereby he doth fairly take his way and passage to us and make all things ready to hasten our Destruction that so all Impediments being removed he may give us an Alarum whenever he pleases and when we least think of it With a well-provided Army he might destroy us as it were fast a-sleep and unprovided of all things All his Designs tend to this this is the only thing in his Eye at which time though too late we shall think our selves induced to those Straights that no hope being left we must certainly Perish And this will be the Issue of our Delay and our unseasonable Backwardness and therefore I admonish you again and again while time is and the matter will bear that we suffer not our selves to be â—linded with false Hopes and so sit still and â—o nothing in which we may remember how great Overthrows we have received and also we may forsee the last Ruin of our Common-wealth approaching therefore we must make use of a quick-sighted Judgment in the case least by our mistake in so great a Matter We apply false Remedies instead of true ones to our dangerous Miseries and when we have cast up all our Accounts and find upon what Hinge our remaining Hope turns foregoing all other Methods we must very diligently apply our selves to that alone wherein neither Labour nor Difficulty nor Novelty nor any other Pull-backs to Slothful and Feeble Minds should in the least make us to slacken our Pace no our carriages must be as high as the Matter is great so sublime a Matter requires no low or abject Frame rather Necessity requires that we should be lifted up even above the Capacity of our Age and that in part at least we should imitate the Valour of those Heroes who out of their great Fortitude and Constancy overcame the greatest Difficulties who never thought any thing more base and unworthy of themselves than to be deterred by the Greatness of any Difficulty or Let from bringing the Design to a happy Issue which in their thou hâ—s was conjoyned with the Dignity and Advantage of the Common-wealth wherein they lived I shall give you an Instance only in one oâ— them and that is Lycurgus the Law-giveâ— of the Lacedemonians who having a Design amongst the rest of his Institutions wherewith he would commend the best constituted Commonwealth of the Persians to be to Posterity to introduce an Equality of Goods amongst the Citizens and equally to divide the Estate and Possessions of all that what was taken from the Rich might be added to the Poor so that no distinction was to be between the Citizens but what Vertue made In this Design he met with a great many Adversaries especially those which had great Wealth and personal Estates and were well Monied besides For they took it in great Disdain that the Possessions either left them by their Ancestors or else got by their own Industry should be rent away from them and transferred to strange Owners This Matter seeming to them both unjust and also absurd the great Difficulty of enacting such a Law was objected to Lycurgus But he still persisting in his Purpose and being resolved to finish what he thought was right and wholsom for the Commonwealth there arose thereupon daily broâ—lings and dangerous Hurly Burlies in which Scuffles Lycurgus lost one of his Eyes That Accident might have sufficiently warned the good Man how difficult an Enterprize he had undertaken and consequently might have deterr'd him from persisting in his Enterprize but might rather have engaged him to lay aside his Design of accomplishing a Thing so successfully attempted and which had cost him one of his Eyes But it happened quite contrary for this Heroe was so far from desisting upon the account of his loss that it rather added Spurs to him to prosecute the same Cause the more eagerly Neither did he give over till the Law he had propounded concerning the eqality of Goods was enacted Nemine contradicente This being the Foundation of those of his famous institutions he established such a Commonwealth that the Race will never have the like and his Name with a high Admiration of his Vertue is Celebrated even to this very Day Yet this he did when he was in fear of no Turk nor of any other Enemy that threatned Ruine and Destruction to him And shall we at this time of Day withdraw our Soldiers from any Burden wherein the stress of our Safety lyeth For shame let us shake off this sloathful Temper unworthy both of us and the Christian Name and leaving off all other vain and fallacious Thoughts let us run to our Arms as our onely Refuge under God The Romans did so when any great Misery threatened their Commonwealth they went and betook themselves to their Arms they stopped all Law Suits and the Senate enjoyned the Consuls to take care that the Common-wealth received no damage We ought to do the same much more for we are in danger not only of some common Loss but even of the universal Ruine of the Christian Commonwealth We must run I say to our Snapsacks we must catch up and handle our Arms and think of nothing else Our Military Discipline which is much depraved is to be united and the old way of fighting is to be recalled and perfected we are as it were to proclaim a Vacation to shut up Shop and set by other Things to act and perform this one Thing with our most earnest Endeavours This we must do if we would have our Commonwealth our Selves our Wives and Children or lastly our Religion and Liberties preserved entirely unto us For if the Turks prevail they will not leave us a jot even of common Honesty much less any Dignity Liberty or Religion no Nation in the World can lose so much as we Take my word for it it is the worst of Mischiefs to be overcome by the Turk If he Conquer us and I wish he had not a fair Prospect so to do He will make Havock of all he will drive carry away dissipate burn profane and tread all Things under foot To prevent which Spectacle and Suffering let us high to our Weapons to our Arms and as Probus let us Fight it out When he was declared Emperor the Commonwealth had received many Losses which proceeded from the Corruption of their Military Discipline and therefore his chief Design was to amend that and this was the reason that he gave that first Motto to his Soldiers and his Deeds were agreeable to the Motto for in a little time he so advanced and restored what was quite
and spare no Pains or Cost in his Cultivation especially if he be fit for the War But alas 't is quite contrary among us if we have but a good Dog a Hawk or a Horse we are over-joyed and spare no Pains to bring him to Perfection in his kind But if we have got an Ingenious Man into our Hands we don't take so much Pains in his Institution For our parts we take delight in well Disciplin'd Dogs and Hawks but the Turks take a greater in the Culture of Man who is more Excellent in his Nature than a Beast From what hath been spoken it is Evident That 't is no new thing to List Soldiers Judiciously the way that I contend for 't was used both by the Romans and by both Conquering Nations Neither is it so obsolete or so remote from the Custom of our Age as it may not be again call'd back into Use For we find by daily Experience how the Turkish Arms so Cultivated do prevail Let it not therefore seem iâ—ksom to us to borrow this necessary Part from them who have borrow'd so many useful Things from Us If we thus do we shall quickly find a good Discipline will avail as much for our Safety as a bad hath hitherto contributed to our Ruine This is the only Anchor left in a dangerous Tempest to preserve the floating Ship of our Commonwealth every Thing is establish'd and preserv'd by that which rais'd it at first as Kingdoms and Empires have been obtain'd by Military Valour and well-appointed Armies by the same way they must be preserv'd Take away Arms remove Soldiers neglect Discipline and a Kingdom will either fall of it self or be a Prey to the Conqueror The Diadem and Scepter doth not preserve the Majesty of a Kingdom as the Sword in vain you wear the one upon your Head or carry the other in your Hand unless your Sword be girt by your Side That Empire is but Weak and Maim'd that is not supported by Arms When I speak of Arms I mean not shadowy glittering Ones but true solid and viceless Ones That which is Corrupted and Degenerate from its Perfection doth more hurt than good As long as the Romans kept up their strict Military Discipline their Legions Conquer'd the remotest Parts of the World but after Discipline came to be Corrupted and their Valour Effeminated by neglecting old Institutions they not only lost the greatest part of the Empire but Rome it self was not free from Plunder within its own Walls So that the City Erst the Head and Prince of all Nations was now expos'd as a Prey and Laughing-stock to them all who pluck'd away their Spoils from her as the rest of the Birds did their Feathers from Aesop's Chough But our Circumstances are the more pressing because the deadly Wound doth threaten our own almost naked Bowels and there is no way but this left to secure our Lives Sometimes Rulers when new Dangers threatens them are fain to apply Remedies accordingly to the Genius of their Subjects and thereupon to warp sometimes from the Rule of Right But our Straits are such that when the Ruine of our Country is before our Eyes we must immediately use those Means which may prevent our Ruine if our Enemy were afar off then we may send for raw Soldiers from far Countries remote from Enemies but we who are within cast of Dart and ready to Fight Hand to Hand must commit our Safety to no Arms but those that are tryed and approved Ones But some may oâ—ject That this our Military Preparation will be too slender to oppose the Torrent of the Turkish Force I answer I here only shew how the solid Foundation of a constant Army may be laid the rest of the Building will follow of course and Auxiliaries being added will soon make up a great Army and such Auxiliaries will speedily come in when it shall be reported that we have already a Body of an Army to which they may resort for Nature it self will prompt them to assist those who are ready to undergo all Dangers with themselves And on the other Hand it doth alienate from those who are unarm'd and unfit to resist offer'd Wrongs Hence Zenophon says very excellently That those who are ready with Arms in their Hands have many Friends and no Enemies for all will fly to their Aid in doubtful Times as to a Castle of Refuge and none will oppose him when he knows he has power enough to hurt his Enemy when he please Hence it comes to pass that whilst we loiter and slacken our Endeavours as despairing of our Safety and depend only upon our Hope and Aid from Others even our very Friends and Relations will despise them and forsake them and will rather joyn with the bold daring Enemy though of another Religion So great is the force of expeditious Arms. In the Name therefore of God Almighty let us buckle on the Helmet and with Arms in our Hand oppose so great an Enemy We our selves should be first Initiated in the Religion of Armed Palas we should devote our selves to her Studies put our Hands first to the Pâ—ow and do our Duty God will supply all the rest and Aid will not be wanting to those who are Voic'd not to be wanting to themselves Let us not rest till we have got at least Twelve Thousand Foot together of the Horse I will speak in another place besides ordinary Garrisons and those Chosen out of our own Country well Trained and Exercised When this our Practice shall be made known not our Friends only but even Strangers will send us in on Hope for Aid And if those Hopes should fail yet our own small force being in Garrison in Summer-time may suppress the Force of the Enemy and in Winter we may make such Inroads upon their Borders that they would repent their provoking of us And by this means they would be forced to seek for Truce from us which we can hardly now by Petition obtain from them and they will also observe the Conditions more strictly than now they do but as our present Case stands we are tossed with every VVind If our Garrisons be in danger and some sudden Assault requires speedy Aid we have no Force at all either to help our Own or to stop the Current of our Enemies Successes I grant that these things require our singuâ—ar Care and Study neither can we place our Thoughts and our Delights on a fitter Subject no Field of Praise lyes more open to us than that wherein we Exercise our Troops every Day and advance them for Military Exploits Let others please themselves with Gilded Houses and some with Pleasant Cardens Others with Ornamental and Gaudy Houshould-stuff as Pictures and the like c. but let all our delight be in these VVarlike Preparations even in time of Peace Let us value our Selves to our Friends upon this account only for what can be more grateful to any Guest of ours than to see a number of